Chapter 27: The Duel

Ji Yuanjia and Qian Ye both turned their heads to see a group of young people walking up the stairs.

Leading the way was a youth in blue, wearing an extravagant sapphire warrior outfit. It was he who had just mocked them. Among the people who appeared one after another, Qian Ye also saw the young man whom he had knocked out with a single punch.

This group of youths, both men and women, surrounded a haughty and aloof young lady as if she were the center of the universe. She wore a light purple robe with a unique lower hem shaped like a triangle, resembling an inverted multi-petaled lily. Her face was extraordinarily beautiful, but her eyes and eyebrows exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.

Ji Yuanjia frowned, lowering his voice and quickly said to Qian Ye, “Be careful. The woman in the middle is Ye Mulan, the fiancée of Song Zining, the seventh son of the Song family.”

Qian Ye’s expression turned somewhat peculiar, “Song Zining? Which Song family?”

Ji Yuanjia, focused on the newcomers, didn’t notice Qian Ye’s strange expression and only said, “Of course, one of the four great noble families, the Song family!”

By then, the young nobles had already reached the table, seemingly stopping casually, but their positions subtly blocked all escape routes for the two. Qian Ye disliked being so closely confined, frowning noticeably.

The blue-clad youth glanced at the dishes on the table and sneered, “Oh! I was wondering how someone from a humble background and a commoner could dine here! Turns out they only ordered the cheapest things! Brother Mu Hai, even a can of tea leaves costs more than this, right?”

Ye Mu Hai, the young man who was knocked out by Qian Ye at the banquet, glared at Qian Ye as if fire was about to spew from his eyes. Hearing the blue-clad youth’s words, he immediately huffed, “Even if it’s the cheapest food, this table probably costs more than Major Ji’s monthly salary. It seems either Major Ji is quite corrupt, or Lieutenant Qian’s bounty was generous enough. Miss Qi Qi must be very pleased with her recent treatment!”

Qian Ye’s face instantly darkened.

Ji Yuanjia stood up abruptly, shouting coldly, “You are slandering a current officer of the Empire. Provide evidence, or come with me to the Military Oversight Committee to explain yourself!” He paused, his face even more grim, “Furthermore, anyone who dares to slander Miss Qi Qi will face the consequences. I will convey every word you say to her.”

The group of young people quieted down slightly. They didn’t think much of slandering an officer from a humble background, but facing Yi Qi Qi was another matter.

These people were all from scholarly clans. Even their families, under normal circumstances, would not dare to offend Qi Qi. Having reached the final stage of the inheritance examination of the Yin family, Qi Qi controlled resources and power far beyond any scholarly clan.

At this moment, Ye Mulan spoke coldly, “Yi Qi Qi is not that impressive. You can tell her whatever you want. As for today’s incident, it’s just idle talk. These people are my friends, and touching them is the same as touching me!”

Ji Yuanjia was momentarily stunned.

Ye Mulan, though still a minor, had the reputation of a prodigy. However, Ji Yuanjia, who came from a humble background and had risen to the rank of major in the Imperial main army before the age of thirty, wasn’t much worse. But what deterred people was her other identity. Offending a scholar girl was one thing, but offending the fiancée of the seventh son of the Song family was another. If the Song family took offense, Ji Yuanjia wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences, even as a general.

Seeing Ji Yuanjia’s expression, Ye Mulan snorted coldly, “Without the power of the Yin family, you are nothing!”

The group of young people burst into derisive laughter.

The blue-clad youth swaggered over to Qian Ye, slapped the table, crushing the wine glass in front of him into powder, and sneered at Qian Ye, “With such skills, you dare to challenge Big Brother Gu! I’ll break your dog legs and ruin that pretty face someday. Make you understand that a lowly commoner should stick to their place and not dream of things meant for higher beings!”

Qian Ye’s expression relaxed, showing no joy or anger. He sized up the blue-clad youth, confirming he was also a fifth-level. Judging by age, these young people were indeed talented, and those cultivated by the clan with full effort were all geniuses.

Qian Ye took a moment to look at Ye Mulan. This icy and proud young lady, around the same age as Qi Qi, had a faintly glowing seventh node, indicating an impending breakthrough. She was indeed gifted.

Seeing Qian Ye remain seated and even turn his gaze away, the blue-clad youth’s face changed slightly. He roared, “What are you looking at, commoner? Want to die? Look at me again, and I’ll gouge your eyes out! At most, I’ll pay some money to get rid of you. Do you think Qi Qi will really stand up for you? Just a toy!”

Ji Yuanjia stepped forward, placing himself between the blue-clad youth and Qian Ye. He sensed that this encounter was far from simple. These people clearly came for Qian Ye, and given Qian Ye’s fiery temper and their repeated provocations, they were clearly trying to start a fight.

The blue-clad youth laughed weirdly, “Major Ji, are you going to teach me a lesson for disrespecting an officer?”

Ji Yuanjia’s face turned extremely gloomy, simply saying, “Yes.”

A crisp, cold snort came from the opposite side. Ye Mulan’s eyes, like snow and frost, locked onto Ji Yuanjia.

Behind her, a red-clad young man walked up, laughing, and touched Ji Yuanjia’s shoulder insignia, exclaiming dramatically, “Major, I’m so scared, really scared! Hahaha, but in the military, we don’t use private punishment. Bring an arrest warrant! Too bad, the one who approves arrest warrants is my father. Do you think he would issue an arrest warrant for his own son?”

The other young people laughed, joining in the jeers.

The Empire’s military hierarchy was strict, and disrespecting an officer was a serious offense. However, these young people were attached to the Expeditionary Army, different from Ji Yuanjia’s 17th Legion. Without direct jurisdiction, Ji Yuanjia’s only option was to impeach them, but in Xichang City, where the Expeditionary Army held sway, a mere verbal dispute would be overlooked.

The blue-clad youth crossed his arms, sneering at Qian Ye, “Alright, I take back my words. Perhaps Major Ji just collected some protection fees.”

Ji Yuanjia’s face turned ashen, and he suddenly took a deep breath, his primordial energy slowly surging.

At this moment, Qian Ye patted Ji Yuanjia’s shoulder, saying coolly, “Don’t do this. It’s too much of an honor for them to fight someone of your status.”

Ji Yuanjia was taken aback. He knew the severe consequences of starting a fight, but he couldn’t swallow the humiliation.

Qian Ye smiled coldly, “But I’m different! Since these noble gentlemen are higher in rank and status, they surely won’t refuse a challenge from a commoner, right?” His gaze swept over the smug blue-clad youth and landed on the crowd, “Mr. Ye Mu Hai, your face healed so quickly?”

Ye Mu Hai’s face alternated between green and white, speechless, while the ignored blue-clad youth’s expression turned fierce.

On that day, Ye Mu Hai was knocked out by Qian Ye, claiming he was unprepared. But he knew that even in a rematch, he was no match for Qian Ye. That punch’s power and speed far exceeded his limits!

Now, facing Qian Ye’s direct challenge, how could he respond? Accepting meant he had to fight, but losing in public would make him a laughingstock among the nobles forever.

Ye Mu Hai could only comfort himself that this scene didn’t fit the plan. He didn’t need to accept, but he didn’t dare to look at Ye Mulan’s face, knowing she must be furious and thinking poorly of him.

Their commotion attracted many diners. Those who could dine at the “Copper Terrace” were all prominent figures in Xichang City. Ye Mulan, Ji Yuanjia, and the others were familiar faces, so the crowd grew.

At this point, the blue-clad youth stepped forward, his arrogance replaced by a feigned calm, “I am Lu Shenjiang. It’s a pity I missed meeting you at the banquet. Surely you won’t refuse to make up for that now, right?”

Hearing the blue-clad youth introduce himself, Ji Yuanjia immediately recalled his identity.

Lu Shenjiang, though not much older than Qian Ye, was close to thirty, with primordial energy at the peak of level five. The reason he hadn’t broken through was rumored to be related to the family secret techniques he practiced, which required synchronized advancement of primordial energy and combat skills to unleash maximum power. Therefore, his combat strength was far above level five.

Although the Lu family was a scholarly clan, they had a history of over seven hundred years. Legend had it that their ancestors once belonged to the noble class, though they had declined in the past hundred years. However, their secret combat techniques were on par with those of the noble families.

He was a suitable choice to cause trouble. If they sent a sixth-level opponent, Ji Yuanjia would refuse on Qian Ye’s behalf. Concerned, he whispered Lu Shenjiang’s identity to Qian Ye.

Qian Ye smiled, “I know.”

The Empire valued martial prowess, and high-ranking officials often enjoyed arranging fights during meals, as popular as performances. Thus, the “Copper Terrace” had a ready-made fighting arena adjacent to the airship landing field.

Before Qian Ye entered the arena, Ji Yuanjia warned, “Be careful! They are prepared, because of that person.”

A slight cold gleam flashed in Qian Ye’s eyes, “I know how to handle it.”

Clearly, Gu Liyu was behind this, making the situation both simple and complex.

Moments later, Qian Ye and Lu Shenjiang entered the fighting arena, facing each other, with the audience already gathered, including several familiar faces of Xichang City’s important figures.

Lu Shenjiang took a deep breath, a faint golden light rising on his arms. As he spread his arms, it looked like a great roc spreading its wings!

The crowd gasped. Displaying external primordial energy below the War General level indicated that Lu Shenjiang’s combat skills had reached a high level, and his technique itself ranked among the top nine.

Lu Shenjiang shouted, “Secret Technique: Golden Winged King Fist!”

His aura rose, the golden light on his arms growing brighter, forming rudimentary wings. When his aura reached its peak, Lu Shenjiang let out a roar, lunging at Qian Ye, his hands clawing like sharp hooks toward Qian Ye’s shoulders!

But halfway through, Qian Ye let out a low growl, stomping his right foot, causing the arena to shake!

Qian Ye vanished from his spot, leaving a large crater. Lu Shenjiang’s pupils reflected a fist, growing larger, as a wave of primordial energy crackled and boomed!

Lu Shenjiang’s heart nearly stopped, with only one thought, “So fast! So heavy?”

Though shocked, his well-trained body instinctively reacted, crossing his arms to protect his head and chest, blocking Qian Ye’s attack!

A muffled thud echoed, with a faint sound of bone cracking. Qian Ye leaned back, stepping back, while Lu Shenjiang was flung back ten meters!

The crowd gasped.

Lu Shenjiang felt dazed, his blood churning. Thankful for his defensive instinct, otherwise, Qian Ye’s punch might have pierced his shoulders, and his own punch would have struck his heart.

Angry and shocked, Lu Shenjiang finally understood Ye Mu Hai’s feelings. That punch felt like a mountain crashing down, and even with his superior strength, he found it impossible to resist.

Qian Ye gave him no time to reflect, taking a step forward. His primordial energy surged, waves building up, reaching the ninth layer as he approached Lu Shenjiang, launching a whip kick at the still recovering Lu Shenjiang.

Mid-kick, a faint yellow glow appeared, and the sound of primordial energy exploding filled the air. A military combat technique! With such power?

Lu Shenjiang dared not block. He rolled to the ground, barely dodging. But before he could regain his stance, Qian Ye pursued, his leg like a giant axe slashing down!

Another muffled thud, Lu Shen Jiang raised his hands to block, but his body sank, having been driven into the ground.

Qian Ye, expressionless, retracted his left leg, lifting his right leg, and kicked Lu Shenjiang. The golden light around Lu Shenjiang dispersed, and he flew backward, spewing blood mid-air.

Thud, thud, thud! Qian Ye moved like a behemoth, relentlessly pursuing Lu Shenjiang.

The entire arena fell silent.

Qian Ye’s combat technique, forceful and powerful, built like a mountainous wave, becoming increasingly unstoppable. Now, Qian Ye’s momentum was fully formed, like a cavalry charge, heading straight for the center. If Lu Shenjiang were hit again, he would surely meet a grim fate.

Suddenly, a pale purple figure flashed, a palm striking down at Qian Ye!

It was Ye Mulan!