Chapter 111: The Next One
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On the dueling platform, Wei Huan’s Water Dragon Blade clashed with Wala’s stone axe.
One was a young and simple Vanguard Camp recruit from the Central Plains, while the other was a battle-hardened veteran from the Western Qiang known for his cruelty. Although Wei Huan’s blade skills were exceptional, he lacked practical combat experience. Furthermore, his opponent was a powerful strongman.
Compared to Wei Huan’s agility, Wala’s stone axe was massive and heavy, striking without any apparent pattern. The axe looked unwieldy, but with Wala’s immense strength, when Wei Huan tried to evade, the axe struck the ground, causing cracks even in the stone floor.
Wei Huan’s stamina was gradually running out.
He was, after all, younger and not as robust as Wala. Dodging Wala’s relentless onslaught was taking its toll. Moreover, he couldn’t even get close to his opponent due to the armor Wala wore.
It was an unfair fight from the beginning, and Wei Huan’s injuries were multiplying. However, Wala didn’t seem intent on killing him. Each time he could have landed a deadly blow, he held back slightly, avoiding vital areas but still inflicting numerous wounds on Wei Huan.
It was like a cat toying with a mouse, not immediately devouring it but playing with it until the mouse was exhausted.
This is simply a one-sided massacre.
Watching from below, Shen Han clenched his fists, making a grinding sound, ready to step in. However, he was blocked by Ridamuzi.
The robust man, with the appearance of a bald eagle, leaned on his horse, his smile bloodthirsty. “Instructor, you can’t help.”
Shen Han drew his sword.
“What? Do you want to fight me too?” Ridamuzi grinned, his gaze sinister. “I’d be happy to oblige, and I’ll accompany you to the end.”
Around the dueling platform, a group of Qiang soldiers, intentionally or not, had formed a circle. If the recruits from the Liangzhou Garrison tried to intervene, they would have to face these Qiang warriors, which would make them too late even if they managed to.
On the platform, Wei Huan’s vision was gradually blurring, and his evasive movements were slowing down. His strength was rapidly waning, and he was panting heavily. He couldn’t evade anymore, and when Wala raised his axe for another strike, Wei Huan’s right leg was hit. It was an excruciating pain, but he managed to suppress any cries.
Wala walked up to him, and Wei Huan had no strength left to escape. Seeing Wala towering over him like an executioner looking at a lamb, Wala said, “Tsk, this is ending too quickly, not fun at all. People from the Central Plains are so weak, not even a match for a single finger of a Qiang.”
Wei Huan remained silent, beads of sweat dripping heavily from his forehead, mixing with the blood on his face. It was a pitiful sight.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt,” Wala licked his lips, his eyes greedy. “When this stone strikes, your brain will fly out, very pretty. Unfortunately, you won’t get to see it.”
With that, he swung the massive axe, aiming straight for Wei Huan’s head!
“Wei Huan!” Ma Da Mei screamed, as Wei Huan was once under his command in the Vanguard Camp, and they had a deep bond. He wanted to rush forward to save him, but a Qiang warrior blocked him with a drawn blade. He watched helplessly as Wei Huan’s life hung by a thread.
At this moment…
Behind the dueling platform, there was a flourishing banyan tree. Even in winter, it showed no signs of withering. Everyone was focused on the dueling platform, so they didn’t notice when a person suddenly appeared in the banyan tree.
When they finally saw, the person was like a lightning bolt, grabbing a cloth tied to the tree and swinging it like a pendulum. In mid-air, the person let go of the cloth, and everything happened so quickly. She landed gracefully in front of the dueling platform and kicked the axe that was aimed at Wei Huan’s head.
Using the momentum, despite Wala’s strength, he was pushed backward by her kick. The axe, heavy and sharp, also cut into him, and if it weren’t for his extraordinary strength, he might have been struck even deeper.
“He Yan?” Wei Huan muttered.
The recruits of the Liangzhou Garrison were also stunned.
He Yan had been imprisoned in the dungeons of the Liangzhou Garrison due to the incident on White Moon Mountain. How could she suddenly appear here? Had she been released?
Wala looked at the person in front of him.
The youth in black armor stood with hands on hips, tilting his head and smiling charmingly. “You’re quite ruthless, aren’t you? If I hadn’t intervened just now, my brother’s head wouldn’t have been spared.”
The recruits of the Liangzhou Garrison regarded them as thorns in their side. Due to the annihilation of their sentries and the deep-seated enmity, they all looked at them with bloodshot eyes. The best anyone could manage was a stoic expression, but this youth in black seemed completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened. This young man’s nonchalant demeanor piqued Wala’s interest, as if he had found new prey.
“Who are you?” Wala asked.
The youth in black ruffled his disheveled hair and smiled. “I’m He Yan, the one who won the Liangzhou Garrison’s Flag Competition not too long ago.” She glanced at Wala. “Perhaps you don’t know what the Flag Competition is, but that’s okay. Just remember that I’m the best in the Liangzhou Garrison.”
“The best?” Ridamuzi, in the audience, squinted at her. “You?”
He Yan appeared somewhat short and frail. If Wala and Wei Huan standing together looked like a powerful tiger and a lamb, then compared to Wei Huan, He Yan seemed even more delicate and weak when put next to Wala, like a chick next to an eagle.
“Sorry, I’m a bit late. I’m not sure what you guys are up to,” the youth said with a nonchalant smile. “If it’s a sparring match you’re having, if you have picked someone else instead of me, it would be a waste of talent.”
Wala burst into hearty laughter. “You’re quite bold!”
“He Yan!” Shen Han called her.
“Instructor Shen,” He Yan looked at him, “I’ve been holding back my anger for the past few days, and a little fight would be a great way to release it. Please, Instructor, don’t stop me anymore.”
Shen Han had no words.
Ridamuzi had come for the recruits of the Liangzhou Garrison. Since he wouldn’t allow the Instructor to step in, he had no choice but to let the recruits handle it. Among the new recruits, besides He Yan, there were not many who could stand up to him. Some had exceptional skills but lacked combat experience, while others had the experience but were older and lacked the stamina of the younger generation. He Yan was unmatched in martial arts and had a keen and clever mind. Considering all factors, they had a significant advantage.
On the dueling platform, the Qiang people were drawn to it, but more importantly…
He Yan said, “May I inquire if it’s a sparring match? If so, may I stand in for my comrade?”
“You?”
“Yes, indeed. I am the best in the Liangzhou Garrison. Defeating me would be even more prestigious than defeating him,” He Yan glanced at Wei Huan on the ground. “You would feel a great sense of accomplishment.”
The Qiang people below erupted in laughter.
Ridamuzi looked at her and said, “I quite like this person! Let him fight!”
He Yan said, “Someone, please take my comrade down.”
Wei Huan was carried away, and as he was being taken away, he looked at He Yan and whispered, “You….be careful.”
He Yan: “I know.”
On the high platform of the dueling arena, there were now only two people left.
The recruits below watched anxiously, many of them sweating for He Yan.
In the past six months, He Yan had been quite outstanding, earning both admiration and jealousy among the recruits. But at this moment, the recruits of the Liangzhou Garrison united against a common enemy, hoping that He Yan could defeat Wala and show these Qiang people that the Liangzhou Garrison was not to be trifled with!
The recruits in the audience were anxious, but He Yan on the stage remained composed. She chuckled and said, “By the way, I don’t even know what the stakes are for this spar. Let me propose something: if I lose, you can do whatever you want to me, and if you lose…” She remembered a young man from her memories and couldn’t help but chuckle, saying casually, “You’ll have to call me ‘Dad.'”
This time, the recruits from the Liangzhou Garrison burst into laughter.
Liang Ping, torn between worry and pride, exclaimed, “What’s the time? Why are you still making jokes?”
However, none of Ridamuzi’s people could laugh. Wala glared darkly at He Yan, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, “We don’t need any stakes. Let’s compete in three rounds. The loser dies, and the winner lives. That’s the rule.”
“Life and death?” He Yan asked.
“What, scared?”
“Not really,” He Yan replied. “Instructor, could you toss me a steel whip, a long one?”
Shen Han grabbed the longest steel whip from the weapon rack and tossed it over to He Yan, who caught it effortlessly. She twirled it in her hand and looked at Wala. “Can I use this weapon?”
“Sure,” Wala sneered. “But are you sure you don’t want to switch to a sword or a blade? A whip won’t kill anyone.”
The young man’s lips curved slightly. “To kill you, this will be enough.”
Before Wala could grasp the meaning behind her words, the young man suddenly rushed forward with the whip. Wala was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter and swung his huge axe to meet the attack.
The youth rushed forward but didn’t immediately strike. Instead, he lightly stepped on his tiptoes, evading the attack of the stone axe, and circled behind Wala. When Wala turned around, the youth swung his axe, only to sidestep again.
He appeared to be taking the initiative but refrained from striking. The whip twirled around in his hand, seemingly circling Wala. In the blink of an eye, he turned and sprinted away, with Wala in pursuit. When Wala raised his foot to chase, he suddenly felt something entangled around his leg, throwing off his balance. He stumbled to the side, losing his footing.
However, Wala’s massive frame and quick reflexes allowed him to regain his balance after realizing that He Yan’s whip had entwined around his foot. But He Yan wasn’t about to give him a chance. She secured the whip behind her back and yanked it forcefully.
Wala could no longer hold on. He was naturally massive and unwieldy, with both feet planted firmly. When one of his feet lost balance due to He Yan’s pull, he struggled to regain his stability. He, along with He Yan’s pull, fell to the ground with a “thud.”
The whip, seemingly no longer than an average person’s arm, was magically manipulated by He Yan. With a swift pull from beneath Wala, the whip effortlessly returned to her hand. She didn’t stop and rushed toward Wala, reaching out. One hand went around Wala’s neck, and the whip coiled around his neck.
Instinctively, Wala tried to pull it off.
He Yan tightened her grip with both hands —
Having thrown heavy weights daily, her strength was not to be underestimated. Though the peculiar wrestler wore armor, his neck was left exposed. The neck is, after all, the most vulnerable part of ordinary flesh and blood; he was not truly made of steel.
In the practice arena, all they heard was a spine-chilling “crack” —
Wala’s head went limp.
“You’re not human; you’re a beast,” He Yan whispered, “So, to kill you, the whip is enough.”
She raised her head again, and although she smiled, her eyes were icy as she calmly addressed the people below. “He’s dead, and I’ve won. The outcome has been decided. Who’s next?”
The situation on the dueling platform had taken a sudden turn.
Earlier, when Wala was torturing Wei Huan, toying with him like a cat with a mouse, he hesitated to deliver the final blow. Perhaps he didn’t expect to meet his end at the hands of this seemingly frail youth.
How long does it take to kill someone? A cup of tea, an incense stick’s burning time, or perhaps fifteen minutes?
None of that was necessary.
The recruits from the Liangzhou Garrison knew that He Yan was formidable. They still vividly remembered her previous spar with Huang Xiong and Jiang Jiao on this very stage. However, the current He Yan seemed different from the one who had sparred before. When this youth set aside her playful demeanor, she emanated a cold and ominous aura that couldn’t be ignored.
She smiled and said, “There’s no need for fancy performances on the battlefield. Once you’ve figured out how to kill, you can proceed.” She fixed her gaze on Ridamuzi.
Ridamuzi met her gaze.
Gradually, the Liangzhou recruits in the audience began to react. They were excitedly saying, “He Yan won! He Yan killed Wala!”
“He Yan is amazing!” Cheng Lisu, who was held by someone, couldn’t help but cheer for He Yan. “Beat them all to a pulp!”
Liang Ping and Ma Damei exchanged glances. He Yan’s speed in killing, even for a natural talent, was incredibly swift.
“You,” the youth on the high platform gazed at the Western Qiang warriors and smiled. “Aren’t you able to accept defeat gracefully? Who’s next?”
On the other side with the Western Qiang warriors, no one spoke.
He Yan smiled again, with a hint of provocation in her expression. “I understand that using one’s life as a wager can be quite frightening. Unexpectedly, the fearless warriors of the Western Qiang tribe are having second thoughts about taking the stage. But that’s alright. I, a young man from the Great Wei, have always been kind-hearted. If you’re unwilling to continue, let’s consider this spar finished, and as I mentioned earlier, call me dad. How about it?”
“However, who will call me ‘Dad’? ” He Yan focused on Ridamuzi. “You’re their leader, so why don’t you do it? What do you think?”
“You scoundrel!” A soldier behind Ridamuzi stepped forward angrily.
He Yan showed no fear and innocently asked, “Is that not acceptable?”
Wang Ba whispered, “Truly exhilarating!”
Huang Xiong replied in a deep voice, “She’s deliberately provoking her opponent, but in the current situation, it doesn’t seem necessary.”
He Yan’s temperament had always been this arrogant and self-assured. In the past, others would attribute it to youthful nature. However, under the current circumstances, provoking Ridamuzi was not a good idea.
“I’ll challenge you.” A voice sounded from behind Ridamuzi. “Commander, Ba Zhu is willing to fight.”
Ridamuzi glanced at him, revealing no emotion, and said, “Go ahead.”
This man named Ba Zhu ascended the platform in the practice arena.
Unlike Wala from earlier, Ba Zhu was sturdy but not excessively large, and he appeared to be slightly older, perhaps in his early thirties. He was shrouded in a dark cloak from head to toe, with only half of his chin showing. His facial features were indistinct, giving him an eerie and ghostly appearance. His voice was also hoarse, as if he had been through a fire, sounding as unpleasant as a crow’s caw.
Ba Zhu walked up to Wala’s side. Despite being allies, there was not a trace of sympathy. He kicked Wala’s lifeless body off the practice arena platform, cursing, “A hindrance.”
Wala’s body rolled down with a rumble, and Ba Zhu didn’t even spare it a glance. He turned to He Yan and said, “You have old injuries.”
He Yan’s heart sank; this man named Ba Zhu was more formidable than Wala. Wala was simply a brute force wrestler who lacked adaptability.
Dealing with such a person was relatively straightforward; once you identified their weaknesses and struck at them, you could end the battle quickly. In every fight, the greatest concern was encountering an opponent with intelligence, like the man before her. He could identify his opponent’s weaknesses, giving him control over every subsequent move.
He slowly raised the blade in his hand, and He Yan coiled the iron whip around her hand, charging towards him.
During the match between Wei Huan and Wala, He Yan was a spectator who had the advantage of knowing Wala’s weaknesses and shortcomings in advance, allowing her to defeat him swiftly and decisively. However, Ba Zhu was an unknown opponent to her, yet he had observed her fight with Wala and understood her tactics clearly.
In other words, Ba Zhu understood He Yan, but He Yan knew nothing about him.
Underneath his cloak, Ba Zhu seemed to conceal other things. He Yan remained cautious because this man was crafty and didn’t engage in direct collisions. He kept his distance from He Yan. Whenever the whip was directed at him, Ba Zhu would quickly change direction. He was far more agile than Wala, and for a while, He Yan couldn’t get close with the iron whip.
He Yan’s waist was already starting to ache.
When she was in Liangzhou City before, He Yan had been injured in a fight with Ding Yi. Later, she was deceived by a spy and taken to White Moon Mountain, where she engaged in several battles with hidden adversaries. Her injuries, which had almost healed initially, had already reopened. On top of that, she was thrown into the dungeons of the Liangzhou Garrison when she returned, where there was no Shen Muxue to bring her medicinal soup every day. It was cold and damp in the dungeons, and her wounds had likely worsened.
During her fight with Wala earlier, she had exerted too much force, aggravating her injuries. In the short term, it was manageable. However, in the current battle against Ba Zhu, the pain became excruciating.
Ba Zhu chuckled, “Why does your complexion look so bad? Is it because of your old injury acting up?”
He Yan was taken aback, and Ba Zhu’s curved blade had already entangled her iron whip. He pulled He Yan forward, causing an outcry from the audience. Without hesitation, Ba Zhu reached for He Yan’s old injury on her waist and delivered a powerful palm strike.
He Yan took a solid hit but didn’t stop moving. She released the whip from her hand, which coiled around his face, but Ba Zhu evaded it. In doing so, her blow knocked off his hood, revealing his face.
Both of them stepped back simultaneously.
That palm had firmly struck her old injury, and He Yan barely managed to swallow the blood that surged in her throat. She still wore a smile on her face and taunted, “Tsk, you’re really ugly.”
With her dislodging of Ba Zhu’s hood, his true face was exposed to everyone. One half of his face was handsome, while the other half had been burnt, leaving it scarred and pocked with dark red marks resembling centipedes, distorting his features.
Someone in the audience couldn’t help but exclaim in fear.
When He Yan knocked off his hood, revealing his true face, Ba Zhu’s expression turned extremely ugly. He glared at He Yan with eyes filled with hatred, as if he wanted to devour her flesh and drink her blood.
He Yan smiled and gestured with her finger, “Come again!”
Ba Zhu sneered and charged toward her.
He Yan quickly realized that things weren’t going well. The palm strike from Ba Zhu earlier had been merciless, and now blood was seeping out. Fortunately, she had prepared for warmth when she arrived, wearing Lei Hou’s black outfit. Even though she was bleeding, it wasn’t immediately noticeable. However, if this continued, she didn’t know how much longer she could hold out.
In fact, the sparring on the high platform of the dueling arena had never been the main focus. The main purpose was to buy more time with these three rounds of “sparring.” If no one could withstand the curved blades of the Western Qiang people and it turned into a one-sided massacre, then everything after that would be futile.
Ba Zhu had to be killed for there to be a third round.
The Western Qiang people were skilled with their curved blades, and each person’s blade was adjusted according to their body size and strength. Ba Zhu’s curved blade was more versatile, and it wasn’t easy for He Yan’s iron whip to entangle it.
He Yan tried to wrap her whip around Ba Zhu’s legs, but he sneered, “The same move, and you want to use it on two people? That’s too naive!” With that, he sidestepped He Yan, and his curved blade swung down towards her neck.
Unlike Wala, Ba Zhu had initially gone straight for He Yan’s life without any feigned moves. He Yan held her whip with both hands, trying to prevent Ba Zhu’s blade from reaching her, but Ba Zhu’s expression twisted into a malicious smile. He leaned back, and He Yan couldn’t evade it in time. She saw his right hand emerge from his cloak, revealing a slender dagger that was no longer than a thumb. It was thin as a piece of paper, more like a blade than a dagger. If it weren’t for getting up close, it would be difficult to see clearly. As he thrust his hand forward, anyone looking would think he had simply slapped He Yan on her waist. But apart from He Yan, no one knew that this razor-sharp weapon hidden in the palm of his hand had pierced straight into her flesh.
He Yan felt a stabbing pain in her waist and clenched her fist, striking at Ba Zhu’s face. He leered, “Does it hurt? If it does, you’ll—”
His words abruptly ceased.
He Yan’s clenched fist was pressed against his throat, and she didn’t release her grip.
Ba Zhu started to thrash about frantically. However, at some point, the iron whip had somehow bound He Yan’s leg to his own. He struggled intensely, but the more he struggled, the more his eyes rolled back. Eventually, he began coughing up blood and gradually stopped moving.
He Yan had an expressionless face and pushed her clenched fist further in to confirm that the man beneath her was no longer breathing before releasing her hand.
A hint of something metallic, only a tiny bit, was visible around Ba Zhu’s neck. The rest couldn’t be seen, as it had penetrated deep into his throat. It was an iron caltrop.
He Yan had picked it up from the ground when she arrived.
Carrying concealed weapons on her person at all times had only benefits and no drawbacks. No one knew what kind of enemy she would encounter or what would happen next. The only thing she could do was increase her chances of survival.
She couldn’t get close to Ba Zhu because he had become wary of her. The final blow was nothing more than a tactic that would harm both sides. However, she was slightly better off than Ba Zhu. She had been injured by the dagger in her old wound, while Ba Zhu had lost his life.
“You had an ace up your sleeve. How can you be sure I didn’t?” She murmured.
After a moment, He Yan laboriously removed the iron whip from both her and Ba Zhu’s bodies, coiling it back around her wrist. She stood up, clad in her black outfit, lacking the vivacity of her red one and exuding a touch of solemnity. Her posture remained impeccable, showing no signs of fatigue. She toyed with the iron whip on her wrist, wearing a faint smile, and spoke the same words as before.
“He’s dead, I’ve won, the outcome is decided, who’s next?”
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