Chapter 515
Chapter 515
Zhong Sisi stared intently at Shen Lang for a moment before speaking.
“You do have one good quality. At least you know you’re trash.”
“Since you want the Northern Plains Hunting Ground, and I want it too, how about we duel for it? The winner takes all.”
“A duel? Jin Mulan’s bloodline is so pathetic she was no match for me years ago, and she’ll be even less of a match now. Back then, she lost in ten moves. Now, she won’t even last three before I make her spit blood.”
“My wife won’t be dueling you. I will.”
At those words, everyone present was dumbfounded.
*You’re going to duel Zhong Sisi? You must be joking. Shen Lang, you don’t even have the strength to wring a chicken’s neck. You’re utterly useless at martial arts, probably even lacking the stamina for a night with a woman.*
Although Zhong Sisi was brutish and tyrannical, she possessed a remarkably high-level innate bloodline and genuinely enjoyed practicing martial arts. As a result, her skills were truly formidable. She had defeated Jin Mulan years ago and, even before that, had beaten Princess Ning Yan to tears. She could easily crush Shen Lang with a single finger. No, not even a finger—a fingernail would suffice.
“Really?”
Zhong Sisi’s beautiful eyes lit up.
“Really! I will duel you for the Northern Plains Hunting Ground. The winner takes it.”
“When is the duel?”
“In three days!”
Zhong Sisi replied with undisguised excitement.
“Then it’s settled!”
“It’s settled!”
After hearing Shen Lang’s words, Zhong Sisi quickly rushed outside, worried that Ning Yuanxian might try to stop her. The moment she had first laid eyes on Shen Lang, she had found him grating and felt the urge to beat him to death. That urge only intensified when she learned he was Jin Mulan’s husband. There was no other reason; she simply hated that Jin Mulan was mentioned in the same breath as her. The princess of Zhenxi Province and the princess of Xuanwu City, the jewels of the East and West! In Zhong Sisi’s eyes, she was unique, more beautiful and exceptional than anyone else.
*Jin Mulan, who are you to be compared to me?*
But even Zhong Sisi had to admit that Jin Mulan possessed stunning beauty and a magnificent figure. It was for this very reason that Zhong Sisi had picked a fight with her the first time they met, injuring her several years ago. In any case, aside from her beautiful face and fiery body, this girl had a personality that would repel both humans and ghosts alike. While Ning Yan’s reputation as the capital’s scourge was an image she deliberately cultivated by feigning strength, Zhong Sisi was a true lawless terror. As Mulan’s husband, Shen Lang naturally had to avenge his wife and teach this unruly girl a harsh lesson.
***
After Zhong Sisi left, the King asked with a solemn expression.
“Shen Lang, are you quite certain you aren’t mad?”
Shen Lang shook his head.
“I am not!”
“Are you doing this for the Northern Plains Hunting Ground? That girl is here for a marriage meeting; she’ll be leaving soon.”
“Who is she meeting?”
“A nobleman from the Great Yan Dynasty.”
“How blind must this man from the Great Yan Dynasty be to have his eyes on a woman like that?”
The King didn’t answer. In truth, many men were fond of Zhong Sisi. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a stunning figure.
“Your Majesty, I proposed this duel partly to obtain the Northern Plains Hunting Ground, but the main reason is to avenge my wife. Zhong Sisi injured my Mulan years ago, and my heart nearly broke. I swore then that I would get revenge.”
Standing to the side, Grand Eunuch Lu Zhun was instantly reminded of the Su Clan.
*Because Su Jianting struck Su Peipei with his sword, Shen Lang annihilated the entire Su Clan. Now that Zhong Sisi has injured Mulan, how could he possibly let go of such a deep-seated grudge? People say eunuchs are petty, but I think Lord Shen is so narrow-minded that not even a sesame seed could fit inside his heart.*
Ning Yuanxian scolded Shen Lang.
“Stop causing trouble! Zhong Sisi is here for a marriage meeting and will leave the capital in a few days. You should leave the capital for a while and go home. You’ve been away for over half a year; your family must miss you terribly.”
In the King’s view, even a hundred Shen Langs would be no match for Zhong Sisi. Grand Eunuch Lu Zhun hazarded a guess and said.
“Lord Shen, Zhong Sisi’s martial arts are superior to your wife’s, and even greater than Her Highness Princess Ning Yan’s.”
“I am aware. With a body that lacks the strength to wring a chicken’s neck, a hundred of me couldn’t withstand a single one of her fingers.”
To be frank, whenever Mulan made love with Shen Lang, she was always careful, afraid she might lose control of her emotions and accidentally hurt him. In her eyes, her husband was like a delicate piece of porcelain that she needed to protect carefully, lest he accidentally shatter.
“But I can win! She made my wife spit blood, so I will make her spit blood.”
Grand Eunuch Lu Zhun continued.
“Lord Shen, I know you have many tricks up your sleeve. But a duel between masters is decided in an instant. Zhong Sisi will defeat you before you even have a chance to use any of them. Besides, that girl is a lawless brute; she might not show any mercy.”
Shen Lang knew this, of course. The moment the duel began, Zhong Sisi would defeat him in less than half a second. But Shen Lang would strike even faster. She wouldn’t even have time to approach him and make a move; she would fall for his trick in, at most, a tenth of a second. That is, unless her martial arts were so powerful that her inner energy and true qi could form a barrier of air. Of course, her skills had not yet reached that level.
King Ning Yuanxian asked.
“Are you certain?”
Shen Lang nodded.
“I am certain!”
Grand Eunuch Lu Zhun said.
“Lord Shen, this is far too risky. Please reconsider. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be irreversible. That girl is ruthless and will not hold back.”
“There will be no ‘if something goes wrong.’”
Lu Zhun tried to soothe him.
“Lord Shen, you are destined for great things. There is no need to risk yourself clashing with a girl like Zhong Sisi over such a small matter. Waiting a little longer is no great hardship.”
“Eunuch Lu, I was never meant for great things.”
*Ugh!*
Eunuch Lu Zhun was at a loss for words. Shen Lang had consistently accomplished great things, whether it was opposing the New Government for the Jin Clan, seizing Raging Tide City, serving as an envoy to the State of Qiang, or annihilating the Su Clan’s rebel army. He had taken on increasingly greater tasks and completed them successfully. Because of this, Lu Zhun had almost forgotten that Shen Lang’s primary motivation for all these actions was revenge.
Shen Lang’s ultimate goal was a world without enemies. To him, nothing was more important than revenge, especially avenging the one who had harmed his most beloved wife, Jin Mulan. The saying that a gentleman can wait ten years for his revenge was meaningless to him. It wasn’t as if he lacked the ability, and if he could help it, he would never postpone vengeance to the next day. Annihilating the Su Clan in just over five months was seen as remarkable by others, but for Shen Lang, it was a period of enduring humiliation.
Ning Yuanxian emphasized once more.
“You are certain there will be no risk?”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am certain there will not be the slightest mistake.”
Ning Yuanxian no longer engaged with Shen Lang and promptly left. This was his tacit approval for Shen Lang to duel Zhong Sisi. It was clear that, deep down, Ning Yuanxian found Zhong Sisi extremely troublesome but was forced to tolerate her. As the king, he couldn’t very well say, “Go on, duel her, and beat her until she spits blood,” so he feigned ignorance. Ning Yuanxian even planned to issue a royal decree reprimanding them both to stop the duel.
***
The news that Shen Lang was going to duel Zhong Sisi spread like wildfire, shaking the entire capital. Everyone was once again stunned by Shen Lang.
*Shen Lang, can’t you ever stay still? How many people have you caused to die since the imperial examination? What a massive disturbance you’ve created! And now, just a few days later, you’re stirring up another storm? But this time, you’ve truly signed your own death warrant. Do you have any idea how formidable Zhong Sisi’s martial arts are? Shen Lang, a martial arts cripple like you probably lacks the energy to even take a passive role in bed. With such a useless body, you couldn’t lift a ten-pound sword. You couldn’t even beat a ten-year-old child, yet you think you can defeat Zhong Sisi?*
In terms of pure martial skill, even Huang Feng, Thirteen, and Wu Lie combined would be no match for Zhong Sisi. Since a single Huang Feng could defeat a hundred Shen Langs, this fight was like a rabbit dueling a tiger. There was no doubt that Shen Lang was walking to his death. Upon hearing the news, the countless people in the capital were first shocked, then deliriously happy.
*Shen Lang, that piece of trash, picks fights with people every day. Now he’s provoked Zhong Sisi—he’s truly courting death. She won’t even have to break a sweat to kill you.*
Soon, countless people were praying for time to pass quickly so the duel would begin.
*Zhong Sisi, you may be a menace, but Shen Lang is far more annoying. If you could swiftly castrate and kill him with one strike, you would be ridding the people of a scourge and venting all our frustrations for us.*
***
By dusk, Zhong Sisi, unable to wait any longer, sent a written challenge. The duel would take place in three days at the Northern Plains Hunting Ground. The victor would be decided by immobilizing the opponent by striking their pressure points, but since swords have no eyes, any injury or even death would be considered the will of heaven, and no blame should be cast upon the opponent. While not a formal life-and-death agreement, it was close enough. Without a second thought, Shen Lang immediately signed the challenge, and the duel between the two was officially set.
***
Gao Duhuan stared at Shen Lang in disbelief. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
“It’s a good thing Lord Shen isn’t my master. Otherwise, we’d all have gone mad by now.”
Was there any other master in the world like Shen Lang? Every few days, he would make a decision that would scare the soul out of you. In comparison, His Highness Ning Zheng now seemed quite reasonable. At least he was exceedingly cautious. Ning Zheng was also deeply troubled by this matter. Everyone knew not to provoke Zhong Sisi, yet Shen Lang had done so the moment he stepped out the door. And he was going to duel her? He had even signed what amounted to a life-and-death agreement.
Ning Zheng looked at Shen Lang and, after a long moment, spoke.
“Can I stop you?”
Shen Lang shook his head, and Ning Zheng continued.
“What if I have my men abduct you and send you back to Xuanwu City to avoid this disaster?”
Hearing Ning Zheng’s words, Gao Duhuan felt a strong urge to carry out that very plan.
“I’m sorry. I cannot let you take this risk and walk to your death!”
Ning Zheng gestured with his hand. Without needing Gao Duhuan to step forward, Han Nu came up and, using less than a tenth of his strength, easily restrained Shen Lang.
“My apologies, my lord. We cannot stand by and watch you go to your death.”