Chapter 234 - 161: A Fist to Subdue Jianghu
Chapter 234: Chapter 161: A Fist to Subdue Jianghu
A middle-aged man from the Beiyou Royal Mansion appeared. The moment he entered the field, a flash of spiritual light flickered in his hand, and a longsword materialized.
Zhao Yu watched the man and said slowly, "The Northern Sword King. Though he’s only at the Gathering Pill realm, he has already achieved Entering the Stance in his Sword Dao. He once fought a Divine Palace Realm expert to a standstill."
As he spoke, his older brother, Zhao Feng, had already entered the field.
Zhao Yu couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.
Although his brother’s talent was extraordinary, the Northern Sword King’s combat prowess was also impressive. Zhao Feng might not be his match.
At this moment, Lu Yuan also began to see the underlying problem.
He discovered that the men the Crown Prince had gathered were mostly talented Noble Disciples.
However, he had rarely recruited anyone from the Jianghu.
But these Noble Disciples had rarely experienced life-and-death battles, so they were somewhat lacking in terms of practical combat skills.
Zhao Feng was actually one of the better ones.
The others were even worse off.
However, Lu Yuan offered no reminder. ’As long as next year’s plan succeeds, that’s all that matters. I won’t say anything more than I have to.’
’A weaker Crown Prince is actually a good thing for me.’
’That way, wouldn’t I seem all the more indispensable?’
’I can also fleece him for more.’
Having thought of this, Lu Yuan fixed his gaze forward to watch the fight.
At that moment, Zhao Feng, battle saber in hand, had already charged out of the hall.
His talent was indeed impressive—at least, it was considered quite good for the Gathering Pill realm.
Instead of engaging in close-quarters combat, he shot directly into the sky.
He brandished his long saber, and waves of saber light rained down below.
His target was none other than the Northern Sword King.
But a hint of disdain was all that appeared in the other man’s eyes.
Then, the blade of his sword danced around his body.
The Sword Qi spun like a wheel, encircling him before finally forming a tornado.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
In that instant, every wave of saber light was deflected by the Sword Qi.
Deep gouges scarred the ground.
They were left by the deflected saber light.
It struck the ground, blasting craters into the earth.
After deflecting the final wave of saber light, the Northern Sword King swung his longsword toward Zhao Feng.
The next moment, the dense tornado of Sword Qi in front of him tore through the air, hurtling toward Zhao Feng at extreme speed.
Zhao Feng dared not face it head-on. He dodged, and just as he landed on the ground...
...the Northern Sword King had already closed the distance, his longsword pressed against Zhao Feng’s neck. "You have good talent, but too little real combat experience. What a pity."
His hoarse voice faded as he sheathed his sword and returned.
Zhao Feng stood frozen on the spot, his face flushing red with shame.
In all his life, he had never suffered such a humiliating defeat.
A wide grin was plastered on King Bei You’s face.
This time, however, the Crown Prince didn’t get angry. Instead, he looked at Zhao Feng and said, "Come back for now. There will be other opportunities."
But as he spoke, a flash of bitterness crossed his eyes.
Having lost two matches in a row, he had already given up hope for this competition.
King Bei You had been operating in the Northern Border for many years.
He had gathered countless skilled subordinates; the Crown Prince’s foundation was still too shallow by comparison.
Just then, King Bei You’s gaze fell upon Lu Yuan. "The Divine Palace Realm match is next. I see this Village Chief of Celestial King Stronghold is also a Divine Palace Realm expert. I wonder if you would be willing to fight for the Crown Prince’s Mansion?"
His words put Lu Yuan on the spot, leaving him no choice but to participate.
If he didn’t step forward, it would be seen as an unwillingness to serve the Crown Prince.
That was a risk Lu Yuan could not afford to take right now.
’Besides, and more importantly, I have a new idea. If I make the relationship between King Bei You and the Crown Prince even more hostile, I wonder if he’ll drag his feet when Dayong goes to war.’
At this thought, the corners of Lu Yuan’s mouth curved upward.
Then he said, "It would be my honor to fight for His Highness, the Crown Prince."
After speaking, he stood up. He had already decided he was going to thoroughly humiliate King Bei You and show him what it meant to shoot himself in the foot.
When the Crown Prince heard Lu Yuan agree so readily, a flicker of gratitude appeared in his eyes.
After all, given Lu Yuan’s standing, even if he had refused, no one could have done anything to him right now.
Who would dare to dismiss his nearly one million elite soldiers as mere decoration?
This was only because the war with the Northern Barbarians had not yet begun, so his territory’s status as a "buffer zone" was still in effect.
In a year, when the war with the Northern Barbarians officially began and the buffer zone was annexed by Dayong, Lu Yuan’s official rank would be no less than a City Marquis.
Seeing Lu Yuan agree so readily, King Bei You chuckled and said, "Excellent. Since the renowned Village Chief of Celestial King Stronghold himself has come forward, the next match ought to have some stakes.
I’ll put up some Spirit Stones and bet on my own man to win. I wonder if His Highness, the Crown Prince, is willing to match my bet?"
Ten thousand Spirit Stones was by no means a small sum. Even for the nobility, that many Spirit Stones was a considerable fortune.
To put it in perspective, Lu Yuan’s own Spirit Stone Ore mine only produced that much in an entire year.
The Crown Prince met King Bei You’s gaze and said without hesitation, "Why not? I believe in Mister Lu’s strength. Ten thousand Spirit Stones it is."
With that, Lu Yuan stood up and walked straight out of the hall.
He looked completely relaxed and at ease.
Everyone on the Crown Prince’s Mansion’s side stared at him.
They were all hoping Lu Yuan would win.
After all, if they were to lose again, it would be a huge slap in the face.
If the Crown Prince was in a bad mood, they would all be the ones to suffer.
Zhao Yu was chanting inwardly, ’Mister Lu, you have to win.’
Zhang Zhe even spoke aloud, "The Village Chief of Celestial King Stronghold is sure to win!"
At that moment, Lu Yuan felt the urge to laugh. He really wasn’t used to Zhang Zhe cheering for him.
As Lu Yuan stepped out of the hall, a figure from the Beiyou Royal Mansion slowly appeared.
The man was short, only about five feet tall, barely reaching Lu Yuan’s abdomen.
He was, however, very stout and carried a long staff.