Chapter 78: Challenge

  It turns out that Xu Quan, this personal black-clothed guard commander, indeed has his own unique aspects.

  The next morning, the alarm bell rang loudly, and the soldiers from each camp gathered at the martial arts arena, thinking in a panic that the enemy had broken into the gate.

  Only to see Chu Li's silver-white armor, holding a silver spear, standing tall on the war horse, with a heroic and handsome appearance. The various camp leaders looked at the wise and mighty South Chu Emperor with confusion, one by one staring blankly and foolishly. The masters of each family were guessing with all their might what deeper meaning this move of Chu Li had, while Zhang Er's monk was also confused.

  Because she had stayed up too late the night before, Qing Xia was still sleeping in her tent, catching up on rest. Hearing the commotion outside, she quickly got dressed and crawled out of her tent, opening the flap to ask a black-clad guard, "What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"

  "Your Majesty is conducting military training. In the southern suburbs, a martial arts arena has been set up to test the martial skills of soldiers from various families." The black-clad guard replied hastily.

  "What are you up to again?" Qing Xia frowned and said, grabbing a large cloak and throwing it over her shoulder.

  "Let's go! Let's take a look!"

  Nanchu is located in a border area and was once a territory of the Chu State during the Warring States period, which is also where its name originated.

  Although Chu was only three households, it would inevitably perish Qin. Because of Hu Hai's sudden appearance in the world, he disrupted the course of history, and the heroic and broad-minded Second Emperor of Qin made it impossible for Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Xiang Yu, and Liu Bang to appear in later generations. However, a thousand years later, the first person to rush into the heartland of the powerful Qin and cause its collapse was still a Chu person, showing that there is a divine will at work, and everything has been arranged from the beginning.

  The Chu culture is rich and colorful, it has always been a land of outstanding people and talents, various schools of thought have a long history, and the martial arts are particularly prosperous.

  At this time, on the high platform, two soldiers from Shangkoulinsi and Linyuan were fighting fiercely in one place. Qing Xia looked at Chu Li, who was sitting in his seat, leisurely drinking tea, and really couldn't figure out what kind of trick he was playing again.

  "With a thud!" Lin family's warrior stumbled and fell off the array, and the south of Liyuan Mansion erupted in cheers. Qing Xia swept her eyes over to the captain who had been beaten by her, only to see that although he was also cheering with the crowd, his face looked slightly pale, clearly showing that he hadn't slept well last night.

  "Miss, His Highness is calling for us." The black-clad guard whispered loudly in Qing Xia's ear.

  Qing Xia nodded and followed him to the front. There, Chu Li was sitting in his military uniform, not even glancing at her, but simply pointing casually, indicating for Qing Xia to stand behind him.

  Qing Xia was sulking, silently following the black-clad guards to stand behind Chu Li. Her petite figure was almost completely blocked by the tall and sturdy men in black, making her nearly invisible. Chu Li's expression remained unchanged, his face emotionless as he sat in front, without even turning his head once.

  "Your Majesty, the people of Liyuan have won again."

  Le Song followed Chu Li and reported in a low voice.

  "Oh? Is it?" Chu Li hummed a sentence: "Reward."

  "Good!" Le Song was overjoyed and shouted loudly. The soldiers below heard this, knelt down to the ground, and responded with loud thanks.

  "Are the people of the Li Institute really that powerful? I'll try it out!" A sudden soft voice rang out, and everyone was shocked, hastily turning their heads to look. They saw a slender girl wearing a snow-white martial artist's uniform, with curves on full display, her face as white as snow, exuding a sharpness and charm like the morning dew.

  She grasped a long spear in her hand, untied the cloak behind her and threw it to a subordinate beside her, walking towards the center of the arena with ease and elegance.

  Everyone was stunned for a moment. In this martial arts arena surrounded by so many men, such a beautiful girl suddenly appeared, and anyone would take a second look.

  "Little sister!" A man's voice rang out, and a man wearing the same colored clothes as him ran out from behind the crowd, about to grab back the white-clothed girl.

  "It turned out to be Miss Yuqiao from the Xilin family." A wisp of fragrant wind gently passed by, and Madame Chulan, dressed in a deep purple sable coat with gold jade tassels on her head, looked particularly elegant and noble. She walked slowly forward, and wherever she went, people couldn't help but make way for her.

  "I could smell a pungent odor from afar, and I wondered who it was. It turned out to be Zhūlán Fūrén from the Lí Yuàn, how rude of me." Xīlín Yǔ Qiáo let out a cold snort and said in a chilly tone.

  "What did you say?" Mrs. Chulam's personal bodyguard suddenly became furious and shouted loudly.

  However, as soon as they made a move, the Heng City soldiers behind Xi Lin Yu Jiao immediately rushed forward, formed an array, and coldly pointed their blades at the Li Yuan army, with opposing sharp points, ready to fire at any moment.

  Qing Xia was taken aback, not expecting Xi Lin Yu Qiao to have such a fiery temper. She turned her head to look at Chu Li, only to see him drinking tea with an air of nonchalance, as if the commotion below had nothing to do with him.

  "Halt!" The eldest son of the Xi Lin family rushed forward in time, bowed to Chu Li from a distance, and stood in front of Xi Lin Yu Jiao with intention or unintentionally. He cupped his hands and said to Zhu Lan's wife: "My younger sister doesn't understand things, I apologize for offending you, please forgive her."

  Mrs. Zhuolan, after all, was a woman of great depth and poise in her family, with a subtle smile and soft voice saying: "How could I possibly have the same understanding as a child? Mr. Xilin is too polite." After speaking, she even stretched out her hand and grasped Mr. Xilin's wrist. Although it was just a courteous gesture of support, it seemed to carry a hint of flirtation.

  "Hey!" Xilin Yuqiao was furious, just about to speak when he was pulled aside by Xilin Gongzi. The other family heads looked on with different expressions, their eyes cold and observant, but the corners of their mouths were secretly curled up in amusement.

  "Hmph!" Xilin Yuqiao angrily hummed, shaking off her brother's hand, and loudly shouted towards the direction of the Lei Institute: "Which one of you won three consecutive games just now? Come out and let this young lady take a look!"

  "Cheng Xu, since Yu Qiao wants to give you some pointers, why don't you go down and keep her company for a bit?" said Mrs. Zhu Lan in a calm and gentle tone.

  As soon as the words came out, a burst of noise erupted, and everyone was shocked. Today, Chu Li's unexpected move to hold a martial arts arena meeting was already strange enough, but now a noble girl had actually come down to the arena, which was even more unbelievable. The entire martial arts arena suddenly fell into chaos, with everyone gathering around in excitement.

  Women of this dynasty may not have the same status as in ancient China, but it's still rare to see them openly competing with men in the military. Qing Xia suddenly felt a thrill and vaguely sensed Chu Li's intentions. She thought to herself that this guy was like two different people during the day and night, wondering if he had multiple personalities.

  At this time, the sun had not yet reached its peak in the sky, and the distant mountains were like a dark greenish-black color, reflecting the unmelted snow on the ground. It was originally quite picturesque. However, in this grand martial arts arena, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead.

  Xilin Yuqiao, disregarding her big brother's opposition, leaped onto the stage, her figure elegant, her face like a painting, strength and beauty blended together, adding to her unique charm.

  The man called Cheng Xu was robust and tall, a whole head taller than Xi Lin Yu Jiao. He slowly put the war knife in his hand on the ground and said in a deep voice: "I'll follow Miss's lead, I don't dare use my blade, let's do it empty-handed."

  Xilin Yuqiao snorted coldly and said: "I'm used to using a long spear, don't think that just because you're bare-handed I'll go easy on you."

  "Please, miss." Cheng Xu brushed his sleeve and retreated calmly, displaying a few hints of a noble master's demeanor.

  Xilin Yuqiao let out a cold hum, his gun leading the way, with light and shadow flashing about, like falling leaves flying everywhere. In just a few moves, he arrived in front of Cheng Xu, his gun slicing through the air, striking downwards with great force, its power awe-inspiring.

  Cheng Xu didn't expect that she looked so delicate and weak, yet her marksmanship was so impressive. Fortunately, he had been through many battles and quickly dodged to the side, avoiding Xilin Yuqiao's fierce attack. Xilin Yuqiao took advantage of the momentum and flew up, firing three shots in a row, only to hear three muffled sounds, Cheng Xu's clothes were torn apart, with three large tears from his chest down.

  Cheng Xu furrowed his brow, not expecting the girl to use a life-or-death move right off the bat. He slightly shifted his body to the side and countered with a backhand strike towards Xilin Yuqiao, using a swift finger wind to sweep back and slap her on the temple.

  Xilin Yuqiao's eyes were like sharp knives, her anger was overflowing, but unexpectedly this soldier was indeed extraordinary, rising up with a fierce aura, his gun was like a violent rainstorm, whistling and sweeping in.

  Qing Xia stood behind Chu Li, slightly furrowing her brow. As a martial artist of her caliber, she could roughly gauge an opponent's abilities just by observing their starting stance. Although Xi Lin Yu Qiao's spear technique was exquisite, she was still a woman who hadn't undergone professional training, and in terms of physical ability and experience, she was far inferior. This young man named Cheng Xu, although seemingly at a disadvantage, had actually not used his usual weapon, and due to his identity, couldn't use his full strength; he hadn't lost to Miss Xi Lin yet, but was merely sparing her face. Qing Xia could see this clearly, so how could Chu Li not? Seeing him calmly drinking tea with an air of detachment, she felt a surge of anger rise up from the bottom of her heart.

  "Hey, if you don't stop, Miss Xilin will be the one to suffer." He carefully moved forward a few steps and whispered in Chu Li's ear.

  "Huh?" Chu Li used the cup lid to stir the tea leaves and glanced at Qing Xia with a careless expression: "What did you call me?"

  Qing Xia was taken aback for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

  Chu's mouth corners slightly twitched as he smiled and said: "None of your business, just stand there honestly."

  Wow, you're here for revenge? Qing Xia glared at him angrily. Mind your own business, you heartless guy.

  However, at this moment, the situation on the field had changed in an instant. Cheng Xu shook off his passive posture of being beaten earlier and took the initiative to launch a fierce attack. His iron fists were like a tiger, forcing Xi Lin Yuqiao to almost no counterattack. The family soldiers on both sides shouted in unison, as if they were not on the enemy's front line at this moment, but in a military training camp.

  “Ka!” With a loud crash, Cheng Xue's iron fist struck the top of Xi Lin Yuqiao's long spear, shattering the hard spear shaft. The enormous force sent Xi Lin Yuqiao stumbling backward, almost falling off the stage.

  The surroundings suddenly burst into an exclamation, and Xilin Gongzi's eyebrows rose, about to rush forward.

  Cheng Xu's eyes sank, and he suddenly took two steps forward, grabbing Xilin Yuqiao's arm and stopping her from falling off the high platform.

  Who would have thought that at this moment, a sudden change occurred. Xilin Yuqiao, who had been beaten to the point of being unable to counterattack, suddenly gave a cold smile, grasping the gunstock with only one hand, and stabbed it into Cheng Xu's chest.

  In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, like rain falling, as vibrant as peach blossoms. Cheng Xu let out a low grunt and released Xilin Yuqiao's wrist, stumbling backward. But Xilin Yuqiao didn't give him a chance to catch his breath, instantly pouncing on him, her foot heavily kicking his wound, followed by a loud thud, Cheng Xu flew up and crashed onto the stage below, sending up a large cloud of yellow dust.

  "Two arrays of killing the enemy! How can we show mercy to those under our command? Soldiers do not tire of deceit, I did not expect that the people of the Li camp would not even understand such a simple truth. Such a person is not worthy of serving in the military camp of our great Chu! Even if I don't kill you today, you will eventually die on the battlefield!"

  Xilin Yuqiao said coldly, disregarding the disdainful gazes and angry roars of those around her. She turned directly to Chuli, suddenly kneeling down and saying in a low voice: "I've long heard that three days ago, a black-clad female guard beside Your Highness single-handedly overpowered the Southern Barbarians and captured the Saintess of Wusil with bare hands. Yuqiao is not talented, but I wish to learn from you."

  The words were spoken in a clear and loud tone, and everyone in the audience heard them clearly. In an instant, the originally noisy martial arts arena suddenly fell silent, and all heads turned to look at Chu Li on the high platform.

  Three days ago, Chu Li returned overnight and brought back the news of the rebellion in the southern border, which had already spread throughout the military camp. Moreover, Qing Xia's debut was a big hit, punching Lei Yuan's deputy leader and scolding Lan's wife, making her very popular. Chu Li couldn't even hide her. Helplessly, he could only say that she was a guard of the Black Armor Guard, won the first merit, and captured Wu Si Mei Er, which finally shut everyone's mouths.

  Unexpectedly, Xilin Yuqiao had just scolded the servants of Liyuan South Mansion a second ago, but in this second, she turned her spearhead to Qingxia. Chu Lixu's eyebrows were tightly locked, but for a moment, he couldn't find a reason to refuse, and looked at Xilin Yuqiao with a frown. She saw that her face was calm and cold, her eyes were firm, and her two eyes stared straight at Chu Lixu without any timidity.

  "It's not easy to take down the strong players of Xilin County, let's take a break first." Chu Li said calmly, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

  Xilin Yuqiao's mouth twitched, and he said loudly: "Yuqiao only wants to learn from you, it's not a matter of life and death. If you really have true talent and skills, why push three and block four? Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, I'm afraid someone will take credit for others' achievements and deceive the people of our great Chu!"

  Chu Li lowered her head to drink tea, and upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow and coldly lifted her head.

  Xilin Gongzi saw the situation and immediately jumped onto the stage, pulling his younger sister along with him. He hastily said: "My little sister is young and doesn't understand things, she offended Your Majesty, please forgive her."

  "Xilin young master, you are wrong!" A soft cry suddenly rang out, and everyone turned their heads to see Zhuluan lady smiling and saying: "Yuqiao Miss is quite skilled with her hands, but she just wants to find someone to spar with, it's not a big deal, why stop her? Besides, I also want to know what kind of heroines our great Chu has, who can capture Wusili in the southern rebel army and achieve such a great merit."

  Everyone did not expect her to speak for Xi Lin Yu Qiao, and they were all bewildered, turning their attention to Chu Li Wang, their eyes scanning back and forth among the black-clad guards behind him, trying to find this legendary woman.

  "Alas, Qing Xia let out a low sigh in her heart. She had just been worried about that girl, fearing she would get into trouble. Unexpectedly, this woman had made up her mind to make things difficult for her from the start. Her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Chu Li, thinking that it was all because of men causing trouble. Now that she had overturned Xi Lin Yu Jiao's vinegar jar, if she didn't come out and clean up the mess, it seemed like she wouldn't be able to get away with it."

  Smiling faintly, she took two steps forward and stood in front of Chu Li, saying with a smile: "Since Miss Xi Lin wants to offer some advice, please let Your Majesty grant permission."