Promise!

Chapter 166, Thunder

"Did my father really say that?!"

Shen Xuchen was about to refuse, but when he heard the last sentence, he was slightly taken aback. Because he had captured the three main culprits, he was very familiar with the current situation in the east of the city. Considering the words and expressions of Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, he pondered for a moment and roughly guessed the reason for the matter.

Zhuang Jin quickly realized what was going on: 'Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, as the protectors of the forces in the east of the city, took the biggest cut. Now that Gong Chu, Ou Wenzhong, and Qiu Tongxiang have been beheaded, they have to step in... otherwise, their reputation will be ruined, they won't be able to stay in the patronage circle, and no one will dare to follow them anymore; they'll be left with no one to rely on.'

"But given the current situation, aren't Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi afraid that by forcefully stepping forward, they might be seen as stubborn and incorrigible by the family head, Shen Xianhong, and face severe consequences? Especially since they were just taught a lesson and given a warning in the previous vote, their continued obstinacy could easily lead to their own downfall."

Not taking the lead was not an option, but taking the lead was also not an option, so Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi came up with a clever trick: to take the lead symbolically and kill two birds with one stone, so that they could make a dignified exit given the current irreversible situation in the eastern part of the city.

—Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi provide protection to their subordinates, and the subordinates pay tribute to them. This relationship is mutual, not child's play. You can't just quit whenever you want. Both sides have obligations... Also, even if these two want to quit and surrender, they need the approval of the head of the family, Shen Xianhong, and have to hand over a pledge of allegiance.

Upon learning the news, Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi discussed it and decided not to come directly to the execution ground. Instead, they went directly to their headquarters, found the family head Shen Xianhong, and surrendered, admitting defeat and admitting their loss. Their challenge to a duel was merely a show for their subordinates, to demonstrate what would happen if they won or lost. In reality, Qiu Yizhi was only allowed to lose, not win.

'Qiu Yizhi failed, but the outcome remained the same; the three ringleaders were still beheaded… In this way, the two officials, Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, though their efforts were in vain, managed to save face and preserve a fig leaf in front of their subordinates. Seeing that the intervention of the two highest-ranking officials was futile, the other upper-middle-class officials in the east of the city would also shatter their illusions, realizing that they were at their wits' end and the situation was hopeless, thus reducing the subsequent resistance to the events in the east of the city.'

To put it more bluntly, this was Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi using themselves as a stepping stone to curry favor with Shen Xianhong while saving face, which is why Shen Xianhong agreed.

The intricacies of the situation, even for the elders of the three men brought by Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, who were directly involved, were still unclear. Zhuang Jin, however, with his clearer perspective as an outsider, quickly figured it out.

"The patriarch's words are also for Zhuang Gongfeng's good. Zhuang Gongfeng broke through to the Meridian Opening stage two months ago and needs a battle to prove himself... Zhuang Gongfeng is exceptionally talented and has never lost in a duel. This is a good opportunity..."

As Fu Shousong spoke, he exchanged glances with Zhuang Jin, confirming his thoughts: "Furthermore, by agreeing to the duel, Zhuang Gongfeng has given these three a chance to live. I guarantee here that as long as Zhuang Gongfeng agrees to the duel, regardless of the outcome, their elders will not hold a grudge against Zhuang Gongfeng for what he did today."

He looked at Zhuang Jin and finally said, "If you agree to the duel, regardless of the outcome, both I and you will owe Eighth Young Master and you a favor."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yizhi's face darkened, but he nodded in agreement.

Shen Xuchen did not speak, but looked at Zhuang Jin, indicating that it was up to Zhuang Jin to decide.

He knew that he couldn't make the decision himself, nor could he make it on Zhuang Jin's behalf; everything depended on Zhuang Jin's opinion and personal wishes.

'When Patriarch Shen Xianhong said those words, his attitude was clearly inclined to agree. If I refused, I would inevitably lose face a little… Of course, I could pretend to be confused and not understand, but Patriarch Shen Xianhong is the kind of person who only does things and doesn't say them. If I really did that, I would probably lose points in this yet another implicit test, and my impression of him would be greatly diminished.'

'That's fine, but the most crucial point is that if I refuse the duel, I will extinguish the last glimmer of hope for Gong Chu and the other two, drawing all the hatred from them and their elders onto myself.'

Zhuang Jin wasn't afraid of that, but she felt wronged: she was just there to help out, and now all the hatred was directed at her. How could this be?
'Having agreed to the duel, with the patriarch Shen Xianhong's endorsement, Qiu Yizhi can only lose, not win; I, on the other hand, am guaranteed to win...'

Otherwise, if Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi were to play tricks on and humiliate Shen Xianhong, the consequences would be extremely serious, and they themselves would be implicated.

"To put it bluntly, it's just an exhibition match, with basically no risk. For me, it's actually a good thing: it can lessen the resentment of Gong Chu and his two companions, their elders, and even the entire East City power, gain a small favor from Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, and at the same time, it's a way to demonstrate my strength..."

He is weighing the pros and cons.

At this moment, behind Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi, an elderly man with white hair and a white robe embroidered with six patterns on his shoulders revealed a hint of impatience: "Master Zhuang, young people should have courage and not be timid and hesitant, losing their vigor..."

This is the elder behind Gong Chu, one of the three culprits. He is a martial artist of the Twelve Classics, the kind of old man that Sun Mingbi once described. He looks to be in his seventies or eighties, with gray hair.

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jin glanced at the man indifferently and remained silent.

The meaning is clear: Do you have the right to interrupt our conversation? Even a single word from you would be beneath your dignity!
The old man naturally understood Zhuang Jin's meaning and felt greatly insulted. His face turned red and then pale, and he pointed at Zhuang Jin tremblingly, as if he wanted to say something.

At this moment, Fu Shousong snorted coldly and cast a sinister glance at him, which immediately snapped the old man back to his senses. He realized that the other man was a kind-looking man who was actually a smiling tiger, and his methods... He immediately shut his mouth in fear.

He then turned to Zhuang Jin with a smile and said, "Lord Zhuang, you can take your time to consider it. No rush!"

“No need. As Master Fu said, I’ll have a duel with Master Qiu!” Zhuang Jin looked at Qiu Yizhi and agreed.

……

With the duel confirmed, the three main culprits, Gong Chu, Ou Wenzhong, and Qiu Tongxiang, were temporarily taken off the execution ground. At this moment, hope appeared in the eyes of the three of them, who regarded the duel as their lifeline.

The elders of the other three people brought by Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi also believed that Fu Shousong and Qiu Yizhi genuinely wanted to save the person, and they were all excited, thinking that their juniors were saved. Little did they know that this competition was nothing more than a tacit act by Qiu Yizhi and Zhuang Jin.

This is the tragedy of the characters below; as pawns, they never know when they will be given up or sacrificed.

The onlookers were as excited as if it were New Year's Day. Although the beheadings weren't happening yet, weren't there still those important figures fighting? They talked all at once, discussing the matter.

"They said they wouldn't behead anyone yet, so what's with the fighting? I wonder who would win between those two?"

"I think that young man is probably not even twenty yet. That's too young. I think the older one is more capable."

"Yes, experience is the best teacher, but I still hope the young man wins. That way, after watching the fight, we can also watch the beheading later... Two shows a day, isn't that much more interesting than going to the theater?"

……

"please!"

Zhuang Jin and Qiu Yizhi clasped their fists together, their hearts filled with extreme caution. Although they knew this fight was mostly an act, they couldn't guarantee that their opponent wouldn't become emotional and act out of control... In that case, while the opponent would suffer the consequences, they themselves might also suffer a great loss...

Of course, that only applies when he is careless.

—The two are at the same cultivation level. Zhuang Jin has not wasted these two months. His cultivation level and martial arts skills have made great progress. As long as he pays attention in advance, he can protect himself even if Qiu Yizhi has any ideas.

"Go!"

Seeing that Zhuang Jin was standing with his hands behind his back at the other end of the execution ground, Qiu Yizhi, who was clearly trying to wait and see, finally made the first move. With a loud shout, he used his hands in a gesture of uprooting a willow tree to directly uproot a gallows on the execution ground and throw it at Zhuang Jin.

Snapped!
Zhuang Jin glanced at it indifferently, then slapped it with his backhand. His inner energy surged forth, and after leaving his body, it merged with the light and dark, becoming a harmonious and powerful force, which met the descending gallows.

boom!
Within a foot's radius, the front section of the gallows shattered into dust, and the rear section of the gallows also froze in mid-air for a moment under this force.

The next moment, Zhuang Jin moved. He raised his hand to the gallows, grabbed it, and thrust it in. With a loud crash, it broke through the bluestone slab, pierced the ground, and stood upright again.

"Alright, alright, Venerable Zhuang, take another cut from me!"

Qiu Yizhi laughed loudly, then snapped the guillotine beside him, removing the blade. With a twist and a swing, the long, heavy blade flew out of his hand and hurtled towards him.

Swish!
Zhuang Jin sidestepped half a step, dodging the guillotine that came hurtling through the air. He flicked his finger at the blade, and it froze with a clear ringing sound. The bloodstains and rust on it all fell off, revealing a chilling gleam.

“It is impolite not to reciprocate, so Qiu Gongfeng also took a knife from me.”

Zhuang Jin lifted his foot and flicked the blade, causing it to reverse. As he wrapped his arms around the blade and pushed it with all his might, the blade shot back at an even faster speed.

"Stop!"

Qiu Yizhi clasped his hands together, clamping the guillotine blade as it came flying at him. Under the force of the impact, his feet scraped against the ground, making a teeth-grinding sound, and he was forced back a foot.

click!
He immediately flung the guillotine back to the guillotine platform, then stomped his foot, causing the ground to crack open in a spiderweb pattern as he lunged forward to kill.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Using the gallows that Zhuang Jin had previously erected as a center, the two used it to propel themselves upwards, exchanging blows repeatedly, each move making a sharp sound as it cut through the air, before falling back down in another exchange.

As they parted at the last moment of their palms meeting—

Click!
The entire gallows was like parched, sun-baked, cracked earth, splitting open and shattering into pieces.

"Hahaha, that was exhilarating! Today's fight was truly satisfying! Now, Elder Zhuang, you'd better watch out, for I have a leg technique for killing opponents called Thunderclap Leg... Please take a look!"

……

(End of this chapter)