The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

In the square, battles raged one after another on the arena.

Some battles were evenly matched, resulting in a fierce and chaotic fight; others were of vastly different strengths, with a single move deciding the outcome.

Soon, it was Tie Xiong, a servant of the Marquis of Zhennan's household,'s turn.

Tie Xiong strode onto the arena. His opponent was a servant of the Marquis of Dingyuan's household, a martial artist at the early stage of the third rank.

The opponent was burly and imposing, wielding a long spear and exuding a powerful aura.

The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out.

"start!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the gunman made the first move.

He gripped the gun with both hands and thrust it forward with a sudden burst of energy!

The spear, imbued with violent spiritual energy, carried a sharp aura and aimed straight for Tie Xiong's face!

This shot was fast and ruthless, clearly fired with full force.

Tie Xiong stood still, without flinching.

Just as the tip of the spear was less than a foot from his face.

Tie Xiong raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and grabbed the tip of the spear!

"clang!"

The loud clang of metal colliding was so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

The spear stopped in front of Tie Xiong, unable to advance even an inch further.

The gunman's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He felt as if his spear was being pressed down by a mountain; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull it back or move it forward.

"Too weak. You're really a third-grade martial artist?!"

Tie Xiong chuckled and suddenly tightened his grip with his five fingers!

"Snap!"

He crushed the steel spear with his bare hands!

Fragments flew everywhere, piercing the gunman's body, causing blood to gush out.

The swordsman screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena.

Tie Xiong gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He took a step forward and pounced like a tiger, his fist carrying violent spiritual energy, smashing into the gunman's chest!

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the gunman's chest caved in, blood gushing from his mouth, and he instantly lost consciousness.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

A spearman at the mid-stage of the third rank couldn't even last three moves against Tie Xiong.

This level of strength is even more impressive than Wang Long's performance just now.

Because Tiexiong won too easily.

So easy it's despair-inducing.

On the stands, Zhao Pojun had a faint smile on his lips as he turned to look at Luo Hanyi.

"Hanyi, your old man is lucky, he beat Su Leng."

His voice was casual, yet clearly mocking.

"but......"

He paused, his gaze falling on Tie Xiong.

"Tie Xiong is at the late stage of the third rank, just one step away from the peak."

"If the two of them were to face off..."

Zhao Pojun didn't finish speaking; he just smiled, and the meaning behind that smile was quite clear.

Wang Long is no match for Tie Xiong and will die a terrible death!

He wouldn't give Wang Long a chance to admit defeat; he would have Tie Xiong kill him quickly.

Destroy any hope that the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion could turn the tide.

Zhao Pojun has long coveted Luo Hanyi, and he is determined to annex the entire Zhenbei Marquis's mansion!

Luo Hanyi remained calm and silent, but her fingers tightened slightly.

She knew that what Zhao Pojun said was true.

Wang Long defeated Su Leng by risking his life, while Tie Xiong defeated a spearman at the early stage of the third rank with only one move, and was completely unharmed.

The gap between the two is too large.

Luo Hanyi wanted Wang Long to admit defeat and withdraw from the competition, but then she thought about Wang Long's serious expression.

She had no right to interfere with Wang Long's choice, as he was willing to risk his life for the Marquis's mansion.

At this moment, the nobles around them began to speak up.

"Tie Xiong is indeed formidable. He's at the late stage of the third rank. His strength is absolutely unmatched among this year's servants."

"Yes, this year's champion will probably be from the Marquis of Zhennan's mansion."

"Luo Hanyi's ten thousand taels of gold are probably going to go down the drain."

……

As the sun gradually set in the west, the competition in the square was also drawing to a close.

Of the more than three hundred servants, only sixteen remained after rounds of elimination.

Wang Long and Tie Xiong were among them.

Emperor Murong Yuan looked at the sixteen people in the room and chuckled, appearing very approachable.

"Excellent! You are all fine sons of my Great Qian! I eagerly anticipate your upcoming matches!"

"Regardless of your final outcome, I will be generous with my rewards!"

Upon hearing this, the servants' faces instantly lit up with excitement.

So, does that mean I can escape slavery and become the emperor's person?!

The sixteen people, each with their own thoughts, began to look forward to a hopeful future.

Wang Long had no desire to be granted an official position by the emperor. He was still too weak to leave the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion.

Emperor Murong Yuan sat upright on the dragon throne and waved his hand.

Sixteen golden beams flew from his hand and landed precisely in front of the sixteen servants.

Wang Long reached out and caught it; it was a golden pill, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

The Fourth Grade Healing Pill.

As expected of a gift from the emperor, he's truly generous and wealthy!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

They all bowed in unison to thank the emperor.

The eunuch's high-pitched voice then rang out.

"Today's competition has concluded; the final round will take place tomorrow."

"All of you who made it to the top 16, please come with me to the other courtyard to rest. His Majesty has already made arrangements."

The nobles around them also received rewards from the emperor, including gold, silver, jewels, silks, and cultivation resources, each with its own unique gifts.

Luo Hanyi received quite a lot, enough to cover the expenses of the Marquis's mansion for a long time.

"Your servants have performed admirably; I am very pleased!"

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty!"

The sixteen noble families who received the reward all rose to express their gratitude.

Luo Hanyi looked at the rewards with a complicated expression.

These rewards were earned by Wang Long at the cost of his life.

She turned to look at Wang Long and saw him lying on Qin Minglan's lap, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, as if he were dozing off.

Qin Minglan lowered her head, looking at his face, seemingly lost in thought.

Luo Hanyi withdrew her gaze, not wanting to disturb the two.

Let Wang Long rest well and enjoy this happy moment.

After all, tomorrow will be another day of fighting for our lives!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Imperial Palace Villa is located on the east side of the Central Palace. It covers a vast area and features pavilions, towers, bridges, and flowing water in a tranquil environment.

The sixteen servants were arranged in a large courtyard, each with their own room. Although the room was simple, it was far better than their usual living quarters.

What surprised Wang Long the most was that this villa was equipped with a spirit-gathering array.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was several times denser than outside. With each breath, one could feel the spiritual energy seeping into the body through the pores, nourishing the meridians and flesh.

"A good place."

Wang Long took a deep breath and felt his wounds healing rapidly.

The Chaos Creation Saint Body operated on its own, frantically absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy and converting it into its own spiritual power.

The constraints imposed on those in the late second rank are showing signs of loosening.

"If I cultivate for another night, I might be able to break through to the peak of the second rank."

Wang Long was enjoying Qin Minglan's lap pillow when the eunuch kept urging him roughly, so he was reluctantly brought to this place.

Wang Long secretly made plans, found his own room, and pushed open the door to go in.

The room was small, with a wooden bed, a table, and a chair. Although simple, it was kept clean and tidy.

Wang Long was sitting cross-legged on the bed, preparing to cultivate, when the door was kicked open.

Tie Xiong stood at the doorway, arms crossed, looking down at him.

"You old codger, living here?"

His voice was rough and had a hint of mockery.

Wang Long glanced at him and chose to ignore him.

This is inside the palace; even if Tie Xiong had the guts, he wouldn't dare to lay a hand on Wang Long.

Just treat it as a dog barking.