The horses surrounding the carriage in protection flinched and backed away, mirroring the nervousness within the hearts of their riders. With their heavily dwarfed numbers, it would prove impossible to emerge victorious against their two dozen opponents.
And as if that wasn't enough to lessen the vigour inside their hearts, the guards had grown weary, injured, and most importantly, afraid of their counterparts. The sight of the attackers cutting down their companions in the most brutal of fashions still hung vividly within their eyes.
With the situation having devolved so far, no one would blame them for abandoning their liege and fleeing for their lives. Victory was already hopeless and their sacrifice would be but meaningless.
Yet, they did not flee. As soldiers and guards that had pledged their lives and souls to their monarch, they could not flee. Not only would it be dishonourable, but it would also be a stain upon the names of their ancestors!
Even if it was a hopeless foray into death, the guards would still fight on. Their grips over their swords and axes tightened, as they trotted their horses forward in a show of force.
Seeing such a display, the assailant captain scoffed. However, reflected within his murderous, scarlet eyes was the light of respect.
"Good, good. So, you have chosen death!" He slowly muttered. "Very well! It would've been boring if you had fled like rats!"
Raising his halberd tall, he commanded. "Men! Char—!"
"If I might interject!" An even voice suddenly exclaimed, interrupting the assailant captain's order of slaughter.
The eyes of everyone on the battlefield immediately turned towards its origin, revealing in their sights a tall, cloaked youth. The guards of the carriage looked towards the youth with suspicion and hostility while the assailants and their captain looked at him with anger and murderous intent.
Wuzhi, who had revealed his presence, walked forward with his suitcase in hand. He wore an apologetic smile on his face as he faced the two dozen assailants.
Walking to the front, he spoke. "I offer my sincerest apologies for interrupting Esteemed Sir. However, this young scholar has something to say."
Taking a deep breath, Wuzhi lifted his free hand and pointed to the assailant captain. "I would like to challenge Esteemed Sir to a 'duel' between men!" He exclaimed in a deep and resounding voice.
The air stilled with Wuzhi's arrogant proclamation.
The silence lasted for three whole seconds before shattering with the boisterous laughter of men.
"A duel!? This hairless brat wants to challenge our captain to a duel!? HAHAHAHA!!"
"Where did this retard crawl out from? A duel!? AHAHAHA! I— I can't! MY stomach hurts!"
"Oi! Oi! Kid! If you want to kill yourself, there are better ways to go about it. Asking for a duel with the captain is asking to die with an incomplete corpse!"
"Aiyah! Someone shoot this brainless moron and be done with it. I still have to visit the brothel after this."
Every single assailant mocked and laughed at Wuzhi. Their crass and vulgar words revealed their low-born status.
Meanwhile, on the side of the guards, each one of them showed pitying looks towards Wuzhi and shook their heads.
"Foolish youngster. Who knows which mother is about to become childless today?"
"Which hole did this guy crawl out from? And why now!?"
"We are all going to die either way. What does it matter if an extra person joins us in death?"
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Wuzhi paid no mind to these chatters. His face held its calm smile as he stared at the man with the halberd.
The assailant captain received Wuzhi's stare and nonchalantly spoke. "You are not worthy of a duel against me." Utter contempt and surety filled his words.
"Maybe not," Wuzhi honestly admitted with a shrug. He then threw a teasing glance at his opponent and continued, "But to think that the Bloody Rakshasa would be such a coward. Oh! The martial world would surely laugh at the hilarity of this truth."
The atmosphere stilled once again. This time, not even the assailant force dared to breathe loudly. Inwardly, everyone present in the scene shook their heads and realised within their hearts; this boy had done f*cked up!
The contemptuous expression on the assailant captain's face disappeared. It was replaced by a mask of expressionless.
Casting an indifferent glance at Wuzhi, he said, "Draw your sword." He had admitted to the duel!
Wuzhi smiled in reply. He then turned to the nearest guard and asked, "Could Esteemed Sir kindly lend his sword to this young scholar?"
The recipient of his question replied with an utterly stupefied expression. Internally, he was thinking about how dumb this kid could be! However, he dared not to speak any words given the current situation and obediently threw his sword towards Wuzhi.
Catching the sword with his free hand, Wuzhi immediately commented in a quiet voice. "Oh, that is heavier than I thought it would be."
This was the first time that Wuzhi had ever held a sword.
Being a scholar of ordinary strength, he lifted his sword with difficulty before pointing it at his opponent. Wuzhi's right hand held the sword while his left hand continued to grasp his suitcase.
The assailant captain watched this scene but did not comment. He simply demounted his horse and walked forward with his halberd. After walking a few steps, he stopped when there was approximately fifteen metres distance between himself and the young scholar.
Wordlessly raising his halberd, he readied himself. Wuzhi, on the other side, incorrectly held his sword and stood in a casual stance.
Looking at this scene, any person possessing eyes could see that on one side stood a battle-hardened veteran and a champion of a hundred battles while on the other side, stood a frail scholar who had never held a sword before.
Everyone collectively shook their heads. The result of the battle had already been decided.
"Start!" The assailant captain exclaimed before rushing forward at wonderous speeds! His unstoppable momentum and disciplined posture revealed his identity as a Rank 1 cultivator!
Wuzhi, who watched his opponent charging towards him, suddenly cried. "Watch out! You are going to trip in that direction!"
Not an instant after his words fell, the assailant captain's right leg was caught in a depression hidden within the ground. His pupils widened with surprise as his body leaned forward uncontrollably. His unstoppable charge continued with momentum, bringing him mere steps away from Wuzhi.
Shilck! Wuzhi's casually placed sword penetrated the assailant captain's throat. A fountain of blood spurted from his neck, dying the blade and the ground.
Releasing the sword, being unable to bear the new weight, Wuzhi shook his head and pityingly spoke. "I warned you that you would trip. How unfortunate."
Eyes wide open with boundless shame and unwillingness, the assailant captain fell at Wuzhi's feet. In less than three seconds since the battle's commencement, he had died!
Wuzhi's argent eyes, hidden beneath his bamboo hat, flashed with mysterious characters that quietly appeared before retreating. Lifting his head, he settled his gaze on another assailant before pointing at him with his finger.
"Esteemed Sir, this young scholar would like to challenge you to a duel between men!"
His sonorous voice repeated once again within the battlefield.
---
Hidden inside the confines of the carriage, a figure peeked through the veiled curtains at the scene outside. It saw a tall youth holding a suitcase, pointing his finger at one of its pursuers and arrogantly challenging them.
Wait, arrogance wasn't the correct word. For the scholarly lad's voice contained respect and sincerity. He was respectfully and sincerely challenging the pursuers to a duel after having miraculously slain their leader.
Confusion filled the racing heart of the figure as it watched this scene. It wondered to itself, who this tall youth was and what was his purpose.
Was he a lone cultivator who had stepped up to deliver justice after seeing the carriage being unjustly hunted by a band of assailants? The figure inside the carriage sure hoped so. For if this was the reason, there existed hope for its survival.
However, recent memories and events quickly flashed through the figure's mind and an alternative thought appeared; could this young scholar be an agent sent by its enemies to lull it into a false sense of security before assassinating it from beside?
With all that the figure had gone through in the recent three months, it did not put such a possibility beyond the sinister means of its enemies.
"This is so tiring…" the figure mumbled to itself; heartache, and despair evident in its tone. "I wish I could die sooner."
Though its mouth said thus, the figure's citrine-coloured eyes hopefully stared at the tall scholarly youth. It desperately hoped… nay, prayed; please let this scholar be my saviour. I still want to live. I still want to reunite with my elder sister. I still want to avenge my father!
The hopes and wants of the young emperor rested on Wuzhi.