Ame laughed. She truly found the situation hilarious. How would this prideful Squad Captain feel if he knew the real reason Baem refused to fight him?

The middle-aged man kept feeling insulted and taunted by her. He was starting to lose his composure as he asked her: "Why are you laughing?"

She saw Jin's glare and that made her laugh even more. She expected some drama but this went beyond her expectations. Still, with this, she would be able to easily get herself a standing. As long as she used Baem's forte correctly, she could make use of this whole charade as a stepping stone to authority within the Palace's military.

Just because they wanted her as an obedient pawn did not mean that she would comply submissively. She would do her job as a pawn but she would not be mistreated while doing it!

She was a bit sympathetic towards Baem and slightly ashamed about her actions but she had to do what she could. This was an opportunity for her to survive. She decided to push things further. She explained everything: "He did not reject the fight out of cowardice but out of kindness for you!"

This sentence silenced even the whispers within the crowd. They all began to ponder what she meant by that. And when they understood, they could not help but suck in a cold breath.

Daring!

Arrogant!

Shameless!

Those were the adjectives those soldiers associated with Jin's conduct now. After all, she said that his true intention was to save the Captain's honor and not to escape. It would mean that the man believed with certainty that he would be able to defeat the Captain! What impressive trust in his own abilities he had! But also, how foolish it was!

The Squad Captain's eyes filled with anger as he turned back towards Jin. He slowly took out his sword and said: "Take out your sword, kid. I will teach you not to overestimate yourself"

Jin sighed. Since it came to this, he had no longer any options. He could no longer back off. Whether or not he liked it, this man would bear a grudge against him. He might as well go for it since it came to this.

He looked at the opponent. He was a sword user. The blade was long and decently sharpened. He probably was not planning to end the spar without giving Jin a few injuries.

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Jin took out a sword, similar in shape as the Captain and went into a stance. Ame frowned slightly as she saw him. She was quite aware that Jin's true favorite was the spear.

Why was he using a sword?

Even she felt that he was being a little too confident there. After all, this was a Squad Captain. One of the greatest powerhouses of the kingdom. Sure, spiritual energy was banned for this spar but still. Every cultivator had to train their basic skills and it was a certainty that a Squad Captain would not be a pushover.

Honestly, if not for her situation, she would never be recruited as a Captain. She was not weak but she was lacking for that kind of position. That man was the real deal though. She was beginning to worry slightly when Captain Harold told her: "You did state that you wished to bet, Captain Ame, did you not? Well then, how about betting your position as a Captain instead? My own vice-captain has reached a decent level already and would be a good fit for the position"

Ame frowned hard. This man was being a little too overbearing with this sentence. Considering how she acted herself, she could not blame him though... Before she could refute though, Baem spoke in her stead: "Aren't I your opponent Captain Harold? Why not bet with me instead?"

Her frown vanished as she smiled at Baem. Even after all this, he was being considerate of her. It made her feel slightly more ashamed too.

The discussion continued though and the Captain snickered: "What do you even have to bet?"

Jin smiled and stated: "Both of our lives and her position"

Everyone around sucked in a deep breath once more. If the woman's words had been arrogant, he was downright overbearing!

Lives!

It was not a joke!

The Squad Captain would really kill them if he lost!

Ame's feelings switched right away. It seemed like Baem was pettier than she thought. Still, he would never dare bet his life if he was not confident. But would she be able to trust him with hers?

This was the question he was indirectly asking her.

You forcefully tried to take hold of my future, do you have the rights?

You want to use my life as a chip, are you prepared to use yours?

You need me to trust in you for my future, will you put yours in my hands?

Ame did not wait for the Squad Captain Harold to retort and aggrieved the situation: "I only worry that Captain Harold would not have something of equivalent value to bet!"

SSSSsssssssssss....

The soldiers came here to watch some newbie bullying at first. They did not expect to witness such a drama. This was beyond everyone's expectations! And it was great! This would definitely be something they could brag about later!

"I was there when the challenge happened!"

Obviously, unlike the audience, Captain Harold's mood was cold. Something equivalent to their lives? Was it not asking him to also bet his live? As if he would ever dare do so. Even if he was certain of victory, he would never dare. After all, nothing was ever 100%. It was not worth him betting his life. Even if he won in the end, he would not be able to take those two's lives. After all, if he did... His image would be dealt a huge blow

But those two? Had they been thinking this far ahead?

His cold silence continued.