Chapter 1751 - 1737
Luo Qi pondered for a moment and then said to Feng Luo, "Now just stay here and don’t go anywhere. If I find out you sneak off again to cause trouble, watch out when I come back and deal with you!"
Feng Luo pouted; ever since she was little, she had heard this warning countless times, but this time she obediently stayed where she was.
At this time, the arena seemed calm as usual, but tensions were simmering beneath the surface.
The most capable Deputy General beside Prince He Shuo was defeated by a nameless junior, and it happened in front of so many people. It wasn’t just Vice General Xing’s reputation that was damaged, it was the face of the Royal Family, so it was normal for Prince He Shuo to look displeased.
He pressed his thin lips together, surveyed the surroundings with slightly narrowed eyes, and slowly spoke, "Now it’s clear that talent is emerging everywhere, Mr. Chu’s martial arts are exceptional, it was Vice General Xing who lacked skill."
"Your Highness!" Upon hearing this, Deputy General Xing looked up at him unwillingly, "Chu Ge used deception just now! I request another duel!"
Prince He Shuo glanced sideways, stern authority in his eyes, "Do you still think it isn’t embarrassing enough?"
The scene on the stage earlier was witnessed by him; Chu Ge did not intend to genuinely compete with Deputy General Xing. In other words, Deputy General Xing was simply outclassed by Chu Ge.
From the start, their duel was dominated by Chu Ge; he had some regard for the Royal Family’s dignity, so he didn’t overly display his superiority. After several tactical maneuvers, he ensured Deputy General Xing’s loss wasn’t too humiliating.
This was clear to him and many others present, but everyone was smart enough not to voice it, especially since it involved offending the Royal Family.
However, for someone like Deputy General Xing, whose mind is straightforward and limbs well-developed, he only saw Chu Ge deliberately mocking him rather than genuinely competing, and any martial artist who encounters Chu Ge’s frivolous attitude towards dueling would become furious, especially someone as hot-tempered as Deputy General Xing!
"Your Highness! You saw it just now! He! He disrespected the dueling arena! Deliberately maneuvering!"
If he had faced him head-on and clashed directly, he might not have been outmatched! Deputy General Xing was full of confidence; he wanted another duel with Chu Ge to regain face!
Ru Xue, standing behind Prince He Shuo, took a step forward and stood level with him. She raised her eyes and said, "Your Highness, you said earlier that if Mr. Chu won, you would gift the Silver Silk Sword to him. A gentleman’s word must be honored."
Even though Prince He Shuo’s expression was displeased, upon hearing Ru Xue’s words, he still nodded slightly, "I remember what I said."
He turned to Deputy General Xing and said, "Deputy General Xing, losing means losing, no matter what method he used to defeat you, it is strategic, and you must learn from it."
Deputy General Xing looked reluctant.
"You cultivate hard skills, which are not suited for the sword. I have already promised Boss Luo that if Mr. Chu won, the Silver Silk Sword would be gifted to him."
At this point, even if Deputy General Xing’s mind was simple, he understood the sword wasn’t suitable for him; no matter how he cultivated, the sword seemed to choose its master, and didn’t obey his command at all.
Just now he brought it out to confront Chu Ge, only wanting to use it to exert pressure over Chu Ge.
But now hearing that the Prince wants to gift the Silver Silk Sword to Chu Ge, he becomes even more furious.
"I am indeed unworthy of owning this sword!"
Deputy General Xing spoke through gritted teeth, "I am willing to hand the sword back to Your Highness, but Your Highness, this sword was gifted by the Emperor, you mustn’t give it to an alien?"
Prince He Shuo slightly curled his lips, "When the Emperor gifted me this sword, he said it should be gifted to a worthy person. Now I see Mr. Chu with elegant demeanor and splendid attire; perhaps he is the worthy one for this sword, no?"
Deputy General Xing felt exceedingly uncomfortable, holding back a surge of frustration in his heart, urgently needing an outlet. But with so many people present and in front of the Prince and Princess Consort, he had no way to vent.
Now the Prince saying he wants to give the sword to Chu Ge feels like another stab at his heart.
It’s not that he’s pained over the sword being gifted to someone else; he himself is not sensitive to swords. It’s about who the sword is being gifted to — if it was anyone other than Chu Ge, he would give it away willingly. But since the Prince wants to give it to Chu Ge, he feels extremely uncomfortable!
Luo Jiu smiled cheerfully from the side and said, "Your Highness, it seems Deputy General Xing really likes this Silver Silk Sword. Since it’s his beloved item, we shouldn’t take it arbitrarily."
If he hadn’t spoken, it might have been better; upon hearing this, Deputy General Xing’s face turned extremely grim, resembling someone with constipation, as he tightly pressed his lips and glared at Chu Ge, shouting, "Chu Ge, if you have the skill, let’s duel again! As long as you fight seriously and win, I’ll let you have the Silver Silk Sword. If you fail, then you’ll kneel and kowtow three times!"
"Out of line!" Prince He Shuo rebuked, "No matter what, Mr. Chu is the Princess Consort’s savior; you want the savior to kneel to you?"
Deputy General Xing jumped in fright and hurriedly kneeled, "I didn’t mean it that way, I’m just upset, please have mercy, Your Highness!"
Chu Ge coldly watched Deputy General Xing from the side, sighing slightly in his heart, "Deputy General Xing, even if you duel me a hundred times or ten thousand times, the result would be the same. Your strength lies in conquering on the battlefield, not in petty duels with a nameless junior like me."
Deputy General Xing hung his head low, Chu Ge’s words made him somewhat ashamed.
"Alright, stand up." Prince He Shuo looked at Deputy General Xing with a bit of helplessness; he never doubted Deputy General Xing’s loyalty, but his lack of emotional intelligence was truly concerning.
Deputy General Xing, seeing the Prince didn’t blame him, gradually stood up.
"Did you hear what Mr. Chu said earlier?" The Prince glanced at Deputy General Xing, his words carrying a hint of lecturing, "If you focus all your energy on training soldiers instead of being fixated on personal grudges, I’ll be very pleased!"
Deputy General Xing lowered his head, his cheeks feeling a bit awkward.
"Your Highness, Deputy General Xing is just caught up in a moment of zeal; please don’t blame him."
The Princess Consort spoke in a gentle voice beside him, "Your Highness, if Deputy General Xing truly likes the Silver Silk Sword, how about giving Mr. Chu something else? He saved my life, yet expressing gratitude with just fifty taels seems inadequate. If word gets out, it damages the reputation of our Prince Manor."
Prince He Shuo nodded, "What the Princess Consort says is true; in that case..."