Chapter 152: Displaying Might to the Elite Wei Infantry (Part 2)

(My subscription count has dropped even more, I could cry!)

"You call me a weakling? Then I suppose you consider yourself mighty?" Wei Wuji stepped forward, his eyes fixing Zhao Jun with a piercing glare.

The moment Young Master Wei Wuji assumed his commanding demeanor, Zhao Jun’s expression faltered momentarily. For a brief second, a strong sense of déjà vu washed over him.

Yet, faced with Wei Wuji's challenge, Zhao Jun merely responded with a cold sneer. The fellow standing right here and refusing to budge was utterly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

He is practically bringing disaster upon his own lineage! Zhao Jun thought to himself, even harboring suspicions that Wei Wuji might not have the faintest clue what the elite Wei Martial Infantry truly represented in the State of Wei.

"Though I am hardly a man of great talent, I am still a cut above the likes of you," Zhao Jun scoffed.

Glancing at Wei Wuji's slight frame and frail appearance, Zhao Jun’s eyes were filled with unadulterated disdain.

Heh... Wei Wuji sneered inwardly. Idiots like this deserved to be put in their place, to be taught a lesson in respect.

"Since you deem yourself so formidable, you surely won't mind a challenge, right?" Wei Wuji asked with playful mockery. Since this fellow wanted to play games, he would gladly indulge him.

Zhao Jun cast a sidelong glance at Wei Wuji before speaking in a deep voice, "Though your bodyguard looks valiant enough, it is hard to say he could defeat me."

As he said this, Zhao Jun reined in his contempt. While he held Wei Wuji in low regard, he was not so foolish as to intentionally underestimate someone who clearly possessed formidable strength, like Zheng Dali.

Hearing this, however, Zheng Dali’s face instantly dropped. How dare this fellow Zhao Jun claim he could defeat him? He wasn't afraid of the wind biting his tongue with such boastful talk.

Before Zheng Dali could voice his displeasure, Wei Wuji spoke first, his tone flat. "There is no need for my bodyguard to step in. I am quite capable of defeating you myself."

That was the final straw for Zheng Dali. While Wei Wuji possessed high talent and progressed at an astonishing pace, claiming he could best Zhao Jun was nothing short of a fairy tale.

Before Zheng Dali could object, Wei Wuji shot him a warning glare that silenced him. Today, he simply wanted to have some fun.

Wasn't this Zhao Jun convinced of his own superiority? Very well, he would crush him precisely in the area where he thought he was strongest.

The Wei Martial Infantry might be remarkable, but they weren't nearly as extraordinary as you imagine, Wei Wuji thought to himself.

Seeing Wei Wuji actively volunteer himself, Zhao Jun instantly lost interest. Based on Wei Wuji alone, he hardly qualified to challenge him.

"You? By yourself?" Zhao Jun laughed, eyeing him sideways.

"By myself!" Wei Wuji said in a deep voice, taking another step forward.

Noticing that Wei Wuji was entirely in earnest, Zhao Jun finally grew serious. He even began to wonder if Wei Wuji had lost his mind and simply came here looking to be abused.

"On what grounds?" Zhao Jun demanded once more.

"Never mind my grounds, just tell me if you have the nerve," Wei Wuji proclaimed loudly, radiating supreme self-confidence. Mighty though Zhao Jun might be, he felt not a shred of fear.

"Hmph, and why wouldn't I dare... I just fear that when someone gets beaten black and blue later, they'll go running to their uncles and elders to cry about it," Zhao Jun chuckled softly. Naturally, he had nothing to fear, especially since Wei Wuji was the one initiating the duel.

"Splendid! That settles it then," Wei Wuji said, clapping his hands together. This was far from a spur-of-the-moment impulse; nor was it solely for the sake of disciplining Zhao Jun.

If he could use this opportunity... to make his presence known among the Wei Martial Infantry, why not?

He didn't expect them to accept him immediately, but simply letting them know who the Fifth Young Master of Wei was, and what kind of man he was... that much was entirely achievable! Wei Wuji weighed the prospects in his mind.

Of course, whether it would succeed depended entirely on his performance moments later. If he ended up thoroughly humiliated and beaten to a pulp, there would be nothing more to be said.

"Youn—"

Just as Zheng Dali was about to speak, he was promptly cut off by another sharp rebuke from Wei Wuji. "Shut your mouth, this is not your place to intervene!"

Hearing this, the look Zhao Jun cast toward Wei Wuji was tinged with even deeper contempt, viewing him as an absolute fool.

***

The sun still beat down directly at high noon, but fortunately, heavy blankets of clouds drifted across the sky quite suddenly, obscuring the blazing sun.

The slight reprieve brought cheers even among the ranks of the Wei Martial Infantry, followed closely by the crisp snapping of whips, though no cries of agony could be heard.

Wei Wuji continued to wait. According to Zhao Jun, it would take at least another hour for their evaluations to conclude, practically daring Wei Wuji not to run off before then.

This played right into Wei Wuji’s hands. If anything, he was worried there wouldn't be a large enough crowd to watch the spectacle later.

Given his current desperate and precarious plight, his outrageous ambitions practically demanded that he take calculated, perilous risks.

If he emerged victorious this time, his theatrical display would undoubtedly yield abundant rewards.

Should he suffer defeat, he could simply tuck his tail and slink away—nobody knew who he was anyway.

All things considered, it was an exceedingly profitable venture.

His observation of the grounds now carried a much stronger agenda, causing Wei Wuji’s attention toward the soldiers still locked in combat or practicing mounted archery to naturally wane.

"Young Master, doing this is far too dangerous!" Zheng Dali grumbled by Wei Wuji's side. In a duel like this, injuries were practically guaranteed if things went awry.

"Rest assured, if we are talking swordsmanship, I will not lose to him. As for mounted archery..." Wei Wuji trailed off at that point.

Yet Zheng Dali understood his implication completely. When it came to mounted archery, he firmly believed his young master would emerge triumphant without a doubt.

Though formidable, the Wei Martial Infantry were, after all, foot soldiers. Mounted archery was hardly their primary combat focus, making them naturally appear a bit "lacking" in that regard.

"Young Master, if you find yourself unable to hold your own, remember to call out for me!" Zheng Dali reminded him. When it came to a one-on-one brawl, he possessed absolute confidence in his own martial prowess.

After all, just a few years prior, this fellow surnamed Zhao hadn't even qualified to be his opponent. As one of the absolute strongest fighters among the Wei Martial Infantry, Zheng Dali held unwavering self-assurance.

This forced Wei Wuji to marvel inwardly at his own rather decent streak of luck; otherwise, how could a random passerby rescued on a whim by his mother turn out to be such an absolute powerhouse?

In truth, Wei Wuji was not the only one lost in thought. Across the training grounds, the soldiers who had already finished their evaluations were currently huddled together in low whispers.

"Did you hear? Someone is actually challenging Lord Zhao..." a martial infantryman said, folding his arms across his chest with the smug, satisfied expression of someone who had performed well on his test.

"That's no simple challenge against Lord Zhao. Word is, some arrogant young master from high society ran over here pointing fingers, and Lord Zhao is going to teach him a harsh lesson," another immediately retorted, a wide grin plastered across his face.

"Who did you hear that from?" someone asked doubtfully.

"Who else would it be? Lord Zhao and Lord Wu were casually chatting about it just moments ago," the first man scoffed, thoroughly pleased with his superior access to gossip.

Yet the crowd's attention clearly lay elsewhere; their primary concern was the impending duel rather than the undercurrents between the two men.

***

Sometimes, time slips away swiftly. An hour passed in what felt like the blink of an eye, and the evaluation of the Wei Martial Infantry drew to a close.

By then, thanks to the rapid spread of gossip, nearly everyone had caught wind of the impending showdown.

Consequently, a startling sight unfolded: despite the scorching sun, almost nobody opted to leave; instead, they all chose to linger behind to watch the spectacle.

Whatever the reasons might be, anyone daring to challenge the Wei Martial Infantry was enough to instantly unite them in shared solidarity.

At that moment, their minds were entirely consumed by a single thought: Lord Zhao would use overwhelming might to crush that reckless fool.

Meanwhile, standing atop the combat platform, Zhao Jun gazed coldly at Wei Wuji not far away.

"It's still not too late for you to walk away..." Zhao Jun roared loudly, projecting an image of supreme magnanimity and absolute self-assurance.

"Heh... fighting is the one thing this lord fears the least!" Wei Wuji retorted, his eyebrows twitching sharply.

With that, under the watchful eyes of all the martial infantrymen present, he began a leisurely stroll toward the elevated platform, looking entirely unperturbed.