Chapter 25

The man’s nose was bleeding profusely, and in his anger, he raised his knife and swung it towards Shen Yu.

Shen Yu pushed aside Dazui behind her, dodged to the side, and the man attacked again.

Seeing the situation, the sergeant in charge wanted to step forward and intervene but hesitated due to the menacing glint of the knife. He could only stand back and shout, “Everyone, calm down. Let’s talk things out.”

The man who was talking to Shen Yu before quickly blocked his friend’s knife. “Tu Si! Don’t use your knife.”

Tu Si hesitated for a moment, still wanting to attack, but someone seized the opportunity to grab him and whispered something in his ear.

Tu Si’s expression changed rapidly as he listened, his initial anger slightly subsiding and then turning into malice.

He looked at Shen Yu and said, “Since you hit me today, kneel down and kowtow to me, and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

Tu Si was tall, and Shen Yu raised her chin to look at him. “Or you can kowtow to me, and I’ll pretend you didn’t say those things.”

Her tone was provocative, and Tu Si’s suppressed anger was about to erupt again, but he was reminded by someone beside him and managed to hold it back.

“Kid, the military camp is not a place for weaklings like you. Strength speaks louder here,” Tu Si mocked.

Dazui shouted from behind Shen Yu, “He killed hundreds of Xijie people on the battlefield. Are you up for it?”

Tu Si had heard of him, but it was all hearsay.

He was originally from a mountain bandit background. Initially, rumors in the army said that he had thousands of brothers on the mountain, but in fact, there weren’t that many. It showed how rumors could be exaggerated, and not all of them could be trusted.

Moreover, looking at the thin arms and legs in front of him, it was hard to believe that he could chop down hundreds of people on the battlefield. He could barely withstand being chased by a few hundred people.

Tu Si sheathed his knife and looked down at Shen Yu, “Boasting is easy, but in the military, strength matters. Dare to challenge me?”

“Why not?” Shen Yu’s gaze was sharp, showing no intention of backing down.

Tu Si sneered, “Fine, I won’t bully you. Let’s fight after you’ve eaten your fill. See you at the training ground in an hour.”

Tu Si walked away with a few others, leaving without even collecting the food they were supposed to receive.

After receiving their food, it took nearly half an hour to distribute it, and by then, the meat patties had already gone cold.

A few people sat around in the tent, and Dazui handed his meat patty to Shen Yu, saying softly, “Have some more. You’ll need your strength for the afternoon sparring.”

Yang Bang drank meat soup against the wall and asked, “Sparring? What for?”

Dazui briefly explained the situation.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Dazui regretted deeply, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought of challenging you.”

“Why did you say it then?” Yang Bang asked.

Dazui said, “I was just trying to intimidate him, make him back off, but I didn’t expect him to reject intimidation.”

Dazui had only heard rumors and had never seen Shen Yu kill anyone with his own eyes, but no matter how he looked at it, he didn’t believe that the person who had supposedly killed three hundred people was Shen Yu.

He regretted it. If he hadn’t said that, Tu Si probably wouldn’t have thought of challenging him to a fight. He had indeed brought trouble upon himself.

“Tu Si’s arms are thicker than your thighs. Maybe we shouldn’t go through with this fight?” Dazui said.

Yang Bang said, “You’re undermining his confidence and dignity. I believe in Shanpao.”

Shen Yu hadn’t even reacted to who Shanpao was.

Dazui frowned, “If he can’t hold up, just concede directly. Losing isn’t shameful, but life is more important.”

“What are you talking about?” Yang Bang disagreed, “How is our Shanpao inferior to him?”

After saying that, he looked Shen Yu up and down, not very sure, and added, “Except… a bit thin.”

Shen Yu: “…”

As the hour approached, Shen Yu arrived fashionably late.

Dazui followed behind Shen Yu, wanting to encourage her, and even Yang Bang hobbled along on crutches.

There were already many people gathered at the training ground, with several layers of spectators around the arena.

Shen Yu remained calm, but Dazui whispered behind her, “I didn’t publicize this, why are there so many people?”

“If you didn’t, would they?” Yang Bang retorted sharply.

Even before the match began, Tu Si was already certain of his victory. It was best for such displays of strength to be witnessed by as many people as possible, and the news had spread throughout the camp by lunchtime.

As they approached, the crowd around the arena automatically parted to let them through.

Dazui and Yang Bang followed behind Shen Yu as they walked in, surrounded by burly figures on both sides, giving off an oppressive atmosphere.

Dazui couldn’t help but swallow his saliva and said, “What does the Beilin Prince usually feed these people? How come they all look so… robust.”

Shen Yu said calmly, “The Beilin Prince’s military standards are strict, and he demands excellence from those who enlist. Those under Sir Xie’s command are all elite soldiers.”

As they spoke, Shen Yu had already stopped in front of the arena.

Tu Si stood on the platform, looking down at her disdainfully, and taunted, “So late, I thought you were too scared to come.”

“How could that be?” Shen Yu said, “No

need to warm up, so there was no need to come early.”

Tu Si’s expression changed. Did she mean he came early to warm up?

He snorted coldly, “Seeking death! No matter how much you try to beg for mercy now, it’s useless. If you kneel down and admit defeat now, I might go easy on you later, so you won’t lose too badly.”

Shen Yu lowered her head, still bound by her arms, and said, “I don’t have the habit of trash-talking before a fight.”

Meaning, what’s the use of blathering on? Let’s just get to it.

A suppressed chuckle rippled through the crowd.

Tu Si: “…”

Fortunately, the vast majority of the crowd were from the Beilin Qingyun Guard, originally just here for the spectacle. They couldn’t disrespect their own people, so the laughter quickly subsided.

“Let’s get started directly, how do you want to compete?” Shen Yu raised her head and looked at him.

Tu Si said, “If I decide, some might think I’m bullying you. I won’t take advantage of you. You decide.”

Shen Yu stepped forward, but her sleeve was suddenly grabbed.

She turned around to see Yang Bang, one hand on a crutch and the other pulling her sleeve, whispering, “Maybe we shouldn’t do this.”

Shen Yu was surprised, “Didn’t you say not to undermine his confidence and dignity?”

Yang Bang glanced at Tu Si and said, “I didn’t know you were going to compete with someone like him. Look at his physique, the slight bulge on his temple. He’s an experienced fighter.”

“So am I,” Shen Yu said.

Yang Bang glanced at her and his expression and gaze expressed his concern.

Shen Yu patted him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass anyone.”

She walked forward, looking relaxed and composed, scanning the weapons rack and saying, “Swords, spears, axes, halberds, whips, cudgels, maces, claws, I’ve dabbled in all of them. Take your pick?”

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and many people started booing.

Her statement was too bold. Even the highest-ranking guards around Sir Xie wouldn’t dare to boast like that.