Volume 1, Chapter 51: The Sparring Match (1)

Dropping his thick, dark eyelashes to conceal the inscrutable thoughts in his eyes, Shen Ran wore a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "There is no need for a miserable death. Even if you, Ziqi, could bear it, I truly cannot bear it in my heart. How about this..."

As he spoke, Shen Ran's gaze fell upon Xue Nian's face.

In terms of appearance, Xue Nian was actually on par with him. The other man also bore a stronger resemblance to Madam Xue rather than Xue Yuandao, yet he alone inherited Xue Yuandao's battlefield-forged aura. The tips of his brows and the corners of his eyes harbored an unusual, piercing murderous intent, lending his striking good looks an almost demonic edge, scorching like the blazing sun. Even in childhood, no one had ever dared use terms like "dragon-like bearing and phoenix-like grace" to flatter Xue Nian.

No matter how magnificent a tiger might be, it was still a tiger.

Aside from having to restrain his sharp edge and remaining perpetually unfulfilled over the years due to Shen Ran's wariness, Xue Nian could truly be described as supremely blessed; his natural talent, family background, and appearance were all of the highest caliber.

The glorious days when he could "ride a horse leaning against a slanted bridge, with red-sleeved maidens beckoning from every storied building" were rumored even within the deep recesses of the imperial palace.

So what was the thing he cared about the most?

Life and death?

Shen Ran was certain that Xue Nian definitely did not want to die, but he was equally certain that Xue Nian was utterly unafraid of death.

Using this to deal with Xue Nian would achieve no deterrent effect whatsoever.

A thin, mocking smirk curved the corners of his lips, yet Shen Ran's tone turned almost overwhelmingly gentle. "Ziqi is so loyal to the monarch, and I am deeply gratified."

"Since that is the case, as long as you are willing to kneel and bark a few times like a dog, and bark in a way that pleases me, I will immediately turn back and pretend I never came here today, leaving you free to do whatever you please. How about that?"

"Not only that, I will also swear an oath to you; if I break this oath, I shall suffer a miserable death."

Xue Nian: "..."

As his voice fell, the surrounding air instantly grew still.

Xue Nian tilted his head slightly and remained silent.

Shen Ran raised an eyebrow. "What? You've spoken a basketful of pretty words, but haven't made the slightest actual effort. How does that make me believe what you say is true?"

After a brief silence, Xue Nian leaned back slightly. He had been half-leaning against the windowsill, but now his back was nearly pressed flat against the window frame. "This subject is naturally dull-witted and has truly never learned how to bark like a dog. Perhaps Your Majesty could first find someone to teach this subject? As long as I can learn it, I will definitely bark until Your Majesty is satisfied."

The window cracked open by another sliver, emitting an extremely faint creaking sound.

Virtually imperceptible.

Yet Xue Nian's body suddenly swayed, as though he intended to vault right out through the window.

At the exact same moment—

A cold flash cut off his path.

A curved saber traced a sharp arc in Shen Ran's hand, his eyes filled with derision. "I wondered just how long you could keep up this act of playing the filial grandson, and it turns out to be just these two knives that everyone and their dog despises?"

"Xue Nian, for A-Wu's sake, I have shown you more than enough sincerity. But if you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, do you truly think I cannot find your weakness?"

Xue Nian turned slightly to the side.

A few threads of pale light filtered through the window crack, casting shifting light and shadow across his face, dim yet mesmerizingly handsome.

Because he was standing against the light, his expression was obscured.

He said indifferently, "Your Majesty is never short of grandsons around you. If you truly wish to hear a dog bark, I imagine there are plenty of people willing to oblige—one less from me won't make a difference. Furthermore, Your Majesty is the one holding the blade now, and this subject's very life and death are in Your Majesty's hands; why must you be so relentless?"

"Xue Ziqi, then why must you play the fool while knowing the truth?"

Shen Ran stared into Xue Nian's eyes. "With no third person here besides the two of us, I will speak frankly with you."

"I know you find me an eyesore, and I find you an equally big eyesore. But everything under the heavens belongs to the sovereign. Since I can tolerate you, why can't you firmly suppress your temper and tolerate me properly?"

Xue Nian spread his hands, his gaze dropping to the curved saber in Shen Ran's hand. "My saber is in Your Majesty's hands—surely that makes me obedient and well-behaved enough?"

"Verbal obedience amounts to nothing."

Shen Ran slowly continued, "Not only do I want you to endure, I want you to endure with complete submission and heartfelt conviction—to willingly acknowledge me as your master."

From an angle Shen Ran could not see, Xue Nian's lips curled into a cold smile. "Of course Your Majesty is this subject's master. Otherwise, you wouldn't be holding my saber and pressing it against my throat. Yet you trust neither my loyalty nor my oath. What is this subject to do? Must I carve open my heart to prove my sincerity?"

"When you possess loyalty, I will naturally be able to trust your loyalty."

Shen Ran stepped close to Xue Nian and cleanly, decisively slid the saber back into the scabbard at the other man's waist.

When both stood upright, their heights were nearly identical, making it effortless to lock eyes.

He looked up and down at the peerlessly handsome young man before him, a non-committal smile curving his lips. "For now, I am temporarily not the Emperor, and you need not be Xue Ziqi. So I am going to do something I have always wanted to do—and of course, you may do the same."

"A promise is a promise, absolutely no empty words."

This sounded bizarre.

Xue Nian froze slightly. The next moment, a dark shadow flashed before his eyes as Shen Ran struck out unhesitatingly at his face.

Subconsciously reacting to the danger, he tilted his head to dodge and reached out to grab Shen Ran's wrist.

Never had he expected Shen Ran's reflexes to be astonishingly fast.

Seeing his blow miss while Xue Nian moved to seize his wrist, Shen Ran immediately raised his arm to block.

Yet, despite not looking heavily built, Xue Nian possessed formidable strength. The instant their arms collided, Shen Ran felt as though he had slammed into an iron-hard wall, wincing in pain.

However, having served alongside Shen Jianning in his youth—even if not strictly as an imperial guard, he frequently handled imperial guard duties—Shen Ran suffered this minor setback without yielding an inch. Instead, he sidestepped, grabbed Xue Nian's arm, and attempted to throw him flat to the ground.

Naturally, he did not get his way.

With over a decade of foundational training, Xue Nian's lower stance was as steady as Mount Tai. Dropping his center of gravity with a weighted drop, he instantly locked the situation into a stalemate.

Xue Nian's gaze grew dark and obscure, a faint layer of frost coating the depths of his eyes. "All this time, has Your Majesty wanted to have a proper fight with me, or simply beat me up?"

"Naturally, the same thing you've been thinking."

Shen Ran pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes and brows carrying a smile. "Since it's a tacit understanding, why ask such a redundant question? Today we settle old scores—miss this village and there is no more shop."

After a brief silence, Xue Nian spoke in a low voice, "I care for nothing else; I only know that a monarch does not break his word."

Shen Ran smiled. "Of course I don't."

If he wanted Xue Nian to submit willingly, he didn't necessarily have to be superior in every way, but he certainly couldn't be inferior in anything.

As his voice fell, Shen Ran immediately felt a surge of great force slam into his arm—Xue Nian was counterattacking, attempting to flip him onto the ground instead.

Feeling his body irresistibly toppling backward, Shen Ran's heart sank.

He dared not lower his guard in the slightest. Violently whipping his arms, he wrenched free from Xue Nian's grip and unhesitatingly delivered a vicious kick.

Both men were twenty years old, full of fiery vigor, confined within a tiny space for close-quarters hand-to-hand combat. Holding back meant suffering; when they weren't fighting, they could mutually endure, but once the fighting started, all bets were off.

Inadvertent bumps and bruises were forms of torture, let alone solid, bone-crunching fists and kicks.

Shen Ran started by using only seventy or eighty percent of his strength, but by the end, every single blow was delivered at full force, growing increasingly fierce.

Xue Nian's strength also grew heavier with every exchange.

At first, he had mostly been on the defensive, attempting to subdue Shen Ran, but as the combat intensified, he shifted from defense to offense.

Shen Ran lashed out with another kick aimed at Xue Nian's chest.

This kick was fast, vicious, and backed by the force of his entire body. If it connected, the recipient would likely cough up a mouthful of blood on the spot. Anyone else would have instinctively dodged, and Xue Nian had done so earlier, but this time, his gaze remained cold and heavy. Unflinching, he reached out and caught Shen Ran's lower leg.

The grip was like a steel hook. Shen Ran's movement instantly stalled as he felt his body lifted into the air. Xue Nian intended to use the momentum of that grab to slam him onto the floor!

Shen Ran's gaze sharpened. Naturally unwilling to admit defeat while suspended mid-air with no leverage to be found, he relied on his astonishing core strength to wrap his legs tightly around Xue Nian, dragging the other man down with him with every ounce of his remaining strength.

Having witnessed plenty of reckless, life-or-death fighting styles among the Rongdi tribesmen, Shen Ran had always struck ruthlessly. Once slammed onto the ground, he abandoned all martial arts code of honor. Keeping his legs locked firmly over Xue Nian to prevent him from sitting up, he delivered a crushing punch straight to the other man's jaw.

If that blow had landed on anyone else's face, they would either have passed out or wailed in agony, signaling an immediate end to the fight. But Xue Nian grew only fiercer under pressure.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, a flash of ferocity blazed in the depths of his eyes.

The next moment—

Shen Ran felt an irresistible surge of overwhelming force strike him. The world spun violently, and in the blink of an eye, their positions were completely reversed.