Chapter 65: The Fake Princess and His God of War Prince (Part XXII)
Everyone was rubbing their fists and wiping their palms.
Xiao Ji stood on the flat sandy ground, yet he felt utterly bored.
If not for Xiang Yinnian, he would rather be lying in the Lake Heart Pavilion of the Wangfu enjoying the cool air and reading storybooks; that would be much more comfortable.
Thus, when a burly man carrying a long spear prepared to squeeze through the crowd at the front to be the first to seek a beating, Xiao Ji turned around directly and looked toward Xiang Yinnian on the high platform.
“Ye, what is the Wangfei looking at you for?” Lin Heng asked.
Xiang Yinnian’s gaze met Xiao Ji’s, and he suddenly laughed:
“He’s bored of playing. He’s looking for me to wrap things up.”
With that, he stood up directly, took off his heavy cloak, and leaped down from the high platform in front of all the soldiers. Landing a few zhang (meters) in front of Xiao Ji, he reached out to snatch a halberd from a nearby soldier and hurled it toward Xiao Ji.
The second Xiao Ji caught the halberd, Xiang Yinnian drew the long blade at his waist, flashed in front of Xiao Ji, and slashed down at Xiao Ji’s head.
Xiao Ji held the halberd horizontally with one hand, blocking Xiang Yinnian’s blade.
Unfortunately, the halberd was too light and fragile; it was chopped in two on the spot.
Xiang Yinnian, however, had no intention of showing mercy. Killer moves followed one after another.
After Xiao Ji dodged twice, Lin Heng on the high platform suddenly shouted loudly:
“Catch!”
As soon as he spoke, a mace, entirely black, whistled toward Xiao Ji with the sharp sound of breaking wind.
Lin Heng’s mace was the weapon that, aside from Xiang Yinnian’s blade, made the Rongdi most terrified.
Forged from dark iron, it was incredibly heavy. On the battlefield, it could smash a human skull through heavy armor.
At this distance, with Lin Heng’s force, if Xiao Ji failed to catch this mace, his brains would likely be splattered on the spot.
Everyone subconsciously covered their heads and dodged. But Xiao Ji, in the gap of dodging Xiang Yinnian’s broadsword, flew to grasp the handle of the mace. Spinning a few times to dissipate the force of Lin Heng’s throw, he turned back and swung at Xiang Yinnian.
When the blade and mace collided, even Xiang Yinnian felt his arm go numb.
After blocking a blow from Xiao Ji, he rapidly retreated several zhang.
In just a few rounds, the entire drill ground fell silent.
Anyone with eyes could see whether it was real kung fu.
Just Lin Heng’s mace alone—countless people in the army had weighed it. Let alone swinging it a few times, if they really took that thing into battle to kill enemies, their arms probably wouldn’t be able to lift after the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
Furthermore, there was the gravel that cracked beneath Xiang Yinnian’s feet when he retreated after taking Xiao Ji’s blow just now.
None of it could be faked.
Last time, when they fought on the city tower, both Xiao Ji and Xiang Yinnian were mostly testing each other. Without weapons, they were even more restricted.
Now, in this back-and-forth, the feeling of meeting a worthy opponent excited Xiang Yinnian again, and he launched another attack at Xiao Ji.
Both Xiang Yinnian and Xiao Ji were simply too fast.
Those who could see through and analyze the moves between the two were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Aside from Lin Heng, Yu Qing, and a few other skilled Vice Generals, the rest could only see the sparks flying from the collision of blade and mace and the countless flying sand and rolling stones kicked up.
This was not a battle ordinary soldiers could intervene in.
The man who had laughed at Xiao Ji for being a “pretty boy” in the morning now stood in the crowd, watching Xiao Ji’s figure wielding the mace, feeling his spine go numb.
He saw clearly that let alone a duel, if Xiao Ji had really held it against him and given him a punch earlier, he wouldn’t have needed to scrub stables; he could have prepared to reincarnate in his next life and learn not to judge people with a dog’s eyes.
Xiang Yinnian fought more bravely as the battle went on; the long blade in his hand seemed to have gained a spirit.
Xiao Ji, on the other hand, remained at ease, defending more than attacking, his posture proud and calm.
This battle made Lin Heng’s scalp tingle, giving him goosebumps all over. He sighed to Yu Qing:
“If I had half of the Wangfei’s strength and speed, I could kill hundreds or thousands more Rongdi on the battlefield.”
Yu Qing, however, had her mind full of the sword Xiao Ji had held across her neck a few days ago.
Compared to today, she hadn’t even seen clearly how Xiao Ji made his move that day.
Evidently, Lin Heng’s mace was not a weapon that suited Xiao Ji’s hand either.
Her throat tightened, and she said dryly, “Now, I only hope he is truly of one heart with the Wangye and the Northern Border.”
Lin Heng turned his head to glance at Yu Qing. “Is your butt any better?”
Hearing this, Yu Qing twisted Lin Heng’s waist hard:
“Watch your mouth. I can’t beat the couple down there, but can’t I beat you? This old lady’s butt doesn’t need your worry!”
This battle ended with Xiao Ji deliberately exposing a flaw and letting Xiang Yinnian win by a narrow margin.
Xiang Yinnian sheathed his blade, snatched the mace from Xiao Ji’s hand, and stabbed it forcefully into the ground. Gasping for large breaths, he looked around and found everyone’s eyes were on Xiao Ji, which made him somewhat unhappy again.
He bent down, wrapped his arms around Xiao Ji’s thighs, and hoisted the person up from the ground onto his shoulder, cursing:
“You little bastards, if Laozi has to kneel on a washboard tonight, none of you will have a good time tomorrow!”
With that, he carried the motionless Xiao Ji toward the gate of the drill grounds.
Now, the entire drill ground exploded after a moment of silence.
As for what everyone would discuss afterward, no one cared.
What Xiao Ji wanted wasn’t to let these people know whether he was qualified to intervene in the military rectification. What he wanted was simply for these people to obediently listen to Xiang Yinnian and not use him as an excuse to make Xiang Yinnian unhappy.
Xiao Ji didn’t care about the lives of these people.
Xiao Ji cared even less about whether the Northern Border seized the empire.
But in his previous life, Fang Yinnian had taught him to consider the other person’s feelings.
The word “love” that Fang Yinnian hadn’t spoken in a lifetime—Xiao Ji couldn’t let Xiang Yinnian hold it in for a lifetime too.
He lay obediently on Xiang Yinnian’s shoulder, allowing him to save enough face as a husband in front of outsiders. It wasn’t until they exited the drill ground gate that he reached out and patted Xiang Yinnian’s buttocks, signaling him to put him down.
“Are you tired?”
Xiang Yinnian put Xiao Ji down, looking at him and asking somewhat carefully.
After all, since Xiao Ji arrived in the Northern Border, he spent most of his days lying down. Wherever he went, he lay down.
Today, he hadn’t stopped since morning; it was truly hard work, and Xiang Yinnian’s heart ached terribly for him.
Xiao Ji felt nothing about this, speaking bluntly: “You’re pressing into me; I want to vomit.”
Hearing this, Xiang Yinnian realized that when he was carrying him just now, Xiao Ji’s abdomen was pressing right against his shoulder.
He rubbed his nose, turned around, and squatted halfway in front of Xiao Ji:
“Get on. Ben Wang will carry you back!”
Xiao Ji wasn’t tired and didn’t need Xiang Yinnian to carry him, but since Xiang Yinnian offered, he obediently climbed onto Xiang Yinnian’s back.
Xiang Yinnian seemed to never tire of this act of taking care of Xiao Ji and doting on him like a wife. Carrying Xiao Ji, his steps were steady and swift.
As they walked, he turned his head and said to Xiao Ji:
“By the way, it’s been a while since the wedding. Why don’t you call me ‘Husband’ for me to hear?”
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