Chapter 30: Fair Duel
The night grew darker. Although District 51 was the newest district, its rapidly rising skyscrapers and bustling streets rivaled the prosperity of District 1 in the empire.
The colorful street scenes flashed by outside the car window as Xia Feng hurriedly made his way back to the villa. It was almost eight o'clock, and he knew Mushroom, the homebody, probably hadn't eaten dinner yet. He needed to hurry.
But just as he turned the corner, a message popped up on his phone:
[Don't come back yet. Yan Xujia is here.]
At the same time, a woman's faint laughter echoed from nearby.
"Slap her."
When Yan Xujia's cold voice reached his ears, Xia Feng's pupils dilated, and he quickened his pace.
Under the streetlight, Mushroom, wearing her bear pajamas, stood with her hair pulled up, her face filled with terror. The woman's blood-red nails gleamed as she raised her hand high, ready to strike.
"Fuck you!!"
BANG!!! Before the woman could swing her hand, a shoe sole slammed into her face. The force twisted her surgically enhanced cheekbone, and her heavily powdered face crumpled as she spat blood.
The woman flipped through the air and crashed into a streetlamp pole with a loud thud. Her hair was disheveled, and she vomited blood. Before she could recover, Xia Feng grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up.
"Xia Feng!!" Mushroom's face lit up with relief, but her expression quickly turned to worry.
Xia Feng glanced at the faint scratch on Mushroom's cheek, then looked down at the woman with a cold expression.
The woman, her lips bleeding and face twisted in rage, screamed, "Do you know who I am?!"
Slap!
Her head snapped to the side as a bloody tooth flew through the air. She collapsed to the ground, howling in pain.
The faces of the Holy Church knights nearby turned pale.
"Stop it, you lowlife!!" Yan Xujia finally snapped out of his shock, his voice filled with anger. Although this woman was merely the daughter of a minor noble affiliated with Marquis Dong Bo, she wasn't someone to be trifled with.
"Yan Xujia, do you even know what's going on?" Xia Feng kicked the woman aside and clapped his hands, walking toward Yan Xujia. "Some stray dog just loves to rub against my feet."
Yan Xujia's face darkened. "Xia Feng, what do you mean?!"
"Don't get worked up. I'm talking about the dog, not you."
Yan Xujia's veins bulged on his forehead. He wanted to curse but couldn't find the words. His eyes burned with murderous intent as he took a step forward, his spiritual pressure surging. The shadow behind him grew taller and more menacing.
"Xia Feng, do you want to fight me?!"
"Fight? No, no, no—" Xia Feng leaned in close to Yan Xujia's ear and whispered coldly, "After all, beating a dog depends on its owner. Go back and ask your master. A stupid dog sent a puppy to bite me in the Evil Dragon Forest. Should I make a big deal out of it?"
Yan Xujia's pupils shrank. He had already learned about the incident through the "Shadow of Time." Although the video only lasted a second, it was clear that the bald man had been swallowed by a black hole disaster and died. There was no way Xia Feng could have killed him. So how did Xia Feng know it was his assassin?
If this matter came to light, even as the son of a marquis, Yan Xujia would face serious consequences. Now was a critical time in the competition for the Saint's position, and as a guardian knight, he couldn't afford any stains on his record.
Moreover, with the invention of lie-detecting Spirit Clothes, interrogating low-level spiritual masters had become trivial.
"Boundless Academy is under the Imperial Holy Church, a second-tier military organization. I wonder if a priest who kills Boundless students should be tried in a military court or the Black Moon Court?" Xia Feng patted Yan Xujia's cheek. "Of course, if you're brave enough, you can kill me right now!"
"Enough!!" The four knights behind Yan Xujia drew their swords, ready to attack.
Yan Xujia raised his hand, stopping them. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Everyone, stand down!"
The knights hesitated but sheathed their swords and stepped back.
"Xia Feng, what do you want?" Yan Xujia asked, his voice tense.
Xia Feng smiled. Of course, he wouldn't expose Yan Xujia. Doing so would only result in a minor punishment for the marquis's son, which wouldn't be enough to kill him. But that didn't mean there was no way to deal with him.
As Xia Feng thought this, his eyes caught sight of a half-exposed pocket watch on Yan Xujia's collar. The words "Pingshan" were engraved on the light gold case.
"Pingshan... that sounds familiar."
The name triggered a memory buried deep in Xia Feng's mind. In his dream, his unborn wife had been in Pingshan Hospital.
"Yes, I remember now. The unborn wife in my dream was at Pingshan Hospital!"
His mind raced as he quickly formulated a plan. He looked up at Yan Xujia and said, "It's simple. In five days, Boundless Academy will hold its monthly fair duel. I challenge you to a fair duel."
A light chuckle came from the knights behind Yan Xujia.
Yan Xujia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And what's the wager?"
Although both he and Xia Feng were first-level spiritual masters, the difference in their Spirit Clothes and spiritual weapons was vast. Yan Xujia's spiritual weapon, the "Forest Scepter," was said to be invincible at his level. He had never lost a one-on-one battle in years.
Yan Xujia found it almost laughable that Xia Feng would dare to challenge him.
"The wager is simple," Xia Feng said. "After signing the fair contract, the loser must leave District 51. Not for the North, but for the South. And they cannot leave the South for ten years."
Hearing the bet involved going to the Southern Frontier, Yan Xujia frowned. As a noble of the Northern Territory, he despised such wild and desolate places. But he wasn't worried. There was no way he could lose. Xia Feng was clearly overestimating himself.
"Alright," Yan Xujia said, shaking his head. "I hope you'll have the guts to show up in five days." Clicking his tongue, he turned and waved his hand. "Let's go."
(End of Chapter)