Chapter 191 - 190: A Duel with You

"Who do you think you are? Why should I give you any face?"

The Qilin Chief had expected Ye Xuan to take the out he had offered. Instead, Ye Xuan gave him absolutely no face, completely disregarding his authority. A flash of anger crossed the Qilin Chief’s face as he frowned at Ye Xuan.

"Cyan Dragon Chief, aren’t you being a bit too arrogant?"

Ye Xuan looked at the Qilin Chief nonchalantly and said faintly, "Even so, what can you do about it?"

Provoked to this extent, even the best-tempered person couldn’t hold back, let alone the Qilin Chief. His face darkened so much it looked as if ink could drip from it, and the veins on his forehead bulged. The atmosphere between the two was explosive.

"Ye Xuan, you talk too big! I want to duel you! Someone like you isn’t fit to be the head of the Four Palaces at all."

Before the Qilin Chief could erupt, Cyan Snake suddenly jumped out. He actually challenged Ye Xuan in front of everyone.

Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes, looking at Cyan Snake in confusion. He wondered what Cyan Snake meant by this. To duel him—did the man not know the massive gap between their strengths?

"Heh, Cyan Snake, are you sure you want to duel the Cyan Dragon Chief? You don’t seem to be his match," the Qilin Chief said, visibly surprised.

In truth, bringing Cyan Snake along to pick a fight with Ye Xuan today had been a deliberate arrangement to test Cyan Snake’s loyalty.

Back in the day, Cyan Snake had been Ye Xuan’s number one follower, tailing after him all day like a shadow. Later, when the mission failed—resulting in the White Tiger’s fall, Xuanwu’s crippling, the Vermilion Bird’s severe injuries, and the Cyan Dragon’s disappearance—Cyan Snake gradually revealed his true colors. He left the original Cyan Dragon Hall and defected to the Qilin Hall, starting as a lowly errand boy and clawing his way up to become their top assassin.

Over the past few years, Cyan Snake had indeed done a lot for the Qilin Hall. One could say his record was flawless; every mission he took and everything he did was executed perfectly. Yet, it was precisely because he was too perfect that the Qilin Chief hesitated to trust him completely. He always felt as if Cyan Snake was wearing a mask, harboring deep secrets in his heart. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Cyan Snake’s true allegiance still lay with the Four Palaces.

"Qilin Chief, defeating the Cyan Dragon Chief is my only goal in this life.

"Five years ago, when the accident happened to the Cyan Dragon Chief, I felt like I had completely lost my sense of direction and purpose.

"Ever since I learned that he didn’t die and has returned to the scene, I felt as if I’ve come back to life.

"I must fight this battle. I beg the Qilin Chief to grant my request!"

Cyan Snake dropped to one knee before the Qilin Chief, his tone extremely sincere.

The Qilin Chief stared at Cyan Snake for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha, since you’ve put it that way, how could I not grant your request?" He pulled Cyan Snake up from the ground and turned to look at Ye Xuan. "Cyan Dragon Chief, I wonder if you could fulfill this small request from my subordinate?

"Don’t worry, we’ll sign a life-and-death waiver. Everyone is responsible for their own injuries or death."

At these words, Cyan Snake’s pupils abruptly shrank. He glanced at Ye Xuan, then quickly averted his gaze, trying hard to suppress his emotional fluctuations. He realized that the Qilin Chief really hadn’t completely trusted him yet. A life-and-death waiver was truly a brilliant move.

Although Cyan Snake’s abilities were inferior to Ye Xuan’s, if he went all out, Ye Xuan would inevitably get injured. If Cyan Snake won, the Qilin Chief could use Ye Xuan’s lack of strength as an excuse to drag him down from his position. If Cyan Snake lost, even though it would embarrass the Qilin Hall, the fight would test Cyan Snake’s true loyalty. Whether he was a friend or foe would naturally be revealed in this battle.

"Qilin Chief, is this really necessary? I just got back; I’m in no mood to spar with someone from the military," Ye Xuan said with a frown, not particularly wanting to accept the challenge.

"Ah, it’s fine. Just fight him with everything you have. You won’t be held responsible if he’s injured or killed." The Qilin Chief smiled faintly. The underlying meaning of his words was to force Ye Xuan into accepting the battle.

The Vermilion Bird took a step forward, blocking Ye Xuan, and said sternly, "The commander is still waiting for Ye Xuan to report on his work. Sparring can wait until later."

Throwing down those words, the Vermilion Bird grabbed Ye Xuan and Xuanwu by the arms and headed inside.

"Ye Xuan, don’t tell me you’re chickening out! After five years, I’m no longer that useless trash!

"You have to fight this battle today, whether you want to or not!"

Seeing Ye Xuan leaving, Cyan Snake roared at his back. Then, without any warning, he lunged straight at Ye Xuan.

Sensing the chilling murderous intent behind him, Ye Xuan’s muscles instantly tensed. He pushed Xuanwu and the Vermilion Bird aside, turned around, and thrust out a hand, meeting Cyan Snake’s attack head-on.

Without the slightest hesitation, Cyan Snake quickly retreated. After putting some distance between them, he lunged forward again. With a sweep of his right palm, he slashed viciously toward Ye Xuan’s chest.

The oncoming rush of wind made Ye Xuan’s pupils shrink, but he didn’t dodge wildly. Instead, he unhurriedly shifted half a step to the left, easily evading the palm strike. Leaning his body slightly, he exerted force through his shoulder blade and slammed heavily into Cyan Snake’s shoulder with a loud THUD.

This seemingly simple move sent Cyan Snake stumbling two steps back.

Cyan Snake’s face looked exceptionally ugly. With an explosive shout, he stomped his feet hard on the ground and shot forward like a bullet. His fist, the size of a sandbag, smashed toward Ye Xuan’s chest.

Ye Xuan calmly watched Cyan Snake hurtling toward him. Slowly, he raised his palm and gave his wrist a slight twist, employing the principles of Taiji Bagua—overcoming hardness with softness, advancing by retreating, and using the opponent’s own strength against them.

His wrist coiled around Cyan Snake’s. With a pull and a push, he forced Cyan Snake’s fist into a 180-degree turn, sending it crashing straight into Cyan Snake’s own chest.

Cyan Snake hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to pull such a move. He had put a hundred percent of his strength into that punch. A piercing pain erupted in his chest, and the metallic taste of blood welled up in his throat. He staggered back more than ten steps before finally managing to steady himself, looking rather disheveled.

The onlookers revealed shocked expressions at this sight. Even the Qilin Chief’s face grew grim. He had assumed that with Cyan Snake’s strength, even if he couldn’t defeat Ye Xuan, he wouldn’t lose too miserably. To his dismay, Cyan Snake had been completely suppressed the entire time, without even a chance to fight back.

"Again!" Cyan Snake wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes filled with sheer determination. Gritting his teeth, he launched another attack.

Compared to his exasperated frenzy, Ye Xuan appeared incredibly nonchalant. His breezy, effortless demeanor deeply provoked Cyan Snake’s pride. Cyan Snake’s face twitched slightly, his teeth grinding audibly, and his eyes brimmed with fury and unwillingness to accept defeat.

Ye Xuan watched Cyan Snake getting closer and closer. Narrowing his eyes, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He pivoted slightly on his feet, clenched his fist, and unleashed his power. A gust of wind whipped up as he smashed his fist straight toward Cyan Snake’s face.