Yun Chengxuan was in the middle of buying soy sauce when he heard someone call his name. He answered, “Oh,” then said, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll definitely split the crap out of him.”
Jiang Jin: “…There’s no need to rush into that. Just toy with them for now. You have to make at least five moves before killing your opponent.”
Yun Chengxuan didn’t understand why, but he didn’t ask. Even if he did, he might not understand the answer.
Five moves it was. It would only take a little extra effort.
With a solemn expression, he hefted Buddha Heart and strode down from the city wall.
None of Bian Huai’s men had expected the Jinyang Army to send out such a young man, one who still had a trace of childishness about him.
Sitting astride his horse, Yun Chengxuan looked toward the Ji Army. “Are you coming at me together, or one at a time?”
Bi Tu was furious. “Arrogant brat!”
Yun Chengxuan frowned. He didn’t understand why the man had suddenly gotten angry. He had clearly asked in a very polite and gentle manner.
“Do you want to come up and fight me?” Yun Chengxuan asked, his expression perfectly calm.
To Bi Tu, that utterly unruffled attitude was blatant contempt. He gritted his teeth. “Arrogant brat! State your name!”
Yun Chengxuan was growing impatient with all his squawking, but he was a well-mannered child, so he announced his grand title.
“I am the Dung-Splitting General.”
The Ji Army fell silent.
What did that mean?
Was he saying they were all dung?
Yun Chengxuan raised Buddha Heart and pointed it toward the Ji Army. “Who’s coming?”
“Is it you?” His gaze settled on Bi Tu, who had spoken earlier.
Bi Tu’s heart tightened. Since he hadn’t gauged the other man’s strength, he naturally wasn’t going to step forward himself.
It had only been a few days since the Jinyang Army seized Wenxia City, yet five of the Ji Army’s ten generals had already been killed. Their strength was obvious.
Bian Huai frowned and looked toward Bao Yi.
Bao Yi nodded and rode forward. “I am Bao Yi, vanguard of the Ji Army.”
As expected, the first one to fight wasn’t one of the great generals. Jiang Jin felt a little disappointed, though it was within her expectations.
Yao Ji and the others were just as disappointed. They all knew how strong Yun Chengxuan was. Forget the Ji Army’s generals—even Bian Huai, their supreme commander, was no match for him.
“Bah! Cowards,” Nan Wen muttered under his breath.
Yun Yu glanced at him. “They’re not idiots. Half of the Ji Army’s ten generals are already gone. How could they recklessly fight the first battle?”
Nan Wen chuckled. “I just think it’s a waste of talent. After all, that Yun boy is outrageously strong.”
Yun Chengxuan, however, had no idea what everyone else was thinking. He didn’t understand the difference between a great general and a lesser one. Since someone had come out to fight him, he would simply fight.
The problem was that after Bao Yi announced his name, he remained completely still, waiting for Yun Chengxuan to make the first move.
Yun Chengxuan found himself in a difficult position. He usually defeated his opponents with a single strike. Very few people could make him use two.
So he had originally planned to wait for his opponent to attack, evade five moves, and then strike once after the sixth move to kill him.
Otherwise, he was afraid that if he attacked carelessly, he might kill the man in one blow and have no way to explain himself to Auntie.
But now, his opponent wasn’t following the rules at all.
Unable to hold back, he asked, “Why aren’t you attacking?”
Bao Yi snorted. “Then why aren’t you attacking?”
He wasn’t stupid. The fact that none of the great generals were stepping forward clearly meant they were wary of the Jinyang Army’s strength.
And since the Jinyang Army had sent out a young officer for the first battle, that young man was clearly no ordinary fighter. Bao Yi naturally had to proceed with caution.
Yun Chengxuan answered honestly, “I’m afraid I’ll kill you the moment I attack, so you should go first. I’ll let you have five moves.”
Yun Chengxuan was speaking the truth. To Bao Yi, however, those words sounded like nothing but mockery and humiliation.
His fury surged. “Arrogant! You’re asking for death!”
Before his voice had even faded, he spurred his horse toward Yun Chengxuan.
Yun Chengxuan likewise urged his horse forward. As the two passed each other, he tilted his head slightly and avoided Bao Yi’s broadsword.
Bao Yi’s brows knitted together. Something felt strange, but he had no time to think about it. He pulled on the reins, wheeled his horse around, and charged at Yun Chengxuan again.
Yun Chengxuan dodged once more without striking back.
Jiang Jin resisted the urge to rub her forehead. Her original intention had been for Yun Chengxuan to conceal his strength, so the enemy wouldn’t realize how formidable he was and would send out a more powerful warrior—perhaps even one of their generals.
Of the Ji Army’s ten generals, five had already been killed by the Jinyang Army. Of the remaining five, four were garrison commanders stationed in various places, while the last was Bian Huai’s personal aide, Hu Zu. None of them were simple opponents.
Knowing that the Jinyang Army was powerful, the great generals would not take the initiative to attack. They would certainly observe the situation before making a move.
Yun Chengxuan, this great-nephew of hers, had indeed carried out her order perfectly—but he had completely missed the essence of it. This style of merely toying with his opponent was even worse than defeating him in a single strike.
She looked toward the Ji Army and, sure enough, saw that all their commanders wore grim expressions.
Bi Tu was so angry his teeth ached. “What does the Jinyang Army think it’s doing?”
Hu Zuo snorted coldly. “Vile Han dogs, putting on an act and playing tricks.”
He refused to believe that the Jinyang Army would send out a weakling for the first battle. This obvious act of letting them have the advantage was clearly meant to humiliate the Ji Army.
All he could do was hope that Bao Yi would kill the young man in one strike, causing the Jinyang Army’s scheme to backfire.
Bao Yi’s face was flushed with anger as well. However, he was a battle-hardened veteran and did not underestimate his opponent. He fought cautiously while shouting, “Is dodging all the Jinyang Army can do?”
Yun Chengxuan evaded yet another killing stroke. “I can do more than dodge. I can split dung, too.”
Bao Yi was speechless.
He slashed again, only for his blade to meet empty air once more. The missed strikes left him feeling utterly frustrated.
Bao Yi became even more cautious. This young officer looked barely more than a boy, yet his words were infuriatingly precise, while his own emotions remained completely unmoved.
He really was no simple opponent!
Yun Chengxuan had already counted to five. At last, he had endured enough.
In an instant, his eyes changed, completely different from their lazy appearance just moments ago.
Bao Yi, who was fighting him, sensed the change first. His pupils contracted, and every hair on his body stood on end as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him.
For some reason, he felt as if he had become prey watched by a ferocious beast.
“Roar!”
He let out a furious shout and charged to meet Yun Chengxuan.
Only when the other man’s great blade crashed down onto his own did he truly feel the weight of that strike. It was as if the blow carried the force of ten thousand jun. Pain shot through the web of his hand.
In an instant, his strength crumbled before his opponent’s.
Though he tried to hold his ground, it was futile.
His blade was forced back.
He could only watch helplessly as the cold-flashing blade cut toward his chest and abdomen, unable to defend himself in the slightest.
His body suddenly went cold.
He saw red fill the sky, with droplets splattering across his face.
