"I have long heard that His Highness the Third Prince is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and is unmatched in close combat."

Sima Rui approached Zhongli Zhengzhen, his aura of menace palpable. He snatched the arrow from Zhongli Zhengzhen's hand, twisted it a few times, and tossed it without even looking. The arrow landed squarely on the target in the outer field, hitting the bullseye.

Such terrifying strength and accuracy caused another gasp of astonishment among the young noblemen in the arena.

Zhongli Zhengzhen looked at the arrow that had hit the bullseye, smiled, and turned to look at Sima Rui.

The moment their eyes met, the smile on Zhong Li's lips slowly vanished.

Sima Rui spoke again, a smile playing on his lips, "Since no one can determine which arrow killed this black bear, why don't you and I spar a few rounds, Third Prince? The winner gets the bear, what do you say?"

Sima Rui seemed to be acting on a whim, but his eyes were already tinged with red, extremely fierce. He was clearly a dragon whose scales had been touched, about to unleash his power and spew flames.

Zhongli Zhengzhen paused for a moment, then smiled.

“That’s excellent. I’ve long heard that the Regent is a master of martial arts, having studied a wide variety of styles. I’d love to take this opportunity to learn from him.”

Zhongli was truly calm and composed. Even when facing the true ruler of Nanzhao, he showed no fear. He was inherently unruly and, despite being a hostage, never considered himself inferior.

Moreover, he deliberately provoked the Regent today. His men had discovered a secret, an unknown matter between the Empress Dowager and the Regent, but they couldn't confirm its authenticity. So they used the black bear as a veiled insult to gauge the Regent's attitude.

"I've heard that the hostage is skilled with daggers," Sima Rui said without further ado, reaching behind him where a servant immediately handed him a short dagger. "Shall we have a dagger contest today?"

Zhongli Zhengzhen raised an eyebrow and said, "Then I thank the Regent for his kindness in advance."

The young masters from prominent families in the arena were all shocked. They had only come to watch the spectacle, but they never expected the two to actually fight.

However, this shock was fleeting, quickly turning into excited anticipation.

The regent had never displayed his martial arts skills in public, and these noble families wanted to see just how capable this true ruler of Nanzhao really was.

Zhongli Zhengzhen's attendant, Song Ci, also stepped forward and handed over the dagger.

The two nodded slightly to each other and quickly stepped forward to engage in close combat.

The young masters from noble families stared wide-eyed, unable to suppress the smiles on their faces. Some even let out excited shouts as the two men performed moves that were almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

With a whoosh, the flames flickered in the wind, and the first torch on the field was lit, illuminating the ground beneath the two men's feet.

The warm light shone on the Regent's sharply defined profile. He blinked, his fierce gaze seemingly capable of cleaving the flames. He took a few steps back to create distance, then shifted his stance and launched another swift attack.

With a sharp "clang," the daggers clashed, piercing the night and sparking a tiny flame.

Torches were lit one by one, and the crowd grew increasingly tense, but no one tried to stop the fight, because neither of the two men had a good temper, and no one could be particularly friendly with them.

The young master from a powerful family had long disliked a mere hostage from Jinchuan who, instead of keeping a low profile, repeatedly stole the limelight.

They all hoped that the regent would teach this arrogant hostage a lesson.

As the battle between the two intensified, cheers rose and fell, mostly for the Regent's exquisite yet swift moves.

They were all from the Nanzhao Kingdom, so naturally they had xenophobic tendencies. The regent held immense power and influence, so did they even need to think about who he was cheering for?

Sima Rui was also unleashing his full power. Zhongli Zhengzhen had initially remained calm, but now his moves were becoming increasingly swift. The Regent's offensive was too fierce, which was clearly something Zhongli Zhengzhen had not anticipated.

Zhongli truly underestimated the regent, who had long resided in the court and whose speech was usually very monotone and whose demeanor was so perfect that he resembled a rigid mold.

Zhongli was gradually becoming overwhelmed. The Regent's moves were indeed strange and unpredictable. Could it be that the rumors about him practicing a hundred different martial arts styles were true?

Before he knew it, he got a cut on his chest; his clothes were torn, but his flesh wasn't injured.

But Zhongli Zhengzhen, who had fallen behind, started laughing again.

The regent's eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing became heavier and heavier. He attacked faster and more ruthlessly, like an enraged lion.

The sounds of metal clashing continued, sparks flying. What started as a measured advance and retreat gradually turned into a desperate struggle, with neither of them blinking an eye as they repeatedly thrust at each other's vital points, completely violating the original purpose of the sparring and showing no intention of stopping.

The women realized that the two men's attacks were aimed at each other's lives, and they screamed in alarm. At this moment, Zhongli Zhengzhen was kicked in the chest and staggered back several steps, a metallic taste rising in his throat.

He wiped his mouth, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and leaped into the air. He quickly grabbed the dagger again and fiercely stabbed at the Regent.

Unlike the screams and gasps of the women, some of the young noblemen realized something was wrong and began to panic, while others were aroused by the bloody "sparring" and cheered louder and louder.

The old steward of Haoyue Manor became anxious upon seeing this, because the injury to either the Regent or the son of Jinchuan at the Grand Princess Huian's birthday banquet would be no small matter.

The old steward sent someone forward to try to stop them, but they suddenly stopped in their tracks.

The guard who rushed into the arena was kicked away by the regent and fell to the ground at the feet of the onlookers, where he vomited blood on the spot!

Besides the two fighting for their lives, the onlookers also got into a conflict. Seeing that the situation was not going well, all the guards of Haoyue Manor went out to break up the fight, and some people also tried to stop the Regent and Zhongli Zhengzhen, but no one was able to get close.

Just then, the two kicked each other, stumbled back a few steps, and were helped up by the people behind them.

Zhongli Zhengzhen smiled smugly, because judging from the Regent's behavior, it was basically confirmed that the Regent and the Empress Dowager definitely had a close relationship.

The regent's face was gloomy. He refused the help and obstruction of others and still insisted on stepping forward to fight. Even if he were empty-handed, let alone with a weapon in his hand, no one dared to stop him. So the two of them fought each other again with their weapons.

The steward of Haoyue Manor was quite old, and his bones couldn't withstand being kicked in the middle of the field. After thinking for a moment, he ordered the guards to separate the young masters of the noble families and keep the women away.

He turned and ran desperately toward the residence of the Grand Princess Huian, wanting to report to her! Only the Grand Princess Huian could stop the Regent and the hostage from Jinchuan.

He kept thinking about his words the whole way, trying to speak slowly so as not to startle Princess Hui'an.

Upon arriving at the door, he learned that Princess Hui'an had fallen into a coma. He was at a loss for what to do, rubbing his wrinkled face repeatedly, his whole demeanor revealing a helpless embarrassment.

At this very moment, Gan Qiongying, who was watching the battle, had squeezed to the front of the crowded throng. She saw Zhongli Zhengzhen and the Regent fighting fiercely, their movements so chaotic that it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

All that could be heard were gasps of surprise from the crowd, with someone seemingly saying, "So much blood..."

Many of the women had already been taken away by the guards, but Gan Qiongying didn't leave. She mingled with the male guests and saw that Zhongli Zhengzhen's arm was bleeding.

The regent clearly didn't benefit either, as blood was faintly seeping from his side.

The two men were seething with rage, seemingly growing more and more excited as they fought. The Regent, in particular, was radiating a fierce aura, revealing a ruthlessness he had never shown to anyone before.

While watching the two people, who seemed to want to beat each other's heads into a pulp, Gan Qiongying searched for Wen Xueling's figure.

Soon the scene descended into complete chaos, and a group of female onlookers ran away as some of the young noblemen fighting resorted to dirty tricks, grabbing whatever was at hand. Some of the women were nearly hit by the thrown objects.

Gan Qiongying's eyes were almost not enough to see everything, when another howl broke out from the crowd. Yes, it was a howl.

This group of people, who usually looked so refined and well-dressed, and so virtuous, had now become like plucked pheasants and un-evolved apes.

At that moment, Zhongli Zheng had a cut on his neck, and blood was flowing freely. The Regent's wrist had also been stabbed, and blood was gushing out.

This is insane!