Chapter 21: Enhance my country's Prestige
It was an... extremely thin figure.
He was no more than five feet tall, wearing an inconspicuous gray cloth shorts, and was as thin as a stick, as if he could be blown down by a gust of wind.
His face was covered with a similarly grey cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes. Those eyes were dead, empty, and without any emotion, like two dry wells, devoid of any of the emotions and brilliance of a living person.
He stood there with his brows lowered and his eyes submissive, his breath so weak that it was almost non-existent, forming an extremely absurd and strong contrast with the Barhu opposite him, who was like a prehistoric beast!
"Pfft..." Someone in the Turkic delegation couldn't help but sneer.
"Hahahaha! Are you kidding, Second Prince? This little chick? It's not even enough to fill the gaps in Master Barhu's teeth!"
Barhu laughed even more wildly, and his huge laughter made the beams of the palace buzz.
Many civil and military officials in the Celestial Empire also frowned and looked worried.
Is the Second Prince...trying desperately to find a cure? Or is he just giving up on himself?
Liu Cong seemed not to hear anything, his expression was calm as usual, and he just nodded slightly to the man in gray.
The man in gray received the order, and his dead eyes finally raised up, looking at the Barhu opposite him, which was as big as a hill, without any emotion.
Then, he walked towards the temporary open space in the center of the hall. His footsteps were light and soundless.
Barhu looked at the "little dwarf" walking towards him, his face full of mockery and cruelty.
He decided to end this farce in the most humiliating way! He suddenly opened his arms and pounced on the gray-clothed man with a fierce smile, like a giant bear pouncing on its prey.
The big hand like a palm-leaf fan, with a fierce wind that tore through the air, grabbed the opponent's head directly, intending to lift him up like a chicken!
There were cries of surprise in the hall! Many people even closed their eyes in disbelief!
At the moment when Barhu's hand, which was big enough to crush rocks, was about to touch the gray-clothed man's head—
The man in gray, who had been as stiff as a puppet, moved!
As fast as a ghost! Faster than lightning!
His thin body seemed to have no bones. At an incredible angle and with an extremely small amplitude, he slid in dangerously along the inside of Barhu's thick arm!
At the moment when their bodies were about to touch, his seemingly skinny and weak right hand stretched out silently like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue!
There were no earth-shattering collisions, no fancy moves.
There was only an extremely slight but creepy "puff" sound.
The gray-clothed man's right index finger and middle finger, like two poisoned daggers, pierced deeply and accurately into the fatal depression below Barhu's throat and at the intersection of the collarbone - the Quepenxue.
Barhu's huge body suddenly froze! The grim smile on his face froze instantly, turning into extreme horror and disbelief!
A strange "ho ho" sound came from his throat, like an old bellows, and his huge body shook.
His eyes were wide open and bloodshot, staring at the pair of dead eyes so close to him.
The man in gray succeeded in his attack and without any hesitation, his body slid back a few steps lightly like catkins blown by the wind, and stood solemnly with his hands hanging down again, as if he had never moved.
Only his two fingers, stained with a little scarlet, were quietly curled up in his wide sleeves.
“Bang!!!”
A loud bang as loud as a mountain!
Barhu's majestic body, like an iron tower, fell straight down and heavily on the smooth gold brick ground, like pushing down a golden mountain and overturning a jade pillar!
A cloud of dust was stirred up. His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the dome. His body twitched slightly twice before he fell silent.
At the throat, two tiny blood holes were gushing out dark red blood, quickly spreading a small area of glaring scarlet under his body.
Deathly silence!
In the entire Zichen Palace, you could hear a pin drop!
Everyone's expression was frozen on their face, their mouths slightly open, their eyes wide open, as if they were under a spell!
Time seemed to stop at this moment.
Only the pungent smell of blood spread silently, reminding everyone of the unbelievable scene that had just happened in a split second!
The gray-clothed man who looked like he could be blown down by a gust of wind, with just one finger, was like puncturing a huge, inflated leather bag, turning the arrogant Turkic warrior into a still warm corpse in an instant!
"ah--!"
It was unknown how long it took before a Turkic envoy came back to his senses from his extreme horror and let out a shrill scream, breaking the suffocating silence!
"Lord Barhu!"
"Murder! The Han people are killing people!"
"Despicable! Shameless! Backstabbing!"
The Turkic delegation was immediately in an uproar. They were all furious and drew their swords to glare at the gray-clothed man who was still standing in the center of the hall with his hands down, as if it had nothing to do with him, and the second prince Liu Cong behind him!
The civil and military officials of the Celestial Empire also woke up from the extreme shock.
After a brief moment of stagnation, there was ecstasy and excitement like a volcanic eruption!
"We won! We won!"
"Good! Good kill!"
"Your Highness is mighty! The Celestial Empire is mighty!"
"Hahaha! What a lousy warrior! He's so vulnerable!"
"One kill! Miraculous skill! Miraculous skill!"
The civil officials were so excited that they danced with joy, while the military generals were beating their chests and stamping their feet, roaring wildly, their faces flushed with excitement!
The frustration and worry just now were swept away, replaced by ecstasy and incomparable pride!
Looking at those frustrated Turks who were like lost dogs, I just felt extremely happy!
Ashina Moduo's face could no longer be described as ashen at this moment. It was a purple color mixed with horror, rage, humiliation and a hint of...unspeakable fear!
He stared at Barhu's body on the ground, then suddenly looked up at Liu Cong, his eagle eyes red as if they were about to spit fire!
The number one warrior he had carefully selected and placed high hopes on was actually... actually killed instantly by an unknown, ghostly guard from the other side?!
This is more than just losing a competition!
This was simply rubbing Ashina Moduo's face and the dignity of the entire Turkic people into the ground! Trampling them into the mud!
"well!"
Ashina Moduo squeezed out these two words from between his teeth, his voice hoarse like a devil, full of deep hatred and murderous intent!
The hand holding the scimitar at his waist was so tight that his knuckles were crackling, and the veins on the back of his hand were bulging like a dragon!
Liu Cong remained calm.
He didn't even look at the body on the ground, with a hint of just the right amount of apology on his pretty face.
He bowed slightly to the furious Ashina Moduo, and his voice was clear and pleasant, clearly carried throughout the hall:
"Khan, calm down. This guard of mine was careless in his attack and injured the envoy's warrior. It was an unintentional mistake."
"A duel of combat should have been limited, but... your envoy's warriors were too imposing, and I, your guard, was acting on impulse, only to protect myself. I hope the Khan will... forgive me."
Listening to this light-hearted and even innocent "explanation", and looking at Barhu lying on the ground with his eyes open, Ashina Moduo felt a fishy and sweet taste suddenly rising up his throat!
His eyes went dark, his body swayed, and he almost fainted from anger on the spot!
He killed someone and said it was just an "instinct" reaction and "self-preservation"? And asked him to "forgive"?!
“You…you…”
Ashina Moduo pointed at Liu Cong, his fingers trembling violently, and he was so angry that he couldn't utter a word.
Liu Cong seemed not to notice his rage and continued to speak politely.
"The Khan just said that the limit is three games, and the winner is the one who wins two. Now, we've luckily... won one.
I wonder if there are any other warriors under the Khan's command who are willing to come down and 'compete'? My Celestial Empire will certainly accompany you to the end."
His eyes swept over the Turkic warriors who were frightened and angry, holding scimitars but no one dared to step forward. His eyes were calm, but carried an invisible, suffocating sense of oppression.
Looking at the gray-robed figure standing in the hall like a ghost, not even bothering to wipe his fingers, and then looking at the barely concealed fear in his own warriors' eyes... ...still wanting to spar? That's practically courting death!
"Good! Good! Good!"
Ashina Modulin said "OK" three times, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with a strong smell of blood.
He stared at Liu Cong intently, then glanced at the emperor of the Celestial Empire whose expression could not be seen behind the pearl curtain, and finally his gaze fell on the faces of the excited and mocking ministers in the hall.
Today's humiliation is like a brand, deeply engraved in the bone marrow!
He waved his hand violently, his voice hoarse like a wounded lone wolf:
"Let's go!"
Like a defeated rooster, the Turkic delegation carried the cold corpse of Barhu and left the Purple Palace in a panic and embarrassment, amid the undisguised laughter and contemptuous gazes of the civil and military officials in the palace.
The palace door slammed shut behind them, isolating them from the overwhelming humiliation.
The next moment, deafening cheers erupted in the Zichen Hall!
"Long live His Majesty! Long live the Celestial Empire!"
"The Second Prince is mighty!"
"Boost our nation's prestige!"
The sound was so loud that it threatened to lift the roof off the palace! The ministers were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes, and they all knelt in front of the throne and the Second Prince!
In this bloodless "war", the Celestial Empire won a hearty victory and gained great pride!
Behind the beaded curtain, Liu Jin sat as still as a rock. The beads on his crown tassel swayed slightly, obscuring the complex, fleeting light deep in his eyes.
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