Volume 4: The Chu Army Chapter 64: Bringing Shame Upon Oneself

  Song Yi's sudden appearance made Yin Xu and Chen Ping's originally perfect royal tour suddenly become very unpleasant. Unfortunately, he only brought 300 elite soldiers, while Song Yi had a full 5,000 troops, with more on the way. Forcing their way in would be futile. Moreover, the young and mature Crown Prince was enchanted by Song Yi's death-defying bravery and trusted him exceptionally.

  There is a distinction between ruler and subject; if the Crown Prince wants to go to Xuanyang, who can oppose him?

  Chen Ping sighed softly: "Pengcheng is the best place to build a capital at present, but this guy chose Xuyi..."

  "This is outrageous!" Yin Xu squeezed out four words in indignation.

  Chen Ping sighed: "Yes! Moving the capital to Pengcheng is a matter of time, but this time General Yuan suffered a great loss. How can we explain it when we go back?"

  At this moment, Song Yi loudly laughed and said: "Everyone rest early, tomorrow we set off, escorting the Crown Prince to Xuyi!"

  Chen Ping sighed again, this time Chen Chengxiang was really angry!

  Song Yi'ang walked over with a broad stride, saying with a hint of a smile: "Please ask General Yin and Minister Chen to return to Peng City in time, to announce the king's decree to all the vassals, and invite them to come to Xuyi to pay their respects."

  Chen Ping's face turned cold as he turned his head away, Su An stood not far off, indignantly dissatisfied, several times wanting to speak out in anger, but was stopped by Pu Jun. Looking at Song Yi's complacent expression, Yin Xu steeled himself and said loudly: "Notifying the various princes of Peng City is a must, it's just that we are responsible for protecting the Crown Prince and his entourage, and cannot leave our posts without permission!"

  Song Yi smiled and said: "General Yin doesn't have to worry, with me here, the Crown Prince is safe and sound! Just go at ease!"

  Yin Xu shook his head, pretending to be foolish and said: "This won't do. When Xue Di formed the alliance, I promised all the vassals that I would personally search for the Crown Prince and not leave his side even a step, ensuring his safety. Such an important promise, how can we betray the trust of the world? Moreover, it is the loyalty of the various righteous armies to Da Chu, which cannot be neglected in the slightest."

  Chen Ping saw Yin Xu's persistence and immediately became interested, turning back to smile: "Yes! How can we betray the sincere support of the people of Great Chu?" Exchanging a glance with Yin Xu, their eyes were filled with a tacit understanding. You Song Yi wants to control Crown Prince Xiong Xin alone, using the crown prince to command the vassals? Dream on! The right to be the personal bodyguard of King Hui's eldest grandson cannot be given up!

  Song Yi's face sank, and he said: "General Yin, is this a sign that you don't trust me?"

  Yin Xu's face smiled but his heart didn't: "Alas, why did Song Lingyun say such a thing? You are a high-ranking official of Great Chu, someone I have admired for a long time!"

  Song Yi said coldly: "Is that so? This official has enough power to guard the Crown Prince, General Yin is busy with military affairs, it's better to go back to Peng City earlier!"

  "That's right! Indeed, military duties are troublesome. I'll follow the orders and protect His Highness the Crown Prince, I don't dare to disobey! Please forgive me, Lord Song!" Yin Xue thought to himself: Today, I'll just shamelessly cling on, let's see what you can do about it!

  Song Yi's face grew increasingly gloomy, and although he had the upper hand today, he didn't dare to do anything to Yin Xu and Chen Ping. As the saying goes, "even a big dog has to look at its master", currently Xiang Liang's power is at its peak, and Yin Xu is also famous throughout the land. If he were to make a careless move, it would only give others an excuse to attack him. Today's fundamental purpose was just to get Prince Huai's legitimate grandson under his control, to raise his own status, but Yin Xu's persistence had really put him in a difficult position. It seemed that he could only resort to limited action now, cough!

  After Song Yi coughed twice, a middle-aged man walked out from behind him, holding a long sword and looking sinister. He looked at Yin Xu with a provocative gaze and said coldly: "General Yin has been saying that he wants to protect the Crown Prince, but I don't know if he has the ability to do so?"

  Isn't that what you want, a duel? Yin Xu saw the middle-aged man's purpose at a glance. Song Yi! If you can't win with words, then let's fight. He said proudly: "Ability is proven by strength, not by mouth."

  The middle-aged swordsman said proudly: "General Yin is indeed confident, there are always some people in the world who don't know the height of heaven and earth, blindly arrogant will die miserably. If General Yin wants to shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the prince, shouldn't he show off his skills a bit, also good for these thousands of brothers to believe?"

  "Exactly what I meant!" Yin Xu replied succinctly. When it came to matters of face and dignity, he would never drag things out or beat around the bush.

  A middle-aged man immediately stepped forward: "In that case, Ping Wu is willing to accompany the general for a couple of moves and see if he can enter the general's eyes."

  "This..." Chen Ping couldn't help but hesitate, it's just a normal spar, but once they start fighting, the sword has no eyes, it's either you die or I die, and he can't help but worry about Yin Xu's safety.

  Yin Xu slightly shook his head, indicating that Chen Ping didn't need to worry. From his physique and aura, it was clear that Ping Wu's martial arts skills were not low, but before he could gauge the enemy's strength, Yin Xu had no guarantee of winning. However, this battle concerned not only reputation and dignity but also the political interests of the Kuaiji Group, so it couldn't be avoided.

  Furthermore, after studying with Xiang Zhuang for nearly half a year, Yin Xu's swordsmanship was no longer the same as Wu Xia's. In the past two years, he had diligently practiced his qigong and had almost completely merged that violent energy into his meridians, increasing his power significantly. Moreover, he still had the extremely sharp Duan Shui Sword in hand, which gave him the strength to fight against Ping Wu's arrogant underestimation.

  General Yin and Ping Wu were about to engage in a sword fight, and the soldiers present all showed great interest. Yin Xu's battle with Xiang Zhuang that year was well-known throughout the Wei army. Ping Wu, on the other hand, was Song Yi's personal bodyguard and had a reputation that spread far and wide, making this duel incredibly enticing. Xiong Kang and Qu Ming watched from the sidelines but couldn't intervene, as things had already gone far beyond their control. The only one qualified to stop them, Xiong Xin, remained silent, eerily calm with an distant gaze quietly watching the two swordsmen.

  The soldiers had already vacated a large area in the arena, the fence had been trampled flat, and the ring of torches lit up as if it were daytime. In the center of the arena, Yin Xu and Ping Wu stood facing each other, both holding long swords. Song Yi walked to one side with a nonchalant air, looking very pleased with himself.

  A master's move, momentum is crucial. Ping Wu thought that Yin Xue, being young and vigorous, would lose his temper. After staring at each other for a whole minute, Yin Xue remained calm and composed under the questioning and urging of the surrounding soldiers. Ping Wu had no choice but to take the lead and draw his sword first, after all, it was he who initiated the duel.

  Yin Xu smiled lightly, and the sword had already been drawn from its scabbard. A gleam of autumn water flashed under the firelight, shining with a cold glint. Ping Wu only then noticed that Yin Xu's weapon was actually a sharp treasured sword, which he had not anticipated, and his heart couldn't help but be shocked, having already lost the initiative.

  Clang!

  The sound of two swords colliding is incessant in one's ears, like raindrops pounding on everyone's heart.

  As soon as they exchanged blows, Yin Xu realized that Ping Wu was not simple at all. His swordsmanship was even better than Item Zhuang's. To be honest, if they continued to fight like this, he would definitely lose after 300 moves. As a graduate of the military academy, Yin Xu understood how to take advantage of the situation and still had an advantage. In terms of short-term explosive power, he was one step ahead. Moreover, Ping Wu was too arrogant, and there is a saying that "arrogant soldiers will always be defeated". Yin Xu quickly seized the opportunity to use his unique sword technique, known as the Donglai Sword Method, which was unexpected and caught him off guard.

  Huh?

  Ping Wu was shocked, what kind of swordsmanship is this? Temporarily retracting, avoiding its edge.

  If it's like this, then so be it! Yin Xu seized the opportunity, his feet moving in agile steps, swinging his sword wildly, combining his explosive force based on violent energy with the sharp blade of his sword, chopping down one sword after another. The magnitude of his strength was something that Ping Wu had never expected, and under the pressure of this strange technique, he couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. In his heart, Ping Wu secretly cried out in dismay - he had already realized that Yin Xu's swordsmanship wasn't as good as his own, and after another round of fighting, he would definitely not be his match. Who could have thought that Yin Xu would suddenly come up with this clever move, reversing the situation in an instant? Was he going to lose to this young whippersnapper today? Would his lifelong reputation be ruined like this?

  Song Yi's smile froze on his face, his eyebrows furrowed into a knot. He knew Ping Wu's strength, but he was actually beaten by Yin Xu without even having the chance to fight back. This was unexpected, it seemed that this kid was not simple at all. At the age of weak crown, he was already famous throughout the world, and indeed his reputation was not in vain. He and Ping Wu were tied together in honor and shame, and he couldn't help but worry greatly, regretting this hasty decision.

  Xiong Kang and Qu Ming, as guards of the Chu palace, were themselves skilled in martial arts. Seeing Yin Xu and Ping Wu's swordplay, they couldn't help but admire it greatly. Especially since Yin Xu was only in his early twenties, he was truly a young man to be feared! Xiong's face also revealed a look of appreciation and yearning, his gaze distant, as if lost in thought. This match had truly shocked the thousands of soldiers present. Song Yi's subordinates, who had always looked up to Ping Wu, were greatly surprised to see him "not holding up" against Yin Xu, and their respect for General Yin increased by several degrees.

  Chen Ping and Su An had heard of Yin Xu's martial arts, but hadn't seen much of it. Tonight, they were fortunate enough to witness Yin Xu's majestic and powerful swordsmanship, which left them in awe. The three hundred soldiers under their command saw General Yin unleash his divine might, and the thunderous applause and cheers filled the air.

  Pu Jun was already accustomed to the scene, but when others were cheering and clapping, he had an additional layer of hidden worry. He knew about the young master's situation, that such a large amount of physical exertion would be consumed quickly, and he worried how much longer the young master could hold on? It seemed somewhat difficult to completely defeat Ping Wu...

  He himself was well aware of his situation, but the intense physical exertion from cutting down water with one sword after another had already left him somewhat spent. He had originally intended to hold on until he cut off Ping Wu's treasured sword, and then claim victory and end the fight. However, Ping Wu's sword blade, despite being riddled with gaps, remained unwaveringly firm. Yin Xu couldn't help but secretly think that things were not going well, and if this continued, he might be overturned. After a few moments of deliberation, he suddenly charged forward, let out a loud roar, and struck three swords in quick succession, forcing Ping Wu to retreat before swiftly falling back himself.

  "Let's stop here for today! Brother Ping, see if I have the ability to protect His Highness the Crown Prince?" Yin Xu put on a gesture of concession and compromise, while quickly adjusting his breath and recovering his strength.

  Ping Wu was stunned, not expecting Yin Xu to suddenly come up with such a move. Just now, he was forced by Yin Xu to retreat continuously, losing face greatly, but he soon discovered Yin Xu's weakness, the strength of his hacking and slashing was constantly decreasing. He thought that when Yin Xu was exhausted, he would launch a full counterattack, humiliate him and regain his dignity, but unexpectedly Yin Xu came up with such a move, no more playing around.

  Yin Xu quit before exhausting himself, to avoid defeat. But everyone saw it, Yin Xu had a broad mind and spared Ping Wu under great advantage. The fact that he was forced to retreat continuously just now, and the countless gaps on the sword blade were the best evidence. Ping Wu was somewhat crying and laughing, but Yin Xu had already quit, if he attacked again at this time, it would be greatly impolite. Alas! This mute is indeed settled, Ping Wu's eyes were full of resentment, secretly vowed: one day, I must avenge myself!

  Song Yi was extremely embarrassed, his number one swordsman being "defeated" by Yin Xu like this, losing face greatly. Fortunately, Xiong Xin happened to intervene at the right time and said: "Both of you are top swordsmen of my Great Chu, let's escort me to Xuyi together!"

  Both sides finally stopped, not making the situation too awkward! But everyone still remembered the battle scene from just now, and they were delighted to talk about it, as if they had grown wings and spread the news far and wide.

  Yin Xu finally let out a long sigh of relief, his body exhausted to the extreme from relying on willpower, covered in sweat and drenched. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he lifted his head and caught Ping Wu's resentful and venomous gaze. General Yin, who actually enjoyed being underestimated, had a smug smile floating at the corner of his mouth, thinking: I'm just clever and cunning, not willing to admit defeat? You deserve to humiliate yourself!