Lanting - Kapitel 85
He Zhiqiang was taken aback. It was Lu Qingcheng, the young master of Lu Family Fortress.
Lu Qingcheng looked at him coldly, "Who stole your woman?"
He Zhiqiang was startled. "How did you know?"
Lu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow and snorted, "Just a wild guess."
He Zhiqiang's face turned bright red instantly.
"How stupid." Lu Qingcheng said with a look of contempt, "Women are like trouble. Let her be with whomever she wants. Is it necessary to cry like that?"
He Zhiqiang immediately thought of Lu Qingcheng's wife, Liu Mei, and jumped up as if he had been stabbed in the buttocks, roaring angrily, "Don't compare her to your wife. She's not that kind of bad woman, she's not. She's the best woman in the world. She has never looked down on me, she just wants to marry me. Do you hear me? She only wants to marry me."
After yelling, He Zhiqiang realized he was afraid, but in an instant, he laughed. What was there to be afraid of? He couldn't even face the woman he loved; was he even a man? He might as well be dead.
Thinking of this, he glared at Lu Qingcheng and said firmly, "She is a good woman. You are not allowed to insult her, otherwise I will not let you go even if I die."
Lu Qingcheng stared at him for a long while before saying, "Is there a stronger man who wants to marry the woman you love?"
He Zhiqiang opened his mouth but remained silent.
“Since the woman you love doesn’t look down on you, it means you’re not ashamed because your family background isn’t good enough for her.” Lu Qingcheng seemed to have a premonition.
He Zhiqiang was like a deflated balloon; what did he have to worry about? So what if he lost face? He told Lu Qingcheng the whole story, except for the other party's real name.
Strangely, he didn't speak, and Lu Qingcheng didn't ask. She just frowned and looked at him, as if she was thinking about a very important question. After a long while, Lu Qingcheng said, "Draw your sword and attack me."
He Zhiqiang didn't hesitate or have any reservations. He had completely disregarded life and death. He needed to vent the pain, anger, and humiliation in his heart. He drew his sword and pounced on Lu Qingcheng like a raging lion. However, in the blink of an eye, he was kicked over by Lu Qingcheng like a rolling ball.
Lu Qingcheng said coldly, "What's the use of brute force? You'll never win if you're so impetuous. Stand up and see how your opponent attacks. When facing an enemy, the most important thing is calmness and strong self-confidence."
These words struck He Zhiqiang's heart like a bolt of lightning.
Tong Lei suddenly stopped, assuming a fighting stance. His sword, gleaming coldly under the lamplight, pointed directly at He Zhiqiang. His posture, poised to strike, resembled that of a ruthless beast eyeing its prey. He grinned, "You're not good at swordsmanship, so you've switched to a knife. I'd like to see what you can achieve in three years."
He Zhiqiang remained silent, his gaze fixed on him with a calmness that bordered on coldness, while Lu Qingcheng's resolute voice echoed in his mind once more.
"You must never give up. If you do, you have lost completely. Stand up, come with me, and spend three years honing your skills."
Three years! Yes, he trained under Lu Qingcheng for three whole years until Lu Qingcheng made a name for herself, and he also became a lord and began to show his talent.
A faint smile appeared on He Zhiqiang's lips. "Tong Lei, tonight will be our final battle. I won't lose to you." Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. He roared, his precious sword slashing swiftly and viciously at his opponent's chest.
Tong Lei suddenly burst into laughter, roaring with unbridled joy, "Kid, is that all you've got?"
His smugness startled Zhao Yuhua, who turned pale and clutched her chest, her heart pounding like a war drum. She was filled with worry; would Zhiqiang be in danger?
It turned out that He Zhiqiang's first move was the exact same tactic he used three years ago when he fought Tong Lei to the death, all to lure Tong Lei into a trap. As he expected, Tong Lei, who had been cautious just moments before, immediately burst into laughter upon seeing He Zhiqiang use the same move from years ago, and instinctively used the same move he had used to counter He Zhiqiang. Just as he smugly thought he would succeed as easily as before, He Zhiqiang suddenly sheathed his sword, moved incredibly fast to a diagonal angle, and with a flash of light, struck Tong Lei's sword tip—its weakest point—with a clang.
Tong Lei's sword was immediately deflected, and his feet swayed slightly.
Thunderous cheers immediately erupted in the banquet hall. Zhao Yu was overjoyed and joined in, clapping and cheering enthusiastically. Judging from Liu Xicheng and the others' excitement, it must be good.
Enraged, Tong Lei's eyes flashed with chilling killing intent. He raised his sword and slashed straight down, his murderous aura startling Zhao Yu into a gasp. He Zhiqiang retaliated with a powerful backhand strike, deflecting Tong Lei's sword once more. Zhao Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Tong Lei's wrist went numb from the impact, and a sense of fear crept into his heart. He thought to himself, "I didn't expect this kid to have gotten so strong in three years. Don't panic. This kid has superhuman strength. His techniques might not be perfectly refined. As long as I don't fight head-on, and use my signature exquisite swordsmanship, this kid will surely be defeated in no time." Thinking this, he suddenly shuddered, his waning momentum surging forth once more.
He Zhiqiang had been watching his expression closely, secretly admiring him. He was indeed worthy of being the fourth assassin of the Dark Eagle Organization of White Stone Manor; despite the setback, he recovered instantly. In a flash, he declared imposingly, "Yu, after I defeat this treacherous turtle, I will marry you in three days."
This infuriated Tong Lei. "That damn kid is so arrogant! He's a long way from beating me!" What angered him most was that after hearing He Zhiqiang's proposal, Zhao Yu's tears of joy shone like glistening pearls under the light. "I want you to marry me with a grand wedding procession!"
He Zhiqiang's piercing gaze softened into an incredibly gentle smile. "Okay, whatever you say is fine."
Zhao Yu wiped away her tears, feeling that her three long years of waiting had finally paid off. She smiled with a mixture of joy and shyness, radiating a glow that filled He Zhiqiang with indescribable happiness, as if there was no one happier in the world than him.
Tong Lei's face turned red with anger, and his whole body trembled. Overwhelmed by rage, he roared fiercely like a wolf and attacked relentlessly with ten swift sword strikes without thinking.
He Zhiqiang was secretly delighted. "Kid, he's fallen for my trick after all."
Under Tong Lei's relentless, sweeping attacks, He Zhiqiang fought and retreated, maintaining a perfect defense, leaving his opponent unable to find a single opening, yet unable to relent. On the surface, it seemed Tong Lei had the upper hand, and He Zhiqiang appeared to be completely overwhelmed. In reality, this was exactly what He Zhiqiang wanted. Years ago, the reason he abandoned his sword for a saber was because Lu Qingcheng had reminded him.
"You are naturally strong, and you can make better use of your strengths if you use a knife."
As Lu Qingcheng said, abandoning the sword for a saber did indeed allow him to better utilize his strength. He was well aware of Tong Lei's strengths; Tong Lei's family swordsmanship was extremely refined, and if they were to compete in saber and sword techniques, winning would likely require considerable effort. Lu Qingcheng said that warfare relies on wisdom, composure, and confidence, not brute force.
He exploited Tong Lei's jealousy and contempt, first lulling Tong Lei into a false sense of security, then provoking him to become agitated and abandon his strengths for his weaknesses. At the same time, while defending against Tong Lei's attacks, he calmly observed him, searching for any openings.
Lu Qingcheng said that every enemy has its strengths and weaknesses. When facing an enemy, find their weaknesses and strike them hard, leaving them with no chance to fight back.
With a resounding clang, the blade clashed violently with the sword, causing Tong Lei's hand to crack and him to stumble backward. He Zhiqiang, not about to let this golden opportunity slip by, glared and roared like thunder, raising his blade to slash fiercely at Tong Lei's face. This strike was like a raging storm, its momentum and ferocity seemingly intent on destroying everything in its path. Tong Lei, horrified, quickly twirled his sword, gathering all his strength to block. Another deafening clang rang out. Tong Lei's arm strength was already inferior to He Zhiqiang's, and coupled with jealousy that had clouded his judgment, his frenzied attacks had exhausted his strength. This desperate block nearly caused him to drop his sword.
The banquet hall erupted in cheers, and Zhao Yu clapped enthusiastically, almost breaking her little hands.
He Zhiqiang's cold eyes were filled with ruthlessness and cruelty. He approached Tong Lei step by step, like a devil from the underworld, exuding an irresistible aura.
Zhao Yu gazed at his beloved's alluring physique, his face filled with infatuation and adoration.
Tong Lei's arrogance was severely shattered. He glared at He Zhiqiang as he approached step by step. He knew this was his final blow; he had to go all out, or his life would be in danger tonight. With that thought, he gritted his teeth, twirled his sword, and tried to turn the tide with his exquisite signature swordsmanship.
He Zhiqiang burst into laughter, "It's too late."
This strike was even more powerful than the previous one, but this time He Zhiqiang didn't fight head-on. Instead, he targeted the weakest point of Tong Lei's flurry of sword energy and slashed down fiercely. The two figures snapped together and then separated again. Blood trickled from the corner of Tong Lei's mouth, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Yes, he refused to believe that he would be defeated by a kid who couldn't even last three moves against him three years ago.
He Zhiqiang stood firm, his sword planted firmly on the ground. Zhao Yu rushed over, ignoring the sweat dripping down his face, and threw herself into his arms, tears welling in her eyes. "You won, you won..." Overwhelmed with emotion, she could only repeat that one sentence over and over, unable to utter anything else. Looking at her radiant face, He Zhiqiang felt a joy beyond words.
A hint of approval appeared on Lu Qingcheng's lips as she thought to herself: Good lad!
Madam Lu sighed softly and closed her slightly red and swollen eyes.
Madam Li called out worriedly, "Eldest sister."