Chapter 40

About half a mile from where Lu Yao and Liu Yan were negotiating, there was a mansion facing the street, which was the Bingzhou Inspectorate. The scale of this mansion was extremely grand, occupying the entire坊 (neighborhood). The outer walls were quite dilapidated, a result of the damage during the Xiongnu occupation, and even the main gate had collapsed, leaving only the side gate for use.

Upon entering the gate, one could see dozens of craftsmen clearing the inside and outside of the mansion, dismantling the broken walls and ruins, and simultaneously constructing several large houses. Although the project was far from completion, the initial appearance of the flying eaves, bracket sets, pavilions, and terraces was already impressive.

Passing through several rows of houses and a flower hall, one could finally enter the back garden. This garden was composed of various styles of buildings, corridors, trees, and artificial water features. If one were to go back a year or two, it would have been a rare and exquisite garden in the north. At present, most of the buildings had been burned down, and the lake had dried up. Some craftsmen were digging up the mud, trying to redirect a spring into a winding stream.

The spring originated from a sparse forest in the southwest corner of the back garden, where a two-story building stood. The building was intricately carved and painted, extremely luxurious. Its brand-new appearance clearly indicated that it had been hastily constructed in recent days. It was hard to imagine what kind of manpower and resources were required to build such a structure in just a few days. In Jinyang, where most of the city had been abandoned, this small building seemed like a fairyland.

The second floor of the small building was not far from the courtyard wall. If one stood on the balcony, they could see through the dense trees and spot Lu Yao and Liu Yan facing off.

On the balcony, Xu Run, dressed in a green robe, turned and entered the building, saying, "Lord, Lu Daoming seems to be a humble person, but he is extremely protective. It looks like his nephew Shiren is about to be at a disadvantage!"

The room connected to the balcony was luxuriously decorated. The sweet scent of dragon brain incense filled the air, and the sound of string and bamboo instruments lingered, making one feel drowsy. The main seat was occupied by a man in a brocade robe, holding a gold-sprinkled jade ruyi and tapping along to the music. This was Liu Kun, the Inspector of Bingzhou. Hearing Xu Run's words, Liu Kun only shook his head, "What a graceful gathering, but you, Zhiquan, must speak such ungraceful words, ruining the mood, ruining the mood!"

Xu Run urged, "Shiren is a noble from a prestigious family; why should he compete with ordinary soldiers? Lord, let me send someone to stop them, so as not to damage the camaraderie."

Liu Kun frowned, "No need. It might be good for Shiren to face a setback. This child has grown up in luxury, and at the age of twenty, he obtained an official position through his father's influence, making his character somewhat arrogant. My brother sent him to Bingzhou with me, perhaps to temper him. But you all have been flattering him, making him even more..."

Liu Kun paused, glancing at Xu Run, who had a slightly stiff smile. He sighed, knowing that this was human nature, impossible to avoid. He changed the subject, "My transfer to Bingzhou was sudden, and no one expected the situation here to be so dire. Therefore, it's natural for my subordinates and soldiers to have some complaints. But for Shiren to blame the Bingzhou soldiers is unacceptable! Bingzhou is a powerful and strategic region, and the Bingzhou soldiers are brave and skilled, far superior to the troops in the central plains. It's regrettable that Sima Teng abandoned the people of Bingzhou and fled, leaving the soldiers who had fought the Xiongnu for years to wander. These brave warriors have joined my command, which is a great fortune for me. I should treat them with kindness and respect. Shiren treats them as ordinary defeated soldiers and uses his authority to bully them. Sigh, it's not right!"

Liu Kun slammed the jade ruyi on the table and shook his head, "These Bingzhou soldiers have survived countless battles. They fear no death, so how could they submit to Shiren's authority? Zhiquan, don't interfere. Today, it's good for Shiren to suffer a bit, so he doesn't underestimate the heroes of the north. He is to be the future leader of the Liu family of Zhongshan; he must have a broader mind."

"Lord's care for the younger generation of the clan is truly touching. Shiren is exceptionally talented and fortunate to receive your guidance. He will surely be capable of great responsibilities in the future," Xu Run chuckled, trying to ease the awkwardness. "As for this Lu Daoming, ha, I didn't expect an unknown figure in the Bingzhou army to have such martial prowess. Congratulations, Lord, for recognizing talent. You have gained a brave general."

Liu Kun's expression was somewhat strange. He pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "As for Lu Yao..."

Just then, a thunderous roar came from the street.

"Has something happened?" Xu Run asked anxiously.

The place where Lu Yao and Liu Yan were was now bustling with activity, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, with many more rushing over. Cheers and shouts of encouragement rose and fell, like thunder. The tense atmosphere had dissipated, and it felt more like a temple fair.

In the center of the crowd, Shen Jing raised his arms triumphantly, seemingly forgetting the embarrassment of being cornered by Liu Yan. Each cheer seemed to brighten his face. He was broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, with well-defined muscles, making him look very strong. His bare upper body, steaming in the cold wind, made him look even more formidable. What truly drew attention were the numerous scars on his body. A rough count revealed more than thirty scars. These scars crisscrossed his upper body, some so deep that the shape of the bones could almost be seen beneath the thin skin, indicating severe injuries that could have been fatal.

To the warriors, these scars were marks of bravery. Everyone marveled at how many life-and-death battles it took to earn such scars and how much courage it took to survive those battles.

Even Lin Jian couldn't help but show some admiration. In terms of individual combat skills, even three or five Shen Jings together would not be his match. However, this competition was not about rank or martial prowess but about who was the bravest and most experienced warrior. The number of scars on one's body was a clear indicator. Lin Jian could only admit that he was inferior in this regard. Shen Jing, despite his boastful words, had indeed proven himself a brave warrior who had survived countless battles.

The dozens of armored soldiers who had come with Liu Yan exchanged glances. They had all experienced many battles, but none of them had as many scars as Shen Jing. For a moment, despite the loud cheers from the crowd, Lin Jian and his soldiers fell silent.

Seeing his subordinates at a loss for words, Liu Yan felt frustrated. He was racking his brain for something to say to salvage the situation when a voice from the crowd shouted, "Shen, don't be so arrogant! I'll challenge you!"

Before the words were even finished, several soldiers stepped forward, quickly taking off their upper garments. They were clearly seasoned warriors, with iron-like muscles and numerous scars. Their companions loudly explained the origins of the scars, creating a loud and overwhelming atmosphere that completely overshadowed Shen Jing.

Shen Jing looked at them and recognized them as old acquaintances from the Bingzhou army who had gradually joined Jinyang but were under the command of other generals.

"A few dogs, daring to challenge me, Lord Shen? My subordinates are braver than you!" Shen Jing laughed and shouted, quickly ordering his own soldiers to strip and join the competition. These soldiers had fought alongside him many times and were a match in terms of the number of scars.

As the competition heated up, more and more men joined, stripping and showing off their scars. The street was filled with bare-chested men, and despite the cold winter, the atmosphere was as hot as a bathhouse.

This was too much. Liu Yan, responsible for Jinyang's security, could not allow such a situation. He shook his head and signaled Lin Jian to lead the soldiers to control the crowd. However, Lin Jian gave him a wry smile, remained still, and pointed to a group of people on the right.

"Move aside, move aside! Watch Lord Ding Miao!" a voice called out enthusiastically.

Hearing this voice, Liu Yan raised his hand to his forehead, feeling dizzy.

Why was Ding Miao here? This man was always reckless and loved chaos, and this scene was right up his alley. This would surely lead to more trouble.

******

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