Chapter 23

Hu Lai snorted, unwilling to respond, and unable to do so.

Duels have their own etiquette. The initiator of the duel should arrive first, and the one who accepts the challenge should arrive later. Now that Liang Xiao arrived before him, he was the one who was impolite. Although it was not his intention, he could not explain it.

In the eyes of adults, they were just half-grown children, small tricks. But precisely because of this, they paid extra attention to etiquette, striving to act like true warriors and knights. This "forced" impoliteness made Hu Lai very frustrated, his face redder, and his momentum无形中受挫无形中受挫.

"Since it's a one-on-one, it should be fair. You set the time and place, I choose the method of the duel. Is that too much to ask?"

Hu Lai looked around and saw a burly youth standing under a tree, his face swollen and deformed, holding a crossbow. From his build, he looked somewhat like Liang Xiao's close friend, Tu Niu'er.

Hu Lai felt secretly pleased.

Among the young people in Guangling, Liang Xiao's archery skills were among the best. If Liang Xiao chose the method of the duel, he would naturally choose archery.

According to the rules of dueling, since he set the time and place, Liang Xiao indeed had the right to choose the method of the duel, unless he admitted defeat, in which case he could choose another method. To lose before the battle even began was something he could not accept.

This should be Liang Xiao's clever plan. However, if Liang Xiao thought this would guarantee his victory, he was mistaken.

The corners of Hu Lai's mouth twitched, and he deliberately said in a somewhat uncertain tone, "You... how do you want to fight?"

"Everyone in Jiangdu knows that you, Hu Lai, are the best at wrestling. I want to wrestle with you."

As soon as Liang Xiao spoke, the crowd was in an uproar.

Although Hu Lai's wrestling skills were not as Liang Xiao said, the best in Jiangdu, he was indeed a true expert. Wrestling is a common hand-to-hand combat technique, and many people know a bit about it. However, being common does not mean it is easy. True wrestling experts are not easy to come by.

To become a wrestling expert, one must first have a strong body. Without sufficient strength, even the best techniques are hard to apply. One also needs guidance from a master, whether in training or actual combat, there are always some secret techniques that ordinary people cannot know.

Hu Lai met both these conditions. The Hu family was a well-known powerful clan in Guangling. Hu Lai grew up eating three meals a day, his physique far superior to that of ordinary children who could only afford two meals a day. The Hu family was wealthy, and many knights and swordsmen were affiliated with them. The family also had some wrestling experts, and Hu Lai practiced wrestling from a young age, with solid fundamentals and rich combat experience.

Hu Lai's reputation among the young was earned through his own efforts, not just by relying on the Hu family's influence.

In contrast, Liang Xiao, while physically strong compared to his peers, was still inferior to Hu Lai. In terms of wrestling skills, he was even further behind. In group fights, Liang Xiao always used his crossbow to attack from a distance. Once someone got close, he could only rely on Tu Niu'er for protection.

Challenging Hu Lai to a wrestling match? This was nothing but suicide.

Many people began to suspect that this was a setup by Hu Lai, using Liang Xiao to stage a show to boost his own reputation.

The young man in brocade clothing looked at the reactions of the young people, seeming to understand something. He leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed on Liang Xiao, filled with curiosity. A young man stepped forward, his body slightly bent, whispering something. His sharp gaze swept over Liang Xiao, seemingly also surprised.

Hu Lai was more surprised than anyone else, momentarily forgetting to object. Even when the young archer next to him nudged him twice, he did not respond.

Liang Xiao, standing on higher ground, saw the archer's small actions and became suspicious. Without waiting for Hu Lai to react, he called out, "Since you don't object, come up here."

"Come... come up?" Hu Lai was taken aback.

"Of course. The higher ground makes the outcome clear, so no one can deny losing." Liang Xiao laughed and added, "Wrestling emphasizes a stable lower body. You are a true expert, you won't be unstable on the tree, right?"

Hu Lai was initially hesitant, but after hearing Liang Xiao's words, he became angry. In front of so many people, he could not admit to an unstable lower body and refuse to fight. He sneered, spurred his horse, and charged towards the big tree. As the white horse approached the mound, he jumped off, stepped on the mound, leaped high, grabbed the tree trunk, swung a few times, and flipped onto the tree, standing steadily on a branch.

This move was impressive, and even those who did not like him had to cheer. The young man in brocade clothing was also impressed, calling out. Hu Lai became even more pleased, bowing to the crowd, acknowledging their applause, exuding the air of a star entering the stage, surrounded by admirers.

Liang Xiao clapped his hands, smiling, "Great skills, great skills, worthy of being the best in Jiangdu."

"Don't give me that." Hu Lai was inwardly pleased but tried to appear calm. "I'm here, can we start?"

"Of course." Liang Xiao spread his arms. "I'm standing here, you can come over anytime. But I must warn you, it's at least two zhang from the ground. Even if you don't die from falling, it will be very embarrassing."

Hu Lai shouted, "Don't worry, if anyone falls, it will be you, not me."

"Is that so? Not necessarily." Liang Xiao glanced down, then looked at Hu Lai with a smug expression. Hu Lai involuntarily looked down as well, his face changing, his legs feeling weak.

Before climbing the tree, he did not feel it was that high. Now standing on it, he felt differently.

Whether in practice or actual combat, a spacious and flat area would be chosen, not a tree. Hu Lai had extensive wrestling experience, but this was his first time on a tree. He felt a sense of dizziness, something he had not anticipated. He did not even realize that Liang Xiao had exaggerated the height, which was much higher than the actual height.

Hu Lai felt cheated, extremely frustrated. He spread his arms to maintain balance, crouched slightly to lower his center of gravity, took half a step back, and leaned against the tree trunk, glaring at Liang Xiao with hatred, and spat, "Cunning scoundrel, shameless."

Liang Xiao was unperturbed. He stood with his legs slightly apart on two thick branches, deliberately rubbing his hands to make his body sway.

"Come on, don't be shy. It's getting late, we need to get back to the city after the duel. Your Hu family can ignore the curfew, but we ordinary people don't have that luxury. If the city gates close, we'll have to stay here for the night."

Liang Xiao's voice was loud, and the surrounding young people also became unhappy. Because of Hu Lai's tardiness, a lot of time had been wasted. If they delayed further, they would not be able to return to the city today. If everyone could not return, it would be fine, as staying out overnight was common. But since Hu Lai had power and influence and was not bound by the curfew, this created a hierarchy, and the young people felt resentful, their words becoming harsher.

"Hu Lai, hurry up and start, so we can return to the city."

"Could it be that your lower body is really unstable, and you dare not move once you're on the tree?"

"Pah, you're just a show, not the real deal."

Liang Xiao's words had earned Hu Lai a lot of resentment. Various sarcastic remarks were like hidden arrows shot at Hu Lai. Hu Lai, feeling annoyed and frustrated, roared and pounced at Liang Xiao.

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