Chapter 24

While Liang Xiao was muttering to Hu Lai to incite his anger, his eyes were not idle. As soon as he saw Hu Lai pounce over, he didn't hesitate and quickly dodged to the side.

In a fit of rage, Hu Lai didn't forget his long-term training. Seeing Liang Xiao turn, he exerted force with his feet, intending to twist his body and chase after Liang Xiao.

His intention was good; if it were on flat ground, Liang Xiao would likely not be able to escape his pursuit and would be caught. Unfortunately, what made him successful also led to his downfall. This instinct made his reaction faster than others, but it also made him forget the special environment, which was far from the normal environment he was used to.

Hu Lai's feet slipped, and he lost his balance, falling down. With a "thud," his face hit the tree, instantly tearing the skin and causing blood to flow.

"Boom!" Hu Lai fell heavily to the ground. Although a height of over ten feet wasn't fatal, it still made his buttocks feel as if they had split into eight pieces, causing unbearable pain.

Misled by Liang Xiao, he had always thought it was over twenty feet high, and falling from such a height could be fatal. He had closed his eyes in mid-air, preparing for a heroic sacrifice. Although he didn't die, the pain was magnified several times, making it unbearable.

"Ah—" Hu Lai let out a shrill scream.

The crowd was in an uproar. Although everyone thought Liang Xiao's choice to fight on the tree was somewhat tricky, no one believed that Liang Xiao could win because of this. Liang Xiao was indeed skilled with bows and crossbows, but his close combat ability was always poor. Facing an opponent like Hu Lai, he had almost no chance of winning. Once Hu Lai adapted to this special environment, victory would ultimately be Hu Lai's. After all, the disparity in strength between the two was too great to be overcome by a trick.

No one expected Hu Lai to fall from the tree so quickly and so miserably.

For a moment, the Southwest Gang breathed a sigh of relief, their morale soaring, and jeers arose. The Northwest Gang, however, was deeply disappointed, losing face and regretting their decision. If they had known Hu Lai was such a weakling, they wouldn't have come to this spectacle, losing face for no reason.

Seeing Hu Lai fall from the tree, his attendants were also very surprised and frightened. Hearing his scream, they were even more terrified and rushed over in a panic. The young archer, with agile steps, took two strides and was the first to reach Hu Lai, scooping him up in his arms.

Hu Lai's face was covered in blood, looking very pitiful. Seeing his attendants, he cried out in a委屈 (wronged) voice, "Kill him!"

"Sure." The young archer responded, handed Hu Lai to the approaching companion, and drew his bow, aiming at Liang Xiao on the tree.

Seeing the glint of the arrow, Liang Xiao once again felt a strong sense of killing intent, making his scalp tingle. At this moment, Tu Niu flew over and fiercely collided with the young archer. The young archer, unable to focus on Liang Xiao, turned and raised his bow to face Tu Niu.

"Watch this!" Tu Niu raised his hand and threw a handful of dirt.

The young archer, instinctively raised his arm to protect his eyes, simultaneously stepped back and kicked out, hitting Tu Niu's abdomen.

Tu Niu let out a scream and flew backward, landing on a grave mound. Before he could react, an arrow shot toward his face.

"Clang!" A light sound, a sword flashed, and the arrow was deflected. A slender figure stood in front of Tu Niu, holding a long sword, his stance steady, a mocking smile on his face.

Liang Xiao looked closely and couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. The young man who deflected the arrow was just a dozen steps away, accompanying a young man in brocade whom he didn't recognize. How did he get to the tree so quickly? Moreover, his skill was beautiful, both in strength and accuracy, reaching the pinnacle.

"Since it's a duel, there will be a winner and a loser. Can't you accept defeat?" The young man raised his hand and sheathed his sword.

This move was even more impressive. His eyes were fixed on the young archer, not looking at the scabbard. If he were slightly careless, he wouldn't be able to sheathe the sword and might even injure himself.

Even if the surrounding young men didn't understand the skill, they knew that sheathing a sword wasn't easy to master, and they immediately cheered in unison.

"Great swordsmanship!"

"Hu Lai is so shameless, losing and then cheating?"

The young men chattered, some praising the young man's swordsmanship, others cursing the Hu family for being shameless, especially the Southwest Gang, who had just lost a fight. Seeing Hu Lai fall from the tree, they were gleeful and shouted even louder. The Northwest Gang was very angry, but they also felt that Hu Lai had lost face and that the Hu family's actions were dishonorable, so their morale was somewhat weakened.

Amid the noisy surroundings, the young archer remained unmoved. He held the bow in his left hand, his right hand hanging by his side, hidden by his slightly tilted body, his fingertips less than three inches from the quiver. He stared at the young man and laughed, "From your accent, you don't seem to be from Guangling. Where are you from, and what is your name?"

"I am Lei Bei, from Huainan."

"Lei Bei?" The young archer was taken aback, his eyes brightening, and he exclaimed, "The first swordsman of Huainan?"

Lei Bei smiled slightly, "I don't dare to accept such praise. A little fame, I didn't expect it to spread to Jiangdu. I am ashamed."

The surrounding young men, who were about to start fighting again, suddenly fell silent, their eyes turning to Lei Bei. Even Liang Xiao on the tree was startled, almost falling off.

Lei Bei, the first swordsman of Huainan? This was the first historical figure he had encountered since he came to this world. However, what surprised him was not Lei Bei's fame but his identity.

Lei Bei was a guest of King Liu An of Huainan and the first swordsman of Huainan. Who else could make him a servant?

Liang Xiao turned his gaze to the young man in brocade. The young man in brocade also looked at him, and their eyes met. Liang Xiao felt even more uneasy. He saw excitement and a possessive desire in the other's eyes. His heart tightened, and without thinking about the duel, he jumped down from the tree and turned to leave.

From the age of the young man in brocade, he couldn't be King Liu An of Huainan himself, but he was likely his son. According to Han dynasty law, the kingdoms were not allowed to interact with each other, and even princes couldn't easily leave their fiefs, let alone enter other fiefs.

This alone was enough for the court to charge them with treason. As far as Liang Xiao knew, King Liu An of Huainan had harbored rebellious intentions since he ascended the throne, but his rebellion never succeeded and was stillborn. He didn't want to get involved with King Liu An, and even if Emperor Wu of Han still respected him, a commoner like him would have no good outcome if he got involved in such matters.

A clear example was right in front of him. Lei Bei, the first swordsman of Huainan, was implicated in this case and died in prison.

Liang Xiao admitted he wasn't that capable to help King Liu An succeed in his rebellion. It was better to keep a respectful distance from such rebels.

"Stop him!" The young archer shouted fiercely and then smiled at Lei Bei, "I believe Lei Jun is new to Guangling and may not be familiar with the situation. This is Hu Lai, the son of the head of the Hu family in Guangling, who has always admired Lei Jun. If Lei Jun is willing to visit the Hu family, they will surely treat you as a distinguished guest..."

Lei Bei looked down at Hu Lai, whose face was covered in blood. Despite his shock, Hu Lai still looked at Lei Bei with admiration, proving the young archer's words. As they sized each other up, several Hu family attendants circled around Lei Bei and moved toward Liang Xiao.

Tu Niu got up from the ground, grabbed one of them, and shouted, "Xiao, run—"

---

---

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends