Chapter 79: Camp Chatter
"That one next to Night Four is..."
"Such a handsome lady..."
"I don’t believe she has the strength of a Centurion. How could such a beautiful young lady be as strong as the Supervisors?"
"Do you remember the loudmouth from Banner Six? The one who acted all high and mighty after transferring to a Messenger a few years back, and wouldn’t even pay when visiting brothels. He didn’t believe it either. Yesterday, while Night Four was away, he went over and tried to sweet-talk her. Heard he got three or four ribs broken and was left hanging on the wall."
"Heh, But-Six-Gu is here. This’ll be good."
Pingcheng Military Camp, early morning.
When Ye Si and Jiang Ten appeared together, the surrounding Hundred-Ward troops couldn’t help but look their way. Ye Si, already a “Secret Realm Madman,” drew plenty of attention on his own. Now with Jiang Ten—a nation-toppling beauty of extraordinary power—by his side, they had become the most talked-about figures in Pingcheng.
They didn’t know Jiang Ten’s full name, only that her surname was Jiang, so they all called her Lady Jiang.
"Lady Jiang!"
A Hundred-Ward officer blocked their path, eyes brimming with admiration as he looked at Jiang Ten. "Why didn’t you come out yesterday when I was looking for you? Were you feeling unwell? I’m acquainted with Doctor Guan—shall I invite him to treat you?"
"No need. Move aside. We’re heading to the Secret Realm."
"Lady Jiang, you’re just going to the Secret Realm to earn merit for exchanging Tokens, right? There’s no need to go through so much trouble." The officer carefully unfastened the bag on his back and took out a ring-hilted blade with no guard. The blade shimmered faintly with a blue glow, cold and deep. "You’re skilled in blade techniques. This Autumn Ink is the perfect match for you."
"A Rare Token, Autumn Ink!"
"But-Six-Gu is really going this far?"
"Isn’t that his clan’s heirloom Token? He’s actually willing to give it away?"
Jiang Ten gave Autumn Ink a look and nodded. "How much are you selling it for?"
"This is a gift for you!" the Hundred-Ward officer said loudly. "A famed blade for a beauty—Lady Jiang, with Autumn Ink in your hand, your prowess will soar, and your name will spread across the Central Plains!"
"I want this blade. If you’re giving it to me, I’ll take it."
Hearing this, the officer’s face lit up with joy, but Jiang Ten added, "However, even if I take this blade, I won’t feel any affection for you, nor will I agree to anything. Perhaps I’ll return something of equal value in the future, but I make no promises. If you understand this and still agree, then I’ll accept it."
The officer was stunned. Jiang Ten spoke so bluntly that there was no room for fantasy. But to take the gift back now, in front of so many onlookers, would be shameful. And Jiang Ten’s breathtaking face was right before him. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Please accept Autumn Ink! I offer it of my own free will!"
Jiang Ten nodded and took the Rare Token Autumn Ink. Then she said, "Just so you know—I’ll be giving this blade to Ye Si."
"What?" The officer was dumbfounded.
"This is a gift for you..."
"But Ye Si needs it more than I do. And since it’s mine now, I have the right to decide," Jiang Ten said calmly. "Do you want to take it back?"
"I... he..."
The officer flushed red and had nothing to say. Someone nearby couldn’t help but snicker. He immediately turned and glared, and the soldiers quickly fell silent and pretended nothing happened. Still, faint mocking laughter lingered around him. After a moment’s hesitation, his eyes reddened, and he couldn’t hold back anymore. He asked, "Lady Jiang, do you really not understand my feelings? Why won’t you accept my sincerity?"
"Because my body, my heart, everything about me, my entire life, already belongs to someone else," Jiang Ten said. "Whatever it is you want, you will never get it. Whether it’s your sincerity or anything else—it’s all trash to me."
The entire military camp erupted. The soldiers burst into an uproar. Though people of the northern border were known for their boldness, such a direct rejection was still rare in this era. And with Jiang Ten possessing both beauty and strength, countless eyes turned toward Ye Si, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
The Hundred-Ward officer looked like he had been struck by lightning. He slumped to the ground, his whole figure seeming to turn grey.
Jiang Ten handed Autumn Ink back to him. The officer blankly received it and looked up at her. No one knew what he imagined or interpreted from her gaze, but suddenly he perked up and pointed at Ye Si, shouting, "Ye Si, I challenge you to a duel! The loser shall never approach Lady Jiang again!"
"I’ll stake Autumn Ink as my wager. If you’ve got any courage, don’t hide behind a woman! Dare to accept?"
Ye Si remained silent, but Jiang Ten responded, "How do you want to bet?"
The officer winced. The others looked at Ye Si with a trace of mockery in their eyes. Jiang Ten speaking in Ye Si’s place while he remained quiet only proved two things: that Jiang Ten cared deeply for Ye Si, and that between the two, Jiang Ten held absolute authority.
They could not possibly guess that the reason Jiang Ten was handling all conversations was simply because she was the main controller (the player’s primary controlled character) at the moment.
"Don’t worry, no one will die," the Hundred-Ward Officer said viciously. "Let’s have a civil duel! No Tokens, no clothes, we take turns punching each other’s chest, and the first to fall loses!"
He wasn’t stupid. News of Ye Si’s formidable combat strength had already spread throughout Pingcheng. If they fought with real weapons, he might not stand a chance against Ye Si. But in a civil duel, he felt much more confident.
The discipline within the Hundred-Ward was strict, and such dueling challenges were rare. So when word spread that a fight was about to happen, everyone nearby began shouting and causing a commotion. Jiang Ten and Ye Si appeared stunned, standing motionless without responding. The Hundred-Ward Officer took this as a sign of fear and grew even more confident. "Ye Si, are you afraid of even such a risk-free duel? Planning to be a coward hiding behind Lady Jiang for the rest of your life?"
"You’re really sure about this wager?"
Ye Si spoke, though his tone was a bit odd. Rather than questioning, it sounded more like a reminder—like one would reflexively warn someone about to eat feces.
"Absolutely!"
"Then let’s begin."
The two removed their tops and Tokens, standing bare-chested face to face. Ye Si said, "You go first."
"Alright!" There was no pretense of gentlemanly humility in the northern border. Since Ye Si was being so arrogant, the Hundred-Ward Officer would gladly oblige.
He threw a fully charged punch. His fist hurt upon impact, and a red mark appeared on Ye Si’s chest. Yet Ye Si remained unmoving, not even a hint of expression on his face.
"Your turn."
The Hundred-Ward Officer took a deep breath and tensed all his muscles.
The reason he chose a civil duel was because he had come prepared.
The But-Six-Gu clan possessed a set of hard qigong from the northern border. Training had to start in youth, involving daily beatings and medicinal baths. The downside was that it took years to achieve entry-level mastery, with no shortcuts and zero reliance on talent. But the upside was that even a fool could master it—if one was willing to invest time and money, they could polish this defensive art to the extreme.
Once hard qigong was mastered, defense increased significantly, and pain sensation decreased. Thus, the Hundred-Ward Officer wasn’t afraid of brawling with Ye Si. Still, to guarantee victory, he chose this civil duel—he was convinced that even a Second-Stage Messenger couldn’t withstand more punishment than him in such a back-and-forth beating.
The first punch—he felt only a tickle, no pressure at all.
By the fifth punch—he started breathing harder, but it was still easy.
By the tenth punch—he felt slightly breathless, but still stood tall.
By the twentieth punch—he nearly collapsed to his knees, but forced himself upright.
By the thirtieth punch—his internal organs spasmed, and a rib might have snapped.
Thirty-six punches.
Before falling, his body curled up like a shrimp, and he vomited his breakfast with a loud retch. He struggled to lift his head and looked at Ye Si’s still expressionless face, wanting to ask: Don’t you feel any pain?
Ye Si’s chest had turned purple-black. Without hard qigong, several of his ribs were surely broken. Yet even so, Ye Si never cried out, never took a step back, silently enduring every blow and returning them with equal force.
Meanwhile, the Hundred-Ward Officer’s strength had begun to fade. The pain prevented him from even clenching his fists.
Impossible. How could Ye Si tolerate more than I can? He must be pretending!
The Hundred-Ward Officer took a deep breath, trying to dispel the pain in his chest. With a shout, he threw the thirty-seventh punch.
His fist hurt terribly. It looked like Ye Si’s chest had caved in. Yet Ye Si still did not fall. He stared at the officer with a blank expression, and then—
Smack!
With a muffled grunt, the Hundred-Ward Officer collapsed and couldn’t get up again. He gasped for air and whispered hoarsely, "You win."
After a moment of silence, thunderous cheers erupted across the camp. Everyone shouted “Ye Si”, “Captain Ye”. In the military camp, strength and victory naturally earned respect.
This was a true loss—no excuses. It was his specialty, his chosen method, yet he still lost.
Autumn Ink was gone. His pride was gone.
Suddenly, something greasy and fragrant was stuffed into his mouth.
"Have a roasted chicken leg."
The Hundred-Ward Officer’s eyes widened as he saw Jiang Ten shove a roasted chicken leg into his mouth.
"When injured, eating a roasted chicken leg helps you heal faster," Jiang Ten said. "I’ll be taking Autumn Ink, then."
The officer slowly sat upright, eating the chicken leg as he watched Jiang Ten and Ye Si walk into the depths of the camp. For some reason, tears flowed down his face as he ate, and he shouted, "Lady Jiang, I won’t give up—cough, cough!"
Not far away, Gai Louxian watched this scene and let out a long sigh.
He had originally planned to officially enlist Lady Jiang into the Pingcheng Hundred-Ward, but now it seemed... shallow waters couldn’t raise a true dragon.
If she stayed any longer, more disputes would arise. But-Six-Gu was only the first to be tempted by her looks—he definitely wouldn’t be the last. In just a few days, over ten families had come asking about Lady Jiang, including one from Buye Tian—had her beauty already reached that far?
But-Six-Gu was also the son of a Commander. His devotion to Lady Jiang meant he wouldn’t give up. Yet Jiang Ten and Ye Si, these two who trained in the Secret Realm daily, were not the type to passively submit. One day, conflict was inevitable.
The only solution now was to find someone higher up to stabilize the situation—and pass this pair of hot potatoes upward. Pingcheng Military Camp was too small to hold their ambitions.
A figure of nobility emerged in Gai Louxian’s mind. He immediately summoned a scribe to draft a letter.
"To the Lord of Lecheng Prefecture: I, Gai Louxian, Supervisor of Pingcheng, report that two individuals have recently arrived at our camp..."