Chapter 226: Courage

Chapter 226: Courage

When Baili Wei heard the furious roar of Prince Bei, her body involuntarily trembled in fear.

After taking a few steps back, as if she could no longer maintain her dignity, she suddenly turned and fled in panic.

Seeing their own princess being humiliated by an enemy prince, for a moment, the people of Great Shen did not feel any humiliation. Instead, they felt a sense of satisfaction.

She deserved to be scolded like that!

They couldn't understand what her mind was made of, whether there was anything inside it at all, or what her heart was made of, whether it was full of darkness.

Watching the farce below, Baili Hongxuan seemed oblivious, leaning casually against the backrest with a cup of sake in his left hand.

Miss Su was still too restrained.

The scolding wasn’t harsh enough.

Thinking about how the Third Princess had dared to be arrogant earlier, Baili Hongxuan's eyes flickered, and he quickly turned his gaze back to Xie Yuan on the Martial Arts Field.

He had promised Xie Yuan that if he won this martial arts competition, he would entrust Baili Wei to him, allowing him to dispose of her as he wished, whether to kill or maim.

Xie Yuan, do not disappoint me.

Baili Hongxuan whispered to himself, then drained the cup of sake.

At this moment, on the Martial Arts Field, after the Dongrong Country won the archery contest, their spirits were visibly lifted, and they began shouting excitedly, seemingly extremely thrilled.

In previous years, when the Dongrong people participated in Great Shen’s martial arts competitions, they had lost interest, as they always dominated the events, making them unexciting.

But this year’s competition was different. Not only was there a high-stakes bet, but also several worthy opponents, adding challenge and excitement.

The morale of Great Shen's warriors was slightly low, but not too bad, considering they had secured the first victory.

One match alone didn't mean much.

However, these young men of Great Shen, who were not very familiar with each other, quickly gathered together, cheering each other on, forging a sense of brotherhood.

"Brother, you're really amazing!" Xiao Silang did not know Zhe Jing's name, but thinking about how he had clinched the first victory at the last moment, he was still incredibly excited.

Zhe Jing smiled slightly. "I've heard that Xiao Silang is also a skilled martial artist, just not proficient in archery. In the upcoming combat, you'll have your chance to show off."

"Huh, you know me?" Xiao Silang was delighted. Although he did not recognize this young man, knowing that the other person knew him made him feel closer, grinning foolishly.

"I am under Lord Xie's command, so naturally, I know many people, including Xiao Silang," Zhe Jing said with a smile.

But he was not telling the whole truth.

Although Xiao Silang was also from the nobility, he had achieved nothing, and in the past, Zhe Jing would not have bothered to remember him.

But since Lady and the Miss of Jinghai Hou Mansion became friends, everything changed...

Lord had ordered him to investigate the Jinghai Hou Mansion thoroughly, almost finding out where their ancestors' graves were.

It would be strange if he did not know Xiao Silang.

"So you’re one of Lord Xie's men! No wonder you're so impressive!" Xiao Silang exclaimed in surprise.

From the beginning, he thought that although Xie Yuan's bet was rash, it was a bold move that would bring honor to Great Shen.

Great Shen had been kneeling before Dongrong for too long; how could the young men not feel resentment?

But they could not voice their discontent, nor dare to express it openly.

Now that Lord Xie stood up to directly confront Dongrong, how could it not inspire them? Were they to kneel to Dongrong forever?

They were all human; why should the people of Great Shen be inferior to those of Dongrong?

So from the start, he supported Xie Yuan, unlike most others. Learning that the winner of the first match was also one of Xie Yuan's men increased his admiration for Xie Yuan.

Zhe Jing thought to himself, this was impressive. He did not know how many capable individuals Lord had under his command, some even whom he had to address respectfully. Today, they were already present, hidden among the ranks.

If Lord did not have complete confidence, he would not have made such a bet.

However, the people Dongrong brought this year were indeed unexpected, especially that Wolfslayer Clan member who had not appeared in the city before. Otherwise, they would not have missed such a formidable opponent.

Zhe Jing smiled, and with a few words, he had cheered up Xiao Silang, who began talking non-stop, revealing everything on his mind.

But two matches had already finished, and the team combat was about to begin, leaving little time for idle chat.

"This round, let me handle it!" Seeing Xie Yuan selecting participants, Xiao Silang immediately ran over, saying excitedly, "Lord Xie, pick me, pick me!"

Xie Yuan's gaze fell on him. Seeing the young man's face still had a hint of childishness, but his body was robust and fearless, he nodded slightly.

Seeing his approval, Xiao Silang was so elated he nearly jumped for joy. He quickly ran to the side, picked his weapon, and pointed at the Dongrong opponents, saying, "Let me take you on! Watch me beat you down!"

On the stands, Xiao Feiyang watched her foolish brother, whose figure looked like a calf facing a tiger compared to the Dongrong warriors, and felt it was a pitiful sight.

This... Fourth Brother was foolish. He clearly lacked strength compared to the Dongrong people but still dared to provoke them.

What if they all targeted him?

If he was the first to be knocked down, she wouldn't even want to admit he was her brother. At least he should be the second!

Xiao Feiyang sighed deeply. Just then, she noticed a gap beside Su Youyue and quickly slipped into the space.

"Yue'er!"

Su Youyue saw Xiao Feiyan finally squeeze her way over and smiled as she handed her a piece of candy. "Feiyan, your Fourth Brother is about to take the stage."

Xiao Feiyan took the candy but felt like covering her face. "Why do I feel like my Fourth Brother is a bit embarrassing?"

Su Youyue also thought that Xiao Silang's actions were somewhat foolish. After all, the opponents were clearly much stronger, and team cooperation was essential in a group duel. If Xiao Silang were targeted by all the enemies and knocked out first, their Great Shen team would be short one member, making it even harder for them.

But such youthful enthusiasm was understandable. A sincere and spirited young martial artist like him was rare in Great Shen.

With young men like them, Great Shen's future could indeed be promising!

Su Youyue did not speak up for Xiao Silang, but Su Rong beside her countered, "Sister Feiyan, your brother is fighting for the country; that’s not embarrassing at all. In fact, I think he’s quite brave!"