A Fair Duel

Oh, right! I still have the Savage Wolf King's beast heart I can use, Ye Qiang suddenly thought, feeling a bit frustrated.

He regretted even more as he was escorted out by the three of them. He had entered the "cave" to avoid trouble, and now it seemed like a mistake.

Ye Qiang looked at the two Wuji Sword Sect youths walking on either side of him, then glanced at the beautiful girl behind him, who was escorting him.

With a cheerful smile, he said, "With three great experts like you protecting me, I should be safe to reach your Wuji Sword Sect."

After looking at the particularly tall youth, he added, "I really would like to visit your Wuji Sword Sect."

The tall youth, seeing that Ye Qiang—who was about to be taken to their sect to be executed—was still smiling, spoke with evident annoyance, "If I were you, I'd already be kneeling on the ground begging us."

"Let me give you a little tip."

"Once we take you back to our sect and hand you over to our master,"

"Our master will definitely throw you into the alchemy furnace and turn you into sparkling, translucent spiritual stones."

Seeing that Ye Qiang didn't immediately reply, the tall youth spoke smugly again, "How's that?"

"Scared now?"

"Hahaha! If you don't want us to take you back to the sect, you should kneel and beg for mercy. If you make me happy, maybe I'll actually let you go."

"What do you think?"

"Is that true? If I kneel and beg for mercy, you'll really let me go?" Ye Qiang asked, pretending to sound pitiful.

At the same time, he thought to himself, One day, you'll be the one kneeling and begging me.

"Senior Brother, stop teasing him," the blue-haired girl, Meng'er, interjected. "Although he's from the Blood Sword Sect, I don't think he's some major criminal. Let's take him back and let Master handle him!"

But the tall youth ignored his junior sister and continued addressing Ye Qiang, "I, Gao Feng, always keep my word!"

The scar-faced youth, who had been quietly watching, said nothing and continued walking.

"Sorry, big brother!" Ye Qiang said slyly, using a sarcastic tone. "I never beg scoundrels who rely on sneak attacks to capture me."

At the same time, he mischievously thought, If you were this beautiful blue-haired lady, I would kneel down and propose to you right away.

Meng'er and the scar-faced youth both thought, He's really crafty.

Seeing Gao Feng's face turn ugly, Ye Qiang felt a sense of satisfaction.

Despite Gao Feng's imposing stature, his heart was narrow, and his personality was impulsive.

The moment Ye Qiang had acted cheerful and said they were escorting him, the proud expression on Gao Feng's face had vanished, which Ye Qiang quickly seized upon.

He was sure that in the next second, Gao Feng would challenge him—this was a flaw in human nature.

As expected, Gao Feng's face flushed with anger. He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

He shouted to the blue-haired girl behind him, "Meng'er!"

"Quick, help me take off his handcuffs."

"I want to have a fair duel with him."

"I'll beat him until he's convinced."

"Otherwise, people will always say we're sneaky cowards who win by surprise attacks."

At this moment, Meng'er was at a loss, knowing her senior brother a little too well.

In her heart, Meng'er, the girl with blue hair, always saw Gao Feng as someone who was extremely proud, very concerned about his reputation, and a perfectionist. Once he made a decision, no one could change his mind.

She glanced at Gao Feng and then at the scar-faced youth before asking, "Senior Brother, what do you think...?"

Before Meng'er could finish her sentence, the scar-faced youth interrupted, saying, "Junior Sister, just let Senior Brother Gao Feng have his fun with this guy."

The scar-faced youth knew Gao Feng's character well. Gao Feng couldn't stand being criticized and was easily provoked. Additionally, the scar-faced youth understood that although Ye Qiang was clearly trying to provoke Gao Feng into a duel in order to escape, Ye Qiang's cultivation was at a lower level than theirs, and he couldn't possibly win against Gao Feng. If Ye Qiang tried to run, he wouldn't be able to escape their pursuit.

The scar-faced youth also knew that their strength was far superior to Ye Qiang's, and their stamina was double his. This was why he agreed to let Meng'er untie Ye Qiang, allowing them to have a fair duel.

Meng'er thought for a moment and decided to listen to her two senior brothers. She drew her sword lightly and cut the knot on the cloth bindings around Ye Qiang's hands. She then stepped aside, preparing to watch.

"You're a waste!" Gao Feng shouted. "Pick up your sword!"

"You wanted fairness, right?" he continued. "Well, I'll give you a chance to lose honorably!"

Ye Qiang, still smiling, replied, "I greatly admire your sense of justice, Senior Brother. However, given the gap in our strength, if we were to follow traditional rules, I would have no choice but to admit defeat."

"Why don't we try a different kind of contest? If you can beat me, I'll admit defeat and accept it. What do you say?" Ye Qiang said with a smile, while his eyes scanned the surroundings. He saw large, dark trees and scattered rocks—this didn't seem like the best place to run away. But it was the only chance he had to escape.

"Haha, interesting," Gao Feng said, intrigued. "Tell me, how do you want to compete?"

"No matter what you propose, I'm ready," he added confidently. "But let me make this clear—if you try any tricks, I'll kill you."

Although Gao Feng was impulsive, he wasn't stupid. He knew that Ye Qiang was deliberately trying to trick them, but his pride wouldn't allow him to back down. Gao Feng was determined to teach Ye Qiang a lesson for challenging him.

He also considered that if Ye Qiang tried to escape, he was sure to catch him.

That's why he added the warning: "If you try any tricks, I'll make sure to kill you." It was a clear threat—if Ye Qiang tried to flee, he would die in Gao Feng's hands.