Let's Duel

"Your Excellency Kang De, please get in the car. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

The princess called out from the carriage.

Kang De ignored it.

He looked at Knight Glenn: "What are you laughing at?"

Glen's expression was disdainful. "Myself..."

Kang De replied indifferently, "Are you mocking me? Are you insulting me?"

The knight paused, then asked, "Who laughed at you?"

Before he could speak, Kang De said, "Let's duel."

The topic jumped so quickly that Knight Glenn was even more bewildered. Kang De's voice was loud enough that all the surrounding knights could hear him clearly, causing a stir among them.

Kang De said calmly, "What are your dueling customs? White gloves? In my hometown, the custom is to sign a death contract, regardless of life or death, and the means are unlimited. The winner must take out the loser's internal organs and offer them on the altar to the gods. We'll have that. Let's find a notary and begin."

Glen's expression changed slightly, and Hong San's eyes widened. A knight quietly retreated and quickly approached Samuel's carriage, whispering a few words to the viscount beside the carriage.

The viscount, being of noble status, prioritized entertaining Tina. He first escorted the princess to her carriage and was about to pay attention to Kang De when he heard the knight's report. His expression suddenly changed, and he strode over.

"Please wait a moment!"

He called out loudly, then approached and bowed slightly to Kang De: "Your Excellency Kang De, may I ask what has happened?"

Kang De pointed at Knight Glenn: "He insulted me."

Glen's eyes widened. "Sir! I didn't!"

Kang De said indifferently, "You mean, I'm lying? I came to Glittering Sand Island for the first time, had no grudge against you, risked offending the Good Family, and abandoned my honor, just to lie and slander you?"

This statement is very reasonable and well-founded, leaving no room for argument.

The knight had never seen such shamelessness before. His face flushed red with anger, and he roared, "I didn't!"

Kang De said calmly, "Then let's duel. The dead will lie, and the living will be honest."

The word "good" was on the tip of Knight Glenn's tongue, but he saw the viscount's sharp gaze.

Having just welcomed Princess Tina, his knights immediately engaged in a duel with the princess's distinguished guest, making it clear that it would be a fight to the death. Even if Samuel were the most magnanimous man, he would not allow such a thing to happen.

He bowed to Kang De and said, "I am deeply sorry; this was my oversight. Please forgive me."

Knight Glenn gritted his teeth and said, "My lord! I didn't..."

Kang De's gaze sharpened as he stared at him. "When the ship docked, you led your men on a patrol, and when you looked up at me, your eyes gleamed with disdain and contempt. I ask you, where did your contempt and disdain come from? Swearing to your gods, on the honor of a knight, do you dare say you didn't do it?"

Glen's anger intensified.

Before he could speak, Samuel said, "Knight Glenn apologizes to Kang De."

Knight Glenn looked indignant and was about to protest when he saw his viscount's eyes. He had been furious at first, but now he lowered his head like a defeated rooster.

He gritted his teeth and said, "I apologize, Your Excellency Kang De, it was my rudeness and disrespect."

"I accept," Kang De said, turning to the side. "Now, apologize to him."

Hong San looked bewildered.

Then he jolted awake and hurriedly said, "Uncle Kang De, I..."

Kang De turned and glanced at him, coldly saying, "Do you even have the right to speak here?"

Perhaps startled by that cold gaze, Hong San shut his mouth. Then Kang De turned back to the knight and said, "Didn't you hear me? Apologize to him."

Glen's forehead veins were bulging, and he looked like he was on the verge of having an attack.

For people like them, dignity and face are more important than life itself... especially in front of their fellow soldiers, and especially in front of the woman they love.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Why? Why should I apologize to him?"

Kang De said, "Because you laughed when he knelt down to be a stepping stone."

Glen was getting agitated. He stared directly at Kang De and said coldly, "Why can't I laugh? He's so lowly and despicable, utterly without dignity, doing something so shameless—can't I laugh?"

"Don't laugh."

Kang De said, "His master is Samuel. He served me on his master's orders, and fearing I wouldn't be used to riding your horses, he didn't hesitate to use his body as a stepping stone, lying prone in the filthy dust, just to make me feel more secure. He was so loyal, even abandoning his dignity and disregarding filth to carry out his master's orders perfectly. And you ridicule his behavior. Are you questioning his loyalty to the Viscount, or do you think this loyalty is actually worthless?"

The alien natives were speechless.

After all, their knowledge is limited and their cultural level is low. How could they possibly be a match for the Earthlings who argue with keyboard warriors and trolls all day long in the internet age? With Kang De's verbal skills, he could easily deal with them.

They could be cornered in no time.

"That's one point."

It's not over yet.

Kang De said, "Secondly, Viscount Samuel assigned Hong San to me as a temporary servant and guide, which means that during this period I was his temporary master. He served me diligently, yet he was ridiculed and mocked for no reason. You are not only humiliating him, but also humiliating me, do you understand?"

He stretched out his hand, tapping the knight's armor, and calmly said, "You are a knight of the Good Family. Your words and actions represent not only your personal life but also the honor of the entire family. I ask you, won't your behavior bring shame to the Good Family?"

"I'm speaking to you today out of respect for Samuel, because there's a saying in my hometown: it's very unkind to kill an ignorant person who has made a mistake without teaching or guiding them. Since you're so ignorant, I'll teach you what manners and reason are, but this is where it ends."

He turned to the other knights present, hands behind his back. "Not only did you laugh, but your companions laughed too. Now you have two choices. First, apologize to Hong San on behalf of your companions and yourself, and let this matter end here. Otherwise, I won't say another word to you. I will first teach these principles to your companions, make them understand their mistakes, and make them apologize to my servant. After that..."

He said calmly, "Let's duel. I've explained the principles to you, and I've done everything I should. Even if I kill you, the gods won't blame me."

A knight of a viscount's domain had never seen such a spectacle before.

They have a whole set of reasons that are so convincing that you can't refute them, and yet you still have to listen to them.

Knight Glenn even sensed the commotion behind him.

His companions were all looking at him with their eyes, absolutely.

They were scared too.

He was afraid of being scolded like a child by an Easterner in front of everyone, in front of the Viscount and his family, and having to listen obediently—because the Viscount and Goth People were right there.

Damn it, that's infuriating.

What hurt him most was hearing Samuel Samuel's words.

"You truly are a noble gentleman from the East," the Viscount sighed. "The Good Family has a lax family tradition and lacks etiquette. This small country place is quite a laughing stock for you."

These words were worth more than ten thousand commands and reprimands. Knight Glenn shuddered and immediately bowed to Hong San, saying, "Hong San, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mocked you."

Hong San waved his hands uneasily, "No, no, no, you're too kind of me, I..."

"Hong San," Kang De said, "From now on, you'd better stand up straight and keep your knees straight, or you'd better go back to your viscount's side and serve him, and don't get in my way."

Hong San was taken aback for a moment, then immediately replied, "Yes!"

But how can one cut off the braid in one's heart?

Kang De looked away from him, and also from the clenched fists and clenched teeth of the Knight Glenn. He nodded to Viscount Samuel: "I'm so sorry for the trouble."

Samuel smiled politely, as if he hadn't taken the previous incident to heart at all.

He said, "Not at all, it's our fault for not being hospitable enough."

Kang De glanced at Tina in the distance. The princess had tried to rush over earlier but was stopped by the knights, and was now looking this way with concern.

He said, "Then I must take my leave. Princess Tina needs to speak with me."

Samuel smiled and said, "Please, go ahead."

Kang De didn't set off immediately, but instead went to the horse that Knight Glenn had brought. Even a novice like Kang De, who had only ridden a few times, could tell that this horse was very temperamental and would bully people. If a novice were to ride it, he would definitely be jostled around and make a fool of himself, or even fall off.

That Knight Glenn clearly had ill intentions.

"It's a pity, it's been so long since I rode a horse."

He reached out and grabbed the horse's mouth, rubbing it roughly a few times.

A horse's lips are very soft and feel comfortable to touch, but generally speaking, no horse likes to have its mouth and nose touched because this area is very sensitive and will cause them discomfort. So, if a person touches this area casually, they will be bitten and it will hurt a lot. It is basically a taboo for horse owners.

Moreover, it was a warhorse with a fierce temperament.

But this horse, known for its fierce temperament in the Glittering Sand stables, did not bite when its mouth was grabbed. It did not struggle, nor did it even dare to move. Its body was even trembling slightly.

"This horse is nice."

Kang De said calmly, "Unfortunately, a bit too timid."

As for what's good about it—of course he didn't know; he was just showing off.

Then he walked toward Tina's carriage.

Hong San followed obediently behind, his back hunched over unconsciously.

The knights then looked at the horse.

Iron Halberd... cowardly?

Samuel squinted, watching Kang De's retreating figure.

Hong San flattered him in a low voice, "Master, you really have a way of keeping these barbarians from uttering a sound."

Kang De coldly replied, "I was just in a bad mood, throwing a tantrum to vent my frustration. Do you really have a way of making a living here?"

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PS1: First update, 3000 words... Ah, it's so hot! Second update will be a little later.