Jiang Che was not at all surprised by the emergence of a troublemaker. Even before he had taken office, Liu Zhi had warned him to be careful and advised him to deal with any troublemakers cleanly and decisively. Only then could he hold his position securely and win everyone's sincere respect.
Of course, Jiang Che could have refused Deng Yan's challenge.
But if he did, his authority would be utterly swept away. No one would heed his words or obey his orders, which would be extremely disadvantageous for someone trying to command his subordinates.
So Jiang Che accepted without hesitation.
He also wanted to test just how far his strength had progressed.
Deng Yan nodded and slowly stepped onto the stone platform. Nearly everyone below turned their eyes toward him and Jiang Che, some with admiration, others with disdain.
Hu An glanced at Jin Dayya, who stood nearby watching intently, and let out a cold sneer.
Liu Zhi retreated to the edge of the stone platform, his expression equally far from relaxed.
Since Deng Yan dared issue a challenge, his strength was certainly no ordinary thing. Yet Jiang Che had only practiced martial arts for half a month. Even with Jiang Che's exceptional talent, his chances of winning could not be very high.
But Liu Zhi could neither refuse for him nor intervene himself.
Jiang Che was his trusted confidant and represented his dignity. It would be easy for Liu Zhi to stop Deng Yan for Jiang Che, but if one wanted to survive in the martial camp, without outstanding strength, one could never truly win the crowd over.
The cold wind stirred a strand of hair by Deng Yan's cheek. He raised his head and gripped the hilt of his saber.
"Deputy Commander Jiang, are you not using a weapon?"
"To deal with you, there's no need."
Jiang Che answered indifferently.
It was not that he was deliberately putting on airs. He simply had never systematically trained in saber techniques, and using one casually would only drag him down. After all, he had only cultivated Savage Bull Strength so far.
All his strength lay in his fists.
Jiang Che's "contempt" did not make Deng Yan underestimate him. Instead, it made him think Jiang Che was relying on formidable strength and feared nothing. His gaze grew increasingly solemn as he shifted his left foot half a step forward and assumed a stance to gather power.
Without a single word of warning, Deng Yan moved the next instant.
The two stood roughly three zhang apart. The hand gripping the saber hilt suddenly pulled.
Clang!
A flash of cold light seized the soul. The scabbard smashed toward Jiang Che as Deng Yan feinted forward two steps, then thrust his saber straight at Jiang Che's chest.
The change happened almost between sparks and flint. In an instant, the saber tip had reached Jiang Che. Though there was still some distance between them, he could nonetheless feel the blade's edge.
Then he slid one step backward, intending to open the distance.
His opponent was fast, but Jiang Che had already mastered Savage Bull Strength completely. His reactions were no slower. With one simple backward step, it was clear that his stance training had seeped into his bones.
It was almost an instinctive response, without the slightest instability.
Jiang Che's retreat was within Deng Yan's expectations. He swiftly changed his move, turning the direct thrust into a leftward slash. With a sweep that could rout an army, his saber even let out a howling cry.
"Slash!"
Whoosh!
The saber blade tore through the air. Jiang Che's legs left the ground, and he spun through the air, narrowly avoiding the strike once more. The sharp blade even cleanly severed a small lock of hair before his forehead.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
The next dozen or so moves almost became Deng Yan's personal showcase. Dazzling saber light flashed without end, displaying his extraordinary attainments in saberplay, yet Jiang Che always managed to "just happen" to evade every strike.
The hearts of those below tightened. Geng Dabiao and the others were worried, while many from the original martial camp secretly cheered.
Well done!
He had checked the arrogance of Liu Zhi and Jiang Che.
But only Deng Yan, at the center of the clash, understood.
No matter how flashy these moves were, they were utterly useless.
Because no matter what tricky techniques he used, no matter how he seemed to drive Jiang Che into a dead end, had Jiang Che suffered even the slightest injury so far?
Meanwhile, he could hardly sustain such enormous expenditure.
If this stalemate continued, he would undoubtedly lose.
Liu Zhi also saw the signs. He had been somewhat worried before, but now, seeing the situation on the platform, he had long since put his heart at ease. Jiang Che would certainly win this battle.
Every step was exquisitely brilliant in his eyes, and Jiang Che even held the initiative in the exchange.
Such stance work... was simply perfect!
Even Liu Zhi, who had already broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, could not easily achieve it.
This kid was growing far too quickly.
The only flaw was that Jiang Che seemed intent on slowly dragging Deng Yan to death, nibbling away at him bit by bit. It was nowhere near as satisfying as giving Deng Yan a thorough, exhilarating beating.
But what Liu Zhi did not know was that Jiang Che wanted that too.
The truth was that he had no weapon in hand and could only fight this way.
Moreover, Deng Yan's saber technique was indeed highly refined. Several times, Jiang Che had nearly exposed an opening, only for Deng Yan to react swiftly and seize upon it.
Whoosh!
Accompanied by a ringing saber cry, Deng Yan shot into the air with a thump, then chopped downward from above. The previous high-intensity saberplay had already driven him to his limit.
If he wanted victory, he could only stake everything on one desperate gamble.
But that also gave Jiang Che an opportunity.
Jiang Che sidestepped the descending blade. Then, the cool inner breath within his body gathered in his right arm. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them until only one chi remained.
He gathered strength.
He threw a punch!
The power of Jiang Che's entire inner breath erupted completely. A muffled boom burst through the air as Deng Yan's pupils suddenly contracted. It was already too late to withdraw his saber.
He raised his left arm across his chest to block.
Bang!
With an explosive crash, Deng Yan was sent flying several meters away. The saber in his hand was flung helplessly away as well.
After flying backward, his body rolled several times across the ground. He dropped to one knee, clutching his left arm tightly with his other hand, his face twisted in agony.
The entire scene fell silent.
The sudden reversal stunned everyone present except Liu Zhi. Hu An, Jin Dayya, and the others stood rooted in place with their mouths hanging open.
Hadn't Deng Yan clearly held the upper hand?
How had he suddenly been blasted away?
This made no sense!
After sending Deng Yan flying, Jiang Che did not remain where he was to show off. Borrowing momentum in several strides, he swung both fists like heavy hammers toward Deng Yan's head.
After being arrogant for so long, it was Jiang Che's turn now.
If those heavy hammer blows landed, anyone could foresee Deng Yan's head bursting apart like a watermelon.
Bang!
With a light sound, Deng Yan dropped to both knees.
Jiang Che's fists stopped steadily one inch above Deng Yan's head without falling, but the wind from his punches scattered Deng Yan's casually tied hair.
"Not fighting anymore?"
Jiang Che stared down at Deng Yan from above.
"I lost."
Deng Yan raised his head, his voice hoarse. His left arm was still trembling incessantly.
That punch had nearly shattered his left arm.
Jiang Che's strength far surpassed his own.
Those dozens of exchanges earlier had merely been Jiang Che playing with him.
At that moment, Deng Yan believed he had seen the truth.
"A bet is a bet. Deng Yan is willing to accept whatever punishment Deputy Commander Jiang sees fit."
He lowered his head and spoke quietly as he looked at Jiang Che's shoes.
"From today onward, stay by my side and serve obediently."
Deng Yan's eyes showed some surprise. He had thought Jiang Che would expel him from the West City Martial Camp, but he quickly came to his senses.
"This subordinate... obeys."
Jiang Che clasped his hands behind his back, faced the crowd below, and continued.
"Now then... who agrees, and who objects?"