Chapter 140

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Chapter 140: Relying Solely on brute force?

One-on-one?

Xia Heguang frowned slightly as he looked at Huang Xiaolong and said, “Xiaolong, I know you’re not convinced, but…”

Fang Yu’s strength was completely inconsistent with the cultivation he had displayed.

He could easily defeat the so-called martial arts genius Yang Jian, who was said to appear once every fifty years in Jiangnan, and he could also slay those two master-level assassins…

Recalling the first time he saw Fang Yu, when a bunch of dead fish suddenly floated up, Xia Heguang knew that Fang Yu’s strength was absolutely far beyond that of an innate martial artist.

Huang Xiaolong only saw the cultivation aura that Fang Yu revealed but did not notice his true strength.

“Commander, if he really has the strength, why do you need to stop my request for a one-on-one duel? If he can defeat me, then he can naturally win everyone’s respect. If he loses to me, it just proves that he is not fit to lead!” Huang Xiaolong interrupted Xia Heguang.

His heart was filled with jealousy, to the point that he neglected the respect due to his superior and repeatedly interrupted Xia Heguang.

Under normal circumstances, such behavior would warrant punishment!

“Xiaolong is right! Grandpa, just let Xiaolong have a one-on-one duel with Fang Yu! If you rashly make him the captain for this competition, not only will Xiaolong and the team not accept it, but I won’t either!” Xia Weiyu, standing to the side, shot a displeased glance at Fang Yu and spoke up.

“Sister…” Xia Tinghe wanted to stop Xia Weiyu from speaking, her face a bit pale.

She had witnessed Fang Yu’s terrifying abilities and knew how strong he was.

If Huang Xiaolong were to duel Fang Yu and anger him, the consequences would be unimaginable!

“Tinghe, what’s wrong with you today? Why would you rather help an outsider like Fang Yu than speak up for us?” Xia Weiyu exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Xia Tinghe sighed softly and fell silent.

She understood her sister’s stubborn nature well; saying more now would be useless.

Xia Heguang glanced at Fang Yu and found him leisurely sipping tea while looking at a birdcage hanging from a branch in the distance, seemingly indifferent to the events unfolding around him.

It was as if what was happening had nothing to do with him.

“Commander, I hope you can agree to my request! Otherwise, I will never be convinced!” Huang Xiaolong bowed to Xia Heguang and said solemnly.

Xia Heguang’s expression grew serious as he replied, “Your request depends on whether Master Fang is willing to accept it.”

After saying this, everyone turned to look at Fang Yu.

At that moment, Fang Yu was lost in thought while watching the birds in the cage. Suddenly sensing the surrounding silence, he came back to his senses and asked, “So, what’s the conclusion of your discussion?”

“Master Fang, may I ask if you are willing to accept Xiaolong’s request for a duel?” Xia Heguang inquired.

Xia Heguang had led troops before; he knew that to gain the respect of the elite outside for a captain who had just been parachuted in, mere words would not suffice.

Fang Yu needed to demonstrate his strength to silence them completely.

Thus, Huang Xiaolong’s proposal for a duel was also a great opportunity for Fang Yu.

Fang Yu glanced at Huang Xiaolong, smiled faintly, and said, “Haven’t we already sparred before?”

“Does that count? You ran away right after! How can that be considered a spar?” Xia Weiyu shouted from the side.

Huang Xiaolong narrowed his eyes and said, “I know you have some brute strength, but martial arts is not just about brute force. Otherwise, all the strongmen in the world would be martial arts masters.”

“Brute strength…” Fang Yu shook his head and replied, “You don’t understand martial arts deeply enough. No matter the method, as long as you can defeat your opponent, you are considered strong.”

Huang Xiaolong sneered coldly and said, “Then, may I ask if you have the courage to duel me? I can prove my point that in real combat, brute strength is merely an aid; the most important factors are agility and various fighting techniques.”

“Alright, since you insist on having a match, let’s do it.” Fang Yu stood up and stretched.

“Let’s go outside to fight; those fifty-four elites are out there, and we can have them as witnesses for this spar.” Huang Xiaolong’s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing Fang Yu agree.

He would soon prove that Fang Yu was merely an innate martial artist with some brute strength. As a martial arts master, he could crush Fang Yu in terms of cultivation level, the use of true energy, and fighting techniques!

At the same time, showcasing his strength in front of the fifty-four elites was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to establish his authority!

…

Everyone moved outside the courtyard.

There stood a formation of elites, most of whom were innate martial artists above the tenth stage, with a few having reached the half-step master level.

Upon seeing Xia Heguang come out, these elites saluted in unison, shouting, “Commander!”

“This is the captain candidate selected by Commander Xia; his name is Fang Yu,” Huang Xiaolong said with a smile, introducing Fang Yu to the elites.

Hearing Huang Xiaolong’s words, everyone turned to look at Fang Yu, their expressions varied.

From the aura emanating from Fang Yu, he appeared to be an innate martial artist at the seventh or eighth stage.

This cultivation level was too low, and he looked so young, more like a student.

How could the commander choose such a person to lead?

Surely, any one of them would be more suitable to lead than this young man!

Of course, they dared not voice these thoughts, keeping them bottled up inside.

However, the way they looked at Fang Yu and their suddenly darkened expressions spoke volumes.

The military was a place that valued strength; even if this young man had some familial connection to Xia Heguang, they would not accept him.

“Don’t be too disappointed, everyone; Fang Yu is just a captain candidate; he may not necessarily become the captain,” Huang Xiaolong suddenly said with a smile.

With this, the expressions of the elites eased slightly.

“With the commander’s permission, I will now spar with Fang Yu to determine who will be the captain,” Huang Xiaolong continued.

Upon hearing this, the elites became excited.

Huang Xiaolong was their direct superior and could be considered their instructor.

They naturally preferred Huang Xiaolong as their captain to lead them in this competition.

“Alright, stand down; you can watch our spar from the side, and you will also serve as witnesses.” Huang Xiaolong said, standing with his hands behind his back.

The previously straight-standing elites immediately relaxed.

Moments later, the fifty-four elite team members sat on the grass nearby, watching Fang Yu and Huang Xiaolong in the open space not far away.

The spar was about to begin.

“Hey, how many punches do you think this kid can take from a high-ranking guard?”

“I took three punches from a high-ranking guard in a boxing class last time, and my chest hurt for a week… This kid looks so weak; I think he can take at most one punch.”

“One punch? That’s too weak, right? How could the commander choose such a weakling to be our captain? Isn’t that looking down on us?”

The elite team members whispered among themselves, occasionally bursting into mocking laughter.

In their eyes, Fang Yu, with only innate cultivation at the seventh or eighth stage, stood no chance against Huang Xiaolong.

Xia Heguang and the two sisters stood on the other side.

“Look at that Fang Yu; he’s about to spar and still looks so lazy. Does he really think he’s some unparalleled master? Xiaolong will definitely knock him down!” Xia Weiyu said, her eyes filled with discontent as she watched Fang Yu.

Seeing Xia Tinghe beside her remain silent, Xia Weiyu pinched her sister’s arm and asked, “Tinghe, you must be rooting for Xiaolong, right?”

Xia Tinghe bit her pink lip and quietly said, “I think… Fang Yu will win.”

She had been having nightmares lately, dreaming of Fang Yu completely overpowering those two assassins.

“Hmph, Tinghe, you’ve betrayed us! You’d rather support an outsider than Xiaolong!” Xia Weiyu said, a bit dissatisfied.

Xia Tinghe’s beautiful eyes flashed with surprise as she looked at Xia Weiyu and said, “Sister, do you mean… Xiaolong is not an outsider? You and he…”

Xia Weiyu’s face turned red, and she quickly shook her head, saying, “Tinghe… don’t talk nonsense. I… I haven’t established a relationship with Xiaolong yet.”

Xia Tinghe smiled gently and said nothing more.

Xia Heguang overheard the sisters’ conversation but did not comment.

His attention was entirely on Fang Yu.

Although he knew Fang Yu was strong, it was all hearsay.

Today, he finally had the opportunity to witness Fang Yu’s skills.