Chapter 176: Still Let Me Do It

Done!

Wu Jinliang glanced at the stunned parties, chuckled, turned around, and walked back.

Mai Zhanzhang instinctively turned to Wan Daoxuan, who quickly gave him a signal to ascertain Shi Chun's true intentions. So, Mai Zhanzhang, limping, quickly followed. Several remaining leaders also hurried along, and the group crowded into Shi Chun's cave. Outside, a disheveled crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.

There was no need for circumlocution. Upon entering the cave, Mai Zhanzhang directly expressed his concern, "Leader, you must choose your own opponent; you can't let them choose."

"Yes, yes, the other side has many masters; you'll be at a disadvantage." "That's right, they haven't agreed yet; renegotiating now isn't breaking a promise." Shi Chun glanced at them and asked, "Can they just let me pick any opponent I want?" "This..." The group was speechless. This was clearly impossible; if he chose the weakest, they certainly wouldn't agree.

Mai Zhanzhang added, "Leader, this kind of duel is disadvantageous for us. We must think twice before acting!"

Shi Chun cut in, "Think about what? Do you really believe they would negotiate with you and give up something they've already decided on? What pipe dream are you having, expecting them to spit out meat that's already in their mouth? They're just going through the motions with you; are you taking it seriously? I'll give it a try. Of course, if you think it's more appropriate for someone else to take the fall, I don't mind. Moreover, you yourselves have a guilty conscience, and you've forced the other side to come up with a solution. If we even reject that solution and completely give up, what will be the consequences for the insect crystals?"

So, they went out again to explain to everyone.

This silver-gleaming assassin's flash assassination move was too powerful. The opponent clearly hadn't used their full strength, and at that time, I didn't even have 70% confidence. The most obvious issue wasn't the duration of my left eye's special ability. Shouldn't the opponent send out their weakest fighter?

For us, caution is essential and ingrained, but when truly faced with something that must be done, we dare to act. We never wait until we have 100% certainty before acting; as long as there's a 30% chance of success, we'll dive in and give it a try. However, having less than 70% certainty is akin to having no chance of winning; it's too dangerous.

Guan Yingjie replied, "No one died; he managed to escape after being humiliated, and he's already met up with us since then." He said to the messenger, "Inform Shi Chun's side to confirm, then let them pass."

Wu Jinliang, however, immediately understood. "Ah, how could I forget the precious armor on me?" His eyes lit up, "Then perhaps I can try again."

Mai Zhanzhang, however, felt that a 70% chance was already very high. Of course, he didn't think the odds were generally high, but rather that Shi Chun might be overestimating himself. Could he really be that formidable?

After those people left, Wu Jinliang immediately asked Mulan, "If they send Wang Shengqing to duel you, do you have confidence?"

You Xiashan couldn't help but ask, "Miss Sui Yi (Mulan), what is Shi Chun's background?"

You Xiashan was moved and tentatively asked, "The reason you have an engagement with him, could it be that he is not just an ordinary Disciple of Chujing Hall?"

(The speaker, possibly Mulan, reflected): "After continuous depletion of blood energy several times, my body couldn't handle it. Now, after testing, my recovery rate has doubled. With the improvement in my physical toughness, my confidence has only risen to 70%." "The possibility of winning by sheer force isn't high," she mused, then added, "Perhaps 70% confidence."

These questions were difficult to answer. Wang Shengqing avoided a direct reply, instead volunteering, "Let me do it. I will fight him."

Tang Zhen misunderstood and said, "Where did another junior sister come from? Wasn't our junior sister already..." (He trailed off, implying something bad had happened to her).

You Xiashan said, "I truly didn't expect him to propose such a solution. We can't avoid this move. We can find excuses to reject other methods, but how can we reject this? A challenge from a Chujing Hall disciple? We wouldn't dare accept, or we'd become a laughingstock. Thinking about how Chao Zhilin was captured, and not knowing how he was captured, I'm somewhat skeptical. Could it be Wang Shengqing who will duel?"

Tang Zhen tentatively asked, "Brother Guan, is there any difficulty?"

"Ah, 70%... isn't that a bit low?" Wu Jinliang asked, a troubled look on his face.

Mai Zhanzhang also expressed his concern: the sects that had joined them, realizing they were now 'in too deep', knew that the story about the engagement was fabricated. As for the specific compromise reached between the parties involved, he wasn't clear. However, if Wang Shengqing's side hadn't made some concession, they wouldn't have continued to follow Shi Chun and his sworn brother this far.

Originally, after fighting Chao Zhilin, my understanding of the situation was quite limited. But upon witnessing Wang Shengqing kill Hu Yandao, I realized that Wang Shengqing's strength was far beyond Chao Zhilin's, and my comprehension of the challenge immediately increased. I was quite uncertain about engaging Wang Shengqing's secret magical techniques, but now I could observe the patterns of her hidden moves.

"What?"

This suddenly made the hearts of You Xiashan and the other two sink. They were all inwardly startled. That's it! They had found it strange before: with Wang Shengqing's background, how could her elders casually arrange such an important life event for her? Now it all made sense.

From the moment I targeted the Suyuan Sect, I was pushing the situation in this direction. Just now, everything fell into place naturally. I knew that if I spoke at the perfect moment, the opponent would have no way out and would have to accept the challenge. I hadn't expected Xuanzhou to hide such a powerful expert; if I had blindly rushed in, I would have regretted it deeply.

Wang Shengqing didn't know how to reply. She remained silent, which was taken as assent.

Li Shanshan said, "We must accept the challenge. Although Shi Chun wants to go through the motions, we still need to face it seriously. Our informant says Shi Chun is quite powerful, often bravely leading charges and overcoming strong enemies in battles. So, we mustn't take him lightly. If anything unexpected happens, it would be a huge problem..."

I turned to look at Sui Yilang and Tang Zhen beside me, "How about one of us three steps forward to personally handle this matter?"

The two of them sat on the cliff facing the sunset. Her profile, with strands of hair brushing her face, reappeared in my mind. Her gentle words, which could still find beauty even in adversity, gave me infinite courage to face the torment of the bitter falcon. I missed her again.

"Alright." The messenger bowed and left.

Since everything had been explained, You Xiashan and the other two exchanged glances and said nothing more. Their priority was to convey the main issue: Shi Chun had issued a challenge to resolve the problem.

But they still needed to give the three an explanation. Wang Shengqing could only prevaricate, "There are some things you don't know. I understand him better than you do."

Now that Shi Chun had actively stepped forward to represent his side and proposed a decisive battle, it raised more questions. The two (Sui Yilang and Tang Zhen) naturally became wary.

You Xiashan immediately changed his tone, "In that case, perhaps Brother Guan could personally make a trip?"

Wang Shengqing's strength was beyond doubt.

It was then discovered that Guan Yingjie slightly lowered his head, his face sullen. He seemed unsurprised by the statement and appeared to have tacitly agreed with Wang Shengqing's explanation.

That statement was quite shocking. You Xiashan and the other two stared at her in astonishment for a moment, then simultaneously looked at Guan Yingjie.

Faced with that request, Guan Yingjie's lips were slightly pursed, and he remained silent, somewhat hesitant. He had to weigh the gap between himself and Chao Zhilin; it seemed they were not too far apart. If Chao Zhilin couldn't do it, could he? As for Mulan's personal wish, she both hoped it would be her and hoped it wouldn't be her. Naturally, no one wanted to take the blame, and besides letting the leader do it, there was no need for other considerations.

Although they had guessed the answer, when she said it herself, You Xiashan and the other two still exclaimed in unison, their eyes filled with horror.

I felt that the possibility of Wang Shengqing dueling me was relatively low. My goodness, even the proud disciples of the Suyuan Sect didn't dare to easily claim victory. Shi Chun's strength was imaginable; no wonder he was qualified to be Wang Shengqing's fiancé.

Having received a secret report from Wan Daoxuan's amulet, confirming that Shi Chun had no other tricks up his sleeve and truly intended to go through with the formality himself, You Xiashan and the other two immediately left the scene and hurried to consult with Wang Shengqing and the others. Even though it involved someone's fiancé, they couldn't make the decision themselves; at the very least, they had to inform them first. Guan Yingjie took a deep breath. This matter was serious, affecting everyone's interests. He couldn't boast or embellish the truth. He stated candidly, "I can accept the challenge, but let me be clear upfront: I also don't have absolute certainty of defeating him."

Mulan's gaze lingered on Wu Jinliang's clothes for a moment. She raised her chin, gesturing towards him, "If you make a little more preparation, perhaps you'll have a 10% chance."

He didn't want to stand before her still looking incompetent, shabby, and unworthy. He didn't wish for a weaker opponent due to current practical interests, as he would naturally have a higher chance of winning then. Later, with the absorption of killing intent, especially the wave absorbed from the monster crow, his physical toughness improved even further. He hoped it would be Wang Shengqing, because Wang Shengqing was very powerful and renowned. If he could defeat her, perhaps she would notice him, and he wondered if she would come to him actively.

The few people were suddenly speechless. They felt as if they had just been woken from a dream. "That's right," they thought, "the other side is just going through the motions to shut us up. They wouldn't really let us take advantage, but we actually took it seriously!"

His apprehension was clear to any discerning eye. You Xiashan and the other two's faces gradually showed surprise and doubt. What did this mean? Wang Shengqing and Guan Yingjie truly didn't know how to explain this to them, and the crucial point was that they also didn't know how Chao Zhilin was captured by Shi Chun. If he was defeated in a direct confrontation, and even Chao Zhilin couldn't do it, then these three wouldn't stand a chance.

Wang Shengqing, her eyes flickering with thoughtful meaning, suddenly spoke up, "They... might not be my opponent's match."

In front of Mai Zhanzhang, he could only hint; the matter of the precious armor was not to be explicitly stated. That scene was somewhat unforgettable, but at this moment, he forcibly dismissed it.

Just as the three people met with Wang Shengqing, someone came to report, "A woman has arrived outside, claiming to be Shi Chun and Gaoru's junior sister. She wishes to see you."

Tang Zhen was bewildered. He chuckled and said, "Wang Sheng, aren't you underestimating us too much? We admit our strength isn't as good as theirs, but as disciples of Sui Yilang, no matter how capable he is, unless his cultivation far surpasses ours, we wouldn't be unable to even hold our own against him, would we?"