CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 46 RAGE! _2

Immediately after, Fanli, this honest lug, pulled out a large steamed bun from his bosom, sat down, and shouted while eating, "Who’s next?"

He was, one might say, outrageously arrogant.

"Ah Li wouldn’t be that arrogant, would he?" Zheng Fan asked, looking at Xue Three who stood beside him.

Usually, Fanli was quite taciturn and simple-minded, showing no desire for theatrics. His behavior today was a stark departure from his usual demeanor.

Xue Three replied, "My lord, Ah Li is waiting for you to enter the ring so he can lose to you."

Zheng Fan was speechless.

"My lord, please go on stage," Xue Three urged.

"Forget it. Everyone knows he’s from my Green Willow Fortress. If I go up there and knock him down, it’ll be too much of a joke."

Xue Three paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, Yes, this posturing of his is just too crude.

Just then, a middle-aged man, having removed his armor and now clad in a tight-fitting robe with his wrists and ankles bound, walked onto the platform.

Instantly, the surrounding soldiers erupted in cheers.

The challenger was none other than Li Fusheng!

"Uh..." Zheng Fan asked nervously, patting Xue Three’s head, "Can Fanli beat him?"

Xue Three shook his head.

"He can’t win?"

Xue Three promptly replied, "No. Generally speaking, unless we’re talking about some unparalleled genius, it would be very difficult to find anyone with more combat experience than the seven of us, especially under equal conditions where no one uses vital energy, and considering Ah Li’s inherent physical advantages."

"So, Li Fusheng can’t beat Fanli?"

"Barring any accidents, he shouldn’t be able to."

When Li Fusheng walked into the center of the ring, it was as if he ignited the entire atmosphere.

He smiled at Fanli and asked, "Who taught you your martial arts?"

Fanli wiped his mouth and, without hesitation, bellowed in his booming voice, "I learned it from my Lord, Chief Zheng!"

Zheng Fan’s face immediately flushed red.

"Oh, is that so?"

Li Fusheng was somewhat surprised. Was there anything this Zheng Fan couldn’t do?

However, now that he was on stage, a contest was inevitable. Li Fusheng called out to Fanli, "Come! If you can throw me off this platform, I’ll reward you!"

Fanli stood up, beat his chest with both fists, and walked straight toward Li Fusheng.

This was an honest lug whom even My lord contemplated testing with a slash; he truly wouldn’t care about Li Fusheng’s status.

Li Fusheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. He lunged forward, instantly closing the distance to Fanli.

Fanli pressed his palms downward like two enormous mallets, hammering fiercely. He had not only anticipated Li Fusheng’s intentions but also seized the opportunity to strike first.

Li Fusheng had no choice but to raise his arms in front of him.

THUD!

A dull sound echoed as Fanli’s fists smashed into Li Fusheng’s forearms.

Li Fusheng remained upright, but his feet slid backward a full four or five meters.

After lowering his arms, Li Fusheng looked at the behemoth before him and suddenly noticed an almost imperceptible glint of shrewdness in the man’s eyes.

He, Li Fusheng, was a man who had clawed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood; his martial arts were well-honed. Yet, the behemoth before him seemed even more experienced.

Interesting, very interesting.

Li Fusheng slightly lowered his center of gravity and lunged forward again.

As they closed the distance once more, Li Fusheng stomped one leg to launch himself.

However, Fanli seemed to have "seen through everything" yet again.

He dropped directly to one knee.

This seemed like a completely unorthodox method of engagement—kneeling during an exchange?

But only Li Fusheng himself knew that his move had, once again, been anticipated!

Originally, he had intended to strike Fanli’s head directly, but Fanli’s kneeling made his leap completely futile.

But Li Fusheng was Li Fusheng, after all. He clenched his fists and brought them smashing down toward Fanli’s head below.

However, Fanli didn’t play by the book at all. He suddenly grabbed the ground with both hands, throwing his entire center of gravity forward, his head ramming out!

BAM!

Before Li Fusheng’s fists could connect with Fanli’s head, Fanli’s head had already smashed into Li Fusheng’s chest.

General Li was sent flying backward. Although he didn’t fall upon landing, he stumbled back several steps before regaining his footing.

A grin spread across Fanli’s face as he stood up again.

He raised his index finger at Li Fusheng, wagged it, and said, "You’re a far cry from my Commander."

Zheng Fan was speechless.

Li Fusheng was speechless.

Xue Three was speechless.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Li Fusheng burst into laughter and shouted, "Our army has found another great general!"

This was an incredibly magnanimous display. It not only defused the awkwardness and showcased his composure but also served to protect Fanli.

Just as the crowd was about to erupt in cheers to hype up the atmosphere and quickly move past this slightly awkward moment, Fanli’s loud voice boomed again:

"If you can’t win, you can’t win. Stop with the pleasantries."

Li Fusheng was speechless.

Zheng Fan covered his face.

"My lord, perhaps you should go up and pull Ah Li back?" Xue Three suggested.

"No way, no way." Zheng Fan flatly refused.

If I went up there, Fanli would undoubtedly just collapse and wail, ’AH, such a strong aura! I’ve lost!’