Chapter 387: Zong Ge vs Yue Qian

Zi Di hurriedly scanned the banquet hall for the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.

She soon spotted her target and hurried over to confront him: "City Lord, what on earth is going on? Why are they suddenly fighting?"

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord glanced at Zi Di before shifting his gaze back to the dance floor, “Commander Long Fu rashly probed military intelligence, provoking Commander Yue Qian.”

"Commander Yue Qian then challenged Commander Long Fu to a duel as a wager. One of the stakes is the specific military intelligence regarding their clash with the Divine Wind Pirates."

Zi Di was momentarily speechless.

Before attending this banquet, she had indeed discussed certain matters with Zong Ge.

One objective was to extract detailed battle intelligence from the navy to confirm the situation of the dragonman youngster.

Though absent, Zi Di could guess Zong Ge’s abrupt tone had secretly angered Yue Qian.

Zong Ge never minced words. His unyielding nature refused compromise, so when Yue Qian challenged him, he accepted without hesitation.

Zi Di's heart filled with dread: "The Commander is only silver level. Commander Yue Qian is gold level - one of the commanders of your nation's Second Fleet. His combat prowess far surpasses Teng Dong Lang's. This duel has already been decided before it even began. What do you think, City Lord?"

Zi Di sought this excuse to halt the duel.

The city lord didn't look at her as he replied, "Commander Yue Qian pledged before the fight that he would suppress his battle qi to the silver level to ensure fairness! And I was invited to serve as the referee, guaranteeing impartiality."

Zi Di gritted her teeth. "Commander Yue Qian voluntarily suppressing his cultivation? That shows he's confident he can handle the commander even at that level. Oh dear, what are we to do?"

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord offered no support, merely replying coolly, “We shall see.”

He now harbored resentment toward Zong Ge as well.

Why stir up old wounds when things are peaceful?

Hadn't the navy suffered defeat? Wasn't Yue Qian resurrected?

When giving in was wise, he remained stubborn. Did slaying Teng Dong Lang make Long Fu think he could handle all gold level cultivators?

One had to understand—not all gold level experts were the same. Sometimes, the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord never intended to preside over this battle.

His original purpose was merely to host a banquet to strengthen ties with the navy; the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was merely an afterthought.

He had facilitated introductions for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to the upper echelons of the Li Jian Clan—this was his way of aiding Long Fu.

Yet at the banquet, Long Fu spoke stiffly, showed no tact, and clashed with Yue Qian. Ignoring the city lord's disapproval, he publicly challenged him to a duel.

What manner of behavior was this from Long Fu?

It was nothing short of repaying kindness with ingratitude.

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was highly perceptive. He could tell: though Yue Qian maintained a facade of cheerful conversation after being insulted by Zong Ge, he was actually intent on teaching Long Fu a lesson.

Thus, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord could not intervene and instead went with the flow, presiding over the duel.

“Come then. Let me see how skilled you are with your dual spears after slaying a gold level foe beyond your level!” Yue Qian taunted Zong Ge.

Zong Ge held a short spear in each hand.

The spears were silver level, drawn from the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's treasury.

The dragonman youngster's pair of gold level short spears, naturally, had departed Snow Bird Harbor aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish alongside their true owner.

It was worth noting that Yue Qian wielded not a slender sword, but a long staff.

The staff, too, was merely silver level.

Zong Ge's eyes locked onto Yue Qian. Suddenly lunging forward, he whirled his twin spears in a sweeping thrust, one to the left, one to the right.

Yue Qian leapt lightly backward, creating distance between himself and Zong Ge. Simultaneously, he shifted his stance, driving one end of the staff straight toward Zong Ge's chest.

Yue Qian's weapon was far longer than Zong Ge's. Before Zong Ge could land his thrust, he would be struck by the staff.

Had the dragonman youngster been here, he likely would have chosen to duck and break through.

The Surge battle skill could alter direction in an instant, making it highly effective in actual combat.

But Zong Ge could not use it.

He could only maintain his charging posture. As the staff approached, he abruptly withdrew his arms, using his left hand's short spear to brace against the staff.

The short spear and staff body scraped violently, sparks flying.

Zong Ge nearly shouldered the staff as he continued charging straight at Yue Qian.

Yue Qian raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.

He had seen the magic footage of the dragonman youngster's duel with Teng Dong Lang.

The incident occurred before his current campaign.

A silver level slaying a gold level—it was the biggest news in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom for quite some time. The related magic footage sold like hotcakes.

Yue Qian had already gotten his hands on it.

Thus, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the dragonman youngster; on the contrary, he was quite familiar with certain behaviors.

Yue Qian's thrust with his long staff at Zong Ge was actually a feint, designed to lure his opponent into a low-stance charge. This way, Yue Qian would be prepared, executing a set combo to unleash a barrage of strikes on the dragonman youngster, ensuring he was overwhelmed and unable to retaliate.

But the “dragonman youngster” before him wasn't the real one—it was Zong Ge in disguise.

Zong Ge's fighting style bore the hallmarks of military training—straightforward, relentless, and focused on the most efficient means of elimination.

Yue Qian's plan backfired. Seeing Zong Ge close in, he hesitated, ultimately choosing not to use his signature battle skill to evade through spatial displacement.

The reason was simple.

Yue Qian was at the gold level. Even while suppressing his strength, his power and status far surpassed Long Fu's.

To resort to his signature battle skill to evade so early in the fight would be utterly humiliating.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The long staff and short spears clashed repeatedly, their impacts echoing through the air.

The crowd gasped in astonishment.

They were attending a banquet, yet they were witnessing a clash between Long Fu and Yue Qian, this delighted everyone immensely.

But after the fight commenced, it was “Long Fu” who gained the upper hand, driving Yue Qian back step by step. This surprised the audience even more.

Yue Qian felt utterly frustrated.

He was being beaten into a defensive stance, unable to strike back!

Several attempts to counter were thwarted by Zong Ge's twin spears—whether thrusts or sweeps, all parried.

Zi Di's expression froze in disbelief.

She hadn't anticipated Zong Ge's advantage being so overwhelming!

Beside her, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord—a dual cultivator of magic and battle skills—possessed deeper insight than Zi Di.

"Yue Qian is suppressing his combat power, revealing only silver level strength. His long staff attacks are inherently slower than short spears. Once drawn into close quarters, even I would be forced into a disadvantage."

“But his greater distress stems from refusing to suffer even a scratch. He's so preoccupied with preserving his pride that he's actually losing face.”

Zong Ge's combat style was military-like, where trading minor injuries for major ones, or even trading injuries for death, was commonplace.

If Yue Qian had fought him head-on, they would have been evenly matched, and Zong Ge wouldn't have gained much advantage.

But Yue Qian's mindset was: As a proud gold level fighter, the Second Naval Commander, and the future banner of the Li Jian Clan, how could I possibly get injured in a duel with a silver level opponent?

It was precisely this mindset that left him exhausted from constant defense.

Zong Ge pressed Yue Qian back, striding forward with long strides while the latter could only fight while retreating.

They soon charged out of the dance floor.

In his retreat, Yue Qian slammed directly into a dining table.

He let out a fierce growl, his battle qi erupting as he severed the long staff in his hands.

Holding half a staff in each hand, his attack frequency surged, parrying Zong Ge's twin short spears.

He finally stabilized his footing!

A dinner plate tumbled from the table, poised to crash to the floor. As if seeing behind him, Yue Qian kicked backward, sending the plate flying back onto the table.

This deft maneuver drew gasps and murmurs of astonishment from the crowd.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, however, rolled his eyes inwardly.

Yue Qian was still too concerned with appearances!

Earlier, when he was being forced back, he could have easily used a battle skill to break this unfavorable situation.

But from start to finish, Yue Qian hadn't employed a single battle skill.

The reason was simple: “Long Fu” had not used his battle skills yet. If he were to be the first to use one, what reputation would he have left?

Thus, Yue Qian ultimately resorted to using his battle qi to sever his own long staff.

By doing so, he increased his attack frequency and overcame his disadvantage.

When the opportunity arose, he did not counterattack Zong Ge. Instead, he caught a tray that was about to crash to the ground. It seemed to say: Look, even in combat, I haven't damaged the host's property. Everything remains under my control.

This small gesture did indeed shift the audience's perception of Yue Qian.

Subsequently, Yue Qian gradually gained the upper hand.

With neither fighter employing battle skills and both possessing ample stamina, superior fundamental combat skills naturally determined the advantage.

Though Zong Ge was a weapon master, his specialty lay not in twin spears.

Yue Qian likewise wasn't adept with dual staffs, yet his techniques proved more refined than Zong Ge's.

Zong Ge came from a distinguished lineage, but having endured discrimination since childhood, he hadn't been taught his family's techniques. Instead, he'd been trained by the military.

Military techniques naturally couldn't match the depth of family traditions. Their hallmark was simplicity, practicality, and seamless coordination.

Though Yue Qian was a naval commander, he had been trained by the Li Jian Clan since childhood, naturally mastering more refined martial arts than Zong Ge.

Yue Qian gradually turned the tide.

Zong Ge steadily retreated.

The two fought their way back from the outer perimeter to the dance floor.

Spectators began cheering for Yue Qian.

Zong Ge's fighting style was crude and brutal, while Yue Qian's moves were intricate and elegant, making him far more appealing to the crowd.

Zi Di was frantic with worry. Amidst the roaring atmosphere, she deliberately shouted at Zong Ge, “Commander! Use your Spear Throw to fight back!”

Zong Ge's fighting spirit surged. He had been about to unleash his battle skills when Zi Di's reminder reached him.

He suddenly leapt back, creating distance, and threw both spears to the ground.

Yue Qian's pupils narrowed slightly. He thought to himself, “He wants to fight with bare hands?”

He hesitated inwardly, somewhat reluctant.

He had suggested using weapons earlier for a simple reason: engaging in close quarters combat with a dragonman was hardly dignified.

One careless moment, a punch to the face, a bruise forming, where would his dignity be then?

But if “Long Fu” insisted on bare-knuckle combat, he'd have no choice but to abandon his weapon and see it through.

As a proud gold level, evading battle was unthinkable.

The next moment, however, he heard “Long Fu” declare, “No more fighting!”

Those around them were astonished, deeply disappointed.

“I've only just warmed up. Why?” Yue Qian inquired.

Zong Ge shook his head: “Too many restrictions. It's no fun fighting like this.”

Zi Di had deliberately reminded Zong Ge to use a spear-based battle skill earlier—a reverse hint to remind him of the occasion and their original purpose!

“It was indeed unsatisfying,” Yue Qian relaxed, “But it is interesting. Long Fu, you're not quite what I imagined.”

After fighting for a while, the anger Yue Qian felt from being offended dissipated.

Zi Di hurried between them: "Since we initiated the ceasefire, we lost this wager. The subsequent stakes will be delivered personally by me to the naval warship."

She had intended to visit Kong Pan anyway.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord smiled, impressed by Zi Di's quick reaction.

But Zong Ge shook his head, his expression stern, “When I said the fight wasn't satisfying, I didn't mean I admit defeat, Magician Yao Ma.”

“How about a private duel between us? What do you say?”

Zi Di spun around instantly, glaring at Zong Ge with disbelief.

Zong Ge's fighting spirit surged, his gaze fixed solely on Yue Qian.

Yue Qian paused, then burst into laughter.

At that moment, he found himself developing goodwill towards Zong Ge.