Chapter Six: The Troublesome Miss Phoebe (Part Two)

This feeling was truly unpleasant. Before the other party could even speak, Greedy Wolf barked, “Who are you? Who told you that you could come in here?”

The visitor, displaying impeccable gentlemanly manners, first greeted Zixia. Judging by their interaction, Zixia appeared to be somewhat acquainted with him.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zixia, the visitor turned to Greedy Wolf, a smile lingering on his face. “Mr. Greedy, it’s truly a pleasure to see you. I’ve heard that you’re hailed as the genius of the Greed family, the prodigy of the War God Clan—especially since it’s rumored you might become the third War God of your lineage. I was hoping to find an opportunity to spar with you, if that would be agreeable?”

Without waiting for a reply, the exceptionally handsome young man drew the ancient longsword he’d been carrying and plunged it straight into the floor before him. Having done this, he slipped out the door as suddenly as he had entered.

Presenting one’s sword to an opponent was the universally recognized method of issuing a challenge throughout the Carrow Empire and all human nations—a noble tradition of dueling, much beloved among the aristocracy.

Greedy Wolf understood this much. After all, he hadn’t taken all those etiquette lessons for nothing—if he’d failed to grasp even this, his ten or so etiquette tutors would likely have died of rage on the spot.

Returning to his senses, Greedy Wolf had no choice but to look to Zixia for an explanation. Why did this man want to duel him? He hadn’t figured that out yet. Not that Greedy Wolf minded fighting—on the contrary, he relished the prospect. Eager to hone his newly acquired martial skills, he was always looking for a worthy opponent. The only trouble was, the techniques he’d learned were simply too lethal. Not only did Zixia refuse to spar with him, but even the sparring partners his grandfather had arranged had eventually all resigned from the task.

Though the elders of the Greed family dearly wished for Greedy Wolf to become their third War God, none was willing to become target practice for this living tank. To be clear, it wasn’t that Greedy Wolf already surpassed those monstrous elders; rather, everyone was terrified of injuring him, and so no one dared to go all out in practice. That’s the trouble with Greed family martial arts—every move was meant to maim or kill, and a single misstep could spell disaster.

When training with Zixia, Greedy Wolf constantly worried about accidentally hurting her, which left him too hesitant to fight properly. In the end, he had to resort to practicing alone.

Seeing Greedy Wolf’s puzzled look, Zixia suddenly burst into laughter, leaving him even more confused.

After her laughter subsided, Zixia said cheerfully, “No wonder he’s called the Furious Lion—he acts much faster than I expected.”

“Furious Lion?” Greedy Wolf repeated in surprise. “Zixia, that pretty boy just now is called Furious Lion? That can’t be.”

Zixia smiled and nodded. “He is indeed quite handsome, and perhaps a bit fair-skinned, but ‘pretty boy’ doesn’t quite fit him. He was, until last year, recognized as the top young talent in the Carrow Empire. The title of ‘number one prodigy’ was his, at least until you took it from him. However, he still holds the title of the top fighter among the younger generation. Of course, I’d be happy if you snatched that one too. You’ve already taken his title as the leading talent, and won the heart of his childhood sweetheart—why worry about the title of ‘top fighter’ as well?”

Greedy Wolf mulled this over. It became clear that one of his two fiancées must be the beloved of that so-called pretty boy—most likely the peculiar Miss Phoebe Karachi. Otherwise, Zixia wouldn’t be in such a teasing mood.

“He’s the top fighter of the younger generation? Zixia, don’t tell me that guy is even stronger than you. If you can’t beat him, I might as well admit defeat right now.”

Zixia smiled. “Of course I can’t beat him—at least, not if I’m forbidden from using my treasured Zixia Sword.”

Greedy Wolf was well aware of Zixia’s strength. The thought that someone might be even stronger than her made his brow furrow with concern. He had never fought Zixia seriously, but he understood her abilities. If this opponent was truly more formidable, his confidence wavered. He wasn’t the type to rush blindly into hopeless situations. Courting death was not his style; life was more important than reputation.

In truth, he couldn’t be blamed for his caution. The dueling traditions of the Carrow Empire were extreme, to say the least. Even the Emperor himself settled disputes in this way. If two noble families fell into conflict and even the Emperor could not mediate, he would simply order a duel. In the Carrow Empire, strength was the ultimate arbiter.

The two families would gather their warriors and battle it out, with victory belonging to the side that prevailed—hence, the side deemed to be in the right.

This was, in its own way, quite an effective method. In an era where right and wrong were often hopelessly entangled, and even trivial quarrels could escalate, it provided a decisive solution. For instance, if two young scions of noble houses exchanged insults, the matter could be blown out of all proportion.

It could be a major incident—an affront to the dignity of one’s illustrious family, which was the very foundation of noble status. Or, it could be written off as a trivial spat. The ambiguity allowed the matter to be as grave or as minor as one wished. For these old-fashioned nobles, whose honor and family glory meant everything, it was sometimes impossible to untangle.

In such an environment, accidental deaths in duels were not uncommon.

Especially in the Greed family, which proudly upheld a tradition—who knows how many generations old—of seeking out duels wherever they could be found. Mishaps were inevitable. As for how many families the Greed family had offended, not even Greedy Wolf’s grandfather could say for certain. Some families might shrug off these grudges, but others nursed them for generations.

There was even an incident in which the Greed family’s ancestor, a thousand years ago, killed the beloved pet—an adorable little kitten—of another family’s forebear. That family had spent a thousand years seeking vengeance for their slain pet, waiting until one of their descendants finally became a great master. This descendant, honoring the ancestors’ dying wish, set out to exact retribution on the Greed family.

Zixia understood Greedy Wolf’s crafty nature all too well. Before he could concoct an excuse, she interjected, “Fatty, you won’t be able to dodge this challenge. Do you know of the Hyde family?”

Greedy Wolf was momentarily stunned. Of course he knew the Hyde family. For thousands of years in the Carrow Empire, it wasn’t only the Greed family that produced War Gods—the Hyde family had as well, albeit only once. The enmity between the two families was legendary and impossible to unravel, a feud dating back to their very origins.

Zixia continued with a smile, “The Hyde family’s Blazing Fury Qi is said to be innately countered by your family’s Dragon Rampage Technique.”

Alas, even their martial arts were antagonistic. The Greed family’s Dragon Rampage Technique naturally suppressed the Hyde family’s Blazing Fury Qi, but the Hydes weren’t to be underestimated—they developed a style specifically to counter the Greed family’s techniques.

Zixia laughed again. “Fatty, what are you worried about? Your Dragon Rampage Technique is inherently superior to his Blazing Fury Qi. Besides, none of the martial arts you’ve learned are the Greed family’s, are they? Didn’t your great-grandfather collect a few powerful styles from famous martial families and sects for you?”

Greedy Wolf bristled at the use of the word “collected.” “What do you mean, collected? My great-grandfather exchanged for them.”

Zixia snorted. “Exchanged? That’s a nice way to put it. My grandfather lost a chess match to your great-grandfather, and that’s how I ended up as your fiancée.”

Greedy Wolf had heard the story—that Zixia’s grandfather lost her hand in marriage in a chess game with his great-grandfather.

Seeing her displeasure, Greedy Wolf wasn’t sure if she was unhappy about the engagement, angry at his great-grandfather, or annoyed with him. He wisely kept silent.

Greedy Wolf pulled the ancient sword from the floor, realizing suddenly that the challenger had not specified a time or place for their duel. He quickly turned to Zixia. “That pretty boy didn’t mention when or where the duel would be, did he?”

Zixia smiled. “There’s no need. The Imperial Academy has a gladiatorial arena reserved for duels. As for the time, it’s always set for seven days after the challenge is issued.”

So few votes? Come on, everyone, cast a few votes! Otherwise, where will I find the motivation to continue?