“Boom!”
An ordinary fist, without force or Qi, moved as if it was nothing more than a gentle wind sweeping skyward. It seemed harmless, even surreal, in its intent. But as fire and flesh collided, the roaring dragon dispersed into fleeting clouds and puffs of smoke.
“What?!”
Xia Fanghan’s heart pounded, trying to beat its way out of his chest.
However, Xia Yan refused him a chance to catch his breath. He pressed his advantage, slamming his fist down onto Xia Fanghan’s spear. Though his attack couldn’t break the armament, the strength behind it continued to rush forward.
Xia Fanghan’s face paled as the unparalleled eroding force slammed into his body, propelling him through the air. Thrown backward, he bounced off the jade floor and crashed outside of the main hall. Blood gushed and sprayed from him onto the ground, his distress plain as he twitched and gurgled for breath.
A stunned silence fell.
Finally, Xia Yan spoke, filling the emptiness with sharpness.
“Is this strength you were so proud of, Little Brother? How weak…”
“But since you always like to boast of your strength, take another one of my fists!”
Xia Yan’s voice, like an evil spirit, sounded cold and guttural.
By the time Xia Fanghan lifted his head, Xia Yan’s fist had already shrouded his entire field of vision.
Xia Fanghan’s eyes widened as fear swelled into unholy terror.
This indescribable sense of crisis, he had experienced it before. It was the despair of encroaching death. His world darkened at this realization, and he swore he could see death erupt around him in the form of a giant, scarlet character (死).
“No!!!!!!” he screamed, eyes clamped shut even as his body willed him to move.
Then, it happened.
A violent gust blew across him, flinging his disheveled hair like ragged streamers in the wind.
A moment passed, then another until it finally dawned on him.
He was still alive.
He gathered remnants of scattered courage and opened his eyes.
What he saw surprised him.
Xia Yan had stopped his fist three centimeters away from his face.
For some reason, he had been spared.
“Ha…ha….ha….”
He tried to push air from his lungs in a whooshing breath of relief. But fear, sweat, and despair had taken every inch of his strength. And even if he could move, he swore he wouldn’t. The fear that he would be beyond redemption if he did was all-consuming.
“Little Brother… what are you doing? This is only an ordinary fist. Your reaction is a little excessive, isn’t it?”
Xia Yan spoke lightly. However, Xia Fanghan refused to relax until he saw his brother drop his fist back down to his side. When Xia Yan eventually did, he felt as if the sword hanging over his neck was finally gone.
“S-second Brother…lost…”
“He didn’t even have the strength to fight back!”
“Look at him. He’s as pale as a ghost. D*mn, wasn’t that just an ordinary fist? When did Second Brother become such a coward?”
“Hey, you saw for yourself. Not only did Big Brother defeat Second Brother’s strongest technique with a single punch, he resisted a Heavenspan spirit armament!”
“It seems like we have severely underestimated our Big Brother…for him to have hidden his true self so deeply. We will have to take care not to easily provoke him in the future!”
“…”
The complexions of the imperial princes were extremely heavy as an inexplicable sense of crisis flooded their hearts. This match had revealed a brutal truth to them. Xia Fanghan, who should’ve dominated Xia Yan as the strongest among them, had been completely crushed.
Waves of shock spread through the Xia Emperor and the court ministers as well.
“Did the Second Prince lose?” some wondered.
“W-what happened? How was he so easily defeated?”
“I can’t believe none of us knew the First Prince had such strength.”
“Indeed, it seems the lord we must follow from now on has changed…”
“…”
The eyes of the ministers stayed on Xia Yan, pensive and calculating. Many of them had already planned on following the Second Prince. But this defeat forced them to reexamine their decisions. After all, this matter was of grave importance. They could make no mistakes in this.
“My son…”
The Xia Emperor looked at Xia Yan’s not far away back, eyes heavy.
His eldest son had always been small and weak, unfit to ever become his successor. That’s what he’d thought, at least. He never expected that the son he least favored was actually much stronger than the one he most favored. He felt his breath catch when he recalled Xia Fanghan’s desperate look of fear, as if he had just returned from the Gates of Hell.
“Is it possible…” he wondered, ”Is this a sign that the era of the Xia is near?”
A vision of what possible glories the future may hold for his people danced in his mind, while a flame burned in Tang Xun’er’s own heart.
“Truly fearful,” she muttered, her voice thick with admiration and expectation. Xia Yan was stronger than she had expected, more powerful than even her imperial brother, and because of this, she saw hope.
Tang Xun’er had arrived at the Xia imperial palace dejected, unwillingly resigned to her fate as a political sacrifice. But now she saw in Xia Yan, an opportunity to change her destiny.
“Second Brother, if you have a reason to refuse your defeat, tell me now!”
Xia Yan’s voice pulled Tang Xun’er out of her mind, back into reality.
“If not, I trust you will have my agreed upon winnings delivered to my residence before the sun sets. If you don’t plan on going back on your word, that is. However, I believe you won’t do that in the Golden Imperial Hall in front of our Imperial Father and the others, right?”
Xia Yan chuckled. The only thing on his mind right now was spirit stones. As without them, he wouldn’t be able to buy anything more from the system store, which could hinder his growth speed.
“Fang Han, are you willing to concede?” the Xia Emperor’s commanding voice, filled with nobility, echoed from behind.
“Y-yes Imperial Father, your dutiful son is willing to concede. Later, after the banquet is over, I will carry out my commitment.”
Xia Fanghan repeated this over and over again, voice trembling, until he was sure his father had believed him.
“Good. Now then, Yan’er, you must be rewarded for the deed of rescuing the Tang princess. Tell me, what do you want?”
The Xia Emperor hadn’t brought up the matter of rewards earlier because he had been ignorant of Xia Yan’s strength. But he knew now, and this was his way of showing support.
“Ding! Crisis Mission is now unlocked!”
A mysterious female voice rang through Xia Yan’s mind, leaving him awkwardly silent, and his mouth half-way open.
