Chapter 8: A Desperate Fight, Recklessness with Strategy
“Steward Luo, he ran this way.”
“What are you standing around for? Chase him! It’s an outrage! I, Luo Fang, have never seen such a brazen Servant!”
“But…”
“You bastard, you lowly wretch, are you trying to cover for him?!”
…
Outside the main courtyard of the estate, a clamor arose.
Pang Long’s eyes were fixed on the clepsydra in front of him. In another quarter of an hour, the time would be up. Suddenly hearing a commotion, he raised an eyebrow slightly:
“Who is making such a racket here? Xiao Fang, go and see.”
“Yes!”
The bodyguard to Pang Long’s right bowed, respectfully retreated a few steps, then turned and strode out of the main courtyard.
Seeing the numerous Servants heading this way, his brow immediately furrowed, “A bodyguard recruitment competition is being held here. Why have you all come?”
Luo Fang glared at the head of the Ninth Class. The latter was certain that Li Xian was in this courtyard.
Why was that wretched animal so bold? How dare he stay out all night yesterday?
He had already guessed the reason.
Most likely, he found out about the bodyguard recruitment competition from somewhere and foolishly hoped to become a bodyguard, thereby escaping my Luo Fang’s control.
How dare he!
Dream on!
“What a dead wretch, daring to play tricks on me, Luo Fang. Let’s see how I deal with you!”
Luo Fang muttered to himself.
When he looked at the bodyguard Fang Tianyu, however, his smile was amiable:
“Brother Fang, it’s like this: there’s a young lad in our Servant class who didn’t follow the rules and made a mistake. To avoid punishment, he’s trying to use the bodyguard recruitment competition as a hiding place.”
“What do you mean?” Fang Tianyu frowned.
Luo Fang thought, “Haven’t I been a bodyguard before? Why is this greenhorn acting so arrogant with me?”
But considering Lord Pang in the courtyard, he remained respectful and said again, “This humble one, Luo Fang, naturally wouldn’t dare offend Lord Pang. It’s just that I’m bound by my duties, and I had no choice but to come here to clarify the matter.”
“I hope Brother Fang can help me ask Lord Pang to make a decision on how to handle this matter.”
Fang Tianyu heard this and indeed found it reasonable. He immediately walked back into the main courtyard and whispered to Pang Long.
Upon hearing this, Pang Long’s gaze rested on Li Xian. Li Xian stood tall and proud, meeting his gaze head-on, with no trace of guilt in his eyes.
After a moment, Pang Long said indifferently, “Go tell Luo Fang. I don’t manage the Servant quarter’s affairs. All I know is that a bodyguard recruitment competition is currently underway. All unauthorized personnel, leave immediately.”
“Yes!”
Fang Tianyu relayed the message word for word, and Luo Fang smiled, saying, “Lord Pang is right, Lord Pang is right.”
He bowed and left the vicinity. Only after returning to the Servant quarter did he lose his temper, lining up the hundred or so Servants from the Ninth Class.
He whipped them with his whip.
“Does it hurt?!”
“Blame it on the ungrateful wretch who came from your class.”
After beating them until their skin was torn and flesh exposed, he ordered people to first pour hot water on them, then cold water, wantonly tormenting those Servants.
“What a Li Xian… I’d like to see what kind of waves you can stir up!”
“Heh heh, in the end, won’t you still have to return to my hands?”
After venting his rage, Luo Fang tossed aside the whip and stretched his sore wrists.
The Servants of the Ninth Class, enduring their injuries, were dispatched to do the dirtiest and most arduous tasks.
At the mention of the name “Li Xian,” everyone erupted with intense hatred, wishing to drink his flesh and eat his blood raw.
This matter, to be honest, was truly strange.
The one who hit them and cursed them was clearly Luo Fang; Li Xian merely resisted.
But this hatred was directed solely at Li Xian. As soon as “Luo Fang” was mentioned, the hatred vanished, replaced by awe.
There was no logic to it.
…
“Time’s up.”
Pang Long stood up from his chair and said, “The bodyguard recruitment competition begins today.”
“For this competition, there is only one spot.
The content is simple: there is a ring in the courtyard, and there is only one rule. After the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, the last person standing on the ring will be the new bodyguard!”
As soon as he finished speaking, on the ring.
A Servant was the first to seize it, cautiously surveying his surroundings.
Before long, another Servant ascended the ring. Both were Servants, not particularly strong or robust, so their fight naturally lacked any aesthetic appeal.
But a certain ferocity…
It was indeed shocking.
The first match on the ring was won by one Servant biting off the ear of another.
The defeated Servant rolled off the ring, and the victorious Servant had a mouth full of blood.
Pang Long secretly nodded, “A Servant wanting to rise above his station relies on… that very ferocity.”
The bodyguards also watched with great interest.
After several rounds, the casualties were not small.
Li Xian glanced at Pang Long, pondering the rules of the competition in his mind.
“The time it takes for one stick of incense to burn… whoever can stand at the end wins.”
“That means there’s no limit to how many times I can go up on the ring. My opponent, in the end, is only Bi Hao.”
“Why don’t I go up on the ring first, pretend I don’t know Martial Arts, deliberately mislead Bi Hao, making him underestimate me.
Then I’ll pretend to be defeated and be kicked off the ring, using this to lie low. When the incense is about to burn out, I’ll go back up… and seize that sliver of opportunity!”
Thinking of this.
Just as a match ended. At this moment, Li Xian directly ascended the ring and began to tangle with a Servant who was thinner than him.
There was no method to his fighting at all, like a street brawl, using teeth and claws indiscriminately. Hitting the groin, clawing at eyes… everything was employed.
Bi Hao stood with his arms crossed, confident, his eyes showing disdain: “How can people like these compete with me?”
“But Uncle Luo was right, these mad dogs, seeing their only chance to turn their lives around, really are acting like they don’t care about dying.”
“Too bad they have no brains.”
Bi Hao found it amusing below the ring.
Pang Long, however, frowned, somewhat disappointed, “This Li Xian fellow… is this all he’s capable of?”
“Thump!”
Li Xian pushed hard with both hands, sending his opponent, the Servant, flying. He stood up, panting, and angrily shouted, “Who else?!”
“I’ll come!”
Another Servant rushed onto the ring and pounced on Li Xian.
Although Li Xian deliberately hid his true strength, he was not at all relaxed. Everyone was like a trapped beast, and in such a situation, the power that people unleashed was extremely terrifying!
“Scratch…”
That Servant’s fingernails were very long, scratching Li Xian’s arm. Li Xian cursed, “Get lost!”
He turned sideways and kicked hard, sending that Servant off the ring.
Not long after.
A Servant immediately lunged and tackled Li Xian. This Servant had actually learned wrestling and tried to apply a rear-naked choke.
Li Xian’s eyes hardened, and he reached out to gouge his opponent’s eye. That Servant cried out in pain, his strength momentarily failing. Li Xian then found an opportunity to counterattack.
Using all his might, Li Xian won again.
That bodyguard, Fang Tianyu, said:
“This kid only has brute strength, but if it weren’t for Bi Hao, he might have been chosen as a bodyguard. Lord Pang, that Bi Hao has a Martial Arts foundation; won’t this be too unfair?”
“Rules are rules. I don’t discuss fairness with Servants,” Pang Long said indifferently.
As he was speaking.
Li Xian won again, but in the next match, it was Bi Hao’s turn to go up.
Bi Hao said arrogantly, “Loser, let me show you my strength. Go back to the Servant quarter and stay put!”
Without another word, he kicked out. Although Li Xian could have dodged, he deliberately pretended to be unable to avoid it, using the momentum to roll off the ring.
“What a vicious attack.”
Fang Tianyu said in surprise.
Bi Hao’s kick used hidden Internal Energy, aiming to injure the internal organs. A person with a weak constitution might well be kicked to death.
Li Xian was indeed in extreme pain. But he had Internal Energy protecting his body, so he wouldn’t lose his ability to move.
He lay on the ground, no longer getting up. He feigned a look of pain, but his eyes were unusually calm, secretly glancing at the incense in the distance.
The act was complete!
He recovered his strength while waiting for the final moment.
Bi Hao possessed a Martial Arts foundation, making him far stronger than ordinary Servants. Since he ascended the ring, the situation had been one-sided.
Yet, even so, a few desperate and ruthless individuals still managed to leave him with some injuries.
The incense burned down little by little.
Bi Hao stood firm, looking at the Servants sprawled below the ring, and laughed loudly: “Hahahaha, you dogs, what right do you have to compete with me? What right do you have to compete with me?!”
Pang Long glanced at the incense and also felt there would be no more surprises.
“The incense is about to burn out. Whoever still wants to try, seize this last chance,” Pang Long reminded.
This bodyguard recruitment competition… was rather ordinary, ultimately failing to surprise him.
At this moment, Li Xian slowly got up, saying nothing, and walked towards the ring again.
“You defeated opponent! How dare you still ascend the ring?” Bi Hao saw Li Xian ascend the ring and became inexplicably furious.
Li Xian lightly rubbed his abdomen, got onto the ring, looking as if he was about to faint, but deep within his eyes, a glint of sharpness was already brewing.
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