Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 15: Life is Like a Play

The next three rounds were quickly completed, with nothing particularly noteworthy.

After the equestrian test, more than two hundred children from prestigious families were eliminated, leaving only fifty or so.

The archery event was relatively simple, with participants shooting at targets while riding on horseback. The one with the most hits would win.

Those who passed the first round were all skilled, and this competition was like a relaxation after intense activity. Only six people missed the target once or twice, while the rest hit it every time.

Zuo Lingquan didn't have much experience in archery and didn't want to attract attention, but he was one of the six who didn't miss the target.

After a short break, the court began to organize the roster and arrange the next martial arts competition. Martial arts competitions could only be one-on-one, not a melee, so the selection of opponents was crucial.

Zuo Lingquan's display of agility in the first round had made most people wary. The influential officials behind the scenes were secretly manipulating things, avoiding confronting Zuo Lingquan first, even Li Cang, who had a background in cultivation, didn't want to face Zuo Lingquan first just to be safe.

As a result, Zuo Lingquan ended up fighting against two weak opponents and unexpectedly made it into the top ten without even trying his best.

Among the top ten, the other nine were all descendants of Prime Minister Li Jingsi's lineage, and they were basically guaranteed the position of the emperor's son-in-law.

On the viewing platform, Li Jingsi saw the situation and felt slightly relieved. He turned his head and instructed, "We must squeeze Zuo Lingquan out first. We can't let him achieve a high ranking. Otherwise, if the princess remembers him, our chances of monopolizing the top three will be uncertain. Li Cang, do you have confidence in dealing with Zuo Lingquan?"

"Uncle, rest assured, I will win this battle."

"Good, you go first. If you can't defeat him, make sure to injure him and create opportunities for others."

Li Cang accepted the order willingly.

On the terrace of the high building, Jiang Yi saw Zuo Lingquan's smooth progress and became increasingly puzzled. After all, she was about to start selecting someone, and all ten of them seemed to be the most annoying and displeasing to her.

"Three of the ten are cultivators. Li Cang has already reached the fourth stage of Qi Refining. Although he is not as good as me, he is not an ordinary person. As long as Zuo Lingquan doesn't use any underhanded tricks, he should not be able to defeat him... If he dares to use despicable methods, I will kick him out..."

Listening to these self-talks, Leng Zhu couldn't help but feel that the princess seemed a bit guilty and conflicted. She asked in confusion, "Isn't Zuo Lingquan a cultivator? Isn't he highly skilled in martial arts?"

Jiang Yi quickly straightened up and shook her head. "No, he's not skilled. He only knows a lot of underhanded tricks."

"Oh..."

Leng Zhu truly felt that the princess was feeling guilty. She thought for a moment and asked again, "What if Zuo Lingquan really stands his ground and defeats everyone to take the first place, Princess..."

"So what if he does? I'm not choosing the top scholar, I'm choosing a son-in-law. What use is high martial arts skill? It's up to me to decide who I like, regardless of their martial arts skill. Does he think that just because he's skilled, he's guaranteed the position of the emperor's son-in-law?"

"But didn't the princess say that he's not skilled in martial arts?"

"..."

"Cough... It's just this servant's idle talk..."

---

For the martial arts competition, the venue was moved to a platform built outside the ball court. Colorful ribbons hung around the platform, and various weapons were placed nearby.

As accidents could happen during sparring, the referees for the platform were replaced by several elderly men dressed in martial attire, who seemed to be official martial arts instructors.

The old eunuch on the terrace appeared with a roster in hand and stood at the edge of the platform, looking at the ten young men below. He spoke, "The first match is between Zuo Lingquan from Qinghe County and Li Cang from Jintang County. As blades and swords have no eyes, all of you just need to do your best, there is no need to force it. If there are any violations of martial ethics, you will be directly disqualified and severely punished."

The last sentence was added by Jiang Yi specifically targeting Zuo Lingquan.

Unfortunately, Zuo Lingquan valued martial ethics and had no intention of winning. He didn't feel that the words were directed at him.

The other nine people, on the other hand, had slightly changed expressions and exchanged glances, feeling that the situation was tricky.

They were ordered by their elders to injure Zuo Lingquan even if they couldn't defeat him. But pursuing victory without holding back, resorting to desperate measures in a losing situation, all went against martial ethics. They felt that the princess seemed to have noticed something and was deliberately targeting them.

In the blink of an eye, Li Cang from Jintang County had already stepped onto the platform, holding a black sheathed long sword, waiting quietly.

Zuo Lingquan knew that his nephew had martial arts skills, but he also knew Li Cang's background. He reminded him, "Just do your best, don't hurt him."

Zuo Lingquan nodded in agreement and walked up to the platform from the stairs. After a quick scan, he picked up a shiny silver spear and stood opposite Li Cang on the platform.

Jiang Yi saw Zuo Lingquan pick up a spear and was slightly surprised. "Why is he using a spear? Wasn't he using a sword?"

Leng Zhu had a very good impression of Zuo Lingquan and continued, "Hmm, inch by inch, he becomes stronger. Maybe Young Master Zuo is proficient in all kinds of weapons and chose the one that can restrain his opponent in order to win."

Jiang Yi thought it was possible and didn't say anything more, focusing on watching the match.

As both sides stood still, the raised platform fell silent, everyone waiting in anticipation.

Zuo Lingquan held a two-zhang silver spear, the tip of the spear slanted towards the ground. He raised his left hand and made a gesture: "Qinghe County, Zuo Lingquan."

It must be said that dressed in a white robe, holding a silver spear, and with an indifferent expression, he had an imposing presence.

Li Cang felt a little uneasy, but under the gaze of the crowd, he still maintained a calm demeanor and raised his hand in a fist salute: "Jintang County, Li Cang, please enlighten me, Brother Zuo."

As soon as the words fell, the entire arena fell silent.

On the highly anticipated stage, two young gentlemen in their prime stood with their weapons.

Clang!

The attendant struck the bronze gong.

And in that instant, a deafening shout erupted from the stage: "Heh—"

Zuo Lingquan's momentum changed, taking the initiative to attack. He twisted the spear and shook it, then the spear flew like a dragon, striding towards Li Cang.

The powerful shout spread throughout the entire venue.

Zuo Lingquan's unstoppable posture earned the admiration of many spectators who had some martial arts skills, and even those without martial arts skills were secretly amazed.

"What a loud voice!"

"Great spear technique..."

As the saying goes, "outsiders watch the excitement, insiders watch the doorway."

Zuo Lingquan was using real kung fu, and whether one was an outsider or an insider, they couldn't see any problems.

Except for the Princess Chang behind the bead curtain!

Jiang Yi had been nervously watching, wanting to take the opportunity to observe and analyze Zuo Lingquan, so that she could regain the upper hand in the next encounter.

But when she saw Zuo Lingquan's movements, her eyes went blank.

Why is he running so slowly?

On the stage, the two were only ten steps apart.

Zuo Lingquan charged forward with his spear, seemingly full of momentum. But in Jiang Yi's eyes, it was no different from a turtle crawling. She could have run back and forth three times in the time it took Zuo Lingquan to run halfway, a world of difference from last time.

Jiang Yi couldn't help but wonder, "What is he doing? Why is he running so slowly?"

Leng Zhu saw no problem with it. "Young Master Zuo is not a cultivator, so this is already quite fast."

This is considered fast?

Jiang Yi had fought against Zuo Lingquan before. Zuo Lingquan was lightning fast, so fast that she couldn't even see clearly. Even if they changed weapons, he shouldn't be this slow, right?

Jiang Yi didn't have time to think deeply, as the two had already engaged on the stage. She could only put aside her thoughts and continue to observe carefully.

On the stage.

Li Cang, standing with his sword, saw Zuo Lingquan charging towards him with big strides and raised an eyebrow, his previous apprehension completely gone.

Cultivators, in the early stage of Qi Refining, have low combat power. Sometimes they can't even beat ordinary martial artists, but that's only when they encounter extremely powerful martial artists.

Li Cang's cultivation at the fourth level of Qi Refining was enough to establish a position in the secular martial arts world. Judging by Zuo Lingquan's speed, he would only be considered average in the martial arts world, at most on par with a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining. Without True Qi, he couldn't compare to cultivators in terms of endurance or explosive power. If he couldn't defeat him, then there would be no need for him to continue practicing the sword in the future.

Seeing Zuo Lingquan approaching, Li Cang flicked his finger, and a three-foot green blade emerged from its sheath, accurately sweeping across the spear tip.

Ding!

The clash of gold and iron produced sparks and a crisp sound.

However, what surprised Li Cang was that when the sword blade made contact with the long spear, the feedback force was quite astonishing. His sword only managed to deflect the spear slightly.

Zuo Lingquan's gaze narrowed, seeing the spear deflected, he forcefully twisted the spear and swept it in all directions.

"Ha—"

The two-zhang silver spear opened and closed, creating a gust of wind on the stage.

Li Cang underestimated his opponent, and his defensive move was a bit hasty, but he didn't lose his composure. He raised his long sword to block, using his finger to press against the blade, stopping the sweeping spear.

Ding!

The forcefully sweeping spear struck the light and ethereal blade.

The blade did not bend, but the force transmitted by the spear still made Li Cang retreat three steps with a "thump, thump, thump."

"Good—"

The surrounding stands erupted in applause.

Zuo Lingquan succeeded with one strike, holding his spear high in front of him. He imitated the arrogant tone of the brainless girl from Linhe Alley and said in a domineering manner, "Is this all you've got?"

The performance was so convincing that even Li Cang, his opponent, couldn't find any flaws. He frowned and snorted, "You only have brute strength."

Everyone was fully immersed in the play, except for Jiang Yi on the terrace, whose eyes were filled with confusion and incomprehension.

Having fought against Zuo Lingquan before, Jiang Yi knew that his strength lay in his astonishing explosive power and speed. His strength could be considered superhuman among ordinary people, but it was not enough when facing cultivators with True Qi. This was evident from the moment Jiang Yi sent Zuo Lingquan flying with a single sword strike.

Although Zuo Lingquan on the stage fought skillfully and with precision, Jiang Yi could clearly see that he was relying solely on brute force. His techniques and footwork were a mess, and he was completely using short-range attacks against long-range opponents.

Jiang Yi furrowed her brows and, after a brief moment of confusion, said unhappily, "How can someone who wants to compete for the position of my husband be so arrogant? If he loses, I wonder who he will cry to."

Leng Zhu also noticed that Zuo Lingquan's skills were mediocre, despite his great strength. Upon hearing the princess's words, she asked in confusion, "Did Zuo Lingquan not give his all?"

Jiang Yi's brows furrowed even more.

Zuo Lingquan was not just holding back; he was fighting like an amateur.

Li Cang's cultivation level was not high compared to Jiang Yi's, and when she fought against Zuo Lingquan that night, how did he react?

He disappeared in an instant, reappeared at her side, and almost scared her to death with a sword strike.

But what was happening now?

He took his time to run over, missed his target with a spear thrust, and then started to fight randomly.

If Zuo Lingquan could fight at half the level he did that night, Li Cang probably wouldn't be able to draw his sword.

Isn't this arrogance? What else could it be?

Competing for the position of her husband was a serious matter, shouldn't he give it his all?

If he didn't give it his all and lost, how could he become her husband?

Could it be that this guy didn't want to become her husband...?

Suddenly, this thought flashed through Jiang Yi's mind. Her delicate body trembled, her lips opened wide, and she said in disbelief, "This guy doesn't want to become my husband?"

Her voice was almost trembling.

Leng Zhu, upon hearing this, also realized what was going on. She knew that the princess had always been proud and detested the idea of someone thinking she was inferior.

Now that the princess was choosing a husband, whether she liked it or not was one thing, but if someone clearly had the chance to become her husband but didn't want to, that was another matter.

This indicated that the person didn't value the princess, who was the highly esteemed princess of the Great Dan Dynasty.

Leng Zhu realized that something was wrong and quickly pulled Jiang Yi to sit down, explaining anxiously, "Princess, calm down. There is no man in the world who doesn't admire you. How could there be someone who doesn't value you? Perhaps Zuo Lingquan is hiding his true strength and has some hidden reasons..."

"What hidden reasons could he have? He didn't hold back at all when he fought against me. He defeated me in just a few moves, but when fighting against Li Cang, he was slow and hesitant..."

"Hmm?"

Leng Zhu's expression froze, and she stared at Jiang Yi with wide eyes.

She seemed to understand why the princess was targeting Zuo Lingquan!

Oh my god!

To beat up the princess...

Jiang Yi accidentally let it slip, but she closed her mouth and remained silent, just glaring at Zuo Lingquan on the stage.

Leng Zhu shrank her neck inward, her mind racing. She explained, "Um... maybe Zuo Lingquan doesn't want to make his opponents look too bad and wants to save face for them?"

Jiang Yi actually thought the same. The main reason was that she didn't believe Zuo Lingquan would be interested in her, the renowned beauty of the capital city. What was wrong with her?

She had to choose someone, and she had even started to consider whether she should let Zuo Lingquan be chosen smoothly, regardless of past grievances, and then show up to scare him to death.

In the end, she realized that she had been overthinking and making a fuss for nothing.

Jiang Yi became more and more angry the more she thought about it.

But unfortunately, Zuo Lingquan on the stage had no idea that the princess behind the bead curtain was her.

Zuo Lingquan wanted to join the Qihuang Valley and had no intention of getting involved with the prince. At this moment, he just wanted to lose gracefully, finish the fight quickly, and go to Qihuang Valley to apprentice and learn.

After sweeping away Li Cang with a shot, Zuo Lingquan's momentum was like a rainbow. He stomped on the ground and leaped high into the air, holding his spear with both hands, and struck down with the force of opening a mountain.

Crack--

The two wooden boards on the wooden floor of the stage immediately broke when the spear passed through in an arc.

Li Cang had already "figured out" Zuo Lingquan's strength. His expression was somewhat mocking as he dodged lightly, like a willow catkin floating in the wind, without being harmed in the slightest.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Zuo Lingquan's spear missed, but he followed up with a sweeping strike, hitting the pillar of the stage.

The pillar the size of a bowl was directly broken by the silver spear, and the broken wood splashed down to the bottom of the stage several zhang away. Before it could land, Zuo Lingquan struck again with his spear!

Crack, crack, crack--

Wood splinters flew and the wind of the spear continued on the stage.

Li Cang easily dodged, trying to leave a good impression and win the favor of the princess. His posture was particularly elegant, sometimes twirling his sword, sometimes brushing his hair, causing the audience in the stands to be amazed.

Zuo Lingquan, on the other hand, was completely different. He was like a wild horse, full of momentum and unrestrained. Holding a silver spear, he swung it widely, smashing whatever he saw, except for Li Cang. He used the greatest strength to achieve the least output.

In just a few breaths, the originally beautifully decorated stage was devastated by Zuo Lingquan's strikes.

The imposing momentum that could stop gods in their tracks frightened the referees sitting nearby. They stood up to protect their chests, afraid that this madman would swing his spear off course and hit them.

The surrounding audience, seeing this unparalleled bravery, also exclaimed in admiration, shouting with excitement:

"What a domineering spear technique..."

"This is too reckless..."

"Leaking with domineering aura!"

...

The cries of astonishment continued, and everyone was immersed in the "intense" battle.

The only one who was not satisfied with the spectacle was probably Jiang Yi behind the bead curtain.

The more Jiang Yi watched, the angrier she became. She gritted her teeth and waited patiently, constantly muttering to herself:

He's not uninterested in me, he just wants to save face for Li Cang...

He's fighting like this because it's too fast for outsiders to see, and he can't gain fame like this...

It must be like this. I'll deal with Li Cang later...

Even if I win, I won't choose him as the prince. I'll make you regret it...

But in the end, the result disappointed Jiang Yi.

Zuo Lingquan rampaged on the stage for a long time but couldn't even touch the corner of Li Cang's clothes. It seemed like he was also "powerless." He angrily shouted:

"Die!"

Then he rushed towards Li Cang with his long spear, aiming straight for his chest.

Li Cang also felt that it was about time. He casually raised his long sword and pointed it at Zuo Lingquan's chest and abdomen.

In this way, even an outsider could see that this was the final all-out fight, and their hearts were in their throats.

Jiang Yi's chest was about to explode with anger!

With her eyesight, Zuo Lingquan's move was no different from crashing into Li Cang's sword. The intention to rather die than become the prince was practically written on his face!

This is too much!

Jiang Yi's eyebrows stood up, unable to bear it any longer. She slapped the tea table and stood up, scolding angrily:

"Are you done yet!"

The entire venue was already silent, holding their breath. This shout was very conspicuous.

The nobles near the high tower heard this furious reprimand, but the battle was too intense, and they didn't want to look away. They were just puzzled as to why the princess suddenly shouted like this.

On the stage, Zuo Lingquan, who was about to crash into Li Cang's arms and "lose gracefully," naturally also heard this familiar voice.

This voice sounds familiar...

It seems to be coming from behind the bead curtain...

It's over...

(End of this chapter)