Chapter 115: Two Tigers Cannot Share One Mountain

General Lai Hu'er urged Fei Qingnu to take the stage and defeat Zhang Jincheng. He was determined to prevent Zhang from winning six consecutive matches, as doing so would require promoting him to the rank of captain of two hundred men.

Had it been an ordinary garrison soldier, he would not only have refrained from suppression but would have offered full support. Establishing rules meant ensuring soldiers saw hope and tasted the rewards, thereby stimulating their potential to be cultivated into talents.

Zhang Jincheng had arrived at the main camp in the company of Li Dong, and the General did not want anyone close to Li to attain the rank of captain. The reason was simple: Li Dong was intelligent—intelligent enough to threaten his own position. He would not permit any of Li Dong's associates to hold a high-ranking post. This was not entirely out of fear of Li, but rather a complex psychological reaction he himself could not fully articulate.

Fei Qingnu’s appearance on the stage stirred the tens of thousands of garrison soldiers below, turning the sea of yellow uniforms into a deathly silence.

Dou Jiande and Li Dong were equally astonished. They realized that it was only the fifth match, yet Fei Qingnu had impatiently taken the stage—a clear move to suppress Zhang Jincheng. Dou Jiande immediately leaned over and whispered instructions to Liu Heita, arranging the order of the remaining bouts and the methods of combat. Despite his reluctance, Liu Heita nodded with a grave expression.

Li Dong saw through it all. It seemed that even Lai Hu'er was wary of him, guarding against his side achieving too much success. For a Great General, his heart was remarkably narrow; he could not even tolerate such a trivial matter!

By now, Fei Qingnu had reached the stage and stood face-to-face with Zhang Jincheng.

"I am here! Sooner than you expected," Fei Qingnu said, offering a slight bow according to protocol. He spoke calmly, "You have already won five consecutive matches and must be physically drained. I have decided to concede ten moves to you; I will not take advantage of your fatigue."

Zhang Jincheng was unimpressed. He waved his hand in a firm refusal, declaring, "On this stage, there is only victory or defeat, no conditions! I do not need you to concede ten moves!"

To survive fifty moves against him was considered a victory. If he were to accept a ten-move head start, winning within forty moves would only make him appear more incompetent. Given his status as a General of the Martial Valor, winning within forty moves was not a simple task. However, having watched from below for some time, he felt familiar enough with Zhang’s style that his boast was backed by confidence.

"Please," Zhang Jincheng said, taking his stance.

Fei Qingnu shifted his feet and gestured in return, "After you!"

"Then don't blame me for being discourteous!" Zhang Jincheng lunged forward, his arms moving in wide, sweeping arcs. His fists whistled through the air, raining down upon Fei Qingnu like a storm.

Fei Qingnu proved his worth. He dodged and weaved, retreating without striking back, and in a flash, he had conceded the ten moves. He then leaped back and chuckled, "Now it is my turn to strike back!"

Zhang Jincheng, having failed to land a single blow during those ten moves, felt a hidden surge of alarm. This General was truly formidable. He would need to be more cautious; with so many people watching, losing would be a great humiliation. Before even striking, Zhang Jincheng had burdened himself with doubt; his movements became restricted, and having already lost the momentum, how could he avoid defeat?

Fei Qingnu surged forward, his punches swift as lightning, stirring up a gale that engulfed Zhang Jincheng. Zhang was no slouch; he met the assault head-on, refusing to retreat, and fought to a stalemate. After twenty moves, neither had gained the upper hand.

As the fight continued, Fei Qingnu grew more spirited, his speed undiminished and his force becoming increasingly fierce. Zhang Jincheng was reduced to parrying, his opportunities to counter-attack dwindling, and the signs of defeat began to emerge. The soldiers below watched with deep regret. Zhang Jincheng represented them; if he fell, they fell. They desperately wished for his victory. Li Dong and Dou Jiande watched with growing anxiety, fearing the inevitable.

Lai Hu'er looked on with smug satisfaction; Fei Qingnu’s victory seemed assured.

Barely holding on at the thirtieth move, Fei Qingnu remarked, "Watch closely for the next ten moves! See exactly how you are going to be defeated!"

Zhang Jincheng’s face was taut; he dared not speak a word for fear of losing his breath and falling into a trap. His defense was becoming increasingly desperate. Fei Qingnu sneered internally, deciding it was time for his finishing blow.

Zhang Jincheng suddenly felt the attacks become overwhelmingly sharp, each strike aimed at his vital points. The pressure was like a crushing mountain, and the blur of palms before his eyes made it impossible to distinguish reality from feint.

Fei Qingnu had been forged in the military, honing his skills on the battlefield where life and death hung in the balance. Every move he made was a lethal strike, intended to hit the target immediately without offering the opponent a chance to breathe. If he slowed, his own life would be in danger. His style was born of survival, a summons from the Reaper.

Zhang Jincheng, raised in the countryside, lacked the tempering of war; his techniques contained a certain flair for showmanship. Yet, he was naturally brave and possessed a sharp mind. He blocked the lethal strikes and managed to survive a few more exchanges.

With only two moves left, if Fei Qingnu failed to strike him down or force him off the stage, he would be the one defeated. Zhang Jincheng was drenched in sweat, dancing around the edges of the platform. He knew well that the more space he had, the easier it was to evade the strikes.

As Zhang Jincheng retreated to the edge of the stage, Fei Qingnu lunged, curling his body into a ball like a great mass of muscle, hurtling toward him like a cold gust of wind.

"Oh!" a gasp erupted from the crowd, as if they themselves were about to be struck.

The speed was too great! There was no time to think—he had to meet force with force! A direct collision meant both would be injured! Zhang Jincheng was determined; even if he fell, he would not retreat unscathed! He was fighting with his life, using his body as a shield!

Fei Qingnu’s body surged, his legs striking out directly at Zhang Jincheng’s chest. Zhang Jincheng leaned into it, taking the full force of the blow!

*Bang!* A dull thud echoed. Li Dong and Dou Jiande closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight. Zhang Jincheng was knocked back several paces, half his foot dangling over the edge, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had suffered internal injuries.

At that moment, Fei Qingnu needed only to extend a finger to send him falling from the stage. True enough, after the kick, Fei Qingnu retracted his legs and used the momentum to lunge forward, his palms flashing toward Zhang Jincheng’s chest. If that blow connected while Zhang was already airborne, he would be like a kite with a broken string, sent flying off the stage and suffering even worse harm.

At the critical, life-or-death moment, Zhang Jincheng suddenly vanished—he disappeared from the stage! Had his injuries been so severe that he fainted and fell?

Zhang’s disappearance proved disastrous for Fei Qingnu. Expecting an easy victory, he had put his full strength into the strike. With nothing to hit, he lost his balance, tumbling through the air like a butterfly, or a great bird, or a man suddenly finding the truth of life and death, throwing himself off the cliff.

The posture was incredibly graceful. To be defeated in such a heart-wrenching way—truly, he was worthy of being a General of the Martial Valor!

After Fei Qingnu tumbled off the stage, two hands appeared at the edge, slowly pulling a figure up. It was Zhang Jincheng. He collapsed onto the platform, his chest heaving violently, unable to rise for a long time.

As it turned out, realizing he could not withstand the lethal blow, Zhang Jincheng had intentionally slipped, throwing himself off the platform, while secretly clinging to the edge with his hands to create an opening that caused Fei Qingnu to strike empty air.

Lai Hu'er stood up abruptly, completely stunned! Zhang Jincheng had taken a blow head-on and yet, in a flash of lightning, had the presence of mind to pull off such a cunning maneuver. His skill was truly extraordinary.

Li Dong and Dou Jiande were dumbfounded! Zhang Jincheng was a fine man! A former wandering hero, he was indeed seasoned and sharp. The soldiers below erupted in thunderous cheers. It was spectacular! The first half of the match had been a waste of time, but this made the second half all the more thrilling, and their anticipation for what was to come only grew stronger.