Chapter 34: Don't I Have Any Dignity?

The Martial Emperor gave a light cough and offered a word of comfort to General of the Vanguard Tang Wushuang, "I think Tang Qi is doing quite well; he has been keeping Li Wenxuan on the defensive the whole time."

General Tang Wushuang gave a dry laugh and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty is unaware, but my son will surely be unhorsed by this young man within twenty passes at most."

"Oh? Is that so?" The Martial Emperor looked toward Tang Wushuang, feigning surprise.

Tang Wushuang nodded. His gaze fixed on the two figures fighting within the low-fenced enclosure, he spoke with a complex expression: "That boy’s spear technique is... very peculiar."

The Martial Emperor rarely saw a powerhouse like Tang Wushuang, a man of formidable combat prowess, look so frustrated. Pretending not to understand what "peculiar" meant, he pressed for details with the persistence of someone determined to get to the bottom of things: "Minister Tang, what exactly do you mean by 'peculiar'?"

A look of extreme discomfort flashed across Tang Wushuang’s weathered face. How could he not hear the Emperor's sarcasm? You, Tang Wushuang, are recognized as invincible throughout the Northern Camp, yet your own son... heh! Let’s see you act arrogant in the future!

But since the Emperor had asked, he could be arrogant himself, but he could not refuse to answer. "That boy’s spear technique is... sinister!"

"Oh? How has it come to a matter of good versus evil?" The Martial Emperor feigned astonishment, his face full of curiosity, while inwardly he was suppressing a laugh.

Tang Wushuang’s facial muscles twitched slightly. He narrowed his eyes, watching the two clashing figures, and muttered, "No matter how much force you put into an attack, his spear technique can dissolve it into nothingness, and even..."

The General frowned, "He can use the opponent’s own strength against them. That is why my son is fighting so arduously; he is nearly at his limit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Wushuang sighed in disappointment: "He has lost."

The Martial Emperor and Chief Eunuch Li hurriedly looked into the distance. Inside the courtyard, Tang Qi roared like thunder and swung his long spear down with tremendous force, but then a bizarre turn of events occurred.

The spear in Li Wenxuan’s hand parried at an incredibly tricky angle, actually twisting the spear right out of Tang Qi’s grip. Simultaneously, with lightning speed, Li Wenxuan slid his spear forward and swept it across the front hooves of the black-maned horse Tang Qi was riding.

These two movements happened so fast they seemed to occur at the same time. Not only did the group of watching playboys fail to notice, but even Tang Qi himself was unaware. He only felt his mount stumble, and his own spear was sent flying...

"Boom—"

Horse and rider tumbled. Tang Qi involuntarily performed a graceful slide along the ground...

*Rip—*

The pant legs below his knees were instantly shredded, revealing two hairy legs...

"Clang!"

Tang Qi looked up in shock and rage, only to see the tip of the red-tasseled spear, its blade now notched, pressed right against his nose, pinned before his eyes!

This was not just a defeat; if that spear had pushed forward just a few inches more, he would have died right there!

"Young Master Tang, I did say the ground was slippery!"

As the mocking voice sounded, the spear was retracted. Tang Qi slowly stood up, only then realizing that the skin on his legs had been scraped raw. It stung and itched, and a bit of blood was seeping through... It looked miserable, but in reality, it was just a few scrapes.

Damn it! Tang Qi felt he had lost all face. He didn't even dare to look back at his four friends.

"Thud!"

Li Wenxuan jumped off his horse, a half-smile on his face, and walked slowly toward Tang Qi.

A chill ran down Tang Qi’s spine. He instinctively took two steps back, his boots crunching in the snow, and stared warily at Li Wenxuan: "You! What do you want?"

"Oh, Young Master Tang, with that expression and those words, you make me sound like a creepy old man cornering a young girl..." Li Wenxuan laughed heartily. "Have you forgotten what our wager was?"

"I..." Tang Qi remembered. Everything the loser possessed belonged to the winner.

Tang Qi gritted his teeth and fished a money pouch from his robes; it contained a thousand taels in silver notes! He had never imagined he would lose in a mounted duel, so he had brought the money intending to treat his four friends to a night of revelry at the Jiaofangsi after his victory. Who would have thought...

"Here, take it!" Tang Qi held out his hand in shame and handed the pouch to Li Wenxuan.

Li Wenxuan accepted it, opened a gap to glance inside, and gave a thumbs-up: "Young Master Tang is certainly generous... but?"

Seeing the malicious glint in Li Wenxuan’s eyes, Tang Qi gritted his teeth and pointed to the black-maned horse that had just climbed to its feet... He gritted his teeth—he would honor the bet. A loser might lose the fight, but he wouldn't lose his spirit!

"That’s yours too!"

"Hmm?" Li Wenxuan shook his head and pointed at Tang Qi: "Young Master Tang, you have a short memory. Our wager was that everything the loser has on their person belongs to the winner."

Li Wenxuan said with a grin: "Would you like me to find a scholar to explain to you what the hell 'everything' means?"

His tone began as playful, but as he spoke, it turned cold and harsh, his expression becoming menacing.

"You!" Tang Qi was truly afraid now. Losing his beloved little Red and his second-favorite Black to this guy didn't matter—he had plenty of money, as long as he pretended not to care. Being knocked off his horse in front of his four friends wasn't a big deal either; he figured he could get his revenge later.

But... this guy clearly wanted him to strip off his clothes and crawl out with his rear end exposed? This... this! In the social circles of the capital, what was most important? Face! If he lost his face, how could he show himself in public again?

Tang Qi said indignantly: "Just kill me then!"

"I won't kill you, I just want you to fulfill your promise. Or are you, Tang Qi... someone whose word is worth less than a fart?" Li Wenxuan began to mock him.

Hearing this, Tang Qi’s rage boiled over. His eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at Li Wenxuan, filled with bitter resentment: "Fine, I’ll strip!"

But just as he prepared to disrobe like a martyr, Li Wenxuan suddenly pressed his hand down.

"Hey, I’m just messing with you. You only lost one match; I just wanted to see if your character was reliable."

"I..." Tang Qi thought to himself, *That was close.* If he had said out loud the insults he was hurling at Li Wenxuan’s mother and female ancestors for eighteen generations, he feared this guy really would have made him walk the streets in the nude.

"Then you are..." A trace of gratitude actually appeared in Tang Qi’s eyes.

"Though I won't make you strip, I need you to do me a small favor!"

"What small favor?" Tang Qi hesitated.

Li Wenxuan smiled dismissively, "The four people behind you are your friends, right? Young Master Tang, if I stand up and say that you only lost because your horse stumbled, wouldn't that help you save face?"

Tang Qi said angrily: "How ridiculous. Does a distinguished Young Master of the Tang family like me need you to do that?"

Just as Li Wenxuan was beginning to think this guy had some backbone, he heard Tang Qi immediately ask: "Then, what is it that Young Master Li needs help with? It’s nothing, I, Tang Qi, have always been a warm-hearted person."

"Good!" Li Wenxuan gave a thumbs-up. "I need you to accompany me..."

"You—" Upon hearing this, Tang Qi nearly forgot his dignity.

"What are you rushing for? I haven't finished speaking yet!" Li Wenxuan rolled his eyes in silence. Were the people in this world all so twisted in their preferences?

"Since that’s the case..." Tang Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "I’ll go through fire and water for you, Young Master Li!"