Chapter 671: Decapitated Arm
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Realizing what he was thinking, Harmon’s expression darkened.
He had already lost this deal by thinking that way.
Yin Huaixi did not argue with Harmon. He stroked the scimitar on his bracelet and said calmly, “Before we make a deal, let’s resolve our personal grudges first. Under the condition that no lives shall be taken, there shouldn’t be any complaints about losing an arm or a leg.”
Harmon did not expect Yin Huaixi to be so straightforward. He laughed. “In the words of your Great Zhou Dynasty, it’s better to be respectful than obedient. Harmon will accompany you to the end.”
King Yue Fei did not say it explicitly, but he knew very well.
The Northern Barbarians had been at war with the North for many years, and it was already difficult to resolve their grudges. This was a national feud.
Back then, the Northern Barbarians and the Great Zhou officials had forged evidence of King You colluding with the enemy to betray the country. It had also caused the destruction of the family of King You’s residence. This was a family grudge.
The Northern Barbarians had also suffered heavy casualties over the years.
The Great Zhou people hated the Di people, and the Di people also hated the Great Zhou people. This was the greatest obstacle to a smooth trade between the two sides.
Of course, these grudges could not be resolved with a fight.
However, Yin Huaixi’s goal was not to vent his anger.
This battle between kings was equivalent to establishing rules. After the two sides fought, they would temporarily let go of their grudges. During the process of the discussion, they could not break the rules no matter what.
Whoever broke the rules would have to pay the corresponding price.
It was better than talking later and pestering those grudges. If there was a disagreement, they would fight.
In order to ensure that the subsequent talks would go smoothly, both sides would tacitly agree that if either side won, they would be able to obtain a
certain amount of initiative in the subsequent talks. The losing side would also tacitly agree to make concessions in the talks to prevent both sides from not giving in to each other and causing a violent conflict.
The fight was very fair. Winning or losing depended on one’s own strength.
Both sides were leaders of an army. From the day they put on their battle robes, it was destined that they would either be in the army for the rest of their lives or return in a casket. If it was just a small fight, it would not achieve the effect of establishing rules. Therefore, in this battle, without harming their lives, they would have to draw some blood.
A suggestion could avoid more trouble and hidden dangers in the future. Neither side could refuse.
Both sides reached a consensus and arrived at the martial arts arena.
Yin Huaixi’s leg had just recovered, so he wasn’t too confident in facing Harmon.
However, back in Youzhou, Yu Youyao had made a new incense medicine. It was paired with a small amount of the sh.e.l.l of a kind of flower. It could inspire people in a short period of time and allow them to unleash 120% of their strength.
The only drawback is after using it, his mind would also fall into a tired and weak state.
It’s not something that would last long. He could recover after resting for a
However, Yu Youyao thought that this medicine should not be used often. She didn’t even keep the incense recipe in case it was leaked. She only gave him three pills and asked him to keep them as a safety net.
This was also the reason behind his confidence in fighting Harmon.
Yin Huaixi did not think that there was anything wrong with this.
He had his methods, and so did Harmon. In terms of age alone, Harmon was much older than him. The difference in age meant that he lacked skills and fighting experience.
Harmon also knew this, so he agreed readily.
“Please—” Yin Huaixi drew his knife and charged forward like lightning.
Harmon welcomed the knife with unparalleled bravery.
The blades clashed and sparks flew in the air. The moment the two blades collided, Yin Huaixi made a judgment. Harmon had brute force, so it wasn’t a wise move to fight head-on.
After more than ten moves, Harmon felt that Yin Huaixi’s reaction speed was top-notch, and his saber technique was very strange. It was as if every time he struck, he had already foreseen his reaction, making it impossible to guard against. Wounds were left on his body.
At first, this small injury was neither painful nor itchy, and Harmon did not care.
As more and more wounds appeared on his body, Harmon’s stamina drained quickly. He immediately realized that losing blood would lead to a loss of stamina, and the wounds were affecting his reaction speed.
Moreover, he could clearly sense that there was madness in Yin Huaixi’s bones. The more he fought, the more excited he became. As if he did not know fatigue, he drew his knife faster and faster, and his movements became more and more treacherous.
“Ah—” A scream suddenly sounded.
Blood splattered on the ground, and a thick arm fell to the ground with a bang.
Harmon’s face was pale as he took a few steps back.
Yin Huaixi also took a step back. There was a long cut on his left arm, and blood gushed out.
“Hah—
“Your Highness—”
Exclamations rose and fell on the arena.
The thousand elite soldiers that Harmon had brought rushed into the martial arts arena and stood behind him. They pulled their bows and drew their knives. They hated King Yue Fei of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As long as the order was given, they could charge forward.
The people on Yin Huaixi’s side were not slow.
Both sides immediately fell into a standstill.
Yin Huaixi said calmly, “Leave!”
His voice was neither loud nor soft, but he had a dignified aura. The soldiers only hesitated for a moment before retreating in unison. However, the bowstrings in their hands were still tightened, and their curved swords were still tightly clenched. Their sharp eyes landed on the Di Army warily.
Harmon had lost his right arm and was seriously injured. Seeing that the You army had already retreated, he raised his voice and said, “Move back!”
“Hah—
“Hah, we can’t let it go like this…”
“Hah, as long as you give the order, we…”
Harmon endured the pain in his arm, raised his voice, and shouted angrily, “Back off, all of you.”
Only then did the Di Army reluctantly retreat.
Seeing that they had listened, Harmon said, “Sabers and swords have no eyes on the battlefield. Before I attacked, I had already made an agreement with King Yue Fei to break my arms and legs. I have no grudge with anyone. You’re all brave warriors of the gra.s.sland. Our gra.s.sland respects the strong. Today, l, Harmon lost an arm. I was inferior.’
Upon hearing this, the Di Army finally calmed down a little.
Harmon said simply, “l lost.”
Yin Huaixi’s body swayed, and he knelt on the ground with his knife. “Thank you for letting me win!”
Harmon looked at King Yue Fei’s injured arm. If the knife had been a little deeper, it would have crippled his arm. What a pity. “Since we’re all injured, we’ll discuss the matter later.’
It wasn’t that he was inferior in strength in the battle just now, but that Yin Huaixi was too cunning.
From the beginning, Yin Huaixi had deliberately shown weakness to numb him, creating the illusion that he had good reaction speed but not enough strength.
He had fought with the Great Zhou for many years and knew that the soldiers of the Great Zhou were inferior to them in terms of strength, so he did not suspect anything.
It wasn’t until later that he realized that the wounds on his body were hurting and bleeding more and more—
Every cut that Yin Huaixi made on his body seemed to be very messy and disorderly, but they were all on his arms, chest, legs, and back.
The wound was neither light nor heavy, and it did not seem to affect him much.
However, when he swung his saber, it would affect the injuries on his arms, chest, and back. It would accelerate the bleeding of his wounds. The more he bled, the more painful his injuries would be, causing him to move slowly and
be unable to deal with it. This explained Yin Huaixi’s strange speed of swinging his saber..