This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 163 The Prize of Great Yan

Li Jinxian's face instantly darkened like a stormy cloud; such a verbal sparring was truly unbecoming of a scholar.

He always considered himself a scholar, so naturally he wouldn't stand up and argue with the fourth prince like that. Instead, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth and gave the envoys from various countries a faint smile.

"The Great Qian is indeed as vulgar and rude as rumored. Their princes are so uncouth, which shows how poor their overall level is. No wonder they couldn't even defeat the Wildlands."

"Heh, it seems we've touched a nerve, which is why even their prince couldn't contain himself and started to fly into a rage. The truth is often like a sharp arrow, wounding without leaving a trace, and we should understand that."

"Brother Wenzhi is absolutely right. When we go on stage, we must teach them a lesson they won't forget and make them suffer a crushing defeat. That would be excellent."

...The Fourth Prince felt as if his fist had hit soft cotton. The other party had started talking to himself as if no one else was there, completely ignoring his presence. This enraged him so much that he rolled up his sleeves and pounced like a tiger.

As the fourth prince leaped onto the platform of talented individuals, the scene became exceptionally noisy once again.

"No one will stop me today! Barbarians, do you dare to make a bet with me?"

"A bet?" Upon hearing the word "bet," the crowd instantly erupted like a powder keg. Even the young monk Miaowu, who had been keeping his eyes tightly closed like a meditating old monk, couldn't help but open them and glance in their direction.

"How do you intend to wager?" Li Jinxian still wore that faint smile, his gaze towards the Fourth Prince as if he were watching a ridiculous clown. This undoubtedly fueled the Fourth Prince's anger, who pointed angrily at Li Jinxian and cursed him.

"You bastard, I really hate your infuriating appearance. I'll compose a poem, and if you can't match it, I'll tear your face to shreds."

"Interesting. What if you lose?"

He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, asking with a half-smile.

"I lost? Haha, that's simply a fantasy!"

"You haven't even placed a bet, so what right do you have to gamble with me?"

"what do you want?"

"If you lose, I want you to kneel down right here before me, the Dali Kingdom, and shout 'Daqian, eat shit!' How about that?"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating huge waves and causing the crowd to erupt in chaos.

This is Yong'an City of the Great Qian Dynasty, and now it has been openly insulted. How can the people not be filled with righteous indignation? Seeing the Fourth Prince so excited to agree, even the important figures sitting calmly to the side could not hold back. If they lost, and the Emperor Wu blamed them, none of those present would be spared.

"Fourth Prince, you mustn't!"

"Fourth brother, stop fooling around and get down here right now!"

The resounding voices of the Left Chancellor and the Crown Prince rang out simultaneously. This matter concerned the honor and disgrace of the Great Qian Dynasty; others could remain silent, but these two had no choice but to speak.

Seeing all this, Li Jinxian's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, as if everything was under his control, and he seemed to have anticipated that these two would speak. Humiliating a fourth prince was obviously not difficult, especially since this fourth prince himself was like a scoundrel. However, humiliating the crown prince would have a very different effect.

"Is the Fourth Prince perhaps afraid?"

He continued his sarcastic remarks.

“Who says I dare not? Don’t worry, I have a poem by my brother. If you think you can match it, I will immediately admit defeat, kneel down and beg for mercy, and call you grandpa.”

"Fourth brother, don't be impulsive!"

"Fourth Prince, you absolutely mustn't!"

"We're doomed! This isn't a poetry contest, it's a life-or-death gamble!"

Despite the constant pleas of dissuasion, the Fourth Prince remained undeterred, seemingly confident of victory and ignoring all advice.

However, some people still noticed something strange about his words. His constant emphasis on his brother's poem was like a spark that ignited the curiosity in Yan Yi's heart.

As far as she knew, the Fourth Prince's brothers were not particularly talented in literature, so where did he get such confidence?

"Since that's the case, how about our Great Yan joins in the fun?"

"That's certainly good. The Great Qian is clearly disregarding the forces of our nations. How can we tolerate this, gentlemen?"

Li Jinxian was stirred by Yan Yi's words. Da Yan was like a sleeping giant that could not be awakened no matter what. Now that even Da Yan was involved, what reason did others have not to join in?

"Oh no, oh no, the Fourth Prince is stirring up a hornet's nest!"

Many people couldn't help but feel worried. It was one thing to target Dali, but now the situation had evolved into a siege of Daqian by various countries. What should they do? The Fourth Prince glared fiercely at Yan Yi, cursing inwardly for what this wretched woman was doing.

But now he was in a bind, and recalling Xiao Xingchen's poem once more, his lost confidence surged back like a tidal wave.

"Alright, today I will challenge all of you single-handedly, and let you see for yourselves whether the Great Qian is as weak as you say. Men, bring me the Four Treasures of the Study. Today, I will show you what it means to write poetry."

"Does the Fourth Prince mean that the bet is settled?" Li Jinxian stood up, a rare occurrence, and moved to the front of the stage. Although his question was directed at the Fourth Prince, his gaze shot like arrows to the faces of the Crown Prince and the many ministers on the high platform, and then he revealed a meaningful smile.

"Enough with the talk. Today I'm going to teach you a lesson so you'll know that there are always people better than you and that there's always something beyond your understanding."

The Fourth Prince's words were like knives, piercing straight to the heart, effectively silencing the others. This struck the group seated on the high platform like a thunderbolt. The Crown Prince clenched his fists tightly, filled with regret, secretly wondering why he had come here so early in the morning. It wasn't the Fourth Prince gambling; he had dragged everyone here into it. If they lost, it would be their loss of face.

"Fourth brother, you're really something...you're driving me crazy!"

Upon seeing Li Jinxian's smug face, the Crown Prince was furious and slammed his fist on the table.

"Your Highness, don't be anxious. Perhaps the Fourth Prince can prevail?" the Right Chancellor offered words of comfort, only to be met with a response from the Crown Prince that nearly made him spit out the tea he had just drunk.

"Do you believe that, Your Excellency?"

"Cough cough cough..."

Seeing the Right Chancellor rendered speechless, Li Jinxian became even more certain. If even their Chancellor and Crown Prince had no confidence, then this Fourth Prince was probably just a good-for-nothing.

He thought to himself, "Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep and I'm going to slap you in the face, wouldn't I be letting you down if I didn't give you a good slap?"

Unlike Li Jinxian, Yan Yi's gaze remained fixed on the Fourth Prince. She simply couldn't believe that the dignified prince of the Great Qian Dynasty would be a fool.

Moreover, from the cunning look in the Fourth Prince's eyes, she sensed that he must have a backup plan, and perhaps Li Jinxian was the one who was tricked.

Thinking of this, she spoke again: "Da Yan is just offering a stake; regardless of who wins or loses, this stake will be given out and will not directly participate in your betting."

"Yan Yi, you..."

Li Jinxian, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned his head, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

“Young Master Li, I have been saying that we should put up a wager. As a woman, I have no interest in participating in your kind of gambling. I hope you will understand.”

"Hmph, what are you going to offer? I don't care for just anything."

"Since it's a prize, it must be a rare treasure. Coincidentally, I've brought a precious sword with me, which should not lower the level of your bet."

"What sword is worthy to be the prize in this setting? Yan Yi, are you perhaps trying to humiliate yourself?"

"Young Master Li, please don't joke. Since I dared to take it out in front of everyone, it must be something extraordinary. Guards, bring me the sword!"

Yan Yi ignored the doubts raised by Li Jinxian and the other powerful figures, and disregarded their consent, directly ordering someone to fetch the sword. When the tray was presented by a maid, the mocking laughter resumed.

"A broken sword? Your Great Yan is too shabby!"

The first to laugh was naturally Li Jinxian. He was already quite dissatisfied with the way Great Yan did things, and seeing that there was only a broken sword on the tray, how could he have anything good to say? Even the Fourth Prince fell silent.

He couldn't understand why the Great Yan would take out a broken sword on such an occasion. A broken sword is worthless, let alone on such an important occasion as today.

With Yan Yi's sudden disruption, the audience below the stage fell silent instantly. Many people turned their attention to the Great Yan camp, filled with doubt and confusion. Could it be that the mighty Great Yan couldn't even produce a complete sword?

Were they here to make a fool of themselves? However, the young monk Miaowu was different. After seeing the broken sword, he stood up for the first time.

As he stood up, the people of Burning City also stood up.

"Now that the Great Yan has taken out this sword, my Burning Ashes City would also like to participate in the competition. I wonder if you all would mind having me as well?"

The young monk Miaowu's voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley, echoing loudly below the Terrace of Talents, as if whispering in everyone's ear, which gave the princess a jolt.

Miao Wu, who has always been indifferent to worldly affairs, would actually want to join the gambling game because of a broken sword?

That sword, like the most dazzling star in the night sky, instantly attracted her attention.

This time, she dared not underestimate it in the slightest. In fact, the power of the sword immortal surged like a torrent, spreading towards the broken sword along with her gaze.

With a deafening roar, as if thunder had struck from the heavens, the moment the power of the ghost immortal touched the broken sword, a soaring sword intent erupted like a volcanic eruption.

Huangfu Lingxue let out a muffled groan, and the drop of bright red blood at the corner of her mouth, like a sparkling gem, quietly slid down.

"Heavenly Sword!"

Her face turned deathly pale, as if struck by lightning. This was no broken sword; it was clearly a sword once used by the Heavenly Sword, containing the Heavenly Sword's residual power, like a sleeping dragon waiting to be awakened.

Her gaze began to tremble violently. The Heavenly Sword? Could it be that the sword contained the inheritance of the Heavenly Sword?