Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 167 Chu Ning

Chapter 167: Chapter 167 Chu Ning

Xie Jue stared at him, his gaze serene as a peacock unfurled its tail. Two fierce warriors clashed, their blades locked in a deadly dance, battling beneath the darkened heavens. The formidable Dugu Jing, with his sheer physical strength, was every general’s worst nightmare.

Fang Chuning’s swordsmanship was entirely unlike his appearance—cold, ruthless, with murderous intent in every strike. No flamboyant moves, just precise and lethal attacks, each blow aimed to kill.

A true beauty, as radiant as a jade sword beneath the rainbow’s glow.

Dugu Jing matched him blow for blow, his scimitar radiating oppressive force. Each slash carried simmering hatred. In the blink of an eye, they exchanged over ten moves, each bearing a mark of injury.

Fang Chuning sustained a wound to his waist, while Dugu Jing’s arm was grazed by a sword. Fang Chuning’s black attire concealed his injuries, but Xie Jue’s gaze fixed sharply on the blood-soaked mark at Fang Chuning’s waist, his eyes narrowing.

"I only want Xie Jue’s life, Fang Chuning, get out of my way!" Dugu Jing pointed his scimitar toward him. If Xie Xun stood before him instead, it would make sense—they were brothers, after all.

But Fang Chuning was risking his life for Xie Jue!

Did he no longer care about surviving?

Fang Chuning angled his longsword, laughing as he beckoned Dugu Jing with a finger—wicked and taunting. "Come on, let’s see who dies first."

Dugu Jing, provoked, roared furiously and charged forward. "Kill Xie Jue!"

The four Beiman soldiers accompanying Dugu Jing drew their blades, glaring at Xie Jue. Xie Jue sidestepped the scimitar’s trajectory, while Fang Chuning spun back, cutting down one soldier. His sword’s hilt blocked Dugu Jing’s advancing scimitar, then with a swift kick, he sent Dugu Jing reeling.

Whirling around with a sweeping gust of sword wind, Fang Chuning forced Dugu Jing back. At the edge of his vision, he noticed the four Beiman scimitars closing in on Xie Jue. Yet Xie Jue, tranquil and composed, didn’t even lift his eyelids before Fang Chuning lunged again, parrying the blades once more.

The Second Young Master, amidst any peril, always remained calm and unshaken, as solid as a mountain.

Dugu Jing struck again from behind, the wind howling with his advance. Fang Chuning, barely keeping up, found himself faltering. When it came to close combat, Xie Xun and Fang Chuning were Yanyang’s finest Junior Generals, both possessing unyielding willpower and exceptional physiques. In every military drill or blade-and-sword bout, neither could decisively outmatch the other.

Xie Xun couldn’t defeat Dugu Jing, and Fang Chuning had no absolute advantage either—especially with four highly skilled Beiman soldiers involved.

Xie Jue recognized Fang Chuning’s struggle. "Still enjoying yourself?"

Fang Chuning clenched his teeth, looking aggrieved as though he might kneel and surrender any moment. "I was wrong."

When Dugu Jing and the four Beiman soldiers charged again, Xie Jue raised his hand and moved slightly. The Shadow Guards behind him emerged like specters, silently positioning themselves in front of Xie Jue.

Dugu Jing and the Beiman soldiers hesitated, retreating a few steps. Xie Jue’s voice, calm and steady, commanded, "Everyone but Dugu Jing—kill!"

"Yes!"

The Shadow Guards swiftly seized control of the battlefield. Fang Chuning pressed a hand against his wounded waist, his fingers brushing against fresh blood. This was his first solo encounter with Dugu Jing.

Fang Chuning muttered, "No wonder Xie Xun couldn’t beat him. He truly is a beast."

Within Yanyang, few could defeat Fang Chuning in a duel—aside from Xie Xun, no second challenger could be found.

Among the Xie Family’s three brothers, only Xie Jue had the protection of Shadow Guards.

Ever since Xie Jue returned from his two years in Beiman, the Shadow Guards had remained by his side, haunting the shadows, undetected by anyone. Though unlike his father, elder brother, and younger brother in raw combat prowess, Xie Jue possessed a strength they could never rival.

The Shadow Guards, while perhaps not individually unmatched, constituted a force that neither Xie Xun nor Fang Chuning, even together, could hope to overcome.

Dugu Jing was driven 20 meters away, while the four Beiman soldiers were slain—blood splattering across the ruins in a horrifying display. The Shadow Guards, having executed their orders, stood silently. No words were exchanged.

Dugu Jing glared furiously, while Xie Jue stood under the moonlight, cold as frost and snow. "If you want to kill me, meet me on the battlefield."

In the Capital City, Dugu Jing couldn’t touch him.

Dugu Jing laughed aloud, sheathing his scimitar. His sharply defined, youthful features were drenched in hatred. "The first term for Beiman’s negotiations is your life. Xie Jue, sacrificing one man in exchange for ten years of peace and submission—what do you think? Will the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion protect you, or choose peace?"

Fang Chuning thrust his longsword toward Dugu Jing’s throat, his gaze more oppressive than Dugu Jing’s own. "Dugu Jing, defeated general, do you even deserve to negotiate terms?"

"Junior General Fang, are you scared?" Dugu Jing’s Yanyang dialect was startlingly fluent despite only learning it in a few months. "Care to gamble with me?"

Fang Chuning’s sword tip brushed against Dugu Jing’s throat, poised to cut his flesh. Suddenly, the sound of chaotic footsteps erupted. Lin Cheng arrived with a squad of Forbidden Army soldiers and Beiman warriors, racing to the scene. The Shadow Guards, silent as phantoms, circled around Xie Jue, forming a half-ring of sharp blades to protect him.

Lin Cheng dismounted, his gaze falling upon the four corpses strewn near the ruins—utterly shocked. In the thick of negotiations, the Second Young Master and Junior General Fang had killed Beiman soldiers?

Moreover, Fang Chuning’s sword was still pressed to Dugu Jing’s throat!

Seeing their comrades slain, the Beiman soldiers turned red-eyed with rage, drawing their blades at Fang Chuning.

Lin Cheng’s back went cold with fear. Bowing hurriedly, he implored, "Junior General Fang, negotiations are delicate right now. It’s unwise to draw your sword. Please, withdraw it."

Fang Chuning’s sword tip had already nicked Dugu Jing’s throat, blood beading upon its edge. He understood that if Dugu Jing were to die in the Capital City, war at the border would be inevitable.

He withdrew his sword and moved to stand beside Xie Jue.

Dugu Jing touched the blood on his neck, smearing it across his hand. Sneering coldly, he pointed at Xie Jue. "Negotiations are at hand, yet Xie Jue, driven by personal vengeance, killed my Beiman soldiers. You Yanyang people clearly have no sincerity for peace. This matter demands an explanation."

Lin Cheng, though bold enough to call Xie Xun a brother and ally through marriage, wouldn’t dare provoke Xie Jue. "Second Young Master, what’s going on here?"

Xie Jue displayed no interest in replying, while Fang Chuning chuckled lightly. "Dugu Jing ordered his men to assassinate me and the Second Young Master, only to be countered. You, as the head of the Imperial Guards, can’t even see such a straightforward truth?"

Fang Chuning’s tone was neither loud nor soft, yet it carried a weight like muffled thunder crashing against Lin Cheng’s ears. Years spent fighting on battlefields instilled an awe that even his playful demeanor couldn’t conceal—a pressure as devastating as stone shattering the earth.

Lin Cheng couldn’t help but feel a creeping fear.

"You lured us here, setting a trap for slaughter. Don’t slander us! How could Yanyang, pursuing peace, plot such an assassination inside the Capital City?" Dugu Jing barked back, his youthful arrogance unabated. "Second Young Master, you killed them, didn’t you?"

"Yes!" Xie Jue admitted without hesitation.

"You’ve heard it yourselves. The Second Young Master killed them. This matter will not be laid to rest. We’re leaving!" Dugu Jing shook his sleeves and led the Beiman soldiers away.

The Forbidden Army parted to let them pass, not daring to stop them.

Fang Chuning and Xie Jue watched as Dugu Jing left with his soldiers, the scene illuminated by moonlight—blood and corpses strewn across the ground were vivid and eerie. Killing Beiman soldiers during negotiations was a grave offense, punishable by death under the law.

Lin Cheng stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Second Young Master, killing Beiman soldiers during negotiations is an irrefutable crime. Please follow me to the Forbidden Army’s prison."

Xie Jue stared at him coldly, his glassy eyes void of any emotion. Despite sensing the overwhelming hostility emanating from Xie Jue, Lin Cheng stood emboldened by the Forbidden Army behind him.