Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 190: Fierce Battle

Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Fierce Battle

"Elder Brother has gone mad, competing in a wrestling match with him!" Xie Xun cast a worried glance at the tent and instructed Nuanyang, "Stay here and keep watch. Report any news immediately."

"Understood!"

Xie Xun quickly walked toward the dais, arriving along with Fang Chuning. By this time, Xie Zhang and Dugu Jing were already engaged in combat. Wrestling here was hand-to-hand fighting, a duel relying solely on the body without weapons—victory belonged to whoever could best the opponent. It was a grueling test of physical prowess, where the Beiman naturally held the upper hand.

Dugu Jing, though younger than Xie Zhang, was more robust, with explosive strength rippling through his physique. Their battlefield was the elevated stage: whoever was thrown from it would lose, their life or death inconsequential.

Dugu Jing leaned forward slightly, like a hawk poised to strike, while Xie Zhang braced his right leg back, his body bent in a slight crouch. With hands clenched into fists in front, one assumed an attacking stance, the other a defensive posture. Suddenly, Dugu Jing charged forward, his fist hammering down toward Xie Zhang. Side-stepping, Xie Zhang evaded, but Dugu Jing’s fist swiftly followed up with a back hook. Xie Zhang spun upright, crossing his arms protectively. The punch collided with his forearms, sending Xie Zhang staggering back several steps. Dugu Jing lifted his leg in a sweeping kick; Xie Zhang brought his hand chopping down, striking the shin, but at that precise moment, Dugu Jing’s right fist smashed into Xie Zhang’s jaw.

Xie Zhang turned his head with the force of the blow, but Dugu Jing, ignoring the pain in his shin, rained punches down on him like a storm. Xie Zhang blocked with both hands, shielding his head and torso.

Just as it seemed Xie Zhang might fall off the stage, Dugu Jing reined in his strength. Gripping Xie Zhang’s wrist with his five fingers, he yanked him back to the middle and drove a fierce kick into Xie Zhang’s waist and abdomen.

As he was thrown backward, Xie Zhang spat out a mouthful of blood.

"General!" Several Junior Generals under Marquis Zhenbei stood up in agitation, their eyes full of worry.

The Marquis frowned slightly but remained silent. Xie Jue, Xie Xun, and Fang Chuning, seated together, appeared calm despite the circumstances. Xie Xun, however, pressed his fist against the table, veins bulging with tension.

From the first exchange, Xie Zhang had already discerned that Dugu Jing intended to have him die on the stage. The prince would not knock him down—it would take Xie Zhang falling himself. With the entire court of civil and military officials, as well as the Iron Cavalry Army, present, retreat was not an option.

The Crown Prince smiled faintly as he watched. When Xie Zhang coughed blood, the Crown Princess Consort failed to hold her wine cup steady, spilling a few drops as her worry deepened. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince’s expression remained unchanged, savoring the spectacle of this brutal duel.

Xie Zhang, lying prone on the stage, had barely begun to rise when Dugu Jing’s fist came crashing down again. Rolling on the ground, Xie Zhang narrowly avoided the blow, which struck the stage with such force that it almost broke through the planks. The entire banquet hall could hear the resounding impact, a testament to Dugu Jing’s terrifying strength. Gathering power in his waist and abdomen, Xie Zhang pushed off the ground, rising up. Seizing the brief moment when Dugu Jing’s center was unprotected, Xie Zhang’s fist slammed into his chest.

"Hold firm..." The Marchioness gazed nervously at the stage. Marquis Zhenbei clasped his wife’s hand, saying calmly, "He’ll be fine. Trust him."

Dugu Jing staggered back two steps before lightning-fast, he seized Xie Zhang’s wrist, yanking him forward and twisting it backward, seemingly intent on snapping the bone. In response, Xie Zhang jabbed two fingers toward Dugu Jing’s eyes, forcing him to back off into a defensive position as he let go of Xie Zhang. Spinning, Dugu Jing unleashed a rotating kick, the sheer strength behind it more than intimidating. Xie Zhang crossed his arms to block; he felt as if his forearms might snap from the impact.

As soon as Xie Zhang steadied himself, Dugu Jing was upon him again. Xie Zhang once more adopted a defensive stance. In wrestling, those who only defend are at the mercy of relentless attacks. Dugu Jing’s fists were as fast as they were fierce, driving Xie Zhang into retreat again and again. Soon, Xie Zhang was bloodied, while Dugu Jing grew fiercer, his momentum only increasing. Xie Zhang was undeniably at a disadvantage.

Two virile and powerful bodies displayed both the finest in offensive prowess and the strongest defensive fortitude in this brutal duel. Each strike landed with thundering impact. Xie Zhang’s defense was perfectly executed, yet to the eyes of onlookers, he appeared utterly beaten, as he had not once launched an aggressive move.

Dugu Jing’s ferocity stirred the blood of the Beiman Soldiers.

"Prince, kill him!"

"Kill him and avenge our king!"

"Yanyang’s Great General—what a joke! In single combat, he’s no match for the Prince."

"He’s not even worthy of being the Prince’s opponent!"

Jeers and insults swept over Xie Zhang like a storm, as though trying to grind his pride into the mud. The provocations were even shouted deliberately in Yanyang’s language. The military generals, united in indignation, recognized the blatant humiliation, and a few hot-headed Junior Generals nearly started shouting back. If not for Emperor Jianming and the Crown Prince being present, a shouting match would surely have erupted.

Princess Huazhen nudged Prince Kang. "This Dugu Jing is truly formidable, to leave Xie Zhang in such a sorry state. I’d say he’s doomed to lose."

"Elder sister, why are you raising the enemy’s morale while diminishing our own?" Prince Kang shot her a sideways glare.

"It’s the truth. If he’s capable, let him defeat Dugu Jing." Huazhen mocked with a sneer. Why should Xie Zhang inherit command of the Iron Cavalry Army? Xie Xun was the legitimate first-born son.

Before the eyes of so many, it would be best if Xie Zhang suffered defeat, was humiliated, and willingly ceded his position.

Xie Xun looked at his elder brother, who, though beaten and bloodied, never stayed down for long and kept rising, fighting on. Restraining the restless ferocity surging within him, Xie Xun clenched his fists; this was Xie Zhang’s battlefield, one no one else could fight in his stead.

The civil officials, unfamiliar with wrestling techniques, saw only the invincibility of Dugu Jing, and their hearts brimmed with dread.

Even the mighty and once-unbeatable Xie Zhang struggled against him—who else could hope to defeat Dugu Jing?

Once again, Xie Zhang was sent sprawling to the ground. Blood trickled from his split lips, staining his neck and robes. His chin was bruised purple, and though his clothing hid the injuries on his abdomen, thighs, and chest, the escalating pain left no doubt of their severity. As he lay there, another mouthful of blood gushed out. Stars spun in his vision, and sweat mingled with blood on his torn and battered attire.

Dugu Jing flexed his wrist and looked at the kneeling, slowly rising Xie Zhang with undisguised arrogance. "Eldest Young Master, kneel and admit defeat. I’ll spare your life."

The blatant insult roused righteous anger among the gathered military generals. Emperor Jianming, seated on the high platform, grew displeased, wondering why Xie Zhang remained defensive and did not attack.

This was Yanyang’s dignity at stake. As the eldest son of the Marquis Mansion, how could he allow himself to be defeated by Dugu Jing?

Xie Zhang wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb, and in those eyes, always known for their warm and gentle mirth, a crimson edge of fury now gleamed. Dugu Jing’s killing intent bore down like a tidal wave, while Xie Zhang shed his usual mask of the refined scholar.

"There’s an old saying in Yanyang: we’ll see who has the last laugh!" Xie Zhang’s voice was firm. "Until I’m dead, you haven’t won."

"Good!" Dugu Jing exclaimed, as though waiting for this very declaration. "Then I’ll grant your wish."

Dugu Jing roared, leaping into the air and launching himself toward Xie Zhang. With his fingers clenched into a fist, he aimed a blow straight for Xie Zhang’s face. A single punch from Dugu Jing was enough to crush a skull, so Xie Zhang instinctively crossed his arms to guard his head. But Dugu Jing, appearing to have anticipated this move, changed his trajectory mid-attack, striking toward Xie Zhang’s lower abdomen instead.

Xie Zhang abandoned his defense, unclenching his fists to deflect the blow downward. Locking onto Dugu Jing’s wrist with one hand, he leveraged his momentum to leap up. Dugu Jing anticipated a countering kick and shifted back to defend, retreating preemptively. But unexpectedly, Xie Zhang, employing terrifying strength in his waist and core, twisted midair into a spinning kick. His right leg swept horizontally, slamming into Dugu Jing’s chest and nearly knocking him off the stage. Only Dugu Jing’s extraordinary physical resilience allowed him to anchor his hands on the platform, preventing a fall.