Free Web NovelChapter 204: Chapter 204: Gold Medal Captain
Sun Daxiong was mid-sentence when one of the dozen or so men cut him off.
"Chu Qingyun, are you going to accept or not? If you refuse, you’re a coward, and everyone in the Celestial Wind Army, from the top down, will look down on you!"
After he spoke, all dozen or so of them burst into laughter.
A stream of taunts and provocations poured from their mouths.
It was as if Chu Qingyun wouldn’t be able to make it in the Great Xia Dragon Guard if he didn’t accept their challenge.
However, their laughter died down after a moment.
Because they discovered that Chu Qingyun had absolutely no reaction to their taunts and jeers. He wasn’t angry or agitated, just watching them with a faint smile, as if looking at clowns, at a bunch of idiots.
"Chu Qingyun, what’s your answer? Are you accepting or not!" one of them demanded, growing angry.
"I accept your wagered duel, but not because of your clumsy attempts to provoke me," Chu Qingyun said softly.
"Oh? Then why?"
"Because some people are eager to hand-deliver Military Merits to me. Why would I refuse?" Chu Qingyun replied with a smile, a hint of mockery in his tone.
Hearing this, a flash of intense anger crossed the eyes of the dozen or so men.
Many among them were top-tier captains, among the best in all the Six Armies of the Great Xia Dragon Guard.
And this newcomer, Chu Qingyun, a mere level-eight Martial Artist, dared to be so arrogant?
Although Liu Canghai had warned them that Chu Qingyun was very strong and could easily kill an average Great Xia Dragon Guard captain.
But deep down, they still looked down on a new level-eight Martial Artist, believing his strength came primarily from his Spirit Level Treasure Sword.
However, thanks to Grand Commander Chu Yu’s intentional concealment, not even Liu Canghai knew that Chu Qingyun had slain a Half-Step Martial Spirit inside the Zhao Mansion in Flame City.
If he had known, he probably wouldn’t have come up with this stupid idea...
Just then, Meng Chengde, the one who had proposed the wager of one thousand Military Merits, stepped forward again. "Chu Qingyun," he said, "we know you have a Spirit Level Treasure Sword. It would be too unfair if you used a Spirit Level Divine Weapon. Therefore, I propose that you cannot use your Spirit Level Treasure Sword during the duel."
At his words, the dozen or so men started clamoring again, shouting that it would be unfair, despicable, and shameless if Chu Qingyun used his Spirit Level Treasure Sword.
"So, Chu Qingyun, what do you say?" Meng Chengde asked, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he looked at Chu Qingyun.
Hearing this, Chu Qingyun grinned. "What do I think...? I think you’re a complete idiot!"
"I just told you your pathetic attempts to provoke me wouldn’t work, and yet you tried again. Tell me, aren’t you all a bunch of idiots?"
"Having a Spirit Level Treasure Sword is a testament to my own ability. If you’re so capable, go get a Spirit Level Divine Weapon yourself. If you can’t, then shut your mouth."
"Do you think I’m an idiot like you? That I’d have a Divine Weapon and not use it, choosing to fight bare-handed instead?"
Chu Qingyun’s speech left Meng Chengde and the others speechless. On reflection, they had to admit they were being rather foolish.
The crowd of onlookers couldn’t help but erupt in laughter.
A group of Gold and Silver Medal Captains ganging up to challenge a single newcomer, a level-eight Martial Artist. They were clearly planning to wear him down one by one, yet they acted as if they were the victims.
These people were truly shameless.
Meng Chengde’s eyes darted about. ’A sense of panic is rising within me.’
’This isn’t going according to plan at all. Chu Qingyun didn’t fall for our provocations and even made us look like idiots.’
They were still extremely wary of Chu Qingyun as long as he had his Spirit Level Treasure Sword.
Meng Chengde gritted his teeth. "Chu Qingyun, if you promise not to use your Spirit Level Treasure Sword, we’ll double the Military Merits if we lose. If you lose, the amount you wager remains the same. How about it?"
Hearing this, not only the surrounding members of the Great Xia Dragon Guard but even the other challengers looked at Meng Chengde in astonishment.
The previous wager was already enormous for anyone at the Captain Level.
If it was doubled, many of them wouldn’t be able to afford the payout if they lost!
But Meng Chengde shot them a reassuring glance.
’Hmph. There are eighteen of us. Five are Gold Medal Captains, seven are Silver Medal Captains, and the remaining six are all Iron Medal Captains!’
’With eighteen of us fighting you one by one, how many rounds can you possibly last?’
"Chu, stay calm..." Sun Daxiong urged from the side.
But Chu Qingyun just gave a cold smile. "Fine. It’s a deal. I accept your challenge!" freewёbnoνel.com
"Good! It’s a deal!" frёeωebɳovel.com
"So many of our comrades in the Great Xia Dragon Guard have seen and heard. You can’t go back on your word, Chu Qingyun. Let’s head to the dueling platform now!"
"Hahahaha, we’re going to beat that kid until he cries today..."
The group of men walked toward the dueling platform, laughing boisterously.
Watching the large crowd surge toward the dueling platform, Sun Daxiong couldn’t help but shake his head. He knew the matter was settled and there was no turning back now.
"Sigh... Chu, you were too impulsive. You actually agreed not to use your Spirit Level Treasure Sword..." Sun Daxiong said with a heavy sigh.
He had only ever seen Chu Qingyun kill Zhang Yunqiu and the others with his Spirit Level Treasure Sword, so like Liu Canghai, he believed Chu Qingyun’s strength relied primarily on the Divine Weapon.
Chu Qingyun didn’t explain. He just smiled and said, "Sun, can you explain to me now what a Gold Medal Captain is?"
Sun Daxiong sighed again as the three of them walked toward the dueling platform.
"Chu, Xia, you both know that the gap between a Martial Artist and a Half-Step Martial Spirit is a massive hurdle. Out of a hundred level-nine Martial Artists, it’s rare for even one to make the leap."
"The Great Xia Dragon Guard recruits only the most elite Martial Artists, and basically every one of them has the potential to reach the ninth level."
"Over time, this has led to a situation where a great many Martial Artists get stuck at the ninth level. In other words, we have a huge number of level-nine Martial Artist captains."
Hearing this, Chu Qingyun couldn’t help but ask, "But I remember Liu Canghai only had nine captains under his command, right?"
Sun Daxiong nodded. "There are many captains who don’t command troops. Plus, Liu Canghai has two level-nines among his Personal Guard, and some report directly to the Grand Commander. The captains under the Guard Generals are only a fraction of the total, the ones who actually lead troops. Take me, for instance. My men were wiped out this time, so I’m afraid I won’t get the chance to lead troops again."
"The difference in strength between those at the Captain Level can be huge, but most are level-nine Martial Artists, so you can’t compare them by their Realm. That’s why there’s a rating system."
"Among the captains, the weakest are the ordinary ones, and they are the most numerous. Above them, in ascending order, are Iron Medal Captains, Silver Medal Captains, and Gold Medal Captains."
"Anyone who becomes a Gold Medal Captain is already among the absolute elite!"
