7. Duel

As soon as these words were spoken, the other four people in the room simultaneously exclaimed "Ah." Wu Ye was about to dissuade them, but he saw a glint of cold light flash in Xiao Tunan's eyes, and he immediately shut his mouth, casting a sympathetic glance at Ba Lingduo Mu Er. He understood that the prince was determined to make an example by killing one to warn a hundred.

"Shut up, if you shout again, we won't be able to go back. Remember, if you don't leave your life behind, no grudge can be avenged." The old man cast a sinister glance at the Zhenye Wangfu and then walked away without looking back

The noble from the Kehadun tribe suddenly jumped up and said: "You... this is the heir of our tribe, the only son of our chieftain. Do you look down on us Kehadun people like this?"

Ba Lingduo Mu Er let out a furious roar and jumped up from the ground. He had been angry for a long time; no man on the prairie would shy away from a challenge like this. He shouted, "The prairie deity places treasures before you in your felt bag, yet you do not dare to take them. Why then do you come to blame me? Since you wish for my life, I know that regardless of victory or defeat, I cannot survive. After killing you, I will certainly take my own life, but I will die under the banner of honor. However, what can you offer to guarantee your words? What assurance do I have that after I kill you, my father will not be implicated?"

Ba Mipu did not dare to speak, and Xiao Tunan smiled slightly, saying: "However, Khedun has always been a major part of Xizhan. The strength that Xizhan enjoys today is largely due to the great efforts of Khedun's warriors. The chieftain should not stand on ceremony; even before my father, there would be a place for you." Upon hearing this, Ba Mipu carefully took a seat at the lower end of Xiao Tunan's table.

Ba Lingduo Mu'er privately led troops southward, plundering a large amount of grain and treasures upon returning to Xizhan. However, the news of his execution by Xiao Tunan spread rapidly, causing an uproar among various factions. Although Ba Lingduo Mu'er achieved considerable gains on this expedition, and while he did not actually acquire millions of shi of grain or millions of taels of silver, this venture was still deemed quite lucrative compared to any previous border disturbances.

Wu Ye hesitantly asked, "Is it in the side hall?"

"Wuye, give him your knife," Xiao Tunan said calmly. "I will now tell you why I am called the Golden Eagle."

Balingduo Mu'er was filled with anger. He had seized so many valuables and returned to the tribe, yet his father not only did not praise him but instead slapped him right away. Then, he hurriedly took him to Pingyuan, traveling day and night without daring to use any of the things he had taken, bringing everything along. This was against the rules of the grasslands; the things he had seized should rightfully belong to him. Balingduo Mu'er did not understand where he had gone wrong. Hadn't he gone to Dayuan to hunt in winter every year before? Why was it suddenly not allowed? Although Xiao Tunan was indeed a noble heir and the successor of Xizhan, he was still the son of a chieftain. This was so embarrassing; how would he have any face in front of the heirs of other tribes in the future? He suppressed his anger and touched the ground with his head, speaking in a rough voice: "I acted without waiting for the prince's command and went ahead on my own; it was my moment of confusion, I was wrong, and I leave it to the prince to decide my fate."

Just now, while cutting the meat and being close to the fire, Xiao Tunan felt hot and took off his outer garment, wearing only a snow-white inner garment. This, combined with his jet-black hair and equally snow-white cheeks, along with his seemingly delicate appearance, made Ba Lingduo Mu Er completely disregard the possibility of being unable to defeat Xiao Tunan. Upon hearing such contemptuous words, his anger had already burned away all reason, and without caring about anything else, he roared: "Give me a knife, I want to make you bleed every drop!"

His figure was as powerful as a fierce tiger, and his knife shone like stars, stirring a chilling wind in the room. Yet, Xiao Tunan did not even stand up; he merely waved his forearm, and Lingduo Mu'er fell backward, a small meat-cutting knife embedded in his throat

Xiao Tunan's expression darkened as he said, "So the chief has come to plead for him."

Only Ba Lingduo Mu Er remained, tied up with ropes, kneeling awkwardly on the ground

Xiao Tunan nodded slightly. Wu Ye noticed the brilliance in his eyes reflected by the firelight, which sent a chill down his spine, yet he still mustered the courage to speak: "Your Highness! Although Ba Lingduo Mu'er has made a mistake, Ke Hedun is our largest vassal tribe, with eighty thousand elite soldiers, and he is also the leader of other vassal tribes. If we truly become enemies, I fear..." As he spoke, he watched Xiao Tunan's expression, but suddenly saw a flash of brilliance in Xiao Tunan's eyes, and in an instant, the room was filled with a chilling atmosphere. Wu Ye lowered his head, not daring to say more, and bowed as he withdrew.

Wu Ye, following the words, stepped forward to untie the ropes. Ba Mi Pu just let out a sigh of relief when he heard Xiao Tu Nan say: "You look down on me, mock and disregard my authority, forcing me to break my word in front of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. If I let you go, Xi Zhan will never become a true overlord of the world, nor will he be able to truly seize the throat of his own destiny. Ba Ling Duo Mu Er!" He said coldly, "According to the rules of the grasslands, I must duel with you. You may choose the weapons, and let the survivor defend his dignity with blood!"

Xiao Tunan sat in the side hall of the Zhenye Wangfu, with a roasting lamb placed before him. He used a gleaming small knife to continuously slice off the cooked meat, his expression focused. Each piece of lamb he cut was uniform in thickness, from the crispy skin to the fragrant fat beneath it, then to the juicy lean meat, and finally to the elastic connective tissue, encompassing the deliciousness of all parts of the roasted lamb.

The people of Xizhan are inherently fierce and only admire heroes. The actions of King Zhenye have affected his influence in Xizhan, and a hidden current is surging. Little do they know that in Xiao Tunan's heart, not only would he want to kill Ba Lingduo Mu'er with a single blow, but he would also wish to dismember him into pieces to vent his hatred. What do you people know? I do not wish to make any mistakes at this moment, nor do I want to waste any time. To ruin my grand plans for a mere few hundred thousand taels of silver, Ba Lingduo Mu'er, you truly deserve to die! I do not wish to make any mistakes at this moment, nor do I want to waste any time. To ruin my grand plans for a mere few hundred thousand taels of silver, Ba Lingduo Mu'er, you truly deserve to die!

Xiao Tunan smiled faintly and said: "You cannot kill me; it is only possible that I will kill you. Ba Lingduo Mu'er, you are far from being my match"

"Just a servant and a companion?" Xiao Tunan said coldly, "So, Ba Lingduo Mu Er this time did not violate military discipline, but merely offended me, which cannot be considered a public matter. Are you here to apologize to me privately?"

"Bastard, stop right there." Ba Mi Pu Yang raised his hand to strike his son's face, but Ba Ling Duo Mu Er paid no attention and continued to shout: "Come on, you rabbit-like person, why are you called the Golden Eagle?"

Bami Pumangdao: "No, no, no, he disregarded the prince's strict orders and offended the prince. I do not dare to plead for him, so I brought him here to ask the prince for punishment"

Xiao Tunan stood up, helped Bami up, and said: "Get up and speak."

The Dàyuàn army was utterly devoid of combat capability. Tens of thousands of troops led by Bálíngduó Mù'ěr charged in without ever organizing a single decent resistance, and the situation was far better than what the Xīzhān people had originally anticipated. In the face of such a weak enemy and such fertile land, Xiāo Túnán still issued strict orders against any incursions, even going so far as to execute the son of the great chieftain Kěhèdūn to maintain military discipline. It was as if one were presented with a table full of exquisite delicacies yet was forbidden from using chopsticks, leaving everyone with an insatiable craving. In the face of such a weak enemy and such fertile land, Xiāo Túnán still issued strict orders against any incursions, even going so far as to execute the son of the great chieftain Kěhèdūn to maintain military discipline. It was as if one were presented with a table full of exquisite delicacies yet was forbidden from using chopsticks, leaving everyone with an insatiable craving.

Xiao Tunan said: "Alright, since this is a private matter, we shall resolve it privately. Wu Ye, untie his ropes."

Your Highness! Your Highness! This wretched creature would not dare to offend Your Highness even if it meant a thousand deaths!

As he focused intently on cutting, drops of mutton fat dripped into the basin, making a crackling sound, and the entire room was filled with a rich aroma. The firelight cast flickering shadows on his face, making it impossible to discern his emotions. The chef stood nervously to the side; it was supposed to be his task, but the prince had dismissed him, choosing instead to sit on the ground and cut the meat himself, only to place it on a plate without eating any of it.

Xiao Tunan's eyes turned cold as Mi Pu struggled to stand up from the ground and said, "Do not be disrespectful; he deserves his fate. The prince fought him in a fair duel with his life worth ten thousand gold, what more is there to say? Your Highness!" He gasped and continued, "May I be allowed to return, as my health is poor and I wish to rest."

Bami's face turned red and pale, and after a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a voice: "Your Highness, this little servant actually did not send troops. Those tens of thousands of people... they are not our soldiers, they are just... just his attendants and companions. They are young and reckless, merely tempted by the abundant wealth in Dayuan. Your Highness, although this fool does not understand, he still dares not violate military law. I ask Your Highness to consider..."

Chief Kedun and the nobles he brought exclaimed in unison: "No!"

Xiao Tunan said: "Let them in"

Xiao Tunan walked to the charcoal basin again, personally slicing off a few pieces of lamb and instructing someone to hand them to Bami Pu. After completing all of this leisurely, he glanced at Ba Lingduo Mu'er and asked: "The West Zhan does not belong solely to the Xiao family; its prosperity or decline affects countless people. I have stated in front of everyone in the court and at the tribal council that without my command, no one is allowed to mobilize troops, and those who defy military law shall face the death penalty. However, Hedun has always been our good brother. Chief, how do you think we should handle today's matter?"

Xiao Tunan paused for a long time before saying: "Wuye, see the chief off and hand over Balingduo Mu'er to him for burial. Also, the valuables he seized should be rewarded to the Kehadun tribe."

Bami Pugong respectfully thanked and was supported by the noble as he slowly walked out. After they had gone quite a distance, the noble, with a sobbing tone, said: "Chieftain, is the heir really dead just like that? We have been extremely careful and have offered countless smiles, yet he still showed no mercy. Is this how it ends?"

Xiao Tunan turned around and instructed Wu Ye, "Prepare a seat for the chieftain"

Wu Ye entered and said: "Your Highness, Chief Hedun has come with his son and is requesting an audience outside the gate."

Before long, Chief Khedun arrived with Balindormur and a noble from his tribe. He knelt on the ground and said: "Your Highness, my son has disregarded your orders and taken military action on his own. I know he has committed a crime, and I have brought this scoundrel here to be dealt with by Your Highness. All the wealth he obtained has also been brought, and the list is here. Your Highness, please accept it."

Wu Ye handed the sword, which could cut through iron like mud, to Ba Lingduo Mu'er. Without even glancing at it, Ba Lingduo Mu'er reached out and seized it. A nobleman accompanying Chief Kehe Dun stepped forward to block him, but Ba Lingduo Mu'er nimbly leaped aside, evading him. He shouted, "Come and take your life!" and swung the sword down towards Xiao Tunan with lightning speed.

Xiao Tunan waved his hand and called out: "Ba Lingduo Mu'er, you made a mistake yourself yet you let your gray-haired old father plead for you. According to the customs of the grasslands, regardless of who dies, it is their own affair, and their relatives and friends cannot seek revenge. Are you not brave enough to duel with me? I do not rely on my status and power, but on the strength and courage that everyone possesses. Are you not bold enough to confront me?"

Ba Mi Pu immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes! Offending the prince is indeed a capital offense, and the prince can deal with this scoundrel as he sees fit. However, my family has been loyal to the emperor for generations, and we dare not defy the imperial edict under any circumstances." After saying this, he kicked his son hard and shouted, "You have committed such a grave mistake, yet you still do not apologize to the prince!"

When he fell, he knocked over the table, and the dishes on the table crashed to the ground along with his heavy body, shattering into pieces. Blood-stained pieces of lamb scattered around. One piece landed right on Bami Pu's leg, and even through his pants, he could feel the damp warmth, reminiscent of the warm grip of his son's small hands when he used to hug his leg tightly as a child. Bami Pu's vision darkened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, swaying slightly before collapsing to the ground. One piece landed right on Bami Pu's leg, and even through his pants, he could feel the damp warmth, reminiscent of the warm grip of his son's small hands when he used to hug his leg tightly as a child. Bami Pu's vision darkened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, swaying slightly before collapsing to the ground