Chapter 5, one against ten

However, as long as Chen Xiang shows any sign of irritation, he will definitely fall silent

Where is the ruffian dog of the Tiger Ben Guard

"Chen Shang, we finally caught you!" one of the three said with a sneer

Chen Shang, who prides himself as the foremost swordsman in the city of Xianyang, may be somewhat boastful, yet he began learning swordsmanship at a young age, starting in Xianghan, and later traveled through Heluo with his sword. Eventually, he arrived in Xianyang, and throughout this journey, the number of duels he has engaged in with others, if not eight hundred, certainly amounts to three to five hundred.

He is actually quite curious about the true identity of the tiger cub.

Two bodies collided violently, producing a dull sound

At this glance, this person fell silent and ceased to speak

"Sword?" the other party said

This young man possesses great self-discipline

Chen Shang's nagging only earned him a smile from the tiger cub

At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening, and in the distance, the faint sound of the evening drum could be heard. After six hundred strikes of the evening drum, the city of Xianyang would impose a curfew. Chen Shang, feeling somewhat desolate, spread his hand and hung the sword back on the horse's back.

Seeing him put down his sword, the man with the sinister smile immediately threw his own sword to his companion, slightly crouched down, and then let out a furious roar as he lunged towards Chen Shang

Indeed, it is Chen Shang

After the First Emperor unified the realm, he suppressed the Jixia Academy for a period of time because it had previously supported the enemies of the Qin. However, during the reign of the Second Emperor, the nation was impoverished and exhausted from war, leading to the adoption of Daoist principles of Huang-Lao for recuperation and revitalization, which resulted in a relaxation of the suppression of the Jixia Academy

If it were someone else, it would naturally be one-on-one, but facing you, Chen Xiang, the scum of the earth... Hmph, kneel down and take your beating!" said the sneering one.

The one who spoke these words was precisely the person who had just grinned menacingly

If the visitor is not from the Tiger Ben Guard, I will just watch him get beaten up here

It is essential to understand this young man better

Although by the time of Emperor Liewu, the Jixia Academy began to be suppressed again, it has now become deeply rooted.

( "Shilin · Qipian": The Jixia Academy is known for its empty reputation; anyone with one or two strengths must have a title. There are often terms like "Ten Swords", "Eight Instruments", "Six Steeds", "Four Gallants", and "Double Dragons" that serve as mutual endorsements. The academy's overseer, deeply weary of this, began to raise fighting chickens, claiming them to be the "Five Absolutes", which somewhat curbed this trend )

The sweat beading on Chen Shang's forehead was more abundant than that of the several Tiger Ben Guards. Hu Ru'er quietly moved aside, distancing herself from him even further.

"You wretched scoundrel, villain, filthy scum!" shouted the person behind.

"Life and death are of no concern?" Chen Xiang answered with indifference

This fellow must have seduced someone else's wife or daughter, bringing trouble upon himself from his enemies

This is a rather narrow alley, not a main road. Chen Xiang is taking this route merely to cut through. Now, with people in front and behind, it is not easy to escape.

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"Let me look good... Someone, come here! Someone, come here! The Tiger Ben Guard is attacking the Feather Forest Guards!"

Chen Shang raised his eyebrows slightly; he certainly knew about the Ten Swords of Jixia, but at this moment, he could not afford to bolster the ambitions of others

The reaction of the Feathered Guard left the Tiger Ben Guard somewhat astonished; he opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced by a glance from the furrowed-browed Tan Yuan.

"Hi, you little rascal, you are truly ungrateful." Seeing him crouched in the corner with his head in his hands, Chen Xiang let out a sigh

In these fifteen years, the Jixia Academy has seen a remarkable emergence of talent, leading some enthusiasts to compile a list of the so-called Ten Swords of Jixia, highlighting the masters of swordsmanship among them

In the blink of an eye, the once sparsely populated alley was filled with at least a hundred people, the majority of whom were dressed as the Imperial Guards.

But he did not go to retrieve the sword; instead, he allowed a person behind him to take it.

In the midst of the crowd of the Tiger Ben Guard, one person suddenly shouted: "We have come to challenge the wayward Chen Shang to a duel. If you, the Feather Forest Knights, do not adhere to the rules and rely on your numbers to win, then feel free to come at us!"

Including the surrounding outer city within a radius of forty li, there are one hundred thousand households residing in Xi'an City, with a population of approximately six hundred thousand

This person appeared unfamiliar to the Imperial Guards. In fact, apart from the one with the sinister smile, the others present were unknown to the Imperial Guards.

It seems you are quite arrogant... then let life and death be disregarded. The person said this while stepping back.

In front is the Jianzhang Camp, where our Yulin Guard is stationed. You, little brat, will serve as my attendant, at my beck and call. Boy, you are clever enough, but do not be overly clever, or you will bring trouble upon yourself

Initially, he thought that the tiger cub was a significant nuisance, so he did not inquire further. However, now that this nuisance has become his own problem, he feels it is necessary to know more about it.

Just moments ago, Chen Xiang, who had boasted that he could take on ten opponents single-handedly, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. With his cry, the previously noisy surroundings fell into an abrupt silence

The person behind has a fair complexion, with two eyebrows that almost meet, and a very distinctive appearance

Chen Shang then noticed that a group of people had appeared in front of him

Then there was the sound of doors and windows being flung open with a bang

Isn't this nonsense? You have at least twenty people, including your master and servants, blocking me. Shouldn't I call for help while waiting for you to come and attack? I, Chen Shang, am the leader of the four evils of Xianyang. If I can rely on numbers to win, why would I challenge you to a one-on-one fight? Moreover, you didn't even give me the chance for a fair duel just now!

Although filled with curiosity about everything in the city, the tiger cub always stayed close to Chen Shang, never straying more than ten steps away from him

It is as if it is a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed

Throughout this journey, the tiger cub behaved no differently than a boy from the countryside

As he was nearing his destination, Chen Shang felt it necessary to have a conversation with this young man

"You scoundrels, how dare you show disrespect to the imperial army?" one of the Tiger Ben Guards exclaimed angrily

The tiger cub originally thought that such shouting was all nonsense, yet unexpectedly, those Feathered Guards who rushed forward all came to a halt upon hearing the words

This place, within the Copper Palace, has long been renowned.

The expressions of those who blocked them were even more vacant than that of a tiger cub

"At the Jixia Academy, a figure with a single raised eyebrow stepped forward, holding a sword in hand, and cupped his fist in salute to Chen Xiang

Before Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified the world by sweeping through the six directions, this academy was already a renowned place across the land. Scholars from various schools of thought took pride in being able to lecture at Jixia, and similarly, various martial arts schools also gathered here to study the techniques of wrestling and combat.

"What imperial guards are you, you rascals? Are you the imperial guards, while we, the Feathered Forest Knights, are not?"

Chen Shang continued to discipline Hu Ru'er

Tan Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise: "I did not expect that my name would be known by some in the capital. I am fortunate to be valued by the Son of Heaven, and now I serve in the Tiger Ben Guard, accompanying the Son of Heaven into the capital..."

Throughout the journey, Chen Xiang had been discreetly observing Hu Ru'er

However, this young man is very sensitive, and he caught Chen Shang's gaze several times, so Chen Shang simply stared at him openly.

Chen Shang is not afraid of him

Look, I told you I can take on ten at once. Chen Xiang winked at the stunned Hu Ru'er.

The young boy felt that this fellow's expression was somewhat exaggerated, and without hesitation, he dodged to the side. It seemed that if a fight broke out between the two parties, no one would pay attention to such a frail youth as him

He finds everything novel and will inquire about things he does not know

Chen Shang smacked his lips, turned around, and noticed that a group of people had also appeared behind them

At most, it is merely a case of being the target of someone else's anger, resulting in a couple of slaps.

You... how could you be so vulgar and shameless, to actually call someone?

Hehe, the imperial army... In recent years, there have been no notable figures among the rascals, even the boastful talkers from Qijun are to be summoned

"Agree to him, agree to him!" A chorus of uproar surrounded.

The tiger cub had looked at him more than once, for the feeling given by that single eyebrow was even more dangerous than that of the grinning man from earlier

Indeed, how about this: after driving away the Tiger Ben Guards, shall we give this fellow a good beating

Since the First Emperor swept through the six directions and unified the realm, it has been one hundred and twenty years. The management over these one hundred and twenty years has resulted in the present-day city of Xianyang being divided into three parts: the palace city, the inner city, and the outer city. Just the inner city alone spans ten li, housing more than twenty thousand households of wealthy families

Dare to cause trouble here, and beat these ruffian dogs of the Tiger Ben Guard to death

I did not meet the General; with my status, I am still a long way from the General, so all I encountered was the General's son-in-law, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Yang Yi. He sent me back, instructing that you, this little brat, follow me. Damn it, I, Chen Shang, am a prominent figure in the city of Xianyang, yet now I have become the wet nurse for you, this little rascal

The Jixia Academy. The tiger cub slightly raised its eyebrows

In the capital, the strongmen, if they wish to avoid bloodshed, will demonstrate their bravery and strength in this manner

Then more people spat.

The tiger cub knows that this is called jousting, also known as sumo.

Emperor Ren of the Three Dynasties once studied at Jixia, and thereafter, the Jixia Academy regained its prominence. During the reigns of Emperor Zhao of the Four Dynasties and Emperor Xiaojing of the Five Dynasties, it was further renowned as the Taixue of Shandong, standing alongside the Guozijian of Xianyang in the world

He truly could not determine whether the many people summoned by Chen Xiang's shout were his allies or his enemies

"What is the Ten Worthless of Jixia? I have never heard of it. Is it referring to the ten worthless individuals of the Jixia Academy?" he said with a smile.

"Uh, I want to clarify that the trouble earlier was not caused by me," said the tiger cub, smacking its lips.

Chen Shang had not yet reacted when someone outside exclaimed: "One of the Ten Swords of Jixia... How could you come to Xianyang if you are not in Qijun?"

Almost never defeated

Hahaha, Chen Xiang, you insult people | Wife and daughter, today I will make you see how it is done

Chen Shang's strength and skills are quite remarkable, but his opponent is no weakling either. The two sides exchanged blows, each throwing the other several times before they coincidentally separated again

"Pah, what is this talk of the Ten Swords of Jixia and the Eight Swords? As long as they are from the Tiger Ben Guard, they are nothing but rascals!" exclaimed someone who had never heard of the fame of the Ten Swords of Jixia, spitting disdainfully.

Three individuals dressed in military uniforms, accompanied by a group of individuals who appear to be dressed as servants

"Chen Shang, I want to duel with you, a one-on-one duel, do you dare?" The man with the sinister smile felt a bit anxious as the number of Imperial Guards surrounding him increased, and he spoke again to Chen Shang.

No one can stop me, I will take on ten at once

"If you want to have a one-on-one, come on!" He waved at the other party

Chen Shang's expression completely fell as he jumped off his horse, sword in hand: "You bunch of useless Tiger Ben soldiers, do you only know how to rely on numbers to win?"

Young man, today I will show you how I can take on ten at once!" Chen Shang declared fiercely, brandishing his sword.

The city of Xianyang is vast