Chapter 010: Rewards

Lu Cheng's strength has greatly increased, and his confidence is overflowing. When he speaks, he is lively and at ease, far surpassing those previous servants and attendants who kept their heads down and eyes averted: "Fourth Prince, if I do not wish to hold an official position, may I request a different reward?"

Lu Zhiwu's face turned ashen as he looked below. The literary competition had already passed, and he, as the representative of the Lu Mingxian household among the court's literary officials, had not dared to participate in a match, which was an utter disgrace. Now, in the martial competition, he could only watch helplessly, having already marked Lu Cheng as one destined for death in his heart.

Good! Everyone shouted in unison, and among the two combatants in the arena, one was struck and flew far away, landing heavily on the ground

This kick lacked any technical finesse, yet it was incredibly swift. The man in the blue attire clearly saw it coming, but he was unable to evade it in time

Bang

The guard Sheng of the eldest son Duan Qizong of the General's Mansion of Zhennan

If there is no one else, then today's martial competition will be considered won by this Duan Dao guard

The onslaught of this person is overwhelming, far surpassing that of Duan Dao. However, he has just leaped into the air and has not yet fully unleashed all his varied techniques. Lu Cheng takes a swift step, spins around, and with a whoosh, delivers a kick in mid-air

As soon as the eunuch's scream faded, a calm voice was heard in the arena: "If I defeat him, what kind of official position can the Fourth Prince reward me with?"

Among the household servants and guards of the common people, those who can attain the rank of a top-tier martial artist are exceedingly rare, let alone the fact that he has even knocked a low-tier warrior flying

It is not as exciting and visually appealing as what was written before, but it is countless times faster

The entire venue erupted once again in warm applause, and many began to pay attention to Lu Cheng

Xiao Zi was initially taken aback, and almost jumped out to curse loudly. Shi Miao Yin's expression turned cold, and she firmly grabbed hold of Xiao Zi.

Do not act recklessly, do not take action, you do not have absolute confidence in victory, furthermore, it is not suitable at this time

The boxing technique of Shiba Mountain is the most basic introductory skill in the military

Be quiet, Lu Zhiwu

It is just like an adult playing with a child

In Du Feifeng's eyes, there was a glimmer of spirit as he discerned that this servant was unlike the others, daring to speak to him in such a manner. Very well, he has character, and I like that: "Alright, if you take first place, this prince will grant your wish as you desire"

Lu Cheng laughed loudly, causing a slight stir among the audience. How could this servant be so unreasonable? How did Lu Zhiwu teach him? Everyone turned their gaze towards Lu Zhiwu.

Good, hahaha

As everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound, the seemingly delicate and refined Lu Cheng stepped forward and moved to the center.

He turned and leaped, swift as lightning, with his left fist thrusting directly at Lu Cheng's heart, employing the very same Breaking Mountain Fist.

Vulgar Samurai

Before Lu Cheng could speak, the Crown Prince suddenly shouted: "As the esteemed Fourth Prince, your word is your bond; once spoken, it is like water spilled on the ground. If you have promised Lu Cheng to grant his wish, you must fulfill it. What do you mean by this? Do you intend to let the Fourth Prince fall into the disgrace of being untrustworthy? Do you want the court officials to mock the Fourth Prince?"

The Second Prince, Du Ming, also interjected, saying that this opportunity should not be missed.

Hehe, Lu Cheng, you are quite young yet you have thought of this matter. Why don't you take a look at my maid? She is only sixteen this year, and she is several times more beautiful than that little girl, Xiao Zi

"I have arrived," said the second son of the Minister of War, Chang Ming, as a man in blue stepped forward behind him

Another sound of "puff!"

Lu Cheng smiled faintly, glanced at Lu Zhiwu, then looked around, and finally directed his gaze towards Shi Miaoyin: "I would like to request His Highness the Fourth Prince to bestow upon me Miss Shi Miaoyin's maid, Xiao He, and the book of illustrations, Zi, I wonder..."

Many people outside immediately recognized the level of this person.

Is there no one left now? Lu Cheng muttered to himself, looking down upon all around him

The steward of the Lu residence, Xiao Si, requests the Fourth Prince to bestow a maid from the Shi residence

Lu Cheng glanced around the arena. The General of the Southern Town was similar to Shi Miaoyin's father, Shi Poshang, as he was one of the three great generals in the court. However, he commanded the Western Army and, in terms of strength, surpassed Shi Poshang.

With a shout, the dagger was thrown out like a dead pig, landing with a "bang" and lying on the ground for a long time without being able to get up

He hurriedly ran out and knelt on one knee: "Fourth Prince, please forgive me. Lu Zhiwu has not disciplined him properly, and he deserves to die a thousand deaths. This Lu Cheng is simply outrageous, spouting nonsense. I implore the Fourth Prince to punish him severely." It would be best to execute him. Damn it, I haven't even touched Shi Miaoyin, and you are already thinking of laying hands on her maid.

Good! Someone was the first to applaud, and soon the entire audience joined in clapping. Duan Qizong's face turned pale, yet he remained silent.

Just now, after defeating Duandao, no one has appeared for half a day. Now that I have single-handedly taken down Duandao, I believe there will be no one left, right

All the princesses and princes have turned color; those supporting Du Feifeng are angry, while those opposing him are happy. A perfectly good birthday celebration has unexpectedly turned into this kind of atmosphere due to Lu Cheng.

The man in blue kicked Lu Cheng, sending him flying out.

"Impudent! Lu Cheng, have you lost your mind? Have you gone mad? Someone, take him away! I will bring him back to the Lu residence for strict discipline"

Breaking Mountain Fist

Lu Zhiwu looked at Lu Cheng strangely, thinking to himself, this kid is just like me, vengeful to the core. Last time that little Zi said something to him, and now he has come to seek revenge

Little did they know, Lu Cheng smiled and shook his head: "No, I just like Xiao Zi to be my maid"

When the princess speaks, you should at least show some respect

The team leader and the librarian are the heads of one hundred people, and pairing them with a rank-and-file martial artist is just right, not to mention that Du Feifeng mentioned it as the minimum

"Be quiet, this is the Wang residence, not the Lu residence. Fourth Brother has his own decisions to make"

Unexpectedly, Lu Cheng suddenly reached out his hand; although it was a delayed movement, it seemed faster than lightning. With a swift grab and a lock, he instantly seized Duan Dao's hand.

Lu Zhiwu was dumbfounded, unable to believe that Lu Cheng, who had recently been punished for his misdeeds, dared to challenge a top-tier martial artist

He spoke too grandly, completely unaware of what Lu Cheng would demand later. However, in his view, no matter how outstanding this steward was, he was still just a steward. Even if he were to display astonishing talent, could it possibly be beyond his expectations?

The entire venue fell silent, and the first to react was Lu Zhiwu, who finally found an opportunity to explode in anger: "Shut up, Lu Cheng, how dare you? You think you can make such jokes? This is absolutely outrageous"

The young man in blue said little, suddenly leaping into the air. With both hands outstretched, he swiftly executed several moves, striking left and right in a flash, unleashing seven attacks in quick succession, and in an instant, Lu Cheng found himself within the range of his assault

Those who are knowledgeable nearly lost their composure; that blade was only slightly angled, yet they did not dare to be as rude as Lu Cheng. Turning around, they paid their respects to several princes, and suddenly, with a swift turn and a stride, a punch was thrown right in front of Lu Cheng.

Everyone was looking at Du Feifeng, and Du Feifeng was looking at Lu Cheng, trying to discern something from Lu Cheng's eyes. A mere servant, defying his master's wishes, yet so composed and unperturbed in front of the courtiers, acting as if he were above all—what gives him the right? How dare he not regard me, the Fourth Prince of the current dynasty, with any respect?

Duan Zhongduan stood with his knife hanging down, appearing very humble, yet his master, Duan Qizong, wore an expression of great pride. He surveyed his surroundings with an air of superiority, and when he spotted Shi Miaoyin, he fixated on her without blinking, only leaving after a considerable time.

He is like a martial artist, yet also resembles a warrior. However, his movements are incredibly swift

Du Shiwei has finally seized the opportunity. Lu Zhiwu has donated several million to Du Feifeng, who has been in the spotlight today. Now, he has finally caught the chance to make things difficult for the two of them.

Lu Cheng's words were extremely rude, as he neither addressed me properly nor even bothered to use more than just the word 'please'.

Although the words spoken by the two of them were light, every word was clearly heard by Lu Cheng. In the past, he could not discern it, but now he realized that this Xiao Zi was indeed a top-tier martial artist, and Shi Miaoyin was a low-tier warrior. They truly lived up to being the family of the renowned military general Shi Poshang. The elderly man beside Shi Miaoyin, who remained motionless with his head bowed and eyes closed like a mountain, turned out to be a top-tier martial master. A top-tier martial master can serve as a general in the military, being the enemy of ten thousand among ten thousand, and in the martial world, he could establish a sect and carry on the legacy. Yet here, he seemed merely to be a follower of Shi Miaoyin. They truly lived up to being the family of the renowned military general Shi Poshang. The elderly man beside Shi Miaoyin, who remained motionless with his head bowed and eyes closed like a mountain, turned out to be a top-tier martial master. A top-tier martial master can serve as a general in the military, being the enemy of ten thousand among ten thousand, and in the martial world, he could establish a sect and carry on the legacy. Yet here, he seemed merely to be a follower of Shi Miaoyin.

Is there no one left? Lu Cheng casually glanced around, his demeanor exceptionally carefree. If it weren't for the small-sized clothing he was wearing, others might have mistaken him for the fourteenth prince of the Da Jian Dynasty.

Before he could execute his next move, Lu Cheng stepped forward, lowered his left shoulder, pulled with his right hand while supporting with his left, and then exerted force with his right shoulder, performing the technique "Carrying the Mountain and Supporting the Water"

Du Feifeng's beaming smile also instantly froze, had this joke gone too far? I am a prince, not the emperor. Even if I were the emperor, such reckless matchmaking would offend Shi Poshang. Even if the emperor is unafraid of offending others, such actions would still lead to discontent among the ministers

"Good, good, good," Du Feifeng exclaimed three times, his spirits high as he nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, heroes emerge from youth. Your name is Lu Cheng, correct? Tell me, what kind of reward do you desire?"

Brother Duan, I have only learned one set of martial arts, called Poshanquan, please!

Now, when Lu Cheng's hand grasped down, it felt like five steel rebar fingers, and with a grip akin to that of a vice, Duan Dao only felt a sharp pain that shot straight to his heart, as if his hand were being crushed.

Lu Zhiwu's expression was dark and heavy, and he sat there without saying a word

Once again, the low-ranking warrior was struck down.

The one who has achieved four consecutive victories in the arena is the bodyguard brought by his eldest son, Duan Qizong, known as Duan Dao

However, Lu Cheng's eyes were clear, revealing nothing.

Beside Shi Miaoyin was her maid, Xiaozi. Her fiery temperament, which Lu Cheng had experienced firsthand that day, was now even more pronounced as she tilted her head slightly and said to Shi Miaoyin: "Miss, look at Duan Qizong's deadpan expression; let me go teach Duan Dao a lesson."

However, no one cares about how he speaks now, because everyone is shocked by what he has said

In a single move, the top-tier martial artist Duan Dao was defeated

You didn't strike just now, and now you want to attack me? Are you looking for death

Lu Zhiwu has already developed the intention to commit suicide

At this moment, the elderly man beside Shi Miaoyin, who had been keeping his head down, finally raised his head slightly to examine Lu Cheng a couple of times. However, no matter how he looked, he could not discern Lu Cheng's realm.

Lu Cheng stood firm like a mountain, watching as Duan Dao's fist struck his chest. Those who witnessed the moment gasped in shock, realizing that despite Lu Cheng's imposing demeanor, he was merely a paper tiger.

This top-tier martial artist is a character similar to Ma Chengwei, but he is not yet qualified to be a captain in the Imperial Guard, let alone a lieutenant in the Northern Army

Lu Chengyi cupped his fists and said, "Please!"

Hehe, you have defeated him without any official title, but after you have won against him, no one can defeat you. This prince can take charge and assign you to the Imperial Guard or the Northern Army, at the very least, you will hold the rank of a team officer

The entire audience, consisting of knowledgeable individuals, was left utterly bewildered. Lu Cheng stood there without moving, and the duel between the two seemed rehearsed: one threw a punch, the other grabbed, followed by a throw to the back, and the fight concluded.

A princess who supported Du Feifeng quickly interjected.