Chapter Thirty: Then I Shall Grant You a Chance

The quietness that had descended upon the bow of the pleasure boat was broken only by the courtesan in red, who dared not falter in her performance. She moved like the moon drifting through clouds, her body swaying like a gentle breeze over flowing waves—a dancer before the table, as exquisite as carved jade. Yet, even such a graceful performance failed to capture the attention of the guests in the pavilion. Many kept their heads bowed, sipping wine, while keeping a watchful eye on the young man sitting across from Zhou Xiujing.

The youth was a stranger, yet he possessed a remarkable boldness. He poured his own wine, his words calm, his demeanor entirely composed. Even when Zhou Xiujing’s thunderous voice rang in his ears, he remained unperturbed, as if he were accustomed to great storms, looking nothing like a boy of seventeen or eighteen.

"Young Master Zhou hails from a prestigious family of herbalists and has cultivated for years, reaching the True Essence realm. To you, killing me would be no harder than slaughtering a chicken. Yet, you dare not accept my challenge to a duel?"

Chen Zhi’an’s voice, tinged with a hint of inquiry, reached the ears of all present. Zhou Xiujing stared at him with cold eyes, remaining silent for several long moments.

Finally, Zhou Xiujing let out a cold snort. "In our Great Yu, status is everything. If one’s status is low, they are merely coming to their death, and I wouldn't even glance at them. Chen Zhi’an, what is your status? How could you possibly be qualified to challenge me?"

Chen Zhi’an frowned. "And might I ask, what is Young Master Zhou’s status?"

Zhou Xiujing lifted his chin slightly. "My Zhou family is the most prominent herbalist lineage in Suwu Prefecture. Our business spans five surrounding provinces. My uncle has already passed the imperial examination, ranking twelfth before the throne, and will soon be bestowed an official title! My mother’s family is even more illustrious; to speak of them to you would only demean their standing. Chen Zhi’an, you tell me—you are but a chicken. With my status, why would I need to roll up my sleeves to slaughter you? If your blood were to splatter, it would only soil my fine silk robes for no reason."

As the young scion of the Zhou family finished his words, a roar of laughter erupted throughout the pavilion. Many who knew of Zhou Xiujing’s background glanced at Chen Zhi’an, shaking their heads in amusement.

Chen Zhi’an, however, seemed not to hear the mockery. His eyes remained clear, and his tone grew even more puzzled. "Young Master Zhou wishes to kill me but cannot find a good enough reason. Yet, I have the guarantee of General Tiebi. As long as I remain in Sunan Prefecture, you cannot touch me. Practitioners of the path value a clear mind above all, and a man of your stature should loathe any obstacle. Yet, I have become a thorn in your side, the very grit in your eye. What is to be done?"

Chen Zhi’an sighed deeply. "Oh, and by the way—I must confess to you, Young Master Zhou: what I said in the workshop that day was mere nonsense. Miss Xu never sought me out, nor did she ever offer me gold or silver to marry into her family. I only said those things because you appeared so foolish, and I thought I might swindle some coin from a simpleton."

"In fact, the reason I have managed to cultivate such decent vigor and martial arts is entirely thanks to the two hundred taels of gold you gave me. Otherwise, how could a commoner like me afford to practice martial arts or purchase medicinal decoctions?"

Zhou Xiujing’s expression darkened further. He glared at Chen Zhi’an. "You came here alone—are you not afraid that my anger will flare and I might kill you with a single palm strike?"

Chen Zhi’an laughed even more heartily. "Young Master Zhou, I am a lone wolf in Sunan Prefecture, so I have little to lose. But you are a scion of a great house; every move you make must be carefully weighed. Since I walked out of the prefectural prison unscathed, how could you possibly kill me in front of so many people?"

Zhou Xiujing was by nature suspicious. He looked left and right, noticing that not only the seven or eight tables of guests in the pavilion, but even people from the main hall of the pleasure boat, were crowding around, stealing glances. *Where does this Chen Zhi’an find the gall to insist on a duel? When he was thrown into prison, the family’s retainers checked him—he was only at the Qi-Nurturing stage... Or perhaps this is just a bluff, an attempt to ruin my family’s reputation?*

As Zhou Xiujing pondered this, Chen Zhi’an continued, "I must tell you one more thing: that supply contract for the Songhuai Army, which you lost when the workshop was graded 'Grade A Superior'—that too was done at the request of another. I personally delivered those materials to the Xu estate. Come to think of it, if your Zhou family business declines from here on, I, Chen Zhi’an, have played a part in it!"

*Bang!*

Zhou Xiujing slammed his palm onto the table before him. The table, laden with wine cups and platters, shattered instantly. Wine spilled everywhere, drawing sharp cries from the courtesans at the table.

"Chen Zhi’an, since you are so intent on goading me to your own death, I will grant you your wish. Bring me paper."

A composed courtesan beside him immediately rose and went to the main hall, returning shortly with paper and brush. Zhou Xiujing took them, scribbled a few words, and threw the paper at Chen Zhi’an.

Chen Zhi’an looked down to see a single line of large characters: "On the fourth day of the third month of the twenty-third year of Dazhi, Zhou Xiujing and Chen Zhi’an agree to a duel to the death. In seven days, they shall meet at the Fengbo Platform at the North Gate for a death match."

Below the line, Zhou Xiujing had already signed his name. Without hesitation, Chen Zhi’an reached for the brush to sign.

"Young Master Chen, do not be impulsive," a voice called out.

Chen Zhi’an turned to see Xu Xiyue, who had boarded the ship. She stood by the railing, her brow furrowed, calling out to him. Seeing her and hearing the concern in her voice, Zhou Xiujing’s brow darkened with intense gloom.

"Chen Zhi’an, you goaded me into writing this death warrant, yet now that it is time to sign, you are afraid?"

Chen Zhi’an turned back and, without a word, signed his name on the paper.

Zhou Xiujing stood up, took the paper, inspected it, and gave it a light flick. The paper drifted through the air as if carried by the wind, landing right in front of Xu Xiyue. She reached out and caught the document.

Zhou Xiujing looked up. "I leave it to you, eldest Miss Xu, to bear witness."

Xu Xiyue bit her lip. "Chancellor Song intends to abolish the custom of death duels in our Great Yu. News of this has already spread across the provinces. You two..."

Seeing how much Xu Xiyue cared for Chen Zhi’an only fueled Zhou Xiujing’s rage. He let out a cold snort. "The duel has not yet been abolished in Sunan Prefecture. Chen Zhi’an has signed his name; the duel must proceed. There is no turning back."

He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and said to Chen Zhi’an, "Qi-Nurturing is just Qi-Nurturing; True Essence is True Essence. Even if you were lucky enough to break through, within the True Essence realm, there are distinctions between the 'True Essence Tree' and the 'True Essence Fruit.' I shall see exactly what you are relying on."

With that, he refused to say another word and stepped off the pavilion, leaving the area.

The pavilion grew noisy once more with hushed whispers. Chen Zhi’s stood up as well, a faint smile on his face. "Seven days from now? It suits me perfectly."

Beneath his long moonlight-colored robes, his left hand was clutching a fruit—the Blood-Burning Ginger Fruit. It was because of this deep-orange spirit fruit that he had dared to challenge Zhou Xiujing today. As he gripped it, feeling his internal energy surge toward his palm, he could clearly sense the immense, surging power contained within. If he consumed it, his internal energy would likely increase tenfold.

The saying goes that a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall. Chen Zhi’an had originally planned to consume it if he were forced to fight today. But now that Zhou Xiujing had set the date for seven days hence, it played right into his hands.

*If I cultivate my internal energy into True Essence, the resulting fluctuations might be detected by experts in the Zhou family. They would then likely advise against a duel, and Zhou Xiujing, in his caution, would surely back out. But now that the contract is signed, I have seven days... I wonder if that is enough time to break through to the True Essence realm.*

Chen Zhi’an’s thoughts flowed like water. Xu Xiyue looked at his calm expression, growing more perplexed by the youth before her.

"Young Master Chen, do you realize the gap between the Qi-Nurturing and True Essence realms?"

"Qi-Nurturing is about gathering energy. Only when that energy crashes like waves to breach the Essence Pass can it be transmuted into True Essence. For an average practitioner, it takes two or even three months to fully transform their energy. Only then does one truly enter the True Essence realm. From there, one must refine the True Essence to sprout the 'True Essence Tree'—that is the Upper True Essence realm. When that tree bears fruit, one reaches the perfection of True Essence! Zhou Xiujing’s cultivation has already formed a True Essence Tree; his branches are laden with essence, and his power is immense! How can you hope to win a death duel against a True Essence practitioner while still in the Qi-Nurturing stage?"

She looked at the contract, truly unable to fathom his choice. "Even the scions of true noble families rarely dare to challenge a practitioner who has formed a True Essence Tree unless they hold some mystical treasure or an extraordinary weapon. Young Master Chen, do you possess any mystical artifacts?"

Chen Zhi’an shook his head.

"Do you have a blade or sword forged a thousand times over?"

Chen Zhi’an shook his head again.

Xu Xiyue thought for a moment. "Do you know any profound secret techniques?"

Chen Zhi’an suddenly recalled the *White Jade Cicada Sloughing Manual* and the *Twelve-Fold Blade Technique of the Eight Capitals*. He wondered if these counted as profound techniques. He remained silent, lost in thought.

Xu Xiyue, assuming he had nothing to say, felt a surge of anger. "Young Master Chen, your fury must stem from the disaster in the Yellow Gate involving Zhou Xiujing, but this level of impulsiveness is worth nothing. Instead, it has put you in mortal danger. What are you to do now? Everyone on this boat knows of this duel. If you do not show up, Zhou Xiujing could send his retainers to take your head, and no one would say a word against it."

She sighed, her frustration giving way to resignation. "It is useless to speak of this now. I will send a few guards; you should leave Suwu Prefecture as soon as possible. As I said, Chancellor Song plans to abolish these duels. Within a year, the custom will be gone across the entire empire. You can return then..."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Xu," Chen Zhi’an interrupted, a faint smile on his face. "Might I ask, how much longer until the Xu family can gather those nineteen medicinal ingredients?"