My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Li Chenggan helped Fuyu Fengzhang to his seat.

He raised his head high and said loudly, "Your Majesty, when I was outside just now, I heard that you wanted Queen Seondeok to submit to you, otherwise you wouldn't let her go. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, King Shuming realized that Li Chengan had arrived long ago and overheard their conversation.

"Your Highness, our Wa nation will create a multi-nation co-prosperity sphere."

I believe that Queen Seondeok's submission to us is their best option.

Upon hearing this, Li Chenggan chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself, "What kind of Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere are you talking about? Isn't that all just a bunch of deceptive tricks?"

In the end, isn't it all for your own country's interests?

Your statements are pure robber logic. You demand that others surrender to you, claiming to be building some kind of Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Then why don't you surrender to them?

Of course, Li Chengqian could not say what he thought aloud: "Your Majesty, I believe your intentions are good."

but,

Queen Seondeok had her own ideas.

Since she is unwilling to surrender to you, you don't need to force her anymore.

Moreover, Silla is a vassal state of our Great Tang Dynasty, and it is not allowed to surrender to another country without the consent of my father.

Even if she wanted to surrender, it wouldn't work; she would still need my father's permission.

Although Li Chengqian didn't say much, he was neither humble nor arrogant, and his words hit the nail on the head.

The implication was that Silla was a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, and that daring to harm Silla was tantamount to harming the Tang Dynasty.

Well then, let's give it a try.

After two or three rounds of exchanges, King Shuming realized that Li Chengqian was indeed not someone to be trifled with. His mind raced as he considered how to deal with Li Chengqian.

The pharmacist Hui Ri watched from the side, secretly admiring Li Chenggan, thinking to himself that Li Chenggan was incredibly courageous.

What place is this?

Li Chengan was alone there, yet showed no fear.

However, Pharmacist Eri was also complaining in her heart, "Last time, I finally managed to send you all away, why are you back again?"

What if we encounter trouble again?

Pharmacist Hui Ri was anxious, but she couldn't show it on her face.

At this moment, Inugami Mitaku got angry, stood up abruptly, and pointed at Li Chenggan: "Do you want to give orders here?"

Must everything be handled according to your wishes?

On what grounds?

"Do you think it's just because your father is the Heavenly Khan and you are the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Chenggan said sternly, "You're wrong. My father is my father, and I am I!"

"How about this, let's have a sparring match today?"

If you can beat me, then everything is negotiable;

If you can't beat me, then sorry, everything you just said doesn't count! Just consider it bullshit!

Inugami Odenkuchi is just that badass.

However, this is understandable, as he was a top general under King Shuming and was known for his arrogance.

As Inugami Odenkuchi finished speaking, he took off his long outer coat, revealing a short jacket and a small outfit underneath. He stretched his arms and lifted his legs without any sign of slipping or falling.

He stood in the center of the hall wearing a pair of wooden clogs. The clogs seemed different from ordinary wooden clogs, being larger and thicker.

He looked disdainful: "Come on, Li Chengan, all that talk is useless. Let's have a fight."

Inugami Oda-kuchi was known as the fiercest warrior of the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom, and his skills were extraordinary.

He had always been dissatisfied with Li Chengan, thinking that Li Chengan was just a young man and couldn't possibly have much ability.

Generally speaking, Li Chengan was unwilling to engage in martial arts duels with others.

Because it's not good to hurt others or yourself.

Moreover, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom is currently quite delicate, with Silla caught in the middle, making the situation even more complex, and each country has its own agenda.

However, things have come to this point, and it's not so easy to back down now.

Li Chengan was also a man with a temper. Thinking of this, he took off his long coat and was just about to reach out his hand.

But Fuyu Fengzhang stopped him: "Your Highness, let me deal with him."

Li Chengan was deeply moved upon hearing this and asked, "Prince Fengzhang, you are so badly injured, are you sure you can manage?"

Prince Fengzhang tried punching twice and kicking a couple of times: "I think it's alright, I'll hand him over to you."

Seeing that he was determined to go on stage, Li Chengan didn't want to forcibly stop him. It would be good for him to observe from the sidelines and see what kind of tactics Inugami Oda-kuchi used.

Li Chenggan patted Fuyu Fengzhang on the shoulder: "Then be careful."

"I know."

Li Chenggan sat down in his original seat, right next to Jin Deman.

Fuyu Toyoaki stood in front of Inugami Mita Kuchi.

Fuyu Toyosho thought to himself that he was tormented to this state all thanks to Inugami Mitaku.

If it weren't for Inugami Oden's timely intervention, I would probably have been branded to death by Inugami Oden's iron brand!

Fu Yu Fengzhang was furious when he thought of this.

Inugami Oden was also very angry.

He said to Fuyu Fengzhang, "Today, I am going to fight the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. Why do you have to interfere?"

"Who doesn't know that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is of noble status and has amazing martial arts skills?"

How could an ordinary person possibly fight against him?

If you can defeat me, then it won't be too late to fight the Crown Prince of Tang.

However, on the other hand, if you can't even beat me, then I think there's no need for you to fight the Crown Prince of Tang.

Inugami Oden looked at Buyeo Toyosho and thought, "You've already been tortured to this state, you're skin and bones, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Thinking of this, Inugami Oden said, "I don't want to bully you. You brought this on yourself."

If you suffer a loss, don't blame me!

Fuyu Fengzhang laughed heartily: "Inu-gami Mita-kusa, it's still uncertain who will come out on top between us!"

"Okay!"

The saying goes, "He who strikes first gains the upper hand, and he who strikes last suffers the consequences."

Inugami Mitaku was incredibly intelligent; he naturally understood this principle.

He immediately used a move called "Double Wind Piercing Ears," striking Fu Yu Feng Zhang's temples.

Fuyu Toyosho was furious when he saw that Inugami Mitaku had launched an attack without warning.

He thought to himself, "Inu-gami Oda-kuba, what do you mean?"

Between you and me personally, there was no grudge in the past, nor any enmity in the present.

But you used a killing move right away. Do you really want me to die?

Fuyu Toyosho stepped back, dodging Inugami Oda's attack.

The two exchanged blows and began fighting in the hall.

In the blink of an eye, twenty rounds had passed, and the outcome remained undecided.

Fuyu Fengzhang gave a thumbs-up in approval, no wonder Inugami Mita-no-Ku was so domineering.

So it turns out, he really does have real skills; his reputation isn't just for show.

Not only is he incredibly strong, but his moves are also astonishing; if you're not careful, you'll fall into his trap.

Inugami Mitaku also admired Buyeo Toyoaki, thinking to himself, no wonder Buyeo Toyoaki had such a reputation for virtue.

Wow, kung fu is really impressive!

If we let him return to Baekje and become the crown prince, it would be quite troublesome if he became the king of Baekje and opposed our Wa (Japanese) kingdom.

Sweat also trickled down Inugami Oden's forehead.

Because King Shuming and Queen Shuming had both eyes watching him from behind.

If he were to lose, wouldn't he lose prestige in the eyes of the king, and how could he possibly compete with Li Chenggan?

The more anxious he became, the less likely he was to win; the less he could win, the more anxious he became, and sweat poured down his forehead.

Li Chengan watched closely from the side, truly surprised that Prince Fengzhang's martial arts skills were so good.

If it weren't for his injuries and the torment he endured for so many days, Inugami Oden would probably not have been a match for him.

Lee Seung-gyun's eyes were fixed on Buyeo Pung-jang and Inugami Oda-kyuu on the field, unaware that Queen Seondeok's beautiful eyes were watching him the whole time.

At this moment, Jin Deman gently tugged at Li Chengqian's sleeve.

Li Chengan then came to his senses and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what do you have to say?"

"Your Highness, please don't call me Queen, just call me Deokman," Kim Deokman said softly.

Upon hearing this, Li Chenggan felt somewhat embarrassed, because he understood that the name "Deman" was not used casually; it often carried a special meaning.

What do you have to say?

"Look at those two, who do you think will win?"

Li Chenggan stroked his chin and lowered his voice: "If Fuyu Fengzhang hadn't been injured, he probably could have won."

"Your Highness, I truly admire you. I originally thought the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty was nothing more than a weak scholar."

"I heard that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty has a leg ailment, but I never expected you to be so wise and powerful," Fuyu Fengmei praised.

Li Chengan gave a wry smile: "You flatter me. Before this, I did have a leg ailment."

Later, fortunately, I met the legendary physician Sun Simiao, who cured my leg.

"I see, Your Highness. In that case, you are truly a blessed person."

Just then, in the hall, two people were fighting fiercely, and things had already changed.

Inuue Mitaku realized that he would find it difficult to defeat Buyeo Toyoaki based on his own true skills.

So he used his ultimate move.

The wooden clogs he was wearing were custom-made for him.

Inugami Mitaku quickly raised his right foot and kicked Fuyu Toyosho in the left side of his head.

Fuyu Toyoaki bent his left arm at the elbow to block Inugami Oda's kick.

Although Fuyu Fengzhang blocked his foot.

Little did anyone know that the wooden clogs on Inugami Oda's right foot were equipped with a mechanism.

When he pressed his big toe on it, a sharp knife popped out of his clog.

The dagger was about five inches long and extremely sharp.

Caught off guard, Fu Yufengzhang suffered a two-inch-long gash on his left arm, from which blood gushed.

Immediately afterwards, Inugami Oda-kuchi's left leg kicked at Buyeo Toyoaki's head.

The dagger hidden in his left clog had already popped out.

If Buyeo Pungjang's head were stabbed by him, even if Buyeo Pungjang didn't die, he would only be left with half a life.

but,

Inugami Odenkuchi felt as if his left leg was being clamped by a pair of pliers, and he couldn't move it.

He wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his left ankle. That person was none other than Li Chenggan.

"Let go of my hand!" Inugami Oda said.

"How could you launch a sneak attack?" Li Chenggan released his grip.

Inugami Oda finally regained his footing.

His face flushed red and then turned pale: "When fighting someone, the most important thing is to defeat your opponent."

What's the point of fancy moves if they're just flashy but can't defeat an opponent?

Therefore, we should strike unexpectedly and catch them off guard.

Inugami Odenkuchi didn't think there was anything wrong with his behavior; on the contrary, he argued vehemently.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought to himself that there was no need to argue with him!

"When we fight, we'll both take off our shoes. No shoes allowed. That's fair to everyone."

"Well—," Inuue Odenkuchi thought for a moment, "Alright!"

Since he couldn't find a reason to refute it, he had no choice but to obediently take off his wooden clogs and put them aside.

Upon hearing this, Jin Deman chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that Li Chenggan and Fuyu Fengzhang were not the same.

Fuyu Toyoaki's kung fu is good, but it's too straightforward. It's not so effective against a cunning opponent like Inugami Oda.

Inugami Odenkuchi clenched his fists, assumed a fighting stance, and prepared to fight.

Li Chengan raised his right hand: "Wait a moment, have the pharmacist Hui search his body, look at his clothes, cuffs, and legs, and see if there are any other hidden weapons."

Yakushi Ebisu stood up, went to Inugami Odenkuchi, and began to search his body.

The pharmacist, Eri, conducted a particularly thorough search.

Jin Deman looked at Li Chenggan with admiration, thinking that the reason the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty had such a great reputation was because he was cautious, prudent, and thorough in his considerations.

Otherwise, how could they have been so powerful in the Western Regions and defeated the combined forces of Qiu Ran Ke and Li Yuanli from the Fuyu Kingdom?

After a thorough search, Yakushi Ebisu confirmed that Inugami Oda-kuchi had no other hidden weapons on his body.

Yakushi Eri reported to King Shumei, the Queen, and everyone else: "Inugami Mita Kusa has no other hidden weapons on him."

King Shuming also felt that Li Chenggan was no ordinary man; with his meticulousness alone, defeating him would not be so easy.

Just as Yakushi Ebi returned to her seat, Inugami Oden glared at her and said, "Wait a minute."

Pharmacist Eri turned around and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"You searched me, why didn't you search him?"

Inugami Odenkuchi pointed with his hand as he finished speaking.

Li Chengan smiled and stretched out his arms: "Search!"

The pharmacist Hui searched Li Chengqian's body again, but found nothing.

"Your Majesty and Queen, after a thorough search, I found no weapons on Li Chenggan."

King Shuming nodded: "Let's begin!"

This time, Inugami Mitaku, like a vicious dog, pounced on Li Chenggan.

Li Chengan leaped and darted about, dodging and weaving, to deal with him.

At first, Li Chenggan did not retaliate.

He wanted to gain a deeper understanding and master of Inugami Oda's methods through this contact.

The two fought for three rounds without a clear winner.

Li Chenggan never launched an attack.

Even if Inugami Oden tried to catch him, he couldn't.

Inugami Odenkuchi stopped his attack and asked, "Li Chenggan, why aren't you making a move?"

Li Chengan smiled slightly: "I don't usually fight with people easily."

If I absolutely have to fight someone, I'll definitely let them have three moves.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Firstly, the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom and our Great Tang Dynasty are friendly neighbors, therefore, I will let you have the first move."

Secondly, the last time I came here, King Shuming warmly received me.

Moreover, our two countries' envoys exchanged visits;

Therefore, I'll let you have your second move;

Third, people say that the people of Japan are descendants of Xu Fu from the Qin Dynasty. For the sake of your ancestors, I'll give you a third chance!