Tang Dynasty: Starting with 3,000 elite cavalry, a bloody battle to retake the city.

Li Yingge stared intently at him, as if trying to see right through him.

A moment later, she lowered her voice, each word like a nail: "Then dare you swear—you have absolutely no connection with the Ghost-Faced General?!"

boom!

For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent.

A faint, fleeting glint of darkness flashed across Han Ye's deep eyes—like the final tremor before a dying ember dies out, or a crack appearing in the abyss.

But the next second, he smiled, a gentle smile, without a single flaw: "Who is General Ghost Face? A legendary figure who dominated the battlefield. A nobody like me doesn't even have the right to see him."

Li... Yingge, you're overthinking it.

He made it sound so easy.

But she was perfectly clear-headed.

A woman's intuition is faster than a knife and more accurate than the wind.

Even if his disguise was flawless, even if his expression remained normal—

As long as he stands here, with each breath he takes, there's that familiar oppressive feeling, that murderous aura emanating from his very bones...

If he were to wear a demon mask and don black armor...

It's the same person!

Li Yingge's heart was pounding like a drum, and her fingertips were almost digging into her palms.

Finally, without further hesitation, she grabbed his wrist with a swift and decisive force, brooking no resistance: "Let's go!"

"Where to?" Han Ye was caught off guard.

"The arena!" she said coldly, her steps swift and her bearing imposing. "Whether you are that person or not—beat me first."

My man, Li Yingge's man, can never be a mediocre martial artist!

Han Ye stared wide-eyed, his mind filled with a multitude of questions.

What? !

When did I become your man?!

Who agreed to that?!

And what is this? Starting a fight on the very first day? Is this woman here for a blind date or to challenge someone?!

But he quickly realized—she was testing him.

Test him with your fists, test him with your moves, test him with your instinctive reactions in the face of life and death, and find out who he really is.

While he was being dragged along by Li Yingge, the entire Li residence was already in chaos.

"Something's happened! Something's happened—!"

"The young lady took the young master to the martial arts arena!!"

"Go tell the master quickly! If you're any later, the son-in-law's legs will be broken!!"

"Good heavens! They attacked right after the family reunion! Miss never holds back!"

"Oh my god, the son-in-law has only been back in the capital for a day, and he's already on the verge of death..."

The maids ran about, the servants cried out in alarm, chickens and dogs scattered in the courtyard, and even the sparrows on the eaves were frightened and flew away.

Han Ye, however, remained calm and composed.

Fight? Then let's fight.

He is not afraid.

In terms of concealment and disguise, his skills honed amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood could not be exposed by such a mere test.

Li Yingge, on the other hand, had a faint blush creeping up her ears.

Hearing those repeated calls of "son-in-law" felt like a blow to the chest, making it hard to breathe.

Damn it... Father, Mother, and these servants, they just decided to betroth him like this?!

But... looking at the man beside her, tall and upright with a calm expression, she inexplicably felt a sense of peace.

Meanwhile, deep within the inner courtyard.

Hong Fu Nu sat upright on the couch, her teacup still in her hand. Upon seeing Li Jing enter, she urgently asked, "How is it?! Is that Han Ye still worthy of our Ying Ge?!"

As a mother, she was more nervous than anyone else.

She and Li Yingge were of one mind from the very beginning—they absolutely could not allow their daughter to marry into a wild and uncivilized place on the frontier, to some unknown and uncouth warrior.

So this time.

When Han Ye returned, Hong Fu Nu didn't even show her face.

Instead, Li Jing personally led Li Yingge to the city gate to greet them!

At this moment, as soon as Hong Fu Nu finished speaking, Li Jing did not rush to respond. He just narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment before muttering, "This Han Ye kid... he's got some skills."

"What's the trick?" Hong Fu Nu raised an eyebrow, her tone full of doubt.

Li Jing spoke slowly, his voice low: "Just now when I saw him, I deliberately reached out and patted his shoulder—it looked like a friendly greeting, but it was actually a test."

I used seventy percent of my strength to see what his condition was like, whether he was injured...

"Seventy percent?!" Hong Fu Nu's pupils shrank suddenly.

Seventy percent of his strength?

That's Li Jing! Li Jing, who fought countless battles and could cut down enemy heads like grass with a single stroke! With a casual palm strike, even an ordinary strong man would vomit blood and collapse on the spot!

She glared at Li Jing, gritting her teeth as she demanded, "Are you testing him, or are you just going to kill him outright?! And then what? What happened to Han Ye? He wasn't knocked over by your slap, was he?"

Li Jing gave a wry smile and shook his head: "He didn't fall... he didn't even blink."

When that palm struck, he seemed to have touched thin air, remaining completely still, without the slightest reaction on his face.

"hiss--"

Hong Fu Nu gasped, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

How is this possible?!

Let alone ordinary people, even a valiant general in the army would have to take three steps back to dissipate the force if he took seventy percent of Li Jing's strength head-on! But what about Han Ye? He was completely unaffected?

Li Jing himself also felt something was strange, muttering, "What's even stranger is that the boy's eyes are too deep; I can't see through them at all."

He was standing right in front of me, yet it felt like there was a layer of fog between us… I always felt like he was hiding some enormous secret.

He paused, then his eyes suddenly flashed: "He returned from Youzhou, five days should have been enough... but the timing... how come it coincides with the news of General Ghost Face's death in battle?"

"etc!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, and his heart felt as if it had been struck by lightning!

A clue surfaced, but even he himself couldn't believe it—

That legendary, enigmatic, and fearsome Ghost-Faced General... could he really be his future son-in-law?!

Upon thinking of this, Li Jing's throat tightened, and he almost choked.

If that's really the case... wouldn't it be like showing off one's skills in front of Guan Yu, when he was putting on airs as an elder to test others?

He swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and turned to Hong Fu Nu, his voice extremely low: "Madam, do you think... General Ghost Face and the others are really all dead?"

Hong Fu Nu was taken aback, looking at him with surprise and doubt: "But the scouts reported earlier that the bodies were all burned, and there was no one alive..."

"Are scouts always right?" Li Jing sneered. "On the battlefield, truth and falsehood are hard to distinguish; it's not uncommon for the dead to come back to life!"

Hong Fu Nu frowned and stared at him: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Li Jing opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't voice his guess.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly grinned, his eyes gleaming, and said smugly, "Nothing much, my Li family... has probably struck gold!"

Hong Fu Nu was skeptical: "A treasure? You're saying Han Ye is a treasure? Don't be ridiculous!"

As they were talking—

"Master! Madam! Something terrible has happened!"

A scream pierced the courtyard, and a servant stumbled in, pale-faced: "Miss and Master are fighting! They're really fighting!"

"That girl!" Hong Fu Nu stood up abruptly, her fingertips trembling with anger.

You want to start cooking as soon as you walk in? That's not how you treat guests!

She turned and was about to rush outside.

Li Jing grabbed her wrist and chuckled slowly, "What's the rush? Come on, let's go see a play."

"You're watching a show?!" Hong Fu Nu nearly jumped up and down. "Your daughter is so reckless! What if she accidentally hurts someone?"

Li Jing threw his head back and laughed heartily, then pulled her towards the inner courtyard: "Don't worry, it's not certain who will get hurt."

He chuckled inwardly: My dear wife, you're still too naive.

Would someone who can reliably withstand 70% of my strength be a pushover?

Li Yingge... she's probably going to run into a brick wall today.

The more he thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed, and his steps became lighter.

If his guess comes true—

Then Han Ye is more than just a treasure.

That's because my Li family's ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke, which is why we were able to attract such a noble son-in-law!

Meanwhile, the inner courtyard was already crowded with people.

The maids and servants huddled together, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, their faces flushed with excitement.

On his first day at the house, the young lady grabbed him and wanted to fight?

This excitement is a once-in-a-century event!

Li Jing and his wife quietly took their seats, hiding in the shadows under the eaves, smiling without saying a word.

I will neither persuade nor stop you.

We're just waiting for the show to begin.

At this moment, a storm was brewing on the dueling platform.

Han Ye and Li Yingge stood side by side at opposite ends, their murderous intent yet already clashing like thunder.

Li Yingge lightly stroked the spear with her fingertips, a cold glint flashing as the spear tip flickered in the morning light, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

Her gaze was cold, but a faint smile played at the corners of her lips—not a provocation, but a test.

Han Ye stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the rows of weapon racks behind him, and suddenly smiled.

The smile was understated, yet it was like ripples in a deep pool, concealing a thousand undercurrents.

"I see..." he murmured to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it. "Trying to find out what's going on with me?"

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, like a hunter who had seen through the prey's scheme and was now setting up his own.

"Hurry! We need to make our move!"

"How long has it been since Miss made a move? This new son-in-law is probably going to embarrass himself on the spot."

"Shh—don't talk nonsense. He's still the young master. Even if you lose, you have to give him face."

"What do you know? This young lady is a woman who has beheaded seventeen enemy generals on the battlefield! Anyone who touches her will fall!"

"Sigh, I just hope she holds back and doesn't send her flying off the field..."

The servants who were watching crowded around the edge of the field, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves.

Their eyes were filled with fervor as they looked at Li Yingge; but when they looked at Han Ye, all they felt was pity.

Han Fu's young master clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms: "Young Master... you can do it, right?"

But they all knew in their hearts that although Han Ye practiced martial arts, he had never been in battle.

Unlike Li Yingge, who is a female demon who has truly emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

However, Han Ye on the stage remained calm and composed, like a willow swaying in the breeze.

There was no tension, no hesitation, and even... a hint of amusement.

He knew that this battle was not a fight to the death, but a test of his identity.

"gun……"

"It must be a gun..."

Li Yingge's pupils contracted slightly as she stared intently at Han Ye's hand.

She knew perfectly well: the Ghost-Faced General wielded a Netherworld Breaking Spear, which was indestructible in a hundred battles and killed without leaving a trace.

If Han Ye were truly that person, he would never have missed the spear.

Even Li Jing, who was watching the battle from afar, narrowed his eyes and unconsciously softened his breathing.

Will he choose it?

Will he choose it?

"Clang—"

A clear sound broke the silence.

Han Ye did not stop walking. He walked straight past the array of spears and headed towards the long sword that had been gathering dust in the corner.

The sword is plain and unadorned, without any inscription or pattern, only a cold glint appears, like a lone wolf that has been lying in wait for many years.

He reached out and shook hands.

He drew his sword three inches from its sheath, a flash of cold light illuminating his sharply defined features.

He turned around, looked up, and said in a clear, resonant voice, "I've made my choice."