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

In an instant, the entire room fell silent.

Li Yingge's pupils suddenly contracted, and Li Jing's brows furrowed.

A longsword?!

It's not a gun?!

The two of them were startled almost simultaneously.

Could it be... that I've mistaken someone else?

Before they could think it through, Han Ye slowly raised his longsword, pointed it at Li Yingge, and said with a slight smile, "Please."

In that instant, the doubt in Li Yingge's eyes transformed into fighting spirit.

"What a cunning fellow..." she whispered, then tapped her toes on the ground, causing it to crack!

"boom--!"

The man followed the gun, moving with the force of a thunderbolt!

A tall, slender figure leaped into the air, his spear piercing the sky like a dragon, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.

That shot was aimed straight at Han Ye's throat—fast, accurate, ruthless, and without reservation!

An ordinary person would have been terrified long ago.

Han Ye simply smiled.

The sword is drawn.

It's not blocking, it's not retreating, it's striking!

"Clang!"

The sword tip struck the gun shaft with perfect precision at two-thirds of its length, the force applied with exquisite skill, deflecting the thunderous blow by half an inch!

The gun blade grazed her neck, sending a strand of hair fluttering down.

The crowd gasped.

Before he could even react, Han Ye had already switched from defense to offense.

Sword shadows flashed, like waves of snow rising, pressing closer and closer!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Each sword strike seemed to be timed precisely, whether it was a flick, a deflection, or a press, it was all about using softness to overcome hardness and borrowing force to strike back, forcing Li Yingge to retreat repeatedly!

The more she retreated, the more Han Ye advanced.

Originally locked in a stalemate, the situation reversed in the blink of an eye—Han Ye stood firmly in the center, his sword intent as deep as the abyss; Li Yingge, however, was forced to the edge, her heels already touching the boundary line!

"hiss--!!"

The onlookers gasped in shock; some nearly bit their tongues.

"I...I didn't see wrong, did I?"

"Young Master... drove Miss away?!"

"One step, two steps, three steps... a full seven steps! Miss has been retreating the whole time!"

"This isn't a test; it's being overwhelmed and attacked!"

Xiao Tuan stared wide-eyed, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

Li Jing's eyes changed completely.

It is as deep as the night, concealing raging waves.

On the stage, Li Yingge finally stopped, her spear tip touching the ground, her breathing slightly labored.

She stared at Han Ye, her beautiful eyes no longer showing contempt, but only solemnity and scrutiny.

"You..." She parted her red lips slightly, her voice a little hoarse, "You never intended for me to see anything, did you?"

Han Ye stood with his sword in hand, his robes fluttering slightly, a faint smile on his face: "What you want to see, I'll deliberately not let you see."

The wind swept across the arena, stirring up dust and smoke.

A test turned into a surprise.

Now, it's her turn—she can't see through him anymore.

at the same time.

The servants around them stared wide-eyed, gasping in as if they had been collectively choked.

They were initially worried – if the mighty female general Li Yingge were to teach Han Ye a lesson, that kid would probably lose face on the spot, or even get injured!

But now the situation... how did it turn out the other way around?!

Dust billowed and swords flashed across the arena, but the one truly overwhelmed and forced to retreat was none other than Li Yingge, the renowned swordsman of the capital!

"Um?!"

"Where...where does his strength come from?!"

A stir ran through the crowd, and even the usually composed Li Jing frowned, his gaze fixed on the dueling platform like a knife.

From the moment Han Ye abandoned his gun, Li Jing felt a growing unease.

And at this moment—

His pupils contracted slightly as he finally saw through the truth.

It wasn't that Li Ying's singing skills were inferior, nor that she held back or gave in.

Instead, each sword strike was like a landslide or tsunami, forcing her to grit her teeth and take the hits head-on, leaving her no room to retaliate!

"Every strike... is crushing her foundation!" Li Jing murmured, his voice filled with disbelief. "This kid... could he be born with superhuman strength?"

On the arena.

Han Ye remained indifferent, his eyes cold as frost and snow. He swung his long sword haphazardly, one strike after another, like a storm, without any fancy moves, yet extremely domineering.

What no one knew was that he had already stopped using his strength.

True strength goes far beyond this.

"This broken sword is really unsuitable," he sighed to himself.

The Azure Dragon Spear was his lifeblood; the sword? It was just a piece of iron borrowed temporarily.

Not to mention that his mind was completely blank; he had never learned any sword techniques.

At this moment, what he is wielding is nothing more than pure strength and instinct, relying on repeated charges, hard smashes, and fierce slashes!

But that's how it is...

Li Yingge has been driven to the brink of despair!

Her delicate fingers gripped the gun barrel tightly, her arm trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Those beautiful eyes that once made thousands of troops retreat were now filled with shock and resentment.

"Damn it..."

"Is this guy... even human?!"

Every block felt like hitting a galloping horse.

The immense force surged through her veins along the gun barrel, causing her internal organs to churn and her fingertips to go numb.

Before he could regain his footing, another sword was already slashing down on his head!

boom!

boom!

boom!

The wind howled, cracks spread across the ground, and Li Yingge's steps kept retreating until her heels almost touched the edge of the stage.

There's no way to retreat!

"ah--!"

A scream tore through the air, and she swayed, about to fall off the platform!

At the critical moment—

Han Ye made his move.

Everyone's eyes lit up, thinking to themselves that they were finally going to be the hero who saved the damsel in distress!

Unexpectedly, the hand moved with lightning speed, but its target was not Li Yingge's people.

It was the gleaming spear in her hand that truly captivated her!

"Whoosh!"

The gun flew from his palm and landed steadily in Han Ye's hand.

And on the other side-

"Thump!"

Li Yingge plopped down on the ground, raising a cloud of dust three feet high.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's expressions froze, as if they were witnessing the most outrageous scene in the world.

You fucking... you'd rather catch a gun than help someone up?!

Han Fu's group was dumbfounded, Li Jing's servants and servants were all stunned, and even Hong Fu Nu couldn't help but facepalm.

Li Jing's mouth hung open for a long time before he finally managed to stammer out, "This Han family brat... he has absolutely no sense of chivalry! He can't even see such a good opportunity?!"

Hong Fu Nu glanced at him sideways and sneered, "Weren't you the same back then? When your weapon fell to the ground, you'd rather pick up the knife first than turn around and look at me."

Li Jing was speechless.

you do not say.

In the eyes of people like them—

Women can fall.

But the weapon in your hand must never fall to the ground.

Han Ye glanced at Li Yingge, who was sitting on the ground, his eyes flickered slightly, and then he suddenly came back to his senses.

He clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, his tone tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

Li Yingge bit her lip and stood up, brushing the dust off her skirt with her fingertips. Her eyes were cold and gloomy, like the frosty lake water on a winter night: "I'm perfectly fine."

Why don't you ask your spear if it's been scratched or dented?

The moment she said that, the air around her seemed to cool down.

The mighty female general, with unparalleled beauty and a renowned battle reputation, was actually... in full view of everyone—

Han Ye reached out to grab the gun, not her.

At that moment, his gaze went beyond her falling figure and landed squarely on the cold iron weapon.

The string in her heart snapped.

A dignified seven-foot-tall general is no match for a dead object?

Han Ye scratched the tip of his nose, looking slightly embarrassed: "In the heat of the moment, I acted too quickly."

Instead of retreating, Li Yingge pressed forward, her beautiful eyes like blades piercing his gaze: "Since you love the spear so much, why did you insist on using a sword at first? Your swordsmanship is stiff and full of flaws; you're clearly an amateur! What you used before... was basically a spear, wasn't it?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was sharp and clear.

It was as if they were waiting for an answer, or as if they were trying to pry open a door that had been sealed for a long time.

Han Ye remained silent for a moment, then slowly ran his fingertips over the gun barrel.

The cold touch made this spear feel far less comfortable in the palm than the Azure Dragon Spear.

That's a huge difference.

and……

He gently closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression was one of resolute determination.

From this day forward, he will never touch a spear again.

That memory of blood and fire is etched into my very bones.

The hand that holds the gun should not be stained with old pain again.

"Bang!"

The gun fell to the ground and was returned to her.

He smiled, but the smile was bitter: "No, this isn't for me."

You can keep it.

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around, waved to the little dumpling, and left without looking back.

The servants in the manor had tears in their eyes as they watched their young master's retreating figure, their throats choked with emotion.

The person they had lost and then regained has finally returned.

But Li Yingge stood there, staring blankly at the receding figure, forgetting to move.

That moment.

She seemed to see the masked general, clad in armor and wielding a weapon, walking away through the snow outside Dingzhou City back then—

Isolated, desolate, burdened with immense weight.

The same silhouette, the same desolation.

"Han Ye... what exactly have you been through?"

"Who exactly are you...?"

Only after the man had completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did she lower her head and stare at the spear in her hand, murmuring as if in a dream.

The martial arts competition has come to an end.

The ending was unexpected—the Divine Might Female General was defeated, and Han Ye won.

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching Li Jing's residence.

A commotion arose, and the servants whispered among themselves.

Who could have imagined that the formidable Miss Li, who commanded respect on the frontier, would be defeated by her future husband?

On any other day, this would be a major event that would cause a sensation in Chang'an!

But now—

A storm is brewing in the Tang Dynasty.

Khagan Jieli led his iron cavalry to press on the border, his army arrayed along the Wei River, their blades pointing straight at Chang'an!

Emperor Li Shimin personally selected the generals, and the entire city was on high alert; a major battle was imminent.

Earlier, news of the Ghost-Faced General's martyrdom reached the capital. On that day, blood rained down over Chang'an, and heaven and earth grieved together.

The entire city was in mourning, and the landscape paled in comparison.

In this situation, who cares about the outcome of a premarital contest?

Han Ye returned quietly, without causing a ripple.

He has never liked to show off.

After defeating Li Yingge, he had Xiao Tuanzi lead the way and went straight back to the small courtyard where he had been settled.

This was a residence specially prepared by Li Jing for the Han family.

As I pushed open the door, a familiar atmosphere greeted me.

Even the rattan recliner he often used in Youzhou was moved all the way here.

Without saying a word, Han Ye slumped back in his chair, stretching out his limbs like a salted fish sunbathing.

"Ah... this is the life a human being should live."

He squinted and spoke lazily, his eyelids already closing before he finished speaking.

A group of servants gathered around him, their eyes red-rimmed, chattering amongst themselves:

"Young Master, you're finally back! Where have you been all this time? How did you suddenly become so amazing?"

"We searched all over Youzhou and Luoyang, but we couldn't find a trace of him..."

Han Ye didn't open his eyes, only raised a finger, and casually uttered:

"Wandering the world, I occasionally gain something."

The wind rustled through the courtyard, making the leaves whisper in the breeze.

No one knows how many mountains of corpses and seas of blood this seemingly lazy man has traversed to achieve the peace he enjoys today.

"Young Master! Young Master! You're amazing! You even beat the female general!"