I became a prince in a martial arts world.

"Ma Yinglong?"

The bamboo curtain at the opposite private booth was lifted, and a man with somewhat exotic features looked over, laughing casually, "Ma Yinglong, you've been released?"

Ma Yinglong nodded. "That's right, I've been released."

Wang Yu and Zhao Yingjie both rubbed their foreheads.

Duan Wei chuckled and said, "Are you here to challenge me to a duel?"

Ma Yinglong admitted, "That's right. I heard you went to the Central Plains, and I was planning to go there to find you. I didn't expect you to come back."

Duan Wei explained, "I made two friends in the Central Plains, and they both happened to be in the Western Regions on business, so we came back together."

Sitting next to Duan Wei were two other people, also in their twenties or thirties, one looking gentler and the other looking sharper.

Ma Yinglong looked over, patted his chest, and assured them, "The Duan family can't compare to the Ma family in Anxi Road. If there's anything he can't do, you can come to me!"

Both of them smiled without saying a word.

Duan Wei clearly knew Ma Yinglong's personality and didn't care. However, when he looked at Wang Yu and Zhao Yingjie, his eyes flashed, and he guessed their identities.

However, he didn't reveal the truth, but simply said to Ma Yinglong, "Well, we've just happened to be here. When would you like to compete?"

Ma Yinglong's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "There's no time like the present, let's do it today, so you won't be a spineless coward tomorrow and I can stab you through the back of my gun!"

Duan Wei shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I've been traveling all day, I need a night's rest to recover my strength. Besides, Miss Narcissus will only make me stronger. Do you think you'll become weaker after a nap?"

"Of course not!" Ma Yinglong exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Taking seven shots in one night won't affect my ability to fire the next day!"

"That's settled then," Duan Wei said. "If you wish to compete, let's meet at the pavilion ten miles east of the city tomorrow at noon."

"Okay, it's settled then!" Ma Yinglong immediately agreed.

"It's a deal." Duan Wei nodded to the three of them and pulled the bamboo curtain closed.

……

Although Narcissus's auction was interrupted for a while tonight, no one in the Rainbow Cloud Pavilion dared to utter a sound.

Although the Ma and Duan families are not as powerful as the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion in Anxi Road, they are still long-established martial arts families who control important products and trade routes in Anxi Road. Ordinary people would be too bold to interrupt the duel between these two.

After Duan Wei pulled the bamboo curtain closed, ending their conversation, no one dared to bid against him or compete for the Narcissus Girl.

Of course, the price for Narcissus Girl for one night was only twenty or thirty taels of silver, and Duan Wei's price was already more than that. The madam happily sent her to a room on the fifth floor to wait for Duan Wei.

Ma Yinglong called to the madam, "Do you have any girls in your building better than Narcissus?"

The madam looked troubled, but couldn't suppress a smile. "There is another young lady, Xue Rong, but she won't arrive until tomorrow..."

Ma Yinglong snorted, "One hundred taels!"

The madam immediately said, "I'll take Miss Xue Rong to room number three on the fifth floor right away, just waiting for you, young master!"

Wang Yu grinned, "Price gouging!"

Zhao Yingjie asked Ma Yinglong with a smile, "How much travel money did Uncle Ma give you for this trip? You dare to spend it like this?"

One hundred taels of silver is equivalent to four or five years' income for many families.

"That's different. This is a duel with Duan Wei. How can I lose to him in this aspect?" Ma Yinglong waved his hand. "At worst, I'll figure something out when I get to the Central Plains."

Ma Yinglong wasn't talking nonsense. It's hard to say about people at the bottom of the martial arts world, but it's quite easy for martial arts masters to make money. Whether it's borrowing from local gangs or raiding a small mountain stronghold, it's not only relatively easy, but it can also boost their reputation.

"I've made my decision, what about you two?" Ma Yinglong asked, looking at Wang Yu and Zhao Yingjie.

Wang Yu waved his hand, "You're the star tonight, I can't steal your thunder. I'll have a drink, listen to some music, and then I'll head back. I'll come find you first thing tomorrow morning and bring you the gun while I'm at it."

Just kidding, Qianqian already warned us. Who knows if Narcissus and Xue Rong are members of the Demonic Sect? Besides, even if they might not use their own essence to nourish others, they might use it to nourish themselves!

So Wang Yu casually made up an excuse, saying that since they were here tonight to enjoy themselves at a brothel, and with Zhao Shan and Zhao He secretly protecting them, they did not bring any weapons.

On the other side, Duan Wei also called girls for his two other friends, but they both refused.

"To prevent Ma Yinglong from playing tricks in secret, we will guard the door for you tonight," said the sharp-looking man.

"If you're feeling weak tonight, I'll give you a Qi-boosting pill to guarantee you'll be full of energy for tomorrow's duel," the gentle-looking man said with a smile.

Duan Wei laughed heartily, "Ma Yinglong isn't that kind of despicable person, and I won't back down!"

……

After listening to drum music and watching dances in the Caiyun Pavilion, Wang Yu returned to the palace with Zhao Yingjie, satisfied, leaving Ma Yinglong to meet with Xue Rong, the top courtesan in the pavilion, on the fifth floor.

The next day, after breakfast, at 3:45 AM, Wang Yu and Zhao Yingjie waited for the energetic Ma Yinglong at the entrance of Caiyun Pavilion.

"Where's my gun?"

"You decide which rod to use!"

Zhao Yingjie tossed out two guns, which Ma Yinglong caught with both hands. He found that one of them was his own Dragon Gallant Silver Spear, and the other was also entirely silver, with a dragon coiled around the shaft, a dragon head on the spearhead, and intricate and beautiful hundred-chain patterns on the blade.

It weighs about the same as my own Gentian Silver Spear, but it is significantly stronger in both flexibility and sharpness!

Ma Yinglong looked around, then around, and was momentarily confused.

The Dragon Gallant Silver Spear was his prized possession. He regularly polished and oiled it, taking great care of it. He believed that there was no weapon in the world more suitable for him than this spear.

but……

How can there be such a beautiful gun in the world? It looks alluring and graceful...

Ma Yinglong was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether he should be fickle and abandon his former lover.

"Hurry up, don't hesitate," Zhao Yingjie teased. "How can you duel with Duan Wei if you're always hesitating?"

Ma Yinglong glared at Zhao Yingjie, "Little Fatty, are you doing this on purpose?"

Zhao Yingjie reached out, "Give me back that Panlong Spear."

"I won't return them!" Ma Yinglong clutched both guns to his chest, his accent booming, "They're just like mine!"

Wang Yu pointed to the white horse beside him, "Let's get on the horse. When we arrived, we saw Duan Wei and the others go to familiarize themselves with the area first. We need to set off quickly too."

Without a word, Ma Yinglong mounted his horse, slung the Dragon Gallant Spear over his back, held the Coiled Dragon Spear in his hand, and spurred the horse forward, shouting, "Giddy up!"

Wang Yu, Zhao Yingjie, and Zhao Shan and Zhao He, who were not far away, also followed.

Caiyun Pavilion is close to the East Gate, so Duan Weicai was referring to the East Pavilion. Everyone has a mount. It's inconvenient to travel inside the city, but outside the city, they can ride freely.

"drive!"

They were all riding fine steeds, and the ten-mile distance was covered in no time. From afar, they could see Duan Wei and his two companions waiting not far from the pavilion. Duan Wei was carrying a seven-foot-long bundle in his right hand and looked at Wang Yu and the others.

Zhao Shan and Zhao He slowly pulled the reins and lagged behind, protecting Wang Yu and not participating in the meeting.

Ma Yinglong pulled on the reins, spurred his horse forward, and locked eyes with Duan Wei, already understanding each other's thoughts.

"Here I come!"

When he was still ten zhang away from Duan Wei, Ma Yinglong had already dismounted and charged towards Duan Wei. He was like a dragon-like steed with a strong wind, and his dragon-shaped spear was as thin as a thread, with the tip of the spear even bringing out a wisp of wind.

"Well done!"

Duan Wei also let out a long laugh, his aura suddenly changing, his heroic spirit soaring to the sky. He told his two friends to step aside, then shook the long bundle beside him, revealing a series of horse-slaying longswords, each a foot and a half long with a five-and-a-half-foot-long sheath.

"choke--"

With his sword drawn, Duan Wei also exerted force with his feet, his figure sweeping towards Ma Yinglong like a whirlwind.

Wang Yu saw it clearly: "Duan Wei is using a horse-slaying saber; is his martial arts also from the military?"

"Yes, the Duan family's swordsmanship is called the Horse-Slaying Saber in the army, and the Heavenly King Saber in the martial arts world."

Zhao Yingjie explained, "The martial arts skills of the Ma and Duan families both originated from the military. The Ma family's ancestor was Ma Fubo, and the Duan family's ancestor was Duan Pingliang. Both were famous generals of their time, and their descendants settled in Anxi Road and have continued to this day."

Wang Yu nodded. At this moment, Ma Yinglong and Duan Wei had approached. Duan Wei held a knife in both hands, and with a slashing motion of his saber, he deflected Ma Yinglong's dragon-patterned spear by half a foot. Then he pressed forward and broke the spear with a single saber.

Ma Yinglong leaped sideways, using the point where the sword and spear met as an axis, and spun the spear with a backhand, executing a move called "Azure Dragon Turns Back," slashing the spear blade diagonally towards Duan Wei's shoulder and neck.

Duan Wei tilted his body, almost parallel to the ground, dodging the Panlong Spear and then sweeping his saber horizontally, stirring up yellow sand and grass clippings, the sharp blade aimed straight at Ma Yinglong's knees.

Ma Yinglong leaped up to dodge the blade, his body turning 360 degrees in mid-air, bringing with him the power of the coiled dragon spear. With a phoenix nod, he thrust his spear into the wind of the horse-slaying saber that was chasing him from below.

"Ding-dong!"

With a crisp sound, Duan Wei took two steps back, and Ma Yinglong also fell from mid-air.

The two tested each other's strengths and skills, and their weapons each had their own advantages, so neither gained the upper hand.

"Again!"

Ma Yinglong had been in seclusion for a year, and now his momentum was at its peak. With a flick of his spear, he produced a spear flower the size of a bowl, creating seven afterimages of spear tips that enveloped seven major acupoints on Duan Wei's body. Ma Yinglong had wielded the spear with the skill of embroidery.

"good!"

Duan Wei's eyes gleamed, and with a swing of his saber, his aura suddenly rose to another level. His previously excited expression was suddenly tinged with madness. He used his long saber as a spear and charged directly into the center of Ma Yinglong's spear shadow, attacking head-on.

Both of them employed a style of martial arts that prioritized offense over defense. Even when they were on the defensive, they were also offensive within their defense. Ma Yinglong's spear moved like a dragon, and the tip of the spear grazed Duan Wei's cheek several times. Duan Wei's blade was sharp and fierce, and it also grazed Ma Yinglong's hands several times.

The two exchanged nearly a hundred blows, with Duan Wei gradually gaining the upper hand in terms of moves, but he still couldn't suppress Ma Yinglong. Meanwhile, the effects of Ma Yinglong's year of seclusion were evident, his momentum unyielding and not giving Duan Wei any leeway.

The fight was incredibly exciting and thrilling, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, as if one of them would die, another would be injured, or even both would perish at any moment.

"Slash!" Duan Wei roared, slashing sideways with his saber.

"Beat!" Ma Yinglong turned around and launched a counterattack, the tip of his spear pointing diagonally.

The sword and spear clashed with only a soft "clang." The horse-slaying sword suddenly broke, and the upper half flew off. Ma Yinglong's coiled dragon spear, like a green dragon probing the sea, pointed straight at Duan Wei's throat.

"Whoosh—"

Ma Yinglong slapped the spear shaft, sending the spear flying past Duan Wei's cheek. Duan Wei tightened his grip, and the broken sword stopped half a foot in front of Ma Yinglong's chest.

The yellow sand dispersed, grass clippings flew, and a gentle breeze stirred the two people's hair.

Ma Yinglong and Duan Wei said at the same time, "I lost."