Chapter 196: The one-month duel

Gui Bei walked toward the Huang residence. It had been precisely one month since his encounter with Huang Cixi. Today would be the day she would crawl in front of him. By humiliating the precious daughter of the prestigious Huang family, he would show them all who he really was. He wasn't a loser!

As he walked through the main gate, he saw ridicule in the eyes of the guards. Gui Bei imagined how much they were mocking him as they merely looked him walk by. In his deluded mind, everyone was always looking down on him. And after this duel, no one would anymore. He would be the one who would look down on others.

Just before entering the inner courtyard, a guard stopped Gui Bei.

"You are expected. Do you have your weapon on you?"

"Yes." Gui Bei simply raised in right hand. On his finger was a spatial ring. At first the guard did not understand. Then, he realized. As the guard was an early Mortal Warrior himself he could not clearly see through Gui Bei's cultivation like a Spirit Warrior would. But by feeling the Qi around him, he realized that he had broken through to the Mortal Warrior realm as well. That meant that he could now use a spatial ring.

However, even with this new ability, acquiring such an artifact was extremely difficult. Considering Gui Bei's background, the guard imagined that he had received one from some criminal organization. Many people had this misconception on Gui Bei that he was deeply involved with organized criminals. But, in fact, just like his father, he had only ever been related to small crooks. None of them had been big enough to have real ties to organized crime. But Gui Bei liked the idea that people feared him because of that, while resenting the fact that he was only a small-time thief. Even while stealing from other cultivators in the wild, he was only there to support the actual thieves.

"You'll have to give me your spatial ring. We will give it back to you right before the duel so that you can get your weapons, and nothing else. But you may not use any artifact to help you during the fight. If you refuse, you will forfeit the duel and you'll have to obey the terms you already agreed upon with Young Mistress Huang Cixi. Do you agree?"

The guard extended his hand. Gui Bei knew very well that he wouldn't be allowed into the Huang residence with his spatial ring. That ring had been obtained in the ancient site, on the corpses of his 'friends'. In fact, he had obtained two of them. But the one he had right now was the largest. The other one was way smaller. Just in case, Gui Bei had hidden the other ring with his most important objects and most of his money outside of the city. In the ring he had today, there was nothing really valuable apart from his weapon and a few pills to help him in dire situations.

As such, Gui Bei had no problem giving it up to the guard. Despite the great reputation of the Huang family, he couldn't trust them at all. All the nobles were just hypocrites! The rules only applied to the weak while the strong could do whatever they wished. And he would prove to all that he was part of the strong ones. In his warped view of the world, he was certain that after today, everything would change. But just in case they decided to attack him after his victory, Gui Bei had also prepared an escape plan. He knew that the Huang family would not let him leave if he were to harm or even kill Huang Cixi. But he did not intend to kill her. No, he would completely crush her, humiliate her, but he would keep her alive. She had to live through the same humiliation he had endured all his life.

Receiving his spatial ring, the guard walked Gui Bei into the residence. They waited for some time and then went into a large hall, the East Hall. The hall was a large pavilion without any walls. There were pillars supporting the roof and an open courtyard all around. In that courtyard, many benches had been set up for an audience. The roof was also rather high to allow for much more movement. Indeed, Mortals and Mortal Warriors, although they couldn't fly, could still jump.

Gui Bei immediately understood that this would be his fighting ground. The guard then gave him his spatial ring.

"You may retrieve your weapon. Then you'll get your spatial ring back when you leave our residence. In case something happens to you, all your personal effects will be given to your closest kin. Unless you have someone else in mind?"

"Do not worry about that. Nothing is going to happen to me but victory and prestige."

Gui Bei simply touched the spatial ring and sent a surge a Qi within. A blue light shined in his hands and he let the guard keep his ring. Now, he only had to wait for his opponent.

As soon as he had entered the residence, Gui Bei had sensed that many spiritual senses were locked on him. In fact, some had even started to follow him since he had gotten close enough to the residence. But he wasn't worried at all. Thanks to the strange voice he had in him, he was able to clearly sense in which directions they all were. In the mountains, he had been able to evade the vigilance of many Spirit Warriors and he was confident enough in his ability to do so again.

However, everything changed when he sensed another kind of spiritual senses wash over him. He had never felt something like that and he got completely paralyzed for an entire minute. This pressure was due to Matriarch Huang Yufeng. Right now, he realized that he had been mistaken. If he tried to flee from a monster like that, he would instantly die. But should he change his plans? Would she interfere with him if he beat up Huang Cixi? Wait! What if she interfered during the duel to make him lose?

Gui Bei knew that all those cultivators were just power-hungry brutes. Just to save their faces, they would probably try underhanded tricks. When Matriarch Huang Yufeng broke through, he was still deep in the mountains. Thus he hadn't hear about her. Gui Bei had never sensed such a powerful intent on him. However it soon disappeared as though it was just a bad dream. Despite all the poison this little man was spewing against the nobles, the Huang family intended for the fight to be fair and square.

Matriarch Huang Yufeng was still in her chambers. But that didn't stop her from examining the young fighter. And she was impressed. The boy was not even eighteen and he had reached the 3rd-grade Mortal Warrior stage. An average cultivator would not reach this level before being in their mid-thirties. Yet, she felt that his cultivation was very unstable and his emotions were all over the place. In his mind, an inner demon was slowly growing and it would soon wake up. Once it did, the boy would die in a matter of days. From what she had been told about him, she felt like the situation was such a pity. If someone else than him had found the secret that had allowed him to advance so fast, it could have been great for mankind.

The boy was living in constant fear. Just with a single glance, the matriarch had seen what kind of man he was. Gui Bei needed to prove himself to others all the time because deep down he simply hated himself. The scorn he was seeing in everyone's eyes was only in his. Such a weak mind invested with a great power was clearly a threat. But the matriarch trusted Huang Cixi's vision. Unless something unexpected were to happen, she wouldn't intervene at all. However, she still covered her bases. With a telepathic messages, she contacted all the elders.

"If Huang Cixi seems to be about to get harmed beyond cure, or even worse, you will stop the fight and declare the boy as the winner. Although our reputation is important, Huang Cixi is even more precious. She can lose, but she can't suffer debilitating injuries or death."

In the East Hall, Gui Bei saw many members of the Huang family taking a seat all around him. Then, he saw a servant bring a small altar on the opposite side of the hall. This altar was holding three memorial tablets. With his view he easily saw the names on the tablets, Huang Mingze, Huang Longwei and Huang Lixin. That was when he remembered the bet with Huang Cixi. She wanted him to apologize to her family. Gui Bei was so sure about his victory that he had simply forgotten about this. Amused by the idea, he merely chuckled with disdain. That was perfect indeed. That way, her family would see her whimper and crawl at his feet.

After several minutes, almost all the Huang family was sitting around the East Hall. Among them were obviously Huang Lü and Huang Si. No outsider had been invited. Finally, the elders all arrived flying from the sky. Even the matriarch had come in person to see the duel. She could have watched from her chambers, but her mere presence was a sign to everyone. Huang Cixi had challenged this boy because he had insulted her family.

The matriarch was not stupid, she had seen through the plan of the young woman. Not only could she get some prestige among the elders and the young cultivators, but she could also increase the status of her father and brothers. Even now, their memorial tablets were visible by all. And if... when she would win, the man who had mocked the Huang family would have to apologize to them. Although there was no way to bring their memorial tablets into the ancestral hall considering their status, this would improve their memory in the main family. Huang Cixi's name would be remembered but theirs too.

Family Head Huang Yi had also understood that, like many other elders. Despite his grudge against Huang Mingze, he knew how much he meant for his granddaughter so he didn't say anything. And although he was worried for Huang Cixi, he also understood her enough to know that she wouldn't fight a losing battle. She was a politician, not a fighter. So she wouldn't accept a fight she wasn't sure of winning, even more so if she had given one month to her opponent to get ready.

Gui Bei was under everyone's eyes. Deep down, he felt their gazes as if they were daggers stabbing him. He knew that everyone here was mocking him and waiting for him to be humiliated. However, he would show them all!

The last person to arrive was Huang Cixi herself. She walked out from the door opposite to Gui Bei. Finally, they were facing each other.

"Gui Bei. You insulted me and my family. Today I will show you the strength and glory of my Huang bloodline. Not even the gods would dare slander our name. You will see why that is. And when you lose, you will kneel before those you mocked and humble yourself."

Full of rage, Gui Bei almost jumped straight ahead. In his mind, the inner demon was getting stronger and stronger. He knew that he had to beat this arrogant little girl. Once her blood would be on his hand and her face in the dirt, he would know peace. Like that, he was convinced that his inner demon would calm down.

"Brat! I will show in front of everyone here that your blood is nothing. You all think you're so big! You're nothing! Just because you were born in a good family, you act like big shots! Not only your face but your name, that is what I'll crush today!"

The crowd was already not with Gui Bei. But now, they hated him. Seeing this hate in their eyes, Gui Bei felt better. The ridicule he was seeing in them had completely disappeared. Of course, the mere fact that there was ridicule in their eyes before could be discussed. But that was the way Gui Bei was seeing the world right now.

Elder Huang Jian floated in the middle of the East Hall.

"No external help of any kind will be permitted. If anyone breaks this rule, they will automatically lose. Otherwise, you lose if you admit defeat or if you cannot move anymore. Since lethal wounds are always possible, both of you pledge that no one may seek retribution as long as the rules have been adhered to. Do you both agree?"

"Yes." "Yes, Elder."

"Then, take out your weapons!"

Gui Bei revealed what he had in hands. On both of his sides, two balls hit the ground. They were linked by a chain and were the size of a human head. Gui Bei's weapon was a meteor hammer. The weapon didn't seem particularly expensive or precious. On the other hand, Huang Cixi took out two iron fans. The moment she did, she opened them in a swift motion. As they opened, flames erupted from them before disappearing as fast. The fans were red and golden with magnificent painting and calligraphy on them. From each radius of the iron fans, thin silver needle-like blades were visible.

Everyone in the Huang family recognized this weapon. That was the 'Heaven Climbing Wheel', a 1-star Heaven weapon. Compared with Gui Bei's weapon, that was the difference between heaven and earth. Even their clothes were of different standing. And Huang Cixi was also much more elegant and refined, and beautiful, than this brutish boy. In Gui Bei's own eyes, he was inferior in every aspect but one. He could beat her to a bloody pulp until she had lost all of her beauty and charm.

"Let the duel begin!"

Immediately, Gui Bei wanted to impress everyone. From all around him, a black mist rose. In the audience, the young cultivators who couldn't sense his cultivation at all were surprised but everyone else knew he had reached the Mortal Warrior realm. What they were waiting for was to see Huang Cixi's cultivation. She should have known about his level and yet she had chosen to fight, some were wondering whether she was also a Mortal Warrior. But they couldn't feel anything around her. Usually, Mortal Warriors should be able to sense a powerful Wei Qi around other Mortal Warriors. Huang Cixi clearly looked like a Mortal, a powerful one, but a Mortal nonetheless.

In a few breaths, Gui Bei was now enshrouded in a black tower. Gradually its shape changed and everyone saw a three-storied pagoda with many closed doors and windows on every story. Getting his meteor hammer ready, Gui Bei sent one of the weights hurtling toward Huang Cixi. As it passed through the pagoda, a door opened and three chains coiled around the real one.

'Karma Fruits'.