Chapter Thirty-One: Master of Defiance

The main gate of the Divine Martial Army was not made of paper, nor was it an ordinary place. Who would dare to behave so brazenly and kick the door? Was this not tantamount to declaring the Divine Martial Army defenseless? Yang Lian found it odd and looked up.

A burly man strode in, dressed in a Divine Martial Army uniform. He staggered as he walked, as if he might topple over at any moment, but never actually fell. The training ground fell instantly silent. Yao Feng, Li Ping, Lu Mengjun, and the others all glanced toward Yang Lian. Chen Tie had arrived. Having lost his position as Deputy Commander, he dared not challenge Zhou Hongzuo, but Yang Lian was new, and with Chen Tie’s temperament, trouble was inevitable.

Some onlookers crossed their arms, clearly eager to watch the drama unfold.

Lin Renzhao frowned and was about to step forward when Yang Lian caught his arm and asked, "Is this Chen Tie?"

"That’s him," Lin Renzhao replied, worry etched in his brow. Though Chen Tie was his close friend, he did not wish to see him clash with Yang Lian. Even if Yang Lian suffered a temporary setback, Chen Tie would ultimately lose out, given Yang Lian’s connections.

Yang Lian waved his hand. "Brother Lin, step back for now."

Lin Renzhao hesitated. Sensing his concern, Yang Lian smiled. "Don’t worry, I know my limits."

Lin Renzhao considered for a moment, then patted Yang Lian on the shoulder. "Don’t be fooled by Chen Tie’s drunkenness. If it comes to blows, you may not be his match. Be careful."

"I’ll be cautious," Yang Lian promised, eyes fixed on Chen Tie. As the man drew closer, Yang Lian frowned—this drunkard, where had he seen him before?

Chen Tie sauntered to within five paces of Yang Lian and stopped. He raised his bleary eyes and studied him. Only half an incense stick ago, he had encountered Zhou Hongzuo and been reprimanded. That didn’t bother him; what stung was the stripping of his position, replaced by a man named Yang Lian. This humiliation was intolerable.

After scrutinizing Yang Lian, Chen Tie snorted and raised his voice: "What virtues or abilities do you possess to seize my position as Deputy Commander?"

Lu Mengjun strolled aside, arms folded across his chest, eyes wide with anticipation. He, too, wanted to see what made Yang Lian worthy of such a post. In truth, this was what Li Ping, Yao Feng, and the others were thinking as well.

Yang Lian smiled faintly. "The army is governed by discipline. Chen, you are always late—how is Commander Zhou to lead his troops? You were relieved of your post to spur you on, to prevent future errors." The Deputy Commander, equivalent to a squad leader, was in charge of ten men, with two team leaders beneath him. With Yang Lian’s appointment, Chen Tie had been demoted to squad leader.

"Heh, heh!" Chen Tie sneered, pointing at Yang Lian. "Enough with the empty talk. So you’re Deputy Commander—what of it? Judging by your appearance, I’d wager you can’t even draw a bow!" He laughed again, eyes full of contempt.

"You may test me. If you win, you can have the position back," Yang Lian replied coolly. After several days of recovery, his body was finally in better shape, and Mi Shiwei had taught him a few tricks. Against a sober Chen Tie, he might have been outmatched, but with the man drunk, Yang Lian was confident.

"Good!" Chen Tie spread his legs, glanced around, and barked, "Everyone back up! Don’t get hurt!"

"How confident you are," Yang Lian observed, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. The onlookers watched with folded arms; Lin Renzhao, though worried, was equally curious.

As the two spoke, soldiers near the command encampment caught wind of the commotion. Chen Tie, famed for his drinking, had lost his post and returned for a fight! It had been a long time since the Divine Martial Army had seen action—idle hands, eager for excitement.

The drill ground soon overflowed with spectators. Zhou Hongzuo, upon hearing the news, sauntered over and observed from the watchtower.

"Come on, then!" Chen Tie wasted no words. He tore off his shirt, revealing sturdy shoulders, and was about to assume a stance when, without warning, the air split—a fist from Yang Lian was already before his eyes.

"How underhanded!" flashed through Chen Tie’s mind. He dared not meet the blow head-on and retreated two steps, dodging the punch. Yet in so doing, he immediately fell on the defensive.

Yang Lian had brawled countless times in his former life, breaking more legs than he could remember. His experience was vast. Having gained the initiative, he pressed the attack, fists raining down as Chen Tie struggled to keep his footing. Forced back to the edge of the field, Chen Tie found himself cornered and was compelled to lift his arms and block.

Zhou Hongzuo, watching from above, grunted in surprise. Though Yang Lian had used a ruse, to drive Chen Tie to such a state was no small feat. Zhou’s interest was piqued; he focused intently on the fight below.

Chen Tie wanted to fight back directly, but Yang Lian gave him no chance. The man looked robust and powerful—hardly an easy opponent in a head-on contest. Having secured the upper hand, Yang Lian naturally targeted Chen Tie’s weaknesses.

Suddenly, instead of continuing with his fists, Yang Lian withdrew his hands, crouched low, and swept out with his right leg. The attack, which had been aimed high, shifted abruptly to the lower body. Caught off guard, Chen Tie’s legs gave way; he desperately reached out to steady himself.

But Yang Lian allowed no respite. His right leg lashed out, striking Chen Tie’s chest. Unable to block, Chen Tie staggered and fell. Yang Lian raised his fist to finish the bout, but knowing it was merely a contest, he stopped short and laughed, "You’ve lost."

"You cheated," Chen Tie protested.

Yang Lian scoffed and punched him in the face. "Concede?"

"Never!" Chen Tie was stubborn. He hadn’t even had a chance to strike before being inexplicably defeated. Of course he wouldn’t concede.

"Then we continue!" Yang Lian showed no mercy; if Chen Tie admitted defeat, he would have stopped. If not, he would keep going until Chen Tie yielded.

With several more sharp blows, Chen Tie’s face reddened and swelled, bruises blossoming beneath his eyes.

"Will you yield?" Yang Lian asked, striking as he spoke.

Pinned beneath Yang Lian, Chen Tie had no leverage. He was at his opponent’s mercy. The dull thuds of fists on flesh sent chills through the crowd, especially among Chen Tie’s men, who watched in trepidation. Though Yang Lian had used some tricks and Chen Tie was drunk, the ruthlessness he displayed was unmatched.

After a dozen punches, Yang Lian’s hand was numb, but as long as Chen Tie was unbending, he would not let go. At last, Zhou Hongzuo, watching from afar, could not bear to see more. Though he held grievances against Chen Tie, were something to happen, how would Wang Yanzheng react?

He leapt from the watchtower and strode over, coughing with a stern face. "Deputy Commander Yang, what is going on here?"

Yang Lian, still seated on Chen Tie, replied, "Commander Zhou, we were merely sparring."

"Sparring, you say?" Zhou Hongzuo knew the truth—Chen Tie had come looking for trouble. Since the Supreme Commander had named Yang Lian as Deputy Commander, Zhou had been expecting this. Unbeknownst to him, however, further away, Gao Shensi stood behind Prince Qi, Li Jingsui, also watching the field.

"Prince Qi, this Yang Lian is truly a hard man," Gao Shensi observed.

Prince Qi stroked his beard. "In your opinion, Supreme Commander Gao, is this man worth employing?"

"He is. His mind is shrewd—one can see that from his contest with Chen Tie," Gao Shensi replied.

"Oh? Speak plainly," said Prince Qi, unversed in martial matters. He only understood that Yang Lian had won.

"Prince, he caught Chen Tie unprepared, attacking high at first. Though Chen Tie was on the defensive, he wasn’t truly harmed. When cornered at the field’s edge, Chen Tie had no choice but to fight head-on. But Yang Lian, instead of matching strength, shifted his attack to the lower body."

"Chen Tie had been drinking and was unsteady—a common enough thing. Had Yang Lian attacked low from the start, Chen Tie might have been prepared, but having been assaulted above, he was caught off guard when struck below," Gao Shensi explained.

"That does make sense," Prince Qi smiled, thinking it was precisely this cleverness that enabled Yang Lian to rescue Princess Huairou. Had it been one of those upright, rigid types, things would not have gone so well.

"Prince, though he shares a name with the former crown prince, his appearance is utterly different, and he speaks with the Guanzhong accent. He is certainly not that man and can be employed," Gao Shensi continued. He was old, and unsure how much longer he would serve as Supreme Commander of the Divine Martial Army. Once he retired, Prince Qi would have no outside support.

Li Jingsui nodded. "At first, I too suspected him of being the former crown prince, but the face is not the same. His accent and skills are also different—merely a namesake. Still, though I wish to employ him, it must be done quietly."

Gao Shensi pondered, then smiled. "Prince, your foresight commands my respect."

Prince Qi chuckled and pointed ahead. "Look."

Confronted by Zhou Hongzuo, Yang Lian showed no fear, replying with a smile, "Commander Zhou, though we were training, as soldiers we must give our all. If we do not bleed in practice, we bleed on the battlefield."

"You are eloquent," Zhou Hongzuo remarked, knowing Yang Lian was Prince Qi’s man and saying no more. He turned on his heel and left.

Lin Renzhao came over to help Yang Lian up. "Deputy Commander Yang, we can all vouch that Chen Tie has lost."

"Let it be. Chen Tie is a true man," Yang Lian said. Everyone had seen what happened; there was no need to press Chen Tie for a formal concession. The man would sooner be beaten to death than utter those words. Since others were offering comfort, Yang Lian took the opportunity to yield.

Chen Tie’s face was covered in blood, his eyes swollen, vision doubled. Lin Renzhao helped him up. "Deputy Commander Yang, let’s take him for treatment."

"Very well," Yang Lian agreed. Together, he and Lin Renzhao supported Chen Tie toward the infirmary.

Yao Feng clapped his hands. "That’s enough. The contest is over—everyone back to training. The rest of you, disperse!"

The audience slowly trickled away, grumbling among themselves. Chen Tie was notoriously rebellious, often talking back to Commander Zhou. Who would have thought he’d meet his match and be bloodied so thoroughly? When he sobered up, would there be another scene to witness? A pity they’d miss it.

Yao Feng found some logistics soldiers to repair the gate and then went to look for Lin Renzhao and the others, worried another fight might break out.