Gazing at this ugly, dwarfish fiance, Turingduo fell into unprecedented anguish and fury.
How many handsome noble young men were queuing to pursue her? Even among the royal disciples of the same generation, Zhimin dreamt of winning her favour.
Just now at the banquet, although Gui Qinshao had been the greatest focus of attention.
The noble elite who had expressed their admiration to Turingduo numbered no fewer than several dozen.
She also knew that countless commoner elites wished to marry into the Turing Family and become her live-in son-in-law.
Since she had turned seventeen, nobles calling at her door to propose marriage had been endless.
Even if she could not compare to Gui Qinshao’s stunning beauty, she was still the most illustrious noble lady in the entire Fury Wave Kingdom, the companion countless men longed for day and night. Why must her father betroth her to such a nauseating man?
“Turingduo… I, I know I am unworthy of you.” Tuli Yang rubbed his hands together and said, “But I truly love you. For your sake I am willing to give everything. Once my father dies, I shall be the City Lord of Luanyang. I know you have great ambition. At that time I shall heed your every word, and you shall be the true City Lord of Luanyang. Is that not good?”
Immediately after, he knelt down on both knees and said, “Turingduo, I beg you to marry me, marry me.”
Now, Turingduo finally understood why her father wished to marry her to this nauseating, perverted man before her.
Although he was ugly in appearance, stood only a little over one metre fifty tall, and was moreover a pervert who enjoyed stealing women’s intimate garments to pleasure himself, he was… the sole heir to Luanyang City.
Luanyang City, the third greatest vassal of the Fury Wave Kingdom, possessed the entire Luanyang Peninsula. Its territory was larger than both Tianshui City and Linhai City.
Moreover, it possessed the Fury Wave Kingdom’s largest fleet and greatest trading fleet.
This was a wealthy and powerful vassal. And because it was a peninsula, with sea trade predominating, it was not particularly close to the Fury Wave royal house, nor did it depend upon the inland.
Now, Turingtuo had set his sights upon the Tuli family’s fleet. He wished to use this fleet to destroy Soren’s fleet and seize the Rocky Island salt works.
Of course, originally Turingtuo had still harboured some hesitation regarding this marriage. But after a certain hint from Zhili, he had dispelled his doubts and decided to marry his flower-like daughter Turingduo to this… ugly, dwarfish Tuli Yang.
Turingduo said angrily, “Apart from the garments in this cabinet, have you touched any other clothing in my room?”
The reason she asked thus was because the silk undergarment in Tuli Yang’s hand was brand new. She had not yet worn it.
If an undergarment she had once worn had been defiled by him, then Turingduo truly would go mad and run this nauseating man through with her sword.
“No, no.” Tuli Yang waved his hands and said, “I waited for you for a very long time but you did not come. You also know my affliction in that regard. I truly could not resist and secretly took one. Then a few minutes later you entered.”
Even so, Turingduo had decided that all the garments in this room must be burned. She would keep not a single one.
She looked at Tuli Yang kneeling on the ground. That ugly face was filled with fanaticism. From this gaze she could judge that his feelings for her were genuine.
But Turingduo still could not suppress the nausea in her heart.
No, this was absolutely not her fate. She absolutely must not marry such a man.
Then Turingduo’s mind raced swiftly, thinking how she might change her miserable fate.
Soon, she thought of a method and said, “Tuli Yang, you may know that half a month ago I once became Soren’s prisoner.”
Tuli Yang nodded and said, “I know.”
Turingduo said, “But what you do not know is that he raped me. I am no longer a maiden. Every part of my body has been defiled by Soren. Every inch of me is now unchaste.”
Tuli Yang’s gaze changed dramatically. His ugly face twisted in agony, and he lowered his head, emitting a beast-like howl.
For several minutes, then he raised his head and trembled, saying, “This is not your fault. I can overlook it. So long as you marry me, I can pretend that nothing happened.”
After speaking, his ugly face had already twisted into a knot.
Despite his boundless anguish, his tone was indeed filled with sincerity.
Turingduo was startled. She had not imagined he could endure even such a thing?
Then she added fuel to the fire, saying, “Not only that, but the day Soren defiled me was precisely my fertile period. I may be with child. Although I hate Soren to the bone, I absolutely will not terminate my pregnancy, even if it means living in solitude for the rest of my life.”
Turingduo was of course lying. First, whether Soren had truly bedded her was still unknown. Even if something had happened, those days were fundamentally her safe period. Her martial arts were high, her body robust, and her cycle extremely regular.
The moment these words were spoken, Tuli Yang was already biting his lip until it bled, his anguish nearly bringing tears to his eyes.
Soren, Soren… I shall tear you limb from limb!
The name Soren was practically Tuli Yang’s nightmare!
Back in the Fury Wave royal city, he had nearly been unable to resist destroying Soren’s handsome face, wishing to sever his legs and make him as short as himself.
Of course, the two of them bore no grudge. Their relationship was even passable.
Because both of them were isolated. Soren was envied by countless boys, so no one wished to associate with him.
And Tuli Yang was ugly and short, looked down upon by others, with no one willing to play with him.
Thus, the two of them could only huddle together for warmth. In Soren’s diary, Tuli Yang was practically his only friend, although his writings about Tuli Yang were mostly mockery.
And Tuli Yang’s feelings towards Soren were pure hatred, boundless jealousy.
Why? Why could Soren, who was ignorant and useless, whose martial arts were utterly terrible, make countless girls adore him?
While he, Tuli Yang, was likewise the son of a vassal, and his martial arts were so strong, his grades so excellent, yet every girl who looked at him did so with eyes full of disgust.
Were all women so shallow? Did they only look at a man’s appearance?
And every time Soren sold a girl’s undergarments to him, he would flaunt it with immense pride, describing how good the figure of the noble girl he had just bedded was, how beautiful she was.
Tuli Yang truly had exercised great patience in restraining himself from killing Soren.
Now, hearing that Turingduo might be carrying Soren’s child, the hatred in Tuli Yang’s heart blazed like flames reaching to the heavens, sufficient to incinerate everything.
“Because I may be carrying Soren’s child, and I am unwilling to terminate it.” Turingduo said, “Therefore I am sorry, but I cannot marry you.”
This lie was more or less Turingduo’s trump card for breaking the engagement.
Tuli Yang gasped heavily, fresh blood continuously seeping from the corner of his mouth.
For several minutes, then he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said word by word, “I still do not care. If you truly are unwilling to terminate the child, I can… I can treat him as my own. So long as you are willing to marry me.”
After speaking, Tuli Yang knelt bolt upright on the ground, awaiting Turingduo’s response.
Turingduo was truly stunned. She was even somewhat moved. This ugly, perverted man before her could actually endure even such a thing?
This was entirely the most humiliating matter for a man!
Tuli Yang was unremarkable in appearance, yet his devotion to her was so deep?
He had merely seen her once a few years ago, had he not?
For a woman under heaven to be loved thus was indeed a most rare and precious thing.
But… moved though she was, for her to accept Tuli Yang was absolutely impossible.
To put it in the most shameless, heartless terms, she would rather be raped by Soren a hundred times than marry this devoted Tuli Yang before her.
Although she wished nothing more than to tear Soren limb from limb, although Soren was a scoundrel and a villain.
Suddenly, a thought surged in her mind. This could not only free her, but also take revenge upon Soren.
Thus she said to Tuli Yang, “Do you truly wish so much to marry me?”
“I dream of it even in my sleep.” Tuli Yang knelt on both knees and crawled over on his knees.
Turingduo said, “I can agree to marry you, unless you do one thing for me.”
“What thing? I shall do it at once. Say not one, but ten, a hundred things.” Tuli Yang said.
“What is your cultivation level?” Turingduo asked.
“High-grade sixth-rank swordsman.” Tuli Yang said, “Within a few years, I shall likely break through to Dragon Swordsman. In the previous royal city graduation examination, my swordsmanship grade ranked second.”
Since he had become infatuated with Turingduo three years ago, Tuli Yang had practised swordsmanship frantically every day, attempting to make himself powerful enough to be worthy of Turingduo.
As a result, his swordsmanship had truly advanced by leaps and bounds.
Turingduo calculated silently in her heart. A high-grade sixth-rank swordsman should be able to kill Soren with ease, should he not?
Thus she deliberately let a trace of gentleness show in her gaze, saying, “It is very simple for you to have me marry you. Go and kill Soren to avenge me, and I shall marry you.”
The moment these words were spoken, Tuli Yang leapt up in excitement and trembled, saying, “Very well. Where is Soren? I shall go kill him at once.”
Turingduo said, “You must think carefully. Soren is a vassal. The consequences of killing him would be most severe.”
“I fear nothing. For your sake I am willing to do anything.” Tuli Yang said with fierce passion, “Where is Soren? I shall go kill him at once.”
Turingduo said, “When I came up just now, I heard he had already arrived. He is presently in the banquet hall below.”
Before she had finished speaking, Tuli Yang immediately drew his sword and charged straight down.
And Turingduo, her gaze flickering with complex emotion, followed after him.
…
At this moment, within the banquet hall, everyone was dancing gracefully, while Soren alone was feasting with great relish.
However, wherever he walked, the surrounding crowd swiftly avoided him, not daring to come within five feet of him.
Just then, a dwarfish figure suddenly charged before Soren, his speed incomparably swift.
Soren was startled. He saw clearly the man before him. Was this the Wu Dalang of another world?
At this moment, the noble men and women present also saw clearly Tuli Yang’s appearance, and could not help but cry out in alarm.
Who was this person? How could he be so ugly, so short?
What Tuli Yang hated most was this kind of strange gaze. It nearly drove him mad.
Tuli Yang pointed his sharp sword at Soren’s neck and said, “Soren, I challenge you to a duel.”
Tuli Yang hated this kind of gaze most of all, and thus grew even more furious.
Immediately, he vented all his fury upon Soren’s head, directly drawing his sharp sword and pointing it at Soren’s face, saying, “Soren, I challenge you to a duel.”
Soren asked in puzzlement, “Why?”
Tuli Yang said, “Because you have bullied my fiancee.”
Tuli Yang abruptly pointed at Turingduo.
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present was thoroughly thrown into uproar.
This ugly, dwarfish man was actually, actually Turingduo’s fiance.
This was too shocking. This was not merely a flower stuck in cow dung, but practically Beauty and the Beast.
Gui Qinshao exclaimed in shock, “Cousin, this is your fiance? He is far too… too ugly.”
The moment these words were spoken, everyone directed all their gazes towards Turingduo’s face, making her wish she could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
And Tuli Yang, his blood rushing to his brain, said to Turingduo, “Aduo, if I avenge you by killing Soren, will you marry me?”
Before Turingduo could speak, Gui Qinshao loudly said with hatred, “Yes, if you kill Soren, I shall have my cousin marry you.”
The gazes of everyone in the hall turned towards Turingduo, awaiting her answer.
Turingduo gazed at Soren’s incomparably handsome face. Her heart trembled, then filled with hatred as she looked towards Gui Qinshao.
This selfish, troublemaking cousin of hers, she herself could marry the young, handsome, and promising Ling Ao. Yet when Turingduo faced such an ugly, dwarfish fiance, she showed not the slightest sympathy, but was instead filled with schadenfreude.
Tuli Yang gazed at Turingduo with burning eyes and trembled, saying, “Aduo, I know you are using me to kill Soren. And once I truly kill Soren, I shall certainly die as well. But I only need you to say one word, that if I kill Soren you are willing to marry me, and I shall kill him for you.”
The moment these words were spoken, many people present instead fell silent.
Although this short, ugly Tuli Yang was somewhat strange, he was absolutely not stupid. He knew the consequences of killing Soren. He would not only fail to marry Turingduo, but would himself die as well.
But he still did so without the slightest hesitation.
So, to put it in one sentence, he was willing to die for Turingduo.
At this moment, Turingduo was truly somewhat moved. Although this man was ugly and perverted, his heart was genuine.
And at this moment, behind the crystal window of the high attic, two pairs of eyes were watching all this. They were precisely Zhili and Ling Ao.
“Your Highness, I shall go and stop them.” Ling Ao said.
“Not necessary.” Zhili said, “Let him try. If he truly kills Soren, I shall also ensure Tuli Yang does not die.”
Seeing Turingduo remaining silent for a long while, Gui Qinshao said urgently, “Cousin, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and agree to him.”
“Shut your mouth.” Turingduo said coldly. She closed her beautiful eyes and hesitated for quite a while, then said to Tuli Yang, “Yes, so long as you kill Soren, I shall marry you.”
A look of happiness immediately shone in Tuli Yang’s eyes. Standing before Soren, he raised his head and said, “Soren, I challenge you to a duel. We shall sign a writ of life and death, and let fate decide who lives or dies.”
Soren looked at this Wu Dalang-like Tuli Yang. He remembered this person now. In the former Soren’s diary, there had been considerable ink devoted to recording this man.
This man was the son of the City Lord of Luanyang, heir to the kingdom’s third greatest vassal.
Luanyang City possessed the Fury Wave Kingdom’s largest fleet, several hundred ships in total, with over twenty thousand naval troops.
Soren immediately guessed why Duke Turingtuo would marry his daughter to Tuli Yang. He wished to obtain Luanyang City’s fleet, then use this fleet disguised as pirates to destroy his Rocky Island, to destroy his salt transport fleet.
Rocky Island and the salt transport fleet were presently Soren’s sole source of gold coins, his lifeline.
Therefore, this marriage must be destroyed. The alliance between Luanyang City and the Turing Family must be prevented.
Soren sneered and said, “Tuli Yang, you say duel and I must duel? Why should I agree?”
“Are you even a man?” Tuli Yang said angrily, “If you are a man, accept my duel.”
“Whether I am a man, at least one third of the girls present know.” Soren said meaningfully.
Immediately, many women present flushed red, including even Turingtuo and Gui Qinshao.
He was not speaking nonsense. Of the noble girls present, truly at least several dozen had slept with Soren.
Immediately, Tuli Yang grew even more jealous and hateful, nearly spitting blood.
Soren said, “A duel requires stakes. I require two stakes before I will duel with you.”
“What stakes?” Tuli Yang asked.
“The first stake is Turingduo’s marriage contract.” Soren said, “If you lose, you must return Turingduo’s freedom, because she is unwilling to marry you.”
The moment these words were spoken, Turingduo’s heart trembled violently. She inexplicably felt a complex emotion.
“Very well.” Tuli Yang said, “If I lose, I shall… no longer ask Aduo to marry me. Say your second stake.”
Soren said, “Tuli Yang, once we were good brothers. I know what you love most is stealing girls’ small undergarments.”
The moment these words were spoken, Tuli Yang’s face flushed red, nearly spitting blood. It was true he had this perverted hobby, but to be exposed thus in public truly made him wish to die of shame.
And many noble women present secretly spat in contempt.
Because many of these women were graduates of the royal city academy, and had all been stolen from by Tuli Yang.
And the most excessive thing was that after this scoundrel Soren slept with them, he actively sold their small undergarments to Tuli Yang to earn extra money.
Immediately, many girls directed gazes filled with secret hatred yet also watery longing towards Soren.
This scoundrel was truly rotten to the core, but… truly charming, making one wish to bite him hard.
Soren said, “Tuli Yang, you once told me your greatest regret was never having stolen the small undergarment of the academy’s number one beauty, Gui Qinshao. So today I shall satisfy you. My second stake is Gui Qinshao’s small undergarment, the one she is wearing upon her body right now.”
After Soren finished speaking, he directly pointed at Gui Qinshao.
Immediately, Gui Qinshao’s face turned deathly pale, completely transformed.
Immediately, in the high attic, Ling Ao abruptly drew his sword and roared hoarsely, “I shall kill him!”
After speaking, he abruptly charged down to tear Soren limb from limb.
This was his and Gui Qinshao’s engagement banquet. Soren had actually humiliated him so nakedly, slapped his face.
“Hm?” Zhili gave a faint hmph and said, “I find this wager rather interesting. And this is indeed a good opportunity to kill Soren. Deaths in duels are perfectly normal, entirely justifiable.”
The moment these words were spoken, Ling Ao’s face turned deathly pale, nearly biting his lip until it bled.
“What? You are dissatisfied?” Zhili asked faintly.
“Your subject… dares not!” Ling Ao bowed.
“Then watch the show from here.” Zhili said.
“I obey your decree.” Ling Ao sheathed his sharp sword and retreated behind Zhili.
He was truly forcibly enduring the pain of wanting to vomit blood, watching Soren flirt with his fiancee, trampling upon his Ling Ao’s pride.
…
And at this moment, Gui Qinshao could scarcely believe her own ears. Soren had actually humiliated her so publicly?
Immediately, her gaze towards Soren was filled with absolute hatred. She said, “Soren, you shall not die a good death. Ling Ao will certainly, certainly not let you go. My father will certainly not let you go.”
Soren said, “So you do not agree to this second stake? Then I am sorry, but I do not accept the duel.”
Originally, Gui Qinshao’s feelings towards Soren had been very complex, containing hatred yet also strange emotions, that kind of nearly throbbing emotion.
After all, in her heart, Soren was her first man.
But tonight, Ling Ao had brought her incomparably great glory, causing her to suppress all her strange feelings towards Soren and wholeheartedly enjoy the glory of being Ling Ao’s wife.
After Soren appeared, she had been very afraid he would expose her secret of lost chastity, that he would destroy this glory.
Therefore, she had desperately wished to drive Soren away.
And now, Soren had humiliated her so, so heartlessly.
Immediately, only hatred remained in Gui Qinshao’s heart, hatred filled with the desire to tear Soren limb from limb.
“Ling Ao.” Gui Qinshao called out, “Come here, kill Soren for me.”
Ling Ao’s face twitched. He truly wished to rush to Gui Qinshao’s side, to shelter her from wind and rain, to kill Soren for her.
But he could not do so, because Prince Zhili would not permit it.
Seeing Ling Ao had not appeared, Gui Qinshao felt deeply disappointed and furious. Did not this man declare his love for her time and again, vow to protect her? Why now, when she was being humiliated thus, had he not appeared?
Then she looked at Soren with hatred-filled eyes, picked up red wine, and gulped down two large cups, drinking herself drunk.
Immediately, Gui Qinshao’s incomparably beautiful face turned thoroughly red, appearing even more alluring and captivating, soul-stirring.
Not only did the men present gaze at her in rapt enchantment, but even a trace of greed flashed in Zhili’s eyes.
The only one unmoved by her beauty was Tuli Yang. Three years ago, after falling in love at first sight with the nearly one metre eighty Turingduo, no other woman could enter his eyes.
Slightly drunk, Gui Qinshao’s small mouth exhaled fragrance and alcoholic breath as she said, “Tuli Yang, are you confident you can kill Soren?”
Tuli Yang said, “I am confident, one hundred percent. I am a high-grade sixth-rank swordsman. My martial arts are more than ten times his. Killing him is effortless.”
Gui Qinshao looked at Soren, grinding her teeth as she said, “Very well, to watch you die, I am willing to offer the second stake. If you win, I shall strip that thing off and give it to you.”
The moment these words were spoken, Ling Ao truly wished to faint, truly wished to vomit blood.
Humiliation, boundless, enormous humiliation.
But he could only grit his teeth and endure, because his liege lord Zhili was presently watching with great interest.
“Then it is settled.” Soren said, “Tuli Yang, I accept your duel.”
Next, the two of them signed a writ of life and death before the witness of countless gazes.
Thus, in the duel to follow, life and death would be decided by fate. If Soren died here, Zhili would bear no responsibility.
Then all the delicacies in the banquet hall, all the dining tables and wine were removed, transforming it into a thousand-square-metre dueling ground.
All the noble guests gathered around in a circle with great interest, awaiting this splendid, thrilling duel.
“Ding!” A bell sounded.
The duel began!