Chapter 68: The Golden Silk Soft Armor!

In the forest, one often witnesses a scene: two ferocious male beasts tearing at each other in a fierce struggle to claim a beautiful female, their battle turning the world upside down. The outcome is simple: the victor possesses the female and sires superior offspring, while the defeated can only slink away, finding a quiet corner to lick his wounds.

Compared to beasts, men possess far greater intellect, yet when it comes to vying for a mate, their behavior is remarkably similar.

Li Zhao and Xue Song locked eyes, their gazes churning with waves of jealousy—a struggle was inevitable.

"I have always regretted my defeat at your hands during the Qujiang Banquet, Brother Zhao. Since we have chanced upon each other today, might I request a demonstration of your martial arts?"

"No problem. I beat you once before, and I can do it again!"

"Hmph, a duel is no child's play. Be careful your arrogance doesn't trip you up."

"Haha, swords have no eyes; let us settle this with our fists alone!"

"Agreed. We fight to decide the victor, and the loser shall leave this place at once!"

With those words, Li Zhao and Xue Song leaped from their horses, stood face to face, and while observing each other, secretly clenched their fists. A moment later, they lunged forward simultaneously, each throwing a punch that collided violently in mid-air.

"Thud!"

Following the dull impact, Li Zhao retreated three steps, his expression unchanged. Xue Song also staggered back three steps, his face impassive, though he quietly shook his right hand; his five fingers throbbed with intense pain, as if he had struck solid iron.

"Heh, your strength is not bad!"

"Hmph, yours isn't bad either!"

"Again!"

"Again!"

The two locked eyes and charged once more, quickly becoming entangled in a fierce brawl. Li Zhao, relying on the hard-earned mastery of his Iron Sand Palm, struck with every move, his palms whistling through the air, his offense fierce and unrelenting. Xue Song refused to yield an inch, enduring the agonizing pain, matching fist for fist and palm for palm, as fierce as a tiger descending from the mountains.

Thirty rounds! Fifty rounds! Eighty rounds passed, and yet they remained evenly matched. However, during the fight, Li Zhao took three punches, wincing from the pain. Xue Song fared worse, having taken three punches and two palms; one palm struck his left cheek, and his once-handsome face quickly swelled into the likeness of a pig's head.

Despite the intensity, neither showed any sign of retreating; instead, their spirits soared, and they fought with increasing fervor. Yet, in the heat of the struggle, their mindsets began to shift. If it had started as the jealous rivalry of youths treating each other as mortal enemies, it now carried a hint of heroes appreciating heroes, of warriors respecting their equals. After all, in this life, a soulmate is hard to find, but an opponent is even rarer—and for a man, in a certain sense, an opponent is even more important than a soulmate.

An opponent drives you to strive for progress. An opponent ensures you do not feel lonely on the path forward. An opponent makes life all the more magnificent.

But enough of that; back to the story.

Just as the two were locked in an inextricable fight, the gates of the Plum Blossom Manor opened, and a troop of riders emerged. At the lead, on a white horse with a pink-tinted tail, sat a beauty in a white dress—the Plum Fairy, Mei Shuying. It turned out that some of the Mei family's servants had gone out to purchase supplies and, discovering Li Zhao and Xue Song fighting in the plum grove, had rushed back to report it.

Upon learning the situation, the Plum Fairy didn't even put on her veil before urging her horse forward. "Brother Song, Brother Yu, stop fighting! Please, stop at once... You lot, hurry over and pull them apart!"

"As you command, Miss!"

...

"Miss, we cannot separate them!"

The Plum Fairy directed her guards to intervene, but the battle was too intense. Several guards who rushed in were sent flying by the combatants' fists and kicks, leaving them bruised and battered, afraid to approach again. Meanwhile, Li Zhao and Xue Song fought even more fiercely, abandoning technique for the most primal wrestling, tearing at each other's clothes and rolling into a ball. They eventually tumbled to the ground together, rolling like gourds.

Seeing this, the Plum Fairy hurried over and reached first for Xue Song, checking him over with a face full of heartache. "Brother Song, your face is swollen! Does it hurt? ...Brother Yu, this is too much. You struck so hard, you've ruined Brother Song's face!"

"Haha!"

The two had fallen together, but when the Plum Fairy lifted Xue Song first, he felt a warmth in his heart, a sense of immense happiness. Yet, upon hearing her words, that happiness evaporated instantly, replaced by a cold, sinking feeling. On the other side, Li Zhao laughed heartily, looking exceptionally smug.

What was happening here? It is simple: imagine a man fighting his brother-in-law, both ending up battered and bruised. When the sister appears, she naturally sets aside right and wrong to favor her brother and scold her husband. It is not that she cares less for her husband; on the contrary, deep down, she likely cares for him more, but due to her position, she cannot show it. Here, Xue Song was the beaten brother, the Plum Fairy the protective sister, and as for Li Zhao... well!

"Haha, do not be angry, Fairy. Brother Xue and I are men of martial arts. We happened to meet today, and finding we had much to discuss, we couldn't help but spar a little. It was meant to be a friendly exchange; there was no malice... right, Brother Xue?"

"That is correct. We were merely testing our skills, a friendly exchange with no malice intended!"

"Since today's bout is a draw, shall we spar again another time?"

"Agreed, let us spar again soon!"

Though they called it a draw, in truth, Xue Song had clearly fallen behind in this exchange of blows, his handsome face beaten into a pig's head, and in the battle of affection, he had lost even more decisively.

However, a man must swallow his pride; even when suffering a great loss, one must act as if nothing is amiss.

"You two are truly troublesome. Come into the manor with me and let a physician tend to your wounds."

"It is but a minor injury, no matter. I have urgent business to attend to, so I shall not impose further on Sister Mei. Farewell!"

As the loser, Xue Song was in a foul mood and wished to stay no longer. After a few brief words, he flipped onto his horse and galloped away. After running a long distance, he looked back at the Plum Fairy and then at Li Zhao, shaking his fist forcefully. Clearly, he would not give up so easily; given the chance, he would settle the score with Li Zhao again.

Li Zhao did not show weakness, shaking his fist back just as forcefully. *Next time, I will beat you just as soundly!*

Once Xue Song had vanished from sight, the Plum Fairy walked over and examined Li Zhao, checking for injuries, her concern plain to see. Li Zhao moved about and jumped a few times to show he was perfectly fine.

The two returned to the manor and ascended to the pavilion, where they took their seats.

"Brother Yu, I hear you intend to serve in the Northwest Army?"

"That is true. By Imperial decree, I depart the capital today for Shuofang to serve under the Cavalry General, Wang Zhongsi."

"The battlefield is fraught with peril. Why must you seek out such danger? It would be better to remain in Chang'an. With your talent, a high office and a wealthy future are within reach. As for the Emperor, I can go to the palace and plead with my aunt; she would surely ask him to rescind the order."

The Plum Fairy's mother, Mei Wuniang, was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, the most prominent house in Min, and was the sister of Consort Mei, Jiang Caiping. Thus, Consort Mei was the Plum Fairy's aunt, and she doted on her niece, making it certain she would help.

"I am grateful for your kindness, Sister Mei, but there is no need for pleas. A man should not hide in a comfortable nest, indulging in the pleasures of the world. To be like Wei Qing or Huo Qubing, armored and armed, campaigning on the battlefield, decapitating enemy leaders, and establishing eternal merit—that is my life's dream. Even if I were to spill my blood on the frontier and be buried in my horse's hide, I would have no regrets. I hope you will not try to dissuade me further."

Li Zhao knew well that if he stayed in Chang'an, his skills would make wealth and status as easy to obtain as reaching into his own pocket. With a little effort, becoming a Chancellor in a few years would not be difficult. But so what? Compared to his dreams, high office and riches were not worth mentioning. More importantly, Li Zhao knew deep down that the future Great Tang Empire did not need a refined, scholarly Chancellor; it needed a ruthless, invincible Marshal!

A Marshal is not born; only by going to the battlefield, charging into the fray, and surviving blood-soaked battle after battle can one hold the Marshal's seal.

"Sigh, there is truly no moving you... If that is the case, Xiao Man, bring that out."

"Yes, Miss!"

Seeing she could not persuade him, the Plum Fairy sighed helplessly and looked toward her maid, Xiao Man. Xiao Man retreated, returning a moment later holding a box of golden nanmu wood, which she placed before Li Zhao.

He opened it to find a suit of double-layered black-gold chainmail—a soft armor composed of thousands of tiny gold rings that could be worn close to the skin, offering immense protection against blades, arrows, and other sharp weapons.