2025-03-05 18:56:21"Are you stupid or what, Wang Wei? I called you here because I wanted to discuss our arranged marriage. Two days ago, my father asked me about your father's request to betroth us."
"So, what was your answer, Princess? Are you willing to accept me, this handsome man, as your husband and the father of our future children?"
"I'm not blind, Wang Wei! If we're talking about looks, that annoying young man downstairs is more handsome than you. And you know very well that my father is the Prime Minister of the Shang Dynasty. There's no way I would agree to marry someone of lower status than me!"
Prince Wang Wei clenched his fists, holding back his anger. The princess’s words were an indirect insult. However, he was not a fool. He wouldn’t let go of the beautiful Princess Yuan Li so easily.
"Is there any special condition for you to accept this arrangement?"
Princess Yuan Li nodded. "If you can win the upcoming tournament and become a Commander, I will accept the marriage. But remember, Wang Wei, your competition is neither few nor weak. Many princes from smaller kingdoms will be participating. In short, the man who will be my husband must hold at least the rank of Commander."
A wide grin spread across Wang Wei's face. He believed his chances of winning Princess Yuan Li were high. He was confident that the vacant Commander position in the Shang Dynasty would soon be his.
"Why are you grinning like a horse?"
"Your words are sharp, Princess Yuan Li. Insult me all you want now. But once I become a Commander, you will bow beneath my feet," Wang Wei thought to himself.
"Are you deaf, Wang Wei?"
"I'm thinking, Princess. That Commander position will be mine. Those small kingdom princes won’t stand a chance against me in the tournament."
"Say whatever you want. The bottom line is, I will only accept the marriage if you become a Commander!" Princess Yuan Li responded coldly.
Meanwhile, Li Jie and Mei Lian had already left the restaurant. After asking a villager for directions to the capital, they continued their journey, which was about an hour away.
"Why did you stop me earlier? My hands were itching to punch that soldier’s mouth!"
"Li Jie, we are newcomers here. We know nothing about this place. At the very least, don’t create unnecessary trouble if we can avoid it. Please control your temper! I know you can’t stand injustice, but I’m telling you again—we must adapt to this new environment before making any reckless moves."
Li Jie took a deep breath. He knew Mei Lian was right. "You're right, Mei Lian. Sometimes, I do let my emotions get the best of me. Luckily, you’re here with me. You always manage to advise me when I make poor decisions. To me, you’re the perfect wife-to-be."
"Hmph, sweet talker! Keep flattering me… Do you think I didn’t notice how you were staring at that beautiful princess?"
Li Jie was caught off guard. Mei Lian’s words about him being insensitive were actually a sign of her jealousy toward Princess Yuan Li. He suddenly felt guilty.
Meanwhile, after Princess Yuan Li left the restaurant, Wang Wei’s guards, who had been tasked with monitoring Li Jie and Mei Lian, were shocked to find that the two had already disappeared.
The guards hurried upstairs to report to Wang Wei.
"Find them immediately... don’t lose their trail!"
Wang Wei gritted his teeth in frustration. If they failed to locate them, he might miss the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful girl he had just seen.
His four guards quickly searched every inn in the village, leaving no stone unturned.
Elsewhere, Li Jie and Mei Lian had finally entered the capital of the Shang Dynasty. The pair, who had traveled from a distant land, were awestruck by the sight before them.
The grand, towering buildings, unlike anything they had seen before, now lay in full view. The lively streets were packed with people, merchants calling out to sell their goods, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
"Let’s find an inn first, so we have a place to rest tonight."
"But I want to explore the capital first, Li Jie," Mei Lian whined, her tone slightly spoiled.
"We’ll do that after securing a room. Do you want to end up sleeping in the carriage if we can’t find an available room?"
Mei Lian giggled and shook her head. "Fine. But I want us to stay in the same room. I don’t want what happened last night to happen again."
"Oh no… If we keep sharing a room, I might end up being the one to take advantage of you instead of some stranger!" Li Jie chuckled softly, careful not to attract attention.
Mei Lian shot him a glare, but Li Jie pretended not to notice, keeping his gaze forward. Occasionally, he glanced around when something caught his attention.
Bugh!
A light punch landed on his left shoulder.
"Why did you hit me?"
"Keep pretending you don’t see me!" Mei Lian huffed.
"Are you saying you want me to take advantage of you? People say it feels like floating in the clouds." Li Jie chuckled again.
"No! It’s better if we wait until after marriage."
Li Jie glanced at Mei Lian briefly before looking straight ahead again.
"Are you sure I’d even want to marry you?" he teased in a cold tone.
Mei Lian’s face fell. She hadn’t expected him to say that. She fell silent, her hopes of being with him suddenly shattered.
She understood that as a prince, Li Jie would eventually be surrounded by beautiful women, making it easier for him to choose a bride.
Li Jie glanced at her. He saw her looking down, sadness written on her face.
"Why are you so quiet? Do you suddenly have a toothache?"
Mei Lian remained silent. The happiness she had felt after Li Jie kissed her the previous night had completely vanished.
"It’s nothing. I just don’t feel like talking."
"Alright. We’ll stay at that inn," Li Jie said, pulling the reins to stop the carriage in front of an inn.
He hopped down and headed toward the entrance, but stopped when he realized Mei Lian hadn’t followed.
"Aren’t you coming down? What if someone kidnaps you?"
Reluctantly, she stepped down and walked toward him.
A middle-aged woman with excessive makeup stepped out to greet them.
"Are you looking for a room?"
"No, Ma’am. We’re here to buy farming tools," Li Jie replied.
The woman scoffed, annoyed. "This is an inn, not a farming supply shop!"
"If you knew it was an inn, why did you even ask? Of course, we’re here to rent a room," Li Jie chuckled.
Mei Lian found his teasing amusing but held back her laughter.
"You’re quite the joker, handsome young man!" The woman smirked.
Li Jie turned around briefly, then looked back at her. "Are you calling me handsome?" He pointed at himself.
"No! I meant the horse outside." The woman laughed, satisfied with her comeback.
"Hah… You have a sharp tongue, Ma’am. Why didn’t you become a soldier instead?"
"What does that have to do with anything, you rascal? If I keep talking to you, I might go crazy. So, one room or two? And is this beautiful lady your wife?"
Before Li Jie could answer, Mei Lian cut in, "I’m not his wife. And we need two rooms, Ma’am!"
"You sure you want to sleep alone?" Li Jie asked in surprise.
"I’m sure. Better that than sharing a room with someone so insensitive."
"One room, Ma’am," Li Jie said.
"Two, Ma’am!" Mei Lian insisted.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Death of the Demon King
“What manner of power do you possess?”The Demon King stared in bewilderment at his opponent, whose strength far exceeded anything he had anticipated. Worse still, the energy radiating from the young warrior’s body was unlike anything he had ever encountered in all his eons of existence.“That was merely a taste of what I am capable of, foul demon!” Aji declared, his hand gripping the Mustika Dragon Earth Blade with unwavering resolve. “This time, I will unleash every ounce of power within me!”“Impossible!” the Demon King roared inwardly, his dark eyes widening in shock as Aji’s energy multiplied exponentially the moment the blade began to glow with brilliant emerald light.“Now face your end! Return to the abyss from which you came, savage fiend!”The Mustika Dragon Earth Blade blazed with power so great it outshone even the energy the Demon King had wielded upon his first appearance. The very air around them crackled and shimmered, as if unable to contain such immense force.Sudden
Aji vs The Demon King
As the thick veil of dust finally cleared, Aji—still lying on the shattered earth—could see Caraka standing perfectly still where he had been all along. Not even a single inch had he moved, despite the tremendous force of their collision.The warrior, not yet thirty years of age, felt searing pain tearing through his chest. A dry cough escaped his lips, followed by a stream of bright red blood that stained the ground beneath him.“His power is immense,” he thought to himself, his mind racing even as his body screamed in agony. “Even my full strength was not enough to shift him from his place.”Caraka’s form rose to hover one meter above the ground, then glided forward with unnatural grace toward the fallen Aji, who had yet to find the strength to stand. “Have you finally understood the vast gulf between our power? I know you have not yet unleashed your greatest strength—but even if you did, it would change nothing!”Still burning with rage at the intrusion into his sanctuary, Caraka v
Aji vs Caraka
Aji’s sense of wonder had barely begun to fade when a massive shadow took shape in the sky above—its form twisted and clawed, like the talon of a great Dragon reaching down from the heavens. The dark silhouette wrapped around the sun, swallowing its light until the bright afternoon was plunged into deep twilight.“No technique you can summon will be enough to defeat me!” Ki Brenggolo Karang declared, his voice booming with renewed confidence as he spread his arms wide.As he spoke, waves of power surged from his body in ever-growing waves, pressing down on Aji with crushing force. Yet the husband of Ratih stood firm, his eyes fixed on the sky as he waited for the perfect moment to unleash the full might of the Earth Dragon Rends the Sky—still hovering above them, gathering strength with every passing second. He reached out to draw upon the natural energies of the forest around him, weaving the power of earth, air, water, and fire into his technique to amplify its destructive potential
Earth Dragon Rends the Sky
The inky veil of shadow that had clung to the form of Brenggolo Karang slowly dissipated into the air. He was acutely aware that prolonged reliance upon such power would drain his vital essence to a perilous degree, leaving him diminished and vulnerable in the days to come. For all his mastery of the dark arts, even he knew the boundaries that must not be crossed if one wished to preserve their strength for the battles yet to be fought.The disciple of Caraka pondered, too, upon the art of combat itself—how every strike must be honed to perfect precision, how every movement must serve a purpose beyond mere force. His keen eyes had not missed the subtle signs that his adversary still held back the full measure of his might; though bruised and tested by their exchange, the youth stood firm and unyielding, his posture bearing none of the weariness that should have befallen one so young in the throes of such fierce conflict.As the last wisps of shadow faded from Brenggolo Karang’s frame,
Aji vs Brenggolo Karang – Part 2
Before Aji could regain his balance, another attack came crashing down—this one invisible to the naked eye, its approach betrayed only by the surge of raw power that rippled through the air around him.Once more, Aji moved with lightning speed, leaping sideways to avoid the blow. But the attack was a feint—no sooner had he landed than a heavy fist struck him square in the back, sending him sprawling across the forest floor in a roll of dirt and pine needles.A soft cough escaped his lips, and a trickle of bright red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. As he pushed himself up, he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving the swirling black mist where his enemy was hidden.He had barely managed to straighten his posture when another unseen strike hurtled toward his chest. By instinct alone, Aji crossed his arms in front of his body just in time to block the impact—but the force was so great it sent him flying backward nearly twelve paces, until his sp
Aji vs Brenggolo Karang – Part 1
In the depths of the northern wilderness, where hills rose like sleeping giants to cradle the mist-shrouded valley below, stood a small wooden hut beside a crystal-clear stream. The water flowed from a cascading waterfall hidden behind a curtain of moss and stone, its gentle rush the only sound to break the heavy silence that hung over the land.Inside the hut, Sanjaya sat huddled in a corner, his face pale and drawn with fear. He had been waiting for hours—ever since he had fled the compound where Aji had held him captive, stumbling through the forest until he reached this secret refuge. Now he waited for Ki Brenggolo Karang, the only one who could protect him from the warrior who had shattered his plans and killed his men. Ki had left earlier to speak with Master Caraka, and Sanjaya knew his fate would be decided by what was said in that meeting.As midnight approached, the hut’s door creaked open, and a tall, lean figure stepped inside. Ki Brenggolo Karang moved with the grace of a
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