I watched Gu Li, who sat to the side without a word, exuding an air of mastery, and felt a prickle of annoyance.
*So you're acting tough now, huh? When I've beaten you down later, don't come begging for mercy!*
With that thought, I paid no mind to the others and, like Gu Li, closed my eyes to rest, quietly waiting for noon.
The reason we had to wait until noon was that all the temple guards would gather together then. Although there were many people in the stands now, a portion were still out on duty and hadn't returned.
Gu Li was the biggest obstacle I'd encountered since taking office. Only by defeating him in front of everyone could I establish my authority most effectively.
Time flew by, and it was soon noon. The temple guards who had been out on missions gradually returned. Upon hearing from others that Gu Li and I were to have a duel, they all looked astonished, and then silently took their places in the stands.
Seeing that no one else was returning, I stood up and brushed the dust off myself.
"Gu Li, everyone has returned. Let's begin. I will show you why I am the commander, and you are not!"
Gu Li also rose from the ground, his eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at me.
"Batu, Gui Du Si died in the arena of death, and I have no complaints. However, some debts must be paid in blood! Today, I will make you pay the price!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
I smiled faintly, completely unfazed by his words.
"The last person who said that to me is now several feet tall with grass on their grave. Do you want to join him down there? Hahahahaha!"
"Arrogant fool! Stop wasting my time!"
Gu Li's gaze towards me grew colder, like a predatory beast eyeing its prey.
"Gu Li, finish him off properly!"
"Let this brat know the immensity of heaven and earth!"
From the crowd of temple guards watching below, someone started the chant, and then another, until everyone's emotions were inflamed.
I looked out at the crowd and immediately spotted Hu Tou. He was lowering his head, saying something to the person next to him, while the people behind him were shouting loudly.
*You little brat, after I'm done with Gu Li, I'll deal with you properly!*
Du Fu's ancient poem captures it well: "Skill lies beyond the poem."
From the moment Gu Li and I stood on the platform, the battle had already begun. Hu Tou and his men were cheering for Gu Li, spewing insults to affect my mindset, aiming to put me at a disadvantage before I even engaged Gu Li.
I took a deep breath, shutting out all the noise from my ears. The battle was about to commence, and in my eyes, only Gu Li remained.
"Today, I will tear you to shreds to honor Gui Du Si!"
A dark cloud inexplicably drifted from somewhere in the sky, obscuring the sun. The moment the sunlight vanished, Gu Li lunged at me, making the first move!
*Good boy!*
Gu Li launched a killing blow right from the start. He leaped into the air. Good heavens, a man nearly two meters tall could remain airborne for so long, descending upon me like a falling sky and kicking at me.
His inherent strength was not to be underestimated, and with the added momentum of gravity, the force of this kick was immense. Even with my confidence in my current physique far surpassing that of ordinary people, I dared not meet it head-on.
Thus, in a flash, I lightly turned, evading Gu Li's flying kick.
I must admit, Gu Li's combat experience was extensive. Before I could counter, he landed and, using his right and left hands to support his entire body, swept towards me horizontally like a spinning windmill.
This move truly caught me off guard. Who would have expected a burly man to possess such agility in his limbs while also possessing explosive power?
Caught off guard, I could no longer dodge. So, with a resolute heart, I extended my hands outward, forcefully enduring the blow.
"Swish, swish—!"
I quickly retreated two steps, shaking my numb hands and clucking my tongue.
*Damn it, is this guy's brain entirely made of muscle?!*
In terms of sheer strength, Gu Li was subtly even stronger than me by three points. He was a monstrous, inhuman being?!
"Is this all you've got? No wonder you were suppressed by Gui Du Si your entire life!"
Although I had taken a slight disadvantage earlier, I couldn't back down verbally, so I taunted Gu Li.
Gu Li now seemed like a mere killing machine, devoid of emotion. He showed no reaction to my words, only a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
In truth, I could also tell that Gu Li was quite surprised that I had taken his killer blow without suffering much damage.
After all, in his eyes, I was someone who had not yet fully recovered from a serious injury. Therefore, his opening move was not a probe but an all-out assault!
I could also guess a bit of Gu Li's intention: he wanted to use this thunderous, sweeping tactic to prove that I was vulnerable.
Unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent!
After a brief exchange of taunts, Gu Li charged at me again.
This time, he didn't employ any fancy maneuvers. He simply rushed directly in front of me and launched a barrage of punches, one after another.
Gu Li's attacks were distinctive, characterized by their ferocity and lack of any opportunity for me to catch my breath.
I didn't rush to counter; instead, I calmly dodged or blocked his attacks. In a clash between masters, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant.
All I needed to do now was calmly identify his weakness and then deliver a fatal blow!
In the blink of an eye, we had exchanged dozens of moves. Gu Li fought with increasing ferocity, as if his stamina were inexhaustible, showing no signs of slowing down.
As the fight progressed, I began to feel anxious. This was completely different from my initial plan. If I continued to be led by Gu Li's rhythm, it was highly possible that I would be beaten to death by his random punches before I could find an opportunity to counter.
I had to create an opportunity to turn the tide!
So, with a resolute heart, I deliberately exposed a flaw, leaving an opening in my defense for Gu Li.
Gu Li, however, was a seasoned warrior. Seeing my opening suddenly, he naturally wouldn't hold back. Without a second thought, he leaped up and kicked towards my ribs.
Defeating Gu Li will happen here!