Chapter 37: When Two Tigers Clash

Zhao Mang had no interest in Li Shiwu's so-called invitation.

He refused bluntly, "Two tigers cannot share the same mountain, a principle I am sure Lord Li understands well. As for me, I am not one to settle for less, so I will not be joining forces with you."

Zhao Mang's words caused Li Shiwu's expression to shift instantly. The smirk that had been playing on his lips vanished.

"You don't know what's good for you!" Li Shiwu snapped. "Since you are so formidable, I have no choice but to dispose of you! Archers! Shoot him down!"

Zhao Mang had anticipated Li Shiwu’s volatile temperament, but he hadn't expected such a total lack of restraint. He hadn't thought Li would turn hostile so abruptly. It dawned on him that killing him had likely been Li Shiwu's true objective all along.

The situation turned critical in a heartbeat. Without hesitation, Zhao Mang lunged forward, closing the distance to Li Shiwu in an instant. Using eighty percent of his strength, he struck Li Shiwu’s long blade, knocking it from his grasp. With a swift grappling maneuver, he dislocated the joints in Li Shiwu’s shoulders.

Already exhausted, Li Shiwu could not react in time. The searing pain in his shoulders shattered his facade of superiority, and he let out a howl of agony.

Capturing the leader to subdue the followers—a tactic that never failed. As soon as he had Li Shiwu in his grip, Zhao Mang hoisted the man up and vaulted toward Jiang Wan. He had learned this mid-air stepping technique from Xiao Han, and he executed it with effortless precision.

This sudden turn of events left the soldiers below completely bewildered, unsure of how to proceed. Tightening his hold on Li Shiwu, Zhao Mang shouted, "Your commander is in my hands now. I advise you all to be careful. Lower your bows and let us leave safely, or I will snap Li Shiwu's neck."

The soldiers below had never encountered such a scene; they were stunned into inaction. They knew Li Shiwu’s capabilities well and trusted him implicitly, so they stood frozen, shocked by his capture.

However, just then, the Li Shiwu in Zhao Mang’s grip stopped wailing. A strange, twisted smile spread across his face.

"What are you all standing there for?" Li Shiwu hissed. "Draw your bows and fire! Fire at me if you must! I want these three dead!"

Zhao Mang could never have imagined that Li Shiwu would be this unhinged, willing to disregard his own life just to keep them here. Even more startling was that his subordinates actually obeyed. It was completely irrational—not just on Li’s part, but on the part of his men as well. They were hardly acting like rational beings.

The bows they had lowered were raised once more. They nocked arrows, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion.

Zhao Mang cursed under his breath, "Damn it!" Without a moment's hesitation, he used Li Shiwu as a human shield, holding the man in front of him. Like a man wielding a ragdoll, Zhao Mang swung Li Shiwu around to block the incoming volley, all while shielding Jiang Wan and Wang Shuang behind his own body.

In that brief instant, Li Shiwu was struck by multiple arrows. Whether by sheer luck or fate, none of the strikes hit a vital organ.

After the volley, the soldiers below were left speechless, their hands trembling as they hesitated. They had seen many ruthless things, but never anything quite this extreme. Who uses a person as a shield?

Li Shiwu, meanwhile, was dazed and reeling, his earlier arrogance completely extinguished. Struck by several arrows, he was in such agony that he began to weep. The soldiers below, not daring to slacken, were preparing to nock their bows again when a thunderous voice suddenly echoed across the training ground.

"Hold your fire!"

"What kind of absurdity is this? Are you soldiers of the prefecture, or are you all brainless?"

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. A broad-shouldered man with thick brows and a sturdy build appeared—Liu Can.

Zhao Mang felt a surge of relief; he had finally arrived! Jiang Wan, feeling as though she had survived a brush with death, saw her uncle and beamed with joy. "Uncle!" she cried out.

Seeing that Jiang Wan was safe, Liu Can’s stern expression softened into a chuckle. "How did you get yourself into such a state, little one? Why didn't you send word to your uncle sooner?"

He then turned his gaze toward the man in Zhao Mang's grasp, his expression hardening. "Li Shiwu, I am still alive! How dare you lay a hand on my niece in broad daylight? Do you have a death wish?"

Zhao Mang dropped Li Shiwu to the ground. In that split second, he deftly swiped a jade pendant from Li Shiwu’s person and tucked it into his robes. Already battered, Li Shiwu collapsed to his knees, unable to lie down due to the arrows protruding from his body.

"I... I never intended to start trouble..." Li Shiwu stammered, his voice trembling. "I merely... wanted to spar with this warrior, Zhao Mang..."

Liu Can cut him off sharply. "Do you take me for a fool? Since you are already in such a state, I will not pursue this further! But I do not want to see such a thing happen again!"

He then turned his cold, piercing gaze toward Zhao Mang. "And you, you are quite the useless one. How could you let my niece fall into such a situation repeatedly?"

Zhao Mang was at a loss. He had been stationed in the military camp; how was he supposed to know what was happening in the city? If not for Wang Shuang, he would never have encountered this. Thinking of this, he cast a cold, venomous look at Li Shiwu. The man was vicious and volatile—a dangerous enemy. He would have to find a way to finish him off in the future.

"Commander Liu, you wrong me," Zhao Mang replied awkwardly. "I have been in the military camp. I did not foresee this, and for that, I take full responsibility. I will be much more cautious from now on."

Liu Can snorted. "I don't trust you. You had best marry Wan'er soon! Otherwise, I will strip you of your rank in the border army! I have heard plenty about you, lad. You have potential, but be warned—the border army is not as simple as you think. Keep your wits about you."

Zhao Mang offered a helpless, bitter smile. He had only just begun to make his mark and had not even truly entered the inner circles of the border forces yet. He had been merely following Zhao Wuji’s lead, too busy to attend to other matters. Now that so much had happened, he would have to give things serious thought.

With that, the group mounted their horses and left the prefecture soldiers' camp, taking Jiang Wan and Wang Shuang with them.

Li Shiwu remained on his knees, gasping for breath. But as Zhao Mang rode away, a flash of cold, murderous intent flickered deep in his eyes.