novelAbuy Chapter 503 Being stupid isn't your fault, being stupid without knowing it is.
Chapter 503 Being stupid isn't your fault, being stupid without knowing it is.
A quarter of an hour later, Yunluan returned to the lobby of the post station.
Behind her followed a courier, who shakily pulled on a hemp rope, the other end of which was tied to a person's wrist.
The man crawled on his knees, his knees scraped raw, blood seeping out, leaving two dark red marks on the bluestone slab.
It was Zhao Tianze.
His crimson brocade robe was covered in dust and bloodstains, his jade crown was askew, his hair was disheveled, his face was covered in bruises, and dried blood clung to the corners of his mouth. He looked utterly wretched.
He raised his head and swept his bloodshot eyes across the hall, his eyes filled with fear and resentment.
Yunluan walked up to Qin Mu, her voice cold and clear.
"Young master, the person has been brought here."
The lobby suddenly fell silent.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, looking down at Zhao Tianze who was kneeling on the ground. A smile slowly crept onto his lips, and his voice was soft and playful.
"Young Master Zhao, is it? Can you still be so arrogant?"
Zhao Tianze trembled.
He gritted his teeth, raised his head, and looked at Qin Mu with eyes full of resentment and unwillingness.
His lips trembled violently, and his voice was hoarse, but he tried his best to remain calm.
"Now that you know who I am, release me immediately! Otherwise, the Zhao family will never let you off the hook!"
His voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a stubbornness that was outwardly fierce but inwardly weak.
Upon hearing this, not only Qin Mu laughed, but Han Xin'er, Jiang Zhaoyue, and Yun Suxin also couldn't help but chuckle.
The laughter was soft, yet it felt like needles pricking into Zhao Tianze's ears.
They not only found it funny, but also felt a little sorry for Zhao Tianze.
Within the territory of the Qin Dynasty, he is probably the first person to dare to speak to His Majesty in such a manner.
This kind of ignorant and fearless courage is truly baffling.
Chen Wanqing couldn't help but want to laugh, her lips curving slightly upwards, but she quickly suppressed it.
She lowered her head, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
She dared not laugh out loud, fearing that His Majesty would notice something amiss, so she could only desperately hold it in.
When Zhao Tianze saw everyone laughing at him, his brows furrowed sharply.
He felt uneasy, as if something was wrong.
He had a vague feeling that he had messed with someone tough this time, otherwise Chen Wanqing wouldn't be so calm.
Thinking of this, Zhao Tianze felt a surge of jealousy and resentment rising in his heart, like a fire that made him feel restless and agitated.
Unexpectedly, Chen Wanqing found a powerful backer, and even more unexpectedly, she turned to another man for help!
He pursued her for so long, and she wouldn't even give him a second glance, yet now she's throwing herself into the arms of another man!
Thinking about this, Zhao Tianze was so angry that he didn't even want to think about the other party's identity anymore.
Regardless of his status, if he backs down at this moment, what kind of man is he?
Zhao Tianze gritted his teeth, raised his head, and looked at Qin Mu with resentment and unwillingness in his eyes.
"Hey, pretty boy, what kind of skill is it to rely on other women? If you're so capable, let's have a one-on-one fight! The winner gets Chen Wanqing and lets the other guy go, how about it?"
Everyone was stunned when these words were spoken.
The lobby fell silent for a moment.
Then everyone couldn't help but force a smile, even Chen Wanqing couldn't help but force a smile, and even the guards standing at the door turned their heads away, forcibly suppressing their laughter, their shoulders trembling violently.
Even the guards knew that the young master in front of them was actually the most powerful one.
Zhao Tianze can't even distinguish between the king and the queen, yet he dares to make such an outrageous request. He's acting like a complete idiot.
Qin Mu looked at Zhao Tianze and smiled.
The smile was faint, carrying a curious light, like looking at a rare animal.
"How do you want a one-on-one fight?"
To be honest, he hadn't seen such a simple and foolish person in a long time since he ascended the throne.
The people you encounter are either scheming, cunning, or treacherous.
Such a naive and ignorant fool is truly rare.
He suddenly felt the urge to play around with the other person.
When Zhao Tianze saw that Qin Mu actually intended to accept the challenge, his eyes suddenly lit up.
In his eyes, Qin Mu was just a young master who relied on his powerful guards, completely powerless, and he was confident he could beat him to a pulp.
He straightened his back, raised his voice a few decibels, and spoke with an air of unwavering determination.
"Let's settle this with a fight. Whoever wins gets to decide. If I win, you release me and let me take Chen Wanqing away. If you win, I won't say anything and will leave, and we'll call it even. How about it?"
Qin Mu almost laughed in anger when he heard this.
You could call him foolish, but he's also quite clever; he knows how to put himself in an invincible position.
If they win, they can take Chen Wanqing with them; if they lose, they simply leave without any loss.
On the one hand, he was clever; on the other hand, he was foolish enough to think he would let him go.
The Zhao family truly produces many talented individuals.
Qin Mu waved his hand, his voice indifferent.
"Let him go."
The courier quickly untied the rope, and Zhao Tianze struggled to stand up. His knees were weak, and he staggered, only managing to steady himself by holding onto the edge of the table beside him.
He flexed his wrists, twisted his neck, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Let's go outside and fight!"
Qin Mu stood up and stood with his hands behind his back.
He strode out of the hall, followed by the women.
Outside the courtyard gate, the morning light shone on the open ground, making the yellow earth stained with blood appear particularly glaring.
Qin Mu walked to the center of the courtyard, stopped, turned around, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at Zhao Tianze.
Zhao Tianze stood opposite him, clenched his fist, and struck what he thought was a very imposing pose.
A cold smile played on his lips, and his eyes were full of contempt.
"Pretty boy, it's not too late to kneel down and beg for mercy. I'm in a good mood, so I might just break your legs."
Qin Mu looked at him, smiled, and said nothing.
Zhao Tianze roared and swung his fist at Qin Mu's face.
The punch was powerful yet slow, moving at a snail's pace in Qin Mu's eyes.
Qin Mu tilted his head slightly, and the punch flew past his ear without even touching a strand of his hair.
Zhao Tianze's punch missed its mark, causing him to lean forward and stagger.
He suddenly turned around and threw another punch at Qin Mu's chest.
Qin Mu took a step back, and the punch missed again, not even touching the hem of his clothes.
Zhao Tianze's brows furrowed sharply, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, threw out both fists simultaneously, aiming for Qin Mu's face and chest at the same time.
Qin Mu swayed and slipped through the gap between the two fists, like an eel, slippery and impossible to handle.
Zhao Tianze missed his punch again, lost his balance, stumbled forward two steps, and almost fell.
He steadied himself, turned around, and looked at Qin Mu, panting, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You—why are you hiding? If you're so capable, then don't hide!"
Qin Mu smiled, stood with his hands behind his back, like a pine tree rooted in the earth, motionless.
"Okay. I won't dodge."
A hint of joy flashed in Zhao Tianze's eyes. He clenched his fist and, with all his might, punched Qin Mu in the chest.
Qin Mu did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand, put his index and middle fingers together, and flicked it lightly.
"Snap—"
Two fingers flicked Zhao Tianze's fist, the force as light as flicking a flying insect.
But Zhao Tianze felt as if his fist had been hit by an iron hammer. A tremendous force surged from his fist, making his entire arm numb.
He stumbled back several steps and landed hard on his bottom, his wrist throbbing with pain, his palm swollen and red, as if his bones were about to crack.
Zhao Tianze stared wide-eyed at his swollen, red palm, then looked up at Qin Mu, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"you--"
Qin Mu looked down at him, the smile still lingering on his lips.
"Shall we continue?"
Zhao Tianze gritted his teeth, got up, clenched his other fist, and charged at Qin Mu again.
Qin Mu simply flicked his sleeve, and a gentle force pushed him back.
Zhao Tianze staggered back several steps and landed on his backside, this time even more humiliatingly than before, landing on his back and feeling completely disoriented.
He struggled to his feet and rushed forward again.
Qin Mu flicked his sleeve again, and he was thrown back.
Get up, rush up, and fall back down.
Get up again, rush forward again, and fall back down.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, again and again, tireless and oblivious to life or death.
Qin Mu toyed with him like a monkey, each time using only a finger, a flick of the sleeve, or a sideways movement, effortlessly and without lifting a finger.
Zhao Tianze was like a mouse pinned under a cat's paws, trying his best but unable to even touch the hem of the other's clothes.
Zhao Tianze's face was covered in bruises, his mouth was split open, his nose was broken, and his face was covered in blood.
His brocade robe was torn in several places, his jade crown had fallen off at some point, and his hair was disheveled, like a pile of withered grass.
His fists were so swollen and red that they were unrecognizable, and his fingers were bent so that he could not even clench them tightly.
His legs were trembling, his knees were weak, and he had to exert all his strength to get up each time.
Qin Mu looked at him, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
"What? Is that all you've got?"
Zhao Tianze gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.
He staggered to his feet, clenched his fists which were already swollen and red, and charged at Qin Mu again.
Qin Mu reached out and gently pressed his hand on his forehead.
Zhao Tianze kicked his feet frantically on the ground, but his body remained motionless, as if he were nailed to the ground.
Qin Mu's hand was like a mountain, pressing down on his forehead, and he couldn't move forward an inch no matter what he did.
Qin Mu released his grip, and Zhao Tianze stumbled back several steps before falling heavily to the ground.
This time he couldn't get up anymore. He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, like a fish stranded on the shore.
His eyes were filled with fear and resentment, and his lips trembled violently.
"I...I give up...I give up!"
Qin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, looked down at him, smiled, and said:
"Give up?"
Zhao Tianze nodded frantically, as if pounding garlic. "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"
He struggled to his feet and staggered toward the courtyard gate.
He took a few steps, then stopped, without turning back, his voice hoarse.
"I have failed, so of course I should keep my promise and leave this place."
Qin Mu shook his head and smiled.
"You've got a good plan. You think you can just walk away if you lose, but if you win you'll take the girl with you? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Zhao Tianze's body stiffened abruptly. He turned around and looked at Qin Mu, his eyes filled with fear and unease.
His Adam's apple bobbed, he swallowed, and his voice trembled.
"We made a promise, you're not going to go back on your word, are you?"
He raised his neck, his voice was firm, but his legs were shaking, his hands were shaking, and even his lips were trembling.
Qin Mu smiled but didn't answer him. Instead, he looked at Yun Luan beside him and said calmly,
"Bring me paper and a pen."