Chapter Twenty-Nine: Art Is Explosion

March 17.

The day of the martial contest.

In the outer courtyard of the Grand Tribunal, nearly a hundred officials gathered at the training ground. According to past tradition, contestants paired off in twos. The winner would receive a month's bonus.

But the money was of little concern. What truly mattered to these participants was pride.

Though the various departments of the Grand Tribunal appeared amicable on the surface, beneath it currents swirled—each vying for supremacy, none willing to concede. The investigator looked down upon the clerks confined to their offices; the clerks returned the favor, scoffing at their own peers. Such rivalries abounded.

Thus, whenever the martial contest came around, these sworn enemies faced each other like adversaries, their eyes ablaze. If they did not make the other bleed, they would not rest.

Yet this year, the excitement seemed to have faded. In the vast training ground, only Chen Jingshan stood at its center; the rest remained outside, waiting to witness the spectacle.

“Tell me, why hasn’t Lord Li arrived yet?” someone in the crowd grumbled impatiently.

“Hmph!” sneered the sword-bearing guard from the Pavilion of Clarity. “Why else? He’s lost his nerve!”

“Some people should mind their tongues!” retorted Qin Fang of the Investigation Bureau. “It’s not time yet! What’s the rush?!”

“I’ve heard Lord Li is only at the eighth rank. Isn’t the Pavilion of Clarity being a bit too aggressive this time?” shouted a man clad in clerk’s robes.

“That’s right!” another echoed. “Lord Chen uses his superior cultivation to bully others!”

At these words, murmurs rippled through the crowd, each whispering about Chen Jingshan’s supposed abuse of power.

“I, Chen Jingshan, am certainly not such a coward!” Chen Jingshan declared suddenly.

His voice was rough and full of vigor; it was clear he was no easy opponent.

“To keep things fair, I’ll face Lord Li with only one hand!”

“If Lord Li can force me back even half a step, he wins!”

His proclamation stirred a commotion.

“A clever move,” came Lu Xin’s languid voice from atop the eaves.

“Lord Lu, what do you mean?” Jiang Kui asked, hands clasped respectfully.

Lu Xin yawned and rose gracefully. “Lord Chen has gone to such lengths.”

“If Lord Li doesn’t respond, he’s a coward.”

“If he does, and wins, it’s hardly a glorious victory.”

“If he loses, his reputation is ruined.”

“There’s no way out.”

With that, Lu Xin stretched and reclined once more on the blue tiles.

Chen Jingshan snorted coldly. “If Lord Li still dares not accept the challenge, I won’t force him.”

“But if he does prevail, I will immediately request a demotion, and never regret it!”

His words rang out, and his gaze swept across the crowd like a blazing torch.

This sudden escalation cloaked the training ground in tension.

“Is he really risking everything?”

“That seems excessive!”

“Is Lord Chen wagering his own future?”

“….”

For a moment, the debate surged like a tidal wave.

Chen Jingshan remained calm, holding his breath, eyes fixed on the entrance.

Just then, steady footsteps echoed from the gate.

Li Yunjie appeared at last!

His expression was composed, his stride unhurried, his gaze unwavering as he approached Chen Jingshan.

“What’s happening?”

The crowd was astonished. “Lord Li actually showed up?”

“But…” someone wondered aloud, “Why is he wearing such heavy armor? Is it to avoid getting beaten?”

“What’s wrong with armor?” Qin Fang barked. “Is there a rule against it?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“But what’s with all the bamboo tubes Lord Li carries?”

Everyone turned to look; Li Yunjie had dozens of bamboo tubes strapped to his body.

“Weapons?” a man scoffed. “Who uses bamboo as a weapon?”

“My lord likes it—mind your own business!” Jiang Kui snapped.

Attention returned to the training ground.

Li Yunjie strode boldly toward Chen Jingshan and dropped a suit of armor with a clang.

“Put it on.”

Chen Jingshan was momentarily stunned, looking at the fully armored Li Yunjie, suspecting he’d misheard.

“I’m telling you to wear it for your own sake,” Li Yunjie said indifferently. “I’m afraid I might kill you otherwise.”

Chen Jingshan’s eyes widened in rage.

Was this a joke?

Eighth rank killing fifth rank?

Not even the gods could pull that off!

“What did you say?!”

Feeling insulted, Chen Jingshan’s inner energy exploded. The flagstones beneath his feet shattered.

Yet Li Yunjie showed no fear. He picked up the armor and firmly placed it on Chen Jingshan’s head.

Then he began fastening the chainmail, saying as he worked:

“I know you look down upon me.”

“So you want to embarrass me.”

“But you’re mistaken—I’m not incapable.”

“After today, I hope you’ll see me in a new light.”

When he finished, Chen Jingshan was armored from head to toe.

Li Yunjie patted his shoulder and sighed softly. “Lord Chen.”

“Please give it your all!”

“Protect yourself!”

With that, he turned and walked to the edge of the training ground.

“Did I hear that right?”

“Lord Li told Lord Chen to do his best?”

“It sounded like that…”

“Is Lord Li courting death?!”

The crowd discussed Li Yunjie’s actions, their faces suggesting it was no different from seeking death.

“For everyone’s safety, please step back!”

As confusion mounted, Eleven pulled up a cordon, pushing the crowd back several meters.

“What now?”

Li Yunjie’s mysterious moves left everyone baffled.

“It’s starting!”

A keen-eyed observer shouted.

Instantly, the crowd fell silent.

They held their breath, waiting as the duel—one of pride and future—was about to begin.

Perhaps stirred by Li Yunjie’s provocation, Chen Jingshan’s veins bulged across his face.

His fists clenched so tight they crackled.

A surge of overwhelming power burst from his body, sending the flagstones flying as winds roared across the training ground.

“Swish!”

Chen Jingshan’s nine-foot frame sprang with the agility of a hare, leaping several meters in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Li Yunjie immediately hurled all the bamboo tubes from his body.

At the same time, the Thunder Talisman was secretly activated.

Sparks danced across the talisman.

In midair, Chen Jingshan sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere and abruptly stopped.

“A Thunder Talisman?!”

In a flash, a bolt of lightning, as thick as a worm, descended from the sky.

Chen Jingshan glanced up, convinced such a bolt could not harm him.

He narrowed his eyes and summoned his inner energy to shield himself.

“Crack—”

The thunder struck!

But it didn’t hit Chen Jingshan.

It struck the bamboo tubes scattered around him!

Chen Jingshan’s eyes widened in shock. The world seemed to freeze.

He could see clearly as the thunder split the tubes open.

And from within, a spark ignited.

“Not good!”

Before he could finish, the training ground was thrown into chaos!

“Boom!!”

A deafening explosion roared like a raging demon, threatening to shatter eardrums.

The immense force blasted a crater into the flagstone floor, sending clouds of dust surging.

At the center of the blast, Chen Jingshan was instantly swallowed by a torrent of fire…