Chapter 33: Clinging to Death (Part 1)

  "Hurry up and save him!"

  Dugu Mian was not only a general of the Left Forest Army, but also had the identity of an imperial son-in-law - his wife, Princess Ankang, was the sister of Emperor Gaozong, making him Li Xian's uncle. He naturally did not dare to sit back and watch as Li Xian got into trouble in the Left Forest Army, otherwise Su Dingfang might have gotten away with it, but Dugu Mian would definitely become the scapegoat. Therefore, when he saw Li Xian fall, Dugu Mian didn't bother to ask for instructions from Su Dingfang, and hastily shouted loudly, causing the stunned Left Forest Army soldiers to come back to their senses and rush into the arena in disarray.

  Ow! It really hurts! Li Xian was originally unconscious, but after this fall, he woke up, but his hands and feet hurt badly. He randomly touched himself and found no blood, so he felt a little relieved, but his breathing became more urgent. His whole body was sore and weak, and he struggled to get up several times, but couldn't stand up. In desperation, he could only lie on the ground panting heavily.

  "Your Highness, are you all right?"

  "Your Highness, how are you?"

  "Your Highness..."

  ……

  The left guards rushed one by one, but in a moment, they had already run through half of the campus and surrounded Li Xian's body. Seeing Li Xian fainting like mud, the generals wanted to support him but didn't dare to move lightly, only shouting loudly, making Li Xian's head bigger by several points.

  "What's all the commotion about? Can't you see I'm so exhausted I can barely speak? You bunch of fools! Li Xian was so annoyed by the crowd of generals that he felt like cursing, but at this moment, he couldn't even catch his breath. The words of rebuke could only swirl in his belly for now. However, being able to take a breather was also good, so he just let those generals ramble on."

  "What's wrong, nothing serious?" Just as the crowd was in an uproar, Su Dingfang led a few personal guards from the back of the crowd and bent down to take a look at Li Xian, who was still panting, and asked in a very calm tone.

  Nothing's wrong? Why don't you come and try it out yourself, old man? Li Xian was already feeling quite frustrated at this moment, but when he heard Su Lao Ye Zi's words, which were clearly meant to mock him, he suddenly felt a surge of anger. He wanted to scold him, but didn't dare, so he could only twitch the corners of his mouth in dissatisfaction.

  "Hmm, still able to breathe, doesn't seem like a big problem. Your Highness, are you going to continue or should I send someone to escort you back home?" Old Master Su looked Li Xian up and down for a while before straightening his waist and asking seriously.

  Go back to the mansion? Nonsense! If that's the case, then I've been running around in circles for nothing! Li Xian originally intended to stay put and not move, but as soon as he heard Mr. Su say this, he immediately jumped up like he had been poked in the butt with a needle, panting angrily at Mr. Su, stretching out his hands to try and push away the surrounding generals. However, due to his weak limbs, not only was he unable to push them away, but he almost fell over again, luckily a nearby general quickly reached out and grabbed him, barely managing to steady himself.

  "Good boy, you really want to run, haha...!" Su Dingfang burst out laughing as soon as he saw Li Xian's stubborn expression. The other generals were also amused and couldn't help but laugh loudly, filling the entire school field with their hearty laughter.

  "Xiao Wang thanked General Su for his help!"

  Li Xian's body was weak and limp at this moment, but his mind was still very agile. With a flick of his hand, he broke free from the support of others and bowed to Su Dingfang with a look of excitement on his face, thanking him with a sentence.

  "Hmm, alright, like the First Emperor's breed, you said that, so who are you planning to take as your master?"

  Su Dingfang saw that Li Xian was not only exceptionally talented but also had a great personality, and his admiration for talent grew. He stroked his long mustache in front of his chest and praised him with approval.

  Haha, it's done! With a glance, the hard work finally paid off, and Li Xian felt as sweet as honey in his heart. He opened his mouth, just about to mention Li Bo Yao's name, but hesitated and thought better of it. So he pretended to be deep in thought and said: "General Su, please enlighten me. Earlier, Li Tai Shi only mentioned that the young king's teacher was in the Left Rongwei Guard, but didn't specify who the teacher was. Therefore, I really can't make a decision. Please, General Su, do me a favor."

  "Hmm, what does Your Highness want me to do?" Su Dingfang nodded thoughtfully and hesitated for a moment before asking with a hint of puzzlement.

  "Earlier, I had an agreement with the Emperor that I would only take a general of the rank of Colonel as my teacher. Now that General Su has graciously agreed, may I ask the other generals to demonstrate their martial skills, so that I can make a decision?" Li Xian's heart was already made up, but he didn't show it, instead looking at Su Dingfang with a sincere and eager expression, asking him earnestly.

  "That's it, then. It's settled." Su Dingfang was unusually decisive this time, and with a wave of his large hand, he gave the order in a loud voice: "All generals, listen to my command! Each of you will demonstrate your martial arts skills, show off your specialties, don't let His Highness look down on you!"

  "Hello!"

  Su Dingfang, the commander of the Left Valiant Guard, had spoken up, and the other generals naturally had no reason not to respond. With a loud "Yes!" they dispersed in all directions, each one mounting their horse, brandishing their spear, and practicing their moves on the spot. Those skilled with spears galloped like flying horses, their spears dancing like flowers; those skilled with bows rode swiftly, drawing their bows and shooting arrows; those skilled with swords wielded them with swift chops, the sword light flashing, the killing intent soaring, leaving Li Xian's eyes wide with wonder, his heart filled with unbridled joy.

  "Your Highness, have you made up your mind on who is the one that meets with your approval?" Su Dingfang didn't go to watch the drill of his soldiers, but instead was observing Li Xian's every move with great interest. When he saw that Li Xian was already completely absorbed in it, Su Dingfang couldn't help but smile wryly, shook his head slightly, stroked his beard, and said in a gentle tone.

  He did look, but it was a waste of his time. Li Xian was so mesmerized that he completely forgot to pay special attention to Li Bo Yao's performance until Su Dingfang reminded him. He then came back to his senses and looked around, finally finding Li Bo Yao after some effort. As soon as he saw him, his eyes widened in annoyance rather than excitement - Li Bo Yao was indeed riding a horse and galloping back and forth, but no matter how hard Li Xian looked, he didn't see him swing his spear even once. His carefree demeanor made it seem like he was just going through the motions.

  I'm going to go, Lao Li recommended this person, isn't he just like Nanguo Jun? Never mind, let's first ask Old Su about the situation. Li Xian cursed silently for a few sentences, then turned sideways and looked up at Su Dingfang: "General Su, who is that man with the rifle?"

  "Hmm?" Su Dingfang followed Li Xian's pointing hand and looked over, seeing Li Bo Yao wandering around there, he couldn't help but laugh and say: "Your Highness has a good eye for talent, Kunzong (Li Bo Yao's courtesy name) is the grandson of Wei Gong, his learning is indeed extraordinary, unfortunately, the Li family has a rule that prohibits involvement in imperial affairs, if Your Highness chooses Kunzong, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

  What's with the family rules? Are you kidding me, is Li Tai Shi just messing with us?! As soon as Li Xian heard Su Dingfang say that, his heart sank immediately, and he felt like he was going to explode, but he couldn't vent his anger. His face turned green with rage, and he bit his lip in frustration, his mind racing rapidly.

  "General Su, since Wang has made his choice, it's all good with General Li. Please help him make the best of it." Li Xian thought and deliberated, but in the end still chose to believe in Li Chunfeng. After all, someone who could make a hero like Su Dingfang praise him must be an extraordinary person. Since he couldn't escape his responsibility to practice martial arts, he might as well choose the best master. Who knows, maybe one day he would achieve something.

  "Your Highness, please don't make it difficult for me. I'm really powerless in this matter. To be honest with you, I was once deeply indebted to Duke Wei and can be considered half a disciple of his. I dare not break the rules of his household." As soon as Li Xian insisted on having Li Baoyu, Su Dingfang's head began to ache, and he shook his head in bitter laughter, refusing Li Xian's request.

  "Xiao Wang really didn't dare to make things difficult for General Su, but Xiao Wang's mind was made up and there was no room for change. Since General Su had difficulties, why not ask General Su to introduce him once, and everything would be settled by Xiao Wang himself?" Li Xian saw that Su Dingfang's tone was firm, and his heart sank involuntarily, thinking carefully, still unwilling to give up, he changed his words and made a request for introduction.

  "Alright, I'll be the bad guy then." Su Dingfang looked at Li Xian's face full of expectation and sighed helplessly. He beckoned to one of his personal guards and instructed him to summon Li Baoyu over.

  "I will see the Emperor, I will see the General." Li Baoyu had obviously already guessed the purpose of Su Dingfang's summons, and his face was not pleasant to look at, but he did not dare to be rude. He rushed forward, dismounted, and respectfully paid his respects to Li Xian.

  "Kun Zong, His Highness wants to make you his master, what do you think?" Su Dingfang glanced at Li Xian and then looked at Li Baiyue with a hint of apology, carefully choosing his words before slowly asking.

  "This..." Li Bo-yao hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and replied: "Reporting to the General, I am deeply grateful for your trust in me, but I am afraid I am not worthy of being your teacher. If I were to mislead you and harm your future prospects, my guilt would be boundless."

  "General Li, Little Wang has the appearance of a willow tree, and is not originally talented in martial arts. However, he has made up his mind to learn martial arts with a very firm determination. I dare not say that he will become a master or a great talent, but he will definitely work hard to study and will not disappoint the glorious name of General Li's ancestors. Moreover, Little Wang's learning of martial arts this time is not only for himself, but also to set an example for the world to have strong martial arts skills. I hope that the people of the world can have a heart that aspires to martial arts, and I still hope that General Li can fulfill one or two wishes."

  "This..." Li Bo-yao was not a good talker, and after being spoken to by Li Xian in such a way, he was momentarily speechless. After hesitating for a long time, he furrowed his brow and replied: "Your Highness's words have truly honored me, and I should have accepted them immediately. However, this matter is not something that I can decide on my own, may I be allowed to return home and discuss it with my father?"

  "Of course, of course, General Li's words are reasonable, how could I, Xiao Wang, not agree? Today is already late, tomorrow morning I will definitely visit your doorstep." In this public setting, Li Xian couldn't force Li Baoyu too much, so he readily agreed to his request, but in his heart, he had already thought of another plan...