The Lion King, founder of the Seven Killers unit, was sharp and imposing, his aura as irresistible as a towering mountain pressing down. Munenori Yagyu, on the other hand, wore a gentle smile, his presence flowing like a great river—endless and unceasing.
When their auras clashed, neither seemed to have the upper hand; it was a perfectly even match.
Given their fundamentally different dispositions, determining a true victor would likely require an actual fight. For ordinary observers, it was impossible to judge.
Seeing that Munenori Yagyu showed no sign of backing down, the Lion King suddenly glared, his fierce aura intensifying so powerfully that it repelled the snowflakes drifting from the sky around him—not a single one could land on his body.
External Energy Release!
With this move, the Lion King immediately displayed his current level of cultivation. In terms of internal energy, he was on par with Munenori Yagyu, both capable of turning even flying petals and falling leaves into lethal weapons.
“If you insist Jiang Fei must duel you because he promised, then I challenge you now! Let’s settle this between us first!” the Lion King declared in a resonant, thunderous voice.
Munenori Yagyu shook his head with a smile. “Had you said this a month ago, I might have agreed. But today, I am here solely to duel Jiang Fei. If you wish to fight me, you are welcome any time after today.”
Munenori Yagyu truly did not fear the Lion King.
Just as the Lion King did not fear Munenori Yagyu.
Although the two had few direct encounters, they understood each other well and had a clear sense of each other’s strength. In fact, they had crossed swords many years ago, ending in a draw.
Over the years, both had grown immensely in power, each confident in their own abilities and unconvinced that the other could have surpassed them in that time.
The Lion King’s eyes widened, flames of anger seeming to flicker within them. Aside from Jiang Fei and Munenori Yagyu, even top martial artists of the current generation like Little Drunkard and Bai Kedi couldn’t help but feel a tremor of awe.
Truly worthy of being the founder of the Seven Killers unit, the undefeated ‘God of War’ whose reputation shook the realm.
Such power was terrifyingly formidable, far surpassing that of so-called top experts and almost rivaling their own masters.
With a founder like the Lion King, it was no wonder the Seven Killers unit had forged such a formidable reputation through countless fierce conflicts, becoming the nation’s premier ‘special’ department.
The Lion King stared at Munenori Yagyu for a moment, his gaze unwavering, then turned to address Jiang Fei without looking away: “Jiang Fei, come with me today. Let’s see how he manages to duel you! If he wants to fight you, he’ll have to get through me first!”
Having said that, the Lion King finally looked at Jiang Fei, signaling him to follow. If Munenori Yagyu tried to stop them and force a duel, then the Lion King would naturally step in.
This move by the Lion King was a masterful blend of dominance and cunning, seemingly leaving no room for counterattack.
Unfortunately, faced with the Lion King’s domineering provocation, Munenori Yagyu showed neither panic nor anger. He offered no explanation, his face still wearing a faint smile.
It seemed that if Jiang Fei truly chose to leave with the Lion King, Munenori Yagyu would not mind at all and certainly wouldn’t stop them. The duel agreed upon a month ago would simply be called off.
“Thank you for your kindness, Lion King.”
Just as the Lion King began to move, and Ye Yuanyuan—for some reason feeling a secret thrill—was about to urge Jiang Fei to follow, a mellow, distinctly masculine voice rang out.
It was, of course, Jiang Fei.
Many turned to look at him in surprise; even the Lion King frowned and glanced back.
They all seemed taken aback that Jiang Fei would refuse.
Even Little Drunkard and Bai Kedi hadn’t expected Jiang Fei to decline.
In their view, Jiang Fei had only accepted Munenori Yagyu’s challenge and agreed to duel on Mount Emei’s Golden Summit under duress—not by his own will, but because Munenori Yagyu was too powerful to refuse.
With the Lion King now stepping forward to shield Jiang Fei and confront Munenori Yagyu on his behalf, it seemed the perfect opportunity for Jiang Fei. They assumed he would immediately agree to leave with the Lion King.
After all, Munenori Yagyu, the contemporary sword master of the island nation and its most formidable swordsman, was an opponent with slim chances of defeat. Only reclusive masters of their teachers’ generation, or someone like the Lion King, could hope to match him.
Even though Jiang Fei was shrouded in mystery and undoubtedly powerful, he still fell slightly short. His hope of defeating Munenori Yagyu was minuscule, almost nonexistent.
Who could have guessed that Jiang Fei would reject the Lion King’s offer without hesitation?
Only Munenori Yagyu wore an expression of having anticipated this all along, as if he knew the Lion King’s tactic wouldn’t work and that Jiang Fei would never leave with him.
“Why?” the Lion King asked, his brow furrowed.
Jiang Fei rubbed his nose and shrugged. “Simple. I don’t want to admit defeat, and I don’t want to be looked down upon.”
“Who would look down on you?”
“Every hero and martial artist in the realm would,” Jiang Fei replied. “I don’t know if possessing the Seven Killers token makes me part of the unit. But I do know that regardless, if I leave Mount Emei safely today only under your protection, too afraid to face Munenori Yagyu, then I have already lost this duel—lost utterly, without even fighting. That’s a disgrace I cannot bear.”
“Munenori Yagyu is decades older than you. Challenging you now is taking advantage of your youth. A fair fight would be when your cultivation advances further,” argued the Lion King.
Jiang Fei shook his head. “When I agreed to his challenge a month ago, today’s duel became fair.”
“…”
The Lion King fell silent.
Bai Kedi, Little Drunkard, and others, who had previously thought Jiang Fei was biting off more than he could chew and likely heading for disaster, no longer felt any scorn toward him.
They suddenly realized this man’s courage was truly admirable.
Of course, they still didn’t believe Jiang Fei could defeat Munenori Yagyu.
After a long pause, seeing the unwavering determination in Jiang Fei’s calm eyes, the Lion King suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Good! Well said! Truly a worthy member of my Seven Killers unit! I underestimated you!”
He then turned to Munenori Yagyu, his voice turning cold and threatening. “Since Jiang Fei has decided to duel you, I won’t interfere. I will only watch the outcome. But if Jiang Fei dies on this summit today, I will personally travel to the Eastern Islands and challenge every disciple of your Iaido-draw school, one by one!”
Munenori Yagyu paid no heed to the threat, acting as if he hadn’t heard it.
He smiled and turned his gaze to Jiang Fei.
As if sharing a tacit understanding, both men flashed across the snow-filled air, moving to the center of the summit. They each extended their right hands, gesturing in an invitation to begin…
