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"Yes!" The general, having watched his commander and deputy commander fight Zhang Xun one after another without success, had long been itching for a chance to fight. Seeing such an opponent, how could he wait any longer? Upon hearing the signal gongs, he spurred his mount, raised his blade, rode out from the ranks, and charged straight at Zhang Xun.

Chen Lan, though fighting with great difficulty, was nonetheless caught up in the thrill of the battle. Hearing the gongs, he was reluctant to withdraw, but since he was the one who had set the military order, he knew he had to lead by example. With a furious sigh, he began to hack violently at Zhang Xun with his blade.

*Clang, clang, clang.*

Chen Lan hurriedly struck a few more blows, then wheeled his horse around and galloped back toward his own lines.

Zhang Xun’s eyes narrowed slightly. At this point, how could he fail to realize he was being toyed with? They were trying to wear him down through a cycle of fresh challengers.

Zhang Xun let out a cold snort, yet he dared not be careless. Even with his martial prowess, he could not maintain his strength against a constant stream of enemy generals forever. If he were to be injured, Jiangting would be in grave danger.

However, he could not refuse the challenge. If he did not go out to blunt the enemy’s edge, the morale of the Jiangting troops would plummet or even collapse. Chen Lan and Lei Bo were employing such a sinister method to grind him into the dust.

Seeing Chen Lan retreat at the sound of the gongs, Zhang Xun understood the enemy’s plot, but he felt no fear; on the contrary, he became even more invigorated. He shook off his exhaustion and prepared to meet the new challenger.

The enemy general, having watched Zhang Xun’s two previous bouts, knew well the man’s martial prowess. He understood that if he engaged in a direct clash, he would certainly suffer and likely not last twenty rounds. Thus, he adopted a strategy of avoiding direct contact, relying instead on his superior horsemanship and agility to entangle Zhang Xun. His movements were bizarre; he flickered around his horse, and his blade would strike from unexpected angles like a viper or a fluttering butterfly. The cold light of his weapon surrounded Zhang Xun, flickering like sparks from fireworks—a sight to behold.

Yet, despite his strange style, Zhang Xun was no ordinary man. Having held his own against the previous two commanders, he was not easily bested. Ignoring the evasive tactics, Zhang Xun grew annoyed by the man’s parasitic fighting style. Summoning his divine strength, he swung his blade in a whirlwind of defense that was as impenetrable as a shield, leaving no gaps. Eventually, he caught the enemy general’s hand with such force that it was reduced to a bloody mess.

"With such a style, how can you call yourself a hero?" Zhang Xun roared, frustrated by the man’s top-tier cowardice.

"If you can't kill me, what right do you have to lecture me?" the general retorted, unyielding. Having fought for twenty rounds, he had suffered little damage beyond his aching, bleeding hand.

"You!" Zhang Xun, veins bulging with rage, couldn't stand the man’s persistence and his constant excuses for avoiding a real fight. "Then I shall kill you!"

Zhang Xun abandoned his defense, focusing entirely on ending his opponent. With this shift, he began to land blows, leaving several gashes on the general, though none were fatal.

"Take this!" the enemy general suddenly ducked under his horse's belly and launched a treacherous strike from beneath, aiming for Zhang Xun’s lower leg.

Zhang Xun frowned, unable to dodge, and chose to take the blow. But in that same instant, he swung his own blade mercilessly toward the general’s head.

*Thud!*

The enemy general’s head hit the ground, drawing a cheer from the Jiangting ranks.

"Zhang Xun!"

Li Miao had seen Chen Lan’s cycle of challengers and had been on the verge of sending Qin Huai and Chen Dao to replace Zhang Xun. Seeing Zhang Xun wounded, he was filled with fury. "You thieves! You are utterly shameless!"

He wanted to send his men to relieve Zhang Xun, but Lei Bo, seeing his subordinate slain and Zhang Xun wounded, seized the opportunity. He spurred his horse forward to engage the injured Zhang Xun.

Li Miao knew that neither Chen Dao nor Qin Huai could defeat Lei Bo. Among his men, only Zhang Xun was a master; Qin Huai was mediocre, and Chen Dao was still too young and inexperienced. Sending them out was akin to sending them to their deaths.

"What to do? What to do?" Li Miao broke into a cold sweat as he watched Zhang Xun and Lei Bo clash. "Is this it? Am I to watch Zhang Xun die and Jiangting fall to these low-life bandits? This isn't right! Damn it, I transmigrated, but the legendary generals and strategists haven't arrived to serve me yet? Am I, such a handsome man, about to die?"

In a panic, Li Miao remembered his Nokia phone—that miraculous device that could even buy items from Taobao! He hurriedly consulted the phone in his mind.

"Hey! Damn it, Brother... Great One! How can I save Zhang Xun?"

"Welcome to your Nokia phone. Installed with Taobao: buy anything you need. We have it all, provided you have the money. Installed with Meitu: perfection is guaranteed. Whether you have a crooked nose, small eyes, or missing limbs, we restore your Pan An-like beauty!..."

"Damn it! Get to the point!" Li Miao’s mouth twitched. In this desperate hour, the phone was still babbling!

"Installed with the camera function: there is no peerless martial art that cannot be mastered; it is only a matter of whether I choose to snap a photo!"

"What?" Li Miao’s eyes lit up. "You mean if I take a picture of Zhang Xun, I can instantly acquire his martial prowess?"

"Indeed. But you only have one hour. After that, the user must recover, as this overloads human potential."

Li Miao didn't care about the aftermath. He pulled out his phone, opened the camera, and snapped a photo of Zhang Xun. He looked amazing!

"Camera function activated! User will possess exceptional martial arts for one hour!" the phone chirped.

Li Miao, feeling elated, mounted his horse, glowing with newfound vitality. He didn't think about the consequences. As soon as he took the photo, he felt a surge of energy flood his body, his muscles bulging. He was stunned—was this real? A muscle man?!

He didn't have time to ponder. If Zhang Xun bled out or lost to Lei Bo, his life and his city would be forfeit. Fueled by an adrenaline rush, Li Miao rode toward the battlefield without a word to Qin Huai or Chen Dao. By the time they realized what was happening, he was already some distance away.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing?" Qin Huai was shocked. He knew Li Miao's capabilities—or lack thereof.

"Your Majesty!" Chen Dao was equally stunned.

Li Miao turned in his saddle and shouted, "Sound the gongs! I am going to relieve General Zhang Xun!"

Qin Huai was dumbfounded. With the Emperor's "cat's-paw" skills, he would be kicked off his horse in seconds. He ordered Chen Dao to sound the gongs and spurred his own horse to follow, determined to protect his lord.

Seeing Qin Huai approaching, Li Miao knew he meant well, but he couldn't let his men see him being protected. "General Qin Huai, ignore me! Just sound the gongs and bring General Zhang Xun back; he needs treatment."

"But, Your Majesty..." Qin Huai stammered.

"Don't worry about me! I'm not going out there to get bullied!" Li Miao declared with overbearing authority. "I order you to watch from here and tend to General Zhang Xun!"

"Very well!" Qin Huai dared not disobey the Emperor, though he remained on high alert to intervene at any sign of trouble.

The gongs sounded. Zhang Xun, pale from blood loss, was stunned. He knew he was the only one who could stand against Lei Bo. Hearing the gongs, he realized they wanted him to retreat, but he knew the others were no match for the bandit. He looked back and saw Li Miao charging toward Lei Bo, and he nearly went mad with anxiety. He thought Qin Huai and Chen Dao had failed him by letting the Emperor enter danger.

The sudden retreat of the Jiangting forces caught Chen Lan and Lei Bo by surprise. Their plan was to wear Zhang Xun down; they had no contingency for a sudden change of opponent.

Seeing the situation, Zhang Xun turned pale, his heart sinking. "This is bad!" He forced Lei Bo back with a powerful swing, broke away from the skirmish, and galloped toward Li Miao.

"Your Majesty! Go back! Lei Bo is fierce; you are no match for him!" Zhang Xun shouted, frantic.

"General Zhang Xun, go back and get bandaged. Rest a while; I will fight him!"

Zhang Xun was baffled. Was the Emperor insane? If you die at the hands of these thieves, what will become of Jiangting? He refused to budge.

Li Miao, seeing the blood-soaked armor and the pallor of his general, grew stern. "General, go back! I can handle this!"

"Your Majesty..."

"The order is given! Do as I say!"

"Yes!" Zhang Xun replied. With a sigh, he turned his horse and headed back, shouting, "Your Majesty, be careful! If anything goes wrong, call out immediately!"

"Understood!"

"What?!" Lei Bo, having been forced back, was stunned to see Li Miao. He had met the young man years ago and knew him to be nothing more than a spoiled playboy. He decided to humiliate him.

"Who goes there? Speak your name! I, Lei Bo, do not kill the nameless!"