Chapter Thirty-Seven: I Will Take On Ten!

Yang Ruyan paused, looking toward the source of the voice.

Chu Nan stood below the viewing platform with his hands behind his back, a faint, indifferent smile playing on his lips.

"Chu Nan!" Cheng Lingyu raised her eyes to look at him, her tone carrying a hint of sternness. "Do not be reckless!"

Chu Nan offered a slight smile and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, since the envoy has extended such a sincere invitation, if we were to continue to decline, we would surely lose our composure."

"Though I am not a man of great talent, if I can truly alleviate Your Majesty's concerns, I am duty-bound to step forward."

Liang Li let out a cold laugh, crossing his arms and looking at Chu Nan with utter disdain. "You? A frail scholar who couldn't even truss a chicken dares to enter the arena? Does your kingdom truly have no one else?"

"No one else?" Chu Nan raised an eyebrow. His expression was calm, his gaze as clear as water, yet it seemed to see through everything.

"Since the envoy looks down on me, why not do this—since your Great Nan prides itself on the strength of its warriors, why not send ten men at once?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire arena erupted in an uproar!

"Ten at once?!"

The soldiers of the Northern Barracks widened their eyes, unable to believe their ears. Even the court officials of the Great Wilderness looked on in shock, whispering to one another.

Had this Chu Nan lost his mind?

A single duel was already perilous enough; he was actually daring to challenge ten men!

Yang Ruyan frowned, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. She had expected Chu Nan to retreat in the face of such difficulty, but his "audacity" left her momentarily unsure of how to react.

"What a boastful tongue!" Provoked by Chu Nan’s taunt, Liang Li gritted his teeth and said, "Since you are so arrogant, then I shall grant your wish!"

"Liang Li!" Cheng Lingyu barked, her eyes fixed on him like blades of ice. "If a life is lost, do not blame me for being heartless!"

Liang Li scoffed, "It is merely a friendly match; Your Majesty is being overly nervous."

Cheng Lingyu turned to Chu Nan, her expression complicated. "Young Master Chu, this is no child's play, you..."

Before she could finish, Chu Nan interrupted her with a polite bow. "Your Majesty, do not worry. I merely wish to grant the envoy a measure of 'justice'."

"Fine!" Liang Li clapped his hands with a sneer. "Then let us begin."

Chu Nan walked calmly into the arena, still dressed in his simple robes. He held nothing but a compound crossbow, appearing entirely devoid of combat prowess. Yet, his confident and resolute demeanor instilled an inexplicable sense of doubt in the onlookers.

Opposite him, the ten warriors of Great Nan radiated a murderous aura. Each one was tall and robust, with bulging muscles and various gleaming weapons in hand, their faces twisted with malice.

These ten men were the elite warriors hand-picked by Liang Li from his delegation, each having survived countless life-or-death battles.

"Hmph, he doesn't even carry a blade, yet he dares to talk about a fight?" one Great Nan warrior sneered. "It seems this Young Master Chu truly intends to seek death."

"Even if he is throwing his life away, we must show him just how foolish he is," another warrior added sinisterly, his long blade flickering like a viper's tongue as he warmed up.

Liang Li stood outside the arena, arms crossed, a cold smirk on his face. He had initially thought Chu Nan was merely a small merchant skilled in glib talk, but he never expected this man to be so brazen as to challenge ten warriors. Now, he wanted to see exactly what this arrogant fool was capable of.

Though the watching soldiers were filled with righteous indignation, they could not help but break into a cold sweat for Chu Nan. A life-or-death duel could not be won by wit alone.

On the high platform, Cheng Lingyu watched the arena coldly, a hidden trace of worry buried deep in her eyes. While she had great faith in Chu Nan's intellect, under the current circumstances, no rational person could remain optimistic. After all, Chu Nan was no warrior, nor a slaughterer on the battlefield; faced with such a situation, her concern was inevitable.

Yang Ruyan, arms crossed, watched Chu Nan with a complex gaze and sneered, "This fellow is far too self-important."

"Begin!"

At the command, the ten Great Nan warriors instantly fanned out, circling Chu Nan like leopards with steady, methodical steps. They wasted no time; their first wave of attacks was thunderous, every blade and spear strike aimed directly at vital points, showing no mercy!

One warrior held his blade with both hands, bringing it down from the front. The blade tore through the air with a blinding glint, aiming straight for the crown of Chu Nan's head! Another warrior swung a spear from the flank, the tip darting like a viper toward Chu Nan’s ribs with a fierce gust of wind. The remaining warriors attacked in unison, with blades, swords, and arrows closing off every possible path of retreat!

This wave of attacks was extremely lethal; had it been an ordinary person, they would have been torn to shreds on the spot.

However, Chu Nan did not panic. His gaze remained cold. He shifted his feet, narrowly evading the downward blade, and side-stepped just in time to avoid the spear aimed at his ribs.

*Clang!* A loud metallic sound rang out as a crossbow bolt struck Chu Nan squarely in the chest.

Yet, just as everyone expected him to collapse, Chu Nan merely swayed slightly and stood straight once more.

"What?!" The warrior who had fired the bolt turned pale. "He’s unharmed even after being hit?"

Another warrior, wielding a long blade, flashed with cruelty as he leapt, slashing directly at Chu Nan’s back.

However, the moment the blade fell, there was no sound of tearing flesh!

The onlookers watched in disbelief as the blade sliced a hole through the fabric of Chu Nan's robe, but his body remained unscathed, as if the blade had struck solid steel.

"How is this possible?!" The warrior stared in shock, his blade already chipped.

Chu Nan, however, stood there with a faint, enigmatic smile.

The surrounding soldiers were in an uproar. "What is happening? Is Young Master Chu immune to blades and arrows?"

"Could it be... has he achieved an invulnerable golden body?"

"Impossible! No human could possess such a body!"

On the platform, Cheng Lingyu’s beautiful eyes flickered, a deep, meaningful light crossing her gaze as she stared at Chu Nan.

*Anti-stab vest, you didn't let me down,* Chu Nan thought to himself with a hidden smile.

In truth, Chu Nan was not truly invulnerable. He was able to ignore these attacks simply because he was wearing an anti-stab vest he had brought from the modern world. While it looked like ordinary clothing, it was crafted from high-strength fiber materials capable of effectively resisting stabs from blades and arrows. This was the source of his confidence to face the challenge so calmly.

"What a pity," Chu Nan whispered.

The next instant, his movements suddenly accelerated! He pulled a compact compound crossbow from beneath his robes. Drawing the string and loading the bolt, his movements were as fluid as flowing water.

*Swish!*

The bolt tore through the air with dizzying speed!

Before the warrior with the blade could even react, the bolt had accurately pierced his wrist! The long blade slipped from his grasp, and he let out a cry, stumbling back several paces.

"Again." Chu Nan’s voice was calm, yet his tone carried a chilling edge.

He pulled the string of his compound crossbow to its full tension again, and another bolt whistled through the air, aimed directly at another warrior attempting a sneak attack.

This time, the bolt pierced straight through the opponent's shoulder armor. Blood immediately gushed from the wound, and the warrior let out a scream, collapsing to the ground.