Chapter 112: The Martial Duel (Please Subscribe by the Third Watch!)

Dueling? What does that mean?

A group of people exchanged bewildered glances. Yet none dared to ask, maintaining a heavy silence.

Su Jingxing noticed this and wasted no words. He asked directly, “Has anyone here ever heard of the Lin family?”

Silence.

Shen Qian, Jiang Tianhao, Xiao Chengyue, and the others remained utterly confused.

“Are you referring to the Lin family from thirty years ago?” Zhang Jun finally asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Su Jingxing replied calmly, looking at him. “Thirty years ago, the greatest power in the Western District wasn’t the Shi family, but the Lin family.”

“Back then, although the Lin family wasn’t as dominant and powerful as the Shi family is today, they ruled the Western District for many years. Yet, overnight, they vanished without a trace. Do you know why?”

“Well…” Zhang Jun pondered, “I’ve heard of the Lin family—they were formidable back then, but I don’t really remember how they disappeared…”

“I know!” Jiang Tianhao suddenly raised his hand, eyes gleaming. “I remember now! It’s true—the Lin family didn’t just vanish; they were wiped out by the Shi family!”

What?

Everyone else was shocked.

“Tianhao, explain clearly. What exactly happened?”

“Yeah, wasn’t the Lin family the biggest power back then? How did the Shi family manage to destroy them?”

The group looked puzzled, each eager to know more.

Jiang Tianhao didn’t answer immediately but glanced at Su Jingxing.

Su Jingxing made a gesture, inviting him to speak.

Jiang Tianhao exhaled and composed himself. “The Lin family wasn’t completely wiped out, but during the family duel against the Shi family, they suffered devastating casualties. They couldn’t continue afterward, so they disappeared overnight.”

“In fact, some members of the Lin family probably survived, but they live in such obscurity now that they might as well be ordinary commoners.”

“Without the protection of their clan, how many are still alive is anyone’s guess.”

“As for the duel, it’s formally called the Family Duel.”

“Much like a contest between warriors—when disputes can’t be resolved otherwise, they must step onto the arena and fight to the death.”

“The Family Duel is the same idea, but far more brutal. It’s a massive death match between two clans.”

“The Martial Affairs Office’s City Commander acts as the official referee. Each clan sends one representative to the arena for duels. The loser dies and lies down, while the winner can either leave or continue challenging. Regardless of how long this goes on, the total number of duels is one hundred.”

“Before the duel begins, each family must submit one hundred names. Of these, at least seventy must be members of the family, while guest disciples and attendants are optional.”

“In short, by the end of the duel, regardless of who wins or loses, the casualties are always severe.”

“But somehow, during the duel between the Lin family and the Shi family back then, the Lin family was completely annihilated overnight, while the Shi family’s losses were minimal. They seized the opportunity to absorb most of the Lin family’s assets and replaced them as the dominant power in the Western District!”

Jiang Tianhao finished, his face filled with astonishment.

The others were speechless, their jaws dropping in shock.

So, the Shi family’s dominance in the Western District was won through a family duel—a hundred death matches.

What kind of hatred, what kind of grudge, could lead to such a thing?

Suddenly, Shen Qian had a realization. She looked up at Su Jingxing, eyes wide with surprise, stammering, “Se... Senior, are you saying…”

“That’s right,” Su Jingxing interrupted. “The duel! Back then, the Shi family defeated the Lin family and took their place through the duel.”

“And we can also use the duel to destroy the Shi family, or at least inflict heavy casualties to sever their foundation.”

“But…”

“You mean since we’re an alliance, not a family, the Martial Affairs Office won’t accept it, right?” Su Jingxing cut in again.

Shen Qian, Mao Xiaomao, Xiao Chengyue, and the others nodded vigorously.

“That’s easy,” Su Jingxing said calmly. “I know where some surviving members of the Lin family are. Find them, select seventy people to join the Lin family, and the problem is solved.”

“Ah?”

Xiao Chengyue was stunned, stammering, “Se… Senior, you mean, have… have us change our surname to Lin?”

“Is there a problem with that?” Su Jingxing remained impassive. “If you’re not afraid to die to destroy the Shi family, then why hesitate to change your surname?”

Shen Qian, Xiao Chengyue, and Jiang Tianhao were speechless.

The others were silent as well.

Yes, if you’re not afraid of death, what’s a mere surname change?

Thinking this, Xiao Chengyue’s expression hardened, ready to agree.

“Wait,” Zhang Jun suddenly interjected. “Changing our surname and becoming members of the Lin family is fine, but even if we do that and step into the arena, how many Shi family members can we kill?”

“Exactly,” Xiao Chengyue nodded, shaking his head. “We’re not afraid to die, but we know our strength. One by one, facing the Shi family, ninety percent of us would be killed. In the end, the Shi family would still stand, and our deaths would be meaningless.”

“Who said you have to die?” Su Jingxing replied calmly.

“Uh…”

Zhang Jun, Xiao Chengyue, Shen Qian, and Jiang Tianhao were baffled.

“Senior means you’ll fight through the entire arena alone?” Ye Jiuzhong, who had been silent in the corner, suddenly spoke.

Swish, swish, swish—

Everyone turned toward him at once, then quickly glanced at Su Jingxing, faces full of astonishment.

One person fighting through the entire arena?

Hiss!

At the thought of that scene, they all gasped sharply.

“That’s right,” Su Jingxing looked at Ye Jiuzhong indifferently. “I will be the one to kill the Shi family. You all just need to buy time.”

This...

Though somewhat disheartening and harsh, it was undeniable that their role was simply to delay, giving Su Jingxing time to rest between matches.

This was the plan Su Jingxing had in mind from the start.

Originally, he hadn’t thought of this, but after the “Destroy Shi Alliance” contacted him and revealed they had many people, he suddenly realized this was a legitimate opportunity to eliminate the Shi family.

The Shi family has a hundred-year legacy—it would be extremely difficult to destroy them by one person alone.

Whether through ambush or assassination, there would always be risks.

But the family duel, a tradition passed down on Earth, was an excellent method.

It was an open, honorable challenge.

Even if the Shi family learned of it, they would have no choice but to accept.

If a family refuses to participate once the duel is requested, they would not only lose face but be despised, opposed, and collectively suppressed by all others.

Morale and pride may be intangible, but they are very real.

A family without these two will soon be absorbed or eradicated.

Of course, approval for the duel is not easily granted!