Chapter 103: Qualification for a Duel

The banquet hall fell dead silent as two unconscious noblewomen were quietly supported and led out. Everyone present recognized these two exceptionally beautiful ladies; they were the mothers of Angel and Anlin.

The Western Continent did not place much emphasis on a young woman's chastity; taking a few lovers before or after marriage was hardly considered a grave matter. However, such affairs were deemed "boudoir secrets"—private scandals that were never meant to be dragged into the light. By blurting out such words in public, Tangier fancied himself a chivalrous hero acting in the name of justice, but in truth, he had gravely offended the families backing the two young ladies.

Many things could be done but never spoken of, yet Tangier had brazenly exposed them to the world.

Tang Joe's face turned a sickly shade of green. The moment the two noblewomen silently collapsed and fainted, he felt a sudden, violent urge to carve his own son to pieces, inch by inch, with a butter knife. That cursed fool! Didn't he know that such matters could not be spoken of so recklessly in public? And how on earth did he find out about Long Cheng's sordid affairs with the two women?

Tangier, however, remained oblivious to the blunder he had committed. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "You shameless scoundrel, duel me! When I peeked through the crack of the tavern door and saw those two noble ladies beaten to such a state by you, lying half-dead and unable to move beneath the windowsill, I knew what a despicable bastard you were! I shall pierce your chest with my sword!"

Gripping the hilt of his sword, Tangier took a heavy step forward, raising his left hand to point directly at the tip of Long Cheng's nose.

Lin Qi snatched the glass from Enzo's hand and downed the "fine wine" inside in a single gulp. The sour, astringent liquid slid down his throat and exploded in his stomach like a fireball spell. The pungent, stimulating kick instantly jolted Lin Qi's spirits. Glancing at Tang Joe's pale, green face, then at the righteously indignant Tangier, and finally at the utterly indifferent Long Cheng, Lin Qi nudged Enzo with his elbow.

"Long Cheng beat..."

Before Lin Qi could finish, Enzo slapped a hand over his mouth. The banquet hall was dead silent, with no one daring to make a sound. If Lin Qi blurted out something bizarre now, he wouldn't just be offending one or two people. Enzo leaned close to Lin Qi's ear and, in the most cautious whisper, explained the truth of the matter.

Lin Qi, who was well-versed in the bizarre workings of the underworld but possessed only a superficial understanding of affairs between men and women, suddenly understood. His eyes lit up as he looked at Long Cheng. "So this guy is that capable? In just a single afternoon, Angel and Anlin went from girls to women? Good heavens, in such a short time? But he's also incredibly unlucky to have caught the attention of Tangier."

Lowering his voice to a whisper, Lin Qi detailed Tangier's background to Enzo.

Enzo listened in utter bewilderment. In this day and age, did such a freak actually exist? A chivalrous rogue wandering the land to do good? Damn it, hadn't this rare breed gone extinct back during the Dark Era? Most of the stories of wandering knights circulating on the continent today were nothing but ancient legends.

Long Cheng cleared his throat softly. He was thick-skinned; even under the gaze of hundreds in the banquet hall, his smile remained as light and breezy as clouds. Waving his hand dismissively, Long Cheng said indifferently, "A duel? Tell me, are you a noble?"

Tangier froze. His father, Tang Joe, was the current president of the Dunkirk Chamber of Commerce. His family was immensely wealthy, easily ranking among the top three richest in Dunkirk. However, they were a family of merchants, having engaged in trade for generations. Although they had intermarried with several minor noble families, those noble houses were always populous and never lacked heirs. As mere in-laws, Tangier's family had never been granted a noble title.

Shaking his head honestly, Tangier said in a solemn voice, "Forgive me, I am not a noble. I am merely an ordinary man walking this earth to uphold justice and righteousness. My sword exists solely to strike down the evils of this world."

Long Cheng smiled brightly. He shook his head gently, reached out with two fingers, and slowly pinched Tangier's finger, leisurely moving it away from his nose. He said calmly, "Oh, then I am terribly sorry as well, but you are not qualified to duel me. According to the laws of the Western Continent, if one party is a noble, a commoner has no right to challenge them to a duel."

Tangier stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at Long Cheng, unable to utter a word for a long time.

This was indeed the law of dueling in the Western Continent, a part of the famous "Noble's Privilege." The so-called "Noble's Privilege" was a code of law designed to protect aristocratic interests. One of its clauses dictated that a commoner had no right to challenge a noble to a duel, whereas a noble could challenge a commoner at any time, and the commoner had no right to refuse.

Of course, a noble actively challenging a commoner to a duel only occurred when the noble possessed an overwhelming advantage in strength.

Tangier was rigid and old-fashioned, and precisely because of this, he could not bypass the constraints of the Noble's Privilege. He stared blankly at Long Cheng, crying out in utter astonishment, "How could you possibly be a noble? How could a noble beat two delicate young ladies until they bled from their lower bodies?!"

Long Cheng let out a soft sigh and shook his head. "What an absolute fool. I cannot even be bothered to speak to you."

Shrugging, Long Cheng walked steadily through the path cleared by the crowd to Lin Qi's side. He smiled and nodded at Blackbeard. "Well, I never expected that in a place crawling with jumping monkeys and savages, there would actually be a pure-blooded Easterner like you. Truly rare. A phoenix rising from a nest of wild pheasants—what a pleasant surprise."

Long Cheng's words were as biting and sarcastic as ever, instantly provoking the anger of the Dunkirk dignitaries surrounding them.

Lin Qi secretly cried out in dismay. He grabbed Long Cheng's hand and smiled, nodding to the surrounding aristocrats and officials. "This is a shipwreck survivor rescued by the Ocean Windmill. His brain was damaged by the freezing cold on an iceberg. Please forgive his rudeness!"

Bowing deeply to the crowd, Lin Qi dragged Long Cheng toward the exit of the banquet hall.

This fellow's tongue was dripping with venom; his words would offend everyone present. Lin Qi did not want any members of Dunkirk's noble families to challenge Long Cheng to a duel. This guy would undoubtedly slaughter them without hesitation, and then there would be no way to clean up the mess.

As he hurriedly dragged Long Cheng out of the banquet hall, Tangier suddenly bellowed, "Damn it! If you say you are a noble, show us the proof!"

Shouting at the top of his lungs, Tangier ignored his father's roaring protests, drew his longsword, and gave chase.

***

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