Chapter 38 Li Wenxuan: Come and Fight to the Death!

Li Wenxuan stepped forward, a surge of killing intent in his eyes. This was no empty threat, nor a mere whim; he truly intended to cut this man down.

Li Hu, a battle-hardened veteran and one of the Great Wu Kingdom’s top experts, instantly sensed the raw, undisguised malice radiating from Li Wenxuan. Startled, he lunged forward, his bull-like frame shielding Madam Cui. "You unfilial wretch!" he roared, glaring with fury. "What do you think you are doing?"

"General Li, you are free to ignore the terms of the wager, provided you are prepared to face the consequences," Li Wenxuan replied, his gaze as sharp as a blade. Even a seasoned warrior like Li Hu felt a chill run down his spine.

"I can make the decision here and now: from this day forward, you shall enjoy the same status as your two elder brothers. Whatever the General’s estate provides for them, it shall provide for you. How does that sound?"

Li Hu sighed inwardly. He had never imagined that Li Wenxuan could, through his own efforts, become a high-ranking centurion of the Eastern Depot within mere days. Though only a centurion, it was an official post of the Eastern Depot; even a high-ranking second-rank General of the West like himself felt a tremor of fear when confronted with that blood-red uniform.

Li Wenxuan held his saber horizontally, his expression icy. "General, who cares for your 'legitimate son' treatment? If your wife refuses to honor the bet, there is another way..."

"Ah! Wenxuan, I truly wish to compensate you properly. Name any request you have! I noticed you seem to know Tang Qi—how about I appoint you as an officer in the Northern Battalion?"

Li Hu felt a sense of relief, while a strange look flickered across Madam Cui’s face. She had expected this little beast to be stubborn to the end. She looked at him with contempt; he was exactly like that cheap woman—a spineless coward!

Li Wenxuan spoke coldly, "All I ask is that you announce publicly that, from today on, you and I are no longer father and son. We shall be strangers, living or dead, and I will cease demanding that you and your wife fulfill the wager."

Only now did Li Wenxuan reveal the true purpose of his scheme. When he had ridden his horse, Little Red, through the gates, he had set several goals.

The primary goal: fulfill the wager.
The secondary goal: ruin Madam Cui’s reputation.
The tertiary goal: make Li Hu a social pariah, equally disgraced.
The ultimate goal: completely sever ties with Li Hu.

No one in the General’s estate had ever treated him as family. Madam Cui, in particular, had always wished for his death. Moreover, the lavish wealth of the General’s estate was not supported by Li Hu’s salary, but by his rampant corruption. Once the Emperor of Wu launched an investigation, it would likely end in the execution of the entire household.

Li Wenxuan, having already died once, lived without fear. But to be executed because of their crimes would be an insult.

"Absurd!" Li Hu roared, his voice like thunder. "Who do you think I am? I am the world-renowned General of the West! Do you think you can just decide to sever our ties whenever you please?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Wenxuan sneered. "Then I shall trouble you to urge your wife to fulfill the wager—to kneel and apologize at my mother's grave!"

Tang Qi, who had been watching the spectacle in shock, nearly cried out. Putting aside Madam Cui’s noble status, the mere thought of a legitimate wife kneeling before a concubine was a historical anomaly. If this happened, the imperial historians would surely dedicate a chapter to it, ensuring future generations knew of the wife who was forced to kowtow at the grave of her husband's concubine. Wouldn't that be a laughingstock for ten thousand years?

The surrounding crowd stared, eyes wide. All the gossip they had ever heard combined couldn't compare to this.

Li Hu didn't need to look back to know his wife would never agree. "Third son, how about this? We both take a step back. I will petition the court to posthumously grant your mother the title of 'equal wife' and move her to the Li family ancestral tomb. What do you think—"

"Hahaha!" Li Wenxuan laughed wildly, looking up at the sky. "General, do you think my mother’s soul would ever want to enter your ancestral shrine? It is laughable! If your wife does not honor the bet today, I will bring my official seal and tokens to the Eastern Depot, call for troops, and tear your estate apart inside and out!"

He made his threat clear: "If your estate can withstand the investigation, then by all means, break the bet!"

"Fine!" Madam Cui stepped forward, her eyes filled with monstrous hatred. "I will go and kowtow to that slut, but before I do, you had better realize exactly who I am!"

She stared at him with haughty disdain, a pride that made her look down on everyone present, including her own husband.

"Madam, you cannot!" Li Hu panicked, but one look from her silenced him.

Li Wenxuan leaned on his three-foot saber, standing tall. "Please, Madam. I wish to see if your background is enough to break my spine."

"Listen well, you little mongrel," she hissed, her voice cold as a god looking down on ants. "I am the daughter of Cui Yuanhai, Minister of War; the legitimate wife of Li Hu, General of the West; a second-rank lady titled Lady of Qin by imperial decree; the first cousin of the Emperor’s Consort Lian; the niece of Gao Yangwu, Vice Minister of Personnel; the sister of Cui Shanhai, Commander of the Dragon Cavalry; the sister of Cui Shanyue, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard; and the aunt of both the Prefect of Zhuo and the Magistrate of An County."

She looked at him with icy arrogance. "Remember this: from today, these people are your mortal enemies. I will go to that woman's grave now. If you live to see tomorrow’s sun, then the Cui family has truly fallen."

Even Tang Qi, a noble of high status, felt a shudder of fear at the list of titles. This was a fight to the death.

Yet, Li Wenxuan remained standing, his face devoid of fear. "These titles are not enough to break my spine. But rest assured, Madam, I have memorized these names. One day, I will come with a decree to exterminate the nine generations of your kin, and I will hunt you down one by one."

"You!" Madam Cui nearly lost her mind. "Sharp-tongued little beast, I promise you will regret being born!"

She turned and ordered, "Prepare the carriage! We go to the mass grave to kowtow to that woman! I am a woman of status—my word is law!"

Tang Qi looked at Li Hu in shock. Li Hu could only shake his head in helpless resignation. Tang Qi sighed; it was true—with a wife of such powerful background, Li Hu was essentially a kept man with no say in his own house. No wonder his own father, the former General Tang Wushuang, used to say that being a man like Li Hu was worse than being a dog.

"What are you afraid of?" Li Wenxuan said, his tone indifferent to his own mortality. "If I am assassinated, you can have Little Red back."

Tang Qi gritted his teeth. "If I am to take Little Red back, it will be by defeating you fairly, not like this!"

"Then wait until I see tomorrow's sun!" Li Wenxuan smiled carelessly, vaulted onto his horse, and looked at Li Hu with undisguised contempt. "General, do tell the assassins your family keeps that I will be waiting for them at the Qingyun Pavilion."

"Tonight—we shall settle this!"