Chapter 58: First Volume, Chapter 58: The Competition Begins

First Volume, Chapter 58: The Competition Begins

Insults aside, Liu Hongyan couldn't help but worry—Qin Feng, that brat, always turned decay into wonder, but she feared he was too arrogant; after all, this was Ji Wang's birthday banquet, with countless court officials present, even the Liang Emperor himself. One misstep could bring disaster.

The women present, representing their respective families, burst into laughter.

"Qin Feng is becoming more arrogant by the day—he dares challenge the Little Marquis to a test of strength? I don't know whether to call him fearless as a newborn calf or just stupid."

"It's definitely the latter. Didn't Qin Feng once fall into the water and go mad ever since? This kind of foolishness is totally his style."

"We only heard Qin Feng had some talent in poetry and literature; never expected his martial skill to be so astonishing."

"Martial skill?"

"Of course. Anyone with such a formidable record must be highly skilled in martial arts."

Li Ninghui, seated with Liu Hongyan, sneered.

At Qingya Pavilion, Li Ninghui had been humiliated by Qin Feng and harbored deep hatred—she'd just never found a chance to retaliate. Now that the opportunity had come, how could she miss it? She crossed her arms and sneered sarcastically: "The Little Marquis has trained in martial arts since childhood and is one of the rare martial geniuses among the Noble Youth of Jingzhong."

"He could wield a sword at three, understand military treatises at seven, and had already tamed tigers and captured wolves by sixteen—his fame in Jingzhong is legendary. Truly, heroes emerge from youth. Who dares challenge him? Some people are utterly overestimating themselves!"

At these words, the crowd erupted in mocking laughter.

These women cared nothing for polite formalities; they tore others apart without restraint, far beyond what any court official would dare.

Hearing the sharp, cruel remarks, Liu Hongyan was furious—but alone and powerless, how could she stand against the chorus of voices? She had no choice but to swallow the hatred.

At this moment, all attention in Ji Wang Fu focused on Qin Feng and Ning Hu.

Ning Hu stood beside the three-legged tripod, rolling his fists, his sidelong glance at the slouching Qin Feng filled him with contempt: "This bastard is finished. Once Qin Residence's reputation is ruined, this bastard's days are numbered!"

If before Ning Hu merely disliked Qin Feng, now it had become utter hatred—he silently swore Qin Feng must pay with blood.

The Liang Emperor had already ordered: begin whenever ready.

Ning Hu could hardly wait to see Qin Feng groveling in humiliation. Without hesitation, he seized the rim of the tripod with both hands. The tripod's weight was so great even Ning Hu dared not underestimate it—any slip could crush him to death.

Ning Hu drew a deep breath, Qi Refining in his Essence Refining, slowly exerting force. When the tripod began to tremble faintly, he unleashed all his strength, yanking upward—the thousand-jin tripod lifted into the air.

As the tripod passed over his head, Ning Hu released his grip on the rim and seized two of its legs. With a low roar, the tripod hung suspended above his head.

The court officials' eyes gleamed; instant applause erupted.

"No wonder he's the Little Marquis—such strength rivals even the fiercest generals of the battlefield."

"Brilliant! The Little Marquis is born with divine strength!"

Qin Feng was momentarily stunned. Honestly, he never believed Ning Hu could lift the tripod!

After all, it weighed a thousand jin—half a ton!

Even professional strongmen trained for years couldn't lift it so effortlessly.

What he saw confirmed his earlier suspicion: this era's "martial arts" were utterly unlike anything he knew.

Ning Hu held the tripod aloft. As time passed, the veins on his arms bulged, his face twisted in strain. When the tripod finally crashed to the ground, nearly half a cup of tea had passed.

Holy shit! Qin Feng never withheld praise for others—even enemies!

If not for the presence of his old man Qin Tianhu, Qin Feng would've clapped and cheered!

Such strength wasted on anything but construction work? What a tragedy!

Ning Hu exhaled heavily, turned, and glared at Qin Feng: "Your turn!"

Applause continued; Ning Qingquan's face glowed with pride.

As the saying goes: comparing people kills, comparing goods discards. Looking at that wretched Qin Feng, then at his own precious son, Ning Qingquan couldn't help but be proud.

The Liang Emperor's eyes brightened. Though Ning Hu still had room to grow, his youth made such strength astonishing enough—he praised: "The young generation is formidable. Ning Hu's achievement is thanks to Yong'an Marquis's strict upbringing."

Ning Qingquan beamed and bowed deeply to the Liang Emperor, raising his voice deliberately: "Your Majesty's kindness overwhelms me!"

These words slapped Qin Tianhu's old face hard.

Though Qin Feng knew clearly that unless he cheated, he couldn't beat Ning Hu, he still wouldn't lose the momentum. He grinned carelessly, slapped Ning Hu's shoulder, and laughed: "Youth is youth—only held it for half a cup of tea? Did you drain your body on women?"

Ning Hu slapped Qin Feng's hand away, snarling: "Stop touching me. Do you and I know each other well? Don't waste time—lift the tripod. I'll see how you get crushed into meat paste!"

Qin Feng had only meant to warn Ning Hu to take care of his health. Seeing Ning Hu's fury, he adopted the tone of a seasoned elder, solemnly advising: "Don't be so hot-headed, boy—you'll regret it later. Relying only on brute force is the act of a fool. You're already defeated. Today, I'll teach you a lesson."

As Qin Feng predicted, the crowd erupted in mockery and disdain.

Watching the so-called court officials sneer with contempt, Qin Feng felt no shame—only pride.

Qin Tianhu's face burned. Had the Liang Emperor not been present, he'd have fled in shame—this was too humiliating!

Under the scornful stares of all, Qin Feng turned and bowed to the Liang Emperor: "May I borrow ten members of the Imperial Guard?"

The Liang Emperor was intrigued by Qin Feng's response—his curiosity was fully piqued—and replied promptly: "As long as they don't lift the tripod for you, they're yours."

Qin Feng smiled without speaking, pulled a small paper packet from his pocket, unfolded it, and revealed several sharpened pieces of Wood Charcoal. He began drawing on the tripod—simple, elementary-level diagrams gradually covering its entire surface.

Then he ordered the ten Imperial Guard to bring wooden stakes and Rope, directing them to construct a simple Shield Stand. He placed the longest stake atop the stand, tied the shorter end to the tripod, leaving the longer end suspended in air.

Thus, a simple Lever Technique was formed.

Among the court officials were several from the Ministry of Works.

At Zui Xian Lou, Wu Yong had been publicly beaten by Qin Feng—the grudge between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works was now sealed. The Ministry of Works officials, seeing Qin Feng's actions, sneered.

"All this fuss… for this? The greatest joke in the world!"

"Hmph. He just plans to use clever leverage to pry up the tripod. That tripod weighs a thousand jin—how long a lever would Qin Feng need to lift it with his puny strength?"

"I wondered where his confidence came from—turns out he's just another armchair strategist."

Even officials who had remained neutral and held some fondness for Qin Feng after his poem "Chu Sai" now felt disappointed.

Everyone—including the Liang Emperor—believed Qin Feng would lose.