Chapter 116: The Strategy of Dou Jiande

Liu Heita, Dou Jiande, and Qin Qiong rushed to the side of the stage, their faces etched with anxiety and unease. Together, they helped Zhang Jincheng down from the platform and carried him into a tent, laying him down to rest.

Li Dong followed them quietly, arriving at the tent last.

After checking Zhang Jincheng's injuries, Li Dong offered comfort: "Brother, please set your mind at ease. Focus on recovering. Leave the rest to us; we will certainly vent this frustration for you!"

Zhang Jincheng had already fallen into a coma and remained oblivious to Li Dong’s words. The other brothers, however, were filled with indignation.

"Lai Hu’er is suppressing us!" Li Dong stood up, speaking to the three of them with a cold, resentful tone. "The upcoming rounds will be much more difficult."

Since Li Dong had altered his appearance, Liu Heita did not recognize him at first and asked, "Who is this brother..."

"He is..." Dou Jiande replied with a grave expression. "He is Li Dong. His features have changed, but his voice has not. Surely you can recognize that."

Liu Heita had a sudden realization. Looking embarrassed, he laughed at himself: "No wonder! I kept thinking the voice sounded so familiar, but I didn't recognize the face... I was far too careless."

Dou Jiande pondered for a moment before saying, "Lai Hu’er set the rules only to break them himself; it is truly shameless! However... I have devised a plan. I must win six consecutive bouts and then defeat Fei Qingnu. That will allow me to face Lai Hu’er directly. I intend to knock the teeth right out of his mouth!"

Li Dong shot a glance at Qin Qiong, who understood immediately.

Qin Qiong cupped his hands to Dou Jiande and said, "Brother Dou, if I may suggest, perhaps you should leave Fei Qingnu and Lai Hu’er to me."

"Uh... I don't think that will be necessary!" Fearing that Qin Qiong would steal the spotlight, Dou Jiande quickly refused. "Among us brothers, it doesn't matter who defeats him; it will be a great relief to all of us! There is no need for us to argue over who goes first."

"Very well, then. I shall step aside and let Brother Dou achieve this great fame!" Qin Qiong understood perfectly, his belief in Li Dong’s assessment only growing stronger. Dou Jiande was indeed desperate for glory, hoping to show off in front of Lai Hu’er. Though he claimed he wanted to confront the commander, he was likely trying to curry favor with him.

Just then, the tent curtain lifted, and a physician entered to tend to Zhang Jincheng. The brothers took the opportunity to leave the tent.

On the stage, the bouts grew increasingly intense. The soldiers knocked off the platform were rarely unscathed, almost all bearing minor injuries. Those who remained standing fared no better, their faces bruised and swollen.

As the competition progressed, the opponents became more skilled, making the requirement of three consecutive wins to earn the rank of Fire Chief increasingly difficult.

After watching for a while, Dou Jiande said to Li Dong with a bold air, "Brother, watch from here. I am not talented, but I am about to take the stage."

Li Dong cupped his hands and said, "Brother Dou, take care of yourself. Know when to quit. Do not follow in Brother Jincheng’s footsteps!"

Dou Jiande did not reply; he strode through the crowd, reached the stage, and with a agile twist of his body, leaped onto the platform.

Li Dong, Qin Qiong, and Liu Heita exchanged a nod before Li Dong faded into the crowd to avoid being spotted by Fei Qingnu.

On the stage, Dou Jiande had already engaged a large man in combat. Fists and kicks flew, and within a few rounds, Dou Jiande kicked his opponent off the platform. In the following four matches, Dou Jiande won with ease.

Seeing this, Lai Hu’er thought to himself: *Well, well! Talented men keep emerging from Li Dong’s circle! First Zhang Jincheng, now Dou Jiande. Does this mean Liu Heita and Qin Qiong are even more skilled? This is becoming troublesome! I must send Zhou Fashang to stop him!*

Qin Qiong saw that Dou Jiande had won five consecutive matches and was only one away from the rank of Captain. After a quick word with Li Dong, he squeezed out of the crowd. But before he could reach the stage, someone else had already stepped up.

As Qin Qiong watched the person on the stage, he was stunned.

It was not just Qin Qiong who was shocked; Li Dong, Lai Hu’er, Fei Qingnu, and Zhou Fashang were all taken aback.

The person who had rushed to the stage was none other than Liu Heita, who was known to be close with Dou Jiande.

What did it mean for Liu Heita and Dou Jiande to face each other? Did Liu Heita have the same intention as Qin Qiong—to prevent him from winning six in a row? The onlookers were confused as to why the two brothers would do this.

Li Dong, however, understood. He felt both admiration and helplessness toward Dou Jiande’s scheme.

Liu Heita and Dou Jiande were close; he had not come to stop Dou Jiande, but to assist him, ensuring he secured his sixth consecutive victory.

This was the strategy Dou Jiande had improvised after seeing Zhang Jincheng suppressed by Fei Qingnu. Liu Heita would help him clear the sixth round, providing a direct path to a duel with Fei Qingnu.

The competition was a matter of martial prowess, yet Li Dong and Lai Hu’er had each employed their own schemes to consolidate their power. Dou Jiande, of course, was also thinking; he had broken through the calculations of Li Dong and Lai Hu’er, effectively forming a faction of his own.

Lai Hu’er had been unable to fathom why the brothers were fighting among themselves. After exchanging twenty blows, he noticed that while Liu Heita was quite strong, he was deliberately feigning defeat. It was only then that Lai Hu’er grasped their true intent. His strategic thinking was half an hour behind Li Dong’s.

At this point, Lai Hu’er mistakenly believed this was a ruse orchestrated by Li Dong, and his respect for him grew. He began to change his strategy, moving from suppression to recruitment.

Those with strength could be suppressed; those with wit could be countered; but those with both would eventually rise—they could not be kept down!

It was like an awl in a pocket; it would not only poke through, but it would also draw blood. The best way to deal with such people was to draw them out, put them on display, use them where they were needed, and grind away their sharp edges.

In other words, Li Dong, Dou Jiande, and the others would be given heavy responsibilities. When attacking Liaodong, they would serve as the vanguard, taking the brunt of the assault and risking their lives on the edge of death.

It appeared to be promotion, but in reality, it was a calculated effort to break them. There is no treachery in the world more profound than this.

The two men on stage fought for over thirty rounds. To avoid exhausting Dou Jiande, Liu Heita feigned a weakness and allowed himself to be knocked off the platform.

As soon as Liu Heita stepped down, he saw Qin Qiong standing at the base of the stage.

Startled, Liu Heita asked, "Brother Qin, what are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you all from this pit of fire!" Qin Qiong replied as he ascended the stairs to the stage.

As soon as Qin Qiong stepped onto the platform, a chorus of boos rose from the crowd.

"Boo!" The crowd expressed their deep dissatisfaction.

"Get down quickly! Don't embarrass yourself!"

"Bring General Fei up! Get that yellow-faced man off the stage!"

Every other participant had leaped onto the stage with agility. Qin Qiong, however, was the only one who had walked up the stairs. In the eyes of the tens of thousands of soldiers below, this proved one thing: Qin Qiong lacked the skill, and he would certainly be defeated.