Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 629 - 628 Everyone Looks Down on Tian Peng

Chapter 629: Chapter 628 Everyone Looks Down on Tian Peng

Tian Peng’s age, not yet eighteen, hadn’t even undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, yet he had surprisingly ascended to the rank of General who Guards the Northwest, of the second rank.

Having campaigned in the field, Deputy General Chen had only achieved the fourth-rank position of Deputy General. He wanted to properly gauge Zhu Ganglie’s strength. If Zhu was stronger, so be it, but if he couldn’t even surpass him, then from then on, he would truly not acknowledge his authority.

Tian Peng actually saw through Deputy General Chen’s inner thoughts, yet he wasn’t angry.

It wasn’t surprising that Deputy General Chen had such thoughts; Tian Peng would probably feel the same way.

Encountering someone younger, yet with an identical rank, who had inexplicably climbed to a much higher position than his own, Chen certainly could not take this lightly.

"Since Deputy General Chen has put it that way, then I shall earnestly compete with Deputy General Chen."

Deputy General Chen was unaware of Tian Peng’s mindset; he even thought Tian Peng had been persuaded by him. With this thought, he felt his chest swell with excitement.

Regardless of what General Zhu thought, the fact that he had agreed to compete was more than satisfactory to him.

The thought in his mind was simple: if he lost to General Zhu, then he would fully acknowledge him and from then on respect him for who he was.

If he won, then it meant Zhu Ganglie was merely lucky to have joined the military. No matter how tall and imposing Zhu might be, Chen would certainly not make it easy for him.

"Now that General Zhu has accepted, I must prepare well," Deputy General Chen said with a smile.

"General Zhu looks to be half a head taller than me. Winning won’t be easy, but fortunately, winning a competition isn’t about height, right?"

Tian Peng smiled. His words seemed to belittle himself, but in reality, he wanted to mock his own lack of strength, with nothing more than a tall physique to show for it.

"I see there’s even a phase for tough talk in a competition. I just didn’t notice them exchanging any before."

"General Zhu, don’t joke around. I simply wanted to remind you not to hold back during the competition. I will go all out," Deputy General Chen said.

Although he didn’t know about Zhu Ganglie’s strength, the way Zhu carried himself made it clear he hadn’t been to the barracks before.

His own skills were honed on the battlefield, slaying enemies—true silver—that couldn’t be compared to striking wooden dummies.

"Then Deputy General Chen, you’d better prepare well." Since Chen underestimated him, Tian Peng would not be too courteous with Deputy General Chen.

"Although you say that, I feel I should still restrain myself a bit, for my full force might truly be too much for you to withstand."

"Look at General Zhu, with just one sentence, you’ve negated all the effort I’ve put in battling on the battlefield over the years," Deputy General Chen said with a laugh.

His words carried a hint of resentment. Deputy Commandant Zhang and Tribune Zhao also sensed something amiss. From the moment General Zhu had mentioned starting the competition, every sentence seemed spiky. They wondered why the situation was amicable just moments before, but now seemed on the verge of hostility.

"Ah, Deputy General Chen, although General Zhu indeed holds the rank, he has only recently taken office, and is still young, only seventeen. He is several years your junior. There are plenty of opportunities for him to develop in the future. It’s not something that can be proven through a mere trial."

"Right, Deputy Commandant Zhang is correct. General Zhu is young and hasn’t been on the battlefield. His martial arts were self-taught, not like ours, forged through real combat."

"In my opinion, General Zhu has just taken office and, after such a tiring journey, should rest first. As for the competition, perhaps we should postpone it for now."

"Exactly, exactly. Having come nonstop from Chang’an to the northwest, General Zhu is certainly not yet familiar with the northwest climate. Moreover, there has been no warfare recently, so there’s no rush for the competition. Let’s postpone it for a while," they urged in a few words, each sentence seemingly considerate of Tian Peng’s well-being, but when pieced together meticulously, the underlying sentiment was still one of disdain.

They mentioned how young Zhu Ganglie was, how he hadn’t been battle-tested, seemingly in his best interest; in truth, they themselves felt that even though Zhu Ganglie had become the martial arts champion and secured the position of the General who Guards the Northwest, they were still stronger than him in comparison.

"I think you all might have some misunderstandings about me," Tian Peng said. "Although I indeed have never been on a battlefield, before absolute strength, that bit of experience counts for nothing."

This was a proclamation of his strength. Tian Peng wouldn’t make such a bold statement unless he was confident in his victory.

And indeed, he could win. Even if all the soldiers on the field joined forces, they might still not be able to beat him.

To them, however, such words were truly arrogant.

This newly appointed young general was fiery despite his age. Regardless of his rank, these men had the experience of fighting battles; to think he could dismiss their life-and-death experiences as just a bit of experience was nothing short of arrogant.

Even Deputy Commandant Zhang and Tribune Zhao, who had initially planned to break up the fight, ceased their attempts at peacemaking.

If this young general was so obstinate, then they could only let him learn his lesson the hard way.

"Well, if General Zhu is so eager for a competition, we won’t keep dissuading you like old wives," Tribune Zhao said. "However, since it’s just a competition, let’s consider it a game. It’s crucial to know the strength to apply; harmony is most important."

Tian Peng let out a snicker through his teeth before responding, "Don’t worry, Tribune. I’ll certainly control my strength. Harmony is of utmost importance, indeed."

When Tribune Zhao made this remark, it was intended for Deputy General Chen, but Tian Peng intervened, effectively placing Deputy General Chen in a weak position. Unwilling to be seen as inferior, Deputy General Chen rubbed his fists and said, "Then since General Zhu has said as much, let us have the competition."

Tian Peng rose to his feet. The field for the competition had already been cleared by the soldiers, and the two stepped into the arena together.

The previously noisy environment fell silent once the two contenders stepped in, as everyone waited to watch the spectacle unfold.

Deputy General Chen stripped off his outer garment, revealing his muscular torso, which bore scars from knives on his arms and back—badges of honor from battles.

This was a deliberate provocation, aimed to show Zhu Ganglie that his years in the army were not spent in vain.

Tian Peng sensed Deputy General Chen’s intent, but such an amateurish tactic wouldn’t rile him up; if it did, he would have lived his few hundred years in vain.

Deputy Commandant Zhang took up the role of the umpire, saying with a gong in hand, "General, Deputy General, are you both ready?"

"I have been ready for a long time. As a soldier, I am always prepared," said Deputy General Chen.

"We can begin," Tian Peng ignored Deputy General Chen’s provocations.

"Begin!" Deputy Commandant Zhang struck the gong, and the competition officially commenced.

Once the competition started, neither of them rushed to engage in combat; instead, they circled each other on the field, both waiting for an opportunity to strike.