C13 I Am A Man

Leng Xue stood seething on the training ground, her long sword pointed straight at Ethan.

“Come on, you miserable man! Today I’ll teach you what a real warrior is. You’ll regret being born male!”

Ethan said nothing. Seeing Leng Xue driven wild with anger, he walked to the weapon rack and picked up a huge bronze hammer. He wanted to show this arrogant woman the true power of a man. But when he saw her sword stance, his confidence wavered. He wondered if he was being too cruel—but there was no turning back.

He chose the heavy hammer to overwhelm her with presence, even though he had no idea how to use it. He didn’t care. Dragon Five had once told him:

I teach you no fixed forms because you each have unlimited potential. You must unlock yourselves. Remember—you are the strongest. I train you to dodge, catch hidden weapons, and endure pain. Remember: no form defeats all forms. Once fighting becomes routine, it becomes weak. Without set moves, the enemy cannot predict you. Find their openings in the moment. Remember you are invincible.

Ethan stood opposite Leng Xue, holding the hammer halfway up. He meant to overpower her spirit and end the fight in an instant—to humble the women of the kingdom completely.

But Leng Xue was a true warrior. Her mind steadied. A powerful killing aura slowly flowed from her sword. The queen and Leng Bing smiled, confident that calm Leng Xue could not lose.

“Go on, Miss Leng! How was the view outside the city? You should have invited me. Why keep such beauty to yourself?” Ethan teased, trying to make her lose control completely. A man blinded by rage could be defeated easily, no matter how strong.

“You… you bastard!” Leng Xue swore, losing all grace.

She slashed her sword violently at Ethan’s head. Sword style was meant to be light and elegant, but Leng Xue had integrated blade techniques into her swordplay—this was why she was the second-best fighter in the palace. Her sister was first, but they had never fought seriously. Leng Xue believed she was just as strong.

Enraged, she attacked first, giving up all composure. The air filled with hundreds of flashing sword shadows. She was truly a master.

Ethan smiled. Amid the storm of blades, he saw her footsteps were unsteady—she was exhausted from the race. Even perfect sword skill meant nothing without stable footwork. The whole stance was full of openings.

Ethan moved. He threw the bronze hammer high into the air and charged forward without looking back, throwing a fierce punch.

Leng Xue froze. What kind of move was this? Did the weapon fight on its own? She could not believe fists could block her sword.

“You seek death!” she shouted, slashing harder. The crowd could not believe Ethan was fighting barehanded against a sword.

“Brother, be careful! It’s a trap!” Leng Bing screamed.

Ethan stepped on a small stone and suddenly fell right in front of Leng Xue. She hesitated. Should she kick him while he was down? He was just a man, and she was a top warrior of the Moon Rabbit Kingdom. But remembering his taunts, she slashed down anyway.

Ethan instantly unleashed his Ascending Dragon power. He slid across the ground at lightning speed. Leng Xue’s hesitation had given him all the chance he needed. He moved like the giant crab he had defeated, grabbing Leng Xue and throwing her to the ground. He locked his legs around her, pinning her down as he’d planned.

The bronze hammer fell from the sky. Ethan caught it without lifting his head. He gently touched Leng Xue’s red, angry cheek.

“Smooth… sexy,” he whispered.

He pressed the hammer lightly against her, then jumped up and laughed wildly.

Leng Xue slowly stood. She had been tricked by his fake sympathy. A top palace warrior had been humiliated by a man in front of the entire court. She could not hold back the blood rushing up her throat. Pale and weak, she spat blood and collapsed.

The queen sighed quietly. “A cunning man.”

Leng Bing rushed to her sister. Chaos broke out.

“Imperial doctors! Hurry! Don’t let that man escape!”

Ethan had not expected this. He watched the chaos, unsure whether to feel happy or guilty. Women were too fragile. He had only angered her, and she’d collapsed. The queen had lost face. Maybe he had been too cruel.

After Leng Xue was carried away, Ethan was taken to the palace. Queen Fei’e sat silently on her throne for a long time.

Soon Leng Bing returned, signaling that Leng Xue would live but needed rest. She shot Ethan a cold look.

“Ethan, you have won. Not with honor—but victory rules history. We accept defeat. I will grant your request,” the queen said quietly. Ethan was surprised by her grace.

Just then, a female general rushed in, too panicked to bow.

“Your Majesty! Disaster! West Wind Snow leads one million troops against us! The border is falling!”

The queen’s face tightened, but she showed no fear. She had to stay strong for her people.

“Calm yourself, General Bai Yun. Troops will block soldiers; water will bury earth. The Moon Rabbit Kingdom is not weak. Summon all ministers to the war chamber.” She turned to Ethan. “You will join us, Ethan. Show us your talent as a man and a strategist.”

The kingdom had fewer than 500,000 troops. The Turtle Kingdom had one million—half male slave soldiers, trained brutally after gaining the Lightning Flash technique. Male soldiers had defeated the Rabbit army many times. With the kingdom on the edge of death, the queen was willing to trust a man from another world.

In the war chamber, the queen ordered General Bai Yun to report again.

“The Turtle army numbers one million, attacking in two waves. The east has taken three cities; our forces retreat. The west advances from the Western Sea. Both groups push toward our capital, Guanghan.”

Panic spread. The queen looked at her ministers—trembling, terrified—except Leng Bing and Ethan, who remained calm.

“Does anyone have a plan to drive them back?”

“Your Majesty, the enemy is too strong. We have lost for a hundred years. We have only 460,000 troops, 200,000 elite. The Golden Rooster Kingdom, our ally, does not move. We should… surrender,” the Right Prime Minister said weakly.

“Silence!” the queen roared. “I will not be the ruler who loses our ancestral land!”

She slammed her palm down. The stone table shattered.

“Throw her out! One hundred lashes! Anyone who speaks of surrender shares her fate!”

Ethan was impressed. The queen was decisive, powerful, and fearless.

“Your Majesty, I have a plan,” Leng Bing said.

“Speak!”

“The enemy marches far. We fight on our land. We split our forces to meet both wings, avoid their strength, strike their supply lines. Use our speed: retreat when they gather, attack when they spread. Starve them. They will withdraw.”

“Excellent!” the queen said. She glanced at Ethan. “Mr. Ethan, what do you think?”

“It is a good plan, but what if the Turtle army burns villages and steals grain to supply themselves?” Ethan asked.

The room fell silent.

“Then what? Can you solve this? Prove you are a man who deserves to stand among us,” the queen said.

Ethan smiled bitterly. He could not back down now.

“Your Majesty, we evacuate all people from one front. Burn homes, crops, and food. Leave the enemy nothing but scorched earth—no shelter, no supplies. Combine this with Leng Bing’s strategy, and we can defeat them.”

The court gasped. No one had ever proposed such a harsh plan. But everyone knew it might be the only way.

The queen was again amazed by Ethan’s boldness.

“If I give you ten thousand men, how would you defeat one hundred thousand troops?”

“Surround them… and destroy them,” Ethan replied. He was recalling a silly joke with friends, but he spoke with total confidence.

The room exploded in shock. Ten thousand men surrounding one hundred thousand? Unheard of.

“How can you possibly do that?” the queen demanded.

Ethan hesitated. He didn’t know—but he could not admit he was joking. Not in front of all these women, not after proving men’s dignity.

“It is a long story. It begins with heaven and earth,” he improvised.

“Between heaven and earth there are mountains, rivers, wind, storms, men, and women. All things have spirit. Humans rule because we have the most spirit. We use wind, water, fields, fire. We use wisdom to shape the world.”

“What does that have to do with surrounding a stronger army?” Leng Bing asked, both confused and fascinated.

“Everything, my beautiful Miss Leng,” Ethan said smoothly.

Leng Bing blushed. She no longer hated him.

“All things in nature can be weapons. Grass, trees, mountains, rivers. Victory comes from timing, land, and people. Know yourself and know your enemy; in a hundred battles you will never be defeated.”

That line from The Art of War silenced the room. Leng Bing stared at Ethan in total admiration.

“How do we destroy them?”

“Long story. In short: nature, timing, terrain, and unity,” Ethan said.

The queen laughed with joy. “Finally, a man with real talent! This war feels like a game to him.”

She turned to Leng Bing. “Leng Bing! I appoint you Eastern Marshal. Lead four hundred thousand troops against the eastern army!”

Leng Bing knelt, thrilled. Her lifelong dream had come true, all because of Ethan. Her anger toward him was gone.

“Ethan!” the queen announced.

Ethan’s heart dropped. He had not expected to lead an army in a female kingdom.

“I appoint you Western General. You will command fifty thousand men. Go show your genius, our hero. We await victory.”

“Fifty thousand?!” Ethan whispered. It was suicide. He might face hundreds of thousands.

“Too few?” the queen asked.

“No… too many,” Ethan blurted, too proud to back down. He hated that male pride made him act brave. “The capital needs protection. Give me only twenty thousand men—and local troops. I will win.”

He thought of Icy. He had failed to protect her. He would not fail these women.

The queen’s eyes filled with tears. “You… you are the hope of this kingdom!”

The ministers stared in awe. Leng Bing could barely believe it. He was like a meteor cutting through darkness.

Ethan loved being respected. Maybe this female kingdom wasn’t so bad.

“Your Majesty, I only have ten thousand trained men. I will order a draft for you.”

Ethan wanted to cry. Ten thousand men? He would die. But he would die with honor.

“Your Majesty, ten thousand is enough. I can use grass and trees as soldiers. Do not worry about me.”

The queen was deeply moved.

“Very well. Lead ten thousand men. I will add twenty thousand female soldiers. Tomorrow I send you both off. We need you to win.”

Ethan accepted his fate. He would protect these people. Being a man meant duty.

Then a loud voice announced:

“Her Highness the Queen Consort has arrived!”

Ethan turned, curious to see the man who ruled beside the queen.

His blood turned cold.

“Li Yizhu!”

The consort’s face went pale.

“Ethan!”

The two men stared at each other, enemies reunited in the heart of the enemy kingdom.