Chapter 204: A Flower in Cow Dung

"The shattering has already begun."

As soon as these words fell, the Oak Frost Shield in the fat knight's hand emitted a distinct "crack," followed by a fine line appearing across the surface, running through the Laurel crest like a scar and continuing to crack at a visible speed.

Simultaneously, a deep chasm-like fissure appeared in the illusory ice wall, causing the entire structure to teeter, disintegrate, and lose its previously impenetrable and indestructible appearance.

"No, no, no..."

The fat knight frantically touched his shield, "Don't break, don't break, don't break! My shield! My Oak Frost..."

The moment his chubby fingers touched the surface of the Oak Frost Shield, he recoiled as if electrocuted. If the shield hadn't already been shattered by Rayan, and the freezing temperature had lost its effect, his fingers might have been frozen off instantly. It wouldn't just be his fingers; his whole body could have been frozen in place.

The Oak Frost Shield shattered even faster when the fat knight touched it, almost instantly breaking into dozens of pieces. The illusory ice wall it created also collapsed—though just an illusion, the scene of a landslide and collapse deeply shocked everyone's heart.

Imperius was dumbfounded. "He actually..."

"He saw through it..." Eileen slumped in her chair, murmuring to herself.

Trevor also couldn't believe it, whispering to himself, "This kid is stronger than I imagined. The new order has more hope..."

Lady Spring Rain didn't understand all this. She only knew her Oath Knight had won, and she was very happy.

And that was enough.

Seeing the fat knight kneeling on the ground, holding the pieces of the Oak Frost Shield, Rayan coldly said, "If you had given me ten thousand gold coins earlier, you wouldn't be in this miserable state now."

"Villain Rayan!"

The fat knight cried out in grief, "I will fight you to the death!"

Rayan reminded him, "You should stand up first."

The fat knight threw away the pieces of the Oak Frost Shield, angrily grabbed his scimitar, and used it to support himself as he stood up. "I will never disgrace the Laurel family. If you want my place, come and kill me!"

Rayan frowned slightly. He had no enmity with this fat knight; it was just a challenge for the right to appear. He thought he had picked the weakest and most cowardly one, not expecting that beneath all the fat was a steely resolve.

"This is quite troublesome now." Rayan muttered, reaching for the Crow Sword on his back.

The fat knight's face was resolute, but his body was trembling uncontrollably. His legs shook inside his pants, and his knees were so weak they could barely hold him up.

"I'll give you one last chance to leave the arena with dignity." Rayan had not yet drawn his Crow Sword.

"N-no need!"

The fat knight extended his neck, ready for execution, "You, you go ahead!"

Rayan had no intention of killing him. No matter how clever or experienced he was, he was still just a sixteen-year-old boy. The fat knight's actions left him at a loss.

On the noble stands, Phoenix Lady laughed quietly, whispering to Lady Spring Rain beside her, "Your Oath Knight isn't without weaknesses."

Lady Spring Rain gasped, "Rayan has a weakness?"

Obviously, Rayan was in control. Why talk about weaknesses?

Phoenix Lady covered her mouth with a black silk fan, secretly saying, "Your Oath Knight looks cold on the outside, but his heart is as soft as cotton candy—that fat knight is exploiting this. He knows that whether he leaves the arena or not, Rayan won't kill him. By acting righteously, he saves face. Even if he gets beaten up, he can explain to his patriarch why the shield was broken."

Lady Spring Rain blinked, "But that fat knight seemed foolish and stubborn before. How could he be so clever?"

"Never underestimate a fat person."

Phoenix Lady smiled faintly, "Think about it, fat people are fat because they have big appetites. Big appetites signify an inherent ambition to devour the world. These ambitions may not be realized, but their large appetite remains a visible trait—for example, our dear Holy Light envoy, Lady Eileen."

Eileen, lost in thought, heard Phoenix Lady mention her name, looked at her warily but said nothing.

Lady Spring Rain bit back a smile, "Phoenix Lady's explanation helps Spring Rain understand. I just hope Rayan can handle this properly so people don't call him a villain..."

"Do you care?"

Phoenix Lady looked at Lady Spring Rain with interest, "Do you care if he is called a villain?"

Lady Spring Rain hastily shook her head to explain, "He is not."

"That means you do care."

Phoenix Lady smiled, "If it were me, I wouldn't care."

After speaking, she ignored Lady Spring Rain's confusion and turned her gaze back to the arena.

At this moment, a noblewoman in a pink gown, ignoring the Young Lion guard's obstruction, suddenly rushed into the arena. The Black-armored guards immediately moved to stop her.

"Let me go!"

The noblewoman kicked and struggled, "That's my Oath Knight!"

Rayan followed the voice and saw the noblewoman, her hair disheveled but still strikingly beautiful, with a blooming Laurel embroidered on her skirt.

"Laurel Madam!"

Black Armor Commander Trevor urged his horse forward, his face stern. "This is the arena, not a place for ladies to cause trouble. Leave immediately, or don't blame my Black-armored guards for being ruthless!"

Laurel Madam instantly quieted down but still refused to leave. She raised her fair wrist and pointed at the fat knight, "That's my Oath Knight! I don't want him to die!"

Seeing his patriarch, the fat knight felt guilty and shamefully called out, "Madam!" Tears rolled down his chubby face.

"Madam, I'm sorry. I broke the equipment you bought for me again..."

So, this wasn't the first time.

Laurel Madam looked at her Oath Knight with some pain, gently comforting him, "It's alright. Equipment is meant to be broken. As long as you are safe, nothing else matters."

"Madam, you are so kind!" The fat knight cried emotionally.

Rayan found this scene nauseating and cleared his throat, about to speak when Laurel Madam turned to him, bowing deeply.

"Benefactor, please spare my Oath Knight. The Laurel family can scrape together ten thousand gold coins."

Rayan was stunned. Not only was this beautiful, young Laurel Madam willing to pay ten thousand gold coins to save the fat knight's life, but calling him "benefactor" also surprised him.

Rayan carefully studied Laurel Madam's face, finding it unfamiliar. He couldn't remember who she was for a long time. "…Who are you?"

Laurel Madam chuckled, "Your Excellency Benefactor must have a poor memory. You just saved my life a moment ago—if it weren't for your excellent riding skills, I might have been trampled by your horse."

Rayan suddenly recalled. This Laurel Madam was the noblewoman who had been screaming foolishly in her carriage outside the arena earlier. It wasn't a life-saving deed but a near-disaster he almost caused.

Realizing this, Rayan quickly said, "Madam, you are too kind. Your Oath Knight..."

—In every way, Laurel Madam was a flower stuck in cow dung. No, she was a flower stuck in a pond of cow dung.

"Uh, you should take him away." Rayan shrugged.

Laurel Madam sighed in relief and bowed again, "Thank you, Benefactor, thank you!"

Then she squeezed past the Black-armored guards, ran over to the fat knight, grabbed his hand like a mother leading her child, and walked out.

"Let's go, my dear Kayan."

"Yes, my beautiful Madam."

The nauseating couple left the arena, completely ignoring the gazes of thousands of spectators.

"So, the fat guy's name is Kayan... What a strange name."

Rayan watched the fat knight and Laurel Madam leave, feeling a bit envious. As an Oath Knight, if he could also...

He couldn't help but look up at the noble stands and saw Lady Spring Rain looking at him too.

Phoenix Lady shook her black silk fan, teasingly saying, "Smile at your Oath Knight, wave at him. After all, he won this positioning match and deserves your smile as a reward."

Lady Spring Rain panicked, forcing a smile at Rayan before lowering her head in embarrassment.

Phoenix Lady glanced smugly at Lady Spring Rain, then stood up, scrutinized Rayan with a bold gaze, and gestured for the audience to be quiet.

"Dear guests, Lord Rayan has just proven his strength, so he can continue standing with the king's group."

The audience burst into sincere applause, even those who had lost bets didn't feel too bad.

"But—"

Phoenix Lady suddenly changed her tone, "However, to keep the competition fair, after the entrance ceremony, Lord Rayan must start challenging from the Copper-edged group. I believe this is what the audience wants to see, and I hope Lord Rayan can bring us more exciting matches!"

The audience responded with thunderous applause, agreeing with Phoenix Lady's suggestion.

Rayan knew Phoenix Lady wouldn't let him get the Holy Light artifact easily, so he was mentally prepared. He coldly said,

"It doesn't matter. Since I dare to stand here, I'm ready to defeat everyone."