And so it went.
Li Aotian looked down to see Chanyu Yizhixie approaching him with the Consort of the Left Wise King in tow. The Chanyu wore a sycophantic expression as he spoke:
"Lord Li! It’s only a woman, isn’t it? There’s no need to be this furious, and certainly no need to squander your life just to fuel your rage!"
"Let this Consort of the Left Wise King pour your wine today and serve you by your side."
"Come, come, Consort, sit down."
Seeing this, Li Aotian retracted his look of impending doom and loosened the strip of cloth around his neck, smiling as he said, "See? Wasn't that simple? You should have just agreed to my demands from the start instead of causing so much trouble."
"Come, Chanyu Yizhixie! Let us continue to drink and feast."
Li Aotian took a step back, leaped down to the ground, and after tucking his knees and sitting, he glanced at the consort beside him. Her skin was as white as snow. Under her mournful gaze sat a high-bridged nose, and her slightly reddened lips looked incredibly supple.
The Xiongnu Chanyu quickly reached out to pull away the remaining cloth, removing anything that might allow Li Aotian to kill himself. *Damn it!* he thought. *This guy is ruthless. He’d actually sacrifice his own life just to humiliate us Xiongnu!*
At that moment, Chanyu Yizhixie and the noble ministers present exchanged glances, whispering to themselves.
"This man must have come here on a mission."
"What a cunning Han envoy! That hateful Emperor Wu of Han! To annex our Xiongnu territory and expand the Han borders, he would go so far as to use a dead-set fanatic as an envoy!"
"This fellow is doing everything in his power to die right here in Xiongnu territory."
In an instant, a silent consensus formed in the hearts of all the Xiongnu present: No matter what this man did, they had to keep him steady. They absolutely could not let him die. The shame of one consort… they would just have to grit their teeth and bear it.
What happened next was even more shocking.
Li Aotian began to get handsy with the Xiongnu consort. With his left arm around her shoulders, he lifted her chin with his right hand and said, "Consort, come now, pick up the wine."
"Feed me a drink. Yes, just like that."
The Han envoy and the Xiongnu consort were pressed tightly together. Her small hands trembled as she held the jade flagon, pouring wine for Li Aotian. With her husband, the Left Wise King, staring at them from directly across the room, the consort’s hand shook, and she spilled wine onto Li Aotian’s lap.
"Oops!"
"You spilled the wine!"
"Consort, this won't do at all!"
"Come, wipe it clean for me!"
Li Aotian sneered, forcing this noble Xiongnu consort to perform the duties of a servant. For the sake of her people, the consort complied.
This display left the members of the Han envoy delegation sitting nearby with their eyes popping out and their composure shattered. *Good grief! You can do that?! Lord Li! You are far too skilled at this! Or rather, you are far too arrogant! Aren't you afraid the Left Wise King will hack you to pieces?*
Her actions caused the faces of the Xiongnu to flush with rage. They lowered their heads and cursed under their breath, but none dared to lash out at Li Aotian directly. Even Chanyu Yizhixie sighed inwardly, his own face burning with shame. As for the Left Wise King sitting opposite them, watching his wife perform such menial, degrading tasks, his rage was burning, reaching a breaking point.
At this moment, Li Aotian’s arrogance was surely the most extreme in history—he was truly the most brazen envoy of the Han! Making a consort wipe your trousers! How insane did one have to be to even think of such a thing? *Lord Li! Your deeds truly live up to your name—unmatched, arrogant madness!*
A pleasant, mechanical chime sounded in Li Aotian’s mind:
【System has recorded the Host's arrogant behavior: forcing a Xiongnu consort to serve by your side! Received 5,000 Arrogance Points!】
Li Aotian’s lips curled into a wild grin. *Indeed, only acts like these can truly display my arrogance!*
*However, my arrogance as a Han envoy in Xiongnu territory still has room for improvement, heh heh.*
He opened the system’s crystal interface and accessed the System Mall with his thoughts.
【1. Soul of Xiang Yu – Price: 3,000 points.】
【2. Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, with 100 bolts – Price: 1,000 points!】
【3. Red Hare – Price: 500 points!】
【4. One Dead-Set Fanatic – Price: 800 points!】
【5. Qinglian Sword Chant – Price: 4,000 points!】
【Point Balance: 9,300】
Li Aotian glanced at the four rewards he had previously locked in, along with the latest addition. With a flicker of excitement, he thought, *"System! Buy them all!"*
With over nine thousand points, he could afford all five. Having just arrived in the Han lands and now at the Xiongnu Royal Court, he naturally needed some protection. His arrogance was starting to scare even him; if these Xiongnu actually decided to chop him down, it would be a significant loss.
The system’s confirmation boomed in his mind:
【Congratulations to the Host for purchasing the Soul of Xiang Yu! You may summon the spirit to possess your body once per day to gain the combat prowess and aura of Xiang Yu! Duration: one hour!】
【Congratulations on obtaining the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow! Every shot strikes true; a powerful armor-piercing weapon!】
【Congratulations on obtaining the Red Hare, the nobility among horses, capable of traveling a thousand miles in a day!】
【Congratulations on obtaining a loyal fanatic who will sacrifice their life for the Host!】
【Congratulations on obtaining the Qinglian Sword Chant, automatically mastered!】
【Point Balance: 0】
In that instant, Li Aotian felt himself grow stronger. Simultaneously, he felt the killing intent radiating from across the room. He raised his eyes to see the Left Wise King, unable to endure the insult to his wife any longer, finally erupting.