Ke Fei clearly hadn't expected Lu Xia to stand up for Grace, who was a 'defective product'. In his view, even if Grace was reinstated, he would definitely not have an easy time in Duke Lu Xia's Mansion.
Males who became husbands rarely had good endings, let alone a male like Grace, who was one of the Empire's lowest-ranking 'defective products'.
He even suspected that Grace was only able to appear at the First Military District because he had used some trick to force Duke Lu Xia to agree. Otherwise, given Duke Lu Xia's reputation in the Empire, how could she allow him to continue making public appearances after becoming her husband?
'He just couldn't stand it—how Grace, who was clearly just a low-class 'defective product', could still act so arrogantly, as if he never took his inferior status to heart. What gave him the right!'
"Of course I have the nerve. What does Duke Lu Xia want me to do?" Ke Fei lifted his chin slightly, looking like he refused to back down.
Seeing him agree, Lu Xia smiled and said, "Then if you lose, you'll shout 'I'm an idiot' 500 times."
Lu Xia's words left everyone present stunned. A moment later, some began to smirk, obviously unable to contain their amusement.
'Duke Lu Xia really is ruthless!'
Ke Fei's expression froze. He clearly hadn't expected Duke Lu Xia to propose such a condition.
This condition seemed harmless on the surface, but it was actually extremely insulting, especially for a male as proud as Ke Fei.
Even without the initial stipulation that the loser must leave the First Military District, this new condition alone would be enough to make it impossible for Ke Fei to remain.
'Duke Lu Xia clearly intended to squeeze every last drop of value out of Ke Fei if he really lost.'
'She's doing this to defend her husband, Grace, right?'
'Is she really not worried that Grace might be the one to lose?'
Everyone now felt a little worried for Grace. If Grace lost the match, would Duke Lu Xia blame him for being useless?
Lu Xia didn't care what others were thinking. She turned to Grace and asked, "Are you confident?"
It was a simple question, carrying a hint of concern, but at this moment, it was more than enough for Grace.
In fact, Lu Xia's sudden appearance here today was already a huge reward for Grace.
He nodded. "I will do my best. I won't disappoint you."
Lu Xia smiled. "Don't worry about the outcome. Winning or losing isn't that important to me. Just don't get hurt."
"Alright!"
The duel was set to take place on the training grounds. Everyone on the grounds had already cleared out to make way for the duel.
When they learned that Grace was going to duel Ke Fei, everyone cried out in surprise—
"No way, what's going on? Colonel Grace is dueling Colonel Ke Fei? You've got to be kidding me."
"Has Colonel Grace gone mad? Dueling Colonel Ke Fei?"
"But Colonel Ke Fei is a Gene Fusion Expert! What is Colonel Grace thinking?"
"I mean, Colonel Ke Fei's gene fusion degree is only 33%, which isn't very high. So maybe Colonel Grace has a chance to win?"
"Even though I have a good impression of Colonel Grace, I have to say it: a Gene Fusion Expert and a 'defective product' are not the same. Even if Colonel Ke Fei's gene fusion degree is low, he's still a Gene Fusion Expert. His body has been enhanced; it's nothing a 'defective product' can compare to. I still think Colonel Grace is being completely irrational!"
"I agree. Honestly, it couldn't have been easy for Colonel Grace to get this far as a 'defective product'. Why doesn't he cherish it? I can't even bear to watch this duel. The outcome is already set in stone; nothing's going to change it!"
"I heard Colonel Grace's Female Master just happened to be visiting, and now this happens. How unlucky can he get? I'm already starting to feel sorry for him!"
...
Amidst the crowd's whispers, the duel between Grace and Ke Fei began.
Ke Fei and Grace both took off their jackets, preparing for battle.
The bull horns on Ke Fei's head were exceptionally conspicuous, a symbol of his status as a Gene Fusion Expert. Although a 33% fusion degree
hadn't caused too many changes in him, his physical strength far surpassed Grace's. He was convinced that he would be the one to win the duel today.
He couldn't wait to see Grace's pathetic downfall.
He couldn't help the thought, and his body reacted instantly, launching the first attack on Grace.
Grace's tall, slender figure didn't look as sturdy as Ke Fei's, but he showed no signs of panic at the disparity between them. On the contrary, he appeared calm and composed from the very beginning.
Facing Ke Fei's assault, he handled it with what could even be described as ease.
He didn't meet Ke Fei's attacks head-on. Instead, he skillfully dodged each one, then landed a blow somewhere on Ke Fei's body.
At first, everyone subconsciously thought that Ke Fei was just chasing Grace around the field. But as time went on, many people realized that Grace was skillfully dodging every one of Ke Fei's moves, while Ke Fei, on the other hand, was taking every single one of Grace's attacks.
Even with a body enhanced by gene fusion, he couldn't withstand the accumulating damage. Before long, the crowd noticed that the speed and power of Ke Fei's attacks were diminishing.
"Way to go, Grace! Keep it up!" The old butler standing beside Lu Xia noticed this and couldn't help but pump his fist, excitedly cheering for Grace.
Lu Xia glanced at him sideways, a little surprised by the old butler's excitement.
Belatedly realizing what he'd done, the old butler's sheep ears involuntarily flattened against his head. He glanced at Lu Xia in embarrassment. "My apologies, Duke. I couldn't control myself for a moment."
"It's fine. You're right, he is quite impressive." Lu Xia's lips curled into a smile. 'This duel has made me realize something. The gap between Gene Fusion Experts and so-called 'defective products' isn't as large as I imagined. Perhaps it has to do with the gene fusion degree, but overall, Gene Fusion Experts just have one extra skill compared to 'defective products': the ability to bestialize.
But a Gene Fusion Expert who can completely bestialize has never appeared in the Empire. So, in their semi-bestialized state, they should just have a somewhat stronger physique than 'defective products'.
Can that really be considered evolution? I don't think so.
If I had to put a label on it, I'd say these so-called Gene Fusion Experts are more like half-finished products.'
Just as Lu Xia was pondering this, a loud cheer erupted from the training grounds—
"He won! Colonel Grace actually beat Colonel Ke Fei! Oh my god, how did he do that?!"
"What an upset! Colonel Grace actually won! Is he really a 'defective product' whose gene fusion failed?"
"I'm actually starting to feel sorry for Colonel Ke Fei now. How is he going to show his face in the First Military District after this? He couldn't even beat Colonel Grace?"
...