Chapter 164: Chapter 164: The Duel
Inside the Robinson family villa,
a Chinese-style landscape garden is nestled within, with towering mountains and flowing waters, pavilions and lakes, and various rare plants thriving in abundance.
Zane, the youngest son of Benson, the head of the Taylor family, is in a pavilion, surrounded by people eager to curry favor with him.
As a direct descendant of the Taylor family, he is truly the center of attention at this gathering!
Even the Robinson family, the hosts of the event, can't match his popularity.
After all, the Taylor family's power ranks just below the royal Bai family of Genosha, and people are constantly coming to try to build a rapport with Zane and get known.
However, at this moment, Zane is not interested in anyone else, his gaze is fixed on a lady outside the pavilion.
Under the dazzling lights of the banquet, Snowy Gao, dressed in a stunning red evening gown, resembles a red rose blooming in the dark night.
The red evening gown resembles a blooming flower, almost like a burning flame, exuding a hot and enchanting charm.
Her slender waist is delicate, and her long legs peek through the high slit of the skirt, adding a touch of sensuality and mystery.
The exquisite shoulder straps rest gently on her rounded shoulders, revealing ample fair skin, while showcasing her alluring collarbone and proud bust, embodying both elegance and feminine charm.
Recently, Zane has been pursuing Snowy Gao, but to his surprise, no matter how many gifts he sends, she doesn't even glance his way.
If it were anyone else, he would have lost his temper and resorted to more drastic measures, but Snowy Gao's situation is different. His father, Benson, has warned him several times that he can pursue her but must not use other means, or it will lead to serious trouble!
Zane sighed and composed himself again. He waved his hand casually, and a person stepped out from behind him, carrying an exceptionally exquisite gift box, following Zane toward Snowy Gao.
"Snowy, this is a beauty miracle drug that I worked hard to find. Why don't you take a look?" Zane said as he received the gift box and opened it.
Before he could take anything out, Snowy Gao politely refused, "Mr. Zane, I don't think I'm at the age where I need a beauty miracle drug yet. You should keep it for yourself."
Snowy Gao spoke the truth, she was only eighteen, the age of her utmost beauty, and naturally, she didn't need a so-called beauty miracle drug. In her view, Zane giving her such a gift was simply implying that she should pay attention to her appearance.
It was quite frustrating!
Hearing Snowy Gao's refusal, Zane's hand, which had been opening the gift box, froze in mid-air.
He instinctively wanted to lash out but held back, resulting in a stiff expression on his face, as rigid as a statue.
At that moment, a shout echoed from afar, "It's Charles! Charles has arrived too!"
Snowy Gao's eyes lit up, and she lifted her long skirt slightly, skipping gracefully toward him!
Charles has a fan base mostly composed of women in Genosha Calivia, as he is not only handsome but also a genius who respects women. Every word he speaks resonates with people.
Moreover, under the narration of Lan and Jace, two other phrases Charles once said have also become popular in Genosha Calivia.
"True strength is not about having power to be courageous, but rather having courage that leads to strength!"
"Weaklings draw their blades against the weaker, while the strong draw their blades against the stronger!"
These two sentences have been recognized by countless individuals, especially for some confused Beast Masters. Charles's words are like a beacon in their lives!
Thus, when Charles appeared, he was immediately surrounded by admirers!
Today is the Robinson family's banquet, and those who can attend are all geniuses and members of prestigious families, including many of Charles's fans.
Snowy Gao stood at a distance, her gaze fixed on Charles, filled with recognition and admiration.
Having been in Genosha for some time, she was already very curious about Charles.
"Today, I finally get to see him in person, he's even more handsome than in photos and videos!" Snowy Gao whispered to herself.
Zane, who had been chasing after her, happened to hear this and his expression instantly soured.
He didn't expect that the aloof Snowy Gao would find Charles appealing at first sight while ignoring his efforts!
Not to mention that Charles had publicly embarrassed Leo in front of everyone from the Taylor family!
Zane couldn't hold back any longer, he stepped into the crowd, pushing through the onlookers until he reached Charles, and spoke up:
"I was wondering who it was, turns out it's the third-level Beast Master Charles, a mere commoner! Quite the spectacle."
Some of Charles's fans couldn't stand it and wanted to retort, but after just a glance at Zane, they immediately closed their mouths.
Seeing this, Zane felt even more triumphant. In Genosha Calivia, there are people he wouldn't provoke, but Charles isn't one of them.
A commoner without connections or background didn't intimidate him at all.
"Do I know you?" Charles frowned, not recognizing the person who had just spoken. He found it strange that someone would want to provoke him using their commoner status.
Grace was the first, Leo was the same, and now here comes another.
"My name is Zane, the direct descendant of the Taylor family in Genosha Calivia! Benson is my father!" Zane proudly lifted his chin. Usually, at this point, even if others didn't know him, hearing this would shock them and earn him some respect.
But unexpectedly, Charles's expression was as if he were looking at a clown. He shook his head and said, "Sorry, I haven't heard of any of that."
"You! What kind of joke is this?" Zane immediately grew agitated. Just as he was about to insult Charles, he thought of something and said, "Hmph, that makes sense. A commoner wouldn't know about the affairs of great families."
Charles, upon hearing this, didn't get angry. He calmly faced Zane's ridicule and replied, "I may not know about those things, but I can be sure of one thing."
"What is it?" Zane asked, somewhat curious.
"I can be sure that when you introduced yourself, you put your family and father first, without mentioning yourself at all." Charles curled his lip in disdain and continued, "This shows that you have no achievements of your own, you're just a worthless person hiding in the shadow of your family's glory."
As soon as he said this, the entire venue fell silent. Everyone was contemplating, and Charles's words made a lot of sense.
If it weren't for the fact that the person being ridiculed was Zane, many would likely have applauded and cheered.
"Charles! What do you mean by that? You're just a commoner, what gives you the audacity to insult me?" Zane's anger flared up instantly. He found himself unable to retort.
As the son of the head of the Taylor family, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that!
"I challenge you to a duel, Charles! I want to see if you have the guts to accept my challenge!" Zane's eyes seemed to blaze with fire as he glared at Charles and spoke.
Snowy Gao couldn't stand it any longer. Naturally, she wasn't afraid of Zane and directly interjected, "Zane! You're a twenty-three-year-old fifth-level Beast Master, and you're challenging an eighteen-year-old third-level Beast Master to a duel? How embarrassing!"
Faced with Snowy Gao's accusation, Zane was momentarily speechless. He clenched his fists tightly and pointed at a person behind him, saying, "How about this, Charles? I have a servant here, a fourth-level Beast Master. You two won't summon mystical beasts or use high-quality equipment for the duel. How does that sound?"
Before Charles could respond, Zane continued to provoke him, trying to get Charles to agree. "Charles, aren't you a genius? Are you afraid of a fourth-level Beast Master? Don't you dare?"
To a fourth-level Beast Master, Charles wasn't afraid at all. However, he didn't want to play along with Zane's game. He knew that Zane was aware of his strength and was deliberately trying to provoke him into a duel.
Clearly, there was more to this than met the eye!
Charles's gaze turned to the person Zane was pointing at. The individual stood straight, with a rigid posture, their eyes wandering constantly, remaining alert, and emanating a faint aura of the battlefield!
This must be a battle-hardened soldier!
Based on his assessment, Charles made his judgment. No wonder Zane said they couldn't use mystical beasts or high-quality weapons.
With those two factors removed, it would come down to physical fitness and combat skills.
Charles thought for a moment and calmly said, "I'm just a third-level Beast Master. Why should I agree to your demands?"
"You! Charles, weren't you so arrogant before? Why are you backing down now?" Zane was afraid that Charles wouldn't dare to accept. He continued to provoke him with words, hoping to anger Charles and provoke him into losing his composure.
Upon hearing Zane's words, Charles became even calmer. He replied, "A duel without stakes is a bit too boring. If I win, what would you even be able to offer as a price?"
Zane's eyes instantly lit up. He was very confident in the person behind him. As long as Charles agreed not to summon mystical beasts or use high-quality weapons, Charles would surely lose!
Ever since he learned that Charles had made Leo shout a hundred times in public, "I'm worthless, I'm not as good as a commoner!" Zane had felt a deep resentment towards Charles.
After all, Leo was a member of the Taylor family, and Charles's actions were a disgrace to the Taylor family!
As the son of Benson, the head of the Taylor family, Zane believed it was his duty to teach Charles a lesson!
"A price? How about this: if you lose, you'll kneel at the entrance of the Taylor family for a day, apologizing to us, and then you'll leave an arm behind!" Zane's expression turned ruthless.
In his view, as long as he didn't kill Charles, there wouldn't be any problems. He thought to himself, he was just a commoner, how could he make the Taylor family pay a heavy price?
"What if I win?" Charles wasn't intimidated by Zane's demands. He calmly asked.
Before Zane could respond, Snowy Gao's voice rang out: "Zane, don't go too far! Charles, don't agree to him, this guy has no shame!"