Didia came in a grand manner and left in a grand manner, and the news of their duel only added fuel to Anthony's case. The festival of the Earth Mother Goddess is approaching, and their confrontation is an opportunity for many eligible competitors. The Thunder Duke surely has a better chance of winning, but Simmons is indeed a good opponent who can bring out something from Didia.

The use of Spiritual Ability is generally divided into two types. One is basic, mainly focused on Knight Combat Techniques, which requires long hours of hard training, tempered over time. The other is the unconventional path, also known as Hidden Power, which doesn't need fundamental skills to be practiced but instead focuses on ambushing and attacking unexpectedly, a method many cults adopt.

Of course, knights aren't fools. Besides putting their energy into combat skills, they also develop some strategies based on their abilities. These strategies can often decide victory when a battle reaches a stalemate and are considered trump cards. Hidden Power is good at surprise attacks, but once the conditions and methods of its execution are known, its lethality diminishes significantly.

The duel between Didia and Simmons attracted quite a bit of attention. It's uncertain whether the duel will be public or private, but either way, a credible witness is needed. The remaining few influential knights in Hedan are quite interested in this.

Seeing it firsthand may give them more confidence when facing similar situations in the future.

The students at the Saint Grace Canon Law School were fervent, eager to beat Didia to death. This was absolutely outrageous. Regardless, Anthony's charges of rape and murder were already proven, yet he dared to play the victim first, utterly shameless. Their anger had reached its peak.

However, Simmons and the others at the base weren't as furious, not even Little Red Roll, who usually got easily agitated and disliked thinking. This duel was too challenging.

Thunder Duke Didia's strength is indeed among the top in Hedan and not just an empty reputation. Besides, he awakened his Thunder Power early on, which happens to be exactly what Simmons is after.

This duel cannot be lost.

Celestia looked at Simmons, "Impulsive."

"Stuck in a difficult position, some things can be tolerated, some can't. Didia is attempting to sway public opinion this way. Whether I accept the duel or not, his goal is achieved."

The Hex Bird Report dared to publish this, clearly endorsed by the old man, and obtained quite solid case files. This has escalated into a family game, though they are ignorant of why it was triggered at this time. It certainly implicates the George Family, but as a family member, one cannot shirk responsibility and must face it, which is the test of daily training.

After all, "An army is trained for a thousand days to be used for a single moment." Simmons was not afraid, even if it meant death, as it would be his deserved end.

Celestia understood Simmons' character, "You're hoping Li Xin can come up with something, right?"

"I only have a thirty percent chance of winning on my own." Simmons nodded. He, of course, had his life-saving moves, but so would the opponent.

Celestia didn't know what to do; just a few days left, could the gap in strength really be bridged?

"Perhaps we could work on the notary?" Celestia suggested.

"Among the younger generation in Hedan, there aren't many with such influence willing to help us." Simmons forced a smile. During its peak, this wouldn't have been a problem for the George Family, but now, who would step up to help?

Celestia considered asking the Princess for help, but that would imply Simmons is a coward, and her brother's reputation would collapse, directly removing him from the list of potential consorts. But a dead brother leaves nothing.

Simmons patted Celestia, "Don't overthink it. I might not necessarily lose. Let's go back and see what Grandpa thinks!"

Simmons couldn't focus on training and called a carriage to the Lirong Inn, thinking like a last-ditch effort; at this point, concerns of pride are irrelevant.

Li Xin was joyfully typing away, feeling exceptionally good, surprisingly so. Tap-tap-tap, he swayed, humming and sipping coffee. Yes, he bought coffee, a very unique soil-roasted coffee from Hedan. It involves putting coffee grounds in an iron bucket and turning it in a heated soil pit until bubbles form, quickly brewing a cup.

Li Xin had wanted to buy it several times, but at 25 beans a cup, it was a bit extravagant. But since he's somewhat better off now, he decided to ditch his frugal habits and treat himself better.

Though the taste was hard to describe, excessively strong, so he diluted it with water, making it more palatable and doubling the quantity, a good deal indeed.

Amid his writing spree, a resonant female voice boomed from outside, "Wow, dear young master Simmons, you're here, are you looking for me?" The Dragon Mother's enthusiasm was overwhelming.

Seeing the Dragon Mother, an idea suddenly struck Simmons' mind – how would a match between her and Didia play out?

"I'm looking for Li Xin."

"Young master, come this way, our esteemed author is diligently working on his masterpiece," the Dragon Mother said with a smile. In Lirong Inn, not even a mouse could escape notice. She'd heard that the revenge story was quite popular among the common people, too. She planned to have Dalivin read it to her sometime.

"Dragon Mother, go about your business. I'm quite familiar here," Simmons, overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, replied.

"Alright, young master, call me if you need anything; I'm ready to help at any time." Then she hollered towards the kitchen a good distance away, "Ma Liu, prepare a fruit platter! The esteemed young master Simmons has arrived. Show some initiative!"

Indeed, making a public announcement, Simmons was like a guardian of the inn. As long as the young master visited often, no hooligans would dare to make trouble. Recently, when the Dragon Mother went to the Council Hall for errands, she noticed a marked increase in smiling faces. People even discreetly inquired about her relationship with young master Simmons. Hmph, such a complex relationship couldn't be explained in a few words.

Simmons paid no mind to it and went to Li Xin's room, where the door was already open. Simmons smiled, "Brother Li, hope I'm not bothering you?"

"Dragon Mother's loud voice blew all my inspiration away. You owe me a good meal as compensation." Li Xin remarked, "What's up? You look like you've been boiled alive. Here, try my top-notch coffee."

Simmons took the coffee, feeling a bit parched with all the stakes concerning life and honor involved. Saying there was no pressure would be absurd, so he downed it all in one go, "Delicious, indeed top-notch. Dinner's on me, but I'll need to survive first."

Li Xin frowned. Damn, who dared to provoke his patron? "What's going on?"

Simmons explained the situation of Didia barging into the Saint Grace Canon Law School, challenging him to a duel.

"At that moment, I couldn't refuse. If I did, I'd never be able to lift my head again," Simmons said with a wry smile, "If given more time, I might have a shot. But now, I'm not confident about facing Thunder Power."

In front of Li Xin, Simmons was frank, having no pretense. In terms of fundamentals, he wasn't afraid of his opponent, but Didia wasn't weak either. When both sides were evenly matched, the Thunder Power was an overwhelming force that he couldn't withstand. It's said that Didia awakened the Thunder Power early, though it's unclear to what extent he has mastered it now.

Simmons was a proud young man, and this special ability hit him hard.

"Dragon Mother, put the stuff down. Simmons and I have important matters to discuss; no eavesdropping," Li Xin added.

The Dragon Mother walked in with a flattering smile, "Look at you saying that, Young Master Xin. At Lirong Inn, we follow the rules; there won't be any eavesdropping. Anyone who dares will have their legs broken, all of them, haha. Young Master Simmons, try these. They're fresh fruits."

Simmons smiled, "Thank you, Dragon Mother."

Hearing this, the Dragon Mother was delighted, grinning like a blooming lotus, quickly exiting and gently closing the door behind her. Then she headed downstairs, where she stood with hands on her hips, like a doorkeeper.

"Can the duel be called off, like claiming a stomachache or something?" Li Xin mused.

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