Everyone in the lounge could only hear cheers and screams outside, but they did not know what happened out there. Fortunately, they weren’t left hanging for too long because Zhang Heng had reappeared at the lounge’s door.
“Are you… Are you back here to take your helm?” the gladiator who kindly reminded Zhang Heng to take the helmet asked innocently.
“No, the battle is over.” Zhang Heng said as he sat back in his seat.
“Ended?”
All the gladiators were in an uproar upon hearing this. They had imagined all kinds of possibilities, but they had never expected that the battle would end so soon. Habitus had been considered to have completed his battle quickly when he took a quarter of an hour. However, when compared to Zhang Heng’s performance, it was as if Habitus had taken a century to complete his battle. Zhang Heng’s time spent fighting was just enough for a gladiator to enter and exit the arena.
This meant that his battle with Cincinnatus had ended in an instant.
Cincinnatus was no stranger to gladiatorial battles. Hailing from the Hunahpu Arena, he might not be as strong as quasi-ace gladiators such as Habitus, but he was considered a first-class gladiator in Rome. However, not even a strong gladiator like him could survive Zhang Heng’s first strike. Everyone was wondering how powerful Zhang Heng really was.
All the other gladiators’ hearts, Sartonilos included, sank.
…
The cheers and screams from the audience stands did not go away as Zhang Heng left. On the contrary, the shouts and cheers only got louder and louder, causing the gladiatorial performance to be put on hold temporarily. When it came to how they fought, the fight between Zhang Heng and Cincinnatus was not as exciting. There was no muscle-to-muscle collision, no blood-spill, and no dramatic way to end the battle. With a single sword and Zhang Heng’s non-delay fighting style, he managed to conquer 90,000 spectators by walking off the arena after the battle was over.
All the gladiators who stepped into the arena today were masters from various gladiator schools. They all had unique characteristics and signature skills. And they were here to present a visual feast for the audience. However, most of the audience had gotten used to watching different kinds of dramatic fighting scenes. Any ordinary fighting could no longer stimulate their nerves.
Even Habitus and Sartonilos received only slightly more fanfare than an ordinary duel. Right now, the arena was completely overwhelmed by the continuous cheers. Today, Ancient Rome and its people had seen the minimalist fighting style for the first time in this arena. The audience could not wait to hear the judge’s verdict. They had been asking the people around them about the origins of this mysterious oriental man. As for those who had witnessed Zhang Heng’s previous battle, they started to describe Zhang Heng’s heroic posture in those battles to their companions. And they were still trying to figure out his mysterious origin.
It seemed that Commodus was also infected by this fanatical atmosphere. Although he was still working hard to maintain the emperor’s majestic aura, the flash of appreciation in his eyes could not be concealed, especially after Zhang Heng broke his opponent’s trident into half. He was the first one that stood up and applauded.
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On the other hand, Lucilla was calmer. It seemed that this outcome was something that she expected. Even if all the people around her stood up when Commodus stood up, she still sat on her seat, held her chin, and muttered, “If this were to go on, how am I to make money?”
“This man is amazing.” Pompeo Nuss was also applauding at this time, with a look of surprise on his face, “If I had known it, I would have taken out all the money I saved and bet it on him. With that, I don’t have to work hard to make more money for three years.
“No, you won’t. He hasn’t won the championship yet. As long as he hasn’t won the championship, there is a risk, and you won’t bet all your chips on something as risky as this.”
“Am I this kind of person?” Pompeo Nuss was surprised. After he thought about it for a while, he nodded. “It seems like this is the case. My wife knows me best. So, what about you? If it was you, how are you going to make the decision?”
“I am different from you. I trust my instinct. My instinct tells me that he will be the ultimate champion of this gladiatorial show. So no matter how much money I have, I will bet it all on him. Women are born emotional.”
Pompeo Nuss tutted, “But you have never lost, have you?”
“Yes, probably because my luck has been good,” Lucilla snorted.
Seeing that the audience was still unwilling to calm down, the subsequent gladiatorial performance could not be carried out, and there was a possibility of riots in the stands. Commodus had to wave his hand to signal everyone to calm down. But this was only a temporary solution. Commodus knew that if he could not come up with a solution to satisfy everyone, it might cause an even greater commotion.
Commodus discussed with several consultants around him. Someone proposed to distribute gifts or coins again. However, Commodus felt that this method was not going to be effective. It would make it seem like the only thing he knew was to use money and bribe his people. Commodus wanted to come up with a solution that could showcase his charm and wittiness.
Clint bowed and said, “Your Majesty, to solve this, you must look for the person who caused this commotion. If you can persuade Zhang Heng to fight again, he might just meet the needs of the people.”
“Fight again?” Commodus raised his eyebrows, “But according to the regulations, the winner of a gladiatorial fight shall not be asked to fight again until the second round of competition. Isn’t it unfair to him?”
“This rule is to let the gladiator have enough time to rest and recover. However, he did not use much strength in the previous battle. Hence, there will be no problem for him to continue to fight,” Clint said.
“That sounds logical. But let’s send someone to ask him for his opinion. If he doesn’t want to fight, we can’t force him because it will destroy fairness. I want people to know that under my rule, fairness and justice will be maintained.”
“Of course, your majesty.” Clint hurried back to the lounge to look for Zhang Heng after that.
On the other hand, Commodus asked the band to perform to calm the audience stage down. Fortunately, Zhang Heng decided to come to the center of the arena with the elevator. He had agreed to fight again. And Clint had not gotten back to his stand.
Seeing Zhang Heng reappeared, the cheers from the audience became even louder. Zhang Heng then bowed at Commodus. Next, the audience started to cheer for the emperor. Commodus felt good when he heard the cheer that was meant for him. At the same time, Zhang Heng became more and more pleasing to his eyes. He began to think that it would be perfect if Zhang Heng belonged to him since he was highly skillful at fighting and knew how to put himself into others’ shoes.