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墨書 Inktalez
After three days of settling accounts, the group set out from the city to continue their journey westward. Chaykov's injuries had healed, and he rode alongside Nangong Changjian, following the cart.
As they passed through several towns, they collected some rental fees from the account books. Xunuo treated the journey as a leisurely outing and did not feel it was tiring. Whenever there was free time, he practiced his skills without wasting any effort. Before they knew it, over ten days had passed.
One day, Jiang Tiesuo introduced to Xunuo that their next destination was called Qingyang City, which was considered one of the larger cities in Mengzhou.
Qingyang City was somewhat different from other places because the Nanyue Sect had a branch of its escort agency there. This meant they needed to be more cautious in their dealings. The disciples from these two factions were known for their sharp tongues and were quick to draw swords at the slightest provocation. Although they were on their own turf, it would be difficult to gain an advantage without adequate preparation.
Jiang Tiesuo was concerned that Xunuo's youthful exuberance might lead to trouble; even minor setbacks could be costly, and any serious mishap would be too much for them to bear. Seeing Jiang Tiesuo's serious demeanor, Xunuo understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement, promising to avoid any confrontations.
They arrived in Qingyang City just as noon approached. The presence of many representatives from Wuhua Sect made the atmosphere quite grand. Upon entering the city, they headed straight for the largest inn in Qingyang City, known as Meeting Hall.
With so many people present, three tables were set up at Meeting Hall.
Over the past few days, Xunuo had grown accustomed to fine dining and was no longer surprised by the delicious dishes laid out before him. He dug in heartily, savoring every bite while mentally noting everything he ate to share with Guo Shujiang later—the glutton who had never seen such delicacies. As he ate, he couldn't help but imagine Guo Shujiang's reaction and chuckled softly to himself.
At that moment, a commotion erupted downstairs, followed by heavy footsteps on the stairs. A tall man strode up—he was over a foot taller than Xunuo with a square face and piercing eyes. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the main table and knelt down with a thud before Jiang Tiesuo, exclaiming loudly, "Please save me, Brother Jiang!"
A red-faced short-bearded man sitting next to Xunuo stood up to block him. "Fang Shidi, you should step back; Master Lu and Brother Jiang have just arrived. We will report your matter to Master Lu in due course."
The man named Fang ignored him completely and turned his gaze toward Jiang Tiesuo. "By the time you report it slowly, my disciples will have been beaten to death!"
Jiang Tiesuo recognized him and said, "Fang Shidi, what exactly happened? Please rise and explain."
Only then did Fang Wenqiang stand up and recount the events that had transpired.
It turned out that Fang Wenqiang had studied martial arts at Wuhua Sect in his youth. He had once been in the Outer Gate alongside Jiang Tiesuo but unfortunately failed to place in the top fifty during the Outer Sect Competition after three years of training. After returning home, he sought help from Wuhua Sect's Outer Hall and opened a martial arts school in Qingyang City.
Typically, businesses like escort agencies and martial arts schools were monopolized by martial arts sects themselves. However, established sects like Wuhua Sect gradually distanced themselves from such trivial enterprises and generally allowed disciples who had learned there to run them while only collecting symbolic fees.
The martial arts halls of this kind can be considered as peripheral organizations of the Wuhua Sect. They select new disciples to join the Wuhua Sect, and those who are chosen to enter the Outer Gate are rewarded with certain benefits for their halls. Therefore, these martial arts halls can also be seen as introductory training classes for the Wuhua Sect.
A few days ago, several martial artists from Qingyang City visited Fang Wenqiang's Qingyang Boxing Hall, claiming they came to make friends through martial arts, but in reality, they were there to challenge the hall. Confident in his mastery of the Three Talents Fist, Fang Wenqiang agreed to a match.
However, one of the young challengers displayed exceptional skill and defeated Fang Wenqiang in just over ten exchanges. To add insult to injury, he delivered a kick that broke one of Fang Wenqiang's ribs. The group laughed heartily as they left, saying they would return the next day. In pain, Fang Wenqiang hurriedly sought assistance from the manager of the Wuhua Sect in Qingyang City.
The manager of Qingyang City was Jing Lide, a man with a red face and short beard who sat beside Xunuo. Upon hearing about this incident, he quickly gathered several strong Manager Disciples. The next day, they faced off against the martial artists again but were met with defeat; three of them were knocked down in succession. One suffered internal injuries and has been bedridden ever since, nearly losing his life.
Seeing that things were going poorly, Jing Lide decided to concede and retreated. He wrote a letter requesting assistance and had it sent swiftly to Wuhua Mountain.
The martial artists were not patient enough to wait. They set a deadline of three days; if no one dared to challenge them by then, they would expel the Qingyang Boxing Hall from Qingyang City and take its place. Tomorrow would be the last day.
Fang Wenqiang was anxious and rushed over upon hearing from his disciples that someone from the Wuhua Sect had arrived.
The Qingyang Boxing Hall was not something others cared much about; it was personally established by Fang Wenqiang and had been nurtured with his hard work and dedication. After listening to Fang Wenqiang's grievances, Xunuo felt anger but was unsure how to proceed.
Jiang Tiesuo observed Xunuo's confusion and said, "As representatives of the Wuhua Sect, we can make our own decisions when faced with challenges. As long as we do not harm the interests of the Wuhua Sect, any decision is valid."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo's hesitations vanished. "If that's the case, then we shall go meet them tomorrow."
The managers present sighed in relief and stood up to express their gratitude.
After sharing a few more drinks, Xunuo returned to his guest room. He reflected on his impulsive decision to accept the challenge without fully understanding the opponent's strength.
He called for a waiter to bring Jing Lide over for a discussion. To his surprise, four or five people showed up, including Jiang Tiesuo.
Xunuo inquired about the martial skills of the challengers. Jing Lide replied that they were merely some basic techniques executed with proficiency.
Xunuo grew increasingly uneasy upon hearing this. The managers in his sect were Outer Sect Disciples who had practiced advanced Fist Techniques and Martial Arts. Yet they had been defeated by opponents using only basic techniques—this seemed strange. Either those challengers had hidden skills yet to be revealed or they had truly mastered their basic techniques to an extraordinary level.
After contemplating for a moment without finding a better solution, Xunuo realized that since they were facing a challenge, they could only confront it head-on. They couldn't shrink back on their own territory like turtles hiding in their shells. He arranged for everyone to meet at the designated time tomorrow before sending them back.
Early the next morning, Jiang Tiesuo brought Chaykov, Jing Lide, Fang Wenqiang, and others to wait outside for Xunuo. When Xunuo saw that everyone was ready, he waved for Fang Wenqiang to lead the way, heading straight for Qingyang Boxing Hall.
Qingyang Boxing Hall was a two-courtyard establishment.
The outer courtyard included three main rooms, where Fang Wenqiang taught his disciples the Fist Technique and martial arts. The inner courtyard housed Fang Wenqiang's family.
When Xunuo and the others arrived, they found several outsiders already seated in the central room. The disciples of Qingyang Boxing Hall stood outside, shouting angrily but none dared to step forward.
Fang Wenqiang felt a surge of confidence upon seeing these intruders engaging in their brazen activities. He immediately shouted in anger, "You wild men, get out of here!"
At that moment, the disciples of Qingyang Boxing Hall, who had been cursing around the main room, noticed their master had arrived and quickly stepped aside to let Fang Wenqiang and the others pass.
Xunuo then saw that there were five martial artists among the intruders. Three were seated inside while two stood at the door.
Among those sitting were two middle-aged men around fifty years old, both with long beards. The one on the left wore a red robe, had a black face, and donned a green cap; his small eyes sparkled with intensity. His hands rested on his knees, fingers splayed like iron hooks—clearly someone who practiced the Powerful Eagle Claw Technique or similar Outer Gate Cultivation Methods. The man in the middle wore a yellow robe and had a fair complexion. One hand twirled his long beard while the other waved a feather fan. If not for this occasion, he would have resembled a well-educated scholar.
The most peculiar was the young man sitting on the right. He appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, similar in age to Xunuo. With red lips and white teeth, a straight nose and square mouth, he had long eyes beneath his slightly arched eyebrows. His fair skin was complemented by a white robe, making him look like a beautiful youth clad in snow-white attire. However, a slight smirk revealed a hint of cunning beneath his smile.
As they approached the front of the house, Xunuo noticed that the youth across from him was also observing him. The Beautiful Youth glanced at Xunuo and suddenly smirked with a hint of malice before disdainfully playing with a piece of jade pendant in his hand.
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