Gentleman Sword's Humiliation! Assassination at the Stairwell!

"Bastard! Idiot!"

"I put you in charge of the martial hall, and this is how you managed it?"

"You actually drove out a genius who was only a hair away from the pinnacle of Manifest Strength?"

At that moment, Gentleman Sword stood with his head lowered, miserably enduring Hall Master Mo Wuji's scolding. Never before had he been in such a wretched state.

When he learned the outcome of the match, he had found it utterly unbelievable as well.

How had that apprentice, who had not even touched the threshold of Manifest Strength back then, suddenly become someone nearly at the pinnacle of Manifest Strength? And even swept through every Manifest Strength elite in their martial hall?

To Gentleman Sword, this news was no different from a bolt out of the blue!

This was already the second time recently that something had slipped beyond his control!

First, Huo Yuanhong had become Li Shuxing's disciple, making him realize that he might have missed out on a genius.

But after thinking it over carefully, he had still felt there was a chance to make up for it, so he had not taken it too seriously.

But this time...

A former discarded disciple had swept through all the Manifest Strength geniuses of his own martial hall...

If news like this spread, he was destined to become the laughingstock of all Jinmen!

A byword for being blind to talent!

Even Sword Inquiry Martial Hall might lose all face and become a joke along with him!

"Regarding this matter, I had several highly respected senior masters step forward and temporarily suppress it. It will only circulate among the few spectators in the martial arts world for now, and it will not become a huge uproar just yet..."

"I also forbade the newspapers from publishing it, and deliberately threw out a few shocking stories to divert attention. Not many people will keep focusing on this match..."

"But from here on out, you should know what to do..."

Mo Wuji said blandly.

Gentleman Sword immediately relaxed upon hearing this.

If the Hall Master had wanted to reconcile with Huo Yuanhong, that future genius who might have a chance of becoming a Peak Expert, he could have expelled Gentleman Sword from the hall as well.

After all, these were all messes Gentleman Sword had made himself.

Yet the Hall Master had not done so. Instead, he had found ways to suppress the matter and prevent it from spreading widely.

That meant the Hall Master was still on his side, valued him more, and had chosen him over reconciling with Huo Yuanhong.

Of course!

He was a top-tier genius no matter what. At the very least, he was guaranteed to reach Transformation Strength, and he was destined to become one of the martial hall's highest-level combat forces in the future!

No matter how furious the Hall Master was, he would still protect him at all costs!

"Rest assured, Hall Master. At the Jinmen Grand Competition, I will personally beat Huo Yuanhong to death! Life and death are determined by fate on the arena; Li Shuxing will have nothing to say about it!"

Gentleman Sword said in a deep voice.

At this moment, he finally regarded that commoner he had once dismissed as beneath notice as a genius on his own level—a genius with even the slightest hope of becoming a Peak Expert in the future!

If Huo Yuanhong were allowed to grow smoothly, then on the day he became a Peak Expert renowned throughout the world, Gentleman Sword would be nailed forever to the pillar of shame, mocked by all under heaven and ridiculed by countless future generations, becoming a negative example in the history books.

Sword Inquiry Martial Hall would likewise be utterly disgraced and reduced to a joke!

But fortunately...

There was still the Jinmen Grand Competition!

With only twenty days remaining, no matter how talented Huo Yuanhong was...

Even if he were rated as highly as a freak like Wu Yuanchu, how much could he improve in such a short time?

At most, he could only reach the next stage after Heart-Mind Unity.

Compared to Gentleman Sword, who had long surpassed Heart-Mind Unity and truly cultivated Dark Force, there was still a gap of more than a full major realm between them. He could suppress and kill Huo Yuanhong with a turn of his palm!

When the time came, just as he had driven him out of the martial hall before...

He would strangle that man's grand future in his hands once again!

"Come to think of it, perhaps there is no need to wait for the Jinmen Grand Competition. Whether Huo Yuanhong can even live until then remains unknown..."

Mo Wuji suddenly said.

Gentleman Sword froze, somewhat puzzled.

"There is reliable news that Li Shuxing is leaving Jinmen, and there is a high chance he is going somewhere where communication is inconvenient."

As he spoke, a faint smile appeared on Mo Wuji's face.

No matter how formidable Li Shuxing was, he was still human. While he was in Jinmen, he could naturally suppress petty villains with his immense strength.

But once he left, whatever happened during his absence was something even Li Shuxing, no matter how powerful, could not investigate by turning back time.

Besides, they would not need to act personally. There were plenty of madmen willing to gamble everything for profit, to curry favor with martial halls and powerful families!

Jinmen's martial culture was flourishing, gathering countless experts from all across the Celestial Empire. The city had maintained a certain degree of stability only because Li Shuxing had kept it under control.

But once this Supreme Expert left—and unlike before, when he had merely gone somewhere near Jinmen to find the Fang Family Patriarch—with only that old man on the verge of dying remaining, Divine Spear Martial Hall would struggle even to protect itself, much less keep order.

The conflicts that had been forcibly suppressed in the past were bound to erupt like a volcano.

"Ah Hong, your master is going out for a while..."

"During this time, carry on as usual. Pretend that I'm still holding down the fort at the martial hall—don't let anyone see you falter..."

"Only you, Old Xu, and two trusted master instructors know about this. As long as no one notices anything amiss, stall them for a while and I'll be back!"

Li Shuxing instructed.

Originally, he had not planned to leave Jin Gate. But in order to prepare in advance for the crisis foreseen by his Heart of Utmost Sincerity, he had no choice but to travel to the Northern Desert Uninhabited Area and investigate.

His kung fu had already reached the realm of "with a Heart of Utmost Sincerity comes Precognition." It was an exceedingly mysterious state. Though it could not truly reveal the future, it still allowed him to make a rough judgment of the coming fortune or misfortune surrounding those close to him.

In truth, as early as ten days ago—around the night his disciple had been expelled from Sword Inquiry Martial Hall—he had been struck by an inexplicable premonition that trouble was coming from the north.

And now, as his disciple's reputation in Jin Gate steadily grew, that inexplicable warning sign became ever stronger. He could now roughly pinpoint its source: somewhere around the Northern Desert Uninhabited Area!

Especially whenever he recalled the words once spoken by the previous number one under heaven—"Every gift bestowed by fate has already had its price secretly marked. The only difference is: how will that price be paid? And by whom?"

Li Shuxing's urge to investigate the Northern Desert Uninhabited Area grew even stronger.

Though he did not know what had appeared there, he knew perfectly well that he could not simply sit still and wait for trouble to descend. If his own strength was sufficient, he might be fine—but the people around him, including the successor he had only recently taken in, would certainly come to harm!

"Rest assured, Master."

Huo Yuanhong answered.

After watching his master leave, he continued training.

He trained from morning until dusk. Then, as usual, he walked out of the martial hall and saw Chauffeur's Association Old Six waiting for him.

Though his master was gone, he still had to act as if his master remained. He had to put on an air of complete confidence and behave no differently than usual. It was enough to fool them for a while.

"Uncle Liu!"

Huo Yuanhong walked up and greeted him with a smile.

"Ah Hong, what did you need me for?"

Chauffeur's Association Old Six wore an utterly inconspicuous short shirt, his straw hat pulled low to hide his face.

His eldest brother had said that Ah Hong had a great future ahead of him and could not be associated with them now, lest he be dragged into their affairs.

So whenever he came to meet him, he disguised himself as the most ordinary of rickshaw pullers.

"You really pulled the rickshaw yourself?"

Huo Yuanhong said with a smile.

"Isn't that obvious? Come on, get in! I already pulled it here; I can't just leave it here and abandon it."

"Your father is still taking passengers today. He'll probably be back later,"

Old Six said, patting the dust off the rickshaw.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Put the fare on my tab for now."

Huo Yuanhong cracked a joke, then sat in the rickshaw and headed toward home with Old Six.

Compared with the fat Carriage Shop Owner, who spent all year stationed at the carriage shop and could rarely get away, Uncle Liu was actually more familiar with Huo Yuanhong from his childhood.

Uncle Liu liked children very much. Back then, he would often come tease him, buying candied hawthorns and little trinkets for him when he was only five or six.

When his father had caught a chill, and when he had injured his body through martial training as a child, it had also been Uncle Liu who ran errands and brought medicine.

"By the way, what exactly is this about?"

Old Six asked again as he ran.

"Good news. I'll tell you when we get there—enough to cover the fare."

Old Six was rather helpless at Huo Yuanhong's mysterious manner and could only keep pulling for now.

With the cool evening breeze blowing against him, Huo Yuanhong quietly reflected on everything that had happened these past days.

His wish was actually very simple: to train in peace, climb to the summit of martial arts, avenge himself, and then protect those around him who had shown him kindness, who had treated him well.

People like his father, the Carriage Shop Owner, and Uncle Liu.

He wanted them to live good lives and spend their old age in peace and security, to watch with their own eyes as that former youth became, step by step, someone they could be most proud of—then return home in glory and become the pride of those he cared about most.

That was all.

Before long, the two arrived before the grand residence on Center Street. Taking advantage of the fact that no one nearby was paying attention, they opened the door and entered together.

"Here, take it."

After closing the door, Huo Yuanhong tossed over a packet of Heart-Mind Unity secret medicine.

Old Six accepted it in puzzlement. Upon opening it, his eyes immediately went wide. He sniffed it in disbelief, then dipped a finger in and tasted a little.

"Th-this... this is the finest secret medicine that only a top-tier aristocratic family could produce...?"

Staring at the secret medicine in his hand, Old Six stammered.

After all, over all these years, they had tried countless methods and still failed to gather enough Heart-Mind Unity nourishing secret medicine.

For the half-stalk of Tiger Blood Grass in the Red Robe Society's hands, they had even been willing to fight to the death.

Yet now, he had obtained enough Heart-Mind Unity secret medicine so easily?

And judging by the quality, could it be an earth-grade secret medicine accessible only to the innermost members of great clans?

"Ahong, where did you get this medicine?"

Old Six could not help asking.

"I came first in this tournament, so someone gave me the medicine."

Huo Yuanhong said with a smile.

At last, he could help those who had once shown him kindness.

Looking at the shock on Old Six's face, Huo Yuanhong felt incomparably clear and at ease, as though a knot that had lingered in his heart for years had finally come undone. Even his Heart-Mind Unity progress stirred once more.

Baji Quan (Heart and Mind in Unity (319/600) → Baji Quan (Heart and Mind in Unity (359/600)

"First place... first place in the Divine Spear Martial Hall tournament..."

Old Six fell into a daze.

He ran with the underworld, not the martial hall circles.

These past days, he had been run ragged and had no energy to follow the glamorous martial hall world. The newspapers had not reported any news either.

Thus, only now did he learn that this youth before him—no, this young man, who had already grown up—had actually taken first place in a tournament among several martial halls!

"Wait, Ahong, you've already... achieved Heart-Mind Unity?"

Old Six suddenly froze. Only then did he finally notice the subtle changes in Huo Yuanhong.

"Mm, I've achieved Heart-Mind Unity. It went quite smoothly!"

Hearing the young man before him admit it in person, Old Six's eyes immediately lit up.

With Heart-Mind Unity achieved, together with him and Eldest Brother, they now had three Heart-Mind Unity practitioners on their side.

When the time came for the wagered battle with the Red Robe Society, perhaps... Eldest Brother would not need to risk his life with a forbidden art, dragging the other side down the road to death with him.

Then he, Old Six...

might not have to die either.

"I don't have to die. I don't have to die..."

Looking at the young man before him, Old Six's heart surged with turbulent emotion.

Back then, when Eldest Brother had asked whether he feared death, he had only pretended that he did not.

He feared death...

He feared it terribly...

He had always feared death most of all.

He feared living a pathetic life, and dying a pathetic death too.

Like a filthy sewer rat no one could bear to look at, dying soundlessly in some corner.

The seven brothers had come to Jin Gate together to make their way in the world, yet only he and Eldest Brother remained.

Eldest Brother had survived because his skills were high enough, his fighting style too formidable.

And he had survived because he did not want to die, did not dare to die, and could not accept dying.

He could not accept dying young before the dream of his brothers accomplishing something great had been fulfilled.

He could not accept dying before he saw the Chauffeur's Association step into the light, before he saw it become a force recognized by the authorities!

He wanted to live on for Old Two, Old Three, Old Four, Old Five, and Old Seven. He wanted to see the day the Chauffeur's Association stepped into the light for them, to see their brothers' children walk down the streets with their heads held high, no longer unable to lift them because their fathers had been stinking cart-pullers!

He knew he was a good-for-nothing coward. What he had craved most in this life was to accomplish great things and become a great hero admired by all, yet he was simply too timid, too afraid of dying. So he dared do nothing, dared risk nothing.

When Eldest Brother had told him to seize the medicine and kill his way out when the time came, he had been scared half to death, so terrified that his legs had gone weak.

But he was too cowardly. Before the Eldest Brother he respected and feared most, he did not even dare say the word "no," nor did he have the courage to admit that he himself was a coward.

He also knew that even his still-young son looked down on him, thought he was nothing but a stinking cart-puller, a worthless coward!

Unlike the fathers of the other children in school—either great merchants, officials, or great heroes...

But he...

He simply did not dare die. He did not want to die.

These past days, thinking that he might die in the wagered battle against the Red Robe Society, he could neither eat nor sleep well.

But now...

He did not have to die.

His Eldest Brother did not have to die either, and neither did he.

He could go on living, until the day he saw the Chauffeur's Association rise to its feet, until the day his dead brothers became heroes!

That day would surely come.

Wonderful!

A smile spread across Uncle Liu's face. He felt incomparably relaxed, happier than he had ever been before.

Especially in this young man he had watched grow up, he saw hope unlike anything before—real hope!

"Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh... just watch. The children of us brothers from the Chauffeur's Association are better than us, so outstanding it's beyond imagination..."

"Our Chauffeur's Association will definitely grow stronger with each generation..."

Uncle Liu murmured to himself.

"Uncle Liu, since you've come all this way, how about taking a look at my grand house?"

With a smile, Huo Yuanhong slung an arm around Uncle Liu's shoulders and guided him through the flower-filled courtyard into the clean, tidy house.

To gain wealth and not return home was like walking at night in brocade robes.

Seeing the amazement and emotion in Uncle Liu's eyes at the sight of the interior decorations, Huo Yuanhong felt utterly delighted and at ease.

"Uncle Liu, I've also put some money on the third floor. They're red envelopes from Senior Sister. Take them back to keep the Carriage Firm running..."

Smiling, Huo Yuanhong led Uncle Liu up the stairs to the door of the third-floor room and was about to open it.

Just then!

"Hmm!?"

A chill ran down Huo Yuanhong's spine. With a frenzied warning surging through his heart, he desperately twisted his body to the side.

Sshk!

A snow-bright flash of sword light shot out from behind the door, grazing past his chest as he turned. It pierced through the clothes over his chest, drawing specks of blood!

At the same time, the door on the second floor below opened as well.

Three impassive men holding sabers climbed the stairs expressionlessly, closing in step by step!

Together with the swordsman inside the third-floor room, they completely trapped Huo Yuanhong and Uncle Liu in the stairwell!