Rules

In fact, Xu Yi had never imagined that such a wondrous item could exist in the world.

Last night, he had tested the piece of Iron Gallbladder. When placed in his palm, with his internal energy flowing, the Iron Gallbladder could transform into any object, changing according to the image in his mind. The stronger his palm strength and the more intense his exertion, the further it could extend, up to three zhang, transforming into a slender, sharp spear.

What was even more remarkable was its silent operation and incredible speed. Like a flash of lightning, it would take form instantly.

Such a divine artifact, if used for surprise close-quarters attacks, would be utterly invincible.

Xu Yi knew well that while treasures were good, one had to risk their life to keep them.

The immediate priority was to improve his cultivation and acquire means of self-preservation. That was the crucial key.

At this moment, having just arrived in Guang'an City, he was completely in the dark and needed to find a familiar face to understand the situation.

Clearly, Master Zhou, the slovenly, wine-loving man who had given him an address, was the best candidate.

Tie Mao Er Lane was difficult to find. Because the alley was so narrow, it was almost squeezed shut by the seven or eight houses facing each other, allowing only enough space for two people to pass.

If one wasn't paying close attention, it would be impossible to spot. Several times, Xu Yi had walked right past the alley entrance.

After finally asking a pair of old men squatting at a doorstep playing chess nearby, Xu Yi found the entrance to the alley. At the end of the lane, in front of a small, low-roofed tiled house, he found Master Zhou.

It was late morning, and the sky was extremely overcast. The wind was cold, and despite the chill, the old man had placed a bamboo recliner in front of his door, covered with a thick blanket, sleeping soundly. His snores could be heard from afar.

Approaching him, Xu Yi didn't call out. He deliberately peeled back a corner of the seal on the wine jar. Immediately, the old man's nose twitched violently, like a startled cat whose tail had been stepped on. He leaped up from the recliner.

Upon seeing the wine jar in Xu Yi's hand, the old man slapped his palm and laughed heartily, "Speak of the devil! I ran out of drink three days ago. I've been listless these past few days without wine, just lying here waiting to die. I was even thinking that if I died and became a ghost, I'd still come to Furong Town to settle accounts with you, kid. Haha, I was just having a fierce dream when you walked right into my trap."

With that, the old man turned and ducked into the side room, emerging with a ladle. He lifted the seal on the wine jar, scooped out a ladleful, tilted his head back, and poured the clear, crisp wine down his throat.

"Gulp, gulp, gulp! Good wine, good wine! Ten-year aged from Drunkard's Workshop. You're truly not stingy with this old man, kid!"

As he spoke, he reached into the wine jar again, scooped out another ladleful, and carefully placed it on the low stool beside the bamboo recliner. He then sealed the jar tightly, snatched the wine jar, and with some effort, carried it into the side room. Only then did he emerge again, lean back against the recliner, pick up the ladle, and leisurely savor the wine. "Alright, what else do you want to pry out of this old man? That jar of wine holds more than two gourds. I owe you one, kid, so I'll answer anything you ask today. Hurry up, don't dawdle and disturb my nap. Besides, if you dawdle, those scoundrels from the Black Dragon Hall won't."

Xu Yi was greatly surprised. "Old man, you know about the feud between me and the Black Dragon Hall?"

Master Zhou chuckled, "What's so strange about that? Do you think what you did in Furong Town yesterday was a small matter? Heh heh, it's been many years since someone killed someone while invoking the laws of Great Yue. Don't forget, I'm technically still part of the officialdom!"

Xu Yi said, "So the Guang'an Prefecture Magistrate's office knows what I did yesterday? If that's the case, how dare the Black Dragon Hall still try to cause trouble for me?"

What Xu Yi needed from Master Zhou was his experience.

Master Zhou took another sip of wine and smiled, "That's right. What you did brought great honor to everyone in the Guang'an Prefecture Magistrate's office. Especially Director Gao of the Patrol Division, who reportedly argued with the Prefect to protect you. But the Prefect replied: 'Without rules, how can there be order?'"

"Damn it!"

Xu Yi hadn't expected that his grand display would still be no match for the allure of gold coins.

Master Zhou laughed, "You're still young. Let me tell you, there are many instances in this world where money makes the ghost go round. For your sake alone, they would break the rules of dueling in Guang'an City. This would be equivalent to ruining the golden rice bowls of all the government offices in Guang'an Prefecture. The Prefect of Guang'an isn't a fool, why would he do such a foolish thing? So, kid, don't harbor any illusions. Prepare for the fight honestly."

Xu Yi was not foolish enough to place his hope of survival on others. He said solemnly, "Master, there's something I can't quite understand. I hope you can enlighten me. According to Gu Jianming, the duel rules in Guang'an City are that the party initiating the duel only needs to pay ten gold coins to the Prefecture Magistrate's office, and the duel automatically takes effect. The one who doesn't respond will be expelled from Guang'an City. The problem now is, if someone is in the Qi Sea Realm, can't they arbitrarily coerce anyone below the Qi Sea Realm? If they refuse, the challenger just needs to pay ten gold coins to the Prefecture Magistrate's office, and the unwilling party will have no choice but to die?"

Master Zhou stroked his long beard and smiled slightly, "Those vampires in the Prefecture Magistrate's office are not fools. When designing the rules, how could they leave such a loophole? You must know that the duels within the city accumulate wealth each year, accounting for more than one-third of Guang'an City's taxes. This piece of fat meat, the Prefecture Magistrate's office naturally wants to savor it for as long as possible, so how could they let it be ruined? If such a loophole were left, Guang'an City would become an empty city."

"The duel rules designed by the Guang'an Prefecture Magistrate's office stipulate that challengers are absolutely not allowed to bully the weak. In other words, a Qi Sea Realm expert is absolutely not allowed to challenge someone in the Body Tempering Realm, and even a Body Tempering Peak expert is not allowed to challenge someone in the Body Tempering Late Stage. In short, the challenger's realm must never be higher than the challenged. Therefore, your worries are completely unnecessary."

After hearing these words, Xu Yi's heart settled. In a contest of the same level, he truly feared no one.

Master Zhou saw the look on Xu Yi's face and smiled, "Don't get cocky just because your soul power is superior. Remember, there's always someone better, and mountains beyond mountains. If the Black Dragon Hall wants to kill you, it might not be difficult. After all, money makes the ghost go round, and there are countless experts in the Body Tempering Peak realm. If you want to save your life, you'll have to become a king among Body Tempering Peak experts."

When Master Zhou finished speaking, Xu Yi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He wasn't worried about the Black Dragon Hall hiring experts; he was surprised that a hidden secret had been so easily seen through by Master Zhou.

Master Zhou scoffed, "Don't put on that long face! You should know that the moment you easily dispatched the young master of the Black Dragon Hall's Baima Branch Hall, your martial arts realm was no longer a secret. As for how I know your soul power is superior, the reason is simple. First, that **** chased me for a long time, asking about soul matters. You know, below the Qi Sea Realm, almost no martial artist thinks about the soul.

"The fact that you can ask this question clearly means you've had some experience to prompt it. Either your soul is weak, or your soul power is strong and surpasses ordinary people. And now that I know your Body Tempering Peak realm, the answer becomes obvious: your soul power must be astonishing. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to cultivate to the Body Tempering Peak realm at such a young age!"