I Have A Candidate

The students in both the front and rear courtyards of Tiger Might Martial Arts School seemed somewhat distracted.

From time to time, they cast glances toward the reception hall. Ever since Xiongying Martial Arts School had issued its challenge, masters from other martial arts schools had been arriving with their people to pay visits.

Wave after wave of visitors made the place as bustling as a marketplace. The students could not focus on their training and kept gathering to discuss the challenge three days away. Some were excited, while others were worried.

"Do you think we can beat Xiongying Martial Arts School?"

"Hard to say! Didn't you see Senior Brother Miao lose? That Iron Eagle is seriously formidable. The pressure from his Eagle Claw was so crushing I could barely breathe!"

"Didn't you watch TV? Xiongying Martial Arts School has Five Generals: Tiger, Leopard, Eagle, Wolf, and Fox. Wang Hu is the strongest among them and is already at late Dark Strength; Zheng Bao is also at mid Dark Strength. Our Senior Brother Feng is only at mid Dark Strength too—there's no comparison at all!"

"Then aren't we just asking to be beaten in this match?"

"What are you afraid of? Master is still holding down the fort. Why would we fear Wei Zhendong?"

"Exactly! Back then, Master swept through thirty-eight martial arts schools in Yunyang. That Wei Zhendong definitely won't be a match for him!"

"That's hard to say too! Master is fifty, after all, while Wei Zhendong is only forty and right at the peak of his physical strength. Master will be at a disadvantage fighting him!"

Everyone fell silent for a moment. A fist fears the young and strong—those were no empty words.

Practicing martial arts could prolong one's life, but there was a limit to it; it had not yet surpassed the bounds of normal humanity. Decline after fifty was the norm. Only upon reaching the realm of Great Grandmaster would one's lifespan increase significantly, yet living to a hundred was no easy feat.

Therefore, for Guan Lie, already past fifty, to fight Wei Zhendong, who was in his prime, was unquestionably a disadvantage. Both were at the peak of Hua Jin; what they would be competing in was stamina.

If Master Guan Lie lost, the martial arts school's future would be impossible to predict. Where would they go to learn martial arts then?

Fang Mo had never taken part in the others' discussions. He silently practiced his forms and stance training, as if none of this had affected him in the slightest.

At that moment, Guan Lie sat in the seat of honor, with a man seated opposite him.

The man was in his forties, wore glasses, an indigo suit, and a golden tie. He looked every inch the successful businessman.

Guan Lie looked at the business card in his hand—"Chen Yanfeng, General Manager of Shenfeng Martial Arts School"—and understood at once. With a faint smile, he set the card down.

"What brings President Chen here?" Guan Lie went straight to the point. In truth, he already knew why. The Chen Family's Shenfeng Martial Arts School had been swallowing up other schools in recent years, and Tiger Might Martial Arts School had not escaped its notice.

Chen Yanfeng set down his teacup and spoke bluntly. "Master Guan, I'm here to help you resolve your trouble with Xiongying Martial Arts School."

"Oh? Then I'd like to hear it." Guan Lie remained composed.

"For the match three days from now, does Master Guan have absolute confidence? As far as I know, your eldest disciple Feng Qingyuan is at mid Dark Strength, while your second disciple Miao Ping has only just entered Dark Strength. But at Xiongying Martial Arts School, eldest disciple Zhang Hu is at late Dark Strength, second disciple Zheng Bao is at mid Dark Strength, and third disciple Iron Eagle, though he has only recently entered Dark Strength, has already defeated Miao Ping." Chen Yanfeng's gaze burned as he smiled with pressure behind it. "With your disciples' strength, you have no chance of victory. What do you think, Master Guan?"

Guan Lie narrowed his eyes, then said blandly, "Since President Chen says so, I presume you have a solution?"

With a smile, Chen Yanfeng pulled three files from his briefcase and handed them over. "Of these three, one is at late Dark Strength, one at mid Dark Strength, and one at the peak of Bright Force. All are highly capable. As long as Master Guan agrees to become a protector of the Chen Family and concurrently serve as Shenfeng Martial Arts School's chief instructor, they can join Tiger Might Martial Arts School tonight."

At those words, mockery appeared on Guan Lie's face. Just as he had expected. He said evenly, "President Chen, I may be old, but I have not fallen so low as to let others recruit me at will. Our martial arts school has its own plans for the match, so I won't trouble you to concern yourself with it."

Chen Yanfeng's expression darkened. "Master Guan, this brings you nothing but benefits. You'll gain both fame and profit, so why be so stubborn? Must you truly wait until Xiongying Martial Arts School defeats your school, leaving your reputation in tatters and forcing you to take down your sign and close the doors?"

Guan Lie replied calmly, "I have no interest in fame or profit anymore. And taking down the sign of Tiger Might Martial Arts School won't be so easy. See the guest out!"

Feng Qingyuan immediately came over and extended a hand, signaling for Chen Yanfeng to leave.

Chen Yanfeng's face was unsightly, but he said nothing more. He picked up his briefcase, turned, and left.

"Senior Brother, what do you think?" Guan Lie looked toward Xie Changmin, who had emerged from the inner hall.

"Someone from the Chen Family?" Xie Changmin asked.

"Yes." Guan Lie nodded.

Xie Changmin gave a slight nod. "You did the right thing. This is clearly a struggle among Yunyang's five great families. We can't get dragged in, or we'll only become sacrifices in their conflict!"

"The Qin Family is no good, and the Chen Family wants to fish in troubled waters too. They want to make me their protector? They aren't worthy!" Guan Lie's face was filled with anger.

As a martial artist at the peak of Hua Jin, he had his own pride.

"What do you plan to do about the match, then?" Xie Changmin asked.

"Watching Iron Eagle make his move today, I saw that his foundation is solid and his combat experience abundant. Miao Ping truly falls far short. All these years, I focused only on training and neglected actual combat." Guan Lie sighed.

"It's useless to say that now." Xie Changmin looked at Guan Lie. "Both sides agreed to three matches: Strength Training, Bright Force, and Dark Strength. What are your thoughts? How do you plan to assign the disciples?"

Guan Lie pondered for a moment. "Feng Qingyuan will take the Dark Strength match. His style is steady, so he has a chance of forcing a draw. Yang Yunxing will take Bright Force. As for Strength Training, I'm still considering it. I originally wanted that girl Chu Silin to go, but judging from Xiongying Martial Arts School's fighting style, she probably won't do. Right now, only Chen Song, Wang Qing, and Liu Shiwu are candidates."

He rose and walked to the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the disciples training in the courtyard.

In truth, he had no confidence at all. These few had all learned well enough, but they were still far from capable of facing Xiongying Martial Arts School's disciples in a match. They lacked that killing aura—the bloody ferocity of those who had truly seen blood and fought for their lives.

He sighed faintly to himself. But now, they could only stake everything on one gamble.

"Dad, those three won't do. I have someone in mind!"

At that moment, a voice rang out, and Guan Lu appeared in the hall.