A Martial Arts School

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

He An's fists swept through the courtyard with a rush of wind.

Wu Wenming stood off to the side, worry filling his eyes.

Ever since Zhang Yongda had left, He An hadn't stopped practicing his fists for a moment. Sweat poured down his body, and now and then, his bones creaked.

Most importantly,

perhaps because of his injuries,

He An's face was deathly pale. Something was clearly wrong.

"Brother He!"

When He An finished another set and tried to continue practicing, Wu Wenming grabbed him.

"You can't keep training right now, or you'll wreck your body."

"If you really can't do it, leave this matter to me."

Wu Wenming looked serious; he clearly wasn't joking. But He An still shook his head and refused.

"No. Some things I have to do myself. Only then can I ease the hatred burning in my heart."

As he spoke, He An gave a bitter laugh.

"And there's one more thing. I won't let you get involved because your identity is too unusual."

"If you make a move, all of Fangcheng will be thrown into an uproar."

"You know?"

Wu Wenming looked surprised.

"Only a fool wouldn't."

Wu Wenming's expression turned awkward. "I thought I'd hidden it really well."

What did being "well hidden" have to do with anything?

He An sighed.

"You've never had to suffer through a hard life, and now it's come back to bite you!"

"True enough!"

Wu Wenming nodded.

Then he smiled faintly. "Brother He, actually, it's not as complicated as you think."

"My family and the Meng Family have never gotten along."

"One more grudge or one less grudge won't make much difference."

"What do you mean?"

He An furrowed his brow.

He really didn't know much about the three great families—the Wu, Meng, and Xu Families.

All he knew was that Wu Feng, the Wu Family Patriarch, was Fangcheng's Registrar, while Xu Hetong, the Xu Family Patriarch, was Fangcheng's County Assistant.

Of the three great families,

only the Meng Family Patriarch held no official post in the city.

The Meng Family owed its present standing in Fangcheng, where it could stand as an equal to the Wu and Xu Families,

to just one thing:

its Patriarch, Meng Hai, was powerful enough.

"Brother He, do you know how many factions there are in Fangcheng?"

Wu Wenming asked in return.

He An thought for a few seconds, then said slowly, "The Wu, Meng, and Xu Families, the Town Martial Division's Centurion, and the County Governor. That should make five factions, right?"

"No!"

Wu Wenming shook his head.

"In truth, there are three factions in Fangcheng."

"First, my family and the County Governor."

"Second, the Xu Family and the Town Martial Division's Centurion."

"Third, the Meng Family and Fangcheng's various martial arts schools."

He An drew a deep breath and glanced at Wu Wenming without letting it show.

This kid—

he really did tell people everything!

He hadn't expected that the County Governor and the Town Martial Division's Centurion would each belong to the Wu and Xu Families.

No wonder the Wu, Meng, and Xu Families could wield absolute power in Fangcheng.

So that was how it was.

They were all in cahoots!

"Let's leave my family and the Xu Family aside for now. We'll talk about the Meng Family first." Wu Wenming didn't seem to care at all; he simply continued explaining to He An.

"Long ago, the Meng Family was just a small martial arts school. But as their ancestors grew stronger, the family gradually branched out and eventually developed into what it is today."

"With their formidable strength, they quickly joined the ranks of Fangcheng's top families."

"Because the Meng Family started out as a martial arts school, they understood how important such schools were."

"Before my family and the Xu Family realized what was happening, they were already quietly swallowing up Fangcheng's major martial arts schools and bringing them firmly under their control."

"Over the past few decades, the Imperial Court has fallen into disarray, and local administration has grown chaotic. More and more people have taken up martial arts. With the martial arts schools under their control, the Meng Family has grown ever stronger."

"That's made them increasingly arrogant and overbearing."

"Some time ago, they even clashed fiercely with my family. We almost came to blows."

"I see!"

He An was beginning to understand the balance of power in Fangcheng.

The Meng Family controlled the martial arts schools.

The Wu Family controlled the County Yamen.

The Xu Family controlled the Town Martial Division.

The three factions kept one another in check, and their strength was roughly equal.

But lately, more and more Martial Artists had been joining the schools controlled by the Meng Family.

That balance had shattered completely.

Friction between the three families had grown ever more intense.

"So, my family and the Meng Family were already sworn enemies." Wu Wenming chuckled. "This little matter won't be a problem."

"No." He An shook his head again.

The implications were still too serious.

If the Xu Family got involved, he had no idea how far things might escalate.

Wu Wenming looked at him with admiration.

A real man!

Even now, he was still determined to shoulder it all himself.

Soon,

the day passed in the blink of an eye.

After learning that He An's Eldest Brother had been seriously injured, Wu Wenming didn't hold back.

He went out at noon,

specifically buying two bottles of healing medicine and giving them to He An.

He An didn't refuse. He simply kept the kindness in his heart, intending to repay it little by little someday.

The sun sank in the west.

Soon, it was time to leave work.

[Destiny: Success Comes Naturally.]

[Yi Jin Jing: (32/300) Minor Accomplishment.]

"I'm even closer to the Bone Forging Realm!"

He An clenched his fist, feeling the changes in his body. It's time to leave work again. A whole day has passed. I wonder what they've decided.

If I can really earn some Silver Taels, things at home will be much better.

Eldest Brother will be able to get better treatment for his injuries, too.

He An slipped a hand into his robes and took out an ordinary medicine bottle. Thinking of what Wu Wenming had said, he felt warmth well up inside him.

"I owe even more now!"