Martial Champion Comes Knocking

Seeing Feng Dai kneel, Li Qingqiu remained unmoved. He replied casually, "What do you mean? Has the county magistrate already uncovered the truth?"

In his view, there was no meaning behind Feng Dai and the others' actions. They merely wanted to make up for the guilt in their hearts.

Even if Wu Baoyu had already harbored the intention of killing the emperor, without Feng Dai's accusation, he would certainly have lived a while longer.

Zhang Yuchun had taken Wu Baoyu up the mountain, merely changing Wu Baoyu's fate. The one who had truly forced Wu Baoyu to head for the imperial capital was Feng Dai.

Of course, Feng Dai had not been wrong either. Officials capturing criminals was only right and proper.

If anyone was to blame, it could only be that emperor.

He had founded the Demonic Sect, erased Wu Baoyu's accomplishments, and slandered Wu Baoyu as a thoroughly evil man.

It was just that in this world, the emperor was heaven itself. Mortals had no right to crusade against heaven.

"I investigated according to Senior Xiao's instructions. The Second Young Master of the Xiao lineage was indeed named Xiao Ji. Xiao Ji was selected as an Imperial Guard when he came of age, and he followed the previous Crown Prince in carrying out his affairs. After the Xiao lineage was slaughtered, the records concerning him also stopped, and he vanished without a trace. Moreover, I discovered that the former Crown Prince had indeed sent a group of Imperial Guards to infiltrate the Demonic Sect. There are simply no records of what happened afterward."

Feng Dai gritted his teeth, his face filled with remorse.

The nine yamen runners looked just as grim. After learning of Wu Baoyu's past, they heard that such a hero had died bearing infamy, and their fighting spirit suffered a blow.

They could no longer tell whether the Imperial Court they served was truly as they had imagined, or whether there was any justice left in this world.

If even the emperor was the greatest evil, what could lowly yamen runners like them, struggling desperately at the bottom, possibly do?

Li Qingqiu stared at him and asked, "You believed him based on just this?"

"After Senior Xiao died in the Imperial Palace, the files concerning Xiao Ji were also destroyed. I asked the Prefect, and he was confused as well, but he ordered me not to ask any further. How could such a coincidence exist?"

Feng Dai spoke through clenched teeth, his heart unable to calm down.

Li Qingqiu sighed and said, "After Senior Wu went up the mountain, he was taciturn, and I didn't speak with him much. I can't determine whether it's true or false either. I only know one thing: he's already gone. Let's just act as though he never came. Regret is meaningless now."

With that, he turned and walked up the mountain.

"Wait, Sect Master! Do you really think this matter should end like this?" Feng Dai hurriedly called out.

"I'm merely the master of a sect. I only want to protect my disciples. Wu Baoyu never belonged to my Qingxiao Sect in the first place. To me, this is indeed how it should be."

Li Qingqiu did not stop walking, nor did he turn around.

Feng Dai's expression shifted between dark and light, but he could no longer say anything.

After Li Qingqiu disappeared at the end of the mountain path, the yamen runners rose one after another and went forward to support Feng Dai.

"My lord, this concerns imperial authority. We can't control it, and neither can the Qingxiao Sect." One of the older yamen runners spoke in a low voice. He had served the longest among them, and his heart had long since turned pessimistic.

Feng Dai drew a deep breath and turned to look at the nine yamen runners. His gaze was different from before. In an exceptionally resolute tone, he said, "Precisely because no one dares to control it, I must. I admit that this path gives us only one chance in ten of surviving. I won't force any of you to accompany me. Even if I'm smashed to pieces, I will clear Senior Xiao's name and let the truth of this evil be revealed to the world!"

He turned and left, his left hand resting on the hilt of the saber at his waist. He gripped it tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

The nine yamen runners fell silent. They did not look at one another, but before long, they all began walking, following in Feng Dai's footsteps.

Xiao Ba circled overhead and looked down. Feng Dai and the others were so tiny, like ants.

After New Spring, the Qingxiao Sect's expansion plans continued. Zhang Yuchun became the busiest person, often taking Huang Shan and Yu Lin down the mountain. This also made the two of them increasingly mature, and the way they spoke and handled matters was clearly different from the other disciples.

Li Qingqiu was only responsible for making decisions on major matters and supervising the construction work in various places.

As spring neared its end, Wu Man'er and Li Sifeng successively broke through to the second layer of the Yangyuan Realm, making Li Qingqiu very happy.

The battle strength of a second-layer Yangyuan Realm cultivator was enough to match a first-rate martial artist in the martial world, and could even be considered top-tier among first-rate experts.

After reaching the second layer of the Yangyuan Realm, Li Sifeng could no longer hold himself back. He found Li Qingqiu and requested that Zhang Yuchun take him along the next time he went down the mountain.

Li Qingqiu hesitated for a while before ultimately agreeing. Although Li Sifeng was not yet fourteen, in terms of skill, he was far more formidable than the three of them. Moreover, with Li Sifeng present, Zhang Yuchun would effectively have an additional traveling signboard when recruiting disciples.

After receiving Li Qingqiu's approval, Li Sifeng was overjoyed. He went straight to find Zhang Yuchun and told him about it. Zhang Yuchun was equally delighted, as he knew Li Sifeng's abilities very well.

As a result, the next day, Zhang Yuchun took Li Sifeng, Huang Shan, and Yu Lin down the mountain.

After noon, Li Qingqiu and more than a dozen disciples remained in the courtyard, their gazes fixed on Yang Jueding and Wu Man'er.

The two of them sparred.

Wu Man'er had once learned martial arts under Jiang Zhaoxia. Later, when Jiang Zhaoxia had no time to teach him, Yang Jueding took over.

Ever since taking charge of Wu Man'er, Yang Jueding had wished he could impart everything he knew. He was even more serious than he had been with Li Sifeng, and he had passed on his improved Nine Heavens Divine Palm to Wu Man'er as well.

The two stood ten steps apart, each assuming a stance.

Wu Man'er had just turned fifteen and was already nine chi tall. In the Great Li Dynasty, nine chi was close to two meters. He had a burly build, and even the largest robe looked tight on him.

Although his physique was intimidating, he had an honest, simple face and always wore a foolish grin. He was doing so now as well.

Yang Jueding, facing him, could not smile at all. Only by facing Wu Man'er in person could he feel the pressure.

"A second-layer Yangyuan Realm cultivator can actually improve this much?"

Yang Jueding was secretly startled. In his eyes, Wu Man'er had no openings whatsoever. He felt that no matter where he attacked from, he would suffer a terrifying counterattack.

Li Dongyue held Yuan Li in her arms. Yuan Li, nearly two years old, tilted his head this way and that, his eyes opened wide.

Cheng Canghai stood at the edge, equally curious about the battle to come.

He did not doubt Yang Jueding's strength. He was mainly curious about how strong Wu Man'er was.

He had previously seen Wu Man'er carry a giant two-thousand-jin log up the mountain, and it had frightened him badly.

"Man'er, I'm going to make a move."

After saying that, Yang Jueding lunged toward Wu Man'er in a single stride. His palms moved like the wind as they rapidly struck toward Wu Man'er.

Wu Man'er looked clumsy and heavy, but when faced with Yang Jueding's fierce assault, he dodged with ease. His feet kept turning, neither advancing nor retreating.

He avoided Yang Jueding's twin palms while using his hand to block Yang Jueding's leg, forcibly stopping it.

The Qingxiao Sect's disciples could not see Yang Jueding's moves clearly at all. They only felt that Yang Jueding had grown countless hands and legs, making their eyes swim.

Though they could not see clearly, they could still understand the situation.

"Uncle-Master Wu is amazing!"

"Yeah, I never thought his skills would be this good. I thought he was only strong."

"What powerful gusts! They're blowing right against my face."

"Is this Internal Energy?"

"This is nothing yet. True Internal Energy has incredible killing power. They haven't even gotten serious."

The disciples discussed the battle in small groups, their eyes never leaving Wu Man'er and Yang Jueding.

Qin Ye gripped his long staff, his gaze fixed tightly on the two who were exchanging blows.

Ever since Wu Baoyu had taught him the Ten Thousand Army Demon Subduing Staff, he had not sparred with any of the other disciples, but anyone could see the change in him. His body had grown increasingly robust, and his eyes had become sharper. A murderous aura now clung to him, making many disciples afraid to joke around with him.

Yang Jueding's aura suddenly surged. Energy currents appeared around his body, and his assault became even more powerful, kicking up flying sand and rolling stones. Wu Man'er no longer defended. As he struck out, the two began attacking one another.

Fists and feet met, and the continuous sounds of flesh colliding made the disciples' hearts tighten.

Wu Man'er, now completely serious, no longer wore his foolish grin. His expression was so cold and stern that, combined with his physique, it created an overwhelming sense of oppression. Although Yang Jueding was not forced backward, he still gave the impression that he was weaker than Wu Man'er.

Cheng Canghai swallowed, stormy waves surging in his heart.

To possess such imposing force through fists and feet alone, the two of them had already surpassed first-rate experts!

The Qingxiao Sect had few people, but it truly hid dragons and crouching tigers!

Li Qingqiu nodded slightly as he watched. In terms of aura, the two had already surpassed Lü Taidou. Even if the Seven Peaks Alliance launched a full-scale invasion now, the Qingxiao Sect had the confidence to face it.

After his brief shock, Yang Jueding became excited.

Wu Man'er had made him feel the thrill of an evenly matched opponent for the first time in ages. Even though he was already injured, he still found it exhilarating.

This was far more satisfying than fighting the Sea Sword Saint!

Neither of them used the Nine Heavens Divine Palm. They only fought with fists and feet, leaving the watching disciples fired with enthusiasm.

"Stop."

Li Qingqiu's voice suddenly rang out. The two immediately stopped, remaining in the postures of throwing a punch and striking with a palm.

Wu Man'er's fist was descending toward Yang Jueding like a fierce tiger charging down a mountain. Yang Jueding's palm was thrusting up from his waist, from bottom to top, like a hidden dragon emerging from an abyss.

Their expressions changed at once. Wu Man'er returned to his foolish demeanor and turned his head toward Li Qingqiu.

"We were having such a good fight. Why did you call a stop?" Yang Jueding glanced sideways at Li Qingqiu and asked in displeasure.

The other disciples also looked toward Li Qingqiu, their eyes filled with confusion.

They had only just begun exchanging blows.

Li Qingqiu lifted the hot tea from the table and said softly, "A distant guest is about to arrive. Don't disturb him."

A distant guest?

Everyone was puzzled. They instinctively looked toward the courtyard gate, but there was no one in sight.

Yang Jueding withdrew his palm and was just about to complain when a voice came from the direction of the mountain gate:

"My name is Li Yang. I am the current Martial Champion, and I wish to challenge the foremost expert of every martial sect in the world to exchange martial knowledge. I wonder whether the Qingxiao Sect has any expert willing to accept my challenge!"

Everyone was astonished. Someone had really come?

How had the Sect Master sensed it in advance?

Li Qingqiu looked at Yang Jueding and Wu Man'er and asked with a smile, "The two of you go receive him. Either of you may make the move, but don't kill him. He is the Martial Champion, after all, and he has quite a distinguished background."

Yang Jueding nodded and immediately turned to leave. Wu Man'er and the other disciples hurried after him.

Soon, only Li Qingqiu, Li Dongyue, and Yuan Li remained in the courtyard.

The smile vanished from Li Qingqiu's face. He frowned slightly and sank into remembrance.

The name Li Yang sounded familiar, as though he had heard it before. He shared the surname Li with him, so he should be from that lineage.