Unexpected Six

Mingde had spent many years at Qingfeng Temple and enjoyed considerable prestige in Xinyu Town. Even among the dozens of towns throughout the Outer City, he counted as one of the very few true experts. In terms of status, influence, and authority, even veteran members of the Three Greats who had undergone Invocation years ago might not compare to him.

His standing was far beyond that of Lin Hongzhen, his former cousin, let alone someone like Lin Hongyu, who had not even undergone Invocation.

In theory, once Invocation succeeded, one would inevitably attain Inner Strength Realm power like Mingde's in the future. Yet this also involved factors such as combat experience, performance under pressure, and the techniques and martial arts one used.

In reality, after Invocation, it generally took several years before one could possibly reach strength on par with the Inner Strength Realm.

At that thought, the faint sense of crisis Lin Hui had harbored earlier immediately lessened considerably.

After confirming the relationship, he returned to his original spot and continued watching the matches on the arena. It was now the bout where Third Senior Sister Mu Qiao Zhi took the stage to spar with Second Senior Brother.

The two moved as swiftly as lightning, their figures completely impossible to see. All that could be seen of their longswords were sparks exploding from their clashes; all that could be heard was the dense, rain-like barrage of detonations. Nothing else could be seen.

Sword marks would occasionally appear without warning on the arena floor and railings.

Their attack speed remained just slightly below Lin Hui's speed when his Light Body effect was active, and it was extraordinarily steady. More than a hundred exchanges passed in no time, yet neither showed the slightest sign of exhaustion.

Lin Hui watched in amazement from below the stage, estimating how long he himself could hold out if he went up there.

With the Light Body effect, he might perhaps manage a draw. After all, he was faster than them, but his swordsmanship was too terrible.

But without activating the effect... he would not last ten moves.

Before long, Mu Qiao Zhi was defeated. Finally, Eldest Senior Brother stepped onto the stage and easily knocked Second Senior Brother Zhao Jiang'an off it in just over a dozen moves.

Neither of them changed expression, clearly having expected this result long ago.

Eldest Senior Brother's strength was clearly in a league of its own.

Though their speeds were about the same, their understanding of techniques was on entirely different levels.

After the grand competition came the announcement of rewards.

First were the rewards for the top ten: each person received a custom-made inner armor vest to protect the heart. The material had been stripped from a Mist monster Daoist Baohe had personally hunted.

Next came the reward for five consecutive victories, which Lin Hui alone received.

It was something called Ning Xiang.

"This item can be lit after entering the Mist to ensure safety within ten meters. It can dispel the Mist's erosion of the human body." When Huishen brought Lin Hui his prize, he gave a quiet introduction.

Clearly, he wished to ease the change in his earlier attitude.

He had never expected that after the Lin Family met with disaster, Lin Hui would lose the backing of a Summoner yet still rise through his own efforts. Now, he had even directly become a disciple of Ming De Zhenren. His potential was extraordinary.

This made Huishen feel somewhat regretful that he had changed his attitude so quickly before.

"Thank you." After accepting the Ning Xiang, Lin Hui examined it.

It was an irregular, amber-colored object about the size of a fist. It felt warm and gentle in his hand and carried the scent of rosin.

He guessed it might have been made from rosin.

After quickly having his measurements taken for the custom inner armor, Lin Hui accompanied Chen Zhishen and the other man for a walk around the temple grounds. They chatted for a while before he saw them off.

As the sky gradually darkened, the spectators left one after another. Carriages and pedestrians dispersed, and Qingfeng Temple returned to its former relative quiet.

After the event ended, Mingde summoned him to his residence.

The other two disciples were already gathered there, one man and one woman. They were respectively ranked eighth and ninth in the latest standings.

"Come, come, get acquainted. This is Wang Yun, one rank ahead of you. Her family deals in timber." Mingde introduced Lin Hui with a cheerful smile, pointing at the woman.

The woman had short-cropped hair, a sturdy build, and highly masculine features. Without close inspection, one would never realize she was female.

Hearing this, she also nodded amicably at Lin Hui.

"Junior Brother Lin, just call me by name. Come find me whenever you need to borrow money." She was clearly not short on money, and her tone was astonishingly bold.

"Junior Sister Wang's family is a major timber merchant spanning three towns. Their Lineage even has branches in the Inner City, with connections everywhere. I'm different—I'm all alone." The other man smiled as he introduced himself. "My name is Deng Mingchao. I rank second among Teacher Mingde's disciples."

"Greetings, Senior Sister Wang. Greetings, Senior Brother Deng." Lin Hui solemnly bowed to them both.

"Doesn't Father still have me?" At that moment, a slender, fiery woman emerged from the inner room. She was only around twenty, yet her features were seductive, her legs long, and her waist-to-hip ratio astonishingly perfect. Her fitted black-purple leather outfit displayed her figure flawlessly.

"This is my daughter, Wei Wei. She practices martial arts as well, but she is not listed among the temple disciples. Just call her Third Senior Sister." Mingde said helplessly.

"Greetings, Third Senior Sister." Lin Hui bowed once more.

"Mm, not bad." Wei Wei smiled in satisfaction. "I admit I misjudged you before. You have good potential and aptitude, and your luck is not bad either. Since you can train under my father, your swordsmanship will definitely catch up quickly!"

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Lin Hui nodded.

Wei Wei had been somewhat resistant toward Lin Hui before, but seeing that he was refined and courteous, with a proper understanding of etiquette, she no longer found him quite so objectionable.

Still, she remained a little hung up over the matter of the sword she had given him before.

After the introductions, Mingde took out a sheet of yellow paper from a drawer and handed one to each of the three disciples.

"I summoned you here today because there's a good opportunity. You may choose for yourselves." He paused, then continued, "The town security office is looking to expand the Emergency Response Team. Six people have already joined, and now they are seeking three more. Which of you is willing to go?"

"I won't go. Let them have it." Senior Sister Wang Yun said casually. Her family did not lack such benefits, and she had no interest in that authority to execute. Martial arts were more of a hobby for her.

"Fine. What about you two?" Mingde looked toward Deng Mingchao and Lin Hui.

"I'm willing!" Deng Mingchao agreed without hesitation. "One mission pays at least ten thousand, and as much as thirty thousand. Not going would be a loss. Not to mention the temporary authority to execute."

After quickly learning what the authority to execute meant, Lin Hui decisively agreed as well.

Forget the generous compensation—even without any pay, that authority to execute alone made joining worthwhile.

"Very well. Your teacher will report the names now and let the security office make its selections." Mingde smiled as he wrote down their names.

Just as he dipped his brush in ink and had written halfway through—

Bang!

A sudden muffled boom drifted in from the temple outside.

Immediately after came a thunderous shout.

"Song Zhanlong of Xingdao requests a battle with Daoist Baohe!"

The voice echoed loudly, its layers of reverberation endlessly piercing and circling through the temple.

Mingde's expression changed. He put down the paper and brush, flashed to the door, pushed it open, and looked toward the temple grounds.

The others hurriedly followed.

The temple had begun to hum with commotion as well. The many disciples who had only just left emerged one after another and looked toward the person standing at the main gate.

Daoist Baohe was already standing in the training yard of the front courtyard, his gaze solemn as he stared fixedly at his opponent.

Behind him stood Ming Chen and Ming Xiu, along with a cluster of front-courtyard disciples.

Everyone looked toward the person at the gate.

The man had a head of red hair, a cold face, and a lean, tall frame. He was a black-clad man around forty or fifty years old.

On his right hand, he wore an enormous black metal claw. Its tips were sharp and gleamed coldly. Barbs grew from the joints, while intricate patterns were carved into the finger pads and palm. It looked more like an ancient artifact than a weapon.

"Fellow Daoist Baohe, do you dare accept my challenge?" the newcomer called out again.

"Why would I not dare? Might I know your name, friend?"

Daoist Baohe drew a deep breath. Before so many temple disciples, if he did not dare to accept the challenge, Qingfeng Temple's entire reputation would be ruined.

Thus, he had to accept whether he wanted to or not. There was no solution to this road. The other man had seized upon precisely that point, which was why he had come to challenge him during the New Year, when the temple was liveliest and had the most disciples present.

"I am merely a nameless nobody, not worth mentioning." Song Zhanlong's expression remained unchanged as he walked step by step into the temple training yard.

"Clear the field."

Very soon, everyone cleared out a large open space for the two to fight.

Mingde also led Lin Hui and the other three to stand at a distance, watching with worried expressions.

The snowfall grew denser, drifting down onto the ground with faint sounds. Amid this silence, where even shattered flakes of snow landing could be heard clearly—

Song Zhanlong and Bao He each approached, came to a stop, and met each other's eyes.

"I heard long ago that quite a few people had come to Xingdao City to stir up trouble everywhere. This poor Daoist had been counting himself fortunate that they had not come for me. Now it seems..." Bao He gave a bitter smile.

"First pick off the stronger ones, then deal with the outskirts. That is our custom." Song Zhanlong said casually. "Make your move. I can give you three moves."

"You are rather arrogant, sir. Are you truly so confident?" Daoist Baohe raised a brow.

"I gave Feiyun Fist three moves before as well. You and he are evenly matched. If you do not want the handicap, that is fine too." Song Zhanlong smiled.

With that, he stepped forward. His right claw rose, his robes stirred though there was no wind, and a faint layer of pale white light appeared over his skin and face.

"Don't say I never gave you a chance!"

Whoosh!

He suddenly charged forward, his body like a black python, striking at Bao He with lightning speed.

Clang!

Bao He drew his sword at the same time, precisely stabbing the man between the brows. Yet it produced only a crisp clang.

Not only that, the blade flickered like lightning and stabbed the man five times in an instant, but every strike gave off only the sound of metal striking iron.

In the blink of an eye, the man closed in. The black claw became a sheet of afterimages that engulfed Bao He.

He was not fast, but his moves were steady and heavy, each carrying immense force. He did not defend at all; he even closed his eyes, relying only on his ears to strike.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, three heavy explosions erupted.

Bao He retreated with a muffled grunt, unfolding his movement technique. In a flash, three phantom images materialized around him, attacking three points on Song Zhanlong at once.

But it was futile. The sword tips of all three phantoms stabbed Song Zhanlong's completely undefended body, producing only crisp impacts.

Song Zhanlong casually swung his claw, and a rain of black shadows swept across a wide area, directly crushing the sword shadows.

Bang!

His claw shadow grazed the stone wall of the training yard, easily smashing a deep, palm-sized crater into it.

Wherever the black metal claw passed, whether metal weapons on the weapon racks or the hard, heavy ornamental rockeries, everything broke apart like tofu, unable to withstand a single blow.

Seeing this, everyone felt a thread of foreboding rise in their hearts.

But before anyone could think further, after more than a dozen exchanges, a scream suddenly rang out.

Daoist Baohe flew backward and crashed viciously onto the training yard floor, vomiting mouthful after mouthful of blood.

A faint yet conspicuous white glow still shimmered on the treasured sword in his hand, but it was now utterly meaningless.

"You let me win." Song Zhanlong withdrew his claw and spoke casually. Then, with a bored expression, he turned and walked out through the main gate. Before long, he boarded a black-purple carriage waiting outside and departed in a cloud of dust.

The entirety of Qingfeng Temple fell silent as a cicada in winter. Only Daoist Baohe's attendant and the three disciples of the Ming generation reacted quickly enough to rush forward and support Bao He.

But Bao He had already fainted, his body tightly obscured by the people surrounding him.

Lin Hui and the others could only see bright red blood quietly staining the pristine snow on the ground through the gaps between the crowd.

Only then did everyone—every disciple—realize what had happened.

Daoist Baohe had lost.

He had lost miserably.

And the challenger had not even suffered a light injury. This meant the gap in strength between the two sides was glaringly obvious.

As Qingfeng Temple's strongest person, Daoist Baohe had fallen in a single day, and the consequences this brought would undoubtedly be enormous.

Lin Hui watched as everyone carried Bao He into a side room to examine his injuries, a heavy oppression rising in his own heart as well.

He had a premonition that Qingfeng Temple might soon face a tremendous change.

No—judging from what Song Zhanlong had said, perhaps martial arts schools throughout all the surrounding towns would face a similar fate...