Former Sect Peers, Stronger Techniques!

"What is going on here?"

Liu Chu found Chen He in the crowd and asked in surprise.

"Oh, Junior Brother Liu Chu is here?"

Chen He was slightly startled, then sighed, "You haven't been at the martial arts hall lately, so you don't know about this. The leak of our technique was caused by someone pulling strings behind the scenes."

"Master and Senior Brother Lin Bei found some clues and went to investigate separately. As it turns out, Senior Brother Lin Bei ran into the conspirator, was severely wounded, and was even struck with a potent poison!"

Liu Chu was shocked and frowned, "Senior Brother Lin Bei is a Tendon Refining martial artist. Is the opponent really so strong that they could wound him so severely?"

Lin Bei was one of only two Tendon Refining martial artists at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall and served as the face of the hall. His strength was formidable, capable of going head-to-head with figures like the leaders of the Green Tiger Gang and the Wild Wolf Gang.

He had originally assumed that the leaking of the technique was the work of a few Skin Refining martial artists, or perhaps even someone who hadn't yet broken through to the ranked levels.

Now it seemed the person behind it was at least a Tendon Refining martial artist, or perhaps even an expert at the Bone Refining level!

Only then did Liu Chu notice an physician beside the stretcher, currently examining Lin Bei's injuries.

"Alas, the poison he has been struck with is extremely rare. I have never seen it before and am at my wit's end..."

The physician shook his head and sighed, indicating there was nothing he could do.

After saying this, he shouldered his medicine basket and left.

"How could this happen..."

Yang Wenhuai's expression was grim. Watching the miserable state of his personal disciple, Lin Bei, he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.

"Keep looking for physicians. You must find a way to cure Senior Brother Lin Bei..."

Yang Wenhuai took a deep breath and instructed the disciples beside him.

Lin Bei was the most outstanding disciple in the martial arts hall and the one he held the highest hopes for. In the future, he might have had a chance to break through to the Bone Refining Realm, or even have a decent shot at the middle-three-rank Neizhuang Realm.

"Yes, I will go find other physicians to come and treat him immediately!"

Several disciples volunteered one after another, eager to go and find a physician to treat Lin Bei's injuries.

But before they could run more than a few steps, a voice suddenly rang out: "No need to go! I can cure this poison!"

"Who?!"

Everyone looked over in surprise to see a middle-aged scholar holding a folding fan, stepping into the martial arts hall and walking slowly toward them.

Beside the middle-aged scholar followed a young man with short hair, a tall frame, and a cold expression.

"It's you!"

Seeing the newcomer, Yang Wenhuai's pupils constricted, his face filled with rage: "You aren't dead? So... this was all your doing!"

"Heh, it's been many years, yet Senior Brother can still recognize me at a glance. I am truly delighted."

Facing Yang Wenhuai's anger, the middle-aged scholar merely smiled faintly, unbothered: "Senior Brother, do not be angry, and certainly do not make baseless accusations. Without proof, you cannot slander your Junior Brother."

"Who is this person, and why does he call Master 'Senior Brother'?"

"And Master is so furious upon seeing him, even identifying him as the mastermind!"

The disciples in the martial arts hall all looked at the middle-aged scholar with curiosity and suspicion.

Liu Chu also stood in the crowd, watching the middle-aged scholar, his heart filled with surprise: This person's aura is restrained and steady; he is an expert. He is likely a Bone Refining martial artist—not to be underestimated!

After a brief moment of rage, Yang Wenhuai calmed down, looked at the middle-aged scholar, and snorted: "You know what despicable things you've done. You are not welcome here!"

"Heh, why be so angry, Senior Brother? I have come specifically to deliver the antidote."

The middle-aged scholar shook his head, wearing an expression of sincerity.

"You have such good intentions?"

Yang Wenhuai frowned deeply, snorted, and stared at him suspiciously.

"It seems Senior Brother has a deep misunderstanding of me."

The middle-aged scholar sighed, looking disappointed: "I had foolishly thought that Senior Brother was wise enough to see the truth of what happened back then and would understand your Junior Brother's difficulties."

"What happened back then is in the past. There is no point in bringing it up again."

Yang Wenhuai did not press the issue, turning instead to say: "If you can truly produce the antidote, I will not pursue the matter of you harming my disciple."

"No need to rush, Senior Brother."

The middle-aged scholar smiled faintly and said: "How about we play a game? Let one of your disciples spar with my disciple here."

He pointed to the short-haired youth beside him, smiling: "If your disciple wins, I will give you the antidote."

He paused, then continued: "And if they cannot... then you will give me the technique, how about that? You know what I am talking about!"

The technique? This person actually came for a technique... Could it be that the Hall Master possesses an even more powerful technique?

Liu Chu's heart stirred.

He realized the technique the middle-aged scholar was referring to was not the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice; after all, if that were the technique he wanted, it wouldn't be difficult to obtain.

In fact, the person who secretly caused the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall's technique to leak was very likely him.

What he was after was clearly no ordinary technique!

"Hmph, the dagger is revealed at the end of the map!"

Yang Wenhuai let out a cold snort: "I knew it, you wouldn't be so kind. So you were coveting that technique all along! But as a traitor, what right do you have to covet our sect's technique!"

"Heh, the sect no longer exists, so how can there be any talk of traitors?"

The middle-aged scholar waved his folding fan dismissively: "I won't bring up the events of the past if you don't want to, but now that the sect is gone, both you and I have the right to pass on its legacy, carry it forward, and perhaps even wash away our past shame!"

His voice suddenly turned serious: "Do you really want our former home to never have a chance to reappear in the martial arts world?"

Hearing this, a flicker of sorrow crossed Yang Wenhuai's brow, and he fell into silence.

It seems the master and this man come from the same sect, and it wasn't a small one either, though it appears to have been destroyed...

Liu Chu was secretly shocked; he hadn't expected the master to have such a past.

He suddenly recalled asking the master for a movement technique, only to be told that there were only the Yanglian Technique, the Combat Technique, and the saber technique.

It seemed now that he had likely been lied to.

I'm afraid my potential wasn't high enough to truly earn the master's attention!

Liu Chu thought to himself.

Although he had demonstrated a mastery of the Combat Technique at the time, he had only been praised by Yang Wenhuai for having good comprehension and the potential to break through to the Tendon Refining Realm.

In contrast, Yang Wenhuai had higher expectations for Lin Bei, believing he had a significant chance of breaking through to the Bone Refining Realm, and even a glimmer of hope of reaching the middle three ranks!

"How about it? You can send several people to fight, a wheel battle is fine too, though no more than five."

"As long as you win, I will hand over the antidote."

The middle-aged scholar continued: "If you lose, just let me copy the technique; you won't lose anything!"

After speaking, he sighed leisurely: "We are fellow disciples after all; even if you lose, I will still provide the antidote."

Yang Wenhuai looked at Lin Bei lying on the stretcher, remained silent for a long time, and finally agreed to the challenge.

He looked at Luo Qingyue: "Qingyue, you shall be the one to fight. Do not disappoint your master!"

"Yes, Master!"

Luo Qingyue took a deep breath, stepped out of the crowd, stood before everyone, cupped her hands, and looked at the short-haired youth: "Please!"

The short-haired youth lifted his eyelids slightly, kept one hand behind his back, and spoke in a lazy tone: "I'll let you use one hand, lest you say I'm bullying you."

"You!"

Luo Qingyue felt instantly insulted. She gritted her teeth, her pretty face turning fierce, and her voice became as cold as frost: "I'd like to see what you're capable of!"

With that, her figure flashed as she unleashed the Combat Technique, charging toward the short-haired youth while wrapped in a whistling gale of force.