A Wooden Sword Is Enough to Deal with You

The Ma Clan Martial Hall was shrouded in gloom.

Its master, Ma Hong, came to the front hall soon after receiving word. He glanced around and barked, "Who's here to kick down my hall?"

Shen Zhou looked up.

Ma Hong was a sturdy, stocky middle-aged man, around forty-five or forty-six, and not very tall.

Perhaps it was because he practiced an explosive art like the Blazing Sun Art. Ma Hong was like a raging fire, giving off a ferocious, violent aura.

"It's me!"

Now that the main man had arrived, Shen Zhou wasn't about to back down. He strode forward and stopped in front of Ma Hong.

Behind him, San Mazi stared at Shen Zhou's right hand, which was held behind his back, and muttered under his breath, "Huh? Why's powder falling from Boss Zhou's hand?"

In that brief moment, Ma Hong was also sizing Shen Zhou up.

When he'd first heard from his disciples that someone had come to challenge the hall, he'd assumed another martial arts hall had sent people to cause trouble. He'd been on his guard, but when he saw that the newcomers were just a few unremarkable little beggars—and the kid in front of him didn't have even a trace of vital energy—his wariness vanished, replaced by disdain. "You think you can challenge me? Do you even know how to write the word 'martial'?"

Shen Zhou stood fearlessly, meeting his gaze. "The word 'martial' isn't written. It's fought out. I came here today for one thing: to take down your sign."

A cold gleam flashed in Ma Hong's eyes. "Hah. You're a little runt with a big mouth. Since you've come looking for death, I, the Hall Master, will gladly oblige. Clear the floor!"

At Ma Hong's command, the martial arts hall's disciples immediately scattered, clearing an open space in the middle of the hall.

The two of them entered the ring one after the other.

During that time, one of the disciples found a chance to whisper something in Ma Hong's ear. He even pointed at the tea table Shen Zhou had split apart with a single sword strike earlier.

Ma Hong's eyes widened. He lowered his voice and snapped, "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

The disciple's face turned sheepish under the reprimand, and he hurried off.

Ma Hong instantly went on alert. That kid did a damn good job hiding his strength. If the disciple hadn't told me, I wouldn't have sensed that he was a master who could unleash Sword Qi. Could some other martial arts hall have sent him here to humiliate me?

If that's the case...

While Ma Hong was weighing whether he should go through with the fight, he suddenly saw Shen Zhou draw a wooden sword from his waist and grip it in his hand. It was the kind of short wooden sword little kids played with.

Ma Hong's face darkened. "Kid, you're not seriously planning to fight me with that thing, are you?"

Shen Zhou glanced at the wooden sword in his hand. It did seem a little out of place.

But he wasn't about to tell the other man that he'd used it only because he couldn't afford a real sword.

He merely raised the wooden sword a little and said coolly, "A wooden sword is enough to deal with you!"

Ma Hong was a martial artist, but he didn't usually swear.

Unless he couldn't hold back!

The apprentices around them instantly got worked up too, shouting and cursing.

"Damn it, who does he think he is? 'A wooden sword is enough'? He's such a damn show-off!"

"Let me at him! If I don't punch the shit out of him, he can count himself lucky!"

"Hall Master, beat him to death! Beat him to death!"

Seeing this, A Dai and San Mazi couldn't help worrying for Shen Zhou.

Shen Zhou grew impatient with all their yammering. "Are you going to fight or not?"

Ma Hong's temper flared too. Trap or no trap, he didn't care anymore. He'd kill that kid first and think about the rest later.

"Horse-Breaking Fist!"

With a shout, Ma Hong launched an angry attack.

He threw a punch, and the vital energy in his body burst forth. His power surged like fire, waves of heat rolling through the air. Even from a distance, it made it hard to breathe, as if a roaring blaze were bearing down on them.

A true expert revealed himself with a single move!

Shen Zhou was startled by the force of his opponent's punch. His thoughts raced. This guy looks pretty strong. I've only got two wooden swords left, so if I want to win, I have to finish him off within two strikes... No, to be safe, I'd better do it in one!

Having made up his mind, Shen Zhou narrowed his eyes and began gathering strength into the wooden sword.

Crack, crack...

A terrifying surge of power quickly welled up in the wooden sword, and fine cracks spread across its blade.

At the same time, Ma Hong was about to slam his fist into Shen Zhou when he suddenly felt the breath of death. He had no time to think. Almost by instinct, he stopped and darted to the side.

At that very moment, Shen Zhou felt that if he didn't strike now, the wooden sword would break. He hurriedly thrust it forward.

A flash of sword light streaked through the hall, swift as a shooting star. The next instant, a deafening boom rang out.

A huge hole suddenly blasted through the wall of the front hall. As dust billowed through the air, the scenery in the rear courtyard came into full view.

The room fell silent. Everyone stared in dumbfounded disbelief.

What kind of strength did it take to unleash a sword strike like that?

Ma Hong, who'd narrowly escaped thanks to a martial artist's instincts, stared at the hole and swallowed hard, his eyes wide.

Thank goodness I reacted quickly. Otherwise, that strike would've hit me, and there wouldn't have been a scrap left!

When Shen Zhou realized that his strike had missed, his expression changed at once. Crap!

He started to draw the last wooden sword at his waist, preparing to attack again.

When Ma Hong caught sight of it from the corner of his eye, his heart nearly stopped. He hurriedly called out to stop him. "Wait... I give up!"

Shen Zhou froze mid-draw. "???"

The Three Little Ones were just as confused.

H-How had they won already?

Boss Zhou hadn't even hit him, had he?

A Dai glanced at the gaping hole in the wall and suddenly seemed to understand.

He must've been scared out of his wits!

Shen Zhou lowered his hand, then asked cautiously, "Are you sure you're surrendering? You can't take it back!"

Ma Hong's mouth twitched.

What was there to take back?

Judging by the power of that strike, this wasn't some kid coming to challenge the hall. He was clearly here for my life!

I wonder which bastard hired him. They used a challenge as an excuse to kill me. If I find out who it was, I'll tear him apart!

A moment later.

Shen Zhou and the Three Little Ones left with the sign from the Ma Clan Martial Hall. Even after they'd stepped outside, A Dai and the others still couldn't believe that Boss Zhou had really succeeded in kicking down the hall.

And in just one night, Boss Zhou had become a great master. How was that even possible?

Curious, San Mazi couldn't help asking Shen Zhou what had suddenly made him so strong.

Shen Zhou knew his newfound strength had come from nowhere, and that sooner or later the Three Little Ones would grow suspicious. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Actually, last night I dreamed about a white-bearded old man. He..."

Before Shen Zhou could finish, A Dai interrupted him with a speechless look. "Boss Zhou, do we look like idiots to you?"

"..."

Shen Zhou knew it sounded a little far-fetched, so he changed his story. "No matter how I got this strength, all you need to know is that I'm your Boss Zhou. From now on, if I have meat, you'll have soup. I'll never let you down!"

San Mazi put on a pitiful face and said, "Boss Zhou, can I have meat instead of soup? I want to eat meat too!"

Shen Zhou froze, then burst out laughing. "You really are a genius! Fine, no soup. We'll sell the sign for money and all eat meat right now. How's that?"

"Great!"

Shen Zhou's offer made everyone immediately forget about their earlier questions.

Soon, at a restaurant.

With the money they'd gotten from selling the sign, the four of them ordered a tableful of food and wine. Chicken, duck, fish, lamb, pork... It was all meat, without a single vegetable in sight.

Shen Zhou and the others ate until grease shone on their mouths. When it was time to pay the bill, they discovered that they'd spent eight taels of silver on the meal alone. Looking at the two taels left in his hand, Shen Zhou couldn't help sighing. "The martial arts hall's deposit is way too small. Why is it only ten taels? We've nearly blown it all on one meal."

A Dai gave him a reproachful look. "I told you to spend carefully, but you wouldn't listen. That one meal cost more than half a year's expenses for an ordinary person. Besides, the Ma Clan Martial Hall is only a third-rate hall, so its deposit was naturally small. If you challenge a second-rate hall, you'll get fifty taels. A first-rate hall will get you a hundred."

Shen Zhou said, "Huh? Why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had, we could've gone straight to challenge a second-rate hall. But never mind. We can just go again tomorrow."

A Dai stared at him in shock. "Go again? Aren't you afraid those martial arts halls will retaliate?"

Shen Zhou didn't care. "What's there to fear? In the face of absolute strength, every scheme and trick is useless. I'm already invincible under heaven. Should I be afraid of them retaliating?"

With the Entry as his backing, Shen Zhou had begun to look at things in a simple, brutal way.

Scheming, plotting... At the end of the day, those were nothing more than signs of insufficient strength.

The strongest feared nothing!

"..."

A Dai was left speechless.

Was that even something a normal person would say?

The next day.

Sure enough, Shen Zhou led the Three Little Ones to challenge another hall.

It was another martial arts hall in the south of the city, called the Mount Tai Martial Arts Hall.

Standing in front of it, the four of them looked at its sign in the same way they had the day before. Then Shen Zhou asked, "Is this a second-rate martial arts hall?"

A Dai and the others looked equally lost. They all shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

None of them were martial artists. Before this, they'd only cared about begging to get by, so they weren't good at telling one hall's rank from another.

Shen Zhou thought about it. "Doesn't matter. We'll fight first and see!"

Then the three of them went inside.

The Hall Master happened to be there, and the two sides began talking.

When the hall learned that Shen Zhou and the others had come to challenge it, the place erupted.

Just like the disciples at the Ma Clan Martial Hall the day before, the apprentices mocked and sneered at the four of them, their words dripping with contempt.

The Hall Master, however, magnanimously waved his disciples quiet. Then he smiled. "It doesn't matter. I haven't sparred with anyone in a long time anyway. I'll use today to stretch my limbs."

Just before the fight, Shen Zhou suddenly asked, "By the way, is this a third-rate hall or a second-rate one?"

The Taishan Hall Master furrowed his brow. "What does that have to do with you challenging us?"

Shen Zhou answered honestly, "Oh, we don't challenge second-rate halls."

That one sentence was enough to infuriate the good-natured Taishan Hall Master. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly roared, "Challenge us! You have to challenge us! I want to see what you're made of, running your mouth like that!"

"..."

And so Shen Zhou challenged him.

Not long after.

The Taishan Hall Master lay on the ground, his face pale and his eyes full of anguish. He looked at Shen Zhou and cried out, "You... You're a master in the Transformation Yuan Realm, and you came to challenge a third-rate hall like mine? Have you no shame?"

Shen Zhou sighed, sounding a little melancholy. "If you'd told me earlier that you were third-rate, none of this would've happened. I've wasted another wooden sword, and all I earned was ten taels of silver. Sigh!"

Those words landed like a killing blow!

The Taishan Hall Master spat blood on the spot and fainted.

A strike that killed the heart!

Afterward, San Mazi and A Dai carried the sign away from the Mount Tai Martial Arts Hall, grinning happily. San Mazi said, "This is great! We can feast again!"

Shen Zhou shook his head. "No, we're not eating just yet."

San Mazi froze. "Huh? We made money. If we're not going to eat, what are we going to do?"

A Dai shot him an exasperated look.

Shen Zhou straightened up at once, his spirits rising. "Buy swords, of course! I never want to go challenge another hall with three wooden swords strapped to me every day. It's so damn embarrassing!"