To Deal With You, A Wooden Sword Is Enough

The atmosphere inside Ma's Martial Hall was oppressive.

Ma Hong, the hall master, arrived at the front hall quickly after receiving word. He swept his gaze across the room and barked, "Who's here to challenge the hall?"

Shen Zhou looked up.

He saw that Ma Hong was a man of forty-five or forty-six, not tall, but stocky and solidly built.

Perhaps it was because he cultivated a violent art like the Blazing Sun Art, Ma Hong was like a raging flame, giving off a wild and ferocious aura.

"It's me!"

Since the main man had arrived, Shen Zhou didn't back down. He stepped forward and stood right in front of Ma Hong.

Behind him, San Mazi stared at Shen Zhou's right hand, which was resting behind his back, and suddenly muttered, "Hey, why are there powder flakes falling from Boss Zhou's hand?"

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

When his disciple had first notified him, he thought it was someone from another martial hall causing trouble and was somewhat wary. But seeing that it was just a few inconspicuous little beggars, and the one in front of him didn't even have a shred of blood energy, his face immediately twisted into a look of disdain. He said, "And you dare challenge me? Do you even know how to write the character for 'martial'?"

Shen Zhou was fearless, meeting the other's gaze. "'Martial' isn't written—it's fought. I came today for one thing only: to tear down your sign."

Ma Hong's eyes shot cold lightning. "Ha, small fry, big mouth. Since you're so eager to die, this hall master will grant your wish today. Clear the floor!"

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

The two of them walked into the arena one after the other.

During this time, a disciple found a chance to whisper a few words in Ma Hong's ear, pointing at the tea table Shen Zhou had cleaved in two with his sword earlier.

Ma Hong's eyes widened after hearing this, and he growled in a low voice, "Why didn't you say this sooner?"

The disciple, scolded, looked sheepish and retreated.

Ma Hong instantly became alert, thinking to himself, "This kid hid it too well just now. If the disciple hadn't told me, I wouldn't have sensed at all that he's an expert who can unleash Sword Qi. Could this guy really be sent by some other martial hall to slap my face?

If that's the case..."

Just as Ma Hong was weighing whether to continue the fight, he suddenly saw Shen Zhou pull a wooden sword from his waist—a short wooden sword, the kind a child would play with.

This made Ma Hong's face darken as he asked, "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 bit out of place.

But he wasn't about to tell the other that he couldn't afford a real sword and had to make do with a wooden one.

He simply raised the wooden sword slightly, his expression aloof. "To deal with you, a wooden sword is enough!"

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

Unless he couldn't help it!

The surrounding apprentices instantly got riled up, shouting abuse.

"Damn it, who does he think he is? 'A wooden sword is enough'? What a load of crap!"

"Let me at him. If I don't punch his guts out, he'll be lucky to come out clean!"

"Hall Master, kill him! Kill him!"

Seeing this scene, A Dai and San Mazi broke out in a cold sweat for Shen Zhou.

Shen Zhou, annoyed by their yapping, urged, "Are you going to fight or not?"

Ma Hong's temper flared. Trap or no trap, he didn't care anymore. He'd kill the brat first.

"Horse-Breaking Fist!"

With a roar, Ma Hong struck in anger.

He threw a punch, and his blood energy exploded outward. His momentum was like fire, the air rippling with heat. Even from a distance, it made breathing difficult, as if facing a great blaze.

Truly, when an expert makes a move, you know if they have skill!

Shen Zhou was startled by the force of the punch. His mind raced. "This guy doesn't seem weak. I only have two wooden swords left. If I want to win, I have to finish him within two strikes... No, to be safe, better make it one."

With that thought, Shen Zhou's gaze sharpened. He gripped the wooden sword and began to gather power.

Crack, crack...

An extremely terrifying fluctuation surged from the wooden sword, and fine cracks spread across its surface.

At the same time, just as Ma Hong's fist was about to land on Shen Zhou, he suddenly felt a wave of deathly aura. Without time to think, he instinctively halted his body and dodged to the side.

In that instant, Shen Zhou felt the wooden sword was about to shatter if he didn't strike. He quickly thrust it forward.

A flash of sword light streaked through the hall, swift as a meteor, followed by a thunderous explosion.

A huge hole burst open in the front wall of the hall. As dust billowed, the scenery of the back courtyard was laid bare.

In that moment, the room fell dead silent. Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

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

Ma Hong, who had narrowly escaped by relying on his martial instincts, swallowed hard as he stared at the hole, his eyes wide.

Thank goodness he'd reacted fast. If that strike had landed on him, there wouldn't have been anything left but dust.

Shen Zhou, seeing his sword strike miss, immediately changed expression and silently cursed, "Damn!"

Next, he was about to draw the last wooden sword at his waist and strike again.

Ma Hong's heart nearly stopped when he caught sight of this from the corner of his eye. He quickly called out to stop him: "Hold on... I concede!"

Shen Zhou's drawing motion froze. "???"

The three little ones beside him also looked baffled.

This... this was a win?

Zhou the Elder hadn't even stabbed him just now, had he?

A Dai glanced at the gaping hole in the wall and seemed to catch on.

He must have been scared by that!

Shen Zhou withdrew his motion and asked cautiously, "You sure you're conceding? No backing out, got it?"

Ma Hong's mouth twitched.

Concede what?

With the momentum of that last strike, this wasn't a challenge at all—this was aimed right at my life!

Who the hell hired this guy? Trying to kill me under the guise of a challenge? When I find out who, I'll make them pay!

A moment later.

Shen Zhou and the three little ones left carrying the signboard of Ma's Martial Hall. Even as they walked out the door, A Dai and the others couldn't believe Zhou the Boss had actually succeeded in the challenge.

And overnight, Zhou Laoda had become a top-tier expert? How was that even possible?

Curious, San Mazi couldn't help asking Shen Zhou the reason for his sudden strength.

Shen Zhou knew his newfound power was unbelievable and that the three would eventually grow suspicious, so he thought for a moment and replied, "Actually, last night while I was sleeping, I dreamed of a white-bearded old man. He..."

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

"..."

Shen Zhou knew that was a stretch, so he changed his tune. "No matter how I got this strength, you just need to know I'm still your Zhou laoda. From now on, as long as I have meat, you'll have broth—I won't shortchange you!"

San Mazi pouted with his round face, looking pitiful. "Boss Zhou, can I skip the broth and have meat too?"

Shen Zhou paused, then burst out laughing. "You're a real piece of work, you know that? Fine, no broth. Let's go cash in this signboard and get meat for everyone, alright?"

"Alright!"

Shen Zhou's proposal made everyone forget their earlier questions.

Soon, inside a tavern.

With the money from the signboard, Shen Zhou and the four of them ordered a huge table of food and drink—chicken, duck, fish, lamb, pork... all meat, not a single vegetable in sight.

They ate until their mouths dripped with grease. When the bill came, they found the meal had cost eight taels of silver. Looking at the two taels left in his hand, Shen Zhou sighed, "The deposit for this martial hall was way too low. Only ten taels, and one meal almost wiped it out."

A Dai replied resentfully, "I told you to spend carefully, but you wouldn't listen. This one meal could cover a commoner's expenses for half a year. And Ma's Martial Hall was just a third-rate school, so the deposit was naturally low. If you'd challenged a second-rate school, you'd get fifty taels, and a first-rate one would give you a hundred."

Shen Zhou: "Huh? Why didn't you say so earlier? We could've just gone straight for a second-rate school. No big deal—we'll just go again tomorrow."

A Dai was stunned. "Again? Aren't you afraid those schools will come after you for revenge?"

Shen Zhou shrugged it off. "What's there to fear? In the face of absolute power, any schemes are useless. I'm already unmatched under heaven—why would I be scared of their revenge?"

With the 'trait' backing him up, Shen Zhou's way of looking at problems had become simple and brutal.

Schemes, tricks, using your head... in the end, they were just signs of insufficient strength.

The strongest fear nothing!

"..."

A Dai had no comeback.

Then Xi Mei suddenly spoke up. "Brother Zhou, since you're so strong, can you teach us martial arts? I want to be as strong as you too."

A Dai looked over as well, though San Mazi didn't seem all that interested.

Shen Zhou ruffled Xi Mei's head and sighed. "Ah, you don't get it. I've got nothing but this 'unmatched under heaven' strength—I don't know a thing about anything else."

"..."

That left the three little ones speechless.

Was that even something a person would say?

The next day.

True to his word, Shen Zhou led the three little ones to challenge another school.

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

Standing in front of the school, the four of them looked up at the signboard in the same pose as the day before, and Shen Zhou asked, "Is this a second-rate school?"

A Dai and the other two looked just as clueless, shaking their heads in unison to say they didn't know.

None of them were martial artists; they had only ever focused on begging to survive, so they weren't skilled at distinguishing between martial arts hall ranks.

Shen Zhou thought for a moment and said, "No matter. Let's fight first!"

Then the three of them went inside.

Upon entering the martial arts hall, the hall master happened to be there, and both sides began negotiations.

When the hall master learned that Shen Zhou and his group had come to challenge the school, the hall erupted into an uproar.

The apprentices, just like the disciples of Ma's Martial Hall the day before, sneered at Shen Zhou and his four companions, their words dripping with contempt.

The hall master, however, was quite magnanimous. He waved his hand to stop his disciples and said with a smile, "It's fine. I haven't sparred with anyone in a long time anyway. Consider this a chance to stretch my limbs."

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

The Taishan Hall Master furrowed his brow. "Does that matter for your challenge?"

Shen Zhou replied honestly, "Oh, we don't challenge anything that isn't second-rate."

That single sentence instantly infuriated the usually good-natured Taishan Hall Master. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly roared, "Challenge, you will challenge me! I want to see just how capable you are to have such a big mouth!"

"..." Then Shen Zhou challenged him.

Not long after.

The Taishan Hall Master lay on the ground, his face pale, eyes filled with grief and indignation as he stared at Shen Zhou and said emotionally, "You... a 'Transformation Yuan Realm' expert, coming to challenge a third-rate martial arts hall like mine—do you have no shame?"

Shen Zhou sighed, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "If you'd just said you were third-rate, none of this would have happened. Another wooden sword wasted, and I only earned ten taels of silver. Sigh!"

Those words were like a killing blow!

The Taishan Hall Master, upon hearing them, spat blood on the spot and passed out.

A murderous blow to the heart!

Afterward, San Mazi and A Dai carried the martial arts hall's signboard away from Mount Tai Martial Arts Hall, beaming with joy. San Mazi said happily, "Great! Now we can have another big feast!"

Shen Zhou shook his head. "No, not this time. Let's not rush to eat."

San Mazi was stunned. "Huh? You earned money and don't want to eat? What are you going to do then?"

A Dai rolled his eyes at him in exasperation.

But Shen Zhou immediately straightened his back, energized. "Buy swords, of course. I'm sick of having to tuck three wooden swords into my belt every day just to challenge schools. It's too shabby!"