Jiang Ye Makes His Move!

The refugees from Lushan County had made it here?!

The disciples who had just been hotly debating Hu Tian's whereabouts seemed to have their throats seized all at once.

The uproar stopped dead.

They exchanged glances, the curiosity and speculation about other people's prospects in their eyes instantly replaced by a far heavier emotion.

Fear.

"Lushan County... wasn't it under lockdown?"

"The refugees made it here? Then... doesn't that mean..."

"Just this morning, I heard rice and flour had gone up in price again. Won't they skyrocket once the refugees arrive?!"

"How many people are by the city gates? Hundreds? Thousands? Is the government doing anything?!"

Panic spread through the martial arts hall like an invisible plague.

All the earlier talk about Hu Tian, Zhang Xu, and the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall now seemed distant and insignificant.

Fortunately, this rapidly growing panic did not last long.

Near the end of the hour of the Goat, more news came back from the city gates, barely managing to suppress the swelling agitation.

According to the disciples who had rushed to the gates to gather information, there were indeed quite a few people fleeing Lushan County—about a hundred or so, traveling with their families and looking rather wretched.

But the key detail was that they had escaped before Lushan County was completely sealed off.

That meant Lushan County had probably not yet fallen.

For now, the turmoil would not spread here.

At the same time, observant people noticed another detail.

Those who had managed to escape Lushan County before it was sealed off were mostly martial artists.

Some were disciples from local martial arts halls in Lushan County, while others were martial masters who had served as guards for wealthy families.

Relying on their agility and keen senses, they had brought their families with them and fought their way out at the last possible moment, just before the city gates were locked for good.

By the entrance to the Martial Academy, Jiang Ye sat perfectly still on the shiny little stool, his eyes half open and half shut, seemingly unmoved by the commotion and panic around him.

"Martial artists who escaped before the city was sealed..."

Jiang Ye shook his head slightly, a strange glint passing through his eyes.

It was easy to imagine that Anxi County would become more tense and unsettled than before once these people arrived.

As Jiang Ye was pondering this, a lean, middle-aged man in a light green outfit approached the entrance at an unhurried pace. He had a gentle air about him.

Jiang Ye slowly stood and cupped his hands to the newcomer. "Master Zhou, you're here."

The man was Zhou Yue, the head of Lingyue Martial Academy. He and Liu Qingshi had a fairly good relationship and often kept in touch.

So Jiang Ye was familiar with him as well.

"Old Man Jiang, you're looking as hale as ever!"

Zhou Yue greeted Jiang Ye politely, then stepped into the academy.

Jiang Ye stood outside the gatehouse, watching Zhou Yue disappear behind the moon gate deeper inside the academy. His aged eyes narrowed slightly, a thoughtful glimmer passing through them.

"Zhou Yue's come by at a time like this. He must have something important to discuss."

Tea fragrance curled through the academy's study.

Liu Qingshi poured Zhou Yue a cup of hot tea, and the two sat facing each other.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the window lattice, spreading a warm golden patch across the desk, but it could not dispel the faint heaviness in the air.

"What, not teaching today? Got time on your hands, so you came over?"

Liu Qingshi lifted his teacup, wearing a faint smile. His tone was as steady as ever.

Zhou Yue first lowered his head and took a sip. After savoring the tea for a moment, he raised his eyes and looked at his old friend with a half-smile. "I heard your academy had a traitor, so I came to offer you some comfort."

At that, Liu Qingshi shook his head and laughed. There was a hint of genuine helplessness in his smile. "Good news stays indoors; bad news travels a thousand miles. That certainly spread fast."

"The Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall has gotten more and more underhanded over the years. They try to poach every promising student they see, without caring how ugly it looks."

Zhou Yue sighed, then changed the subject, a scrutinizing look in his eyes. "Still, your disciple's got his share of blame. He was lured away by a few scraps of bait. His temperament and resolve clearly weren't quite up to the task."

Liu Qingshi did not respond.

He lowered his eyes to the tea leaves drifting in his cup, his expression grave, his thoughts unreadable.

Seeing this, Zhou Yue did not press the matter further.

He set down his teacup and cleared his throat, his expression gradually turning serious.

"Never mind. Let's not talk about that. I came to tell you something important."

He looked up at Liu Qingshi and said,

"You've heard about the martial artists who fled here from Lushan County, right?"

Liu Qingshi nodded slightly.

"The people who escaped this time are no ordinary bunch." Zhou Yue lowered his voice, his tone heavy with concern. "There are three martial arts hall masters, all at Transformation Strength, along with their disciples. Several of them are skilled in Dark Strength, and there are even more at Bright Strength."

He paused, his voice growing heavier. "Put them all together, and they're a force not to be underestimated."

"I've already heard. The county magistrate's plan is to take them in, let them settle down in Anxi County, and strengthen the local fighting force."

Liu Qingshi's brows twitched. He could already guess what was coming next.

Sure enough, Zhou Yue continued, "The Martial Assembly in three days will go ahead as planned. And..."

He paused deliberately. "Those martial artists from Lushan County are to take part as well."

"What?!"

Even Liu Qingshi, who was usually as steady as a mountain and never showed his emotions, could not hide his shock.

"The situation is this unstable, and they still intend to hold the Martial Assembly?"

In Anxi County, the Martial Assembly was an annual grand event that had been held for more than a decade.

Every year, the three major martial arts halls and several martial academies in the county gathered at the Martial Practice Field in the north of the city, sending their disciples onto the stage to spar.

It was not only a grand occasion for martial artists, but also the focus of the entire county.

Disciples who performed well onstage would bring fame to their martial arts halls and attract more students.

They might also catch the eye of wealthy families in the city, such as the Su Family or the Zhang Family, and receive support that would give them a brighter future.

Liu Qingshi had assumed that this year's Martial Assembly would probably be canceled after news of the unrest in Lushan County spread.

But not only was it still happening, the "dragons crossing the river" who had fled Lushan County were being invited to join in.

He could almost picture how fiercely those outsiders—eager to prove themselves and desperate to gain a foothold in a strange place—would fight onstage.

"This is hardly good news."

Liu Qingshi furrowed his brows and took a sip of tea. It had already gone cold, its bitterness lingering in his throat.

Their academy's disciples were already at a slight disadvantage compared with those from the martial arts halls.

And now there were the "dragons crossing the river" from Lushan County...

The competition at this year's Martial Assembly would likely be far fiercer than in previous years.

Looking at his old friend's furrowed brows, Zhou Yue could not help sighing too.

"I came over to give you a heads-up. At this Martial Assembly, our martial academies are probably going to get trampled by those martial arts halls and outsiders."

He stood and walked to the window, his voice tinged with mixed feelings.

"The county magistrate has his reasons. In troubled times, more martial strength means more security. But for those of us who teach martial arts, watching our disciples get shoved aside is still a bitter pill to swallow."

The study fell into a brief silence.

The news that the Martial Assembly would go ahead as planned in three days was like a stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples through the academy at once.

The first to erupt in excitement were the Outer Courtyard disciples.

These young disciples, who did not even qualify to compete, turned out to be the most excited of all.

They gathered in twos and threes at the edge of the Martial Practice Field, lowering their voices as they traded the rumors they had dug up.

"Have you heard? Have you heard? The martial artists who fled Lushan County are taking part too!"

"Now that sounds like a show! I want to see how the boxing styles in Lushan County differ from ours in Anxi County!"

"I heard one martial arts hall over there has a disciple who reached Dark Strength at just seventeen. Is that true?"

"Who knows? It doesn't matter to us anyway. We won't be going onstage..."

"True enough. We can just enjoy the show, heh."

Compared with the Outer Courtyard disciples' easy excitement, the atmosphere in the Inner Courtyard was far more complicated.

During breaks in their training, groups of three or five Inner Courtyard disciples gathered beneath the corridors or beside the wooden practice dummies. Every conversation turned, without fail, to the Martial Assembly three days away.

Their young faces showed all kinds of expressions. Some were so excited they rolled up their sleeves and clenched their fists, while others wore furrowed brows and gloomy expressions.

"The martial artists from Lushan County are taking part too? Doesn't that mean we'll have a whole lot more opponents this year?"

"We can take this chance to see how strong the martial artists of Lushan County are!"

"You're taking this too lightly. I heard there are three martial arts hall masters among the refugees, with at least twenty or thirty disciples between them. They've got a whole bunch of Bright Strength fighters, and even some at Dark Strength..."

"So what if they're at Dark Strength? We have senior brothers at Dark Strength in the Inner Courtyard too."

"I wonder who from our academy will be competing this year..."

As the Inner Courtyard disciples discussed the matter, their eyes instinctively turned toward Liu Yiyi, Su Yan, and Zhao Gang, the academy's core disciples.

Beside a corridor pillar, Liu Yiyi stood with her hands behind her back, dressed in a plain white training outfit. The evening breeze stirred her sleeves.

She remained as aloof as snow, as though an invisible curtain of water separated her from the excited and anxious chatter around her.

Yet her clear eyes were fixed on the darkening horizon, and no one could tell what she was thinking.

Not far away, Su Yan focused on practicing her punches on the stone steps. She had already reached the peak of Bright Strength.

Especially after her "absurd battle" with the white-haired old man a few nights earlier, she felt as if some bottleneck inside her had been pierced through.

She had a feeling she would soon break through to Dark Strength.

"This is just... absurd. Am I really relying on something like that to spur myself into a breakthrough...?"

The scene of her "fierce battle" with the white-haired old man flashed through Su Yan's mind. A blush crept over her fair earlobes.

Her breathing also quickened without her realizing it.

And it carried a tempting warmth.

Worse still, Liu Yiyi, not far away, seemed to sense something and turned to look over.

Their eyes met.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Su Yan thought she saw a faint sheen of moisture in Liu Yiyi's eyes, as clear and cold as snow.

Could Yiyi be thinking about that too...?

The thought had barely crossed Su Yan's mind when Liu Yiyi immediately looked away.

Still, judging from the slight rise and fall of her chest, the girl did not seem entirely calm.

In the center of the Martial Practice Field, Zhao Gang was exchanging moves with several junior disciples, his every motion steady as a mountain.

As the senior disciple of the martial arts hall, he had always been the backbone of the Inner Courtyard disciples.

He still wore his usual honest smile, but beneath it lay a trace of gravity that others could hardly detect.

Time flew by, and before long, three days had passed.

The sky was not yet bright. Only the faintest pale glow of dawn showed in the east, but an aged figure was already standing in the open space in front of the gate.

Jiang Ye slowly settled into a stance and began with the opening move of the Five Animal Fist.

His body suddenly sank, his back arching like a tiger poised to pounce. Then he lightly tapped the ground with his foot, and his whole body sprang nimbly about within the confines of a few steps, like a nimble deer in a mountain stream, landing without a sound.

Next, he turned his shoulder slightly and drove a Bear Lean into empty air. A muffled thud seemed to ring out...

Several kinds of force flowed into and blended with one another.

Jiang Ye stood still, raising his eyelids slightly as his gaze fell on a waist-high slab of blue-gray stone beside him.

The stone was leftover scrap from the construction of the gatehouse a few years earlier. Thick and solid, it weighed at least two hundred pounds and had been abandoned in the corner, ignored by everyone.

Jiang Ye passed it while sweeping every day and occasionally glanced at it, but never gave it much thought.

Now, as he gazed at the stone, he suddenly raised his right hand. His five fingers hung limp, as if all the strength had gone out of them, and he lightly pressed his palm against it.

Thud.

A soft sound.

The surface of the stone remained perfectly still.

There was not even a single crack.

But if someone had crouched down to take a closer look, they would have been shocked to see fine powder trickling from the underside of the stone, where it touched the ground.

The powder was so fine it looked like sifted flour. It silently piled up on the ground, and a faint haze of dust rose in the morning light.

Jiang Ye withdrew his hand and lowered his eyes to the stone. Its surface was intact, but its interior had completely crumbled away. A hint of satisfaction passed through his eyes.

Host: Jiang Ye

Lifespan: 85

Strength: Dark Strength (Late Stage)

Fate: Ascension Stairway [Effect 1: Extraordinary Comprehension]

Martial Arts Mastered: Five Animal Fist [Great Accomplishment, 808/1000]

True Intent Mastered: Tiger Walk Like Sickness, Spirit Ape Thousand Changes

There was no denying the terrifying effects of extraordinary comprehension. After three days of training, Jiang Ye's strength had already advanced to the late stage of Dark Strength.

He was not far from Transformation Strength now.

It would happen in the next few days.

"Old Jiang, aren't you going to watch the Martial Assembly?"

Liu Qingshi's voice interrupted Jiang Ye's thoughts.

He had changed into a dignified dark robe, with his disciples standing behind him, ready to set out.

Jiang Ye waved a hand. "I'm old. Watching young people fight and kill is too much excitement for me. I'll stay by this gate and enjoy some peace and quiet instead."

He had gone along to watch the festivities a few times before. Each time, the one who stole the spotlight was none other than the Extreme Fist Martial Arts Hall.

Besides, he had other things to do today.

Seeing Jiang Ye refuse, Liu Qingshi didn't press him. He gave a slight nod, then led the vast, bustling procession toward the north of the city.

The sound of footsteps, murmured voices, and rustling sleeves gradually faded into the distance, until the morning breeze scattered them away.

Jiang Ye stood by the gate, watching the young figures disappear at the end of the long street.

When the last trace of their presence had faded, he turned and made his unhurried way back to his room.

When he opened the door and came out again, the figure standing there was no longer the frail old gatekeeper.

He stood taller now, his back straight, his lean features cold and hard. A menacing air that warned others to keep their distance gathered between his brows.

He lowered his gaze to this unfamiliar body and flexed his fingers, confirming everything was in order.

"It's time to settle this!"

He slipped away from the Martial Academy without a sound and headed toward the Zhang Family estate.

From the disciples' discussions around the Academy over the past few days, he had learned that Zhang Xu, that beast, was still alive.

Since Zhang Xu was still alive, Jiang Ye had to make sure he died for good today.

As far as he knew, the Zhang Family had an Attendant who was a Transformation Strength martial artist. He was elusive and rarely showed his face.

But today was the day of the Martial Assembly, and nine out of ten well-known martial artists in Anxi County would gather in the north of the city.

That Transformation Strength Attendant probably wouldn't miss such a grand event either.

So today was the best opportunity to assassinate Zhang Xu.

About half an hour later.

Jiang Ye appeared in a secluded alley outside the Zhang Family estate.

He didn't climb over the wall rashly. Instead, he hid in the shadows and listened in silence.

Then he overheard some news from the Zhang Family servants that left him speechless.

Zhang Xu, that beast, was still badly wounded and had only just stabilized, yet today he'd gone to watch the Martial Assembly, supported by servants.

After thinking it over for a moment, Jiang Ye had no choice but to take a detour to the north of the city and see if an opportunity presented itself.

Whatever happened, Zhang Xu had to die today.