Deliberations

Li Beichen admitted that Yuan Dazong was a martial artist who pursued the martial path with single-minded devotion.

Regardless of the season, he trained hard day and night without pause.

Everyone in the martial hall had seen him train like that.

But Li Beichen also knew Yuan Dazong's talent was truly mediocre.

It had taken him a full eight months just to make a sound with his strike.

Then it took him another two years to break through to Eighth Grade Muscle Refining.

After that, he remained stuck at Eighth Grade. Three years passed, then another three—six years in all, and he still hadn't broken through to Seventh Grade.

A long while after hearing this, Meng Juxiang shook his head.

"Yuan Dazong's aptitude is average, and his meridians are naturally weak. Making it to the peak of Tendon Tempering within ten years is already the result of diligent cultivation."

"If he also divides his attention to practice the external martial arts of Thunderbolt Martial Hall, he'll have no chance of breaking through to Seventh Grade."

"Unless... he finds another path and practices true-qi martial arts. Otherwise, his highest achievement in this life will be no more than the lower three grades."

"True-qi martial arts?!"

Zhang Meng's eyes widened, and the words burst from his mouth.

"Master, are you saying Thunderbolt Martial Hall might have true-qi martial arts?!"

Li Beichen perked up his ears as well.

"Huang Baitao came from the Five-Thunder Thunderbolt Sect. The sect has a legacy of true-qi martial arts."

"But Huang Baitao definitely doesn't have it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lost to me every single time."

As Meng Juxiang spoke, a hint of domineering pride showed on his face. Then he continued.

"Of the Huang family, the only one who inherited true-qi martial arts is Huang Baitao's eldest son, Huang Feng, who is a true disciple of the Five-Thunder Thunderbolt Sect."

Zhang Meng scratched his head.

"Huang Shan, the one killed by Second Brother, was only a concubine-born son. I heard he had terrible talent and never even achieved Grade Entry. Would Huang Feng secretly pass true-qi martial arts on to him?"

"Though Huang Feng and Huang Shan were born to different mothers, they were still brothers. It's possible..."

"Then, Master... what should we do?"

Meng Juxiang lowered his eyelids and fell silent for a moment.

"If Yuan Dazong comes back, send him away at once. Let him leave for distant lands, and tell him not to return to Ram City until he reaches Sixth Grade."

"If he doesn't come back, we'll pretend we know nothing about this."

Hearing this, Zhang Meng grew anxious.

"But, Master, we can pretend we know nothing, but Thunderbolt Martial Hall can't. If they can't find Second Brother, they'll surely come knocking here."

"We're certainly not afraid of those brats from Thunderbolt Martial Hall, but we'll inevitably have to fight them."

Meng Juxiang looked up through the window. Li Beichen thought he saw a trace of compassion in the fierce scar on his face.

"I know Yuan Dazong isn't a man of good character, but he's been with me for so many years."

"He handled this badly, but I still want to protect him this once."

"If any of you got into trouble, I'd do the same for you."

Hearing this, Zhang Meng said no more.

Li Beichen watched from the side.

He realized that this master, who looked so fierce, wasn't cold and heartless. On the contrary, he valued loyalty.

Meng Juxiang had once said that the disciples in the martial hall had nothing but building big muscles on their minds, with no other thoughts.

Now it seemed that the most straightforward one might be Meng Juxiang himself.

Li Beichen had a very poor impression of Yuan Dazong.

Like Senior Brother Zhang Meng, he didn't think Yuan Dazong was worth Meng Juxiang taking the blame for.

What was more, Yuan Dazong had openly killed Huang Shan in broad daylight, making no attempt to hide it. He clearly hadn't given a thought to the impact on the martial hall.

Meanwhile, in a house barely a hundred meters from Thunderbolt Martial Hall in Jinglong District...

Yuan Dazong, whom Thunderbolt Martial Hall was searching for everywhere, was actually hiding there.

No one could have imagined that Yuan Dazong was right under their noses.

People from Thunderbolt Martial Hall were searching all over Ram City, even the nearby villages and the wilderness.

The one place they hadn't searched was the residential area next to Thunderbolt Martial Hall.

At that moment, Yuan Dazong was studying a yellowed book with rapt concentration.

His narrow, long eyes gleamed with fervor.

"True-qi martial arts! Once I master true qi, I'll surely break through to Seventh Grade, maybe even higher!"

The people from Thunderbolt Martial Hall searched for a full day and night.

They even mobilized the underworld and every sort of person to help search.

Still, they found nothing.

Early the next morning, under Lin Xiong's leadership, the people from Thunderbolt Martial Hall stormed toward Like-Elephant Martial Hall.

All of Jinglong District was shaken.

Everyone knew Thunderbolt and Like-Elephant were two of the Four Great Martial Halls.

In Ram City, they were among the very strongest forces.

Now the two martial halls were about to clash.

Countless martial artists and even ordinary people followed behind the Thunderbolt Martial Hall disciples, hoping to witness the scene firsthand.

Inside Like-Elephant Martial Hall, Li Beichen, Zhang Meng, and several other Inner Courtyard disciples gathered together.

The previous night, Zhang Meng had summoned all the disciples and told them about Yuan Dazong.

To prevent any mishaps, Li Beichen and the others had spent the night in the martial hall.

"Senior Brother, the people from Thunderbolt Martial Hall are almost here!"

An Outer Courtyard disciple sent out to gather news hurried back.

"Who's leading them?"

"Lin Xiong and Mo Changkun are both in the group. Their Inner Courtyard disciples should all be there!"

"Has Huang Baitao shown up?"

"No."

"Good. Go get some rest!"

Zhang Meng's gaze sharpened as he spoke to Li Beichen and the other Inner Courtyard disciples.

"Fellow disciples, since Thunderbolt Martial Hall's master, Huang Baitao, hasn't come in person, we can't have Master come out either. We'll handle this ourselves first!"

"But Lin Xiong and Mo Changkun from Thunderbolt Martial Hall are both Seventh Grade martial artists, and we only have Senior Brother."

"They have more Eighth and Ninth Grade martial artists than we do, too."

Yang Ling and Han Fengqi voiced their worries one after another.

In terms of Inner Courtyard disciples, Like-Elephant Martial Hall had always ranked last among the Four Great Martial Halls.

"It's fine. Even if Huang Baitao lost his son, they still have to follow the rules. The odds that they'll just start a fight with us are low; it would only leave both sides battered."

"Following the rules means nothing more than a martial contest."

Third Senior Brother Wang Dao raised his head. His gaze seemed fixed on Zhang Meng, but in truth, he was looking at the closed nanmu doors of the Inner Courtyard entrance hall.

"Second Brother caused trouble, and we have to bear it together. That's fine. But he hasn't even shown his face. That's really chilling."

"Third Brother!"

Zhang Meng quietly stopped Wang Dao.

The people from Thunderbolt Martial Hall hadn't even arrived, and their own side was already losing its nerve.

Li Beichen stepped forward.

"Third Senior Brother, Master isn't in the entrance hall right now. He's in the courtyard behind it. He can't hear you if you say that."

His interruption eased the tension.

Fifth Senior Sister Fang Meiqin, who had been silent for a long time, raised her brows, a murderous glint in her eyes.

"If they want trouble, then we'll lay down the terms and settle it with a martial contest."

"Good. I've been sick of that bunch from Thunderbolt Martial Hall for a long time!"

"Fifth Senior Sister is right. We'll settle it with a martial contest. Count me in!"

Li Beichen stepped forward as well.

Though he had joined Like-Elephant Martial Hall less than a year ago, Meng Juxiang and Zhang Meng had looked after him greatly.

When Zhou Zhongru of the Meat Guild caused trouble, the martial hall had covered for him and handled the aftermath.

He knew how to repay kindness and settle grudges. Though he disliked Yuan Dazong, Meng Juxiang had made his decision, and Li Beichen would stand by him without hesitation.

"Good!"

Zhang Meng made up his mind.

"If Thunderbolt Martial Hall refuses to let this go, we'll propose a martial contest. One match each at Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Grade. That'll give us a pretty good chance of winning!"