A quarter-hour later.
Dozens of burly men from Thunderbolt Martial Hall, led by Seventh Grade Skin Refining martial artist Lin Xiong, blocked the entrance to Like-Elephant Martial Hall.
The onlookers.
They packed in layer upon layer, completely surrounding the area.
Even the Elephant Washing Pool was crammed with people.
Zhang Meng led the disciples of Like-Elephant Martial Hall outside.
He faced off against Lin Xiong.
Li Beichen immediately spotted Mo Changkun behind Lin Xiong.
Mo Changkun clearly recognized Li Beichen at a glance, too.
He was just about to make a threat when Li Beichen beat him to it, raising his middle finger.
Mo Changkun's expression instantly darkened.
He stepped forward first.
"Zhang Meng, hand over Yuan Dazong! Otherwise, Thunderbolt Martial Hall will make you pay today!"
Zhang Meng merely glanced at him, then looked toward Lin Xiong, ignoring Mo Changkun completely.
"Oh, Lin Xiong, who's in charge here—you or Mo Changkun? Who should I be talking to?"
Mo Changkun's face stiffened at those words, and he hurriedly explained to Lin Xiong.
"Senior Brother, I was just so angry that I couldn't help myself..."
Lin Xiong only raised a hand to stop Mo Changkun from speaking. He didn't turn around or even look at him.
He addressed Zhang Meng.
"Zhang Meng, don't try to sow discord in Thunderbolt Martial Hall. Today, Like-Elephant Martial Hall owes us an explanation."
"If you can't make the decision, then bring Meng Juxiang out!"
"How dare a mere Seventh Grade address our hall master by name?"
Zhang Meng laid down the challenge.
"Lin Xiong, listen up."
"Yuan Dazong isn't at Like-Elephant Martial Hall. I have no idea where he is. If you want to find him, go look for him yourself."
"If you're looking for trouble with Like-Elephant Martial Hall, then let's settle it with a martial duel!"
Lin Xiong hadn't expected Zhang Meng to be so forceful. Remembering Huang Baitao's private instructions, he sneered coldly.
"Fine. Then we'll have a martial duel!"
"The loser pays a hundred thousand taels. Do you dare accept?"
A hundred thousand taels!
Li Beichen hadn't expected Thunderbolt Martial Hall to wager such an enormous sum.
After all, even a top power in Ram City like Like-Elephant Martial Hall only earned tens of thousands of taels a year.
A hundred thousand taels amounted to several years of the hall's income.
If they really lost, Like-Elephant Martial Hall would have to pay the hundred thousand taels in silver, and many of its assets would have to be mortgaged.
It would suffer a devastating blow.
Unless Meng Juxiang ventured into the Lingnan Mountains, risking his life to hunt Exotic Beasts.
He could make up the hundred thousand taels himself.
At that thought, Li Beichen suddenly realized something.
"Thunderbolt Martial Hall's target isn't Yuan Dazong. It's Like-Elephant Martial Hall—or even Meng Juxiang!"
If the martial hall had to sell off a large portion of its assets, Like-Elephant Martial Hall's strength would plummet.
If Meng Juxiang really went into the Lingnan Mountains to hunt Exotic Beasts of Seventh Grade or higher, he'd be taking a huge risk. And if someone ambushed him along the way...
He might die in the Lingnan Mountains.
Then Like-Elephant Martial Hall would surely be unable to recover.
"But behind Meng Juxiang stands the Jiangnan Circuit's major sect, the Giant Elephant Sect. Huang Baitao knows that full well. Yuan Dazong is the culprit; there's no need to target Meng Juxiang over this."
"Could this just be an attempt to suppress Like-Elephant Martial Hall?"
Li Beichen furrowed his brows.
He felt as though he were missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
Zhang Meng was also caught in a dilemma. He couldn't make a decision about a hundred thousand taels.
Seeing that Zhang Meng didn't answer, Lin Xiong wore a mocking smile.
"What's the matter, Zhang Meng? Can't make the decision? Hurry up and ask your master to come out."
Just then, Xiao Wu from the martial hall hurried out from the Inner Courtyard and whispered a few words in Zhang Meng's ear.
After listening, Zhang Meng's confidence returned.
"A hundred thousand taels it is."
"Three bouts, best of three. One fighter each from Ninth Grade, Eighth Rank, and Seventh Grade. Does Thunderbolt Martial Hall dare accept?"
Lin Xiong of Thunderbolt Martial Hall wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Fine! We'll do as you say. Tomorrow, at the largest Martial Arena in Jinglong District."
"See you there!"
The crowd from Thunderbolt Martial Hall came and went in a grand procession.
The spectators around them dispersed, still hungry for more.
A day later, the Four Great Martial Halls.
Thunderbolt against Like-Elephant. A martial duel!
The wager: a hundred thousand taels!
Within just a few hours, the news had spread beyond Jinglong District to all of Ram City. The Thirty-Six Guilds and people from every walk of life had heard about it.
Even Yuan Dazong, hiding in a residence next to Thunderbolt Martial Hall,
heard the news.
His eyes flickered for a moment, then turned cold again.
"Master, it's not that I don't want to return. It's simply your fate to suffer this calamity."
"When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer."
"If I succeed in my studies, I'll surely kill Huang Baitao one day and avenge you!"
Yuan Dazong picked up the yellowed booklet in his hands again...
Meanwhile, inside Like-Elephant Martial Hall.
The mood was rather heavy.
After all, they were about to fight Thunderbolt Martial Hall over someone who wouldn't even show his face.
None of them were doing it for Yuan Dazong. They were only doing it out of consideration for the martial hall and Meng Juxiang.
Li Beichen was still pondering the purpose behind Thunderbolt Martial Hall's move.
"Senior Brother, Thunderbolt Martial Hall must have come looking for trouble on purpose. They're probably not after Yuan Dazong. Their real target could be our martial hall and Master."
"There's no point talking about it now. What's done is done; the matter's settled."
"Besides, Huang Baitao only came after our martial hall because he couldn't find Yuan Dazong."
Zhang Meng's reasoning made sense, so Li Beichen said no more.
It was only a guess, without any proof. He'd said enough by bringing it up.
"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, I'll naturally take the Seventh Grade bout."
"As for the other two..."
Zhang Meng looked toward the others.
Li Beichen and Fang Meiqin immediately stepped forward.
Wang Dao, Yang Ling, and Han Fengqi, however, still hesitated over whether to fight.
Seeing this, Zhang Meng didn't force them.
"Since we have enough people for all three bouts, everyone get ready. In two days, we'll surely defeat Thunderbolt Martial Hall!"
"Wait, Senior Brother!"
Fang Meiqin spoke up.
She first fixed her gaze on Third Brother Wang Dao, waiting until he turned his head away.
Only then did Fang Meiqin turn to Li Beichen with an approving look.
"Junior Brother, I'll take the Eighth Rank bout. You just handle the Ninth Grade bout."
"You've got guts! You're the youngest, and you may not look very muscular, but you've got plenty of courage!"
Those words left Wang Dao and the others looking uncomfortable. They wanted to object, but couldn't find the words.
Aside from Zhang Meng, none of the other Inner Courtyard disciples knew that Li Beichen had reached Eighth Rank.
At that moment, they still thought Wang Dao was the only one at Eighth Rank.
Yet when it came to the martial duel, Fang Meiqin, who was still at Ninth Grade, was the one expected to fight someone of a higher rank.
No one could fault her for saying that.
Li Beichen actually understood Wang Dao and the others' choices.
If it weren't for Meng Juxiang's kindness to him, who would risk their life for Yuan Dazong, a man who didn't even dare show his face?
They had paid tuition to study martial arts at the hall. They weren't learning for free.
This wasn't the kind of master-disciple relationship that lasted a lifetime.
They called Meng Juxiang their master, not their teacher.
Still, Fang Meiqin had genuinely surprised Li Beichen.
Her muscles were no less developed than Yang Ling's and the others'.
And her spirit was every bit as bold and proud as any man's.
Her fearless nature made everyone see her in a new light.
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