The Martial Arts Tournament Begins

With just a few words from Huang Baitao.

Lin Xiong felt that the two martial duels he had been uncertain about were now firmly in the bag.

He felt even more awe toward his master.

He lowered his head even further.

"Yes! Master!"

"Go. If you handle this matter well, I will recommend you to the Five-Thunder Thunderbolt Sect next year, and you can happen to follow Senior Brother Huang Feng!"

"He is now a true disciple; a casual pointer from him is worth more than three years of struggling on your own."

Hearing Huang Baitao's words, joy appeared in Lin Xiong's eyes.

"This disciple will naturally give his all!"

"Go on then."

After Lin Xiong took his leave, Huang Baitao took a letter from beneath the inkstone on his desk.

On it, written in black and white, were five lines of text.

[The Giant Elephant Sect has undergone a drastic change; Sect Master Han Sanbian has fallen in blood upon Dongting Lake.]

[The wind has shifted within the Five-Thunder Thunderbolt Sect; they intend to take the Giant Elephant Sect first, then expand into the southeast.]

[Ram City shall serve as the bridgehead, and the sect wishes to appoint a Thunder Envoy to garrison it.]

[Father should take the head of Meng Juxiang; seizing this opportunity will earn a great merit within the sect.]

[With this merit, I shall scheme further, and perhaps I can secure the position of Thunder Envoy for Father.]

The signatory was none other than Huang Feng.

Huang Baitao carefully tucked the letter away, his gaze passing through the wooden window toward the direction of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall.

"Meng Juxiang, you have suppressed me for so many years; this time, I shall see you ruined beyond redemption!"

The next day, in the center of Jinglong District.

It was a sea of people.

Even the rafters of the restaurants and eateries on both sides were packed with spectators.

Everyone was staring at the martial stage in the square.

Here, a top-tier martial duel, rarely seen in Ram City for years, was about to take place.

The group from the Like-Elephant Martial Hall parted the crowd and walked toward the martial stage.

"Fifth Senior Sister, did you not rest well? Why does your complexion look a bit off?"

Li Beichen looked at Fang Meiqin, feeling that something was not quite right.

"It is nothing, Junior Brother... you must be careful later."

Although Fang Meiqin tried to keep her tone normal, Li Beichen still caught a hint of a tremor in her voice.

He turned to look at Zhang Meng.

"Eldest Senior Brother, don't you think Fifth Senior Sister is acting a bit strange?"

Zhang Meng's expression remained as usual as he spoke casually.

"She is just nervous. Don't overthink it, Seventh, just focus on winning your own match!"

"Understood!"

Today, Meng Juxiang and Huang Baitao still did not appear in person.

Each remained at their respective martial halls awaiting the results.

Kings do not meet kings.

If the two of them were to appear, the conflict would escalate to an entirely different level.

This was also an unspoken rule of Jinglong District.

Presiding over the duels on their behalf were two veteran seventh-rank masters from the thirty-six martial halls of Jinglong District.

One man and one woman.

Zhang Bailang of the Black Wolf Martial Hall and Zhao Hongxiu of the Ruyi Martial Hall.

Once everything was in order.

Fang Meiqin and Zhou Longfei, the fifth inner-court disciple of the Thunderbolt Martial Hall, signed the life-and-death waivers before leaping onto the martial stage together.

The first match, a ninth-rank duel.

It was about to begin.

Li Beichen and the other disciples of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall stood on one side of the stage, while the crowd from the Thunderbolt Martial Hall stood on the other.

They exchanged friendly gestures toward one another.

The surrounding spectators were in high spirits, their eyes fixed intently on Fang Meiqin and Zhou Longfei upon the martial arts arena.

A battle between Ninth-Rank martial artists.

Many were not just watching for the spectacle; they were there to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of others, gauging the true power of Fang Meiqin and Zhou Longfei.

The more one fought, the more one exposed.

If they were to face an opponent next time, their win rate would naturally be lower.

That was why the other two of the four major martial halls, the Wang Clan and Cloud Crane, had sent people specifically to observe, even bringing pen, ink, paper, and inkstone to record the details.

The referee for this match was Zhao Hongxiu, master of the Ruyi Martial Hall.

She was a rare female Seventh-Rank martial artist.

She leaped to the center of the martial arts arena.

Raising the life-and-death contract, she announced in a clear voice.

"The rules of the martial duel: bare hands only, leaving the stage counts as a loss."

"However, fists and feet have no eyes; life and death are left to fate!"

"Today, Fang Meiqin and Zhou Longfei have specifically signed this life-and-death contract, and each shall be responsible for their own injuries or death."

Both sides confirmed there were no errors.

"The duel, begin!"

Zhou Longfei of the Thunderbolt Martial Hall lunged forward instantly, while Fang Meiqin seemed to have only just reacted.

She hurriedly struck back to trade blows.

Li Beichen, standing below the stage, furrowed his brows before relaxing them again.

Fifth Senior Sister's foundation is solid; that Zhou Longfei should be no match for her.

"That goes without saying!"

Yang Ling chuckled beside him.

"I saw Meiqin practicing alone in a secluded spot last time, and she struck out fifteen consecutive resonant sounds."

"That brat Zhou Longfei can barely manage ten at most; how could he possibly be her match?"

Sure enough, within moments.

Fang Meiqin was pressing the attack against Zhou Longfei, at one point driving him into the corner of the arena.

Below the stage, the members of the Like-Elephant Martial Hall all wore joyful expressions.

Opposite them, the Thunderbolt Martial Hall looked grim.

However, Li Beichen noticed something.

Within the Thunderbolt Martial Hall.

Lin Xiong, seeing Zhou Longfei falling behind, showed no panic at all; instead, he wore an expression of absolute certainty.

He turned his head to look at Zhang Meng.

He discovered that Zhang Meng also had his eyelids lowered and his face expressionless, as if it were not Zhou Longfei who had fallen into a disadvantage, but Fang Meiqin.

A sense of unease rose in Li Beichen's heart.

He looked toward the martial arts arena.

Thump, thump!

A few short, sharp sounds of a cane striking the bluestone bricks suddenly echoed.

Li Beichen followed the sound and saw.

An elderly gentleman in brocade robes, supported by a middle-aged man.

He did not recognize the old gentleman, but he recognized the middle-aged man.

It was none other than Fang Meiqin's father.

A thought flashed through Li Beichen's mind.

She is going to lose...

Sure enough, on the arena, Fang Meiqin's movements suddenly stalled upon hearing the sound of the cane, and her gaze shifted toward the old gentleman.

After confirming the old man's expression, she actually left her defenses wide open, exposing a fatal flaw.

Zhou Longfei of the Thunderbolt Martial Hall seized the opportunity and threw a fierce punch.

Fang Meiqin was struck on the shoulder, sent flying backward, and landed outside the arena.

Seeing this, the referee Zhao Hongxiu leaped onto the stage and promptly declared Zhou Longfei the winner.

The entire crowd erupted in an uproar.

As for the brocade-clad old gentleman, seeing that Fang Meiqin had lost, he left the venue supported by the middle-aged man.

As he passed by Lin Xiong, he whispered.

"Tell Hall Master Huang that the Cloth Guild has fulfilled its requirements; I hope he does not forget his promise."

Over at the Like-Elephant Martial Hall.

Yang Ling and Han Fengqi hurried over to help Fang Meiqin up.

"Fang Meiqin, are you alright?!"

"I am fine."

Fang Meiqin stood up and looked at Li Beichen and Zhang Meng, a flash of guilt crossing her eyes.

"Senior Brother, Seventh Junior Brother, I am sorry. I was careless."

Li Beichen did not speak; he knew that the Like-Elephant Martial Hall was likely in grave danger this time.

The true battle was not taking place on the martial stage, but outside of it.

Yet, regardless of what others might do, he was determined to win his own match.

Even if he could not change the final outcome, he would have a clear conscience and remain worthy of the kindness Meng Juxiang had shown him.

Zhang Meng walked over and patted Fang Meiqin on the shoulder.

"Fifth Junior Sister, it is alright. Losing was not your intention."

"The next match is up to Seventh."

Li Beichen nodded and walked toward the martial stage.

After Li Beichen had moved away, Zhang Meng's voice sounded in Fang Meiqin's ear.

"A person lives but once, caught in a web, always facing things beyond their control and helplessness."

"Senior Brother, you..."

A look of astonishment flashed across Fang Meiqin's face.

She had thought that Zhang Meng had also been bought off by the Thunderbolt Martial Hall.

However, the next moment, Zhang Meng's words caused her tightened heart to relax.

She saw Zhang Meng's gaze burning as he watched Li Beichen striding forward.

"But sometimes, one should be like Seventh—possessing the courage and determination to break through all constraints!"