Wenwu, Challenge

"Brother Lu Chen, your new place is quite impressive!"

Liu Qi stood in the courtyard on Huaijiao Alley, looking this way and that, his eyes full of envy.

Huaijiao Alley was in a decent part of South City. Lu Chen had rented a row of courtyards, knocked through the dividing walls, and renovated and repainted the place. With its gray tiles and blue-brick walls, it was bright and orderly—a far cry from the cramped old house on Sheep Dung Alley.

This was not only Lu Chen's new home but also where his core subordinates gathered to discuss matters each day.

"Just making a living." Lu Chen smiled faintly, then asked, "Brother Liu, what brings you here?"

"Master's Wife sent me to find you. She said she had something to discuss with you," Liu Qi replied.

"Oh? What is it that's so urgent?"

"Honestly, I'm not quite sure myself."

Lu Chen's heart sank. Master's Wife rarely sought him out on her own. If she had sent Liu Qi all this way, it probably wasn't a minor matter.

He gave a few instructions to the brothers keeping watch in the courtyard, then hurried out of Huaijiao Alley with Liu Qi.

They said nothing along the way. When they reached the inner residence, they crossed the courtyard and found the main hall doors open.

Lu Chen went inside and saw Master's Wife, Lin Wei'er, and Zhou Lan waiting there.

He greeted them first, then asked, "What's so urgent?"

Master's Wife's bright, coolly beautiful face was clouded with worry. "There's been a change in the martial arts guild. You've heard about the Knocking Ghost wreaking havoc in Wenwu County, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I heard a little about it at the lantern tower on the night of the Lantern Festival." Lu Chen nodded. Then, recalling that the two counties bordered each other, he felt a knot tighten in his chest. "Could that thing have spread to our Wen'an?"

"No, not that. But the magistrate of Wenwu County is dead, and nearly half the people have fled. Several martial arts halls there that can no longer keep afloat now want to move their entire operations to Wen'an," Master's Wife replied.

Lu Chen's heart jolted. That Knocking Ghost had even killed the county magistrate. It really was a fearsome thing.

He suppressed his alarm and asked, "Would the local martial arts guilds in Wen'an agree to let them come?"

"Of course they wouldn't," Lin Wei'er interjected. "In any one county, there are only so many talented youngsters willing to pay to learn martial arts. If they come here, how are the disciples supposed to be divided? There's only so much to go around. Who'd willingly let someone come and take their share?"

Master's Wife nodded, then added, "They know this will be difficult, so they've promised to cover the three extra shares of silver that Magistrate Chen demands from the Wen'an martial arts guild."

"They think they can open halls and establish themselves in Wen'an just by offering three shares of silver? And the guild agreed?" Lu Chen asked.

Master's Wife explained, "They only asked for a chance to challenge us. By the old rules of the martial arts guild, a new hall that wants to establish itself locally must first spar with the local martial arts halls. If it wins, it can stay. If it loses, it must leave."

"Then... what if the local martial arts hall loses?" Lu Chen asked.

Master's Wife sighed softly. "If it loses, the new hall takes its place. The loser is out and will have a hard time establishing itself again."

"Master's Wife, are you worried they'll choose us?"

Master's Wife nodded.

Lu Chen reassured her, "There are several martial arts halls in Wen'an weaker than ours. They may not choose to bite off more than they can chew."

Zhou Lan waved his fan. "Let's hope so. But the martial spirit in Wenwu County is fierce. The disciples trained by their martial arts halls are probably stronger overall than ours."

Lin Wei'er curled her lip and scoffed. "Even if they're so strong, didn't the Knocking Ghost scare them into abandoning their homes and fleeing here? If they're really capable, why didn't they get rid of that thing and defend their own turf?"

Zhou Lan smiled. "Wei'er, it's fine to say that among ourselves, but don't let it slip outside—especially not in front of the people from Wenwu County. They've been driven from their homes, and they're already in a foul mood. Hearing that would only make them resent us more."

"Like you know what you're talking about!"

Lin Wei'er's pretty face stiffened, and her willow brows shot up. "I know perfectly well where to draw the line. I'm not like certain people, waving a battered fan all day and pretending to be a refined gentleman. And call me Senior Sister! Show some respect."

"What's it to you if I wave my fan?" Zhou Lan snapped his fan shut and put on a stern face.

"The wind's howling outside, and you're still fanning away indoors. What are you pretending to be, some elegant young master? Putting on airs! Aren't you afraid you'll fan yourself into a chill?" Lin Wei'er snorted.

"What do you know? This is a matter of character—the bearing of a gentleman of the martial world." Zhou Lan struck what he thought was a dashing pose, then snapped his fan open with a flourish.

"What a peacock!" Lin Wei'er shot back.

Zhou Lan was so thoroughly put on the spot that his eyes rolled back in a huge eye-roll. His dashing pose collapsed on the spot.

"All right," Master's Wife said with a smile, cutting them off. "Let's talk business. Lan'er, put the fan away. Wei'er, sit properly."

Only then did the two settle down.

Lu Chen steered the conversation back on track. "Master's Wife, which martial arts halls are looking to move here? How strong are their masters? Do they have any fighters we should watch out for? What are the exact rules for the challenges? Will it be hall masters facing off, or disciples sparring?"

"We don't know exactly which halls yet. We only got word this morning, and the martial arts guild is still discussing it."

She looked at the three of them, her expression serious. "I called you here to settle this in advance. If Plum Blossom Martial Hall is chosen, I'll need you to come back and help us fight."

"Don't worry, Master's Wife." Zhou Lan's expression turned solemn. "If the hall is in trouble, I'll do everything I can to help."

"Iron Sword Sect isn't far from our county. Just send word and I'll be here." Lin Wei'er agreed at once, then furrowed her brows. "But what about the other senior brothers and sisters? Senior Brother Zheng is always roaming the martial world, and no one knows where he is. Senior Brother Ji is in the military and won't easily get leave. The other three are in other provinces, so they may not arrive in time."

At that, Master's Wife smiled gently, her gaze sweeping warmly over the three of them. "It's all right. With you three here, that's enough to hold the fort."

After discussing a few more details, Zhou Lan and Lin Wei'er took their leave.

Lu Chen, however, stayed where he was, making no move to leave.

Master's Wife looked at him. "Is there something else, Chen'er?"

"Master's Wife, yesterday I fought a warrior who had formed one seal, but no matter what I did, I couldn't break through the layer of force protecting him. Why not?"

Master's Wife replied calmly:

"You haven't formed a seal yet, so the force within you is still scattered. A warrior with one seal has already condensed his force into a seed in his dantian. He can spread it over his entire body in an instant, as if wearing a suit of invisible armor."

Lu Chen understood at once.

"So I either need to form a seal myself as soon as possible and strengthen my force, or figure out how to use what little force I have more cleverly and concentrate it on the weak spots in his force armor?"

"Exactly."

Master's Wife nodded. "External Force warriors compete on the strength of their force, with each level above the one before it. Fighting above your level is hard. Next time, don't go looking for trouble by challenging someone above your rank."

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then asked, "If External Force warriors' force is so powerful, how did they lose to the Knocking Ghost?"

Master's Wife shook her head. "I don't know either. I've only heard that those things tear through a warrior's force defenses as easily as paper. Some monsters even take pleasure in hunting warriors. When you're out and about, you must be careful."

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat as an unsettling thought suddenly crossed his mind.