Lu Chen cupped his hands. "This junior merely won by luck. Old Master Du, your praise is far too generous."
"Luck?"
Old Master Du heard this and couldn't help twitching the corners of his mouth. The look he gave Lu Chen was utterly speechless.
Shi Jingang's body was outrageously powerful. His sheer physical toughness allowed him to withstand ordinary attacks of qi head-on, and he poured all the qi of a one-seal martial artist into his fists, attacking without defending, with overwhelming force.
Niu Mang of Kaishan Martial Hall had been a cautionary example.
Such a ferocious opponent had been defeated head-on by you, killed on the spot... If that counted as luck, then there was probably no such thing as "strength" in the martial world.
Old Master Du shook his head and chuckled, but didn't pursue the matter any further.
Instead, he looked in the direction Iron Fist Martial Hall had left and sneered. "Hmph. Those outsiders from other counties are mostly uncultured, rough mountain folk. Our Wen'an Martial Arts Guild took pity on them, seeing how hard it is to make a living among fellow martial artists, and kindly gave them the chance to put down roots and open a school. But look at them! They specifically targeted the five weakest martial halls in Wen'an. After winning two matches, they've already become so arrogant and lost all composure. How petty! They're unfit to show their faces!"
Lu Chen smiled faintly and went along with him. "Old Master Du is absolutely right. To establish oneself in the martial world, one must look to the long term, not merely rely on a moment's ferocity."
Old Master Du nodded, his expression easing somewhat. "You've worked hard today, too. Go back and rest early. Ruonan—"
"Father." Du Ruonan, who had been standing