"Damn it, how many times has the Crane School attacked our Martial Alliance now?!"
In a conference room, Bu Chen, seated at the head of the table, slammed his fist down hard.
Jiang Yun wasn't there. Bu Chen handled most of the Martial Alliance's affairs, while Jiang Yun only needed to check in on its progress from time to time. He focused most of his energy on martial arts training.
The few people in the room wore grave expressions. Bu Chen swept his gaze over them, but no one spoke. He sighed inwardly. These people have decent martial arts talent, but they still fall short when it comes to planning and leading the whole organization. My younger brother has decent talent too, and he's good at managing affairs. Perhaps I should gradually hand the Martial Alliance over to him. In the end, my goal is to follow Brother Yun on that ultimate path.
Among the Martial Alliance's core disciples, Bu Chen was the only one truly capable of leading the organization. He was calm and levelheaded, with considerable martial arts talent. Jiang Yun had once urged him to devote himself entirely to training.
But Bu Chen had refused, saying the Martial Alliance Jiang Yun had founded was not yet stable. Once it was on the right track, he would gradually shift his focus to martial arts.
Bu Chen was also the disciple Jiang Yun valued most. Most of the others were only suited to be generals: they either had decent talent or excelled in some other area. Only Bu Chen was outstanding across the board, a natural leader.
Jiang Yun had also told Bu Chen about the ultimate path of martial arts: only by becoming a god could one endure forever in this world.
Bu Chen didn't know how Jiang Yun had learned this, but he believed Jiang Yun was right. The disciples of the Martial Alliance even thought Jiang Yun was a deity reborn, destined to become the God of Martial Arts!
Bu Chen looked at the people watching him, knowing they were waiting for him to decide what to do. He immediately got to the point.
"The Crane School is coming at us aggressively. We can't just sit by and do nothing. If they dare come after us, we'll cut off their claws!"
"Even the number of people posting missions has dropped lately. Clearly, they're sitting on the sidelines and watching us fight. If that's the case, let's show them who the real dragon is!"
Bu Chen's voice was stern and fierce.
Just then, a discordant voice broke the silence.
"May I ask, Vice Alliance Leader Bu Chen, won't Alliance Leader Jiang Yun step in?"
"Step in? Heh. If Jiang Yun had to step in, what would we need you for?"
The speaker was Bu Fan. He and his brother Bu Chen already knew that Jiang Yun wouldn't intervene. To Jiang Yun, this was a trivial matter. By staying out of it, he was clearly leaving them to handle it themselves. If they couldn't even take care of something this minor, they didn't deserve to stay by Jiang Yun's side.
"If Jiang Yun had to handle everything for us, then we wouldn't deserve to stand by him. Jiang Yun taught us to cultivate a Martial Heart. If we can't overcome this little difficulty, why bother practicing martial arts or refining our energy? We might as well get an ordinary job!"
Bu Fan's words cut deep. The man's face flushed with shame, and he was too embarrassed to reply.
He was one of the later additions to the Martial Alliance's core, and a martial artist with decent talent. After learning about the Alliance's knowledge of ki, his fighting strength had improved considerably.
But he had been intimidated by the Crane School's long history and the reputation of Master Shen.
Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Bu Chen stepped in to smooth things over. "Don't worry too much. The enemy is strong, but so are we. Give the order: every Martial Alliance branch must have core disciples stationed there. If they dare show up, we'll cut off their claws and see whether this so-called Master Shen can keep sitting still. As long as he has any sense of shame, he won't attack the younger generation. If he really stoops so low as to attack them, notify me. I'll deal with it!"
"Yes!"
"Meeting adjourned!"
"Wait. Bu Fan, stay behind."
As if he had thought of something, Bu Chen asked Bu Fan to remain.
"Brother, is there something you need me to do?"
After everyone else had left, Bu Fan looked at Bu Chen, puzzled.
"No. I just wanted to talk with you. You're a grown man now. It's time you learned to stand on your own."
Bu Chen looked at his younger brother. Bu Fan had always been mischievous, and after their parents passed away, Bu Chen had been the one to take care of him. He had played both the role of older brother and father to Bu Fan. Perhaps taking on responsibility so early was what had made Bu Chen so steady.
His younger brother had changed after meeting Jiang Yun. So had he.
"Bu Fan, you've grown up. From now on, you can try handling some of the Martial Alliance's affairs. Brother Yun's goal has always been the pinnacle of martial arts. He won't often interfere in the Alliance's affairs, and he usually leaves them to us. There were a lot of things we had to be careful about before, but now the Alliance is gradually getting on track. I'm going to try following Brother Yun's footsteps, too."
Bu Chen spoke with a sigh.
"Brother, you..."
Bu Fan hesitated, but before he could finish, Bu Chen continued.
"I know you've always been devoted to the Martial Alliance's growth, and you've done a good job over the past two years. You just need to learn to keep your temper in check. The Crane School is bearing down on us, and the Alliance has been around for far too short a time. Give us a few more years, and I believe we won't have to fear the Crane School—or any other force on Earth. But the Crane School isn't the only one eyeing us. The Red Ribbon Army in the north wants to take a bite out of us, too. Brother Yun has entrusted this matter to us because he trusts us."
Bu Chen picked up the water on the table and took a sip before continuing. "Brother Yun won't abandon us, but we have to do more than just get this done—we have to do it well. We can handle the Crane School's disciples, but as for Master Shen, I'm probably the only one who can fight him. His younger brother, Mercenary Tao, is even more terrifying in battle, and I may not be able to beat him. So I need to go into seclusion and improve my martial arts."
Jiang Yun had once told him about several martial arts experts: the overseas God of Martial Arts, Master Roshi, also known as the Turtle Hermit; the Turtle Hermit's fellow disciple, Master Shen; and Master Shen's younger brother, Mercenary Tao. Of the three, Mercenary Tao was the strongest.
"Brother, I know you've always looked after me. I know I haven't been levelheaded enough, either."
Bu Fan's voice wavered with sobs, and tears streamed down his face.
"I won't let you down, Brother. I know I'm not as talented as you. You used to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders for me. Now go into seclusion without worrying. I'll take care of everything. I won't let you down."
Bu Fan spoke through his tears.
Bu Chen looked at his younger brother with emotion. His little brother had finally grown up. A fledgling had to spread its wings, and Bu Chen couldn't protect him forever.
A true eagle had to face life and death in the wilderness for itself, weathering wind and rain. In that world, the only one it could truly rely on was itself.
Thinking this, Bu Chen hugged his younger brother.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply savored the warmth of the moment.
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