Victory

The martial grounds, on a raised platform not far away.

Bai Qiqi held a bun in his hand, chewing as he spoke.

"Senior Brother, why did you go out of your way to provoke them today? Chew, chew, chew~"

Su Ji replied, "The martial hall has grown too comfortable."

"The price of comfort is gentleness."

"And gentleness is the last thing a Martial Artist needs. It breeds laziness."

"What a Martial Artist truly needs is blood and courage."

"Anger, on the other hand, can break through that very well. Anger is the only thing that can truly spur someone to improve. No amount of effort or encouragement will do. Only when someone deeply understands their own weakness and helplessness, and has a heart that refuses to accept it, can they find immense courage..."

But Bai Qiqi heard a trace of heaviness in Su Ji's words. It took him a long while to react before sticking out his tongue. "Senior Brother, why are you suddenly so serious..."

Su Ji said:

"Junior Sister, I'll be leaving Jiaqing County in less than a month. I'm afraid I won't be here for the Seven Halls Martial Arts Tournament."

Bai Qiqi froze. "Huh? Senior Brother, you're leaving? Where are you going?"

An eldest brother was like a father. Over the years, Su Ji had truly done his duty as the senior disciple, and everyone at the martial hall respected him.

His strength also made him one of the best among the younger generation. It could be said that the martial hall's reputation had rested on Su Ji's shoulders all these years.

"Father used his Peace Guard contribution points to exchange for an entry token to the Heavenly Saber Sect in Willow Sect Prefecture."

"I was supposed to leave this month, but I still have two Peace Guard missions to complete. Once I finish this last mission, I'll be leaving for Willow Sect Prefecture."

"In recent years, the martial hall has struggled to find worthy successors. Most of its members are slackers, with none of the bearing of martial cultivators."

"You and Junior Brother Xiao are too young. Junior Brother Bai Suo is too self-centered, and Liu Lie has no interest in the Martial Way. The gap between our disciples and those of the other six halls is even more obvious. The Seven Halls Martial Arts Tournament will likely end in disaster."

"I have no chance to repay our master's kindness, so I wanted to leave something behind. At the very least, I hope to leave behind the bold, fierce spirit of a Martial Artist, so the martial hall's disciples won't suffer too humiliating a defeat."

"Oh... Does Master know?" Bai Qiqi lowered his head and asked glumly.

"He doesn't. I haven't found the chance to tell him yet," Su Ji said.

Silence fell between them.

At the same time, the fight on the Martial Practice Platform below finally began.

Lin Yi and three others faced off against a Peace Guard named Hu Biao.

Hu Biao was at the mid Houtian stage.

Lin Yi and the other three had only just advanced to the early Houtian stage.

The fight was about to begin.

"Come on. You make the first move, or you won't get the chance later." Hu Biao beckoned to the four of them.

The two Zhang brothers exchanged a glance, communicating silently for a moment.

Then, in the next instant, they both sprang into action.

The elder brother, Zhang Lu, used the saber techniques of Gengjin Martial Hall, attacking high.

His younger brother, Zhang Chang, used a leg technique, attacking low.

The two worked together seamlessly, achieving an effect greater than the sum of their parts.

Hu Biao glanced at the pair charging toward him and curled his lips. "Still too green..."

He stood motionless, as imposing as a mountain.

The instant they attacked, Hu Biao seemed to have predicted their moves. He anticipated the path of Zhang Lu's descending saber and dodged at the slightest angle. Then he focused True Qi in his lower leg, moving lightly and swiftly. First, he blocked Zhang Chang's incoming kick, then shifted his footing and kicked out.

He sent Zhang Chang flying right off the Martial Practice Platform.

"Little brother!" Zhang Lu panicked.

He turned to look without thinking.

"Then go join him."

A taunting voice rang in his ear.

Zhang Lu came to his senses just as a palm, larger than his head, swept toward him. It slapped him across the face and sent him flying as well.

The fight ended too quickly, in less than five breaths.

The people around them weren't surprised.

Most of these temporary appointees had only just become Martial Artists before taking up their posts.

Apart from their cultivation stage, they knew nothing.

Getting crushed was the norm.

"Those two fools. The Gengjin Saber Art and Duojin Leg from their martial hall aren't used like that. They haven't added a thing of their own. They're just copying the moves straight from the manuals..."

Below the Martial Practice Platform, a Peace Guard officer who had also come from Gengjin Martial Hall couldn't help feeling that his junior brothers had embarrassed them.

Hu Biao raised an eyebrow, his ears twitching.

Without hesitation, he suddenly drew the long saber at his waist and held it up to block behind his neck.

A clear clang rang out as blade met blade.

"Your killing intent is too obvious."

Hu Biao poured True Qi into his saber, and the blade shuddered.

True Qi traveled along the crossed blades and into Zheng Yu's arm.

In an instant, her wrist went numb.

"Heh. Take notes. That's an advanced application of True Qi." Hu Biao chuckled and twisted his wrist with force.

The sword in Zheng Yu's hand immediately fell to the ground.

"I lost."

She made no excuses.

She made no objections.

Zheng Yu picked up her fallen sword with an impassive expression, squeezed her palm hard, and walked step by step off the platform.

In the blink of an eye, the whole fight was over. It hadn't even lasted half an incense stick.

Three early Houtian-stage Martial Artists had been defeated.

Lin Yi understood now why no one had joined the Peace Guard as a temporary appointee before.

This was a one-sided beating.

He reckoned a person's morale would be shattered after five or six days.

"You're up, kid." Hu Biao looked at Lin Yi. "You're from Rainbow Martial Hall, right?"

Lin Yi nodded. "Lin Yi, of Rainbow Martial Hall."

Hu Biao smiled. "What a coincidence. I used to be from Rainbow Martial Hall too."

"But don't expect your senior brother to go easy on you."

Lin Yi nodded.

"Understood."

"I'll only make one move. If I can't win, I'll concede."

Hu Biao assumed Lin Yi knew he couldn't win and wanted to save face.

Of course, Hu Biao wasn't the only one who thought so.

Pretty much everyone present thought the same...

"Suit yourself." Hu Biao curled his lips.

Lin Yi lowered his stance slightly and let out a soft breath. Fiery mist gradually appeared on either side of his cheeks.

Su Ji narrowed his eyes. The fingers that had been lightly tapping the railing stopped.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong?" Bai Qiqi asked curiously.

"He seems to be using a blade technique with some kind of elemental property. It's not one of the blade techniques I know from our martial hall," Su Ji said. "But the aura seems powerful..."

Bai Qiqi's eyes lit up. "Then do you think Lin Yi can beat Hu Biao?"

Su Ji paused, then gave two words. "Very difficult."

"This martial technique takes a long time to build up, so it should be powerful, but it's not very flexible and difficult to control. Hu Biao should be quite familiar with dealing with rigid techniques like this."

Bai Qiqi said, "Heh, then how about a bet, Senior Brother?"

"I bet Lin Yi will win. Let's use those smuggled gambling stones seized from the Green Wood Gang that you confiscated. Let me pick five."

Su Ji replied helplessly, "Junior Sister, those gambling stones were smuggled goods. They're going to be turned over to the state."

Bai Qiqi pouted and muttered, "I know. But Senior Brother, aren't we Peace Guards part of the government?"

Su Ji: "..."

At the same time, Lin Yi moved.

His True Qi burst forth at full force. His whole body seemed coated in blazing fire as he charged forward, a trail of True Qi flames streaming behind him.

Hu Biao's pupils contracted, and the corners of his mouth lifted as he thought to himself:

"Not bad."

"But he's still charging in like a greenhorn."

"The force of this saber technique is tremendous, but it leaves his defense wide open. All I have to do is shift slightly when he gets close and kick him in the kidney. Then he won't be able to fight back at all..."

"Wouldn't that be a bit too harsh?"

"Forget it. I'll use a gentler approach. He is a fellow guard, after all..."

In an instant, Hu Biao thought of nine different ways to knock Lin Yi down.

Each one more brutal than the last.

After weighing his options, Hu Biao still chose the gentlest approach.

Come on, Junior Brother.

Get ready for your senior brother's lesson.

In the blink of an eye, a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, and Lin Yi had already closed in.

Hu Biao confidently predicted the path of Lin Yi's slash.

He lowered his body and prepared to drive a punch into Lin Yi's liver.

In that instant—

The True Qi flames that had taken shape behind Lin Yi vanished, and he came to a dead stop right in front of Hu Biao.

Hu Biao was left awkwardly crouching with his fist cocked.

The entire scene froze.

"?" Hu Biao was dumbfounded.

Lin Yi smiled, the corners of his lips curling into a broad grin.

The next second, Lin Yi swiftly stuck out his foot, focused all his True Qi into his leg, and stomped hard on Hu Biao's toe.

A sharp pain shot from Hu Biao's toe straight into his brain.

"Ts—!"

Hu Biao sucked in a sharp breath, his mind going blank for a moment.

By the time Hu Biao came to his senses again,

Lin Yi had already smiled and placed his saber against Hu Biao's neck.

"Senior, I think I've won."