Hunyuan Sect's Retaliation

After several twists and turns, Li Wei arrived at the front courtyard, where a lively and bustling scene greeted him.

At this moment, Wandering Dragon Hermit was all smiles, his face glowing, as he greeted the guests attending the ceremony. He was dressed in a purple-gold Daoist robe, and judging from his age and flowing beard, he truly looked like a grandmaster.

By now, quite a few guests had arrived, and Li Wei spotted the fat man's obese figure. The guy was sitting at a round table, cracking sunflower seeds. Li Wei quietly walked over and suddenly slapped him on the back, startling the fat man. After recognizing Li Wei, the fat man breathed a sigh of relief, muttering, "Boss, you scared me half to death! If you keep doing that, I'll tell Sister Zheng!"

Li Wei was taken aback, and asked in surprise, "She's coming too?"

The fat man chuckled, "Of course, with the plaque for the Wandering Dragon Sect hanging today, the entire Qingzhou Prefecture knows. Anyone of importance will be here. Sister Zheng is a constable, a person of status, so it's not surprising that she's here... Not only her, but Nina and Xue Yan are the same. Because they cultivated that 'Qi Transformation Manual' you gave them, their combat power has increased rapidly, and they are already among the top ten disciples in their respective sects, so they are also qualified to come."

Li Wei understood. After obtaining the Qi Transformation Manual, they must have cultivated a wisp of spiritual energy. However, given their previous abilities, securing a place in the top ten of their respective sects would have been a piece of cake. Their current actions were likely to meet the requirements for participating in this ceremony.

Having understood their motives, Li Wei continued, "What about An Hei? Is there any news about him?"

The An Hei character is a fortune teller who doesn't practice martial arts but instead learns a Yin-Yang Divination; it's just unknown whether he has mastered it.

"Brother An Hei said something big might happen today, and he told you to be careful!" At this moment, the fat man finally showed a serious expression.

Li Wei understood that the fat man had come here specifically to deliver this message. An Hei was a cautious person; he wouldn't send the fat man to remind him unless he was absolutely certain. But what major event could happen at this opening ceremony?

"Boss, I don't know about the rest. Brother An Hei just said that's how the divination is. You'll have to act according to the situation. In short, be careful. He's a street fortune teller, just like Blood Wolf, so he can't attend this kind of ceremony. That's why he sent me!" Although Fatty was glib, he was reliable when it came to serious matters. Li Wei nodded, already having a plan in mind.

After finishing his business, the fat man started joking around with Li Wei again. As they talked, the topic turned to Wandering Dragon Hermit: "Boss, is your master a Daoist priest?"

The fat man glanced at the wandering Wandering Dragon Hermit, who was greeting guests, and asked a question. Li Wei was taken aback, but he understood why the fat man asked that question. Wandering Dragon Hermit was wearing a Daoist robe and had his hair in a bun, so he did look like a Daoist priest.

Li Wei knew this, as Wandering Dragon Hermit always dressed as a Daoist, which was related to his childhood experiences. It is said that when he was young, he sought out many "famous teachers" to learn martial arts, but he did not know that those so-called "famous teachers" were just swindlers who only cared about money. So he did something that people his age often did: he ran away from home.

Afterwards, he found a Daoist temple and saw that the abbot was a master of martial arts, so he became his disciple. Three years later, he returned home, having already mastered his skills. It was probably because of that experience that Wandering Dragon Hermit gave himself such a nickname and wore a Daoist robe every day.

"Hehe, boss, I know that establishing a sect in Qingzhou Prefecture is no easy task!" The fat man grinned slyly, grabbed the snacks on the table with his fat paws, and swallowed them whole.

Li Wei wasn't really aware of these details, and since Fatty's mission was to gather intelligence, it was normal for him to know more.

Upon Li Wei's question, the fat man eagerly revealed, "Actually, it's like this: there's an unwritten rule in Qingzhou Prefecture that anyone wanting to establish a martial arts sect must accept three challenges during the plaque-hanging ceremony. The challenger can be anyone, and only by remaining undefeated in all three rounds can one be considered qualified to accept disciples and teach, gaining recognition from various forces and officially hanging the plaque. If one loses, the sect cannot be established!"

Li Wei had heard of this to some extent. Seeing this, the fat man added, "This rule actually requires bribing officials and martial arts practitioners. You have to spend money on both the government and the martial arts community. You can't even bribe street thugs. In short, if you bribe them properly, the three matches are just for show and can be easily passed off as a joke. But if you don't bribe them properly... hehe, that'll be troublesome. It's said that even when the Hunyuan Sect opened its doors and hung its plaque, they bribed officials at all levels..."

Now, Li Wei finally saw a problem in the fat man's eyes, but his mind raced. "Fatty, you don't mean to say..."

The fat man slapped his thigh and nodded. "Boss, you guessed right. Your cheap master, Wandering Dragon Hermit, I don't know if he's out of his mind or thinks he's superior, but he didn't bother to bribe anyone. It's one thing for the martial arts community to be lenient, but the government can't be ignored. I heard from Sister Zheng that those officials are very unhappy and might make things difficult for you, Wandering Dragon Sect!"

Li Wei knew that this matter could be big or small, but in any case, it would affect the development and growth of the Wandering Dragon Sect, so it couldn't be taken lightly. However, things had already come to this point, and it was probably too late to make any changes. Now Li Wei understood why Fatty was so concerned about Wandering Dragon Hermit. Who would have thought that this old man was not only mediocre in martial arts, but also an inflexible and outdated fellow?

"No matter what, I have to take responsibility for this. I've taken on a mission, so I can't ignore the Wandering Dragon Sect incident... It's just three challenges, I'll handle it all myself!" A fierce glint flashed in Li Wei's eyes, which silenced the fat man. He had been following Li Wei for quite some time and knew his boss's personality well.

As guests arrived one after another, the newly decorated courtyard became bustling with activity. Wandering Dragon Hermit's residence was very large, so he arranged "Wandering Dragon Sect" here. He only needed to vacate a few rooms for his disciples, tidy up the courtyard, arrange two rows of weapons, and then have a craftsman make a large plaque with "Wandering Dragon Sect" written on it.

As the chief disciple of 'Wandering Dragon Sect', Li Wei was naturally pushed to the front to greet the guests. Soon, Li Wei met Nina and the others, who came with their respective sects, forming a large group. After exchanging greetings with them, Li Wei prepared to go back and secretly rest for a while, but unexpectedly, Wandering Dragon Hermit grabbed him and walked towards the main gate.

"The officials have arrived. Let's go greet them!" The Recluse of the Wandering Dragon Hermit's expression was unpleasant, clearly showing his indifference towards the officials' arrival. Li Wei noticed this and wondered if it was because they had some kind of agreement that the Wandering Dragon Hermit hadn't bothered to bribe them?

There's no use saying anything now. Li Wei followed Wandering Dragon Hermit to the door, where he saw several red-clad constables walking in front, followed by a large group of people, including Zheng Yutong.

At this moment, she had clearly refined a wisp of spiritual energy in her dantian, making her exceptionally conspicuous. Coupled with her outstanding appearance, she became the focus of everyone's attention. Even Li Wei was no exception. Upon seeing Li Wei, Zheng Yutong rolled her eyes at him, indicating that she was still angry. Li Wei quickly averted his gaze from her, but noticed a portly official in official robes walking in, surrounded by constables.

"Gu Changsong, you have been a businessman for generations and have also been educated. You are a master of my Qingzhou Mansion. How come you have learned how to dance with swords and guns like those gangsters and form a gang? Isn't this a disgrace to us scholars?" The official said as soon as he walked in with a big belly.

Who is Gu Changsong?

While Li Wei was still in a daze, Wandering Dragon Hermit forced a smile, cupped his hands, and said, "You flatter me, sir. Changsong has entered the martial arts school and is known as Wandering Dragon Hermit. Although I have read a few classic texts, I do not feel that entering the martial arts school is a disgrace to scholarship..."

"Enough, enough, what's the point of saying so much? You're about to hang the Martial Arts Plaque, what use is all this?" The official snorted, then waved his hand and said, "I'm here today to attend your Wandering Dragon Sect and the hanging of the Martial Arts Plaque ceremony. If everyone is here, let's begin!"

Having said that, he glanced at Li Wei beside Wandering Dragon Hermit, snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and followed the group of constables to their seats.

Wandering Dragon Hermit simply said, "Please do as you please, sir," and then ignored him.

"Li Wei, how have you been resting these past few days? Are you feeling alright now?" Seeing that no more guests were coming, Wandering Dragon Hermit turned around, patted Li Wei on the shoulder, and smiled kindly.

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I'm all better now!" Li Wei had been hiding in his room these past few days cultivating the Qi Transformation Manual and the Great Strength Divine Demon Art, claiming that he had exhausted himself in the previous competition and needed to rest. That's why the other party asked this question.

"That's good!" Wandering Dragon Hermit nodded, quite satisfied. "You are the chief disciple, and the responsibilities on your shoulders will be heavy from now on. According to the rules of Qingzhou Prefecture, newly established sects must accept challenges from all sides, and only those who win can hang the martial plaque..."

Li Wei thought to himself, "Here it comes. This old man definitely wants me to play, and now he's about to bring it up." However, what Wandering Dragon Hermit said next left Li Wei stunned.

"This rule of accepting challenges has existed since ancient times, so we cannot make an exception. You defeated several masters from the Nine-Ring Divine Saber, the Divine Fist Sect, the Hunyuan Sect, and the Iron Sword Gang in the past two days, which must have been very taxing. Although you have rested for two days, it is still too short. You should not fight today. Let your master accept the challenge. You are still young and need to solidify your foundation so that you can achieve something in the future!"

After saying that, Wandering Dragon Hermit walked towards the stage, while Li Wei stood there stunned. After a long while, Li Wei finally showed a smile.

"Although you are thick-skinned and stubborn, you are very kind to yourself and your servants. You are actually a good-natured person... Establishing a sect is your long-cherished wish. Even without that mission, I would help you achieve your wish just because of your concern for me!" Li Wei whispered to Wandering Dragon Hermit's back before following him.

"Today is the day I, Wandering Dragon Sect, hang the martial plaque and establish my sect. I thank you all for coming despite the hardships of your journey to participate in the Wandering Dragon Sect ceremony. From today onwards, we are all members of the martial sect of Qingzhou Prefecture. I hope you will give me your guidance..." Wandering Dragon Hermit in his dantian and used his true energy to shout, which immediately carried far and wide. Even people dozens of meters away could hear it clearly.

At that very moment, a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes and with a robust physique stood up and shouted with even more powerful true energy than Wandering Dragon Hermit: "We are all from the same martial arts sect, so we should naturally look after each other. However, establishing a sect is no joke; it requires real skill. You must know our rules, Sanren: we must accept three challenges. I, Qin Wuji of the Hunyuan Sect, will be the first to step forward and experience the high level of the Wandering Dragon Sect!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present gasped in shock.

Who is Qin Wuji? He is the current Hunyuan Sect, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is the number one expert in Qingzhou Prefecture. Who would have thought that today, Sect Leader Qin would personally come down to challenge him? You should know that even the small sects in Qingzhou Prefecture have never done this before.

After a brief moment of astonishment, a sense of excitement arose in people's hearts. They thought to themselves that Wandering Dragon Hermit was probably in for trouble. Judging from the appearance of Sect Master Qin, he had obviously come to cause trouble on purpose. They just didn't know how Wandering Dragon Sect had offended this sect master.

Li Wei was equally surprised. He glanced at Qin Wuji, and his heart sank. Judging from his appearance alone, Qin Wuji's cultivation was far stronger than Wandering Dragon Hermit's, and even not much weaker than his own, who possessed two strands of spiritual energy. If the other party was not careful, he could defeat Wandering Dragon Hermit in one move.

This is no joke.

When Li Wei saw Xue Yan and Liu Piaopiao behind Qin Wuji, he raised an eyebrow, gave them a signal, and then walked to the back of the crowd alone.

Soon, the two women arrived. Upon seeing Li Wei, they knew what Li Wei wanted to ask, and quickly explained the situation. After listening, Li Wei understood what had happened.

It turned out that Qin Yuan, whom he had defeated two days ago, was Qin Wuji's son. Qin Yuan had taken a blow, breaking at least five bones in his chest, and was unconscious for a day before waking up. Although the injury wasn't fatal, it greatly angered Qin Wuji, who was deeply concerned for his son. Furthermore, he had originally intended to befriend Wandering Dragon Hermit, but if the other party wanted to establish a sect, that was a different story. As the saying goes, rivals are enemies. They were establishing a martial arts sect in the city precisely to attract more disciples and make a fortune. This added another competitor, which naturally displeased Qin Wuji.

That's why Qin Wuji suddenly launched his attack. He had only one goal: to destroy the martial arts plaque hanging at the Wandering Dragon Sect and prevent it from opening.

Having understood this, Li Wei quickly separated from the two women and returned to the training ground. At this moment, Wandering Dragon Hermit and Qin Wuji were already standing on the training ground, each in their respective stances.

Li Wei knew that if the two started fighting, it would be too late, so he quickly shouted, "Wait!"

Everyone was astonished. Many recognized Li Wei, realizing that he was the chief disciple of the Wandering Dragon Sect.

"Master, this is the man who injured Senior Brother Qin Yuan the other day!" Many people in the Hunyuan Sect had seen Li Wei, so someone immediately shouted.

Qin Wuji stared at Li Wei, knowing in his heart that the real culprit who harmed his son was right here.

Li Wei paid no heed to his gaze and walked straight to the training ground, saying to Wandering Dragon Hermit, "Master, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? I can handle this small competition. You are the head of the sect; there's no need for you to participate in a competition of this level..."

As soon as the words were spoken, a commotion arose below. Everyone's face turned pale, thinking to themselves that this kid was far too audacious. Saying such a thing was practically slapping Qin Wuji in the face. Who was Qin Wuji? He was the number one expert in Qingzhou Prefecture. These words were not only a slap in the face to him, but also a slap in the face to every sect in Qingzhou Prefecture.

With just one sentence, Li Wei offended all the martial arts sects in Qingzhou Prefecture.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Qin Wuji opposite him laughed angrily, "What an arrogant brat! I started learning martial arts at the age of six, and by thirty I had roamed the martial world with few rivals. Yet today I am looked down upon by a mere child like you. Hmph, Wandering Dragon Hermit, is this the good disciple you have taught?"

Although he desperately wanted to kill the other party with a single blow, Qin Wuji restrained himself. He had already decided in his heart to uproot the Wandering Dragon Sect and kick it out of Qingzhou Prefecture completely.

Wandering Dragon Hermit was also taken aback. Fearing that Li Wei would offend the other party, he wanted to dissuade him. However, Li Wei had already made up his mind and preemptively said, "Sect Leader Qin, since our Wandering Dragon Sect is founded today, we must abide by the rules and accept everyone's challenges. However, the rules do not say that our sect leader must accept the challenge... After all, I alone am enough to deal with you. You are making all sorts of excuses. Are you afraid?"

"I'll kill you!" Having been publicly humiliated and verbally abused repeatedly, Qin Wuji was already furious. His veins bulged on his forehead, so he jumped up and unleashed a palm strike straight at Li Wei's face.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone. Who would have thought that Qin Wuji, a grandmaster of a sect, would disregard his status and attack a junior? Wandering Dragon Hermit, standing to the side, also paled, but unfortunately, his martial arts skills were insufficient, and even if he wanted to intervene, it was too late.

Qin Wuji unleashed a powerful palm strike, which reached Li Wei's face in just a moment.

Staring at the menacing palm strike, Li Wei did not panic as Qin Wuji expected. On the contrary, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand and prepared to meet Qin Wuji's palm strike head-on.

Those below the stage all wore mocking expressions. Qin Wuji, as the sect leader of the Hunyuan Sect, cultivated the "Hunyuan One Qi Art," a superior internal energy cultivation method, possessing incomparably powerful internal strength. Choosing to exchange blows with such a person was simply asking for trouble.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, their palms collided.

With a muffled thud, a powerful burst of energy sent a cloud of dust billowing up from the ground, instantly enveloping the two of them.

Qin Wuji's previously confident expression shifted several times the instant their palms collided. To his surprise, his opponent didn't cough up blood and fly away as he had expected, but instead stood firmly in place. The sensation from his palms was extremely strange, as if he had struck an iron wall.