Cheng Hong had never gone onstage.
It was not that he could not; the time simply had not come.
He had long possessed the strength to break through into Hidden Force, yet he had suppressed it for months, waiting for this very day.
He wanted to crush the prestige of every martial hall aligned with the county magistrate's assistant, and bring honor to his master Yu Tai before the county magistrate and Lord Lu.
He wanted everyone to know that the disciples of Rushing Thunder Martial Academy were not comparable to the trash from those other martial halls.
He walked to the edge of the platform. He did not leap, nor did he run; he climbed the steps one at a time.
He came to a stop on the platform, standing face-to-face with Xu Qing.
Second floor of Listening Wind Tower.
Lu Chuan watched Cheng Hong take the stage, and his gaze shifted slightly. He looked to Lin Hanshan on his left, then Su Zhengyuan on his right, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly.
"I heard several young masters making wagers just now, and this official finds his hands rather itchy as well." Lu Chuan suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, yet everyone on the second floor heard him clearly. "Would the two of you be interested in placing a wager with me?"
Lin Hanshan had been holding his teacup in a daze. Hearing this, he came back to himself and raised his eyelids slightly. "What does Lord Lu wish to wager on?"
Su Zhengyuan also set down his teacup, his gaze falling upon Lu Chuan's face with a trace of puzzlement.
"The shares of Tiger Bone Pills allotted to your Lin and Su families next month." Lu Chuan took a sip of tea and chuckled softly.