Dragon-Elephant Academy

Watching the three enter his martial arts hall, Duan Xuan remained silent.

After pouring tea for his two childhood friends, he waited for them to continue sharing the strange happenings of the past month.

But Zhao Rui and Liu Chunmei clearly bore a grudge against Liu Xuan'er.

Zhao Rui snorted coldly, so furious his nose and eyes nearly twisted out of shape. "If she didn't have a father who was a provincial graduate, and the Han family backing her, what would she amount to now? Oh, right, right. Because of her father and the Han family, Liu Xuan'er was sent into Dragon-Elephant Academy."

Liu Chunmei lowered her head, puffing up with anger. She was upset too, but she did not dare speak loudly.

When she had met Han Peng's gaze earlier, his eyes had been like those of a wild tiger.

He was far more frightening than Jackal and Black Cat, the two thugs from Wolf Stronghold.

"People cannot forget where they came from. Everyone will encounter rough patches in life. If he doesn't beg me today, then I might beg him tomorrow. Acting so arrogant... Hmph, I don't believe their family and the Han family can sail smoothly forever. If you two hadn't been here just now, I would have gotten up and hammered that Han Peng into the ground."

Zhao Rui threw a couple of exaggerated punches with a "Hoh! Ha! Hey!" Liu Chunmei burst out laughing.

The awkward, angry atmosphere eased considerably.

"If I wasn't mistaken, that Han Peng should be an expert above the Bright Force realm," Duan Xuan guessed.

"Hmph, so what if he's a Bright Force expert? I'll just keep my voice down..."

Liu Chunmei laughed even more happily, her flushed cheeks seeming as though sunlight had been sprinkled across them.

"By the way, Brother Zhao, what is this Dragon-Elephant Academy? Is it a place for taking the civil examinations?"

Zhao Rui coughed and explained, "Not at all. The important part of Dragon-Elephant Academy isn't 'academy,' but 'dragon-elephant.' Listen, my seventh uncle, the government official, once told me: all martial arts under heaven come from academies, and all academies are founded by sects. Our Great Rui Kingdom has three major forces. One is the imperial court of Great Rui Kingdom. Another is the sects, which are flourishing more and more, woven together from the various top-tier powers and schools. Don't be fooled by Yellow Snake County having three great families, five major forces, and three great halls. In truth, aside from the Wang family Chunmei belongs to, which is a small branch of a great sect scattered into Yellow Snake County, the rest are worth less than a fart. The third great force is the academy—the foundation upon which Great Rui Kingdom was founded, the mighty tool that stabilizes the realm, and the pillar that balances all factions. Great Rui Kingdom has seventy-two prefectures, and each prefecture has one top-tier academy. Those academies then establish smaller academies throughout the regions under their jurisdiction. Dragon-Elephant Academy is one of only two academies within the Ten Thousand Mountains. Though Dragon-Elephant Academy is built in our county town, the saying that all martial arts under heaven come from academies is no empty boast. As far as I know, apart from your Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall, the masters of every other martial arts hall on this street have some connection to a disciple within an academy. Their refined martial techniques are most likely altered forms of techniques leaked from the academies!"

Hearing Zhao Rui say this, Duan Xuan was deeply shaken.

Sure enough, the path of martial arts did not only lead south. There were countless things he had never even heard of.

Take the three great thresholds of martial arts Chen Feng had mentioned. The Transformation Realm was already the very peak.

As for what lay above the Transformation Realm, Duan Xuan did not know. Chen Feng might not know either.

But Duan Xuan did not ask further.

There was no need. Even if he knew, so what?

Step by step, with his feet planted firmly on the ground—that was the proper path.

The few of them chatted away, ordered several small pastries, and passed the entire noon like that.

Just as they had forgotten the unpleasant matter with Liu Xuan'er, the door of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall creaked open.

Liu Xuan'er and Han Peng appeared, both with smiles stretched so high they nearly reached the sky.

Behind them stood Lin Hu, his body sturdy and strong, already a Bright Force martial artist.

Naturally, they had no idea why Liu Xuan'er had suddenly come here.

Nor did they know what she and Han Peng had said to Chen Feng for him to actually agree to let Lin Hu leave with them.

"I only just noticed, Duan Xuan—you're wearing the clothes of a martial arts hall disciple. How much did you pay Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall to take in a mud-legged peasant like you? I'll pay five times as much. Roll up your bedding and get lost!"

Liu Xuan'er's heart had already twisted out of shape. After a childhood steeped in bitter poverty, she had suddenly entered a new world where both her material and spiritual needs were lavishly fulfilled. Unable to accept it all at once, she had become sickly warped.

Those once-beautiful memories now appeared in her eyes as nothing but shabby, impoverished, backward fragments.

Whenever she saw her childhood companions, Liu Xuan'er could not help recalling just how bitterly she had once lived.

She did not want to return to those hard days, so she wanted to crush beneath her feet everyone she had once known, everyone she had once encountered, everyone who was beginning to improve!

Duan Xuan was as still as an ancient well. Go mad if you want. If you have the ability, go say it to Master Chen Feng. Why are you barking like a dog here? Clown.

Yet it was precisely this indifference that thoroughly enraged Liu Xuan'er. "What the hell are you supposed to be? You think joining a martial arts hall means you can defy fate and change your life? You mud-legged peasant! The level I've reached is something you'll never touch, and the connections I have are beyond your entire lifetime!"

Lin Hu folded his arms, a covert smirk curling at his lips as he watched the show. He did not forget to twist the knife. "Miss Xuan'er, please don't be angry. This is the senior brother who entered the martial arts hall on the same day as I did—the senior brother we must all respect and look up to! Not long ago, both Golden Jade Hall and Dragon Gate Escort Agency praised him to the skies!"

"Pah! You lowly thing, you think you deserve to be my brother Lin Hu's senior brother? Brother Peng, break his legs!"

Chunmei jumped in fright. She turned sideways and clutched Duan Xuan's sleeve tightly, yet she did not hide behind him.

Zhao Rui was afraid as well. He understood in his heart that even his government official relative was nothing before Liu Xuan'er and a member of the Han family.

But he could not stand by and watch Duan Xuan be bullied.

Back when the three of them had still been small and skinny, they had joined forces to fight wolves and jackals.

Those had been their most frightening, yet happiest, days.

Forget some damned Bright Force—even if a Dark Force expert came, they would not be afraid.

"Junior Brother Duan Xuan, Master is looking for you!" Zhang Chen's tall, imposing figure squeezed through the doorway as he shouted.

Liu Xuan'er and Han Peng had no choice but to let the matter drop.

Lin Hu stole a glance at Zhang Chen. A formless resentment rose in his eyes and buried itself deep within his heart.

Before long, a carriage arrived, and the three of them climbed aboard in unison.

With the clatter of hooves, it kicked up snow and dust before vanishing at the end of the street.

"All right, we should be going too. Brother Duan, train well in martial arts. On this day next month, your big brother will bring Chunmei to see you again."

Zhao Rui dusted off his clothes and gently patted Duan Xuan's shoulder as though he truly were Duan Xuan's older brother.

Chunmei raised her little fist and gave it a shake before leaving with Zhao Rui.

Once they were gone, the killing intent in Duan Xuan's eyes could no longer be contained.

Insulting him was one thing, but Liu Xuan'er had insulted Zhao Rui and Liu Chunmei.

In his heart, his two childhood friends held the same place as his mother and his younger aunt, Duan Xin.

And once, Liu Xuan'er had held that same place in his heart.

But after seeing her today, those childhood memories had shattered completely.

He gritted his teeth and returned to the courtyard. The disciples nearby pointed at him, some mocking, some disdainful, others watching coldly from the sidelines.

All of them waited to see how he would clean up this mess in the future.

But Duan Xuan did not care in the slightest.

He cupped his hands to thank Zhang Chen for helping him, then returned to his own small patch of space.

He assumed his stance and felt the connection between the ground and the blood and qi coursing through his body.

Once his stance was set, he threw a punch.

Whether it was the whistle of the wind or the explosive crack of force, the sound was exceptionally loud.

That entire afternoon, the disciples of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall felt as though their ears were about to be blown deaf.

Yet not a single one dared step forward to stop him.

And Duan Xuan kept repeating the same words.

"Charge forward without hesitation, never admit defeat!

Charge forward without hesitation, never give up!"