Fist Duel

Liu Tie was startled. The last time he had seen his master wear such an expression was over the matter involving Zhao Bastard and his sister and the Scale Python Martial Academy two days ago.

At the time, Chen Feng had looked as though he could kill someone. Liu Tie had no idea how he had offended his master just now. "Master, I..."

"I told you to repeat what you just said!"

Like a child who had made a mistake, Liu Tie lowered his head and murmured, "I said, why does Senior Brother Duan's fistwork seem to be getting worse the more he practices?

"A few days ago, it was clearly fierce and powerful, its force domineering. But today, while it isn't limp and feeble, there isn't the slightest fluctuation of force!"

"Master, I didn't mean to speak of Senior Brother Duan that way..."

But Chen Feng paid him no more attention. Instead, he walked up to Duan Xuan and looked him over from head to toe. This immediately drew the curiosity of the other senior brothers and sisters on the training ground.

"Hey, ever since this Duan Xuan broke through to Bright Force, he's been floating on air. He takes odd jobs every day and doesn't train properly. He can't even throw out any force now. I'm afraid he's already fallen out of Bright Force!"

"Isn't that so?

"For mudlegs, studying diligently and training hard is the most basic thing. But if they can't persist, mudlegs will always be mudlegs.

"Just as Junior Brother Lin Hu said, Duan Xuan should go back to hunting. Fighting people probably isn't for him~"

"Good lad, when did you break through to Dark Force?!"

"D-Dark Force?"

"What did Master say? Junior Brother Duan broke through to Dark Force?"

"How is that possible? His innate physique is so poor, and his family has no money to buy him pills or supplements. How could he break through to Dark Force just three months after reaching Bright Force?"

Liu Tie was dumbfounded as well, the corner of his mouth twitching rapidly as he stammered, "D-Dark Force? Senior Brother Duan, you actually broke through to Dark Force?"

Duan Xuan respectfully clasped his hands in salute. "Thanks to Master's favor and Senior Sister's assistance, this disciple was fortunate enough to break through to Dark Force a few days ago!"

An unexpected smile lit Chen Feng's grave face. His large hand landed heavily on Duan Xuan's shoulder. "Thinking back, your blood and qi had once been inferior even to that of an ordinary person.

"In just five short months, you smoothly broke through to Bright Force, and after only one more try, crossed the second threshold and entered Dark Force.

"This was no stroke of luck. It was earned by your great perseverance and great courage.

"Not bad. Even if you can't break through to Transformation Force in the future, this world will never let you starve to death.

"Since you didn't register for the martial examination, stay at the martial arts hall and steadily consolidate your realm.

"Yun'er, bring a Blood Qi Pill.

"My Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall may not be some famous grand sect, but every disciple is treated equally. What they have, you must have as well.

"Later, I'll personally teach you the final three moves of the Broken Mountain Fist!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Chen Jingshu stood graceful and slender, and she too felt a measure of admiration for Duan Xuan.

It was not easy for a mudleg. To struggle and crawl one's way upright in this world where martial arts reigned supreme was by no means a matter of luck. Only through repeated caution, and repeatedly gaining certain opportunities, could one achieve this.

Chen Jingshu did not have so many thoughts. She took a small sandalwood box from her little sachet, stepped forward with lotus steps, and placed it in Duan Xuan's hands.

"Junior Brother Duan, well done!"

After seeing the others off, Duan Xuan turned around to find the many disciples on the training ground red-faced. Shame, jealousy—the complexity of human nature lay bare in that instant.

Liu Tie maintained his astonished pose for a long while. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Duan, on becoming a Dark Force martial artist!"

The Bright Force disciples around them had no choice but to put aside their airs and come over, clasping their hands in unison. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Duan."

Evening.

After Zhang Chen, Lin Hu, and Liu Mingze left the rear courtyard, Zhang Chen seemed to become a completely different person. He rushed straight over to his good junior brother Duan Xuan. "You brat, you've got some skill!

"Last time, I even dragged you along to hear Junior Brother Zhou explain the secrets of breaking through to Dark Force. Who would've thought you'd actually break through?

"Now let's see who in the martial arts hall still dares show you such disrespect!"

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, Liu Mingze and Lin Hu passed by. Liu Mingze gave an undisguised snort.

Lin Hu immediately spoke in a mocking, sarcastic tone. Neither of them looked very pleased.

"This world is truly interesting. Anyone at all can enter the martial path and break through to Dark Force now. Tsk, tsk!"

"My dear Senior Brother Duan, you'd better train properly. Don't let some powerhouse from some martial arts hall beat you to death in the street.

"Losing your life is nothing much, but if you tarnish the reputation of my Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall, I'll have to whip your corpse!"

The two burst into hearty laughter and left together.

Once outside, Lin Hu could no longer conceal the disgust and fury on his face. "This Duan Xuan really does keep stepping in dog shit. Why isn't he dead yet?"

The tall, thin Liu Mingze said disdainfully, "So what if he broke through to Dark Force?

"The Scale Python Martial Academy and Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall are still deadlocked. Maybe one day, this mudleg will get dragged into it and killed!"

Lin Hu gave an "ah," and a clever plan sprang to mind. "That's why you're the one. You've given me a brilliant way to kill him and sweep away the disgust in our hearts."

Liu Mingze understood at once. "Kill with a borrowed knife!"

Benevolent Harmony Hall.

"Hmph, I was wondering why White Jade Hall had been acting so wildly of late.

"In the past, he wouldn't have dared repeatedly dance along the edge of death, especially after learning that the strength of our Benevolent Harmony Hall had recently grown somewhat.

"But now he's gone even further. So this little storefront has a force backing him!"

"Not just them. Several other shops in the county have actually joined hands to besiege Benevolent Harmony Hall's business.

"Golden Jade Hall, Fortune-Filled House, and those fellows must have secretly funded quite a bit as well."

"The main force targeting us now is really only the Scale Python Martial Academy.

"The other forces are merely funding these small shops with resources, while the Scale Python Martial Academy has directly invested martial artists into them.

"It's not as though Benevolent Harmony Hall has no capable fighters, but none of them can spare a hand at present. They are wholeheartedly guarding our other Benevolent Harmony Hall storefronts.

"If we really pull them away, those storefronts will inevitably be left poorly defended. Pulling back would be like picking up sesame seeds only to lose a watermelon.

"But if we don't pull them back, forces like White Jade Hall buzz around us like mosquitoes.

"Then, when you least expect it, they bite you once. It's quite unpleasant!"

Ren Yun and his sister Ren Wanqing listened to the others' discussion, their brows twisted as tightly as braided dough.

"Not only that, we have no idea which force's people they were.

"A few days ago, they actually ambushed one of Benevolent Harmony Hall's retainers. When we went to report it to the authorities—

"Hmph, guess what they said?

"After investigating for so long, they hadn't even found a clue. Those dogs must have been bought off too!

"Clan Head, give us an idea!"

Ren Wanqing's face had remained grave from beginning to end. Once she finished hearing the reports from the subhall masters of the various branches, the atmosphere throughout the room froze into ice.

"White Jade Hall said that if our Benevolent Harmony Hall doesn't even dare to fight back, we should obediently hand over every hall and all three medicinal gardens. If we want to survive beyond this county, then come to a fist duel!"

"Ah, a fist duel!"

A fist duel meant that both sides sent out their respective experts to fight, using their fists to decide who stayed and who left.

In the past, Benevolent Harmony Hall had many martial artists. After consolidating their personnel, they had even reached three Dark Force experts.

Small households and petty forces had never dared offend them, but now the Scale Python Martial Academy stood behind them.

Their hall master, Mang Qiu, was a Transformation Force expert. Rumor had it that his only treasured son had also entered the peak of Dark Force not long ago.

With word that they would soon possess two Transformation Force experts, everyone only dared sneak a glance at Zhou Wei, their hearts unbearably heavy.

Ren Yun coughed, interrupting everyone's retreating thoughts. "Sister, their terms are three against three, with the locations of the three decisive battles decided by drawing lots.

"Both sides must be below Transformation Force. The result will not be determined by the number of victories.

"Rather, the final result will be decided when all three martial artists have completely fallen and can no longer rise!"

"We can't fight this duel at all! Once we do, we'll have to use elite disciples to fill the gap, which is exactly what Golden Jade Hall wants!"

"If we don't fight, are we supposed to cede our territory?

"Today they take one city, tomorrow they take another. Greed has no end!"

The two sides began arguing over this point.

Ren Yun looked at Zhou Wei. The latter shook his head, helpless for the moment as well.

Smack!

Ren Wanqing slapped her palm down, and the room immediately fell silent. "This fist duel must be fought. If all of you uncles fear that Benevolent Harmony Hall's newly established position will decline, I will personally take the field!"