Martial Alliance

"Amitabha."

Not far away, a young man dressed as a monk pressed his palms together toward Chen Xu and gave a slight bow.

"This humble monk is honored to serve as the master of Cheng'an Martial Hall. Greetings, Benefactor Chen."

"What is it, Master?" Chen Xu returned the gesture with cupped fists.

"Hall Master Chen's bearing in the arena was truly unforgettable." The monk Huijue spoke with a smile, his manner as refreshing as a spring breeze.

"The Master is absolutely right." Chen Xu nodded broadly. He, too, was quite satisfied with his performance.

"..." Huijue's mouth twitched slightly, and he awkwardly chuckled in agreement.

Huijue quickly adjusted himself and smiled. "Would Hall Master Chen be willing to step aside for a word?"

He made a gesture of invitation.

Chen Xu glanced at Huijue from the corner of his eye, understanding flashing through his gaze.

"Lead the way."

Following Huijue through several turns, Chen Xu entered a building at the edge of the grounds.

"Hall Master Chen, it has been a long time." Ling Xiangshan rose from his chair. Though his body was tall and robust, he somehow looked somewhat hunched over.

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ling."

"Benefactor Ling."

Chen Xu and Huijue replied.

The three took their seats, host and guests alike. Ling Xiangshan leaned against the back of his chair, his voice echoing through the room.

"I have a private job here. The reward upon completion is around two million Abyss Coins, exchangeable for corresponding Martial Dao resources. Are either of you willing to take it?"

"Amitabha. What sort of mission is it?" Huijue asked with his palms pressed together.

"There will be a three-day preparation period before the finals of the Martial Dao Exchange Competition. During those three days, you will protect two ordinary people with no knowledge of Martial Dao as they travel to Peace Prefecture City. They may be attacked by Martial Artists along the way.

"Rest assured, there will be others protecting them in secret. The two of you will merely serve as the final line of insurance."

"This humble monk cannot accept the mission." Huijue gently shook his head.

"This humble monk is currently undergoing worldly cultivation for the temple. Without the temple's permission, I cannot leave the area where the martial hall is located."

"On the Black Market, a bottle of ordinary Refining Liquid costs around one hundred thousand Abyss Coins." Chen Xu rubbed his chin. If all he had to do was make a trip, there was hardly a more profitable deal.

"If Hall Master Chen is willing to accept, I, Ling, can make the decision. Once the hall master returns, we can sign in advance the contract for your one-year exchange program at Abyss Capital National University."

Ling Xiangshan understood clearly that once the organization behind him decided to act, matters like Deputy Pavilion Master Xu, the Xu Family's influence, and all those grudges could be set aside for now. If people were about to die, what meaning was there in discussing Jinning's grudges and the future?

Since that was the case, what was wrong with giving Chen Xu the contract early? Who took first place in the finals had long since ceased to matter. Besides, whether the finals could even conclude smoothly was still a question.

The rewards were generous, and Chen Xu could not find any reason to refuse. He agreed on the spot.

Ling Xiangshan seemed to have set down a heavy burden. The furrow between his brows finally eased.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

He pulled out the contract and, without another word, signed the three characters Ling Xiangshan.

"This is my sincerity, Hall Master Chen.

"As long as you return from Peace Prefecture City, it will be yours."

After settling the private matter, Ling Xiangshan looked toward the two of them again and solemnly rose to his feet. "Please allow Pavilion Master Yan and me to represent Great Abyss, and Jinning Martial Pavilion, in welcoming the two Martial Artists."

An elderly man draped in a dark black pavilion master's cloak descended from the second-floor stairs. His steps were steady, with not the slightest trace of frailty.

"This old man is Yan Feng, Pavilion Master of Jinning Commandery Martial Pavilion. Greetings to you both."

Before his words had even faded, another of the dozen or so hairs remaining on his head fell out, making him look even more desolate.

"Not even Martial Dao can save someone from hair loss?" Chen Xu's expression turned grave as he recalled the extremely dangerous hairline from his previous life.

He had already transmigrated. Hair loss should not have followed him here, right?

No, he could put the hair loss issue aside for now. More importantly, how had they learned of his identity as a Martial Artist?

Could it be that Martial Pavilion personnel had watched secretly while he fought Crane Elder?

Seemingly noticing the change in Chen Xu's expression, Yan Feng said unhurriedly, "Hall Master Chen, you have only recently broken through to the Martial Artist level, correct?

"Perhaps those below the Martial Artist level cannot sense it, but in the eyes of other Martial Artists, the Essence each person emits is like a firefly in the night. It is obvious at a glance.

"This old man can sense Hall Master Chen's Essence, yet you cannot sense this old man's Essence. The reason is simple. Martial Artists belonging to various factions possess special methods to seal their Essence. Only unaffiliated Martial Artists allow their Essence to spill out freely."

"Hall Master Chen was able to enter the [Martial Form] level through his own efforts. Huijue is ashamed to compare." Monk Huijue spoke with a faint smile.

"We invited Hall Master Chen and Master Huijue here because of a certain faction that has recently shown signs of resurgence." Yan Feng looked toward Ling Xiangshan. "Had Deputy Pavilion Master Ling not gathered intelligence concerning them, Jinning Commandery might have been caught completely unprepared."

"A resurgence?" Huijue's expression shifted slightly. "Could it be the Martial Alliance?"

"As expected of an eminent monk from Cheng'an Temple. Your guess is correct. It is indeed the Martial Alliance, though to be precise, it is only one of its branches."

Yan Feng's expression was solemn. To pavilion masters of Great Abyss like them, the name Martial Alliance was as thunderous as it came.

"Hall Master Chen is still young, so perhaps you have never heard of the Martial Alliance. It was established by a large group of Martial Artists dedicated to overthrowing Great Abyss.

"Their goal is to restore the world to a state where the strong prey upon the weak. They regard ordinary people as ants. Some of their extremists even believe Martial Artists are gods, while those who do not practice Martial Dao are like pigs and dogs, free to be killed at will."

Chen Xu thought of Xu Lie and the man who called himself Crane Elder. They had casually slaughtered innocent passersby. Beneath Great Abyss's outward prosperity, were the corners unseen by ordinary people not governed by the same law of the jungle?

The only difference was that one put the law of the jungle openly on display, while the other knew to disguise it somewhat and hide it in the shadows.

The reason he worked so hard to become stronger was so that, under any circumstances, he would possess enough of a voice.

Chen Xu did not care if Great Abyss and the Martial Alliance beat each other senseless. He only wanted to see what benefits he could reap from it.

"This humble monk's temple has rules. At no time may I enter any conflict in the name of Cheng'an Temple." Huijue pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist invocation, intending to refuse.

Cheng'an Temple had endured from the previous dynasty to the present and maintained its position as the foremost temple under heaven precisely because it rarely involved itself in such affairs. Only then could Great Abyss tolerate it.

Yan Feng's expression did not change at all. He had long expected this answer from Master Huijue.

"Rules are dead, but people are alive. This old man has heard that remnants of Deliverance Temple may be among this branch."

"Deliverance Temple." Huijue's face twitched slightly, and he let out a long sigh.

"If the Malign Tier monks of Deliverance Temple act, this humble monk will stop them."

"Master is truly righteous." Yan Feng offered neither too heavy nor too light a compliment, while considering how to draw Chen Xu into his camp.

He did not believe that single contract would be enough to win Chen Xu over.

Or rather, if one invited a Martial Artist to act solely with a National University exchange student contract, a hot-tempered Martial Artist might even fight you on the spot. To some extent, it was an insult.