Martial Alliance

"Amitabha."

A young man dressed as a monk clasped his hands before Chen Xu and gave a slight bow from not far away.

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

"What business do you have, Master?" Chen Xu returned the greeting with cupped fists.

"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.

"Master, you are absolutely right." Chen Xu nodded broadly. He was quite satisfied with his own performance as well.

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

Huijue quickly adjusted himself and smiled. "Would Master Chen be willing to speak somewhere more private?"

He made a gesture of invitation.

Chen Xu glanced at Huijue from the corner of his eye, and a flash of understanding passed through his gaze.

"Lead the way."

Following Huijue through several turns, Chen Xu entered a house at the edge of the area.

"Master Chen, it has been a long time." Ling Xiangshan rose from his seat. His tall, burly frame somehow seemed slightly stooped.

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ling."

"Benefactor Ling."

Chen Xu and Huijue replied.

The three took their seats. Ling Xiangshan leaned back against 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 resources. Would either of you be willing to take it?"

"Amitabha. What type of mission is it?" Huijue asked with his hands clasped together.

"Before the finals of the martial exchange competition, there will be a three-day preparation period. During those three days, you are to protect two ordinary people with no knowledge of martial arts 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 only 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 training for the temple. Without the temple's permission, I cannot leave the area where the martial hall is located."

"A bottle of ordinary Refining Liquid on the black market costs around a hundred thousand Abyss Coins." Chen Xu stroked his chin. If all he had to do was make a trip, there was hardly a better deal than this.

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

Ling Xiangshan understood that once the organization behind him decided to make its move, conflicts with Deputy Pavilion Master Xu and the Xu Family could be put aside for now. If people were about to die, what meaning would Jinning's grudges have in the future?

Since that was the case, what was wrong with giving Chen Xu the contract early? Who took first place in the finals was no longer important. Besides, whether the finals could even conclude smoothly was still uncertain.

The reward was generous, and Chen Xu could find no reason to refuse. He agreed on the spot.

Ling Xiangshan seemed to have set down a heavy burden. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

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

"This is my sincerity, Master Chen.

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

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

An elderly man clad in a pitch-black pavilion master's cloak descended the stairs from the second floor. 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.

"Even martial arts can't save someone from hair loss?" Chen Xu's expression turned grave as he recalled the dangerously receding hairlines from his previous life.

I've already transmigrated. Hair loss shouldn't be able to catch up with me, right?

No, put the hair loss issue aside for now. More importantly, how did they know I was a Martial Artist?

Could it be that Martial Pavilion personnel had been watching in secret when I fought Crane Elder?

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

"Those below the Martial Artist level may not notice it, but in the eyes of other Martial Artists, the vital essence radiating from each other is like fireflies in the night. One glance is enough to tell.

"This old man can sense Master Chen's vital essence, while you cannot sense mine. The reason is simple: Martial Artists affiliated with various factions possess methods specifically designed to seal their vital essence. Only unaffiliated Martial Artists allow it to flow freely."

"For Master Chen to enter the [Martial Form] level by relying on himself alone, Huijue is ashamed to compare." Monk Huijue spoke with a faint smile.

"We invited Master Chen and Master Huijue here because a certain force has recently shown signs of resurgence." Yan Feng turned his gaze toward Ling Xiangshan. "If Deputy Pavilion Master Ling had not gathered intelligence on them, Jinning Commandery would likely have been caught completely off guard."

"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 grave. To pavilion masters of Great Abyss like them, the name Martial Alliance was as thunderous as it could be.

"Master Chen is still young and may not have heard of the Martial Alliance. It was established by a large group of Martial Artists determined to overthrow Great Abyss.

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

Chen Xu recalled Xu Lie and the man who called himself Crane Elder, casually slaughtering innocent passersby. Beneath the outward prosperity of Great Abyss, in corners ordinary people could not see, was it not the same law of the jungle?

The only difference was that one placed the law of the jungle in the open, while the other knew to dress it up 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's brains out. He only wanted to see what benefits he could gain from it.

"This humble monk's temple has a rule: no matter the time, we must not enter any dispute in the name of Cheng'an Temple." Huijue clasped his hands and uttered a Buddhist invocation, intending to refuse.

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

Yan Feng's expression did not change at all. He had long expected this reply 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 cheek twitched slightly, and he let out a long sigh.

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

"Master is truly righteous." Yan Feng offered neither too much nor too little flattery as he considered how to draw Chen Xu into his camp.

He did not believe that one contract alone could buy Chen Xu over.

Or rather, if one tried to invite a Martial Artist to act using only a national university exchange student contract, a hot-tempered Martial Artist might even start fighting on the spot. To a certain extent, it was an insult.