Flipping the Table

Tenglong Martial Hall was one of the four largest martial halls in Qingfeng City. Its hall master's surname was Fang, and he specialized in concealed weapons. This skill with hidden projectiles was especially popular among women, so he had taken in many female disciples.

Half of the disciples who had come today were women.

Fang Junyu was Hall Master Fang's own grandson. He was likewise at Eighth Rank and had already inherited Hall Master Fang's true teachings.

He took out a black cloth strip and blindfolded himself. Then, Tenglong Martial Hall's disciples released sparrows that had been prepared in advance from their cages. The birds fluttered wildly about the martial hall.

"Hit."

He listened to the wind to determine their positions, drew several darts from his robes, and flung them sharply. Four or five sparrows flying chaotically through the air were struck by the darts and dropped to the ground.

"Good!"

The crowd burst into applause. Listening to the wind to locate one's target and striking five flying sparrows at once was no easy feat without years of grueling practice.

Fang Junyu removed the blindfold and said to Chen Ming, "If anyone among you can do that, you win."

Those who had come with Chen Ming all looked troubled. They had been stumped by the very first test.

Deng Ziyang quietly asked Zhuang Xiaotian, "Third Brother, can you do it?"

Zhuang Xiaotian sighed and shook his head, indicating that he could not. He naturally knew how to listen to the wind and locate targets, but he could not reach Fang Junyu's level. He would not go up there just to make a fool of himself.

For a moment, no one knew what to do.

"Good."

At that moment, Chen Ming stepped forward, accepted the black cloth strip, covered his eyes, and said, "Go ahead."

At his words, Tenglong Martial Hall's disciples also released five sparrows.

Only after the sparrows had flown some distance away did he reach into his robes.

Whoosh, whoosh...

In the blink of an eye, the five sparrows had been struck by blades and fallen to the ground.

"Good!"

"Junior Brother Chen has such superb throwing-knife skills."

"..."

Naturally, everyone on Chen Ming's side cheered.

Only Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian exchanged glances. This throwing-knife technique was clearly the one Zhuang Xiaotian had taught Chen Ming last year. He had already trained it to such a level?

Zhuang Xiaotian in particular suddenly felt a powerful sense of defeat. He had practiced for so many years, yet someone else had caught up to him in a single year.

He could not help but question his whole life.

"How... how is that possible?"

The smile on Fang Junyu's face suddenly froze as he stared blankly at Chen Ming.

He had spent several years mastering this move. In all of Tenglong Martial Hall, apart from himself, no one could blindfold himself and shoot down five birds.

Yet today, this young man, nearly ten years younger than him, had done it.

Chen Ming removed the blindfold and asked, "Young Hall Master Fang, what do you think?"

With a stiff expression, he said, "Since you have done it, you naturally pass." With that, he returned to his original spot.

Lei Zhenguang gave Chen Ming a deep look. He had not expected this kid to have hidden himself so well. He said, "Since Young Master Chen has passed the first round, then..."

"I think there is no need to continue."

Before he could finish, Chen Ming cut him off.

This caught everyone by surprise.

Lei Zhenguang frowned. "What do you mean by that, Young Master Chen?"

Chen Ming said, "I heard that Four Seas Martial Hall excels in qinggong, while Chaoyang Martial Hall has a strongman with the strength of an ox. If I am not mistaken, the next two rounds are testing precisely those things, correct?"

"So what if they are?"

"I only came here to open a martial hall. Why must I surpass those three martial halls in each of these three skills?"

Lei Zhenguang's expression turned cold. "These are the rules of our Martial Hall Guild. Since Young Master Chen wishes to open a martial hall in Qinghe City, you must abide by our rules. Otherwise, our Martial Hall Guild will not agree."

At that moment, a bearded man shouted, "Kid, if you do not dare to compete, then obediently admit defeat and get out of Qingfeng City."

His words immediately drew a burst of laughter.

Chen Ming did not get angry. He merely said calmly, "Your Martial Hall Guild has its own rules. That is fine—I respect them. However, I personally love exchanging pointers with others. Everyone present is a senior master. Chen truly feels the hunter's joy at seeing prey. Another day, I will certainly visit every one of you in turn."

The moment those words left his mouth, quite a few people's expressions changed drastically.

Everyone understood what he meant. In the future, he would challenge them one martial hall at a time.

Hall Master Fang of Tenglong Martial Hall had a fiery temper. He slammed the table and roared, "Kid, are you threatening us?"

Chen Ming's face turned cold. "I am threatening you. So what? Since you do not want to let me sit at the table, then do not blame me for flipping it. What, not convinced?"

He pointed at the bearded man from earlier and said, "You. Yes, you. Come over here and trade a few moves with me if you have the guts."

"Kid, you are courting death!"

The bearded man was Li Ankun of Fenglei Martial Hall, Li Xiangrong's uncle. His nephew had been injured, and he himself had lost face. He had long been holding back a bellyful of anger. How could he restrain himself now? Before Lei Zhenguang could stop him, he leaped out like a massive hawk and pounced on Chen Ming.

This was Fenglei Martial Hall's famous martial art, the Eagle Strike Technique.

Chen Ming reached out and pulled the saber from Deng Ziyang's side. With a backhanded upward slash, he aimed straight for his opponent's lower abdomen.

Li Ankun twisted his body and evaded the slash.

At the side, a young man shouted, "Master, catch your sword!" He threw over a longsword.

After catching the sword, Li Ankun unleashed his signature Wind and Thunder Swordplay, every move aimed at Chen Ming's vital points.

No one from either side had expected things to develop to this point.

After all, both Fenglei Martial Hall and Chen Ming had shown considerable restraint before this. Who would have thought they would come to blows after a single disagreement?

It could only be said that young people acted impulsively.

Very soon, the people from the Huo Sect grew more and more astonished. "When did Junior Brother Chen learn the Five Elements Saber Technique?"

"Third Senior Brother, did you teach it to him?"

"This move, Setting Sun Weeps Blood, can actually be used like this?"

"Wow..."

They were all stunned by the exquisite mastery of Chen Ming's saber technique. Such saber skills were already no weaker than those of their late eldest senior brother.

The most shocked of all was Zhang Mingyu. Watching Chen Ming fight Li Ankun with the Five Elements Saber Technique without falling into the slightest disadvantage, he could not help but grow dazed.

Last year, at this same time, Chen Ming had just arrived at Huo Manor to serve as a sparring partner. Back then, his Iron Horse Stance had only reached the second level, and only his Three Powers Fist had been practiced fairly well...

In just one short year, he had actually grown to such a degree.

It was simply too unbelievable.

It gave him an unreal feeling.

Clang, clang, clang...

Just then, saber and sword clashed in the arena. They fought speed with speed, the impacts so dense that they nearly joined into one continuous string.

Clang!

With a thunderous ring, a longsword flew into the air, spun once, and crashed to the ground.

"Spare him!"

Lei Zhenguang, seated in the place of honor, shouted loudly and was about to move to save him.

Then came a sharp smack.

Chen Ming changed his chop into a slap, using the flat of the saber to strike Li Ankun squarely across the face. Then he retreated several steps and sheathed the saber back into the scabbard in Deng Ziyang's hand.

He stood proudly, his gaze sweeping over the dozens of people from the twelve martial halls present.

For a moment, everyone was cowed by his imposing presence, and no one spoke.

"I will kill— you..."

Li Ankun, his face covered in blood, rose from the ground like a madman and tried to rush Chen Ming again.

He could not accept the fact that he had been defeated before everyone by a wet-behind-the-ears brat.

Chen Ming did not even spare him a glance. He merely stared at Lei Zhenguang, a cold smile lingering at the corner of his mouth.

Lei Zhenguang barked, "Yucheng!"

Lei Yucheng immediately stepped forward and held Li Ankun back.

Li Ankun had already lost his reason. He even turned and attacked Lei Yucheng, who knocked him unconscious with a palm strike and had someone carry him away.

Seeing Li Ankun's miserable state, the people from the other eleven martial halls all felt rather unsettled.

No matter how much they disliked loudmouthed Li Ankun, seeing his decades of fame vanish in a single day still left them with a shared sense of dread.