Yang Zheng Exposed

The next day.

Chen Feiyi gathered the five selected participants for the Ascending Dragon Conference and stated his purpose without preamble.

After hearing him out, all five pairs of eyes converged on Cheng Yang, their expressions varied.

Some were envious, some astonished, and some openly cold.

The one who showed dissatisfaction was not any of the three Flesh Tempering disciples, but Third Senior Brother Yang Zheng.

Yang Zheng had already disliked this Seventh Junior Brother because of the Cai Family.

Now that the Cai Family had vanished into smoke and ashes overnight, he vaguely suspected that Cheng Yang was most likely connected to it.

"Alright, that is everything. Do any of you five feel this is unfair?" Chen Feiyi swept his gaze over them.

"No, Master." Fourth Senior Brother Bao Shun was the first to state his position.

"Martial artists speak with strength." One Flesh Tempering disciple followed, saying, "If Senior Brother Cheng has the ability to defeat me, I will willingly yield this spot to him."

The other two nodded in agreement one after another, their meaning much the same.

Only Yang Zheng remained silent, his brows twisted into a knot.

Chen Feiyi looked at him. "Yang Zheng, do you have any objections?"

"Master," Yang Zheng said, each word as calm as if he were stating a fact, "since the slots have already been decided, they should not be changed."

Bao Shun looked slightly startled. He had not expected Senior Brother Yang to dare contradict Master in public. Was it because of the Cai Family?

"Rules are dead." Chen Feiyi's tone sank a little. "Today, I intend to break this rule. Do you still have a problem with that?"

"Since Master has put it that way, what problem could this disciple possibly have?" Yang Zheng lowered his eyes, his tone so flat that no emotion could be heard in it.

Cheng Yang gave him a deep look. This Third Senior Brother seemed to harbor a deep hostility toward him.

Chen Feiyi was displeased, yet there was little he could do about Yang Zheng.

Yang Zheng was one of the most promising candidates to win this year's Ascending Dragon Conference. If he truly took the championship, the Chen Clan Martial Hall would gain both fame and profit; even if he failed to win, his strength would make it easy for him to secure a good ranking, at the very least preserving the martial hall's reputation.

It was profit either way, so Chen Feiyi could only swallow this resentment.

"Ahem." Chen Feiyi cleared his throat and turned his gaze to Cheng Yang. "Disciple, choose one of these five to spar with."

Just as Cheng Yang was about to speak, a Flesh Tempering disciple suddenly said, "Senior Brother Cheng, there is no need to spar. I am willing to give up this slot."

Everyone present was shocked.

"Why?" Chen Feiyi asked.

"Senior Brother Cheng is more deserving of this position than I am." The disciple spoke with utmost seriousness, but his thoughts were perfectly clear.

The Ascending Dragon Conference concerned one's future, but he knew exactly what he was worth. If he went up, he would most likely be eliminated in the first round.

Rather than waste the opportunity, he might as well take the initiative to give it to Cheng Yang and earn himself a favor.

"Thank you." Cheng Yang looked at him. "If I remember correctly, Junior Brother, your name is Ge Tao?"

"Yes, Senior Brother." Ge Tao nodded.

"I will remember this favor." Cheng Yang solemnly clasped his fists.

As soon as he said that, the other two Flesh Tempering disciples could not help showing envy.

Their strength was not much different from Ge Tao's, and they too knew they had little hope of standing out at the Ascending Dragon Conference. Yet they had still clung to a sliver of luck, wanting to take a gamble.

It was precisely that hope that made them miss their chance to forge a bond with Cheng Yang.

Cheng Yang thanked Ge Tao from the bottom of his heart. Though he could easily have taken the spot with his own strength, doing so would inevitably draw Chen Feiyi's or Yang Zheng's attention.

The fact that he had reached the Bone Tempering Realm was better hidden for as long as possible.

After all, quite a few people in Qinglin County wanted his life. Keeping this trump card hidden meant creating an information gap for his enemies.

He had originally planned to pretend to win with difficulty during the spar, but now there was no need to put on that act.

"Boring." Yang Zheng muttered, disappointment flashing through his eyes as he turned and left on his own.

Chen Feiyi did not stop him. He merely waved a hand. "Then, dismissed."

Cheng Yang was in no hurry to leave and stepped forward to exchange a few words with Ge Tao.

After trading pleasantries, both were quite satisfied with today's outcome.

"Junior Brother Cheng, I'll be leaving first." Bao Shun took his leave.

Before long, only Cheng Yang and Chen Feiyi remained.

"Master, just how strong is Third Senior Brother Yang Zheng?" Cheng Yang asked.

"Yang Zheng..." Chen Feiyi sighed. "Your Third Senior Brother has tempered his bones into Copper Bone and cultivated his inherited martial skill to Perfection. He is one of the strongest contenders to win this Ascending Dragon Conference."

"Copper Bone and a martial skill at Perfection..." Cheng Yang silently committed it to memory.

"I do not know why his hostility toward you is so great." Fatigue seeped into Chen Feiyi's voice. "Of course, he may not be like this only toward you. That boy... he is probably somewhat dissatisfied with me as well. His wings have grown strong, and he wants to fly."

Elsewhere, Yang Zheng walked slowly through the corridor, his face dark.

"In such a short time, he has gained the strength to challenge a Senior Flesh-Tempering Martial Master..." He licked his lips and sneered inwardly. Seventh Junior Brother, were you the one who killed my Four-Ping Gang men?

He still could not be certain.

Had Ge Tao given Cheng Yang the spot for nothing on a sudden whim, or had he conspired with Master beforehand?

Did Cheng Yang truly possess the strength to challenge a Senior Flesh-Tempering Martial Master? A string of questions circled through his mind.

As a hall master of the Four-Ping Gang, he had recently taken over the task of investigating the cause of Fragrance Master Huang Xuan's death.

Zhao Tiankuo had already pointed his suspicions at Cheng Yang, and what Yang Zheng had witnessed today only made the doubts in his heart snowball larger and larger.

He had originally had a chance to force Cheng Yang into acting and sound out his true abilities, but Ge Tao's move had disrupted everything.

Forget it, no matter what.

"I'll personally go find Ge Tao tonight and get the truth out of him."

Cheng Yang lived at the Chen Clan Martial Hall, so Yang Zheng could not make a move easily. But Ge Tao lived outside, alone, making him convenient to deal with however he wished.

Meanwhile, Ge Tao was still basking in the delight of having earned Cheng Yang's favor, utterly unaware that a pair of eyes in the darkness had already fixed upon him.

Night fell. From a courtyard on Huan Street came intermittent pleas for mercy.

"You can kill me..." Ge Tao knelt on the ground, covered in blood, his voice hoarse. "Please... spare my wife and child..."

Yang Zheng slowly removed the black cloth covering his face, revealing his own features.

Ge Tao's face filled with horror, his pupils contracting sharply. "Senior Brother Yang... why is it you?!"

"Junior Brother Ge." Yang Zheng placed one hand on his shoulder, the corners of his mouth splitting into a gentle yet hair-raising curve. "If you want your wife and child to live, answer my questions honestly. Understand?"