The Sky Wolf's Ferocious Might

After seizing Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy, Lin Jingqi did not change its name.

After all, Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy already had a certain reputation in Linked Mountains City. Changing its name recklessly would affect the academy's business.

At this moment, roughly a hundred disciples were practicing martial arts in the central training ground.

Beginners stood in stances and practiced horse stances, while some disciples who had trained for a long time had already begun cultivating the Great Coiling Silk Hand.

Holding a teapot in his hand, Lin Jingqi walked among the many disciples, correcting their movements one by one.

He was thirty-five or thirty-six this year, with masculine, square features. His beard made him appear rather mature.

Just then, Lin Jingqi suddenly frowned and handed the teapot to a nearby academy disciple.

"Is this how you practice the Great Coiling Silk Hand?"

With a cold snort, Lin Jingqi's left hand coiled around a wooden post like a nimble serpent and colossal python. He suddenly exerted force in a crushing twist, and the post exploded with a bang, snapped clean in two by sheer force!

"This is the secret Great Coiling Silk Hand of my Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy: softness bearing hardness, killing intent hidden within.

"What the hell are you practicing? Every one of you is limp and weak, all appearance and no substance!

"If you do not cultivate properly now, then do not call yourselves disciples of Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy once you go outside. I, Lin Jingqi, cannot afford that disgrace!"

At that moment, a burst of applause suddenly came from the academy entrance.

"Academy Master Lin truly teaches with rigor and responsibility. Not bad, truly not bad."

Chen Yuan wore a Wild Goose Feather Saber at his waist and a wolf-patterned cloak over his shoulders as he entered the academy with more than a dozen tall, sturdy Heavenly Wolf Gang members carrying long sabers.

Strictly speaking, these gang members did not count as official Heavenly Wolf Gang members. They were merely reserve members cultivating in the Merit Transmission Hall.

However, the Heavenly Wolf Gang trained desperadoes of the martial world who could fight, kill, and dare to stake their lives.

Though these reserve members had yet to officially enter the various halls, their bearing was far stronger than that of the academy disciples present.

Seeing the newcomers, Lin Jingqi's expression changed slightly.

He had never met Chen Yuan, but he could still guess Chen Yuan's identity.

One of the Heavenly Wolf Gang's Three Elites—the one who had previously kept the lowest profile, yet had become the most high-profile one these past few days.

But why had Chen Yuan come to Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy? He did not want to deal with gang members.

Strictly speaking, martial arts academies stood somewhere between martial world folk and ordinary people.

Martial arts academies only taught martial arts. They did not participate in martial world conflicts, collected only tuition fees, and did not fight over territory.

The several martial arts academies in Linked Mountains City all kept gang members at a respectful distance.

Lin Jingqi clasped his hands. "Could you be Young Master Chen Yuan, one of the Heavenly Wolf Gang's Three Elites? May I ask what brings Young Master Chen to my Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy?"

"Simple. I came to your Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy mainly to demand an explanation."

Chen Yuan looked at Lin Jingqi with a smile. "A disciple of your Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy joined the Blackwater Gang, killed my Heavenly Wolf Gang brothers, and seized my Heavenly Wolf Gang's territory. Shouldn't Academy Master Lin give me an explanation for this?"

Lin Jingqi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "Young Master Chen misunderstands. My Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy only teaches disciples martial arts. As for whether they escort goods, roam the martial world, or join some gang afterward, those are not matters I can control!"

Chen Yuan looked at Lin Jingqi with a half-smile. "Academy Master Lin, that is not quite right. Why did the disciples you taught not join my Heavenly Wolf Gang, but insist on joining the Blackwater Gang?

"Could it be because you are always speaking ill of my Heavenly Wolf Gang in the academy? Or perhaps you yourself have colluded with the Blackwater Gang, deliberately training gang members for them?

"Your Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy lies within my Heavenly Wolf Gang's sphere of influence, yet you incite disciples to join the Blackwater Gang. That is plainly eating from the bowl while smashing the pot—you have not taken my Heavenly Wolf Gang seriously at all."

Lin Jingqi was already drenched in sweat with anxiety.

How had this conversation somehow turned him into someone colluding with the Blackwater Gang?

He did not want to provoke the Heavenly Wolf Gang, and he avoided the Blackwater Gang even more.

At that moment, a young woman in her thirties emerged from inside the building and angrily said, "Lin Jingqi! What are you still explaining for? Can't you see that they came looking for trouble?

"The rule of every martial arts academy in Linked Mountains City is to teach martial arts and ask nothing about one's future path.

"Once disciples leave the academy, none of their actions have anything to do with it, nor may the academy interfere in grudges between disciples.

"Chen Yuan has not been mixing around Linked Mountains City for just a day or two. How could he possibly not know these rules?"

Chen Yuan studied the woman with interest.

She had a voluptuous figure and lovely features, quite a beauty. She was likely Zhang Qiuhe, the fiancée Lin Jingqi had seduced and who had drugged Duan Mubai.

But now that he saw her, this woman seemed rather forceful, with a temper even fiercer than Lin Jingqi's. She was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

"Shut your mouth!"

Lin Jingqi glared at her viciously.

Turning back, Lin Jingqi clasped his hands toward Chen Yuan, his attitude humble.

"My wife does not understand propriety. I hope Young Master Chen will not blame her. May I ask what the academy disciple who joined the Blackwater Gang is called? I will immediately check the records and publicly expel him, then host a banquet to apologize to the Heavenly Wolf Gang."

The academy disciples present all looked at Lin Jingqi in disbelief.

Their academy master was usually imposing and dignified. Why was he being so humiliatingly submissive before this young man today?

Lin Jingqi wanted to be tough as well, but he knew that his little Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy was simply incomparable to the Heavenly Wolf Gang.

Any hall master the Heavenly Wolf Gang casually sent out was a Meridian-Unblocking Realm martial artist, with several hundred elite gang members beneath them who had endured bloodshed in the martial world. Flattening Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy would be effortless.

The former academy master, Duan Zhenshan, had been in the Meridian-Unblocking Realm, and Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy had possessed some standing back then.

But Lin Jingqi had never managed to cross the threshold of Meridian Opening over all these years. He remained at the peak of the Body-Tempering Realm even now. What confidence did he have to stand firm against Chen Yuan, one of the Heavenly Wolf Gang's Three Elites?

Chen Yuan casually said, "His name is Zhang San."

Lin Jingqi instinctively replied, "I will fetch the register and look up that Zhang San immediately."

But shortly afterward, Lin Jingqi felt that something was off.

Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy recruited over a hundred disciples each year. Though he could not possibly remember every disciple's name, he was certain there could never be someone named Zhang San in Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy.

Since ancient times, scholarship was for the poor and martial arts for the wealthy. Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy's tuition alone cost over a hundred taels a year. Without some family wealth, who would dare come to an academy to learn martial arts?

Thus, even the poorest disciples of Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy came from moderately well-off families. How could anyone have such a casual name as Zhang San?

"Young Master Chen, are you sure that man is really called Zhang San?"

"No. I just made up that name."

Lin Jingqi's face instantly flushed crimson. "You..."

Zhang Qiuhe sneered. "Lin Jingqi, do you still not understand? They came here today specifically to make trouble for us. Even if you kneel before them, it will be useless!"

This time, Lin Jingqi did not rebuke his wife again. He merely glared at Chen Yuan with bloodshot eyes.

"Young Master Chen, my Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy has never provoked your Heavenly Wolf Gang, and I have never even met you. Even if you intend to kill me, at least let me die knowing why!"

Chen Yuan fiddled with the hilt of his Wild Goose Feather Saber and said casually, "When you plotted to cripple Duan Mubai, did you give him advance notice?"

At the mention of Duan Mubai's name, Lin Jingqi's expression immediately changed.

But Zhang Qiuhe suddenly pulled out two short blades from behind her back and slashed toward Chen Yuan.

At the same time, she shouted at Lin Jingqi, "Kill Chen Yuan! Take his head and defect to the Blackwater Gang!

"He came because of Duan Mubai. If we do not kill him, we will both die!"

A smile appeared on Chen Yuan's lips.

This woman Zhang Qiuhe was more decisive and clearer-headed than Lin Jingqi.

The moment she learned that he had come over Duan Mubai, she immediately understood that there could be no reconciliation between the two sides.

Kneeling was useless, so they could only fight for their lives.

After fighting for their lives, they could defect to the Blackwater Gang, the Heavenly Wolf Gang's mortal enemy. That counted as their only path to survival.

Unfortunately, though her mind was clear, this woman's strength was merely average.

Chen Yuan's Wild Goose Feather Saber instantly left its sheath, and a piercing saber cry rang through the entire academy.

This slash struck after yet arrived first, its momentum like a starving wolf pouncing to kill.

With an explosive bang, Zhang Qiuhe's twin blades were sent flying. Blood immediately streamed from the webbing between her thumbs and forefingers.

Chen Yuan spun and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying as she spat blood at once.

Both were in the Body-Tempering Realm, but the strength of someone in that realm who cultivated internal energy was as different from that of an ordinary martial artist who only tempered the flesh as heaven was from earth.

A martial artist who only tempered the flesh might have strength, but it was merely dead strength, usable only through their muscles and sinews.

Only after cultivating internal energy could one mobilize the power of one's meridians and blood qi, unleashing even greater explosive force.

Lin Jingqi no longer hesitated and cowered at this moment. With a flip of his hands, a pair of Refined Steel Chain Gauntlets had already been fitted over them.

These Refined Steel Chain Gauntlets were crafted from tiny adamantine links the size of rice grains, connected together with incomparable intricacy and fine workmanship.

The Great Coiling Silk Hand was a grappling art for close combat. When facing bladed weapons, one could use these adamantine chain gauntlets to meet bare hands against sharp steel.

However, these things were exquisitely made and extremely difficult to forge, more expensive than silver of the same weight. They had been left behind by Duan Zhenshan in the past and were now in Lin Jingqi's possession.

Lin Jingqi moved with tremendous speed, pouncing toward Chen Yuan like a leopard.

The Wild Goose Feather Saber stabbed in at an angle. As its momentum swept across the field, several saber shadows descended in succession.

Heavenly Wolf Shadow Strike!

Lin Jingqi gave an explosive shout, his arms dancing like butterflies flitting among flowers as they met the saber blade head-on, producing a series of resounding metallic blasts.

Then, finding an opening, his hands became like soft, delicate threads and suddenly wound around the Wild Goose Feather Saber, twisting and coiling as the adamantine chain gauntlets locked the blade firmly in place.

Delight instantly rose in Lin Jingqi's heart. He was just about to close in along the momentum when, in the next instant, a tremendous force suddenly surged from the long saber locked in his hands!

Sparks burst from the Wild Goose Feather Saber and the adamantine chain gauntlets. The saber was forcibly wrenched free, and in the next instant, dazzling saber light had appeared before Lin Jingqi's eyes.

The saber light was brilliant, like the bright moon.

Heavenly Wolf Swallowing the Moon!

In his haste, Lin Jingqi crossed his hands before himself to block, but Chen Yuan's slash shattered most of the adamantine chain gauntlets on his hands and instantly broke the bones in both hands.

The Heavenly Wolf Saber Art attacked without defending, sinister and ruthless. It was an extreme saber art centered upon slaughter.

Had Lin Jingqi adopted a defensive stance and stalled for time, he could have exchanged several moves with the particular traits of his Great Coiling Silk Hand.

But he had wanted to meet attack with attack. That would only make him lose faster.

Looking at his blood-soaked hands, Lin Jingqi's eyes filled with despair.

With both hands crippled, he could no longer use the Great Coiling Silk Hand. He had reached the end of the road.

Watching Chen Yuan approach with saber in hand, Lin Jingqi pleaded bitterly, "Do not kill me! Though I was the one who crippled Duan Mubai back then, I was not the mastermind!"

Lin Jingqi suddenly pointed at the heavily injured Zhang Qiuhe on the ground, gritting his teeth. "It was her! This woman bewitched me into attacking Duan Mubai!

"Academy Master Duan had shown me kindness as weighty as a mountain. I had never intended to fight Duan Mubai for anything. It was all because she said Duan Mubai could not hold onto Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy and told me to seize it.

"She was also the one who took the initiative to drug Duan Mubai and told me to deal him a fatal blow. If you want to avenge Duan Mubai, you should kill her, not me!"

PS: Thanks to reader Bu Guan Bu Gu Bu Li for the reward. Congratulations on becoming this book's first Alliance Leader. (•̀⌄•́)