White Ape Martial Academy Opens, Unwelcome Guests Arrive

The Su family had lived there for generations,

but after more than a century, the old Su Family moved away.

The news quickly spread through Oil Seller Alley.

Some said the eldest son had accumulated debts while practicing martial arts outside and had sold the ancestral home to repay them.

Others said the second son had gotten some other family's daughter pregnant, and her family had demanded they sell the house to scrape together a bride price.

In any case, they had fallen on hard times. The whole family had gone to the countryside to become a live-in son-in-law.

Both groups told their stories with great seriousness,

but both carried a trace of city folk's pride and reserve.

Only two nearby families close to them received invitations to the wedding banquet on the eighth day of next month.

Zhao Jing heard the news in the evening,

and it was Xiaoya, her younger sister, who told her.

Her feelings were complicated as well.

She resented Su Xinghe for wasting her best years, yet was glad she had not married into the Su Family too early. Somewhere deep down, she even felt a faint measure of pity for those poor childhood companions.

But pity was pity. What needed cutting away still had to be cut away.

Farewell to the past. A fresh start.

"The Su Family does not even have a house anymore, yet they still have the nerve to hold a wedding banquet in the city?"

Many people had heard the quarrel in the Su Family courtyard that day.

Zhao Jing lowered her head and looked at the plain gray cloth dress she wore. Her mood worsened even further.

She resolved that she would marry a rich man in the future.

"I am not going!"

Pulling a stern face, she scolded her younger sister beside her.

"You should not go either. Why keep associating with a ruined family like that?"

"If people see you there, how will you ever get married?"

"Do you want to marry into the countryside and become a mud-legged peasant?"

Xiaoya pouted, her round little face wrinkling up like a steamed bun.

"But Mother said the place serving the meal is on Narcissus Street in the south. She told us juniors to go early so we could get pastries and wedding candy."

Zhao Jing's gaze became even more resolute.

Narcissus Street was where all the wealthy people lived. The Su Family could not even afford to rent a place there. They were probably trying to collect one last round of gift money before leaving.

So they really had gone off to become live-in sons-in-law.

Three days later, the Zhou Family held a very low-key funeral at the Martial Arts School. Many of the Brokerage Guild's former partners came.

After seeing the old gang leader and the others out through the city gates, the disciples were driven back by Academy Master Zhou Yingjun.

The next day, news arrived.

Several mines and farms belonging to the Lu Family outside the city had been slaughtered. Blood flowed like a river, and heads rolled everywhere. Red Elegance Manor was said to have been attacked as well, with several younger members of the third branch killed.

A Seventh Rank Transformation Realm expert had even appeared.

After Third Master learned of it, he went mad with killing outside the city.

Not only did he kill dozens of unfamiliar Martial Warriors from elsewhere, he even killed his own affiliated forces. Every farm and mine was searched, and even passing boats on the Clearwater River had to stop and await inspection.

Rumor had it that he was searching for an organization called the Beheading Gang.

Su Xinghe felt a lingering fear when he heard.

One of the farms that had been massacred was the very place where his family had once lived. If his father and the others had arrived a few days later, how would that debt have been settled?

Fortunately, he had rented the small courtyard in advance, and his father had withdrawn in time. That was the only reason a tragedy had been avoided.

That night, Su Xinghe's Listening to Tides Art advanced once again.

The art's "Perfect Mastery" level immediately added two more Silver Fish to his mind.

Four different streams of thought emerged, nearly making Su Xinghe hallucinate. Fortunately, this was already the second time, and he managed to endure it.

It brought three changes.

First, his sensory range expanded from three zhang to ten zhang.

Second, after becoming familiar with them over this period, he could now control the silver little figures to assume all sorts of poses.

The third change was that the spiritual peculiarity of the "Perfect Mastery" Listening to Tides Art appeared once more. It raised the blood and qi concentration granted by the Golden Ape Fist from 1.5 times to twice its original efficiency.

He had expected this, so he was not overly surprised.

What surprised him was that newcomers had arrived before the Martial Arts School had even opened.

He had gone from the youngest junior brother to second senior brother in one leap.

This time, Academy Master Zhou Yingjun had thoroughly decided to take the elite route. Breaking from his former model of focusing on training Zhou Family members, he had recruited a group of fifteen- and sixteen-year-old youths from who knew where.

Every one of them stood tall and straight, brimming with vigor and spirit.

Two more days passed, and it was the first day of September.

On Narcissus Street, White Ape Martial Academy opened its doors.

Since his home was right next door, Su Xinghe arrived at the Martial Arts School at daybreak.

He took off that "battle robe" covered in patches and put on White Ape Martial Academy's custom training uniform.

There was nothing particularly special about its design. It was simply an ordinary long robe with an ape embroidered on both the chest and back.

Outer disciples wore black apes, inner disciples wore golden apes, and instructors wore multicolored apes.

Its defensive power might as well have been zero.

But with this outfit, ordinary gang thugs would take a detour when they saw him. Rumor had it that the academy master had given the Martial Dao Bureau quite a few gifts in order to register White Ape Martial Academy.

"Good morning, Second Senior Brother!"

"Morning, everyone."

These newcomers had also changed into uniform training clothes today. More than a dozen of them standing together cut an impressive figure.

Though they had not formally taken a master yet, they had already begun addressing one another as senior and junior brothers.

Su Xinghe did not chat much with them. Instead, he went to one side and quietly waited. At the same time, he circulated the Listening to Tides Art in his mind and cultivated in silence.

The newcomers did not come over to disturb him either. They gathered together to chat. Since they had yet to learn any true arts, they only talked about family matters and their hopes for the future.

As time passed, more and more people gradually arrived.

Some were familiar faces from the Martial Arts School, while others were unfamiliar youths dressed like shop assistants.

These unfamiliar youths were led into the rear courtyard by Qian Jinge, the eldest senior brother of the inner sect, where they began sweeping, sprinkling water, and moving objects.

At this moment, the two instructors who had not been seen for a long time arrived. With them was Zhou Hao, the young master, who had disappeared for seven or eight days.

He too wore a moon-white multicolored ape training uniform and kept a low profile at the back of the crowd. Judging from his waxen complexion, he had probably been recovering from his injuries.

Su Xinghe did not deliberately approach him. Just as at the Brokerage Guild's training ground in the past, they left each other undisturbed.

He had some guesses in his heart about the Lu Family attack a few days ago.

But since the academy master and the others had not made it public, it was best to act as though he knew nothing.

After all, who did not have secrets?

As the rising sun climbed into the sky, the last few higher-ups of White Ape Martial Academy arrived.

Everyone consciously formed three rows and silently looked toward the figure ahead, not particularly tall but powerfully built.

Academy Master Zhou Yingjun looked well today. The weariness of recent days was gone, and his back stood ramrod straight.

"Silence!"

Though no one present had been speaking, Xie Guang still gave the reminder.

Zhou Yingjun's gaze slowly swept across everyone present.

There was not a trace of excitement or joy at the Martial Arts School's opening in his eyes, only a heavy sense of responsibility toward them all.

One did not know the price of rice and firewood until one ran a household. In recent days, he had run himself ragged preparing the Martial Arts School, hit wall after wall, and endured countless deliberate difficulties.

Even when he wanted to buy some pills from the Martial Dao Bureau, people kept dragging their feet, claiming stocks were tight and that third-rate forces like theirs had to wait in line.

Unless he had Martial Dao Bureau points, in which case he could be given priority.

But White Ape Martial Academy had only just been founded. Where could it get mission points?

As a result, not only had the injuries from the last battle failed to heal, they showed faint signs of worsening.

When he tried to use connections through acquaintances to see whether the points from the old Veteran's Trade House could be transferred over, they demanded an astronomical "tea fee" before they would even speak.

He was naturally a straightforward man. Where would he find the energy for such twists and turns?

Zhou Chun, who served under him, was not a Martial Warrior and could not reach that level. Elder Xie was old, and he could not bear to make the old man suffer such indignities.

The two deputy academy masters came from the Great River Gang. Apart from fighting and killing, they had never done anything else.

A thousand tangled threads...

He had never managed the Brokerage Guild's finances before, and that night he had only narrowly escaped. By the time he went back to inspect the place at dawn, it had already been reduced to ashes.

Pensions for the fallen, treatment for the wounded, severance payments—one thing piled upon another.

If they had not pulled off something major outside the city a few days ago, the Martial Arts School would not even have been able to open today.

Just as Elder Xie had said that day, he could not afford to delay.

If he delayed any longer, people's hearts would scatter.

Forcing himself to rally, he cleared his throat.

"White Ape Martial Academy opens today. From now on, we are fellow disciples and senior and junior brothers. I hope you can stand united and progress together."

After saying that, he turned and bowed deeply toward the rear courtyard.

"Open the Ancestral Hall!"

Elder Xie's voice rang out.

The moment his words fell, the doors of a warehouse in the rear courtyard were slowly pushed open. An offering table had long been prepared inside.

Behind the offering table stood a portrait of the patriarch. Its face was unmistakably that of the old gang leader, Zhou Tianxiong.

"Invite the Patriarch!"

"Pay respects!"

Xie Guang's aged voice rang out again.

Before he had time to look closely, Su Xinghe followed everyone in kneeling for a grand salute. Only after this bow could they truly be considered disciples of White Ape Martial Academy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just as everyone had bowed and had yet to rise, a rapid pounding came from the Martial Arts School gates.

Su Xinghe's heart stirred, and he slightly turned his head to look ahead.

He saw that everyone remained kneeling respectfully. Even Elder Xie, who was presiding over the ceremony beside them, still wore a solemn expression.

Yet Su Xinghe could see that the steward's eyes were already blazing with fury.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

"Rise!"

Amid the hurried pounding, the opening and disciple-initiation ceremony continued.

"Is Zhou Yingjun here? We came to offer congratulations!"

As if knocking was not enough, a coarse, booming shout came from outside.

"Isn't your White Ape Martial Academy opening today?"

"How are you opening it with the gates shut?"

The shouting came wave after wave. Some of the newly admitted disciples had already begun looking around uneasily.

Even Su Xinghe's heart, long polished smooth by hardship, could not help growing irritated.

Fortunately, the ceremony soon ended.

With Xie Guang's call to return the Patriarch to his place, the Ancestral Hall doors swiftly closed.

"Lü Chenggong, what are you making a fuss over!"

Zhou Yingjun forced down his anger and straightened, his face livid.

He turned and whispered a few words to Chen Sanke, who immediately took Zhou Hao, the young master, into the rear courtyard.

Then he gave Qian Jinge a look.

The eldest senior brother of the inner sect immediately jogged over to open the gates.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Hahaha, someone finally came to open the door. Otherwise, I would have thought I had come to the wrong place!"

With a booming laugh, a black-faced burly man nearly two meters tall appeared outside.

A bamboo basket hung from his left hand, while a long saber was stuck across his back. Wearing a broad smile, he strode in with a large group of burly men dressed in black robes.

"You are not welcome here!"

Lu Sandao appeared before them at that moment, his eyes seeming ready to spit fire.

"You?"

A black-robed Martial Warrior, equally tall and powerfully built, stepped out from behind the black-faced man and charged forward aggressively.

What kind of temper did Lu Sandao have? Not even bothering to retrieve his saber, he immediately assumed a fighting stance and stepped forward.

Just as they were about to fight, the black-faced man reached out and stopped his subordinate.

"Chen Qiao, do not damage the flowers and grass!"

"After all, Narcissus Street is the territory of our Fierce Tiger Martial Hall!"

"Hahaha, have some manners."

At this moment, Academy Master Zhou Yingjun also stepped in front of Lu Sandao. For today's opening ceremony, everyone had come empty-handed. Even if they went back for weapons now, it would likely be too late.

He drew a deep breath before suppressing the urge to strike and saying,

"Leave the gift and go."

The other side had only brought three martial warriors, so fighting would not be a problem. But today was White Ape Martial Academy's opening day, and he did not want to create more trouble.

More importantly, all of them still had injuries that had not healed.

That was something they absolutely could not reveal. As long as they endured through this period, they would naturally have nothing to fear from the other side.

Lü Chenggong looked around from the gate and saw that White Ape Martial Academy had only a little over thirty people, more than half of them mere children.

He immediately bared his teeth in laughter.

"Haha..."

"Brother Zhou, does your Martial Arts School not even offer a cup of tea to guests?"

"Little Sickly Cat, is your skin itching again?"

Xie Guang slowly stepped out from behind the crowd, one step at a time.

With every step he took, the force around him grew stronger. By the time he reached the entrance, he seemed to have grown an entire size taller.

"If you want a fight, we'll take it outside the city! If you want to challenge the hall, lay down your terms! Don't stand there being so yin and yang. If you piss this old man off, I'll still beat the shit out of you."

The moment Xie Guang said this, the black-robed men opposite him all retreated.

Lü Chenggong's face darkened even further.

He had thought this old man, whose blood and vitality had run dry, could be ignored. How did he still possess the strength of Eighth Rank Dark Force?

Hadn't the information said...

Damn it, the information had only said the old man hadn't made a move in twenty years!

At once, one unbearable memory after another surged into his mind, and even the smile on his face turned into a crying tone.

"Senior... Senior Xie, I really came here to..."

Xie Guang ignored his explanation and turned to look at Zhou Yingjun beside him. It was as though, with a single order from the hall master, he would charge out and kill without hesitation.

Clatter!

The bamboo basket in Lü Chenggong's hand fell to the ground, and several green-skinned tangerines rolled out.

"Fare...well..."

As he spoke, he began backing away.

"Take your things with you! We don't need anything from Fierce Tiger Martial Hall!"

Xie Guang shouted sharply.

Lü Chenggong did not stop walking, instead calling out:

"Alright, alright, I'll take them away right now. Chen Qiao, go get them."