Fists in the Front Courtyard

Now that things had been said to this extent, Shen Gangfu was not an unreasonable man.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he turned sideways and glanced at Zhao Kuo. Even now, he still did not know the full details.

Zhao Kuo hurried forward and whispered into his ear, telling him everything that had happened.

Once Shen Gangfu understood the whole story, his expression became even more composed.

"Zhao Shuiliu, this is all merely your speculation. Why did you try to deceive my disciple like this?"

Zhao Shuiliu's face was full of anger. He had indeed intended to test Lu Li, since Baldy Jiao lent money and collected debts every day, so he must have offended quite a few people.

But he could not simply ignore Baldy Jiao's death. Otherwise, who would dare continue working for him? How could he establish his authority before his subordinates?

With matters having reached this point, he could not retreat even half a step.

"Lu Li killed Baldy Jiao, who had been coveting Liu Rushuang of Hometown Inn, in order to protect her. This is almost certainly the truth."

Zhao Shuiliu got straight to the point.

"What evidence do you have?" Shen Gangfu demanded.

"Instructor Shen, Lu Li destroyed the corpse and erased the traces. Where am I supposed to find evidence for you?"

Shen Gangfu said in a deep voice, "My disciple Lu Li has been in the martial hall for less than a month. How could he possibly kill Baldy Jiao? Baldy Jiao had already reached the peak of Sinking Force eight years ago. Do I need to spell out the gap between them?"

Zhao Shuiliu froze at those words. He had not considered this, and his momentum visibly weakened.

Lu Li had actually only been a mud-legged country boy learning martial arts for one month. Still, that was only Shen Gangfu's word.

He could not step down from this ledge. Who knew whether Shen Gangfu had fabricated it on the spot to shield his disciple?

"So what if it has only been a month? It is not as though I have never seen gifted young prodigies before." Zhao Shuiliu continued searching for an excuse.

Shen Gangfu paused, then continued, "Lu Li's Root Bone is of the lowest, lowest grade. He is no prodigy."

With things having reached this point, Shen Gangfu knew the Black Wolf Gang's methods. He, Shen Gangfu, was unafraid, but how could these disciples and their families defend themselves against the Black Wolf Gang's arrows shot from the shadows?

He could only make Lu Li's Root Bone condition public.

"What? The lowest, lowest grade of Root Bone?"

Lu Li actually possessed only the lowest-grade Root Bone?

"Why would I lie to you? I examined his bones myself."

Disbelief shone in Zhao Shuiliu's eyes.

"May I examine Lu Li's Root Bone myself?"

Shen Gangfu pondered for a moment and looked at Lu Li.

Lu Li understood his master's painstaking intentions. This had begun because of him, after all. He slowly walked before Shen Gangfu. "I will leave everything to Master's judgment."

Shen Gangfu nodded faintly.

Only then did he look at Zhao Shuiliu and say coldly, "Examine him, then. But if you dare use this chance to pull any underhanded trick, you will only be staying here today."

Hearing that, Zhao Shuiliu flew into a rage and raged for a moment.

Zhao Shuiliu walked up to Lu Li and reached out toward his head.

Shen Gangfu's aura abruptly surged at his side. Like a ferocious ape poised to pounce, his eyes flashed like lightning as he stared fixedly at Zhao Shuiliu's every movement.

Sensing Shen Gangfu's aura, Zhao Shuiliu did not panic. Feeling the head was a standard bone-examination method in the first place, and he was not doing anything out of line. His hand did not stop as he continued to feel Lu Li's shoulder blades, arms, spine, and then the underside of his ribs.

"Well?"

"It truly is the lowest, lowest-grade Root Bone. However, he is still under suspicion. Once I return, I will conduct a careful search for evidence..."

After saying that, Zhao Shuiliu cupped his fists toward Shen Gangfu, then turned around. "Brothers, let's go."

Zhao Shuiliu had already determined in his heart that Lu Li could not be the murderer.

With a Root Bone like that and merely one month of martial training, whether Lu Li could even cultivate Inner Force was questionable. How could he have killed Baldy Jiao, who was at the peak of Sinking Force?

Could Baldy Jiao really have been such trash?

The reason Zhao Shuiliu still stubbornly clung to Lu Li was only to give himself a way down, and because he feared Shen Gangfu would hold him accountable for coming here to cause trouble.

Seeing Zhao Shuiliu trying to leave after making a scene,

Zhao Kuo stepped forward, preparing to stop them and demand an explanation for today's affair. Yet Shen Gangfu reached out and stopped him.

Watching Zhao Shuiliu's retreating figure, Shen Gangfu's eyes flickered uncertainly. In the end, he flicked his sleeve and returned to the rear courtyard.

Leaving behind Zhao Kuo and the disciples, all wearing bewildered expressions.

After their master left, they began discussing the matter in low voices.

"I thought Baldy Jiao really had been killed by Lu Li, getting rid of a scourge for the people. I had admired him for nothing..."

"So Lu Li merely has the lowest, lowest grade of Root Bone. No wonder he works so hard."

"But with Root Bone of the lowest, lowest grade, there is no hope at all of Gate-Breaking..."

Lu Li was already accustomed to such discussions. He silently turned and walked toward a corner of the courtyard, continuing his fist practice as he fell into thought.

His master had not actually spoken with him?

The next day, after the midday break.

The blazing summer sun scorched the earth.

Another seven or eight new disciples had enrolled over the past few days. More than thirty outer-courtyard disciples now sat in three rows on the training ground.

On the steps, Shen Gangfu sat alone in a grand chair. Many empty seats had been placed beside him. He was clearly waiting for people.

Before long, the martial hall gates opened, and a woman led more than a dozen prosperous-looking middle-aged men inside.

"It's the young miss!"

"The young miss is here!"

The newcomer was Lin Lanyi, the young miss of Heji's Liansheng Escort Agency.

Lu Li raised his eyes and looked over.

The woman had clear brows and bright eyes, her beauty like fresh snow upon spring mountains. Her gaze swept lightly over the disciples. In the shifting ripples of her eyes was both a young girl's innocence and a cool detachment untouched by worldly dust.

As the disciples looked up at her, their eyes burned with fervor, as though they had seen a bright sunflower in full bloom blossoming toward them.

Shen Gangfu rose to greet her and exchanged nods with Lin Lanyi. Then he sat down with the others.

Seeing that everyone had more or less arrived, Shen Gangfu stood and said:

"Today is this month's outer-courtyard competition. Disciples who have cultivated Inner Force may step forward to choose opponents and exchange fists."

Exchanging fists was a common sparring activity among disciples of martial halls.

The rules were simple: demonstrate real skill in the arena, display one's strength to the merchants and wealthy households seated on the platform, and win their patronage.

When wealthy households sponsored disciples, they could ensure their own safety while also making an early investment. If the disciple they invested in later succeeded in Gate-Breaking, that would mean another layer of protection.

"Perform well. The merchants beside me have all come to select candidates. Those who fight well will naturally not lack Protection Fee stipends."

"Yes, Master," the disciples answered in unison.

The first to step forward were Lei Zhengming and Zhao Tiezhu.

They had entered the martial hall in the same batch and had both been there for nearly three months. Their strength was formidable, and both stood at the peak of Sinking Force.

The two walked to the center of the training ground and assumed their stances, their gazes meeting.

Zhao Tiezhu attacked first. His left hand curled into a claw, seemingly lifted lightly, but the edge of his palm was taut and straight, force running through his fingertips as he thrust directly for Lei Zhengming's throat at the Tiantu acupoint.

His opening move was a killing technique, without the slightest flashy flourish.

Lei Zhengming neither retreated nor blocked head-on. In an instant, he twisted his waist and turned his hips, stepping into a sidelong roaming stride as his body shifted half an inch.

That difference of half an inch barely allowed him to evade the death line that would have pierced his throat.

At the same time, Lei Zhengming curled the fingers of his right hand together. Sinking Force burst from the heel of his palm as he pressed down on Zhao Tiezhu's forearm at the elbow joint, borrowing force to release force and completely draining Zhao Tiezhu's fierce power into empty air.

At the same time, Lei Zhengming turned his hand into a claw and instantly locked onto Zhao Tiezhu's throat.

Cold sweat broke out over Zhao Tiezhu's head at once. "Senior Brother Zhengming, I have lost."

Lei Zhengming withdrew his hand at the right moment, smugness showing in his eyes. "Junior Brother Zhao, you let me win."

Lu Li watched clearly from the side. Lei Zhengming's Bagua Fist was close to major accomplishment.

"Excellent! As for this disciple, Lei Zhengming, I, Chai Cloth Shop, am willing to provide three thousand coins in monthly patronage."

Shopkeeper Chai of Chai Cloth Shop was the first to applaud and praise him. The remaining merchants also clapped one after another, all nodding in approval.

When the outer-courtyard disciples below heard this, envy filled their eyes.

Lei Zhengming was a native of Blackwater City, and his family was fairly well-off. Perhaps he did not care much about this Protection Fee.

But for these disciples from poor families who had only recently entered the martial hall, the greatest obstacle to learning martial arts was not merely the difficulty of Gate-Breaking.

The immense expense of martial training was equally as difficult as climbing to the heavens for them. How could their families possibly sustain the monthly costs of medicinal food on their own?

Fervor shone in many disciples' eyes, and some were already itching to make a move.

Those whose strength had yet to measure up secretly made up their minds. They would train their fist techniques bitterly, then stand in the arena, defeat their fellow disciples, and win their master's praise and the favor of the wealthy households.

They risked their lives learning martial arts precisely to change their fate and rise above the crowd, did they not?

Shen Gangfu also nodded lightly from the platform.

Lu Li was considering whether he should reveal a portion of his strength this time. This was a good opportunity.

Just then, Lei Zhengming walked toward him.

"Junior Brother Lu, I heard you have already accepted a Protection Notice? Your fist techniques must be quite good. Shall we trade a few moves?"