A Challenge Issued, a Life-and-Death Writ!

A deadly presence rushed toward him, its killing intent utterly undisguised.

He understood that the owner of this palm meant to take his life-and that owner was his own grandson!

Zhang Yong felt chilled in body and soul, a flicker of sorrow and self-mockery crossing his eyes.

When he saw Lin Bei tacitly permit Zhang Teng to fight him, he had secretly rejoiced.

His original plan had been to cripple his own grandson, beat him into a mindless wreck, and hand him over to the lineage, to the Nanyang Zhou Clan.

He had hoped that the Nanyang Zhou Clan might spare his grandson's life once they saw that his mind was already gone...

Now, not only had his scheme fallen through, but he was about to die beneath his own grandson's palm.

He grieved that there was no familial affection left between grandfather and grandson, that his own grandson wanted to kill him!

He mocked his own cowardice, his failure to stand up for his grandson, and the fact that he deserved this for helping a tyrant do evil.

Yet he also felt some release.

The supposed greater good of the lineage had long since weighed on him until he could barely breathe, driving him to do many things that violated his beliefs.

He had considered abandoning that greater good, but he could not let go! His children had all sacrificed themselves for the lineage. He had to guard it, even if... it was riddled with wounds.

But then.

The fatal blow he had expected never fell.

Zhang Teng's palm stopped before his face.

In a daze, he raised his head.

He saw tears streaming down Zhang Teng's face.

Yet... it was not because Zhang Teng had softened. Lin Bei had reached out and caught Zhang Teng's palm with one hand.

"Master..."

Tears filled Zhang Teng's eyes, and his gaze held confusion and bewilderment as he looked at Lin Bei.

"If you kill him, will your mind truly be at peace?" Lin Bei asked.

"I... should kill him!" Zhang Teng glared at Zhang Yong through gritted teeth. "He didn't hold back during our fight, so neither should I. That is how you show respect to a martial artist."

"Enough," Lin Bei said calmly. "Wipe away your tears. I can see your resolve, but your tears cannot lie."

With that, Lin Bei patted Zhang Teng's shoulder.

"Killing him will not bring peace to your mind. It will only coat your Dao heart in dust."

"They are not worthy of sullying your Dao heart," Lin Bei said earnestly.

At last, Zhang Teng wiped away his tears.

"Master... what should I do?"

Confusion...

Uncertainty.

He did not know what to do.

Lin Bei watched Zhang Teng quietly, then turned his back to him and raised his face toward the sky.

"The road of cultivation stretches far, long and distant indeed. In this world, there are always countless shackles, countless difficulties, countless trials."

"To resolve them, you must see the true nature of things."

"As the saying goes, turn the complex into the simple... the essence of all things is always simple."

"Once you can see through to that essence, break whatever shackles bind you, overcome whatever difficulties face you, and use whatever trials you encounter to hone your blade even sharper!"

Zhang Teng listened quietly, some of the bewilderment seemingly fading from his eyes.

"Teng'er, tell me. What made you suffer?"

"The Zhang Household!" Zhang Teng said through gritted teeth. "The Zhang Household destroyed my dantian, extinguished my family bonds, and denied my mind peace!"

"What will you do?"

"Smash it!"

"What are the shackles binding the Zhang Household?" Lin Bei asked again.

"The Nanyang Zhou Clan!" Zhang Teng gritted his teeth.

"What will you do?"

"Smash them!"

Lin Bei smiled faintly.

"And what is the root cause of all this?"

"It is because I am too weak!" Zhang Teng said firmly.

"What will you do?"

"Keep cultivating and surpass myself!"

Lin Bei turned around and nodded approvingly, then took Zhang Teng's hand.

"Use your fists to break the Zhang Household's shackles and shatter the Zhou Clan's arrogance. Since they refuse to listen to reason, use your fists to reason with them!"

"I understand, Master!" Zhang Teng's face shone with excitement, his blood boiling.

Seeing Zhang Teng looking as though he had been pumped full of stimulants, Lin Bei felt quite pleased.

Zhang Teng had certainly drained that bowl of motivational soup in one gulp!

Now the boy would surely work even harder at his cultivation.

Yet just then.

Zhang Teng hurried to the stone table in the Martial Arts Grounds, picked up the brush and paper on it, and began writing in bold, sweeping strokes, like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing.

Before long.

He tossed a sheet of paper straight to Zhang Yong.

"Zhang Yong! Take Zhang Xiaoxiao back with you. Tell the Zhang Household that in ten days, I will pay them a visit!"

"This is my challenge!"

"Don't even think about hiding it. I will send the challenge to the Central Hall and have them serve as impartial witnesses!"

With that, he looked at Lin Bei with utter sincerity.

His expression seemed to ask...

Master, did I do the right thing?

*???*

Lin Bei was dumbfounded!

What the hell?

His face was now full of question marks.

What challenge? All I did was feed Zhang Teng a little motivational soup to encourage him to cultivate diligently!

I really wasn't trying to stir up trouble!

Why does Zhang Teng's expression make it look as though I put him up to all of this?

Damn it, the boy took it the wrong way.

At that moment, Lin Bei felt like a mute forced to swallow bitter herbs, unable to voice his misery... it truly felt awful.

Still, there was one thing about Zhang Teng that gave him some comfort.

At least the boy knew to wait ten days and properly improve his strength.

"You... what are you trying to do? Have the Central Hall bear witness? Are you going to challenge the entire Zhang Household by yourself?"

A trace of astonishment appeared on Zhang Yong's face.

"That's right! Don't they want to capture me? Then I'll go to the Zhang Household and see who has what it takes!"

Zhang Teng snorted coldly. "Once I notify the Central Hall, they will send an impartial witness. When the time comes, even if someone from the Nanyang Zhou Clan is there, they cannot lay a hand on me!"

"So when you return, tell the Zhang Household not to count on help from the Nanyang Zhou Clan!"

"And tell those who want to capture me that this challenge will decide not only victory and defeat, but life and death! I will bring a Life-and-Death Writ!"

Zhang Yong sucked in a cold breath.

He understood now.

Zhang Teng was going to stake his life!

"You... aren't you afraid of the Nanyang Zhou Clan?" Zhang Yong's voice trembled slightly. "If you win and the Nanyang Zhou Clan feels threatened, they may send experts to eliminate you. If you lose, you will die at the Zhang Household."

"You may have beaten me, but you only barely won because of your talent for combat. You cannot defeat so many people from the Zhang Household!"

Zhang Teng gave him a cold look.

"Put away that laughable concern of yours. My mind is made up!"

Zhang Teng spoke with confidence.

"As for the Nanyang Zhou Clan you mentioned... spare yourself the worry. If I defeat the Zhang Household, I will immediately challenge the Nanyang Zhou Clan!"

"Under the rules, if I defeat the Zhang Household, I am entitled to a six-month recuperation period! During those six months, I can go to the Nanyang Zhou Clan at any time, but they can only act against me after the six months are up."

"This is an open stratagem! If, after six months, I still lack the ability to defeat the Nanyang Zhou Clan."

"Then I deserve to die!"

Zhang Teng's words were as decisive as severing nails and cutting iron, leaving Zhang Yong utterly dumbstruck...

"Xiao Liuzi, go bring Zhang Xiaoxiao out!"

"All right!"

Xiao Liuzi hurried to where Zhang Xiaoxiao was being held.

Soon, Zhang Xiaoxiao came out.

The moment she arrived at the Martial Arts Grounds and saw her grandfather lying on the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

She... was stunned!