In 1981, on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, heavy snow fell.
Early that morning, amid the crackle of firecrackers in Cangzhou, someone suddenly called out at the top of their lungs in the front courtyard of the Baji Sect's training hall,
"Ao Fei of the Flower Fist Sect, here by invitation!"
The Baji Sect disciples who had been busy tidying the courtyard all looked up at the announcement.
This was the sect leader of the Flower Fist Sect. But before they could recover, another announcement rang out,
"Li Shan of the Yanqing Sect, here by invitation!"
"Wei Boyuan of Great Sage Fist, here by invitation!"
"Wei Bozhao of the Pigua Sect, here by invitation!"
"Bai Long of the Eagle Claw Sect, here by invitation!"
Four calls in succession left the invited martial artists exchanging glances. These arrivals were all either sect leaders or deputy sect leaders. Only the man from the Eagle Claw Sect was someone they had never heard of.
The announcers were two young Baji Sect disciples in new clothes. After shouting five names in succession, neither was red in the face or short of breath. Their foundations were remarkably solid.
"Bai Long? I've never heard of anyone by that name in Cangzhou's martial circles."
None of the others had made such a grand entrance as these five groups. They had come in amiably, cupped their hands in greeting, and taken their seats without putting on airs. These five alone led crowds of disciples, swaggering in and sizing people up through narrowed eyes.
Wu Jiu was welcoming guests alongside his senior martial brother and junior martial sister. Seeing these men arrive together, he knew Lian Youming would face a brutal, bloody battle today, and his expression darkened.
Yet before Wu Jiu could make anything of