Chapter 549 - 267: The Center of Attention! All Factions on the Move

Chapter 549: Chapter 267: The Center of Attention! All Factions on the Move

Outsiders who didn’t know the full story might think Xiong Lie was some terrifying figure to have fought a drawn-out battle with Chen Sheng.

But anyone with inside knowledge knew the real reason, didn’t they?

Back when Chen Sheng had first arrived at the Jingwu Bureau and was just starting to make a name for himself, Xiong Lie was ordered to challenge him. He’d managed to force Chen Sheng to ’avoid’ the fight for several days. When they finally clashed, Xiong Lie was soundly defeated.

At the time, Xiong Lie had been ashamed of this and vowed to get his revenge.

However, as Chen Sheng’s power grew faster and faster, crushing one young hero after another, Xiong Lie stopped seeing it as a disgrace. In fact, he began to see it as a point of pride.

After all, looking at the entire younger generation of Ning’an Prefecture...

Who else could exchange over a hundred moves with Chen Sheng?

You have to understand, the Chen Sheng of today was the undisputed hegemon of Ning’an. Even the Sect Leader of their Iron Sword Sect had to bow and scrape before him. As such, Xiong Lie had long since accepted reality.

Instead, he felt immense pride in his past battle with Chen Sheng.

"Xiong, be serious,"

Wang Zhaoning said with a light cough.

"And am I not being serious? Or are you saying, Wang, that you think Chen Sheng will lose?"

Xiong Lie turned his head, his gaze on Wang Zhaoning tinged with meaning.

Wang Zhaoning was suddenly at a loss for words.

’What else could he say? Chen Sheng was the hegemon of Ning’an, an existence that even the Wang Family had to curry favor with. He didn’t dare offend the man. Even if he truly believed Chen Sheng would lose, he wouldn’t dare say it out loud. If word got out, it could lead to disaster. Someone of his standing, in particular, had to be careful with his words and actions.’

In contrast, others didn’t need to be so cautious.

The gap in status was too vast; even if they did speak ill of Chen Sheng, he probably wouldn’t care.

.....

"It seems the people of Ning’an Prefecture have been scared witless by Chen Sheng."

On the third floor, Wei Jing, a True Inheritor of the Vast Sea Sect, couldn’t help but frown as he listened to the discussion below.

Previously, he’d had no strong feelings about Chen Sheng one way or the other and hadn’t paid him any mind. But ever since being humiliated at the Nie Family’s residence, he had firmly committed Chen Sheng to memory.

’He was determined to fight Chen Sheng.’

’He wanted to show Nie Lingshan that he, Wei Jing, was far superior to Chen Sheng!’

Therefore, when the sect’s decree was issued, Wei Jing had been the first to volunteer for the mission.

After all, at the time, Chen Sheng was only ranked in the eighties on the Dragon and Tiger List, while he was in the sixties. No matter how you looked at it, his odds of winning were higher.

However, after Wei Jing set out, he heard the news that Chen Sheng had already reached fifty-second on the Dragon and Tiger List, which plunged him into a deep silence.

"It’s normal. Perfectly normal."

Beside Wei Jing, Li Chengyin, who was dressed in a Daoist Robe, spoke in a calm tone:

"These so-called Ning’an Ten Heroes have all been crushed by Chen Sheng, so it’s only natural they hold him in awe. However, once Chen Sheng is defeated, today’s reverence will naturally transform."

"It seems you’re quite confident about defeating Chen Sheng, Li,"

Wei Jing chuckled.

"I wouldn’t say I’m completely confident. For Chen Sheng to rise so quickly on the Dragon and Tiger List, he must have some extraordinary qualities. Underestimating him would surely lead to a loss."

Li Chengyin offered a few humble words before his tone abruptly shifted.

"However, respect is one thing, but I have my own reasons to be confident."

As a top True Inheritor from Dragon Tiger Mountain, a prodigy ranked thirty-ninth on the Dragon and Tiger List, he naturally carried himself with a certain degree of arrogance.

"If that’s the case, then why don’t you step forward, Li? Why let that Yikong be the first to issue a challenge? If he defeats Chen Sheng, Celestial Dragon Temple might regain its honor, but Dragon Tiger Mountain won’t necessarily benefit,"

Wei Jing said with a thoughtful smile.

"Simple."

Li Chengyin tilted his head back.

"When the time comes, I’ll just defeat Yikong!"

Li Chengyin had several plans in mind for this trip.

If Yikong defeated Chen Sheng, he would then defeat Yikong, using him as a stepping stone to restore his sect’s prestige.

If Yikong lost to Chen Sheng, he would follow up immediately, taking advantage of Chen Sheng’s exhaustion to catch him off guard.

No matter how he calculated it, the advantage was his.

"Since you put it that way, Li, aren’t you afraid that I might also take the opportunity to challenge you then?"

Wei Jing raised an eyebrow.

Li Chengyin glanced at him and chuckled but said nothing more, simply taking a light sip of his Spirit Tea.

But Wei Jing’s expression darkened, turning ugly.

’He could see the disdain in the other man’s eyes.’

’That chuckle was clearly mocking him for overestimating his own abilities.’

Anger flared within Wei Jing for a moment, but he quickly suppressed it.

’He was only ranked sixty-ninth on the Dragon and Tiger List, far below Li Chengyin. If they fought, his chances of winning were less than ten percent. If they really fought, he would most likely just embarrass himself.’

.....

「Inside the Jingwu Bureau.」

At this moment, several of the top leaders in Ning’an’s officialdom were gathered together.

They were discussing how to deal with the current situation.

If anyone else had dared to ignore the Government Office and preach their scriptures right outside the Jingwu Bureau’s gates, they would never have tolerated it.

The problem was, the person in question was a True Inheritor and prodigy from Celestial Dragon Temple, someone of no small status.

Moreover, he wasn’t blocking the gate, merely preaching on the street. Without a proper reason, it was difficult to just drive him away.

But not driving him away was a blow to the Government Office’s prestige.

Ever since Chen Sheng had trampled Golden Spring Mountain and washed Qingfeng Temple in blood, the Ning’an Government Office had reached an unprecedented peak of authority. All the various Jianghu influences had been obediently following the government’s lead.

Now, at the height of their power, how could they tolerate being trampled upon again?

"Old Nie, why the hell won’t you go fight that Yikong? I refuse to believe that a junior like him can be that strong!" General Ning’an, Li Qianzhou, voiced his dissatisfaction.

"Why don’t you go?"

Nie Xuanfeng shot him a glance.

"If I were in the late stage of Profound Mastery, I wouldn’t back down!"

Li Qianzhou said bluntly.

’If there were any chance of victory, he wouldn’t tolerate this provocation against the Government Office.’

"That monk possesses the Nine-orifice Buddha Body and his strength is extraordinary. Even Chu Kuangfeng lost to him. I am not confident. Besides, it’s not like you don’t know. Celestial Dragon Temple, the Vast Sea Sect, and Dragon Tiger Mountain are all here for Chen Sheng. They intend to avenge Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple. The higher-ups have already tacitly approved, letting the younger generation handle it. What would it look like if I got involved?"

Nie Xuanfeng couldn’t help but explain.

Although the State Government Office had managed to fend off the pressure from Celestial Dragon Temple and Dragon Tiger Mountain, they couldn’t outright refuse a spar between the younger generation. They had to give the other side some face.

Right now, the higher-ups had given their tacit approval. If he were to act... winning would be one thing. But if he lost, he’d get no credit for his efforts, not even for trying.

In fact, he suspected that Commander Chu probably wanted to use the young masters from Yunzhou to sharpen Chen Sheng. After all, the Martial Examination was approaching, and the better Chen Sheng performed... the more glory he would bring to Yunzhou.

But Li Qianzhou didn’t understand all this. He just frowned and said:

"Chu Kuangfeng is only at mid-stage Profound Mastery. He lost, so what? Are you scared now?"

"Who said Chu Kuangfeng is at mid-stage Profound Mastery?"

Nie Xuanfeng said lightly.

"He broke through to the late stage of Profound Mastery ten days ago. Even though he had just entered the stage, he was still a late-stage Profound Mastery expert. To be defeated by Yikong in just three moves... even I am far from capable of that."

Although he was stronger than Chu Kuangfeng, he wasn’t confident he could seriously injure him in just a few moves.

After all, it wasn’t easy to determine a winner between experts at the same level.

This was true even for someone who had just reached the late stage.

"What? Chu Kuangfeng is at late-stage Profound Mastery?"

The look in Li Qianzhou’s eyes changed.

"This Yikong’s strength is that terrifying? Defeating an opponent of the same realm in three moves? Doesn’t this mean that even when Chen Sheng returns, his chances of winning aren’t high?"

Although Chen Sheng had once slain a late-stage Profound Mastery expert, the circumstances had been incredibly difficult. At least, in their view, it would be very hard for Chen Sheng to defeat a late-stage Profound Mastery expert in just three moves.

"I suspect Yikong might have been holding back,"

Nie Xuanfeng said grimly.

His voice carried a heavy weight.

"This..."

Li Qianzhou was suddenly overcome with hesitation.

Even though he believed in Chen Sheng, at this moment, his confidence couldn’t help but waver.

A sliver of worry began to sprout within him.

Lord Xie Jingze suddenly spoke up:

"Where is Chen Sheng now? Has he been notified?"

Nie Xuanfeng nodded.

"We’ve already sent word. Chen Sheng has likely made his preparations. Also, based on our time estimates, he should reach the Ning’an Prefecture in about half a day."

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