Chapter 565: Wenda Sect

In recent years, Taiyuan Prefecture has been free of bandits outside its walls and hidden worries within. Coupled with the Sanhe Gang’s continuous expansion of waterways, commerce has flourished. The people live and work in peace, with no shortage of grain, and the city’s merchants even enjoy an annual surplus.

However, that didn’t mean they were wealthy.

Such was the way of the world.

The Noble Families controlled the lion’s share of the profits, leaving others to pick at the scraps from businesses they deemed beneath them.

Only those who, like the Zhu Mansion, had forged ties with the Zhou Family could hope to get a meager slice of the pie.

A year’s worth of tax silver was no small sum.

At the Martial Arts Hall Association.

The leaders of the various Martial Arts Halls were gathered, their faces grim and their eyes filled with worry.

“The tax silver is one thing,” one of them said. “Worse comes to worst, we can pool our resources and scrape by. We can always manage to pay.”

“But…”

Qu Qian, the master of the Gale Martial Arts Hall, spoke in a grim tone.

“Each Martial Arts Hall is required to dispatch ten Grade-Entering Martial Artists for conscription to leave the city for Demon Extermination. That’s asking far too much of us.”

“Indeed,” Master Ma, nicknamed Divine Fist Iron Spear, nodded in agreement.

“Taiyuan Prefecture is just a small place. In any of our Martial Arts Halls, a Grade-Entering Martial Artist is considered a Core Disciple.”

“Ten of them…”

“Setting aside whether we can even gather that many, even if we could, the Core True Inheritance of our halls would be wiped out. Besides, with the current situation, leaving the city for Demon Extermination is a suicide mission. Who would be willing to go?”

His words drew a chorus of agreement from the other Martial Arts Hall masters.

“That’s right!”

“Exactly, exactly!”

“…”

“We could pay with silver taels instead, but it’s ten thousand taels per person. That’s outrageous!”

Someone else added,

“Ten thousand taels? My life isn’t even worth that much!”

Amid the uproar, Zhangg Yi, the Association Leader and master of the Famous Sword Martial Arts Hall, rose to his feet and pressed his hands downward in a calming gesture.

“This is an order from the Mansion Master, not the Court. If we stand together, we may be able to defy it.”

“The Martial Arts Hall Association has thousands of apprentices and numerous Grade-Entering Martial Artists. Many of you masters are Seventh-Grade Experts. Even the Mansion Master has to show us some respect.”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly!”

“…”

The assembled Martial Arts Hall masters nodded one after another.

They knew full well why they had gathered. The association had been founded precisely to unite their strength and resist exploitation.

In years past,

the Martial Arts Hall Association’s tax silver was considerably lower than that of ordinary merchants, precisely because the Mansion Master didn’t dare to push them too far.

A single Martial Arts Hall was insignificant, but dozens of them united were a force on par with the Zhou and Nie families.

“BOOM!”

Just as the masters were in heated discussion, a loud bang erupted from outside, immediately followed by the sound of urgent footsteps.

“Gentlemen.”

A man dressed in the uniform of the Thousand Bull Guard strode in.

He wore a Mountain Crown and an indigo long-robe embroidered with beasts, its edges interwoven with gold and silver threads. He radiated an air of majesty and nobility, his expression calm as he faced the assembly of Martial Arts Hall masters.

More than ten people followed him, the vast majority wearing the same uniform.

Only three of them stood out.

“What a coincidence!”

“Since you’re all here, it saves me the trouble of running around to each of your halls.”

Hek Minglong of the Taiyuan Prefecture Thousand Bull Guard, a trusted confidant of Mansion Master Yann Ji, cupped his fist in a salute to the crowd.

“I presume you’re all aware of the Mansion Master’s order. Now, hand over the conscription lists.”

“Master Zhangg, why don’t you start?” he asked.

“Brother Hek,” Zhangg Yi said, his brow furrowed.

“The Mansion Master’s demands are too harsh this time. Is there any way to relax the requirements?”

“What do you mean by that, Master Zhangg?” Hek Minglong’s face darkened as he barked,

“When Demons bring chaos, every man has a duty to act! As subjects of the Divine Dynasty, living under its protection, it is your duty to step forward and slay the Demons!”

“Could it be…”

“…that you are unwilling?”

“It is not a matter of willingness, but of feasibility,” Zhangg Yi said through gritted teeth.

“Brother Hek, you know as well as I do that some of our halls are already struggling to survive. They simply cannot muster ten Grade-Entering Martial Artists.”

“And they certainly can’t afford to pay in silver taels instead.”

‘Unless he was forced into a corner, he had no desire to clash with the City Lord’s Mansion. It would be best if both sides could compromise.’

“That’s your problem,” Hek Minglong snorted, showing no signs of backing down.

“I see a hall full of experts here. It should be more than easy to gather the required men. Or are you all simply unwilling to serve the Divine Dynasty?”

“BANG!”

Qu Qian, master of the Gale Martial Arts Hall, slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, glaring furiously.

“Hek Minglong, don’t you abuse your power to bully us! Do you really think we’re afraid of you?”

CLATTER!

The Martial Arts Hall masters rose as one, their Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Qi Blood auras merging into a single, overwhelming pressure that descended like a mountain range.

There were even two Sixth-Grade auras mixed in, causing Hek Minglong’s expression to change drastically.

Martial Arts Halls didn’t just teach Martial Arts; their members also took on missions like escorting caravans, hunting Demons, and killing bandits.

How could a group of men who had waded through pools of blood be weak-willed?

“And what is this?”

At that moment, one of the three people behind Hek Minglong stepped forward, his cold eyes sweeping across the hall.

“Are you rebelling?”

He was young, perhaps around twenty, with handsome features and a cold, arrogant air.

‘At first, I thought he was Hek Minglong’s junior, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,’ Zhangg Yi thought.

Though young, he possessed a unique presence. As the Longsword at his waist hummed softly, the chaotic, violent auras in the hall were single-handedly suppressed by his alone.

Upper Sixth Grade!

Zhangg Yi’s eyes narrowed.

“And you are…?”

“Fang Zhuo of the Wenda Sect.” The young man cupped his fist and offered a salute toward the heavens.

“The Divine Dynasty has issued a decree: with the chaos in the East Sea now apparent, all sects are to dispatch disciples to aid in the Demon Extermination. As for those who would truly rebel…”

“We are here under our elders’ orders to ‘assist.'”

“Hmph!”

“No wonder this region of the East Sea is plagued by Demons. With incompetents like you in charge, how could the Demons *not* thrive?”

“You brat!” roared Divine Fist Iron Spear Ma.

“Stop spouting that dogshit!”

“Insolent!” Fang Zhuo’s face fell. In a flash, he appeared before Master Ma.

PFFT!

The Sword Light flashed once, and a thin red line appeared on Master Ma’s throat.

Inconspicuous at first, the line split open a moment later, spraying blood as Master Ma collapsed to the floor.

At the slightest provocation,

he had killed a man!

“Father!”

Behind the fallen man, a young man’s face contorted in grief. “You killed my father!” he cried, lunging forward.

“I did,” Fang Zhuo said, his eyes narrowing.

“Do you want revenge?”

The young man froze, his face a mask of conflict. But before he could speak, a sword pierced his heart.

“The intent to kill was in your heart. I couldn’t let you live.”

“Alas,” the woman among the three from the Wenda Sect sighed, shaking her head.

“Junior Brother Fang’s Blood Remnant Sword is indeed powerful, but it affects his temperament too much. He really must be more careful.”

“Indeed,” the other man agreed with a nod.

“But it’s no matter. They’re just ordinary people.”

As the two of them spoke, Fang Zhuo’s wanton slaughter ignited the fury of the Martial Arts Hall masters.

“Master Ma!”

“Brother!”

“He’s gone too far! Let’s get him!”

“All of you, attack!”

“…”

“SWISH!”

“PFFT! PFFT!”

The Sword Light bloomed like a blood-red lotus in the crowd, severed limbs flying with every flicker of the blade.

In a matter of moments, the floor of the great hall was slick with blood.

Fang Zhuo stood in the center of the room, blood-soaked sword in hand, and swept his cold gaze over the survivors. The remaining masters from the martial arts halls all scrambled backward in terror.

Any of the hall masters or indignant apprentices who had made a move just moments ago had been cut down without exception.

With every thrust of his sword,

a life was taken.

It mattered not if they were Eighth Grade or Seventh Grade.

Even Zhangg Yi, the Association Leader with his Sixth-Grade Cultivation, felt a chill creep down his spine as he witnessed the carnage.

‘We are both Sixth Grade,’

‘but I fear I wouldn’t last more than a few exchanges against him.’

“The Wenda Sect…”

His cheek twitched as he gritted his teeth, slowly lowering his head.

“As expected of a Sect Disciple. We are outmatched. We will obey your orders.”