Chapter 57: The News Spreads, Causing an Uproar: Just Who Is the Holy Figure Behind Ji Xiu?
Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The News Spreads, Causing an Uproar: Just Who Is the Holy Figure Behind Ji Xiu?
With her pretty face set in a tense expression, Lu Hongyu clenched her jaw and whipped her horse, galloping straight to the gates of the Tiger and Leopard Hall.
The sun was setting. The woman in red recalled the words of Hong River, who had rushed back from the Duan Residence. As she looked at the headquarters of one of the Three Great Gangs, worry filled her eyes.
Her own brother had paid five hundred Silver to that mysterious Armless Martial Artist to learn a Secret Inheritance called ’Cast Silver Bone’—a massive bargain.
From him, Lu Hongyu knew that Ji Xiu’s Master was a man of true skill.
But even if he had reached the second step of Skin Refining, Outer Gang, in his prime, someone in the Power Barrier Realm was, at the end of the day, still made of mortal flesh.
Three years for tendons, ten for bones, and a lifetime for skin—all of it rested upon the flesh supported by a skeleton.
Losing an arm meant losing at least thirty percent of his skill!
Even a top expert in Skin Refining who had mastered all three steps—Jade Skin, Outer Gang, and Immortal Robe—and donned the Water and Fire Immune Immortal Robe would struggle to exert much of their strength after suffering a physical injury.
Based on Lu Yu’s description of Duan Chenzhou.
Lu Hongyu had already formed a picture in her mind: an out-of-town Martial Artist, proud and powerful in his youth, who had suffered injuries and a decline in his Qi and Blood. He was unwilling to let his lifetime of Ultimate Skills and Martial Arts be buried with him.
So, he settled in this remote County, living alone in a small courtyard, looking for a fated successor. He set up a test to pass on his legacy.
It was just that her brother wasn’t fortunate enough to be acknowledged.
So, after several years of trying, he was still an outsider.
Instead, it was Ji Xiu, with his good fortune and high talent, who caught the eye of this despondent master and was taught all his skills.
Otherwise, there was no explaining how he could have the foundational makings of ’Golden Muscle and Jade Veins’ today.
’Please don’t act on impulse...’
Lu Hongyu presented a formal visitation card from the Wind and Cloud Association and waited outside, praying silently.
’For a Martial Artist like him, his life’s greatest concern should be his lineage and legacy.’
’He’s lost all hope for himself, so he’s poured all his bets and efforts into his disciple.’
’And Ji Xiu is so outstanding—a prodigy with the potential to break through a Great Limit. That’s a rare sight in the five-hundred-li radius of Anning County.’
Breaking through the Shackles of the Bone Marrow Refining Realm and fully mastering the Bone Marrow Refining Realm are two completely different concepts.
The former is the First Realm of the orthodox Human Immortal Martial Dao. Even if times change, the world transforms, and the Great Xuan is no more, as long as the concept of a Martial Artist exists, such an achievement will never fade.
The latter, however, is merely the starting point for countless Martial Artists within the Three Gates and Nine Realms of the Great Xuan. The two cannot be compared.
’It’s said that a master will appear if his disciple is in peril. For a Master, having someone try to poach his disciple is the ultimate humiliation.’
Lu Hongyu was afraid this unknown expert would, in a fit of rage, cause a bloodbath before ultimately falling inside the Tiger and Leopard Hall.
’Although my father’s spirit was broken by Yang Daohan in three moves, leaving him shrouded in an air of decline, why didn’t Yang Daohan dare to make a final move? And on that contract, why did he only dare to demand half of our shops?’
’It’s because Anning County ultimately has rules, and watching over it is a County Magistrate from Jiangyin Prefecture.’
Martial Artists are strong, to be sure.
But if they can’t refine the Immortal Robe, they can’t stand against true Armored County Soldiers wielding Divine Arm Crossbows.
And the four Instructors, ’Fist, Spear, Saber, and Sword’, not only preside over the great Boxing Halls and Martial Arts Halls of the Inner Street, but are also in charge of defending Anning County, have the authority to deploy County Soldiers, and all have intricate connections to the Prefecture City.
For example, the Divine Fist Sect and the Whale-Slaying Saber.
It was said that after completing their training under these sects, the talented ones are introduced through connections to the various major professions in Jiangyin Prefecture to serve the true Noble Clans and seek the future of their Martial Dao.
This world ultimately belongs to the Great Xuan. The Three Major Professions pay no small amount of tribute to Anning County and taxes to Jiangyin Prefecture. Year after year, it adds up to mountains of pure, white Silver.
’Even if I, a lone woman, barge into the Tiger and Leopard Hall in full public view... that Dragon Head won’t do anything to me.’
’Ji Xiu is a Hall Master of the Wind and Cloud Association. After he was freed from the Slave Registry, he was a man of our Fire Kiln Lu Manor.’
’If someone could just "invite" him away with a single word, and no one from the top three seats of either the Fire Kiln or the greater Wind and Cloud Association shows their face... then morale would crumble.’
’And we obviously can’t let that precedent be set.’
’The representative of that Grandmaster from the Wind and Cloud Association hasn’t even arrived yet!’
’If we show weakness now, we can forget about making a name for ourselves in Anning County.’
’Father won’t take charge, so I’ll come in his stead and take charge myself!’
Soon, someone from the Tiger and Leopard Hall came to welcome Lu Hongyu inside.
And just as she took a deep breath, steeling herself internally, prepared to be given a hard time but determined to stand up for Ji Xiu by using the reputation of the Wind and Cloud Association and the rules of the County to pressure the Tiger and Leopard Hall, she had just begun to speak:
"Where are Ji Xiu and his Master?"
"He is, after all, a member of my Wind and Cloud Association. My father’s skills were inferior, but the representative of our Master from Jiangyin Prefecture will be arriving in Anning any day now."
"What happened before can be considered mere friction."
"But to abduct an important figure from our Wind and Cloud Association... after my father heard of this, he was prepared to go to the County Yamen, even while injured, to ask the County Magistrate to intervene..."
That arrogant and domineering Tomb Tiger’s legitimate son, the Young Head of the Tiger and Leopard Hall, Yang Yan, who had previously been eyeing her with ill intent, now wore a constipated expression upon seeing her. He tried to rush her out before she even finished speaking:
"What rotten luck!"
"Why are you here again?"
"Those two left ages ago! We, the Tiger and Leopard Hall, won’t fight you for the Fire Kiln’s territory anymore!"
"Go on, get out of here! Shoo, shoo!"
He took out the other contract that had been drafted, tore it in half with a RIIIP, and waved his hands dismissively.
Even though Lu Hongyu looked stunning in her red dress today, he forcefully suppressed any thoughts and averted his gaze to keep his mind calm.
’Are you kidding me?’
’Zhang Liechen of Lion Hall, the man known as the ’Mad Lion’ and my old man’s sworn fifth brother, lost an ear in the span of a single breath.’
’My old man!’
’The guy just stood up, flexed his frame, glared, and scared him so bad that blood seeped from his pores! It took him ages to recover.’
’How the hell are we supposed to pressure him? How can we even compete with someone like that?’
’Just get her out of here!’
This left Lu Hongyu completely dumbfounded, the words she was about to say caught in her throat.
She was escorted right out of the Tiger and Leopard Hall, still not understanding what had happened.
Not until she heard some hushed whispers from the outer courtyard:
"That monster just now beat the Dragon Head until he coughed up blood, and as if that wasn’t enough, this young miss from Fire Kiln shows up to kick him while he’s down..."
"Looks like she’s got powerful backing. No wonder the Young Head is acting weak. He has no choice..."
’Monster? Coughing up blood?’
She froze, then listened for another moment.
Finally, the meaning sunk in. As she processed it, her beautiful eyes widened in shock.
"Ji Xiu’s ’Mysterious Master’, the Armless Martial Artist who taught Xiaoyu..."
"He... he beat Yang Daohan, an Outer Gang Realm expert, until he coughed up blood, and then just strolled away with Ji Xiu?!"
Lu Hongyu led her horse away, looking back every few steps.
She paused at the entrance of the Tiger and Leopard Hall, still in disbelief.
But just then!
NEIGH!
The sound of thundering hooves rang out!
"Miss Lu!"
Wei Zhi, astride a brown, yellow-maned horse, with her heroic brows and slender waist, saw Lu Hongyu standing alone and immediately reined in, her gaze fixed on the Tiger and Leopard Hall:
"My father heard that Master Ji was forcefully abducted by the Tiger and Leopard Hall. He was furious and made a special trip to invite Master Liao of the ’Whale-Slaying Saber’, one of the four ’Fist, Spear, Saber, and Sword’ Instructors!"
"Don’t you worry. There’s no need to hesitate."
"Master Liao achieved the Outer Gang Realm back in Jiangyin Prefecture. Decades of cultivation aren’t something the likes of Yang Daohan can compare to."
"Yang Daohan’s Three Great Gangs may be powerful, but our Wind and Cloud Association’s three families are united as one. We are not much weaker. Today..."
"We will definitely bring Master Ji back!"
The words had barely fallen.
WHOOSH!
An old man behind her with unbound hair, powerful arms, a tiger’s back, and dragon’s sinews heard her words. He drew a War Body Saber over ten feet long from his back and let out a hearty laugh:
"That’s right!"
"I heard from Wei Dinchang that Little Ji Hall Master joined a Sword Sect at sixteen, has already formed the beginnings of ’Golden Muscle and Jade Veins’, and has the potential to reach the first Great Limit. He’s truly prime material!"
"No wonder this old man couldn’t sleep a wink last night, my right eyelid twitching all through the night. I was wondering what good fortune was coming my way, and now I see it’s a ’Dream Disciple’!"
"With such Innate Talent, he’s destined to be the face of my Whale-Slaying Saber! How could I let someone forcefully poach him!"
With a BANG, the old man swung the War Body Saber and slammed it against his own steel-like arm. Gang Qi erupted from his body, roaring like a dragon and a tiger.
"Yang Daohan!"
"Give this Instructor his ’Dream Disciple’ back!!"
The thunderous roar made the very threshold of the Tiger and Leopard Hall tremble.
Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard.
Yang Daohan, who had just barely calmed down, was tremblingly holding a bowl of medicinal soup, not yet having taken a sip... when the thunderous roar startled him so badly he lost his grip. The bowl fell with a CLANG and shattered to pieces.
He silently lowered his head, staring at the brown medicine pooling on the floor, veins bulging on his forehead.
’Dream Disciple?’
’Fuck you!’
’Go fucking fight Duan Chenzhou for him! What’s the goddamn point of coming after me?!’
’One after another, it never ends! You all getting addicted to bullying me, is that it?’
’Believe it or not, I’ll go berserk on all of you!’
...
「Outside the Tiger and Leopard Hall.」
Looking at Master Liao’s brutish energy, and then at the Disciples behind him in their white martial uniforms with black belts, each embroidered with the image of a long saber, the great stone in Lu Hongyu’s heart slowly lifted.
She hesitated.
Then, she couldn’t help but speak up, slowly revealing the news that Ji Xiu and his master had already left.
And upon hearing that Ji Xiu already had a master...
...the smile on Master Liao’s face, who was shouldering his War Body Saber, slowly froze.
"He already... has a master?"
His bronze, muscle-corded skin visibly flushed crimson, like an enraged lion about to erupt.
"Who dares to steal a disciple from this old man?!"
...
「Day turned to night, the sunset faded.」
Rubbing his hands together, the moment Ji Xiu returned to the Duan Residence, he recalled his experience at the Tiger and Leopard Hall. Having witnessed Duan Chenzhou’s methods, he couldn’t hide his excitement.
"Master Duan, how about..."
"We don’t wait until tomorrow?"
He chuckled, then began to boast, trying to build up his case:
"Look! Golden Muscle and Jade Veins, the real deal!"
In the dim twilight, a layer of Glazed Golden Radiance emerged from Ji Xiu’s skin, giving him a Treasure Appearance of solemn dignity. He had clearly reached the Perfection of Tendons and Ligaments.
"You said that the so-called ’Hundred Days Foundation Establishment’ of those Great Clans is nothing more than reaching the Perfection of Tendons and Ligaments."
"But for me..."
"How long did it take me to break the Shackles of ’Golden Muscle and Jade Veins’? Less than two months!"
"I’m a one-in-a-million genius! This disciple isn’t pretending anymore, I’m laying my cards on the table!"
"Whatever good stuff you’ve got, just hand it over!"
Duan Chenzhou looked at Ji Xiu’s eager, monkey-like impatience.
He chuckled softly.
"Heh."
"You little rascal..."
He shook his head slightly, then turned and went inside the residence, emerging with a Glazed Album that was like a Jade Scroll Book.
The title read: *Mortal Transformation: Soaring Dragon Gate*!
At the same time, a strange look appeared in his eyes.
"This technique, logically speaking, should be the best Bone Tempering Skill. Your Ancestral Master... acquired it through some underhanded means."
"However..."
"Back then, I was still young and got... screwed over by your Ancestral Master. In short, I didn’t dare to cultivate it."
"But as for whether you dare to..."
"...I have no idea."