Chapter 55

In just three days, the news that Su Xin would engage in a life-or-death battle with Meng Changhe's disciple had spread throughout Changning Prefecture.

If it were in the past, all the major gangs would have deemed Su Xin's death a certainty. However, things were different now. Su Xin had defeated Dong Chengwu in public, a seasoned mid-stage martial artist who had been at that level for several years. Although his strength was not exceptional, it did prove that Su Xin had the qualifications to face Li Zhonghe.

Now, the major gangs in Changning Prefecture had even opened betting pools on the outcome of the battle between Su Xin and Li Zhonghe. Li Zhonghe was at even odds, while Su Xin was at three to one. Most people favored Li Zhonghe.

Meng Changhe was responsible for teaching martial arts to the members of the Three Heroes Assembly. Whenever he discovered a talented member, he would immediately take them as a disciple. Therefore, in the Three Heroes Assembly, he had over a dozen direct disciples.

Among these disciples, the strongest was Li Zhonghe, who was said to have opened over ninety acupoints and had mastered all of Meng Changhe's martial arts.

When the three-day period was up, Su Xin emerged from his seclusion early and led his people to Changde Lane.

For this life-or-death battle, the Three Heroes Assembly had rented an entire street and built a platform over a hundred feet wide, with the surrounding areas reserved for other gangs.

When Su Xin and his group arrived, all the major gangs and associations of Changning Prefecture were already present.

The people from other gangs looked at Su Xin and Sha Feiying with a hint of amusement in their eyes. Although Su Xin was now considered part of the Eagle Gang, he and Sha Feiying were clearly separate, indicating a significant split within the gang.

At the front of the platform, over a dozen chairs were set up for the leaders of the three gangs and four associations. The middle chair was still empty, reserved for Tie Wuqing.

It was almost noon when Tie Wuqing finally arrived with a few of his subordinates.

"Hey, everyone's here pretty early," Tie Wuqing greeted, taking his seat.

Others secretly criticized him, thinking that in such a significant event, who else but the Chief Constable would dare to arrive just in time?

Meng Changhe, who had been impatient, said, "Since Lord Tie has arrived, let's start the battle."

"Wait a minute, there are still some things that need to be clarified," Tie Wuqing interrupted Meng Changhe with a wave of his hand.

"Lord Tie, are you going to back out?" Meng Changhe's face turned extremely ugly. He was afraid that Tie Wuqing would interfere at the last moment.

Tie Wuqing sneered, "I, Tie Wuqing, am a man of my word. However, it's better to clarify some things. Since Su Xin has agreed to the life-or-death battle with your disciple, this matter will be considered settled after the battle. If you continue to trouble Su Xin afterward, don't blame me for interfering."

"No problem, as long as he can survive!" Meng Changhe sneered. After the battle, would Su Xin even have a chance to survive? What would be the point of troubling a dead man?

"Alright, let's start the battle then."

As Tie Wuqing finished speaking, Li Zhonghe immediately stepped onto the center of the platform.

Li Zhonghe looked to be in his early thirties, tall and imposing.

In contrast, when Su Xin stepped onto the platform, he appeared somewhat frail. Just in terms of appearance, Su Xin was at a disadvantage.

Seeing this, the people below shook their heads. Those who had bet on Su Xin winning were especially regretful. It seemed that Su Xin had little chance of winning.

Some used Su Xin as a negative example to warn their disciples to be more cautious and to recognize who they could and could not provoke.

The atmosphere in the crowd was overwhelmingly pessimistic, with almost no one believing in Su Xin's chances. Even Huang Bingcheng and the others lacked confidence.

"Huang Bingcheng, what are the odds of the boss winning this time?" Huang Bingcheng nudged Li Huai and asked.

"I don't know, but I believe the boss will win."

Huang Bingcheng looked at Li Huai speechlessly. Since being convinced by Su Xin's teachings, Li Huai had become a die-hard fan, showing blind confidence.

Li Huai looked at Huang Bingcheng and read his thoughts, saying calmly, "You're not a martial artist, so you don't understand the boss's mindset. In a life-or-death battle, it's better to advance than to hesitate. Without the belief in victory, you've already lost half the battle. Even though I'm weak now, if I were to fight the head of the Eagle Gang, I would believe I could win."

Huang Bingcheng shook his head. He practiced internal energy only for health, and he had no interest in understanding the intricacies of martial arts battles.

On the platform, Li Zhonghe looked at Su Xin and shook his head slightly. He had no ill feelings towards Su Xin and even felt grateful.

In the past, with Meng Chong around, the final successor of the Three Heroes Assembly would definitely be Meng Chong, and he might have been the only leader.

Now that Meng Chong was dead, the young generation of the Three Heroes Assembly had a chance to rise, and they might even become the sole leader in the future.

However, Su Xin still had to die. By killing Su Xin, he could gain Meng Changhe's recognition and stand more firmly in the Three Heroes Assembly.

"Su Xin, don't blame me when you die. Blame yourself for killing the wrong person!"

As Li Zhonghe finished speaking, he lunged at Su Xin.

Meng Changhe, as a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple, had not only learned the incomplete techniques of the Great Stone-Crushing Hand but also some basic Shaolin martial arts and techniques.

Meng Changhe had passed these skills to Li Zhonghe. Without using any weapons, Li Zhonghe directly used the Shaolin Luohan Fist, which, though simple, was extremely powerful.

The Luohan Fist, though a basic Shaolin technique, was chosen as a mandatory skill for all Shaolin monks for its strength.

Su Xin cautiously thrust his sword, but Li Zhonghe's punches were exceptionally powerful, like a Luohan subduing a tiger, forcing Su Xin to retreat.

"Clang!"

The fine sword struck Li Zhonghe's arm, producing a metallic sound. With Su Xin's current strength, the sword only left a white mark on Li Zhonghe's arm.

"Shaolin Golden Bell Cover!"

The knowledgeable people in the crowd murmured.

The Golden Bell Cover, though a basic Shaolin body-strengthening technique, was the most widely spread in the martial world, despite its slow cultivation speed, it provided a solid foundation.

"Your sword is fast, but it can't hurt me. A fast sword is useless without strength!"

Li Zhonghe roared and lunged forward, using various techniques like the Luohan Subduing Dragon, Luohan Subduing Tiger, and Luohan Supporting the Pagoda. The powerful punches quickly forced Su Xin into a corner of the platform.

Battle was always the best way to test one's strength. Su Xin had felt very confident when fighting Dong Chengwu, but now, facing Li Zhonghe, he felt a bit of pressure.

Where did he fall short compared to Li Zhonghe? It wasn't the twenty more acupoints Li Zhonghe had opened, but the strength.

Internal energy was the foundation of a martial artist. Su Xin practiced the "初级全真教内功" (Basic Quanzhen Sect Internal Energy), a beginner-level technique rated at half a star.

Li Zhonghe, on the other hand, practiced an unknown technique, but it was undoubtedly much higher than Su Xin's half-star technique.

The more acupoints opened, the greater the difference in techniques. As Li Zhonghe said, no matter how fast Su Xin's sword was, without enough strength, it was useless. Su Xin desperately hoped for the system's reward, the "Purple Aura Divine Technique."

"Die!"

Li Zhonghe's expression turned cold. His left fist, like a Luohan supporting a pagoda, blocked Su Xin's fierce sword, while his right fist, like a tiger descending from the mountain, aimed straight for Su Xin's chest!

But at this moment, Su Xin made a move that Li Zhonghe did not expect. He suddenly sheathed his sword.

Su Xin had a scabbard at his waist, but in a typical martial arts battle, a swordsman would not suddenly sheath their sword unless they had won or lost. However, Su Xin did just that.

A sheathed sword was more terrifying than an unsheathed one because you never knew from where or which hand it would strike!

Li Zhonghe was wary of Su Xin's fast sword, which had killed Dai Chong, Chen Lao, and many others, making Su Xin famous in Changning Prefecture.

Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory. Su Xin had obtained information about Li Zhonghe from Tie Wuqing, and Li Zhonghe had also gathered information about Su Xin.

He knew Su Xin's sword was fast and that he was proficient with both his left and right hands, a rare skill in the martial world.

But what Li Zhonghe didn't know was that Su Xin was not only skilled with the sword but also with the fist!

A punch was unleashed, filled with overwhelming hatred, a technique called the "Hate to the Extreme Fist."

The two fists collided, and Li Zhonghe was shocked, forced back several steps. Su Xin's punch was extremely bizarre, using hatred as its power, with the hatred never ceasing, the punch never stopping!

In the stands, the leaders of the three gangs and four associations were stunned by Su Xin's fist technique. They had never seen such a bizarre technique, but they could tell it was incredibly powerful, far surpassing Li Zhonghe's Luohan Fist.

Su Xin had used the Hate to the Extreme Fist many times after obtaining it, but unfortunately, it had been overlooked.

When facing Old Wolf, no one saw it. When killing Meng Chong and others, he used it, but Meng Changhe didn't give his subordinates a chance to explain, killing them all.

Finally, when fighting Dong Chengwu, Su Xin used it, but Sha Feiying and the others were too shocked and angry to pay attention to the technique.

Tie Wuqing smiled faintly, thinking, "Where did this kid learn this technique that embodies the essence of martial arts? I've never seen it before. But this technique is quite interesting, using hatred as its core principle. Who did the creator of this technique have such deep hatred for to create such a technique