Chapter 34

Hearing the replies from Ma Yuan and Lin Han, Zhuang Wudao was not at all surprised. However, he could not feel at ease and could not disregard the lives of these two fellows.

After pondering for a long time, Zhuang Wudao finally sighed, "I will think it over again—"

The burning passion in his chest had gradually faded. Unless he agreed to Beiting Wan'er's request and got involved in this turmoil, he had no other path to take besides the Daoist Heavenly Path.

However, involving these brothers who had been through life and death with him since childhood was far from what he wished.

On the other hand, with 'Yun'er's' guidance, his fist technique had made significant progress in just a few days. After three months, there might be a fifty-fifty chance.

Lin Han frowned and was about to speak again, but Ma Yuan tugged at his sleeve. Surprised, Lin Han glanced sideways and saw Ma Yuan shaking his head slightly, with a serious expression, making a gesture. Lin Han immediately understood. Instead of persuading him uselessly at this moment, it would be better to discuss a plan with Qin Feng after returning. Or perhaps, after three months, take action to prevent Zhuang Wudao from going.

Zhuang Wudao did not notice the actions of the two behind him. He was about to head towards his small courtyard in the south street. After walking a few steps, he vaguely remembered that Qin Feng had said that after the Sword Robe Hall raised its flag, all the brothers would move to the old Green Robe Hall's courtyard. He quickly turned around and, in his peripheral vision, saw a few ragged old men standing at the street corner, looking worried.

Zhuang Wudao couldn't help but be puzzled, "What's going on over there?"

He recognized these few; they used to set up small stalls on nearby streets to earn a living.

Ma Yuan glanced over and was equally puzzled, "I don't know either. Has something happened?"

Lin Han, however, seemed to have an idea, "I remember that the Jade Bear Street increased the regular fees by thirty percent a few days ago. Could it be that they can't afford the money? But why come to our Jade Wash Street?"

Speaking of Jade Bear Street, the three of them felt envious. Jade Wash Street was still a bit remote, and the Dust Departure Academy occupied half of the street. Jade Bear Street, however, was a main street with a constant flow of people, and there were twenty-three merchant shops along the street.

Jade Wash Street could earn about two thousand taels of silver a month, which was considered good. However, the Iron Knife Society, which occupied Jade Bear Street, could earn as much as ten thousand taels a month.

"The Iron Knife Society is said to have a new leader, 'Blazing Flame Knife' Feng San, who has a fierce temperament and is not an easy person to deal with. These small vendors are truly pitiful to have encountered such a person."

Ma Yuan sighed lightly, but then went off-topic, "But that Iron Knife Society on Jade Bear Street is really rich. It's also because the few successive headmasters of the Dust Departure Academy don't know how to handle things. If I were the headmaster, I would turn the walls along the street into shops and rent them out. That way, we could earn four or five thousand taels a month. Why live a poor life?"

The key was that if this street became prosperous, the income of the Sword Robe Hall would also increase in the future.

Lin Han, however, sneered. Li Xiangnan didn't have the courage to do such a thing. If he really did, the Dust Departure Sect, the second-largest sect in the south, would lose its dignity. The first major cultivation sect in the southeast wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. Face was the most important.

Li Xiangnan was just an outer sect disciple. If he dared to do such a thing, he would likely be arrested and punished by the Daoist Hall immediately.

Zhuang Wudao, however, had a flicker in his eyes. He always remembered that when he and Qin Feng were young and weak, one of those people had given them a few warm steamed buns, saving them from starving to death on the street.

It wasn't until much later that he learned that the old man's family wasn't much better off. His home was poor, and he had a sick family member who couldn't work.

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The Green Robe Hall's courtyard was located in a spacious alley on the north side of Jade Wash Street. It covered about sixty acres, with four courtyards, over 140 rooms, walls twelve feet wide and thirty feet high, and several sword turrets. It was more like a fortress than a residence.

When Shi Hu and the others were still around, it only took a hundred people to guard it, armed with two-stone bows. No more than five or six hundred people could breach it. Now, however, it belonged to the Sword Robe Hall.

Even the flag outside the courtyard had been changed, from the Green Robe Hall's green flag to a red flag with a black border and two crossed swords in the center.

Ma Yuan looked and sighed in disappointment, "This is our Sword Robe Hall's flag? Which idiot came up with this? It's so tasteless! I said we shouldn't have left the city with you, Wudao. How could we be so careless about the flag?"

Zhuang Wudao ignored Ma Yuan's complaints and strode into the gate.

The thick iron and wood gate was only slightly ajar. On either side stood several imposing, muscular men, all dressed in black, with long swords at their waists, looking quite professional. On the walls, there were also over a dozen people patrolling.

Zhuang Wudao recognized a few of them, but they were all serious. When Zhuang Wudao approached, they all shouted in unison, "Deputy Hall Master Zhuang, greetings!"

The voices were deep and resonant, almost making Zhuang Wudao freeze in place. After a moment, he recovered and nodded in acknowledgment.

Ma Yuan and Lin Han were also stunned, thinking that the Green Robe Hall didn't seem to have such strict rules before. They had only been away for three days, how could things change so much?

Everyone said that Qin Feng had the talent of a general and extraordinary skills. He could unite a group of brothers with different personalities, but this was a bit too exaggerated.

The leader of the guards at the gate was one of 'Meat Mountain' Wang Wu's right-hand men. Seeing Zhuang Wudao's questioning look, he laughed heartily, "The Hall Master said that since we are plotting something big together, we should have lofty aspirations and not just focus on this street. When we raised the flag, we needed to establish rules and not be too lax. In the future, when our Sword Robe Hall becomes a major gang in Yuecheng, we won't be a loose group."

Zhuang Wudao was speechless, thinking that Qin Feng's aspirations were indeed very lofty.

After saying this, the man added with a strange expression, "Something happened in the hall today. The Beiting family sent some things over. The Hall Master is waiting for you in the main hall."

Zhuang Wudao was startled and didn't hesitate, walking straight in. In the main hall, he saw several people seated, with Qin Feng sitting on the main seat, his face pale and staring blankly.

There were dozens of wooden boxes, almost filling the hall, all opened. Zhuang Wudao took a look and was also surprised.

Behind the gift boxes were two hundred green steel long swords with the 'Hundred Weapons' mark, a hundred seven-stone crossbows. These were high-quality products from the 'Hundred Weapons' Xia family, second only to spirit weapons in quality.

In addition, there were a hundred bolts of silk, a box of elixir bottles, and two boxes of silver. The elixir bottles alone had ten bottles labeled with 'Qi Cultivation Pills' and 'Bone Strengthening Pills.' The silver was pure silver, totaling four thousand taels. The silk was of the highest quality, with vibrant colors.

There were also five wooden boxes, each containing a single item. Two green-glowing long swords, a silver-threaded inner armor, a black iron battle axe, and a talisman. They looked unremarkable but emitted a faint spiritual glow, all being spirit weapons with magical prohibitions.

The talisman was even more extraordinary. Zhuang Wudao had seen it once before; it was a Treasure Prohibition Talisman. As long as it wasn't a particularly rare magical prohibition, any spirit weapon below the twelfth level of refinement could be enhanced by three levels after using this talisman.

The broken armor cone in his hand was a first-level magical prohibition spirit weapon. Once he used this Treasure Prohibition Talisman, it could be enhanced to the fourth level, doubling its power!

"These were sent by the Beiting family."

Qin Feng's eyes were blank, "I refused three times, but finally, the Beiting family's steward came to persuade me, saying that they wanted you to do something, and these are the gifts. Even if the matter doesn't succeed, the favor will remain. If I don't accept, it would be a slight to the Beiting family. It seems I can't refuse."

Zhuang Wudao's face was also grim. The Beiting family's gifts were indeed generous, and they were exactly what the Sword Robe Hall needed. However, were these things so easy to accept?

Meat Mountain Wang Wu, who was also present, cursed, "Damn! These things must be worth at least thirty thousand taels of silver, just given away. The Beiting family is really rich!"

A first-level magical prohibition spirit weapon usually cost a thousand taels of silver. Therefore, even Shi Hu, who had dominated this street for years, hadn't received many spirit weapons. After several major battles with surrounding gangs, he had lost most of them, leaving him with nothing suitable for himself.

The green steel long swords cost about ten taels of silver each, and the seven-stone crossbows were around thirty taels.

The estimated value of thirty thousand taels of silver was about right. That was three hundred taels of gold—

Mainly because of the Treasure Prohibition Talisman, which was worth six or seven thousand taels of silver alone.

"The Beiting family said that as long as you don't miss the Dust Departure Sect's grand competition this time, they will secretly help our Sword Robe Hall take over two more streets."

Qin Feng rubbed his forehead, looking helpless and frustrated, "I thought the Beiting family's generous gifts must mean they have a request. This grand competition of the Dust Departure Sect is not simple and has hidden complexities. I wanted to refuse on your behalf, but I couldn't return the gifts. Wudao, what's going on?"

Zhuang Wudao's eyes turned cold, and his mood sank to the bottom. Beiting Wan'er said she wanted him to consider, but she didn't give him the option to refuse!

A sense of powerlessness washed over him. In front of the Beiting family, he, Zhuang Wudao, was just a mere ant. If Beiting Wan'er had made up her mind, how could he possibly refuse?

She was treating him with respect now, but in the end, she might resort to force—

"This time, the Dust Departure Sect has hundreds of Golden Core Foundation Establishment cultivators preparing to take on disciples. Therefore, the Gufang family, the Hundred Weapons Hall Xia family, the Lin and Kong families, and the Yuecheng garrison all have their children participating."

Explaining succinctly, Zhuang Wudao scanned the people in the hall, "The Beiting family seems to want me to push one of them out."

Ma Yuan and Lin Han both trembled slightly, thinking that Beiting Wan'er and Zhuang Wudao must have discussed this in the carriage! So, the provocation on the ferry was to test Zhuang Wudao's skills?

Qin Feng and Wang Wu, among others, all drew a sharp breath.

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(Translation ends here as the last part is not text but placeholders for advertisements.)