Chapter 73

After the meal, Wei He sent Jiang Su back and, upon returning to his own home, he saw Mr. Yuan Zhouchi again.

Under the scorching midday sun.

He was sitting in a pavilion at the street corner, holding a large sieve filled with aquatic plants he had fished out of the water.

He kept using his hands to sort through the aquatic plants, ensuring they were well exposed to the sunlight. Occasionally, he would pick up a water bottle beside him and take a sip.

This old gentleman, who used to lecture in the scripture hall and was highly respected, had taught the children of many prominent families in the city.

Now, however, he wore thick, patched clothes, and his originally gray beard had turned completely white.

His eyes seemed to be failing, and he sat hunched on a cracked stone bench in the pavilion, carefully picking out the rotten parts of the aquatic plants.

Wei He paused, standing in place, watching Yuan Zhouchi slowly sort through the aquatic plants.

Perhaps because he had stayed for too long, Yuan Zhouchi gradually noticed him and looked at him carefully.

Wei He smiled in return, not wanting to disturb his life, and walked past from the side.

He had thought about leaving something for this teacher, but remembering Yuan Zhouchi's pride and stern old face, and seeing his current serious expression, he decided against it.

Although the teacher was in a sorry state, his breathing and complexion were fine, so he let it be.

Wei He quickened his pace, passing through the outer city area, heading towards Shiqiao Town.

Upon returning home, Wei Ying was drying the pickled vegetables in the yard, filling the air with a strong smell of pickles.

Wei He had already informed her that he would be leaving the city soon, so Wei Ying had started packing things up.

"Sis, did anyone come looking for me while I was out?" Wei He suddenly asked.

"No, no one came all morning. Besides, we're close to the boxing hall. If someone was looking for you, they would have gone there," Wei Ying replied, putting down the sieve in her hand, puzzled.

Wei He stood in front of his bedroom door, looking at a broken hair strand in the door crack.

After a moment of silence, he slowly reached into his back pocket with one hand, gathered his strength with the other, and gently pushed open the door.

Creak...

The wooden door slowly opened, making a sound.

Inside the bedroom, a figure in plain white stood quietly with its back to him, motionless.

The figure was thin, with the exposed parts of its hands showing prominent veins, fingers like chicken claws, dry and hard, full of calluses.

"Who are you...?" Wei He began.

The figure leaped out of the open window in a flash and disappeared from sight.

Wei He's face turned cold, and he quickly followed, leaping out of the window and chasing after the figure.

How dare someone sneak into his home and think he had no temper? Breaking in like this was a warning that they could enter his home and kill his family at any time?

Although he had expected that revealing his strength would attract attention, he didn't think it would come so quickly.

The two figures ran swiftly through the quiet alleys.

Soon, the figure in front suddenly stopped, standing quietly on a riverbank.

To the right was the slowly flowing river.

The figure, hands behind its back, slowly turned around, revealing a face with a white mask.

The mask had only two eyes, the rest was plain white, looking somewhat terrifying.

"Earlier today, I heard that Huishan Boxing Hall has good news, another young talent has broken through the barrier and entered the path of cultivation. I am very pleased and have come to see for myself. Please forgive me," the figure's voice was hoarse, seemingly deliberately altered.

The figure was about the same height as Wei He, and the wide white robe revealed a somewhat thin figure when the wind blew.

But how could such a thin figure keep up with Wei He?

No... not keep up.

Wei He's heart sank. The figure had been maintaining the same speed as him, which didn't mean they were equally fast, but that the figure was faster.

He was accommodating and waiting for him!

"Who are you?" he asked coldly. "Why didn't you come through the front door? Isn't it disrespectful to break in through the window?"

"Apologies, due to special circumstances, I couldn't enter through the front door. Otherwise, if someone saw me, it might cause you trouble," the figure replied.

"Hmm?" Wei He's heart sank, beginning to guess the figure's identity.

But he didn't have to guess for long, as the figure soon revealed more.

"From a commoner three years ago to reaching the third level of qi and blood, your talent is truly astonishing. Unfortunately, you didn't have a famous teacher. Have you heard of..."

...

...

...

Huishan Boxing Hall.

The originally quiet boxing hall was now filled with people.

There were so many that Old Zheng of Huishan Boxing Hall had to expand the venue to the inner courtyard.

The two courtyards were connected through the inner rooms, all turned into reception areas.

The disciples smiled, welcoming the guests who came to celebrate.

Zheng Fugui sat in the center of the inner courtyard, with Jiang Su and Zhang Lu, his two main disciples, on either side.

Zhao Hong and the other disciples greeted the guests at the entrance.

"The Bat Fist from Dongshan Town has arrived!"

The disciple announced loudly, reminding those inside of the guests' identities for proper reception.

"The Whirlwind Leg from Nanshan Town has arrived!"

"The Bamboo Fist from Hongshi Town has arrived!"

The representatives from the three towns where Zheng Fugui had good relations had all arrived, each led by three inner courtyard disciples.

This was also a way for Zheng Fugui to show off the strength of his boxing hall and the talent of his disciples.

"The Leopard Fist from Jiujie Town has arrived!"

"The Iron Sand Fist from Lieshan Town has arrived!"

"The Through-Back Fist from Baima Town has arrived!"

"The Flying Bear Saber from Yunsu Town has arrived!"

At first, Zheng Fugui only smiled and stroked his beard when he heard the announcements.

But when he heard the last one, his expression changed, and he narrowed his eyes.

In the Martial Arts Alliance, the name "Flying Bear Saber" had extraordinary significance. It wasn't just any ordinary martial arts school.

The Flying Bear Saber's strength accounted for almost a third of all the martial artists in the outer city.

Old Master Yun of the Flying Bear Saber was the strongest martial artist in Feiyeh City, with two tigers, Yun Daochun and Zhou Lai, both third-level qi and blood experts, under his command. They had already taken important positions in the three gangs and two sects.

Of course, in such a small event, it was unlikely that the two major third-level qi and blood experts of the Flying Bear Saber would come to celebrate.

After all, Huishan Boxing Hall didn't have that much prestige.

Moreover, they were already in important positions, with many responsibilities, and wouldn't have the time to attend a ceremony for a newly promoted disciple.

But regardless, even if it was just a second-level disciple, they were still from the Flying Bear Saber.

Zheng Fugui's smile paused, then returned with a hint of pride.

Huishan Boxing Hall might only be mid-to-lower in the annual rankings, but so what? Those with better techniques than him had at least half of them failed to produce a third-level qi and blood expert.

In the entire outer city, with over a dozen towns, only a few martial arts schools had produced third-level qi and blood experts. Now, even the Flying Bear Saber, which he had little contact with, had sent someone to celebrate.

So, Zheng Fugui was not lacking!

He might not be able to beat them, but it was fine as long as his disciples could beat theirs!

Soon, the representatives from various martial arts schools were led to the inner courtyard.

They stood in two rows, creating a formidable presence, reminiscent of when Zheng Fugui had attended a ceremony at the Flying Bear Saber.

Seven out of the over a dozen martial arts schools had come, three of which were his friends, invited to support the event. The other four had come uninvited.

Fortunately, they all brought gifts.

Zheng Fugui's gaze swept over the representatives from the various martial arts schools. The Bat Fist, Bamboo Fist, and Whirlwind Leg were all smiling and polite, allies.

The disciples from these three schools were familiar to him, not the strongest, but not the weakest, just right.

But the other four were different.

The Leopard Fist, Iron Sand Fist, and Through-Back Fist all seemed to be led by the Flying Bear Saber group.

And the person who had come from the Flying Bear Saber was none other than the recently famous genius, Zhou Jihan.

Zhou Jihan was just over eighteen, a year younger than Wei He, with a good physique, sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a tall and straight figure, and a steady demeanor, but with a hint of arrogance.

On his left and right were Hu Zheng'an of the Leopard Fist and He Hong of the Through-Back Fist. One was tall and the other was fat, both well-known young geniuses in the city.

The three seemed to be part of a circle, like Xiao Ran's group.

After greeting Zheng Fugui, they all took their seats, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

"Brother Zhou, do you believe someone from Huishan Boxing Hall has broken through?" Hu Zheng'an, with a small beard, a tall and muscular figure, much larger than the others, asked.

He had carefully observed the other inner courtyard disciples of Huishan Boxing Hall upon arrival, but his initial expectations quickly faded.

"Can someone of this caliber really break through? Did they make a mistake? Did they mistake a qi and blood illusion for a real breakthrough?" Hu Zheng'an shook his head.

A qi and blood illusion was when someone with extraordinary talent and a unique body exhibited unusual phenomena during martial arts practice.

For example, some people's faces turn red when they drink, while others turn pale. This was due to different body constitutions, leading to different reactions to the same action.

Martial arts practice was similar.

So, Hu Zheng'an had this suspicion.

"Don't say that. Old Master Zheng of Huishan Boxing Hall is a genuine qi and blood expert, well-known in the outer city. He wouldn't make such a mistake," Zhou Jihan said calmly.

Although he was the youngest among the three, his strength and demeanor were the strongest, and the Flying Bear Saber's techniques and influence were superior to other martial arts schools, so he naturally led the group.

"Brother Hu has a point, but I don't think a qi and blood expert would make such a mistake," He Hong said calmly. "Let's wait and see. Sometimes, a pearl can be found in the mud. No rush."

"Agreed,"

Time passed, and it was almost time for the ceremony to start.

But Wei He still hadn't arrived, with no sign of him coming.

Zheng Fugui was anxious and sent someone to check on Wei He's home. The person sent back soon returned, reporting that Wei He had secretly left home early, and no one was there.

"This brat, why would he suddenly leave at such a crucial time?" Zheng Fugui couldn't sit still in his chair.