Chapter 54

As the city lights began to twinkle, the Idle Cloud Tavern was filled with laughter, almost to capacity. The women, like butterflies flitting among flowers, moved gracefully between the tables.

Zhuo Feiyang, dressed in a dark blue robe, with a face as handsome as a crown, and a long sword hanging from his waist, entered the tavern with Bai Zhijie, looking every bit the elegant young master.

Two beautiful young girls came forward, but Zhuo Feiyang waved them off, "Find us a seat."

"Sir, I'm truly sorry, there are no seats left outside, only private rooms."

"No seats?"

"I'm sorry, Sirs, ... our tavern has a reservation system. You can let us know in advance, and we will reserve a seat for you."

"I must dine here today, find me a seat!"

"Sir, every guest who enters the tavern is a distinguished guest, I'm really sorry..."

"Slap!" Zhuo Feiyang suddenly lashed out, giving the young girl a resounding slap.

The beautiful young girl covered her face, looking at Zhuo Feiy in shock. No one had ever dared to cause trouble here, let alone fight or hit anyone, especially not a young master as handsome as him.

"Is there a seat now?" Zhuo Feiyang sneered.

Many people looked over, frowning at Zhuo Feiy. No one stood up for the girl; they all watched with a sense of anticipation, thinking, "Who dares to cause trouble here? Do they think the Duke's Mansion is a pushover? This will be entertaining!"

"Zhuo Senior Brother! What are you doing!" Zhao Ying glared at him angrily.

Her clear eyes were cold. She never thought Zhuo Feiy would be so despicable, actually resorting to violence. This was a serious taboo; he must be out of his mind!

Zhuo Feiyang said coldly, "Zhao Junior Sister, you're here again!"

"How could you hit someone?!" Zhao Ying frowned, scolding him, "They don't know martial arts, and you still hit them!"

"I don't care if they know martial arts; I only know they are surnamed Chu!"

"Unreasonable!" Zhao Ying pointed at him angrily, "Your conflict with Senior Brother Chu is just a matter of pride, why involve others?"

Zhuo Feiyang snorted, "He's hiding like a turtle, I have no choice but to resort to this!"

"Zhuo Senior Brother, Senior Brother Chu didn't accept your challenge to avoid hurting you. Do you really think you can defeat him?!" Zhao Ying laughed coldly.

Zhuo Feiyang sneered, "Zhao Junior Sister, you seem to have high hopes for him!"

"Zhuo Senior Brother, there are so many important things to do outside. There are countless evil people in the world, why focus on a personal grudge? A man should think about how to achieve great things, not get entangled in personal vendettas. Zhuo Senior Brother, broaden your horizons!" Zhao Ying sighed helplessly.

Zhuo Feiyang's ears burned, and he sneered, "What nonsense about achieving great things, I just want to settle my grudge!"

"Alas..." Zhao Ying shook her head, completely disappointed.

"Tell Chu to come find me and accept the challenge!" Zhuo Feiyang turned and walked away.

Zhao Ying glared at him, then went to the young woman, "Chen Sister, are you alright?"

She was Chen Yin, with a beautiful round face, smooth skin, and delicate features. She was poised and efficient, which is why she worked as a hostess.

Chen Yin touched her face and smiled indifferently, "Just a slap, nothing serious. Zhao Sister, don't tell the master!"

Zhao Ying quickly said, "Of course I'll tell Senior Brother Chu!"

Chen Yin shook her head and sighed, "Don't! ... It's nothing, just a slap, not worth mentioning. If I tell the master, there will be another conflict, and if anything goes wrong, I'll be in deep trouble!"

Zhao Ying frowned at her.

Chen Yin smiled, "I'm really fine."

Zhao Ying hesitated, unsure what to say. She was thoroughly disappointed in Zhuo Feiyang, never expecting him to hit a woman who didn't know martial arts!

---

When Chu Li returned to the East Garden, it was already evening.

He had practiced the Vajra Tribulation Divine Skill all day, and his muscles ached. Being hit by an iron rod wasn't a pleasant experience. Recently, a Pearl Beauty tree in the East Garden had fallen ill and needed care. Li Yue was anxious and couldn't eat or sleep well if Chu Li didn't return.

The sunset's afterglow spread over the lake, and a breeze made the surface shimmer with red light.

He left the boat and stepped onto the shore. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Zhao Ying. She was sitting with Li Yue at a stone table, discussing something. As soon as she saw him, she fell silent.

Chu Li smiled, "What, were you saying something bad about me?"

"Senior Brother, why haven't you been to the tavern lately?" Zhao Ying, dressed in a lake green silk robe, looked fair and delicate.

Chu Li smiled, "With you here, I'm very reassured, Junior Sister!"

Zhao Ying felt ashamed and sighed.

Li Yue said, "Brother, Zhuo Feiyang is still determined. He's sent another challenge, this time with a bet of 100,000 taels!"

He handed a fiery red challenge letter to Chu Li.

"100,000 taels?" Chu Li raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "He's determined to fight, throwing out such a big bait!"

"Are you going to accept?" Li Yue quickly said, "100,000 taels, he must be very confident!"

Chu Li smiled.

Zhao Ying sighed, "Senior Brother, you don't lack money!"

Chu Li laughed, "Who said I don't need money? The more, the better!"

"You've even got a beautiful servant, what else do you need?" Zhao Ying shot him a glare.

She hadn't seen Chu Li's servant, but she had heard others talk about her, describing her as exceptionally beautiful, cold, and charming, making people unable to resist. Everyone envied and was jealous, willing to lose twenty years of life to have such a servant!

Chu Li pretended not to hear and changed the subject, "It seems Zhuo Feiyang has prepared his trump card. Well, I accept the challenge. Zhuo Feiyang has become smarter; why use those small tricks? If he had thrown out this bait from the start, I would have accepted it!"

"Senior Brother—!" Zhao Ying widened her eyes.

Chu Li smiled, "Junior Sister, martial arts training is very expensive. Think about it, how much does a Yuan Cultivation Pill cost?"

"Ten taels of silver."

"That's in our mansion. What if you buy it outside?"

"Twenty taels."

"Besides the Yuan Cultivation Pill, there are Qi Nourishing Pills and Purple Qi Pills. As a guard, you can't do without these pills!"

"But you don't need 100,000 taels for that!"

Chu Li shook his head, "You... When you go out into the martial world, you'll understand. How much does a good sword cost?"

"A hundred taels?"

"That's just a regular good sword. A better one costs a thousand taels, and a famous sword costs ten thousand taels, or even more!"

"Do you really need such a good sword?"

Chu Li smiled, "You should know the importance of a good sword. It can decide life and death. Is a life worth less than ten thousand taels?"

Zhao Ying was speechless.

As a sword practitioner, she knew the importance of a good sword.

Chu Li said, "So, I accept the challenge, but we will fight in the Martial Hall!"

"Alas..." Zhao Ying sighed.

"Besides, he dared to cause trouble at the Idle Cloud Tavern and hit someone. How can I not teach him a lesson!" Chu Li snorted.

Zhao Ying shot him a glare, "That's the key, isn't it?"

Chu Li shook his head, "Zhuo Feiyang is out of his mind. If we don't settle this, he might do something stupid. It has to be resolved sooner or later!"

---

In front of the Martial Hall, the training ground was surrounded by people, all silent.

Two people stood in the center: Zhuo Feiyang and Chu Li.

The top young martial artist, Zhuo Feiyang, was challenging the guard Chu Li, who, despite his young age, had already reached the Sixth Rank, making him one of the best guards. Reaching the Sixth Rank at such a young age was even harder than being a guard.

Bai Zhijie, Zhao Ying, and Li Yue stood among the crowd, closely watching the two.

At nine in the morning, the sun was bright, and everything was clear and bright. A gentle breeze blew over the crowd, caressing their faces.

Chu Li felt the breeze on his face and smiled. The willows on the island were vivid in his mind, and the spiritual energy was surging, ready for his command.

"Does this guard Chu know martial arts?"

"Of course, if he didn't, why would Zhuo Feiyang challenge him?"

"He doesn't look like it."

"Yeah, you're right. His eyes are dull, his limbs weak, like a commoner. Maybe there's some personal grudge, and Zhuo Feiyang is challenging him out of anger?"

"Why would Chu accept the challenge? Isn't he just asking for death?"

"Maybe he was forced?"

"I heard Chu opened a tavern called Idle Cloud Tavern, which is doing well. Zhuo Feiyang went there to cause trouble and hit someone. That's the last straw!"

"Zhuo Feiyang went too far."

"Who can blame him, but no one dares to intervene. Zhuo Feiyang is too powerful now."

"Alas... I've seen through this world. The one with the strongest fist has the final say. Better to focus on training!"

"Right, only by training hard can you speak loudly. If your martial arts are weak, you'd better be obedient!"

The crowd sympathized with Chu Li.

A Sixth Rank guard was already a mid-level position in the Duke's Mansion, with some power. But in the face of a challenge, it ultimately came down to who was stronger in martial arts. In this world, martial arts were paramount.

This made them more determined to pursue the path of a guard, striving to become stronger in martial arts.

Chu Li cleared his throat and looked at Zhuo Feiyang, whose eyes were filled with anger, "Zhuo Feiyang, are you really willing to bet 100,000 taels? Your family is wealthy, but you don't have many 100,000 taels!"

"You're too late to back out!" Zhuo Feiyang sneered.

Chu Li shook his head, "I'm afraid you'll back out!"

"Chu, stop showing off. You'll be crying soon!"

"I hope you don't cry when you lose!"

"Hmph!" Zhuo Feiyang turned his head, hand on his sword hilt, eyes closed, not even looking at him.

Chu Li smiled, feeling the beauty of nature, connected to the surrounding flowers and plants. Odd, there's also Sinew Grass here, growing in a clump of wild grass outside the training ground.

There's also Red Dragon Fruit, a wonderful herb that can be eaten with Earth Dragon Grass to strengthen the body. Unfortunately, its effect is not strong enough to be significant for martial artists, but it's very useful for ordinary people.

The crowd suddenly parted, bowing to two white-haired elders who slowly walked in.

One was tall and fat, the other short and thin, forming a stark contrast.

The tall, fat elder smiled warmly, while the short, thin elder had a cold, icy expression, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a sharp blade.

They were the honored elders of the Martial Hall, invited to witness the challenge. The last challenge between Chu Li and Zhuo Feiyang was informal, which is why Zhuo Feiyang dared to deny it.

Chu Li bowed, "Elder Chu, Elder He, thank you for coming!"

The tall, fat elder chuckled, "I love a good show!"

The short, thin elder said sternly, "Where are the silver bills?"

Zhuo Feiyang took out the silver bills from his chest and presented them. The tall, fat elder took them, counted them, and smiled, "Exactly 100,000 taels, from the Taihe Silver Bank. Good, you can begin!"