The incident at the entrance of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall had already drawn the attention of many passersby and townspeople, many of whom stopped in their tracks.
A crowd of onlookers had gathered.
"A... A True Inheritor?!"
HISS...
"That young man is actually a True Inheritor of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall?"
"I’m shocked."
"..."
The crowd couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishnt.
"You two have so nerve."
Xu Qing’s expression was placid, his tone indifferent. "This was clearly a case of malicious bullying, yet from your mouths, it beca a friendly competition between martial arts hall apprentices."
"The... The True Inheritor is right."
"It was our fault."
Lin Yue and He Wensheng said one after the other.
"Heh."
Xu Qing gave a cold laugh and waved his hand. "Get up."
"Thank you, True Inheritor."
Lin Yue and He Wensheng let out a subtle sigh of relief.
In truth, Xu Qing was also quite surprised. ’I didn’t expect the Dapeng Order that Du Cangying gave to be so effective. The Inner Courtyard Students of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall even mistook for a True Disciple on the spot.’
In fact, Du Cangying had been rather conservative in his description. Within the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall, the Dapeng Order was a symbol of status, representing imnse power and position.
Furthermore, twenty years had passed, and the rules of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall had naturally changed. Now, only two types of people within the hall could possess a Dapeng Order.
The first was an Elder of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall, soone who had stepped into the Second Realm: Extraordinary. Their strength was imnse, sufficient to teach students from both the Inner Courtyard and the Outer Courtyard.
The second, naturally, was a True Disciple of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall. To beco a True Disciple, one had to be at the Peak of Invulnerability at a minimum. At the sa ti, they had to possess extrely high potential and be guaranteed to one day step into the Second Realm: Extraordinary.
Among them, many True Disciples were already in the Second Realm: Extraordinary.
"N-No... Impossible..."
The bronze-skinned youth’s face was incredibly grim, his eyes filled with terror as he stared at Xu Qing. "You... How can you be a True Disciple? You can’t be a True Disciple! You... you look about my age. How could you possibly be a True Inheritor of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall?"
"Ye-Yeah!"
"Most of the True Disciples of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall are in their twenties. He looks eighteen at most. How could he be a True Inheritor?"
"That’s right, that’s right."
"And we’ve never seen this person before."
"..."
The other martial arts hall apprentices chid in.
"Insolence."
Lin Yue barked, "Is a True Inheritor soone you can casually gossip about?"
"That’s right."
He Wensheng added, "You lot are rely apprentices of the martial arts hall. At best, you’ve cultivated An Jin. How dare you presu to slander a True Inheritor."
"Slap them!"
Without hesitation, He Wensheng turned and delivered several slaps across the apprentices’ faces, causing half of each face to swell up and knocking out several teeth.
"I’m rather curious. What are the backgrounds of these apprentices? What made you two witness their malicious bullying and choose to turn a blind eye?"
Xu Qing continued, "And when I decided to seek justice, you jumped out to stop ?"
"They don’t really have any special background; they’re just the children of so wealthy rchants. The bronze-skinned one, though... his father is a Hall Master of the Cyan Dragon Gang, with the strength of an Outer Gang."
Lin Yue said.
"Also, before they made their move, they slipped us a few things. And Wang Guangqing is just a mud-legged commoner with no power, no influence, and no money."
He Wensheng added, "So we chose to turn a blind eye."
"I see."
Xu Qing understood now. He said, "I now find that Wang Guangqing has an excellent temperant and will. I admire him greatly. As for these other apprentices, I believe they are no longer qualified to remain in the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall."
"Yes!"
Lin Yue nodded quickly. "No problem. Since the True Inheritor has spoken, we will make arrangents imdiately to have them all expelled from the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall."
"Ahem..."
Just then, a middle-aged man with a hooked nose walked out of the martial arts hall. This man was an ’Apprentice Tutor’ at the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall.
As the na implies, he was a martial arts teacher who instructed the hall’s apprentices.
His full na was ’Wang Genxin’.
"What happened?"
Wang Genxin walked out, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before landing on Lin Yue and He Wensheng. His eyes then fell upon the bronze-skinned youth.
"Little Hua, what’s wrong? Who hit you?"
Wang Genxin’s expression soured.
Apparently, the bronze-skinned youth’s full na was ’Wang Yuzhu’. His father was a Hall Master of the Cyan Dragon Gang nad ’Wang Bing’. This Wang Genxin and Wang Bing were sworn brothers who had faced life and death together. Though not related by blood, their bond was closer than that of true brothers.
Additionally, Wang Genxin had no children of his own, so he treated Wang Yuzhu as his own son. anwhile, Wang Bing was so overwheld with the gang’s affairs that he had no ti or energy to teach Wang Yuzhu.
As a result, Wang Genxin had arranged for Wang Yuzhu to enter the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall and beco one of its apprentices.
"Godfather."
Wang Yuzhu imdiately ran to Wang Genxin’s side, pointed at Xu Qing, and said quickly, "He’s the one who did it."
"And another thing."
"He dared to impersonate a True Disciple of our Dapeng Martial Arts Hall."
"A True Inheritor?"
Wang Genxin’s heart skipped a beat, nearly jumping out of his skin at Wang Yuzhu’s words. His gaze fell on Xu Qing, and his heart began to pound with uncertainty.
He knew that if the other party really was a True Inheritor, there was no need to ask who was right or wrong. Even if the True Inheritor was in the wrong, he was right. Only they could be at fault; a True Inheritor could never be incorrect.
Wang Genxin would have imdiately dragged Wang Yuzhu to his knees to kowtow, admit his mistake, and beg for rcy.
"It is indeed a Dapeng Order."
Lin Yue stated.
"Heh."
He Wensheng sneered.
"Are you a True Inheritor?"
Wang Genxin asked cautiously.
"What if I am? What if I’m not?"
Xu Qing didn’t answer, retorting with a question instead.
Wang Genxin took a deep breath, his heart filled with a slight reverence. He had never seen this particular True Inheritor in the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall before.
But, it was better to be safe than sorry.
’What if he really is an extrely low-key True Inheritor?’
’Or perhaps...’
’A genius one of the hall’s higher-ups t outside, who has already been designated as a True Inheritor of the hall?’
Regardless of the possibility, he was not soone they could afford to offend.
"Could I ask you to show the Dapeng Order?"
Wang Genxin asked.
"Are you qualified?"
Xu Qing glanced coolly at Wang Genxin. "Just like your godson. In his eyes, Wang Guangcheng and the others are nothing but mud-legged peasants. He thinks he can push them around, suppress them, and do whatever he wants."
"By that sa token,"
"in my eyes, you are all like ants. If I wished it, I could crush you with my bare hands, as easily as squashing an ant."
"So,"
"what gives you the right to ask to show you the Dapeng Order?"
"..."
As his words fell, Xu Qing didn’t exude the slightest aura, yet Wang Genxin’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He felt as if a colossal mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, rendering him completely immobile.
GULP...
Nearby, Lin Yue and He Wensheng swallowed fearfully.
"Interesting."
Suddenly, the crowd heard a mocking voice. Looking toward the source of the sound, they saw a young man dressed in a green shirt and white robes. This young man had long hair and a handso face. Though clearly a Martial Artist, he had a scholarly air about him.
"True... True Inheritor Pan..."
"Greetings, True Inheritor Pan!"
"..."
Lin Yue, He Wensheng, Wang Genxin, and Wang Yuzhu were all startled. Without the slightest hesitation, they all knelt and bowed.
However, because Wang Genxin was an Apprentice Tutor, his status as a tutor ant he did not have to kneel, but he still had to bow deeply.
"Mm."
This "True Inheritor Pan" nodded. He waved for the crowd to part and walked straight over to stand before Xu Qing, looking him up and down a few tis.
"Are you the new True Inheritor?"
Pan Zhenchuan mused for a mont. "May I ask which True Inheritor Elder accepted you? Where is your Dapeng Order? Can you let see it? To be honest, in all my years at the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall, no one has ever dared to impersonate a True Inheritor."
’A True Inheritor?’
Xu Qing was also sizing up this "True Inheritor Pan." In his perception, the man emanated a graceful ntal Realm, and he could faintly sense the flow of True Qi.
Therefore, this True Inheritor Pan possessed the strength of the Second Realm: Extraordinary.
"The Dapeng Order."
Pan Zhenchuan held out his hand.
"..."
But Xu Qing remained unmoved, showing no intention of taking out the Dapeng Order.
Evidently, just a mont ago, Xu Qing had wanted to present the Dapeng Order to prove his identity, though he hadn’t expected to be elevated to the status of a True Disciple of the Dapeng Martial Arts Hall because of it.
But now, these people were demanding that he show the Dapeng Order.
The two situations were different.
The first was Xu Qing voluntarily showing it. The second was these people trying to force him to show it. One was voluntary, the other was coercion.
When it all ca down to it, it was a matter of face.
There was a saying:
"A Buddha fights for a stick of incense; a man fights for a breath of dignity."
"Amusing."
The corner of Pan Zhenchuan’s mouth curved up slightly. "Since you’re unwilling to take it out yourself, I’ll just have to co and get it."
SWISH!
The mont his voice fell, Xu Qing’s vision blurred. True Inheritor Pan’s figure vanished, as if he had transford into a gust of wind, and instantly reappeared right in front of him.
They were re inches apart.
Pan Zhenchuan reached into Xu Qing’s robes, intending to retrieve the Dapeng Order.
"!!!"
Xu Qing was slightly startled, but he reacted in ti. He quickly retreated half a step, and Pan Zhenchuan’s right hand missed by a hair’s breadth.
"You actually managed to dodge."
Surprise showed on Pan Zhenchuan’s face.
Reviews
All reviews (0)