Chapter 50: Chapter 47 Inside Story_1
To counter the Pouncing Claw Technique, one needs to control the opponent’s palm.
Lu Yan grabbed the wrist of the manager, leveraged his waist strength, and flung him backward fiercely.
Boom!
The muscular body of the manager was thrown into the air and smashed heavily on the ground. The thick bricks on the ground were shattered into pieces.
"Sir."
The two guards were utterly shocked and hurriedly shot two arrows at Lu Yan.
Lu Yan grabbed the manager’s wrist, flung it again, and two armor-piercing crossbows shot into the manager’s waist. Then he lifted him like a hammer and smashed him heavily onto the ground.
Boom!
The ground trembled slightly, the floor burst and debris splattered. The manager, like a boneless dog, had his eyes rolled backward, vomiting a mouthful of blood.
Lu Yan didn’t stop. He lifted the manager and smashed him a few more times until the manager completely lost the strength to resist. Only then did he stop.
"If you dare to shoot another arrow, I will end him."
Lu Yan stepped on the chest of the manager, and coldly glanced at the two guards.
Neither of the two guards dared to make a move. They were stuck there, unsure whether to retreat or advance.
The commotion of the fight clearly alarmed the other guards in the Management Mansion. Seven or eight limit-breaking experts had arrived, but seeing the situation, they all stopped, looking at each other with uncertainty.
"Don’t... don’t kill me."
After a while, the manager regained his strength and uttered with great difficulty.
"Have them withdraw, we need to talk."
Lu Yan said.
"Withdraw, all withdraw."
The manager gave the order.
He knew that it would be easy for Lu Yan to kill him. Those limit-breaking warriors would be of no use staying here.
Soon, only Lu Yan and the manager were left in the field.
"If you want to live, you can ransom your life with money."
Lu Yan said.
"Alright, how much do you want?"
The manager asked.
"A dignified manager of the feudal lords, a five-time limit-breaking expert, should be worth at least 30,000 liang, right?"
Lu Yan said.
The manager widened his eyes in surprise. "You are asking for the moon, where can I get 30,000 liang of silver?"
"As a manager, you don’t have 30,000 liang?" Lu Yan did not believe him.
The manager responded with a wry smile, "My faction is suppressed everywhere within the Zhou Clan, my managerial role is essentially nominal, and I can’t get any silver coin. Moreover, I need a lot of money to cultivate myself and support a group of people ..."
"So, how much can you afford?"
"Five thousand liang, that’s all I have."
"Only five thousand liang?" Lu Yan was speechless. This guy was really poor.
"If you can’t pay with silver, it’s also fine. You can make up with martial arts. I’m very interested in your Zhou Clan’s Falcon Red Flame Claw."
Lu Yan said.
This was his real purpose.
He had long craved for a first-rate martial arts technique.
Its powerful strength was one reason. Moreover, if he wanted to break through the Martial Marquis realm, he would need a first-rate martial arts technique.
Second-rate martial arts techniques were not enough to break through the Martial Marquis realm because the quality of qi-blood was inadequate.
He was already a four-time limit breaker. Although he was still far from reaching the Martial Marquis realm, he needed to start planning in advance.
The manager looked calm, seemingly expecting Lu Yan’s request. He said, "Do you know why the first-rate martial arts techniques of the feudal lords have never been spread? It’s because even if I tell you the mantra, you won’t be able to cultivate it."
"Why?"
"Because, unlike second and third-rate martial arts, the cultivation of first-rate martial arts requires not only the mantra but also the synchronization with the ’Divine Intent Diagram’. Only with both elements can one succeed in cultivating a first-rate martial art. Without the ’Divine Intent Diagram’, it is impossible."
"The ’Divine Intent Diagram’ is the foundation and basis of each feudal lord, placed in the most secure place, surrounded by multiple traps. Disciples of the feudal lords can only view the Divine Intent Diagram after getting approval and authorization."
"And I absolutely can’t get a hold of the ’Divine Intent Diagram’."
The steward explained.
"..." Lu Yan was rendered speechless.
No wonder second and third-rate martial arts are widespread, but first-rate martial arts are generally only practiced by disciples of the feudal lords.
Like the first-rate martial arts of the Liu family and the Wu family, no outsider has ever been heard of learning them. So this is the reason.
By this logic, to get first-rate martial arts is hellishly difficult, unless you can exterminate this feudal lord.
But a feudal lord usually has a Martial Marquis overseeing it. To destroy a feudal lord, you must at least have the cultivation level of a Martial Marquis.
But to have the cultivation level of a Martial Marquis, you must have a first-rate martial art.
It’s a vicious cycle.
Unless, you can find a declining feudal lord without a Martial Marquis.
For example, the Zhou Clan, now left with only one Martial Marquis, who’s close to dying too.
If you can’t get first-rate martial arts, you settle for second best. Lu Yan said, "There should still be second-rate and third-rate martial arts, take out ten or eight."
The steward smiled bitterly and said, "I mainly practice first-rate martial arts, and I put all my energy into the Falcon Red Flame Claw. The second and third-rate martial arts I control are not many, but I can give them to you. However, I don’t have the manuscripts here, I have to write them from memory and it will take time."
"I can wait."
Lu Yan pondered for a moment, then asked, "I’m very curious, why would you, a member of the Zhou Clan as well, want to kill Zhou Hezhen?"
Not only is Zhou Hezhen a Martial Marquis, but he is also a master martial chef. With Zhou Hezhen’s death, the Zhou Clan will surely suffer a huge decline. How could this benefit the steward?
"Because he deserves to die, and everyone of his line, deserve to die."
Hate welled up in the steward’s eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "You probably don’t know that thirty years ago, the Zhou Clan had six Martial Marquises, prospering in full glory. And my father was the Family Head of the Zhou Clan at that time, at the peak of the Martial Marquis. One day when my father was out on an errand, he was ambushed by multiple Martial Marquises and died in the fight."
"That time when my father went out, it was a secret mission and very few people in the clan knew about it. How could he have been ambushed? There must have been a traitor."
"After that, Zhou Hezhen’s line seized power. Not long after, another Martial Marquis from my line mysteriously went berserk and died. Martial cultivators are not Martial Spirits, it’s not that easy to lose control. It’s laughable to even think about it."
"Since then, my line has been subjected to relentless discrimination, with restrictions on resources, martial food and so on, and the strength of them has been becoming weaker and weaker."
"This is a feud that cannot be resolved. How can I not get revenge? In Zhou Clan, my line is the legitimate successor."
"So, you sought out the female assassin and assassinated Zhou Hezhen in secret?"
Lu Yan asked.
"You got this one point wrong. It wasn’t me who found the female assassin, but she who found me. Claiming to be Bai Lin, she said she could help me kill Zhou Hezhen."
The steward said.
"You just agreed so lightly? Aren’t you afraid that Bai Lin is tricking you?" Lu Yan said.
"I had no choice. If I wait for Zhou Hezhen to cook Mutated Nine-section Heart Meat, the Zhou Clan can keep three pieces for itself, and my line will certainly not get any of it. They will use it all for their line. At then, one or two more Martial Marquises would have emerged, and my line will never see the day of resurgence."
The steward said.
"So, you don’t know Bai Lin’s identity and background then?" Lu Yan continued asking.
The steward shook his head.
Lu Yan muttered in his heart, you’re awesome.
"I’m very curious. With Zhou Hezhen killed, the Zhou Clan has only one remaining Martial Marquis. Aren’t you afraid of being swallowed up by other Martial Marquises? That wouldn’t benefit you in any way, right?"
Lu Yan said.
"You think this way because you don’t understand the history of the Zhou Clan. The Zhou Clan owes its rise to martial cuisine. Over the decades, several master martial chefs have been born, cooking martial food for many feudal lords, especially ’Eighteen Bone-penetrating Methods’. It can be said that the Zhou Clan owes a favor to these feudal lords, so they would not strike back at the Zhou Clan. If this becomes known, it would be a huge blow to a feudal lord’s reputation."
"Even if a feudal lord tries to swallow up the Zhou Clan, those feudal lords would come to the rescue. Therefore, no feudal lord dares to risk being attacked by all to swallow up the Zhou Clan."
The steward explained. After a moment’s pause, he continued, "Of course, in relations between the feudal lords, interest comes first. For example, this time the Zhou Clan produced Mutated Heart Meat and these feudal lords are quietly exerting pressure."
Lu Yan nodded, basically understanding the cause and effect. So...
Lu Yan clapped his hands and said, "Write down how you got to know the assassin and why you wanted to kill Zhou Hezhen. Once you’ve signed and put your seal, I will set you free."
"You..."
The steward glared at Lu Yan.
With his experience, how could he not see what Lu Yan was up to?
He wanted to completely control him.
Once everything was put down in black and white, if he disobeyed, Lu Yan could take the "evidence of his crime" to the martial Marquis of Zhou Clan, and then his line would be annihilated.
What a ruthless scheme, what a deep plot.
"So, you’re unwilling? Seems like you’re seeking death, aren’t you?"
Lu Yan said coldly, his eyes murderous.
