Martial Sovereign of the Turbulent World

Chapter 177: Chapter 175: Master. Let Him Rest for Now.

Li Hongyuan was a notorious bandit from the Sunan region, famous over a decade ago. He was wanted for several massacres where he had annihilated entire families.

His methods were cruel, and his martial arts were exceptional.

When he fled to Shenghai, martial artists had even spontaneously formed a posse, wanting to rid the world of a menace and enact justice. Instead, Li Hongyuan turned the tables and killed several of their experts.

Later, Li Hongyuan suddenly vanished without a trace. No one would have guessed that he had actually been recruited by Zhao Jigang.

Now, under the Xin Republic’s Government, the laws of the New Dynasty couldn’t be applied to crimes of the former era. Li Hongyuan appeared brazenly in public. As his long list of past atrocities was unearthed, his vicious reputation only grew louder.

At the Qinglian Gang’s supporting seats, the Tongxuan Realm expert who had been about to stand up paled upon learning Li Hongyuan’s identity, and he immediately sank back into his chair.

The few others all feigned deep contemplation, making it clear they wanted no part of this.

Seeing this, Madam Ding frowned slightly, just about to say something.

Just then, a timid voice came from the crowd. "How about... I give it a try?"

Everyone turned toward the voice. There, mixed in with the Qinglian Gang members, was a swarthy, middle-aged man in his forties who had appeared from who knows where.

He was of medium build and plain appearance, dressed in a faded black cotton robe with a blue patch at the waist.

Standing there, one might mistake him for a down-on-his-luck scholar at first glance.

As all eyes fell on him, he grew a little flustered and smiled shyly.

Fu Juemin’s expression froze when he saw the man. He then slowly rose to his feet.

"Master?"

The man was none other than Ye Zhenren!

"This is the master you’re studying under?"

Madam Ding asked Fu Juemin, sizing up Ye Zhenren.

Fu Juemin nodded slightly as Ye Zhenren took the opportunity to walk briskly forward.

"Lingjun."

After greeting Fu Juemin, Ye Zhenren hurriedly bowed to Madam Ding.

Fu Juemin asked, "Master, what are you doing here?"

Ye Zhenren smiled sheepishly. "Your... your master’s wife sent me out to buy groceries. I just... dropped by to have a look."

Ye Zhenren was empty-handed, his excuse flimsy. Who knew how long he had been standing in the crowd, listening.

After a few more pleasantries, Ye Zhenren was eager to head for the stage.

"W-Well then... I’m going up!"

Madam Ding watched Ye Zhenren’s retreating back, a flicker in her eyes. She glanced at Fu Juemin, but seeing he had no objections, she let the matter be.

Countless eyes, both on and off the stage, fixed on Ye Zhenren as a buzz of discussion erupted.

Curiosity, speculation, doubt...

If Li Hongyuan at least looked the part of a vicious killer, Ye Zhenren possessed not a single shred of an expert’s bearing.

He seemed particularly nervous, even stumbling as he climbed the stage, which drew a wave of boos from the crowd below.

With an awkward expression, Ye Zhenren clasped his hands in a salute to the surrounding crowd. Once on the platform, he offered a cupped-fist salute to Li Hongyuan.

The instant Ye Zhenren lowered his hands, Li Hongyuan’s listless demeanor vanished. A savage look appeared on his face as, eyes glinting with cruelty, he launched a vicious kick straight at Ye Zhenren’s head!

Li Hongyuan specialized in Leg Skills. In his early days, his favorite pastime was kicking people to death with his iron-like legs.

He had once brutally kicked a Tongxuan Realm Martial Artist into a bloody pulp, one strike at a time.

Seeing this, many people looked on with pity, already imagining the gruesome scene that was about to unfold...

「Ten minutes later.」

An irrepressible uproar, like a rising tide, surged from the spectator stands surrounding the Xuanwu Platform—

On the Martial Arts Arena of the Red Jade Barrier, Ye Zhenren, his expression solemn, was slowly pulling back his fist.

In front of him, vomiting mouthfuls of blood, Li Hongyuan collapsed backward with a thunderous crash, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

With a complex look in his eyes, Ye Zhenren softly murmured, "Thank you for the match." He then limped forward, plucked the Red Jade Token from Li Hongyuan’s waist, and turned to descend the stage.

This time, no one dared to laugh. Every gaze fixed upon him was filled with shock and reverence.

Ye Zhenren returned to the Qinglian Gang’s section and carefully placed the Red Jade Token onto a tray. Only then did he turn to Fu Juemin and say sheepishly, "Lingjun, I... I didn’t embarrass you, did I?"

Fu Juemin’s expression was complex.

He had never expected Ye Zhenren to show up on his own accord to offer assistance. The victory hadn’t come easy for his master. Both sides of his ribs were injured, and his face had been brutally scraped by the force of one of Li Hongyuan’s killing kicks. The skin at the corner of one eye was broken, and the eye itself was so swollen he could only see through a squint.

"Bring a seat for Master Ye!"

Madam Ding ordered from the side, her gaze toward Ye Zhenren now filled with admiration.

In this world, there are always more people who will celebrate with the successful than those who will offer help in a time of need.

It was commendable enough that Ye Zhenren had stepped forward today; the fact that he had also won was even more remarkable.

The Qinglian Gang members quickly brought over a Taishi Chair, but before Ye Zhenren could reflexively decline the honor, Fu Juemin raised a hand to stop them.

"No need," Fu Juemin said. "My master still has to buy groceries for his wife. If he stays any longer, he’ll be late for dinner..."

As he spoke, Fu Juemin’s gaze turned to Ye Zhenren. "When this is all over," he said calmly, "I’ll come to your house for dinner, Master."

Ye Zhenren started, then his face bloomed with a joy that bordered on being overwhelmed.

"Yes, yes! You must come, Lingjun.

Madam Ding, you should come as well. Come together..."

Ye Zhenren left, chuckling happily despite his injuries, still without a shred of an expert’s dignified air.

But this time, the men of the Qinglian Gang voluntarily parted to let him pass.

The Qinglian Gang had passed two barriers in a row, but before they even had a chance to celebrate, the next three opponents from the martial arts world appeared, instantly elevating the intensity of the challenge to a suffocating new level.

After the Red Jade Barrier came the Purple Jade Barrier.

Two men and a woman emerged as the gatekeepers for the Purple Jade Barrier. One was a lean-faced man in his sixties—none other than Zhou Feibai, the Vice President of the Martial Dao Association, hailed as "Unrivaled Fist and Palm."

The woman was in her forties, clad in a long, cyan dress with her hair in a high bun. She held a pair of longswords and was the current Sect Leader of the Divine Maiden Sword sect, Qin Suyi.

The last person was the youngest, somewhere in his late thirties.

He had chestnut hair, gray eyes, a tall and long-legged build, and deep-set eyes with a high-bridged nose... he looked like a Westerner.

His name was Chen Qigong. He was from Viliduo and of mixed Chinese and Western heritage.

He had run with foreign gangs since he was young, mastering Western boxing techniques. Back home, he was even known as the "Boxing King."

Later, he came to Shenghai and studied under numerous famous masters. He fused his Western boxing with Ancient Martial Arts to create his own style, the "Tyrant Fist."

He once held an open challenge at the gates of the Martial Arts Association for a whole month, defeating an untold number of Shenghai’s Martial Dao experts. He was a legendary and renowned figure in the Shenghai Martial Realm.

Whether it was Zhou Feibai, Qin Suyi, or Chen Qigong, they were all publicly acknowledged as top-tier experts who had achieved Great Success in Tongxuan and were at the Half-step Gratitude Realm.

What was the Half-step Gratitude Realm? It meant all the necessary acupoints and meridians in the body had been opened. One’s Vitality was polished to a state of perfect harmony, and a "Lingxi" had been born within it. All that was left to reach the Gratitude Sensing Realm was the final step: thoroughly tempering one’s "Perception."

They were separated from the Gratitude Sensing Realm by a paper-thin barrier, and their power far surpassed that of an ordinary expert at the Late Stage of Tongxuan.

For these three to be the Gatekeepers of the Purple Jade Barrier was truly a fitting assignment.

The simultaneous appearance of these three, each with their own distinct aura, immediately caused a sensation. Countless eyes turned in unison toward the Qinglian Gang.

The few hired experts remaining in the supporting seats were the first to crack under the pressure. Their expressions shifted rapidly. One by one, they stood up, mumbled a few excuses, and then hastily cupped their fists in farewell before departing.

No Tongxuan Realm expert was confident enough to face any of those three. Going up would be pointless; worse, they might be beaten to death on the stage.

Risking their lives for a bit of money and face... it wasn’t worth it.

Seeing the hired experts depart, Madam Ding’s brow furrowed slightly, but she remained silent. Her gaze fell upon the last remaining figure: an old man in a floral-patterned satin robe, his eyes downcast, leaning on a staff.

"Elder Feng, it’s time for you to go up and stretch your legs."

The old man didn’t even raise his eyelids. "Miss Ding," he said slowly, "how could you ask me to bully these children?"

"If it were Zhao Jigang himself, I would’ve taken action..."

Madam Ding frowned. "Elder Feng, don’t forget that you’ve already been paid."

The old man remained motionless and snorted. "I considered it a gift, a token of respect."

"Besides, while I did promise to take action... I never specified when."

Madam Ding stared at the old man, her face devoid of expression. Suddenly, she called out, "Brew the tea!"

Someone at her side immediately brought over a cup of hot tea.

Madam Ding took it and ambled toward the old man.

"Elder Feng, about Moshan..."

Before Madam Ding could even utter the word "please," a long, powerful hand reached out from the side, firmly pressing down on the teacup she held.

Fu Juemin smoothly took the cup from Madam Ding’s hand. He casually blew the froth from the surface and took a light sip. "Aunt Ding," he said softly, "let Elder Feng rest."

"I’ll go up and give it a try."

The words had barely left his lips when the old man, Feng, who had kept his head bowed the entire time, snapped his head up. His eyes, sharp as daggers, shot toward Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin seemed not to notice. He simply smiled, casually handed the cup to Big Cat beside him, and turned to walk toward the Xuanwu Platform.

A light flashed in Madam Ding’s eyes. Within a breath, she returned to her original seat and sat down, perfectly composed.