I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 97 He can step on it, but I can’t! ?
In the cottage.

Although the exterior looks like a large mountain stronghold, the interior is actually not a bandit's den like thatched huts, but rows of blue brick and red tile buildings, built against the hilltop. They are magnificent, exquisitely constructed and unique.

There is also a twin-tower Buddhist temple several tens of meters high in the center.

The dharma bodies of the two sect masters are enshrined in the Buddhist temple, and incense is burned day and night, implying prosperity and the enduring strength of the tigers and wolves.

Compared to the bustling atmosphere of countless disciples practicing frantically outside the village, the village itself was much quieter. Many of the disciples who came and went walked briskly, fearing to make loud noises and disturb others. They were very well-behaved.

In a villa with a sign that read "Qinglangju", a middle-aged man in a gray cotton-padded jacket knelt on the snow-covered ground, repeatedly kowtowing towards the living room door.

"Master Chen, I beg you to help Qing'er again. This child lost his mother when he was young and had no one to love him. Now, fortunately, Master Chen values ​​him and has allowed him to return to the Tiger and Wolf Sect for the first time. Why not come all at once instead of taking the test? If he gets injured or pushed down by others, it would be shameful for you, Master Chen..."

Eh.

A sigh was heard in the living room, and then a strong and tall middle-aged man walked out. He was wearing a gray brocade robe, a purple gold crown on his head, and cloud-patterned boots on his feet. His demeanor was as noble as a pine or crane, making people dare not look at him directly.

One of the two masters of the Tiger and Wolf Sect, Chen Qinglang.

"The Tiger and Wolf Sect doesn't belong to me, Chen Qinglang, alone. Everything must be done according to the rules. I've already set the stage for Xiaoqing. If Xiaoqing has the ability, he can definitely take the top spot. If he doesn't, then no one can do anything."

Bang.

The middle-aged man continued to kowtow to the ground. "I beg Master Chen to give Xiaoqing a secure future. I don't have any other expectations. I just want Xiaoqing to gain a firm foothold in the Tiger and Wolf Sect and live a stable life."

Chen Qinglang stared at the man deeply and sighed, "Brother, why do you have to do this?"

"You are the child's father! Although Qing'er was born to a concubine, the child's mother always served you wholeheartedly during her lifetime and never neglected him. Master Chen, please give the child a future for the sake of the child's mother." The man kowtowed to the ground again, bursting into tears.

A hint of anger flashed in Chen Qinglang's eyes, but as if he thought of something, the anger disappeared and finally turned into a helpless sigh.

He stepped forward, helped the man up, and gently brushed away the snow on his forehead and cotton-padded jacket. "Brother, if I were an ordinary citizen, I would have agreed to your request without waiting for you to ask. But... I am the leader of the Tiger and Wolf Sect. I am responsible for the order of thousands of people, thousands of people crying out for food. If I am not careful, the sect will fall apart.

Many people believe I, Chen Qinglang, live a carefree life, rich and prosperous, with the power to decide life and death with a single word. But who knows... the difficulties I face surviving in the cracks between the county government and the garrison? Every time I go to the county government, every time I go to the garrison... I worry they'll mistake me for a bandit or gangster and ambush and kill me.

Who knows how many people in the Tiger and Wolf Sect are secretly trying to stab me. If I do anything that goes against the rules, I will be immediately criticized and doomed.

The middle-aged man suddenly looked up and looked in disbelief at the top boss in front of him who was the best in the entire Qingwu County.

Chen Qinglang continued, "You think I don't care about my son? You think I don't want my son to live a good life? Stand firm? I have no choice.

If I set a bad example, the rest of the group will be ruined. I can't find a reason to punish them, you know? If I do, they'll accuse me of protecting my son and breaking the rules!
Do you think being the leader of the Tiger and Wolf Sect is impressive? How about you take on the role?"

The middle-aged man hung his head and dared not speak.

"You have nothing to say? Then get out of here. Don't come to me again." Chen Qinglang shouted in annoyance.

The middle-aged man finally did not dare to disobey and left angrily.

Chen Qinglang raised his head and sighed, "Oh, it's so hard to be a sect leader. I can't even protect my own son..."

If he is willing to be a foolish leader without considering the consequences, then it doesn't matter.

But deep down in his heart, Chen Qinglang had a strong desire to do his best to be a good member of the Tiger and Wolf Sect.

At this moment, a sound as loud as a bell exploded across the entire mountain.

——Chen Qinglang, are you tired of living?!

Even though they were far away, Chen Qinglang could feel the mighty roar of the sound. His entire body trembled violently.

"Exposing internal energy...at least that's a technique only great martial artists have...this is...fuck, why is this old man here?"

Chen Qinglang seemed to have realized the identity of the newcomer and immediately lowered his posture and rushed directly to the village gate, his heart filled with worry. He only hoped that his ignorant subordinates would not provoke the old man, otherwise the Tiger and Wolf Gate would be completely destroyed.

When Chen Qinglang arrived at the gate of the village, he saw the scene around him... and he was so scared that he gasped.

I saw dozens of men holding up shining broadswords, surrounding Old Master Tang, all of them looked ferocious and said things like "Kill this old man".

It’s true that a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers!
Even the sect leader Chen Qinglang was almost frightened to death.

He shouted anxiously from a distance.

"Stop it, just fucking stop it!"

The swordsmen heard the noise and glanced sideways, surprised to see their own leader rushing towards them like crazy. They all breathed a sigh of relief. The leader, a man with a sword in hand, pointed it at Old Master Tang, seemingly seeking credit. "Master Wolf, this old man is being rude and even wants you to carry a sedan chair to welcome him in. This is simply outrageous. I can't stand it..."

Snapped!
Before the man could finish, Chen Qinglang slapped him across the face and said, "If you can't speak, shut up."

The man covered his swollen face, feeling extremely aggrieved. He muttered stubbornly, "But this old man is really disrespectful to the Wolf Sect Master. I'm doing this for your own good..."

"Still talking?!" Chen Qinglang turned his head and glared at the man, his eyes blazing with fire. He wanted to kick the man to death...

For my own good?

You almost fucking killed me.

Sensing the fierceness in Chen Qinglang's eyes, the man finally didn't dare to speak. Because he felt... if he said another word, the sect leader would come over and fight him to the death.

The group of men around them actually had similar ideas, and some wanted to speak. However, after seeing what happened to the leading man, they wisely chose to shut up, put away their knives, and took a few steps back.

Then, in the shocked eyes of all the disciples... Chen Qinglang quickly rushed to Old Master Tang, and bowed deeply like a son meeting his father.

"Old Master, why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could have sent a sedan chair to Tangjiabao to invite you. How could I ask you to come here in person?"

Tang Zhengyang leaned on his dragon-headed crutch and snorted coldly, "Haha, you guys are getting more and more arrogant. I'm just an old man...how dare I bother you? I just missed you, Chen Qinglang, and came over to ask for a cup of tea. In the end, I was stopped and threatened to kill me...Ah, I'm old and useless. No one takes me seriously anymore."

hiss!
Chen Qinglang's scalp suddenly felt numb.

How could he not sense the old man’s dissatisfaction with him?
Immediately, Chen Qinglang stood up straight, glared at the disciples around him, and said viciously, "You are truly blind. Back then, Meng Hu and I both learned martial arts from Old Master Tang, and we had to call him Master. When Old Master was dominating the Qingwu, you were all still in your mother's womb. Come here and apologize, then each of you should go down and receive thirty lashes of the cane."

The disciples suddenly realized what was happening and were all shocked and frightened.

The master's teacher?

"Master Tang, I was wrong."

"Old Master, I am blind, please forgive me."

"Grandpa, I was wrong too."

"Me too..."

Tang Zhengyang's complexion finally improved. Chen Qinglang saw this and breathed a sigh of relief. "Come here, get a sedan chair. I'll carry it for the old man myself."

Tang Zhengyang shook his head and snorted, "No need to be so hypocritical here, I'm just saying. You are a sect leader now, after all, so I won't deny your dignity. Just go in."

"Everything is up to you, old master, please."

Chen Qinglang took the initiative to lead the way, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He thought to himself, "You haven't refuted my dignity yet? You've already taken my dignity and torn it to pieces, right?"
He only dared to think but not to speak.

Arriving at Qinglang Residence, Chen Qinglang welcomed Tang Zhengyang to the head of the table, personally brought out aged tea, boiled water for it, and served him snacks. "The old master's presence truly honors our humble Hulang Clan. I often talk to my elder brother about practicing health-preserving exercises with him, and I never forget his kindness."

Tang Zhengyang took a sip of tea and got straight to the point. "Alright, forget about these hypocritical pleasantries. I came to you because I want to tell you something."

"Please give your orders, old master."

"Did your son, Chen Qing, go to take the Baiyutang exam? And you also said that you wanted to take over the Blood Ridge black market?"

Chen Qinglang was deeply confused and terrified, and he quickly gave a pertinent answer. "To be honest, Chen Qing is my son with a concubine. I later learned that the concubine was a spy sent by the Heavenly Blade Society, but... it's true that she was kind to me. Later, when the Heavenly Blade Society found out she had given birth to my child, they killed her. Chen Qing wanted to take the test this time, so I gave him a chance. It wasn't that I wanted to take over the Blood Ridge black market."

Tang Zhengyang sighed after hearing this, "Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run."

Chen Qinglang still didn't know what Old Master Tang meant, so he said, "Don't worry, Old Master Tang. I'm just setting the stage for Chen Qing. The final result of the test depends entirely on his own ability. I will never interfere."

Tang Zhengyang glanced at him, "Are you still so distant with me? Fine, then I'll leave now. I came all this way here, and all you hear are polite words, which is not very meaningful."

Chen Qinglang panicked immediately and quickly grabbed Old Master Tang, "Old Master, calm down. I'll tell you everything."

Tang Zhengyang sat down again and said, "Tell me."

Chen Qinglang said, "Fang Baiyu, the head of Baiyu Hall, is extremely ambitious. He was driven by his own greed for immortal treasures during the Chen Mansion incident. This has caused the entire Baiyu Hall to fail and suffer heavy losses. I intend to replace him, so I set up the test. I intend to keep Baiyu Hall's core asset, the Blood Ridge Black Market, in the hands of someone I can trust... In the future, I will make the Blood Ridge Black Market a commercial center. As for Baiyu Hall... it will no longer be necessary. Only the Blood Ridge Black Market will remain."

Tang Zhengyang finally felt satisfied and tapped Chen Qinglang's forehead with his finger. "You still say you haven't made any plans for your son?"

Eh.

Chen Qinglang sighed, "Old Master, I have to be honest with you. Chen Qing's martial arts skills are decent, but he's a bit impatient. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I'd give him the Blood Ridge Black Market, but I couldn't resist my brother-in-law's repeated requests. That's why I let him take the test."

Tang Zhengyang nodded, "What a coincidence, I also have someone participating in this exam."

Chen Qinglang's eyes widened, and he immediately understood the old man's intention.

"Old Master, please tell me this person's name. I will go to Shui Deng Town in person even if it means risking my reputation. I will save this person."

"That's not necessary. Since it's a test, let's do it fairly. If my person wins first place, just don't do anything underhanded." Tang Zhengyang said, "That's perfect. Let's let everyone see how the people you and I chose performed."

Chen Qinglang's forehead was covered with cold sweat. "Even if Qinglang disobeys the whole world, he won't dare to disobey the old master's wishes."

"Ah."

Tang Zhengyang got up and left.

Chen Qinglang's eyes shifted as he followed closely, "If the old master isn't busy, why don't we go to Shuideng Town together? That way, I can see what kind of person would make the old master go there in person?"

Tang Zhengyang said: "Okay."

……

Water Lantern Town.

Bai Yu Tang.

Xie An waited for a moment in the Northwest Courtyard before seeing Tang Qingfeng and Tang Qingyun return. They didn't say anything to Xie An, just a few pleasantries before telling him to go back and prepare well for the exam. Don't overthink it, just focus on demonstrating your strength immediately.

Xie An returned to Lin Yun's residence.

The time for the exam had not been set yet, so the two of them sat down to drink tea and wait quietly.

Not long after, Wang Xiang and Liang Zhi returned with a large bag of medicine. Lin Yun happily unpacked it and examined each item. It contained mostly gauze, disinfectant, bruises, and wound medicine.

After checking again and again, Lin Yun was sure that nothing was missing and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Now I have everything. I estimate that the examination will require many rounds, so it's always better to be prepared."

Xie An saw this and felt a little warm in his heart.

Although Xie An felt that these preparations were just in case, he actually felt that Lin Yun was worrying too much.

If he dares to come, he must have absolute confidence.

But Xie An still appreciated the other person's kindness.

While drinking tea and waiting, Xie An began to think about what Tang Qingfeng had told him before he left - don't think too much, just focus on showing your strength.

Xie An felt that the second half of the sentence was easy to understand, but the problem was the first half...

Although Tang Qingyun and Tang Qingfeng didn't say anything explicitly, Xie An had a vague feeling based on various signs...

At the beginning of the Si hour, Zhang Lin hurried back, breathlessly saying, "The exam schedule and list have been posted. There are 64 contestants in total. They will draw lots in pairs, and after six rounds, the winner will be determined. The competition is non-stop. If a contestant is unable to participate in the next round due to injury, they will be considered withdrawn and forfeited."

Lin Yun was surprised to hear this. "No stopping midway... one round after another, which means that in addition to winning, the contestants must also pay special attention to avoiding injury. This undoubtedly increases the difficulty of the test. What are the rules of the arena?"

Zhang Lin said, "In a life-and-death test, there are no rules, no restrictions on weapons or methods. It's not over until one side dies or one side admits defeat."

Lin Yun nodded slightly. "This isn't much different from the usual Incense Master level tests. Thank you, brother. Do you know what 'no rules' means?"

Xie An said: "I know, there are no restrictions on sneak attacks and hidden weapons. This is nothing, fighting in the martial arts world does not care about the process, but the result. Once I am on the stage, I will not hold back."

After hearing Xie An's attitude, Lin Yun felt relieved and said, "Okay. That's it. Let's go outside the arena and prepare to draw lots."

Zhang Lin also became excited, "We should go early and try to draw a good lottery and have a good start."

Xie An followed everyone out of Baiyu Hall. When he came to the arena at the entrance again, he was shocked by the scene there.

The intersection where three streets converged was packed with people, three layers inside and outside, and the streets were truly deserted.

After more than thirty years in this world, Xie An had never seen such a bustling scene. Even if he was calm, he couldn't help but be moved by such a scene.

Suddenly, Xie An felt firsthand why those football and basketball stars of his past lives were so passionate on the field, running and sweating profusely. Beyond the sport itself, it was the countless enthusiastic spectators outside the stadium that imbued the field with extraordinary significance, making the glory of victory incomparably sacred.

The same is true for this examination.

The top management of Hulangmen has put a lot of effort into setting up this stage.

Anyone who could come out on top in front of so many villagers would not only bring honor to their family, but also intimidate the other five towns, including Shuideng Town. Forget becoming the incense master of the Blood Ridge Black Market, even becoming the head of the White Feather Hall would be a no-brainer.

This is a stage for rapid advancement.

It is the ladder to heaven that Chen Qinglang built for his son Chen Qing.

Little did they know that there would be an unexpected event in this drama.

It remains to be seen who will be the final winner.

This ladder to the blue sky... can Chen Qing step on it? I, Xie An, can't! ?

Just when Xie An was stunned, Tang Qingyun's voice came from the side, "Xie An, come over and draw lots."

(End of this chapter)