Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 78: Regardless of Gratitude or Revenge?

"Chen Sanshui, disciple of Tian Jingjie of Xinyi Liuhe Hall, will come to challenge the school in three days! Life or death is irrelevant."

The few hastily written words on the letter contain a wealth of information.

But the disciples in charge of the boxing gym didn't take it seriously. Tian Jingjie had been crippled for a year. What use is a tiger without teeth?

If the master is incompetent, then the disciple is even less worth mentioning.

These days I've been busy with the passing of Gong Baotian, so I haven't paid much attention to it, and the matter has been suppressed.

Nobody paid any attention!

However, the rule in the martial arts world is that once a challenge is sent, accepting it means you have accepted the challenge.

No response? We can come to your home!

Three days later, there are seven days left until New Year's Eve.

Fengtian City lacked the atmosphere of celebrating New Year's Day; the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, and heavy snowfall added to the chill.

Winters in Northeast China often see snow, but this year it's exceptionally cold!
The Gong family mansion.

On the twentieth day after Gong Baotian's death, martial arts figures from Northeast China gathered here, creating a somber atmosphere.

Gong Ruomei, Gong Baotian's only daughter, is returning to Fengtian today.

Inside the main house, Fifth Master and Seventh Master sat in the central hall. The two were sworn brothers with Gong Baotian and were the three elders of Fengtian. After Gong Baotian died, the two of them had the highest status.

In fact, in terms of seniority in the martial arts world, Tian Jingjie should also be present.

He was Liu Lanqi's apprentice, and had a high seniority, but the Liuhe Boxing Gym had declined and his status was low. Nobody cared about him, and no one would even inform him.

Fifth Master and Seventh Master sat upright, taking a sip of tea. Hao Mingqi asked, "Where is Second Daughter?"

Someone outside replied, "Seventh Master, the Second Miss is almost here; there's just one more alley."

"Okay, prepare a charcoal brazier, clean water, and ginger and brown sugar water."

"Yes, everything is ready."

Immediately, someone placed a basin of glowing red charcoal at the gate, along with a copper basin filled with water and a porcelain bowl filled with ginger and brown sugar water.

Northeast China has many customs. When returning home from afar, one needs to "step over a fire basin" to cleanse oneself of impurities and welcome the new year, dispelling bad luck. One must also wash one's hands before touching the ancestral tablets.

Drinking ginger and brown sugar water in winter can ward off the cold.

With everything prepared, footsteps gradually approached from outside the door. The old steward, Jiang Ming, had a knife tucked into his waistband, a small monkey wrapped around his shoulder, and his eyes darted left and right, looking around anxiously.

Gong Ruomei walked all the way from Fengtian Station, and countless people watched her along the way, leaving as soon as they saw her and reporting her whereabouts.

The Gong family had many disciples, and as they walked to the alley outside the Gong family mansion, nearly a hundred people followed behind them.

As the crowds grow, the chill of winter deepens.

At the entrance of the alley, you can see Old Jiang standing at the door like a guardian deity.

Gong Ruomei tightened her black fur cloak and strolled into the snow. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the alley to her right and saw two people standing at the end. They were unremarkable, except that one of them was armless, which was a bit strange.

She hadn't returned to Fengtian for a long time, and frowned, not recognizing her.

But that didn't matter; all she cared about was Ma San, the man who had killed her father.

Upon reaching the vermilion gate and standing opposite Jiang Ming, Gong Ruomei said, "Uncle Jiang, you've worked hard."

Jiang Ming shook his head, and the monkey on his shoulder shook its head as well, saying, "We don't talk like that when we're family. Miss, all the martial arts practitioners from beyond the Great Wall have arrived, and everyone is waiting for you to make a decision."

"Make a decision? That's treason! A murderer must pay with his life!"

Gong Ruomei turned and entered the grand courtyard with its tall gates and blue stone steps: "Uncle Jiang, did my father leave any words before he died?"

Jiang Ming followed behind, his voice soft: "Don't ask about gratitude or grudges."

"Not asking about gratitude or grudges?"

"Don't ask about grudges or gratitude!"

Gong Ruomei knew that Uncle Jiang wouldn't lie to her. Standing at the door, she carefully pondered the meaning of the four words "father." After thinking for a moment, snowflakes fell, and she stepped through the door. The brazier was in front of her.

"Miss, please step over the fire basin to ward off evil spirits."

Gong Ruomei looked at the main house in the courtyard. It was spacious and bright, with oil lamps lit inside, casting dim shadows. She wondered how many martial arts practitioners were waiting for her in the main hall.

But no one came out to greet him. He looked down at the brazier in front of him.

Old Jiang caught up and said, "Young lady, the master forbids revenge."

Gong Ruomei didn't speak; she had already made up her mind. She lifted her foot, but instead of stepping over the brazier, she...
A sweeping step!

"Oh!"

Sparks flew everywhere, embers flew, and when they were sprinkled on the snow, they created a thin mist.

"The evil spirits are not on me!"

Gong Ruomei walked straight through the courtyard, through the halls and rooms, followed by the loyal disciples of the Gong family.

Side hall.

Gong Baotian's memorial tablet was placed at the front, and three more incense sticks were lit when they were half-burned.

The lamp goes out when a person dies, but the incense continues to burn—this is the custom before burial.

Gong Ruomei walked to the front of the mourning hall, knelt down, closed her eyes, bowed her head, kowtowed, and then stood up.

Relight three incense sticks and place them in front of Gong Baotian's memorial tablet.

He stood up again, his aura becoming even more sharp.

Return to the main hall.

The large hall was packed with people, some standing, some sitting, row upon row, a dense crowd.

There was only a small gap in the middle, with a chair left there.

It was left for her.

Gong Ruomei tossed her cloak aside, sat down in a chair, scanned the crowd, and said directly, "The whole group has come. It doesn't look like they're here to support the Gong family; it looks more like a joint trial."

There were many people, but it was quiet.

"Second daughter, what are you saying? You've been wronged, so as your uncle, it's only natural that I should uphold justice."

Hou Fengwu sat on the left at the head of the table. The thin, short old man was about sixty years old, but his eyes shone brightly, and he was clearly a master of internal martial arts.

"It's not that Ruomei has been wronged, it's that the Gong family has lost face and dignity," Gong Ruomei said calmly.

"What does the second daughter want?" The old man on the right was tall and thin with thick fists. He spoke with a strong voice and showed no signs of old age.

"A life for a life, a debt for a debt, the things taken from the Gong family must be returned!"

“That’s right, in my opinion, he should be killed. This hatred is too great. He betrayed his master and ancestors. Is there any greater hatred in the world than this?” Hou Fengwu said calmly.

The disciples of the Gong family below couldn't help but shout a few words, but Gong Ruomei raised her hand to stop them: "Fifth Uncle is willing to help me?"

Hou Fengwu remained silent, while Hao Mingqi said, "If you intervene in this matter, regardless of who dies or is injured, it will become a laughing stock in the capital. Your Gong family disciples killed their master, and your junior sister killed your senior brother—a whole bunch of heartless and unjust beasts. If the Cheng family from the capital comes and says that your Gong family lacks virtue and your martial arts are not pure enough to be worthy of the authentic Bagua lineage, can you handle it?"

These words were a direct threat, using the Gong family's plaque to pressure Gong Ruomei.

Gong Ruomei naturally knew about the grudges between their ancestors. The two factions had been fighting to the death for three generations. Although Yin Fu was the senior brother, his martial arts were inferior to that of Glasses Cheng.

If it weren't for the help of experts from the palace, he would have died at Cheng Tinghua's hands in their several encounters.

However, he took on a disciple on behalf of his master and found a good one, Gong Baotian.

By this generation, the Cheng family lacked top-tier experts and had fallen behind. Unless Sun Lutang intervened, but that was clearly impossible, as Sun Lutang was already the head of the Xingyi School, and it wouldn't make sense for him to intervene on behalf of the Bagua School.

Moreover, the fact that the Gong family possesses the Bagua Internal Cultivation Secret Method and a large plaque left by Dong Haichuan is indisputable.

This allowed the Gong family to firmly establish themselves as the authentic Bagua (Eight Trigrams) lineage in Northeast China.

But now that Gong Baotian has passed away, if the senior and junior brothers and sisters start fighting again, the Cheng family will launch an attack from the north.

The Palace Family's Eight Trigrams: Great Danger!
"Besides, speaking of your senior brother, even your father couldn't handle him, so what makes you think you can?"

"Second daughter, we've watched you grow up. We're saying all this for your own good. You can't be ungrateful. Listen to your fifth uncle and get married quickly!" Hou Fengwu added fuel to the fire.

After listening, Gong Ruomei remained silent for a while, then stood up and took two steps toward the two of them.

"So, in the end, you two uncles are unwilling to help me?"

(End of this chapter)