The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 40 Crouching Tiger Manor, Dean Chen (4k)

The voice was gentle and deliberate.

To Hong Yuan, the words sounded incredibly familiar. It was none other than his former role model, Chen Huanshan, the former dean of Qingxu Academy who had run away with his wife, two concubines, and sister-in-law!
Hong Yuan really didn't expect that his sudden impulse would lead him to run into an old acquaintance here.

Judging from the conversation between the two people inside, it seems that after Dean Chen ran away, he joined a certain force and served some kind of manor lord.

Hong Yuan originally came under cover of night to spar with Yue Feng, observe his martial arts skills, and learn from them.

At this moment, there was no rush; let's just listen to what the two have to say.

Hong Yuan's eyes flickered.

But then Yue Feng's voice rang out from inside the room: "It's difficult! I used martial arts methods to challenge them, forcing Zuo Lie and Shi Meng to accept the challenge. If we want to forcibly subdue them, they will have to gather their apprentices and disciples to attack us all at once."

"Moreover, these two have been rooted in Wushan County for many years, and their disciples and followers include many sons of wealthy families. Even if we force them to submit for the time being, we still have to be wary of them colluding with the wealthy families to turn against us later, which would be even more troublesome."

Chen Huanshan also sighed: "Although there are many skilled people in the manor, there are many more things to do. The manor lord's plans are not limited to just Wushan County..."

He paused, as if thinking for a moment, and continued, "I will write a letter later and send it back to the manor, hoping that the manor lord can send three or five more skilled men over."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Chen." Yue Feng's joy was evident in his words.

"We're all doing things for the master, why should we thank him?"

Chen Huanshan laughed and said, "In the end, it's you, Yue, who has worked hard. I, Chen, have only used my words. Fortunately, the situation in Wushan County has already been opened up."

"Yue Feng is just a rough man who knows a little martial arts. If it weren't for Mr. Chen's planning, how could I have gathered my forces so quickly? I'm afraid I would still be overwhelmed with problems and have no idea where to start!"

The two people inside burst into laughter.

Hong Yuan also smiled.

Although Yue Feng and Chen Huanshan did not mention the 'manor' or the 'manor owner's' real name, he still had some speculations.

When the world is in turmoil, wealthy and powerful families like to build manors and fortresses to protect their families, so titles such as "manor" and "manor owner" are quite popular.

Huang Guiling was one of them.

Those who are skilled and have such strong江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) habits are truly ready to emerge.

Even within the Yang Family Martial Arts School in Yangquan County, Hong Yuan often heard his students mention a great hero in Linjiang Prefecture named Song Yinglong.

It is said that this man was generous and righteous, and always liked to befriend heroes of the martial arts world. He even spent a lot of money to establish a manor called "Crouching Tiger Manor". Whenever a hero came to his door, he would be treated to wine and meat.

Over the past decade or so, the reputation of Wohu Mountain Villa has grown daily. It is said that the number of its retainers has reached a thousand, and each of them is a skilled and capable man who has honed his martial arts.

Hong Yuan did not disbelieve that there were no righteous and chivalrous people in the world.

He simply couldn't believe that someone who could be on friendly terms with hundreds or thousands of people could be such a righteous and chivalrous person, supporting so many martial arts practitioners who drank and ate meat. Not to mention anything else, the daily cost of their food and drink alone would be astronomical.

Where does the wealth come from?

When the martial arts students mentioned Song Yinglong, Hong Yuan took it to heart and remembered the man's name.

I didn't mean anything by it, I just felt that this person was probably not one of my colleagues.

To unlock the [Tai Sui Blessed Land], one must climb to the pinnacle of power.

Song Yinglong's extravagant spending couldn't possibly be solely for charity, could it?
Next, Yue Feng and Chen Huanshan discussed how to defeat the remaining gangs in Wushan County, including killing or subduing the gang leaders, and how to consolidate the gang's assets and manpower.

And how to deal with the counterattack from the big players.

After all, no major player wants to see their gangs consolidated into one entity, and many gangs are essentially black gloves that major players cultivate specifically to do dirty work.

Suddenly, the heated discussion inside the room abruptly stopped.

'Oh! You noticed? You seem a bit slow on the uptake.'

Two guards were pacing back and forth in the courtyard. Even if they didn't say anything, there should have been some footsteps. If the two people inside the house had just looked up and glanced outside, they would have noticed something was wrong.

It can only be said that the two were so engrossed in their discussion that they lost their sense of caution, feeling surrounded by a large number of thugs.

At this moment, the two people inside the room suddenly started talking loudly again.

Hong Yuan chuckled lightly, uninterested in listening to the two of them putting on an act, and tapped lightly on the window frame with his finger.

Tuk-tuk-tuk!
"Greetings, gentlemen. I apologize for my late-night visit, as I am quite uncouth!"

Hong Yuan laughed.

As soon as he finished speaking, all the lights in the room suddenly went out. With a soft 'whoosh' sound, like a cicada flapping its wings, a cold, sharp glint pierced through the window and swiftly struck Hong Yuan's chest.

If it were an ordinary martial artist who had just entered the realm of internal strength, the sudden dimming of vision and discomfort, coupled with this almost silent and incredibly swift thrust, would likely have made it difficult for them to escape unscathed.

Hong Yuan, however, had already tapped his foot to retreat when the attack came, landing in the center of the courtyard.

Wow!

The cold, sharp edge missed its target and quickly swept through, tearing open the front doors and windows. Amidst the deafening roar, a tall, ordinary-looking young man emerged, carrying a long sword.

Chen Huanshan shielded Yue Feng in front of him, stared at Hong Yuan, and said in a deep voice, "Who are you? When did you arrive?"

Hong Yuan was once an outstanding student of Qingxu Academy, and Chen Huanshan had some dealings with him, but he didn't recognize him at this moment.

Firstly, it was nearly nighttime, and although there were torches around, the courtyard was still quite dark; secondly, Hong Yuan's face was covered.

Even if he took off his mask, given his increased height, physique, and drastically changed demeanor, Chen Huanshan probably wouldn't recognize him.

It doesn't matter.

Hong Yuan wasn't there to reminisce.

"Just arrived, just arrived..."

Hong Yuan waved his hand and chuckled, "I've heard that a young talent has recently emerged in Wushan County, so I've come to learn from him. Don't worry, I didn't hear a word of what you called 'Crouching Tiger Manor'..."

He used words to deceive, and glanced over, immediately seeing Yue Feng and Chen Huanshang, both of whom had gloomy expressions.

In particular, a cold glint flashed in Yue Feng's eyes as he saw that the courtyard was already in an uproar due to the noise of the broken windows, and footsteps were heard as many thugs rushed over.

"catch him!"

With a sharp shout, Yue Feng pounced forward, his longsword trembling and flashing in the darkness, its shape shifting unpredictably as if aiming for Hong Yuan's face or chest, making his sword path impossible to fathom.

Dozens of thugs shouted and rushed forward one after another. The first dozen or so had already entered the courtyard, each drawing their weapons and attacking.

With a flick of his toe, Hong Yuan sent the body of a guard he had previously killed flying into the air, which then flew towards Yue Feng's attacking sword.

The two were now extremely close, and Yue Feng had no choice but to stop. He quickly withdrew his sword, turned to the side, and kicked the corpse away.

He felt a powerful force surging into his body, forcing him to take several steps back.

Hong Yuan then crashed into the two thugs who were attacking him. He lowered his head to avoid the two long swords that were swinging, and then grabbed the two thugs by the throat with his hands behind his back.

With a powerful slam, he dunked like a basketball, pulling the two thugs up into the air before slamming their heads heavily onto the blue bricks, killing them instantly. Hong Yuan snatched a long knife, his right hand spinning with incredible speed, like a whirlwind.

The sharp, piercing sounds continued as his longsword moved like a gentle breeze, without colliding with the weapons of the other thugs. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream rang out.

Seven or eight thugs, some with their heads flying into the air, some with their wrists severed at the root, and some with their legs cut off, collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

Upon seeing this, the dozens of thugs who had rushed forward immediately stopped, all showing fear and panic.

These people have only been subdued by Yue Feng for a few days, so how can they be considered loyal?

If Hong Yuan had been more elegant in killing people, such as slitting throats with a long knife, leaving only a trace of blood, perhaps they wouldn't have been so terrified.

But with heads being chopped off and limbs severed, just watching them filled them with terror, and they had no will to fight.

Yue Feng made a promise that everyone's monthly allowance would be increased after joining this new gang, but it's only a few coins, why risk your life?
Some, terrified, let out a scream and fled in panic, while the smarter ones quietly lagged behind, their bodies disappearing into the shadows.

"mob!"

Chen Huanshan's eyes twitched, and he shook his head at the sight.

Yue Feng steadied himself and saw that his dozens of thugs had almost collapsed in just a few breaths, when in reality only a dozen or so had died. He was furious.

He was about to shout angrily when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and heard a cold shout in his ear: "Sweep away a thousand troops!"

Yue Feng instinctively lowered his longsword, and in an instant, a chilling blade of light shot up, accompanied by a whistling wind, and slashed down on him.

"mean!"

What happened to the promise of sweeping through the enemy ranks?

Yue Feng roared and hurriedly raised his longsword to parry, but in his haste, he could not muster much strength. He only managed to block once, but the longsword slammed down like a heavy hammer, and the longsword cracked as if it could not withstand the blow and was about to shatter.

Yue Feng's body trembled violently, his legs went weak, and with a 'thud,' he was forced to kneel on the ground, his knees hitting the blue bricks heavily.

Yue Feng suddenly felt a sharp pain in both knees, as if his bones were cracked.

What hurts even more is the humiliation of being slashed to the knees.

The long saber slammed down, pressing the long sword against the top of Yue Feng's head.

Bang!
Hong Yuan suddenly withdrew his sword and kicked Yue Feng in the chest, sending him tumbling several times and his sword flying.

Despicable? You, a low-class gang leader, dare to call yourself despicable? Do you even understand the value of Nie-style use of the "Seven Slashes of Bolang" technique?

Chen Huanshan's expression changed drastically.

Yue Feng was considered one of the best among the many skilled fighters at Wohu Mountain Villa, but he was unexpectedly outmatched by this man in black. He subtly retreated into the shadows, already thinking of making a quick getaway.

Unfortunately, Hong Yuan may have forgotten someone, but he will never forget this master of running away!
He flipped in mid-air and landed next to Chen Huanshan, pressing down on his shoulder and holding a long sword to his neck. Chen Huanshan's knees buckled and he knelt down.

"Hero, spare my life!"

Hong Yuan was somewhat speechless. Images of discussing scriptures with Chen Huanshan in the past flooded his mind. At that time, he thought this man had great integrity.

"Mr. Chen, you look somewhat familiar. Could you be the former headmaster of the academy in Qingxu County?"

Chen Huanshan's face turned even paler. He was not only afraid, but also felt extremely ashamed. However, the knife was still gleaming brightly in front of his eyes, and no matter how ashamed he was, he dared not stand up.

"It is...it is indeed I, sir. May I ask your honorable name and how you recognize me?"

Hong Yuan exclaimed with delight, "So it really is Dean Chen! You should have said so earlier!"

He grabbed Chen Huanshan and patted the dust off his clothes with the back of his knife, making Chen Huanshan stiffen even more. Hong Yuan, however, seemed very friendly: "Dean Chen, do you know that your departure from Qingxu was so sudden that I had to look for you everywhere? To be honest, I once met your sister-in-law, and I fell in love with her at first sight. I admire her greatly... Dean Chen, you wouldn't have taken your sister-in-law as a concubine, would you?"

Chen Huanshan was furious and embarrassed: "Nonsense! I am a scholar, how could I do such a shameless thing?"

His words were a little hasty, but then he remembered the fierceness of the person in front of him and quickly tried to make amends: "Since you are in love with my sister-in-law, why don't I, Chen, act as a matchmaker and help you get together?"

"Then thank you very much, Dean Chen!" Hong Yuan smiled, then suddenly changed the subject: "I also quite like Dean Chen's two beloved daughters."

"You! You! Absurd! My two daughters are only twelve and eight years old, you...you scoundrel, kill me!" Chen Huanshan stiffened his neck, mustered his courage, and shouted at them.

"Just kidding, Dean Chen."

Hong Yuan chuckled. Chen Huanshan did indeed have two daughters. When Hong Yuan was at the academy, she would often linger near him. The older daughter was a bit older and understood things between men and women, so she was more reserved. The younger daughter, however, seemed to want to stick to him like glue.

She would often share the Chen family's finest pastries and meals with him, which made Chen Huanshan stare wide-eyed with envy.

Hong Yuan turned to Yue Feng, who had already gotten up in the courtyard, and said, "Have you rested enough? If you have, then pick up your sword and keep fighting."

Yue Feng looked wary: "What exactly is your purpose?"

"Purpose? Didn't I already say? I've come specifically to learn martial arts."

Yue Feng didn't know if it was true or false, but he couldn't advance or retreat at this moment. He could only take a deep breath, pick up his longsword, breathe evenly, and say coldly, "Come on!"

Half an hour later, Yue Feng was covered in injuries, his face was bruised and swollen, and his legs were trembling as if he would be blown over by a gust of wind.

Yue Feng comes from Wohu Manor and has been sparring with many of the manor's retainers for many years. In terms of general knowledge, he is far superior to Zuo Lie and Shi Meng.

Hong Yuan not only tested his weapons, but also his fists and feet, and then discussed weapons with him, repeatedly rubbing against him until he was almost drained dry. At this moment, he was completely satisfied.

"If Yue Feng is already like this, then what about Crouching Tiger Manor?!"

Hong Yuanxin had high hopes.

"How many martial artists like you are there in Crouching Tiger Manor?" Hong Yuan asked.

Yue Feng was panting heavily, his throat was a little hoarse, but he stared wide-eyed: "Hehe! Crouching Tiger Manor is full of hidden talents, there are countless like me, and quite a few have reached the second level of the power transformation, 'free control', and some have even reached the microscopic level... Since you like martial arts competitions so much, do you dare to make a trip to the manor? I will definitely satisfy you."

Hong Yuan was aware of the exaggeration in his words, but judging from his expression, there was probably some truth to it. He changed the subject: "Your Crouching Tiger Manor has grand ambitions, and you must know a lot about the experts in Linjiang Prefecture. Why don't you tell me a little about it..."

After a long while, Hong Yuan leaped onto the roof and disappeared into the distance.

Chen Huanshan and Yue Feng, who had recovered much of his strength, looked at each other with a mixture of embarrassment and mutual respect.

Both of them knelt down!

One was beaten to his knees, and the other was so frightened that he knelt down.

After a moment of silence, Yue Feng spoke: "Mr. Chen, judging from this person's appearance, what exactly is he after?"

Chen Huanshan gave a wry smile: "I'm afraid it's true, he just came here to challenge you to a duel."

Yue Feng nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Mr. Chen, this person recognized you at a glance and knows about your family affairs. Did you think of anything? Perhaps this person is someone you know?"

Chen Huanshan's face darkened. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and asked, "Young Yue, I don't understand martial arts. In your opinion, what level has this person's martial arts reached?"

Yue Feng froze, then sighed, "To defeat me so easily, one must at least be at the level of 'freedom of control.' Moreover, the experts of this level in the manor are probably no match for him. Only those at the level of 'Mastery of the Subtle' might be able to defeat him..."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, but soon lost interest in talking because they felt that the fight tonight was quite absurd. One went to rest, and the other went to clean up the mess left by the thugs.

(End of this chapter)