The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 46 The Tiger Leaps Up
A cloud of dust billowed as a hundred horsemen galloped in.

The knights on horseback were all well-armored, each with sharp eyes and a fierce aura. They wore steel swords at their waists, and their imposing presence intimidated the entire scene, driving away the carriages and horses blocking the entrance to Lanyue Garden.

Surrounded by armored soldiers on both sides, Guo Zhen, the Commandant, appeared to be a middle-aged scholar in his thirties or forties, dressed in loose casual clothes, his gaze sweeping over the entire scene with indifference.

Those whose gaze swept over him, whether they were wealthy families or gang members, all avoided his eyes and bowed respectfully.

Hua Feiyun strode out to greet him, bowing deeply before the horse's head: "Your nephew Hua Feiyun greets Commandant Guo."

Guo Zhengao, perched high on his horse, glanced at Hua Feiyun and laughed, "Are you a junior from the Hua family? No need for formalities. Our two families are old friends. Just call me Uncle."

Hua Feiyun's face lit up with joy, and he readily agreed, "Uncle Guo!"

"Alright!" Guo Zhen leaped down from his horse, took a few steps forward, and led Hua Feiyun inside, asking, "Has the competition started in the inner arena?"

"Several matches have already taken place, but they've all been minor skirmishes. We're just waiting for Uncle to arrive so that the real masters can take the stage."

Hong Yuan walked forward at a leisurely pace.

Even without deliberately eavesdropping, their exceptional hearing still picked up on the conversation between the two.

Hua Feiyun was the Dragon King Society's Young Master Hua whom the Yang Family Martial Arts School had bumped into during the torrential rain that day.

And then there was Commandant Guo, who reminded Hong Yuan of the stickers on the medicine bottles in Huang Yihe's study at Guilingzhuang.

I never expected to run into you here.

Suppressing his thoughts for the moment, Hong Yuan followed several men and women in brocade robes, chatting and laughing, and soon arrived at a huge martial arts arena.

The place was bustling with noise, and the numerous viewing booths were packed with people, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.

Looking around, Hong Yuan could only see a dense crowd of people, as if most of the powerful families from the ten or so counties of Linjiang Prefecture had gathered here.

Hong Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

If he were to search for a specific person among so many people, that would be quite a challenge for Mr. Hong. Fortunately, he came here to find a pig.

That's much simpler.

Since we're already here, there's no need to rush.

Hong Yuan decided to play a few rounds. After observing from the sidelines for a while, he understood the rules. He waved to several maids, pointed to a swordsman with a tattoo on his left cheek in the middle of the arena, and placed a heavy bet of three thousand taels.

For no other reason than that, just by looking at his posture, this tattooed swordsman was far superior to the other oddballs.

Well, that's just Hong Yuan's own feeling.

There was a great commotion all around.

Anger and laughter mingled together; some arenas were still locked in fierce combat, with blood splattering everywhere, while others had already decided the victor.

A gong rang out with a "dong".

A burly man, as thick as an iron tower, stepped onto the central arena, grinning maliciously as he drew his sword and confronted the tattooed swordsman.

The battle broke out quickly, with the clang of metal clashing and exploding one after another.

Hong Yuan's face grew increasingly dark until the burly man cleaved the tattooed swordsman's steel knife in two with a single stroke, then spun around and kicked the tattooed swordsman in the chest. The latter crashed heavily off the stage, his fate unknown.

Hong Yuan's face darkened.

That's outrageous! They're fixing the match.

A hearty laugh rang out from not far away, accompanied by clapping and cheers: "Well done, a beautiful win!"

A short, stout middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes and wearing a jade crown, looking like a merchant, was surrounded by many guards. He accepted the wine offered by a beautiful maid and toasted a burly man with a sullen face in the next pavilion: "Zhao Liu, don't forget that you lost five hundred salt permits and three cargo ships to me."

Zhao Liu snorted coldly, ignoring the smug face of the short, fat middle-aged man.

Also sighing and lamenting were a large group of high rollers who had placed bets on the tattooed knife guy.

Hong Yuan grabbed one of the men and glanced at the short, stout middle-aged man. "Who is this person?"

"The six leaders of the Canal Gang, this one is ranked third, you don't even know Jin Sanye?" The wealthy man who was pulled by Hong Yuan was beaming with joy, obviously having also won this round. He glared at Hong Yuan, seemingly mocking his ignorance.

"Heh, Master Jin?!"

Hong Yuan was naturally aware of the Canal Gang.

The two gangs he personally destroyed, the Longjiang Gang and the Changhe Society, were among the largest gangs in Linjiang Prefecture, but in terms of scale and power, they were not even worthy of carrying the shoes of the Cao Gang.

Because the influence of the canal gangs extended to more than ten counties, at least 100,000 to 200,000 people in Linjiang Prefecture relied on the canal gangs for their livelihood.

With such a powerful force controlling key waterways and abundant resources, it wouldn't be difficult for them to raise a force of several thousand brave and capable young men with just a little armament, which would shake the entire Linjiang Prefecture.

Hong Yuan didn't care about any of that.

No matter how powerful the forces, they couldn't surround him; they were just empty shells. All he knew was that Master Jin had embezzled his money.

He didn't blame the tattooed knife-wielder, who was already on his deathbed and was risking his life to fix the match. But since Master Jin had taken his money, he had to return it.

Master Jin stretched comfortably and said to those around him, "We've had enough fun outside, let's go inside."

The inner court.

Surrounded by four pavilions, a huge arena was brightly lit.

Yang Erhu slowly walked onto the stage, his graying temples becoming even more noticeable. He ignored the gazes coming from the various rooms, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, waiting for his next opponent.

In a private room, Guo Zhen sat lazily, flanked by four armored guards on each side. Hua Feiyun, attending to him, chuckled, "This man is a martial arts school owner. He used to be at the 'Master of Control' level, but now that he's older, his skills have declined, though his experience is still incredibly profound. He's perfect for warming up the atmosphere..."

As they spoke, Hua Feiyun took out another list and presented it to Guo Zhen: "This is the list of participants for this year's inner arena. Among them, the three most outstanding are 'Iron Chain Across the River' Zhao Heng, 'Heart Piercing Sword' Lin Xiu, and a Smiling Buddha. They are already waiting in the lower rooms."

Guo Zhen glanced at the list casually and said nonchalantly, "Once one or two survive, we'll recruit them to serve us. That's all the people in the world are good for."

Then, he looked at Hua Feiyun and asked, "I heard that Nephew Hua has recruited a champion who has won nine consecutive matches?"

Hua Feiyun laughed and said, "That man is called He Xiaofeng. He is skilled with a curved sword, but he only won six matches in the outer courtyard and three matches in the inner courtyard."

Guo Zhen nodded: "That's not bad either."

In another room, Wei Zhenzhu stared fiercely at Yang Erhu's retreating figure, as if she wanted to rush down and devour him whole. She said venomously, "Is it just this old guy? What about that White Scale Guard 'deserter'? And that brat surnamed Hong? Didn't you catch him?"

As for Yang Lie, he was overlooked by Wei Zhenzhu.

Wang Ai remained silent, while the maidservant wearing a heavy veil had eyes full of hatred.

Boom!
Amidst the sound of gongs and drums, someone leaped up and landed on the arena. It was a man with large, calloused hands and an ugly appearance.

"Wait!" Yang Erhu suddenly shouted, and called out to the surrounding pavilions, "Young Master Hua, I need a knife for this match."

On the second floor of the building opposite Yang Erhu, Hua Feiyun was still in Guo Zhen's room. Upon hearing this, she went up to the terrace and laughed, "Okay, here you go!" Then she turned to the ugly man and asked, "What weapon do you want?"

The ugly man grinned, revealing a set of sharp teeth. "No need. I only trust my own hands!"

This ugly man was clearly extremely confident in his palm skills.

Hua Feiyun clapped his hands, and soon Yang Erhu had a knife in his hand. He stroked the cold blade and looked coldly at the ugly man: "Come on!"

The next moment, both sides suddenly pounced, attacking almost simultaneously.

Yang Erhu swung his knife forward, the sound of it cutting through the air was loud and the cold light of it enveloped his opponent. Unexpectedly, the ugly man did not dodge or evade. Amid the gasps of surprise coming from the rooms, he met the attack with his bare wrists.

when!
The clang of metal clashing exploded, the ugly man's sleeves tore, revealing pairs of iron rings on his wrists. They suddenly tightened, as if his wrists were encased in iron armor. With a sinister laugh, he charged forward, braving the flashing blades, and punched Yang Erhu in the chest.

Despite his surprise, Yang Erhu remained calm. As the opponent's fist came straight at his chest, he flipped over and swept it over the opponent's head, while simultaneously slashing his long sword backward.

The ugly man was also incredibly fast. He turned around and blocked with his wrist. There was another metallic clang as Yang Erhu landed on the railing of the arena, his feet suddenly trembling.

As the railing beneath his feet crumbled inch by inch, he turned and leaped up, heading straight for Hua Feiyun on the second-floor terrace.

He was gradually aging and his strength was waning, like a ferocious tiger nearing its end. But at this moment, he seemed to have come back to life, and a surge of power suddenly rose within his body!

It's anger!

Yang Erhu was no fool. From the moment Old Jia came to his door and threatened him with Master Qin's severed finger, he already knew that Master Qin was in grave danger.

He still held onto a great deal of hope until he heard what Old Man Jia said earlier, which finally made him give up on the idea.

He even knew that Master Qin was probably already dead, and that the other party clearly didn't intend for him to leave alive.

Suppressed anger suddenly erupted at this moment, and a surge of energy appeared. Yang Erhu was more than two zhang away from Hua Feiyun's terrace, and he had jumped up from below.

Even in his prime, he might not have been able to leap into it. He mustered his strength and burst forth, like a ferocious tiger in its twilight years leaping toward the cliff on the other side of the abyss.

However, he was just a little short. Just as he was about to fall, he stretched out one hand and pressed it against the edge of the terrace, which lifted him up again.

Whoops!

A gust of evil wind swept across the terrace, and Yang Erhu pounced on Hua Feiyun. The whole thing happened in the blink of an eye. Only then did Yang Erhu let out a furious roar: "You bastard surnamed Hua, I'll take your life!"

Before Hua Feiyun's astonished eyes, the blade flashed and arrived in an instant. But at that moment, a cold snort rang out, and a curved blade stabbed in from the side, colliding with the steel blade in Yang Erhu's hand, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

Yang Erhu's eyes were bloodshot. He didn't even look at the expert who had suddenly appeared. He staggered backward, and with a burst of strength, he was on the verge of exhaustion. Just as he was about to hit the railing, he mustered his last bit of strength and threw the steel knife.

Whoosh!
The long sword shot out like a sharp arrow, aiming for Hua Feiyun's chest.

The next moment, with a 'snap', Hua Feiyun easily caught the steel knife and looked mockingly at Yang Erhu, who was slowly slumping down with wide, angry eyes.

"Nephew Hua, are you alright?" Guo Zhen's slow voice rang out from inside the room.

The curtains of these rooms were all open, so he naturally saw what was happening, but he didn't make a move at all. He continued to sit lazily and drink, and the eight armored soldiers around him also remained motionless.

There were some noises coming from the surrounding pavilions and rooms, followed by pairs of interested eyes looking over, as if they were watching a unique and interesting show.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Uncle." Hua Feiyun smiled.

The man who used the curved sword to block Yang Erhu's attack was a thin man named He Xiaofeng. He stood respectfully beside Hua Feiyun and said with his head bowed, "Young master, I'm sorry to have startled you."

Hua Feiyun waved his hand, then looked at Yang Erhu and said leisurely, "What? Are you surprised that I know martial arts?"

“This man has disturbed you, young master. I will kill him!” He Xiaofeng said.

"Why kill him? Stop with all the fighting. Take him away and deal with him after the Heroes' Tournament." Hua Feiyun smiled.

Just as He Xiaofeng was about to agree, a roaring voice rang out: "Give him to me, I want to chop him into mincemeat and swallow him whole! Xiao Chan, go and bring him here."

The sound caused the many nobles in the surrounding pavilions to frown, but they didn't say anything; rather, they were disgusted.

The speaker was none other than Wei Zhenzhu.

Given Wei Zhenzhu's enormous size, she was naturally in the lower private room. As soon as she finished speaking, the woman with the heavy veil on her face flipped and leaped onto the upper floor.

Hua Feiyun's eye twitched. "Since Madam Wei has spoken... um?"

He saw Yang Erhu slumped on the ground, his eyes wide and mouth agape, looking utterly astonished. He couldn't help but smile again: "Is it strange that Madam Wei is here? Or do I know Madam Wei?"

"No! He's wondering why I'm here."

A calm voice suddenly rang in Hua Feiyun's ear, making his hair stand on end and startling him. He instinctively turned his head.

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on the back of Hua Feiyun's head. He felt a tremendous force surge towards him, as if he were an infant caught in the palm of a giant, unable to resist, and he banged his head against the ground!
With a loud bang, a head was buried in the wooden floor, sharp splinters piercing his face, causing him to scream in agony.

"Young Master!" He Xiaofeng was equally shocked.

He was right next to Hua Feiyun, but with his martial arts skills, he didn't even notice that someone had crept up behind them. If the other party wanted to take his life, how could he possibly survive?

This startled and terrified him. Seeing Hua Feiyun being pressed down by the other party's palm, he involuntarily swung his curved blade, aiming straight for the other party's head.

The one who made the move was naturally Hong Yuan.

He followed behind Master Jin and quietly slipped in, intending to investigate further, but suddenly heard Yang Erhu's voice. He immediately used his movement technique and rushed over.

With his current martial arts skills and speed, he is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

A sharp wind howled behind him. Hong Yuan twirled the cloth in his hand, and amidst the clanging of metal, the fine steel rod wrapped inside blocked the slashing curved blade. Then, he leaped forward and grabbed He Xiaofeng's hand holding the blade with his other hand!
He Xiaofeng saw those indifferent eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "It's you?!"

He recognized the other person as the black-clad swordsman who had killed Yan San at the dock, and it was precisely because of this that he was even more shocked.

Back at the dock, the other party used a straw hat to block his knife, but at that time he did not think that the other party could really defeat him. How long has it been?

The thought had barely formed when his hand was grabbed by the other person, and he was forced to swing his arm backward, the curved blade instantly slicing through his throat.

"Young Master Hong, Xiao Chan has missed you so much!" The woman, her face veiled, rushed towards Hong Yuan the moment he appeared, her eyes reddening.

Even though Hong Yuan's demeanor had changed drastically, she still recognized him at a glance, her eyes filled with intense resentment, and she even forgot her fear.

Where did the roadblocks come from?
Hong Yuan casually twirled the long strip of cloth in his palm and swept it across the surface.

boom!
He immediately sent the woman in the heavy veil flying, crashing headfirst into the arena below, her brains splattering out, and she fell silent.

The veil fell off, revealing a pockmarked face.

The entire building was in shock. At this moment, the nobles in the various rooms abandoned all restraint and exclaimed in surprise. A dozen or so figures rushed out first, who were the martial artists who participated in the competition inside the arena.

Clang! Clang!
"Protect the Captain!"

From the back room, the sound of long swords being drawn echoed loudly.

(End of this chapter)