Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Chapter 66 Turbulent Times (Please subscribe!!! Striving for 10,000 words a day!!!)

On the ring, Chen Jianghe stood quietly.

The wind blew by, causing the tattered strips of cloth on the hem of the clothes to flutter and rustle.

The deathly silence in the training ground lasted for a full ten breaths.

Countless gazes fell upon Chen Jianghe, some filled with awe, some with apprehension, some with curiosity, and some with barely concealed jealousy.

He had already reached the level of "Mastery" at the age of eighteen, a fact that shocked the entire city.

Today, at the Yilin Martial Arts Arena, he first crippled Lei Xiao of the Zhenlei Martial Arts School, then defeated Zhao Litian, the pride of the Zhao family, and crippled and injured one of the two martial arts masters who had reached the Transformation Realm.

These are solid achievements, and no one dares to question the weight of the seven characters "Chen Jianghe of Xingyi Martial Arts School" anymore.

Chen Jianghe calmly swept his gaze across the entire room.

He slowly turned to face the main audience, clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Chen Jianghe of the Xingyi Martial Arts School has won two matches by sheer luck. Is there any other fellow practitioner willing to come up and offer their guidance?"

No one answered.

In the pavilions of Yufeng, Liefeng, Guangde, and Yinshe martial arts schools, the masters of the Huajin school either closed their eyes to rest or drank tea with their heads down, and not one of them spoke.

Those disciples who had not yet reached the Transformation Realm were even more silent and trembling with fear—even someone like Zhao Litian had been defeated, so who would dare to step onto the stage?

The deathly silence lasted for ten breaths.

"Since no one is challenging—" On the main table, the county magistrate in his blue official robes finally stood up and announced in a dry voice, "I hereby declare that the champion of this year's Yilin Martial Arts Tournament is Chen Jianghe of the Xingyi Martial Arts School!"

Applause rang out sporadically, mostly from ordinary people from the outer city and wandering martial artists.

Among the disciples of various families and martial arts schools in the inner city, only a few bold ones clapped along, but they quickly stopped under the cold gaze of their masters.

Zhao Wuji slowly stood up.

A smile had returned to his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it carried a chilling coldness: "Young Master Chen is a genius, defeating powerful enemies one after another to win the championship. He truly deserves it. I admire him."

He paused, then raised his hand to signal: "Someone, present the prize money."

A commotion immediately broke out in the audience.

A thousand taels of gold, a three-hundred-year-old blood ginseng king, and a dragon and tiger bone-strengthening ointment—each of the three prizes the Zhao family has offered this time is enough to make ordinary martial artists fight tooth and nail.

Now, however, he has to personally offer it to the enemy who beat the Zhao family's prodigy to his knees and vomited blood.

"Old Ancestor Zhao is—" someone murmured.

"What else can they do? It's all under the watchful eyes of everyone, and the rules of the arena must be followed. If the Zhao family doesn't respect these rules, how will they maintain their standing in Yilin County?"

"But this is too much—"

"One must be patient for a while before making any plans later."

Amidst the murmurs, two members of the Zhao family walked onto the arena carrying a sandalwood tray.

"Here's the prize." Zhao Wuji looked at Chen Jianghe and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Young Master Chen, please accept it."

Chen Jianghe did not go to answer it immediately.

His gaze swept over the three items on the tray, then turned to Zhao Wuji, and he slowly said, "Patriarch Zhao's generous gift is undeserved."

After saying that, he stepped forward and took the tray.

They're all good stuff.

These are all treasures that can help cultivate one's character and solidify one's foundation.

As Zhao Wuji watched Chen Jianghe accept the prize, a hint of heartache flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was an extremely suppressed and cold feeling.

Chen Jianghe remained expressionless, carefully packed away the items, and turned to leave the stage.

Just then, someone said, "Wait a minute."

A voice came from outside the training ground.

"Boom—!"

Suddenly, a deep, rhythmic thud of footsteps echoed from outside the training ground!

Everyone in the room was startled and turned to look.

At the entrance to the training ground, two wooden gates, each about ten feet tall, were suddenly pushed open!

A group of warriors in black robes surged in like a black torrent, numbering at least a hundred. Each of them wore a long sword at their waist, exuding a deep and murderous aura. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, clearly indicating that they were elite warriors who had undergone years of training.

The leader was about forty years old, with a cold and stern face, and eyes as deep as a cold pool. He wore a black brocade robe with a ferocious blue dragon embroidered on the hem.

He wore no sword at his waist, only a black jade token with the words "Azure Dragon" inscribed on it.

The man slowly stepped into the arena, followed by a hundred black-clad warriors who lined both sides, completely blocking the entrance to the arena.

An invisible, chilling aura instantly enveloped the entire area!

"The Green Dragon Gang—" someone whispered in a trembling voice from the stands.

"It's Xiao Qing! The leader of the Azure Dragon Gang has arrived in person!"

"Why did he bring so many Azure Dragon Guards? They weren't invited to the martial arts competition—"

"The visitor is not friendly—"

Whispers spread like wildfire, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted slightly.

The Azure Dragon Gang—the largest gang that monopolizes Black Wind Ridge, controls the hunting of exotic beasts, and whose influence extends throughout Yilin County!

Xiao Qing walked to the front of the arena and stopped.

He looked up at Chen Jianghe on the stage, his gaze calm, even with a hint of admiration.

"Chen Jianghe," Xiao Qing said gently, "at eighteen, he reached the Transformation Realm and stood his own against Zhao Litian, even defeating him. A young prodigy, his reputation is well-deserved."

Chen Jianghe stood on the stage, met his gaze, and clasped his hands in greeting: "Chief Xiao, you flatter me."

"It's not an overstatement," Xiao Qing shook his head. "It's the truth."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and slowly said, "Everyone is here today, which is perfect. I, Xiao, would like to take this opportunity of the martial arts demonstration to announce something."

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, watching the leader of the Azure Dragon Gang, who controlled the forces outside Yilin County and monopolized the hunting rights of exotic beasts in Black Wind Ridge.

Xiao Qing's clear voice echoed throughout the hall: "In today's chaotic world, with rampant banditry, it is difficult for any single family or organization to survive in this turbulent era. In order to integrate resources and jointly resist external threats, the Zhao family, the Zhou family, and my Qinglong Gang have decided to jointly establish the Yilin Chamber of Commerce."

Yilin Chamber of Commerce?

Everyone was taken aback.

Xiao Qing continued, "The Chamber of Commerce aims to unite all martial arts schools, families, and gangs within Yilin County, integrate manpower and resources, coordinate their efforts, and jointly defend against external enemies. All members can enjoy the Chamber of Commerce's resources—martial arts exchange, medicinal herb supply, intelligence sharing, and even—priority in hunting exotic beasts in Black Wind Ridge."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted in uproar!

"Yilin Chamber of Commerce? This—this is going to unify the martial arts world of Yilin County?"

"They claim to be fighting a common enemy, but in reality—they want to monopolize all resources, don't they?"

"The rights to hunt exotic beasts are already mostly in the hands of the Azure Dragon Gang. Now that they've established a chamber of commerce, wouldn't that be a legitimate way to seize all the resources?"

Discussions arose, and the expressions of the martial arts school owners changed constantly.

Zhao Wuji also came over at this time and stood side by side with Xiao Qing.

His voice was loud and clear as he continued Xiao Qing's words: "What Chief Xiao said is absolutely right. Chaos is coming, and one tree cannot hold up the sky."

Only by uniting as one can we safeguard our foundation and achieve development in this chaotic world.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Qian, Sun, and Li families, and said meaningfully, "After the Chamber of Commerce is established, all members will allocate resources according to their strength and contributions. Hunting exotic beasts, escorting goods, and collecting medicinal herbs—all will be planned uniformly by the Chamber of Commerce to avoid internal friction and concentrate resources on major tasks."

Below the stage, Qian Shouyi, Sun Hanshan, and Li Changfeng exchanged glances, all seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.

Zhao Wuji's words, though seemingly righteous, had in fact cornered the three families.

To agree would mean handing over the family's long-established businesses and connections, thus becoming subject to others' control.

Refusing to agree is seen as "disregarding the overall situation" and "selfishness," and will inevitably lead to being ostracized and suppressed in the future.

What's even more terrifying is that the Green Dragon Gang has joined forces with the Zhao and Zhou families—the Zhao family has a strong foundation and connections within the inner city, the Zhou family, though injured, still possesses considerable resources, and the Green Dragon Gang has both martial prowess and influence outside the city.

The three companies combined now account for the majority of Yilin County's resources.

Who would dare disobey?

Master Han of the Liefeng Martial Arts School was the first to stand up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "The Liefeng Martial Arts School wishes to join the Chamber of Commerce!"

Liu Yinshuang of the Silver Serpent Martial Arts School lazily stood up, her silver-gray eyes sweeping over Xiao Qing, her red lips slightly parted: "The Silver Serpent Martial Arts School counts as one too."

After the two martial arts schools made their statements, the expressions of the other martial arts school owners changed.

After a moment of silence, Master Liu of Yufeng Martial Arts School slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to return to the school to discuss it with my disciples."

Master Wu of the Guangde Martial Arts School squinted, his goatee twitching: "That's what I think too."

The heads of the Qian, Sun, and Li families exchanged a glance.

Qian Shouyi stood up with a smile: "The Chamber of Commerce's affairs are beneficial in the long run. I believe that we need to consider this further, and I will not express my opinion today."

Sun Hanshan snorted, "I haven't thought it through!"

Li Changfeng succinctly replied, "The Li family needs to consider this carefully."

Xiao Qing's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes turned cold.

He looked towards the pavilion of the Xingyi Martial Arts School: "Master Li, what do you think?"

Li Chengyue finally opened his eyes.

He slowly sat up straight, looked at Xiao Qing, then at Zhao Wuji, and suddenly laughed: "Chief Xiao, Patriarch Zhao, Patriarch Zhou—the three of you have quite the grand gesture."

He forced a smile, a somewhat weary yet still resolute one: "Chief Xiao flatters me. Xingyi Martial Arts School has only this much to offer, a few good-for-nothing disciples barely scraping by on their own little plot of land. The Chamber of Commerce's affairs are far-reaching, and I am still recovering from my serious injuries, my mind not as sharp as it used to be. I need to go back and discuss this with my disciples."

He paused, then added, his gaze sweeping over the hundred menacing Azure Dragon Guards behind Xiao Qing: "After all, in this world—you can't see into people's hearts. Some ships, once boarded, can't be disembarked."

There is something in the words.

Xiao Qing's eyes narrowed slightly, and the gentle smile on her face faded a little.

But he didn't react in the end, only nodding: "Master Li is being cautious, which is only right. The Chamber of Commerce's doors are always open to Xingyi Martial Arts School."

Having said that, he said no more, turned to look at the entire audience, and said loudly, "Today's martial arts demonstration ends here. As for the Chamber of Commerce matters, you may all go back and think them over. Ten days from now, the Azure Dragon Gang headquarters will host a banquet, and we cordially invite all the masters and patriarchs to attend and discuss important matters together."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

A hundred Azure Dragon Guards followed like a tide, then silently retreated.

Zhao Wuji gave Chen Jianghe a deep look, then glanced at Li Chengyue, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

Even after Xiao Qing and Zhao Wuji left, the heavy atmosphere in the training ground did not dissipate.

Instead, it made me feel even more depressed.

Everyone understands that today's martial arts demonstration, on the surface a contest between martial arts schools and a chance for young people to make a name for themselves, is actually a prelude to a reshuffling of power in Yilin County.

The Green Dragon Gang, the Zhao family, and the Zhou family have joined forces to use the name of the "Chamber of Commerce" to integrate the martial arts forces in the county and completely control the resources and discourse power of Yilin County.

Those who obey prosper, those who oppose perish.

Chen Jianghe, holding the three prizes, jumped off the stage and walked back to the pavilion.

Supported by Zhou Yong, Su Derong, pale-faced and with his left arm hanging limply, forced a smile: "Good lad—well done."

He Shouzhou, Wang Gui, Zhao Tieshan and others gathered around, their eyes filled with excitement and worry.

Li Chengyue slowly sat up straight from the recliner, looking at Chen Jianghe with a complicated expression.

"Master," Chen Jianghe bowed.

"Keep these things safe." Li Chengyue pointed to the prizes in his arms. "They're all good stuff, don't waste them."

He paused, then added, "From today onwards, the landscape of Yilin County will change."

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