Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Chapter 69 Cooperation (Please subscribe!!! Striving for 10,000 words a day!!!)

The rapid sound of horses' hooves pierced the silence of Yilin County as dawn approached.

"Yu Feng Martial Arts School—Yu Feng Martial Arts School has been destroyed!"

"Master Liu is dead! All his direct disciples are dead!"

"The Green Dragon Gang! The Zhao family! The Zhou family! They did it together!"

The shouts erupted from the East Street of the outer city, spreading like wildfire throughout the entire city.

In the backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts School, Chen Jianghe was practicing his boxing.

Halfway through his punch, he suddenly stopped and listened intently.

The sounds of horses' hooves, cries, and panicked chatter mingled with the morning breeze and rushed into the courtyard.

He frowned slightly, about to speak, when the courtyard gate was slammed open.

Zhou Yong stumbled in, his face ashen and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Jiang He! Something terrible has happened!" Zhou Yong's voice was hoarse and trembling uncontrollably. "Yufeng Martial Arts School—has been wiped out!"

Chen Jianghe's pupils constricted sharply: "What happened?"

"Last night at midnight!" Zhou Yong gasped for breath, his eyes filled with horror. "The Azure Dragon Gang, in conjunction with the Zhao and Zhou families, dispatched two peak-stage Transformation Realm experts and three skilled Transformation Realm practitioners to launch a surprise attack on Yufeng Martial Arts School!"

He paused, his voice even lower, as if afraid of disturbing something: "The master of the martial arts school, Liu Tong—fought to his death. Several of his personal disciples—all perished in battle, without exception. The main hall of the martial arts school was burned down; flames soared into the sky, visible from half the outer city!"

Chen Jianghe remained silent.

At the martial arts demonstration, the master of the academy also gave a low-key commentary on his battle with Zhao Litian, his words revealing considerable insight.

Now—has he become a dead soul?

"What's the reason?" Chen Jianghe asked.

"A reason?" Zhou Yong laughed bitterly. "Do we even need a reason? Yufeng Martial Arts School's refusal to join the Yilin Chamber of Commerce is its biggest crime! The Green Dragon Gang has publicly declared that Master Liu is colluding with bandits and robbing the Chamber of Commerce's goods, and that his stubborn resistance will be met with death!"

Colluding with bandits?

A cold glint flashed in Chen Jianghe's eyes.

If you want to add a crime, there is nothing wrong with it.

"What's the situation in the outer city now?" he asked.

"It's chaos." Zhou Yong wiped his face. "There are still dozens of ordinary disciples and servants under the Yufeng Martial Arts School. Some of them escaped last night and are now scattered throughout the outer city. Some are crying, some are seeking revenge, and some are hiding—people are in a state of panic."

Inside the city, all the martial arts schools and families were closed, and the streets were eerily deserted.

Chen Jianghe's heart sank.

He knew this was just the beginning.

Kill the chicken to emulate the monkey.

Yu Feng Martial Arts School is the "chicken" that was chosen.

All forces in the county that are still observing, hesitating, or even resisting are "monkeys".

On the same night, in the inner city, at the Qian residence.

In the deepest, most secret chamber, the flickering candlelight illuminated three somber faces.

Qian Shouyi, Sun Hanshan, and Li Changfeng.

Qian Shouyi sat in the main seat, his usually squinty eyes now wide open, devoid of their usual calculating smile, only filled with a cold chill.

Sun Hanshan sat on the left, his leopard-headed, piercing face flushed red, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his aura fluctuated wildly, like a volcano about to erupt at any moment.

Li Changfeng sat on the right, his expression still calm, but the index finger of his right hand, resting on his knee, was unconsciously and very slightly tapping, revealing his inner turmoil.

"You've heard?" Qian Shouyi spoke slowly, his voice hoarse. "Yufeng Martial Arts School—it's gone."

"I've heard about it," Sun Hanshan said through gritted teeth.

"Zhao Wuji! Xiao Qing! That old bastard from the Zhou family! They're trying to wipe them out!"

"Although Liu Tong and I are not close friends, we have been acquaintances for decades," Li Changfeng said slowly, his voice low.

"His Tongbei Fist had reached the peak of the Transformation Realm, his arms were like whips, and his strength penetrated to the bone. The disciples of Yufeng Martial Arts School were also considered good among the younger generation. Last night—they were all wiped out in one night."

"So many people ganging up on us!" Qian Shouyi's lips curled into a sneer, his smile filled with sarcasm and chilling intent. "Let alone Liu Tong, even we, if we continue to fight individually, how long can we hold out?"

The sealed room fell into a deathly silence.

The candlelight flickered softly, casting an uncertain glow on the faces of the three people.

After a long silence, Qian Shouyi finally spoke, his voice extremely low: "The extermination of the Yufeng family is an example to others. Liu Tong refused to join the Chamber of Commerce, and this is his fate. Who will be next—Guangde, Xingyi, or one of our three families?"

Sun Hanshan's eyes widened: "They dare?!"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Qian Shouyi retorted.

"The Zhao family wants to unify the inner city, Xiao Qing wants to annex the entire county, and the Zhou family wants to use this opportunity to rise again. The three of us are their biggest obstacles. Now the Chamber of Commerce has become a powerful force; they control resources, manage distribution channels, and have the Green Dragon Gang's military backing—what can we use to stop them?"

"Then let's fight them to the death!" Sun Hanshan roared. "There are no cowards in the Sun family! We'll fight to the death!"

"A fight to the death?" Qian Shouyi scoffed.

"Brother Hanshan, the three of us combined only have a few people at the Transformation Realm. Do you know how many Transformation Realm experts the Zhao family, Zhou family, and Azure Dragon Gang have? Among them, Zhao Wuji is even a half-step Gang Realm expert. Do you know if Xiao Qing is also a half-step Gang Realm expert who can cooperate with him now? In that case, I'm afraid the fish will die, but the net—cannot be broken."

Sun Hanshan's chest heaved violently, but he ultimately remained silent.

Li Changfeng slowly spoke, "Brother Shouyi, what are your plans?"

Qian Shouyi remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "A head-on confrontation will inevitably lead to defeat. But if we bow down and join the Chamber of Commerce, we will be handing over our family's century-old legacy to others, becoming a vassal of the Zhao family and at their mercy."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "We—need a variable."

"Variables?" Sun Hanshan frowned.

"Li Chengyue," Qian Shouyi slowly uttered three words.

Sun Hanshan was taken aback: "That old drunkard? He is indeed formidable, a half-step into the Gang Jin realm, and he fought against the five great families. But he is currently seriously injured and not yet healed—he can barely protect himself, how can he become a variable?"

"It is precisely because he is seriously injured that we have an opportunity," Qian Shouyi said slowly. "Li Chengyue's injury stems from the backlash of his internal energy. Ordinary medicine can only regulate his qi and blood and alleviate the pain, but it cannot cure the root cause. But if—"

He paused, then took out a palm-sized jade box from his pocket.

The jade box is entirely emerald green, as clear as ice, and its body is carved with intricate cloud patterns, exuding a faint chill.

Qian Shouyi gently opened the box lid.

"Jade Marrow Lingzhi," Qian Shouyi said slowly. "This is a precious medicine that my Qian family has kept secret for a hundred years. It grows from the earth's spiritual veins and takes a hundred years to form. It can nourish the internal organs, reconnect the tendons and veins, and resolve the injuries caused by the backlash of internal energy. This item—may help Li Chengyue recover some of his strength."

Sun Hanshan's pupils contracted: "Old Qian, you're even willing to part with this?"

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Qian Shouyi smiled wryly. "Master Li, Master Sun, what about you?"

Li Changfeng remained silent for a moment, then took out a small ebony bottle from his sleeve: "Three 'Li Family Life-Creating Pills,' used to heal injuries and replenish deficiencies in qi and blood."

Sun Hanshan gritted his teeth and pulled out a fist-sized, blood-red crystal from his robes: "I don't have your fancy stuff! This Earth Fire Blood Crystal was brought back from a volcanic secret realm by my ancestor at great risk. It's incredibly beneficial for martial artists who cultivate masculine techniques, and it invigorates their blood and qi! That old bastard Li Chengyue practices a fierce and powerful style, it'll come in handy!"

Three treasures were placed on the table.

Any one of these items, if it were to leak out, would be enough to cause a fight among martial arts masters at the Transformation Realm.

Now, however, it has become a bargaining chip for three companies to gamble their future and exchange for a glimmer of hope.

"I'm betting that once Li Chengyue recovers, he'll be able to contend with Zhao Wuji and Xiao Qing, giving us a chance to catch our breath," Qian Shouyi said, closing the cold jade box with a heavy voice.

"When are we going?" Sun Hanshan asked.

"Now," Qian Shouyi stood up, "the longer we wait, the more things can go wrong. If we're too late, we might become the next Yufeng."

The backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts School.

Li Chengyue leaned back in his recliner, closing his eyes to rest.

Chen Jianghe stood under the locust tree, slowly practicing the Five Elements Fist. His movements were slow, but his mind was completely focused on the area outside the courtyard.

The news of the Yufeng family's massacre weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder.

"Knock, knock."

There was a light knock on the courtyard gate.

Chen Jianghe stopped his stance and looked towards the courtyard gate.

It wasn't the hurried, panicked knocking of daytime, but rather a calm, restrained, and somewhat polite probing.

"Who is it?" Chen Jianghe asked.

"Wu Qingquan from Guangde Martial Arts School requests an audience with Master Li." A hoarse, aged voice came from outside the door.

Chen Jianghe and Li Chengyue exchanged a glance.

Li Chengyue lifted his eyelids and nodded.

Chen Jianghe stepped forward and opened the door.

There was a person standing outside the door.

It was Wu Qingquan, the owner of the Guangde Martial Arts School.

Wu Qingquan is in very poor condition.

His face was sallow, his breathing was weak, and there was dark blood seeping from his robe on his left shoulder, clearly indicating that he was injured.

"Master Wu," Chen Jianghe stepped aside, "please come in."

Wu Qingquan stepped into the courtyard and saw Li Chengyue under the locust tree. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, adopting an extremely humble posture: "Master Li, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

Li Chengyue didn't get up, but only raised his hand: "Sit."

Wu Qingquan sat down on the stone bench, his eyes scanning the courtyard warily.

"Is Master Wu injured?" Li Chengyue asked.

"It's a minor injury, nothing serious."

Wu Qingquan said with a wry smile, "Before the incident at Yufeng last night, three masked men sneaked into my Guangde Martial Arts School with the intention of committing crimes. I noticed them and exchanged a few blows with them, but I was hit by a vicious palm strike that injured my lung meridian."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Those three—though masked, I recognize their martial arts style. They are from the Green Dragon Gang."

Chen Jianghe's eyes narrowed.

The fact that the Guangde Martial Arts School was targeted means that Guangde is now the next target on the Qinglong Gang's purge list.

"Master Wu, have you come here to ask for help?" Li Chengyue asked directly.

Wu Qingquan was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Master Li, I have lived for sixty years and run Guangde Martial Arts School for thirty years. I dare not say that I have achieved great success, but all the more than one hundred disciples in the school were trained by me and I regard them as my own children."

He raised his head, his usually squinting eyes now bloodshot and filled with pain: "Master Li saw Yu Feng's fate. Brother Liu Tong and I have known each other for thirty years. We used to spar a lot, his Tongbei Fist and my Mantis Fist. Now he's dead, the martial arts school is burned down, and all his disciples are dead—not even a complete corpse was left."

His voice trembled: "I am not afraid of death. But those children at the martial arts school—the oldest is only twenty-five, the youngest only fourteen—they should not die, much less should they die like that."

Li Chengyue listened quietly without saying a word.

Wu Qingquan took a deep breath, took out a thin book from his pocket, and placed it on the stone table.

The booklet's cover was worn, with four archaic characters written on it: "The Essence of Mantis Boxing".

"This is the true lineage of Mantis Boxing from my Guangde Martial Arts School. The core principles of the fist techniques, grappling and locking techniques, and the essentials of footwork are all contained within."

Wu Qingquan's voice was hoarse. "I, an old man, wish to use this boxing manual as proof to beg Master Li to take in the remaining disciples of my Guangde Martial Arts School. I am willing to lead my disciples to join the Xingyi Martial Arts School, and from then on, we will follow Master Li's lead and fight together against our powerful enemies!"

After saying that, he stood up and bowed deeply to Li Chengyue.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Chen Jianghe looked at the boxing manual, then at Wu Qingquan's hunched but resolute back.

This is a gamble with the entire legacy of the martial arts school, in exchange for a glimmer of hope for the disciples' survival.

Li Chengyue slowly sat up straight.

He didn't look at the boxing manual, but stared at Wu Qingquan for a long time.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice low: "Master Wu, are you aware that the Xingyi Martial Arts School is now barely able to survive?"

"I know," Wu Qingquan said, maintaining his bow. "But I also know that if we try to fight alone, Guangde will become the next Yufeng. But if we join forces with Xingyi Martial Arts School, perhaps—there is still a glimmer of hope."

"A sliver of hope?" Li Chengyue smirked. "Perhaps it'll just lead to an even faster death."

"That's a glorious death in battle, better than a cowardly purge!"

Wu Qingquan suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Master Li, what Xiao Qing and the Zhao family want is for all the martial arts schools in Yilin County to either submit or disappear! Xingyi Martial Arts School is now struggling to survive on its own. The Qian, Sun, and Li families each have their own agendas, making it difficult to achieve anything significant! Only by uniting all the martial arts schools that still have any fighting spirit and working together can we have a chance to fight back!"

He paused, then his voice was resolute: "I am willing to be the vanguard! The entire Guangde Martial Arts School is willing to be the shield of Xingyi Martial Arts School! We only ask Master Li—to give the children a way to survive!"

Li Chengyue remained silent.

Just then—

There was another knock at the gate.

Chen Jianghe looked at his master.

A hint of mockery flashed in Li Chengyue's eyes: "It seems my dilapidated courtyard will be quite lively tonight."

He raised his hand: "Open the door."

Chen Jianghe stepped forward and opened the courtyard gate.

Three people were standing outside the door.

Qian Shouyi, Sun Hanshan, and Li Changfeng.

The three family heads were all dressed in plain clothes and had no attendants. Each of them was holding something in their hands.

Qian Shouyi held the cold jade box, Sun Hanshan carried the crimson blood crystal, and Li Changfeng held the ebony bottle.

Upon seeing Chen Jianghe open the door, Qian Shouyi was the first to cup his hands in greeting, his smile gentle yet unable to conceal the seriousness in his eyes: "Young Master Chen, I apologize for taking the liberty of seeing Master Li so late at night, as I have important matters to discuss with him."

Chen Jianghe stepped aside: "Three patriarchs, please."

The three of them stepped into the courtyard and were taken aback when they saw Wu Qingquan bowing before the stone table.

Wu Qingquan also straightened up and looked at the three family heads, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

"Master Wu is here too?" Qian Shouyi quickly regained his smile. "What a coincidence."

"Unfortunately," Wu Qingquan said in a dry voice, "the three patriarchs have come here with the same purpose as this old man."

Sun Hanshan glanced at the Mantis Boxing manual on the table, then at the bloodstains on Wu Qingquan's shoulder, his brows furrowing: "Master Wu is injured? Was it the work of the Green Dragon Gang?"

Wu Qingquan nodded without saying anything more.

Li Changfeng's gaze fell on Li Chengyue, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Master Li, you must already know about the Yufeng matter. The situation is critical now, and Xiao Qing and the Zhao family have already drawn their weapons. Our three families have discussed and are willing to form an alliance with Xingyi Martial Arts School to jointly resist this powerful enemy."

Li Chengyue leaned back in his recliner, his gaze sweeping over the objects in the hands of the three men, then looking at the Mantis Boxing manual on the table, and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, carrying three parts weariness and seven parts sarcasm.

"An alliance?" he said slowly. "Patriarch Qian, Patriarch Sun, Patriarch Li, the three of you, plus Master Wu, plus this half-crippled old man, and a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled disciples."

He paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "What do we have to fight against the Green Dragon Gang, the Zhao family, the Zhou family, and all the martial arts schools under their command that have already submitted?"

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Only the rustling sound of the night wind blowing through the locust tree leaves could be heard.

Qian Shouyi took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gently placed the cold jade box in his hand on the stone table, next to the Mantis Boxing manual.

"Based on this," he said steadily, "the Jade Marrow Lingzhi can heal injuries from the backlash of internal energy. If Master Li can recover some of his strength, he will be our greatest asset."

Sun Hanshan placed the Earth Fire Blood Crystal down; the crimson crystal shimmered in the moonlight: "This blood crystal of mine will help you replenish your qi and blood!"

Li Changfeng put down the ebony bottle: "Three Life-Creating Pills, to heal injuries and replenish vital energy."

Three treasures, plus the Mantis Boxing Manual.

Qian Shouyi stepped forward, his tone more solemn than ever before: "The Chamber of Commerce is powerful, and Xiao Qing is ambitious, wanting to swallow the entire city. Yufeng has already been murdered, and Guangde is on the verge of collapse. Our three families are also in dire need. We earnestly request Master Li to accept this medicine and recover from your injuries as soon as possible. From now on, the Qian, Sun, and Li families are willing to follow Master Li's lead and jointly resist the Chamber of Commerce!"

Sun Hanshan and Li Changfeng bowed simultaneously, saying, "We humbly request Master Li!"

Wu Yunfeng raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

Li Chengyue leaned back in his chair, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four people in front of him.

Finally, his gaze fell on Chen Jianghe beside him.

"If that's the case—" he said in a low voice, "then let's go all out."