Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 110 Qiao Ke

Ye Ci hadn't expected Xiao Hua to have such courage.

He had always felt that Master Yang lacked vision and was bad at judging people, and that Xiao Hua was too narrow-minded and unlikely to amount to much.

But now, he was finally visibly moved.

He has a good mother.

Why do ordinary people practice martial arts?

It's all for the sake of making life better for my family.

Li Fan suddenly spoke up: "Senior Brother Ye, I've heard some rumors that you were appreciated by Duan Wu, but—Wang De was killed by Duan Wu in the street, and the Ping An Escort Agency was also cleared up by Duan Wu—"

"Yes, I haven't forgotten."

Ye Ci didn't express any further emotions; he simply looked out of the courtyard and spoke in a cold voice.

He turned and left the martial arts gym.

Every human being makes choices.

Some people cherish their lives, are attached to worldly affairs, and crave temporary peace and stability, so they sacrifice their children.

Some people have a strong sense of righteousness and a deep concern for the common people. When the people suffer, they regard themselves as insignificant and face death calmly, even if the road ahead is full of dangers.

They are willing to be killed in the street.

There was also a woman who, in order to educate her children, chose to die to prove her point.

Ye Ci felt that he didn't want to leave.

He will attend this martial arts competition.

If he leaves today because he's concerned with gains and losses, he'll leave again when he encounters difficulties in the future.

Escaping is escaping, not temporarily avoiding the limelight.

"Since everyone else is not afraid of death, why should I be?"

"Can he withstand a ten-year lifespan reduction from a single strike?"

Ye Ci was very confident; this was the "Sea-Severing Style," even if it came at a price.

However, Master Yang had previously stated that reaching the stage of "Bao Dan" (a specific cultivation technique) could significantly increase one's lifespan.

If Xiao Hua isn't afraid of death, why would I be afraid of ten years of my lifespan?

******

Time passed.

The martial arts competition is the most important event nowadays.

The county issued a series of proclamations, and the reward this time was quite generous, an official position bestowed by Zhang Guan.

No one would doubt the significance of the son of a marquis.

The rules of the competition were also announced: it would be a free-for-all.

Anyone can join any martial arts school; as long as the last five people make it to the top, they will be qualified to teach.

A careful analysis of the entire process can ignite the passion of many martial artists, especially some previously unknown small martial arts schools. These people secretly form alliances, discuss countermeasures, and hope to have a chance to steal a prize.

From now on, there will only be five martial arts schools in the county.

Based on these ideas, some masters went so far as to call back their most skilled disciples.

Over the years, generations of martial arts masters' disciples have reached the level of Huajin by aging. These people may serve as guest ministers in wealthy families in the prefectural city or as disciples in the outer sect of a sect, but they must also abide by the moral code of "a teacher for a day is a father for life".

Moreover, in the eyes of some, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The larger the martial arts school, the more tuition fees it accepts and the more disciples it produces, making it easier to encounter geniuses and allowing it to grow like a snowball.

The arena was set up, in the same location as the county's usual martial arts competitions, only several times larger than before.

Many people brought their own stools, eager to watch the spectacle.

After all, they were powerless to change anything; they just wanted to watch the show.

Early in the morning, as if they were watching an execution at the execution ground, they crowded around the arena before dawn.

The morning light was dim.

Steward Chen has arrived at the mansion.

After everyone finished breakfast in silence, Shen Xin, with several children, looked nervous, and Shen Wanzhou also looked uneasy, feeling quite anxious.

"Why isn't Yixi here?"

She said she would come to see you later.

"She told us she was leaving with us!"

At this point, a hint of sadness flickered in Steward Chen's eyes, but he quickly explained, "The property hasn't been properly dealt with yet, so Miss needs to stay and raise more money."

"I don't want it anymore," Shen Wanzhou said coldly.

Manager Chen said, "She's stubborn and won't listen to me."

After a long silence, Shen Wanzhou took out an envelope: "Why did she arrange everything so meticulously, and why wasn't Jiangling her target?"

Unexpectedly, he had also read the letter beforehand. Steward Chen lowered his voice: "It's better to be prepared. Always plan for the worst. Miss is also worried that someone might leak the news beforehand. In Shengwu City, Marquis Jianwu's men wouldn't dare to cause trouble—"

Shen Wanzhou took a breath: "I'll leave tomorrow."

"No!"

Manager Chen's expression tensed for a moment: "Wu Tan and the others left the city yesterday to wait. They were also arranged for their journey. This time, they are all trustworthy old people."

"There will be someone to meet you at the ferry crossing, so nothing will happen—but if you don't leave, it could easily cause trouble!"

Shen Wanzhou closed his eyes slightly and pondered for a moment: "Why haven't I seen Young Master Ye?"

He said he was going to have a martial arts competition.

"What?"

"I've tried to persuade him, but he's very stubborn."

Manager Chen suddenly felt a sense of admiration for these young people.

Given their situation, they could have simply given in or kept quiet; Zhang Guan wasn't the type to go after everyone.

Yet they chose to die for their cause, sacrificing themselves for righteousness.

Knowing there is no return ahead, knowing there is no going back, I still forge ahead with determination.

Such a choice is the most intense of human emotions.

******

The wind is very strong today; it's so strong that you can't open your eyes.

The sun climbed above the flagpole outside the arena, and the flags fluttered in the wind.

The arena was already surrounded by a huge crowd, so crowded that it was impossible to move.

Now, there are no longer any seats for the five major families or the three major martial arts schools. There is only another high platform, not far from the arena, overlooking everything.

Dressed in a smart outfit, Zhang Guan walked steadily, accompanied by Fang Yelan and Song Rongyi on his left and right, as he slowly ascended the steps and stepped onto the high platform.

Countless people below the stage looked up, their eyes filled with deep fear.

Zhang Guanli stood in the center of the high platform, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the four sides of the arena and the surging crowd. His expression was cold and unwavering as he calmly said, "They all arrived quite early."

The arena was quite large, and martial artists were already standing solemnly, each occupying a corner.

There were quite a few of them, more than a dozen martial artists.

After a period of oppressive silence, soft, restrained whispers gradually rose from the crowd, spreading in layers.

"They are all famous martial arts masters from Songjiang. Some of them haven't been back for many years. This is going to be a good show."

"7

"I've watched martial arts competitions for years, and this is the first time I've seen so many masters of the Transformation Realm on stage!"

"Zhao Yi is back too. I heard he's been training abroad. I didn't expect him to represent the Black Dragon Martial Arts School on stage. Isn't Master Gao Jing going to step up?"

The Zhao Yi they were talking about was the person Qi Wang and his group used to make fun of Jiang Ding'an.

This person studies martial arts at the Black Dragon Martial Arts School and is a genius.

"Xiao Hua is also here. Didn't he say he was leaving Rock Martial Arts Academy?"

The crowd was talking.

Gradually, however, everyone involuntarily turned their gaze to a man with a gun.

This man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a slender and upright figure, a stern demeanor, and a pair of cold eyes as clear as frost.

Holding a long spear horizontally in his arms, its tip cold and its shaft solemn, Zi Ran stood on the platform, like a peerless spear lurking in the abyss, exuding awe-inspiring power.

"Why is Qiao Ke back?!"

Speaking of Qiao Ke, some of the older people in the county know him; he's a violent man. But no one dares to question his abilities.

Zhao Yi stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior."

Qiao Ke: "Stay away from me."