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

Feng Ji had one question: it was his first time attending a banquet hosted by the Commandant.

Hearing that the Commandant valued martial prowess, he harbored little affection for wealthy households and used every banquet as an opportunity to extort money.

But this time, there was no news of the Commandant's Office demanding money.

Moreover, he, a nobody from the Taiping Chamber of Commerce, was actually among those invited by Commandant Qin.

"I have always preferred to make friends through martial arts and to determine who is superior based on their skills."

After several rounds of drinks, Commandant Qin picked up his bowl, stood up, looked around, and said:

"To be honest, the county camp is full of brave generals, and my soldiers are all top-notch fighters."

"In the past, only the martial arts schools in the county held competitions, and our county military camp never participated. Today, taking advantage of this opportunity, why don't we, the county military camp, also have a match with the local powerful martial arts masters?"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone stepped forward, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, and steadily stepped onto the arena.

The soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute, facing Commandant Qin, his voice booming like a bell:

"This humble general, Li Hu, requests your instructions, sir!"

As if half of the rehearsal had been planned, Commandant Qin nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone at the table, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance:

"Li Hu is one of my elite soldiers. Ordinary three or five people with hidden strength cannot get close to him. Today, let him be the first to learn from the skills of all the martial arts masters. Let's stop here and not hurt each other's feelings."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu turned around and clasped his hands in greeting again:

"My name is Li Hu. I would like to exchange skills with you martial arts masters. Please do not hesitate to offer your guidance!"

Having said that, he stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, adopting a solid horse stance. His aura was calm and steady, clearly indicating that he was a seasoned practitioner, far superior to ordinary soldiers.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Ci noticed the young lady Shen beside him and leaned to the side to say to Shen Zonghan:

"Father, I'm a little tired, I want to..."

"sit down!"

Shen Zonghan rebuked him angrily.

The discussions in the banquet hall gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Hu in the center of the open space. There was curiosity, apprehension, and also a sense of eagerness.

During the gathering, several martial arts instructors quietly sat up straight and whispered to the people next to them:

"The soldiers under Commandant Qin are so skilled that three or five of them cannot penetrate their bodies. They must have some real skill. It seems that the saying that 'the army camp is full of experts' is not an exaggeration."

Just then, a man suddenly stood up from the crowd. He was dressed in a light blue outfit and had a handsome face. He was Zhao Lei, a disciple of the Black Dragon Martial Arts School.

He performed quite well yesterday after Adam Silver stepped down.

He strode out of his seat, clasped his hands in a salute to Commandant Qin, then turned to Li Hu and said loudly:

"I am Zhao Lei from the Black Dragon Martial Arts School, and I would like to spar with Brother Li!"

Commandant Qin glanced sideways and raised his hand in a gesture:

"Excellent, a young talent, go ahead."

"Yes, sir."

Zhao Lei moved swiftly, leaping onto the arena and standing opposite Li Hu.

He did not rush to attack, but instead bowed slightly:

"Brother Li, please!"

Without any pretense, Li Hu let out a deep shout, exerted force with his feet, and shot out like an arrow, his right fist carrying a strong wind, aiming straight for Zhao Lei's throat.

The punch was fast and heavy, startling everyone present, with some unable to help but gasp.

Zhao Lei remained calm, slightly shifting his body to the side to skillfully dodge the punch. At the same time, his left hand reached out and grabbed the opponent's wrist. The move was agile and clearly the entangling force technique of the Black Dragon Martial Arts School.

Li Hu flipped his wrist, followed closely by his right, his punches becoming even stronger, and the two instantly became entangled in combat.

Amidst the clash of fists, the sound of air being torn apart could be heard. Li Hu's moves were powerful and domineering, each punch and kick carrying the force of thunder, displaying his fierce courage.

Zhao Lei was agile and nimble, avoiding the opponent's strength and attacking their weaknesses. His moves were exquisite. The two exchanged blows for more than ten rounds in the blink of an eye, with neither gaining the upper hand.

During the gathering, everyone had long forgotten about drinking. They craned their necks, their eyes fixed on the open space. Some cheered softly, while others watched intently. Discussions gradually arose, filled with admiration.

"There are no weaklings in the army; Li Hu's powerful fist techniques are ruthless in every move!"

"Impressive move! Zhao Lei's 'Flowing Cloud Hands' are becoming increasingly skillful!"

"..."

Ye Ci held his wine bowl, calmly watching the competition in the arena, his eyes inadvertently glancing at Shen Yiqian beside him.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the bowl, seemingly indifferent and not even glancing at it.

As if realizing she was being stared at by Ye Ci, she suddenly spoke in a low voice, her tone clear and crisp:

"The courage of a common man."

Ye Ci seemed not to hear, only feeling that this woman was a bit too arrogant.

During the meal, Yang Shi sat at a table with Jiang Du, while Qi Wang and Xiao Hua sat together, close to each other.

Qi Wang tore off a piece of pork leg and stuffed it into his mouth.

"fragrant!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Du beside him and said, "Third Senior Brother, give me your half of the pig's head. I don't think Master will eat it."

"Oh……"

Jiang Du obediently handed the pig's head to Qi Wang.

Xiao Hua stared intently at the arena, a hint of eagerness gradually rising in his eyes.

"Master has given you a heads-up: you are not allowed to go up there tonight."

Qi Wang, holding the pig's head, reminded him.

Xiao Hua suddenly looked up and whispered, "Fourth Senior Brother, why won't you let me go?"

"Can't I tell?"

Qi Wang took a big bite of meat before grinning and saying, "If you go up there, you'll definitely challenge Junior Brother Ye to a duel again. Don't forget, Master instructed us that fellow disciples must not fight amongst ourselves."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hua silently lowered his head, feeling quite dissatisfied.

He felt that the term "closed-door disciple" actually restricted him from switching to another school.

Now that I have the talent of a martial arts examination graduate, I wouldn't feel so stifled no matter which martial arts school I attend.

Master, you're not allowed to do this, you're not allowed to do that!

He subconsciously looked at Commandant Qin, who was sitting upright in the main seat with a smile on his lips and his eyes darting around, hiding a deep meaning that was hard to fathom.

In the arena, seeing that the stalemate was not over, Zhao Lei suddenly changed his move. He feinted with his right fist and then swept his left leg out to aim for Li Hu's lower body.

Li Hu paused, leaping into the air to avoid the sweeping left leg, while simultaneously striking Zhao Lei's nape from above with his right palm.

If that blow had landed, I would have been dead.

The martial arts masters present all had their pupils shrink in shock. Everyone who was present today was a master among martial arts practitioners.

It was clear that Li Hu's moves were not a martial arts contest at all, but rather deadly techniques.

As one of the three major martial arts schools, Zhao Lei was no pushover. Seeing this, he hurriedly pulled back his leg, rolled awkwardly, and raised his hand to block.

A muffled thud.

Their palms collided, and Zhao Lei rolled several steps like a ball before regaining his balance. He stood up, wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, and said loudly:

"Brother Li, your skill is truly impressive!"

Li Hu returned the greeting with clasped hands: "You flatter me!"

Commandant Qin clapped his hands and laughed, rising to his feet. "Evenly matched! It seems our county's martial arts masters truly live up to their reputation! Is there any other martial arts master willing to step forward and spar with my elite troops?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the veteran martial arts masters present were reluctant, but some of the younger disciples were still eager to try.

Master Gao Jing of the Black Dragon Martial Arts School quietly shook his head, and his other beloved disciple immediately sat back down.

Gao Jing, a seasoned veteran, always felt that this was no good banquet.

Chong Yue of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, like Gao Jing, was about sixty years old and a Grandmaster of Transformation Force. He also restrained one of his disciples.

Some were afraid of losing face, while others were afraid of hurting Li Hu and displeasing Commandant Qin.

For a moment, Li Hu was still standing on the stage, but no one else went up.

"Lord Ye, the Commandant has been keeping an eye on you. He's very interested in you, this old soldier returning home."

Shen Yixi speaks clearly and her voice is crisp.

Ye Ci's hand froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, realizing that this young lady had investigated him.

The two didn't exchange glances, each looking elsewhere, when Shen Yixi suddenly spoke:

"No one knows the way you came; he wants to see."

Clang!

A sharp sound pierced the sky, and everyone around held their breath for a moment.

A long sword fell like a falling star, crashing down in front of Ye Ci, trembling violently.

The long sword was deeply embedded in the stone slab, humming incessantly!

Silence reigned.

Everyone was astonished and couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

The banquet seemed to have become a silent ink painting.

A tall, upright figure calmly raised its head.

Qin Lie raised the corners of his mouth.

In their eyes,

Upon seeing that figure, he stood up.

He drew his sword and slowly stepped onto the arena.

If he wants to see it, then show it to him.