Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

Black Tiger Hall headquarters.

A mixture of pitch black and scarlet.

Flames scorched the pale, broken bones, mingling with crimson blood, imprinting them onto a massive iron monument forged from countless weapons.

A strange rune was drawn on the monument.

Liu Zongsheng, Zhao Huayuan, and the head of the Qi family stood in three directions, injecting their energy into the stone tablet, and the strange runes slowly lit up in crimson.

A short while later.

The three stopped fighting and caught their breath.

A glint of madness flashed in Liu Zongsheng's eyes. "Gentlemen, we now have enough people for the human sacrifice, and the memorial stele is almost complete. I wish us great success!"

Zhao Huayuan clenched his fists, angrily saying, "At this crucial moment, Chen Mo took advantage of the situation and slaughtered the entire Fierce Sand Gang and Black Tiger Hall. If I weren't unable to return, I would have torn him to pieces!"

Liu Zongsheng, however, didn't care at all. "They were just some weaklings. They're dead, so be it. When the memorial stele is completed, the three of us will greatly increase our cultivation. At that time, the entire Anyang County will be firmly under our control. The Xie family, Hefeng Pawnshop, and Iron Palm Gang will be nothing to us, let alone Chen Mo, a mere peasant!"

The head of the Qi family chimed in, "Brother Liu is right. Why worry about the survival of a small gang? When the time comes, the three of us can unite the entire Anyang County to form a large sect, and then we can slowly encroach on the neighboring counties."

Liu Zongsheng was deeply moved by these words, and his face lit up with joy. "Brother Qi Feng is right. If the ritual to the stele allows us to both reach the peak of the Transformation Realm, or even break through to the Transformation Realm, then it is not impossible for us to become famous throughout Chuzhou."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huayuan's anger slowly faded, and then he burst into laughter.

Just as the laughter of the three reached its peak, the sound of footsteps suddenly came.

The three of them turned around, their expressions changing.

Liu Zongsheng bowed slightly and said, "County Magistrate Lin, you've arrived."

Lin Chong landed, his gaze sweeping over the entire group. "The three of you are preparing to break through to the Transformation Realm, why didn't you take me with you?"

Liu Zongsheng lowered his bow even further, "What are you saying, Magistrate Lin? The memorial stele was built under Magistrate Lin's leadership. Once it is completed, Magistrate Lin should be the first to enjoy it."

Lin Chong nodded slightly and slowly approached the memorial stele. "These next few days are crucial. You must not leave this place even for a moment. Also, Qi Feng, transfer some Qi family warriors here to guard the area. The Black Tiger Hall and the Fierce Sand Gang still have half their members left, which should be enough."

Qi Feng paused for a moment, then immediately clasped his hands in response.

……

The border between Anyang County and Heihe Town.

The rain gradually subsided, the sky cleared, and the mountains were covered in lush greenery.

Chen Mo and Wu Zhiai continued forward, walking onto the streets of the county town. Wu Zhiai felt much more at ease at this point.

The two wandered through the streets and alleys, and after a while arrived at the gate of a huge courtyard, on which were written four large, flamboyant characters: "Anyang Xie Family".

After questioning Chen Mo, the gatekeeper learned that it was Chen Mo and immediately went in to report.

Before long, Xie Jinnian came running out and led the two into the lobby.

At this moment, Chen Lan and Xie Jinyou also arrived upon hearing the news. When the former saw that Chen Mo was unharmed, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat and her eyes reddened.

In the past few days, news of Chen Mo's rampage in Heihe Town has spread like wildfire, while Chen Lan has remained calmly at the Xie family home, feeling extremely uneasy.

She quickly had Chen Mo and Wu Zhiai change into clean clothes.

When the two returned, Xie Jinnian had already brewed tea. He glanced at Chen Mo a few times, intentionally or unintentionally. The refined aura unique to the late stage of Dark Force rushed towards him, making him feel a little disappointed.

When they first met at the martial arts training ground, his cultivation level was slightly higher than Chen Mo's. Now, only a little over a month has passed, and it's as if "time has changed," with Chen Mo now entering the ranks of experts.

But he was also a magnanimous person, and his mind did not linger on this matter for long. So he reached out and pushed a cup of tea in front of Chen Mo, "Brother Chen Mo, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

"Thank you very much, Brother Jinnian!"

Chen Mo responded with a smile, showing no arrogance despite his greatly increased strength.

At this moment, Xie Jinyou sighed, "I heard that Brother Chen Mo has been making waves in Heihe Town. Your reputation is even more renowned than it was during the martial arts examination. Meanwhile, we've been sitting in the back waiting."

"That was out of necessity," Chen Mo explained reluctantly.

Xie Jinyou counted on his fingers, "The deputy leader of the Fierce Sand Gang and Liu Sha of the Black Tiger Hall, tsk tsk, both of them were above the late stage of Dark Force, and either of them could be considered experts, yet they both died at Brother Chen's hands. Such a record makes me ashamed."

After listening, Chen Mo paused. It seemed that the news of Tang Yi and Zhou Yue's deaths had not yet reached this place, so he did not intend to bring it up himself.

When you're a guest on someone else's turf, it's best not to stand out too much.

But every time he showed off, it was not intentional.

The group exchanged some more polite words.

Xie Jinyou looked at Chen Mo, a meaningful look flashing in his eyes, a detail that Chen Mo immediately noticed.

Then Xie Jinyou said, "Brother Chen and Miss Wu have been traveling all night, they must be tired. You should get some rest, the Xie family has plenty of guest rooms."

Chen Mo understood the implied meaning.

He immediately excused himself from the others and went to his guest room to wait for Xie Jin to arrive.

Just now, Xie Jinyou secretly gave him a look, which must mean he has a secret to tell him alone.

Not long after.

Sure enough, there was a soft knock on the door. Chen Mo opened it, and Xie Jinyou stepped inside.

The two sat down at the table.

Xie Jinyou said softly, "Brother Chen, you must have already met Lord Shen Qi?"

"Senior Shen...Lord Shen?"

Chen Mo was taken aback. "Senior Shen helped me on the night I killed Luo Hou in Heihe Town."

Xie Jinyou nodded slightly. "Lord Shen is the prefectural judge of Chuzhou. His trip to Anyang County is to secretly investigate the Black Tiger Hall's embezzlement of military equipment and their practice of human sacrifice."

Chen Mo was familiar with the bureaucratic system of the present era and knew that the position of prefectural judge was of the seventh rank and was in charge of the security of a prefecture.

He had previously guessed that Shen Qi came from the Chu Prefecture government or military camp.

Seeing that Chen Mo wasn't too surprised, Xie Jinyou asked in astonishment, "So Brother Chen had already guessed it?"

"Lord Shen is extremely skilled and possesses a strong sense of righteousness. I think he must be no ordinary person," Chen Mo explained.

Xie Jinyou nodded slightly and continued, "To be honest, Brother Chen, my father and Lord Shen are old friends. Therefore, before Lord Shen came to Anyang, he had already sent a letter to the Xie family, asking us to cooperate with him."

Chen Mo was slightly surprised to hear this.

He thought to himself, "So Shen Qi and the Xie family had planned this all along. No wonder the Xie family remained unmoved despite Lin Chong and Liu Zongsheng's threats and inducements."

"Lord Shen once asked us to recommend someone who lives in Heihe Town and can cooperate with him. My father and I thought it over and over, and finally recommended you after the martial arts examination."

Chen Mo was startled.

He had unwittingly become part of Shen Qi and the Xie family's scheme.

He suddenly realized that his repeated escapes from danger in Heihe Town over the past few days must have been due to Shen Qi's secret help.

Shen Qi also needed someone like him to stir up trouble in the open, so that Shen Qi could act in secret.

Chen Mo's face showed a look of realization, and then he asked, "Brother Xie told me all this, so there must be a next step in the plan?"

Xie Jinyou nodded. "Five days from now, the Xie family, Hefeng, and the Iron Palm Gang will cooperate with Lord Shen to encircle and annihilate the Black Tiger Hall headquarters. Of course, Brother Chen, you will also be there."