Ultimate True Lord

In the afternoon, Jiang Ming received some bad news.

Previously, he had hired someone to contact the down-on-their-luck martial arts masters in the city. One of them, an old martial arts master with a missing arm, had initially shown some interest, but then said he had something to attend to and would be delayed for a few days.

But now eight or nine days have passed, and the person still hasn't shown up. Jiang Ming asked in detail and learned that the old martial arts master said he had something to do, but actually he went to the countryside outside the city to see his son and hasn't returned yet.

With no hope for the old martial arts master, Jiang Ming had no choice but to turn to another down-on-his-luck martial arts master he had previously hesitated to approach.

The two failed to reach an agreement before because he offered too little.

In the late afternoon, Jiang Ming braved the scorching sun and arrived at the south of the city. The streets in the south of the city were dilapidated and deserted, with low and old buildings on both sides of the road, some of which seemed to have been abandoned for some time.

As he walked along the road, bursts of coughing could be heard coming from the houses on both sides, each cough more painful than the last, making one feel heavy and suffocated.

Occasionally, you can hear the child crying, and the child's parents praying interspersed with coughs.

"The coughing blood epidemic in the south of the city keeps recurring. Almost a year has passed, and it still hasn't ended."

Jiang Ming covered his mouth and nose with a damp cloth and walked on. Finally, he stopped in front of an inconspicuous dilapidated house and pushed the door open to go inside.

In the courtyard, the martial arts master surnamed Liao was in his early thirties, thin and with a sallow complexion from chronic malnutrition. He was slightly hunched, and his old, faded clothes made him look disheveled and haggard.

Jiang Ming got straight to the point and started negotiating the price with him.

Prices in Wangyue City are skyrocketing, and money is becoming increasingly worthless. This time, the other party insisted on ten taels of silver before they would teach him the secret manual. Jiang Ming hesitated for a moment, but still nodded in agreement, and the two officially reached a deal.

We just reached an agreement; the money will be exchanged for the goods.

"Cough cough cough!"

Suddenly, a violent coughing fit came from the inner room, interspersed with suppressed coughing up of blood, sounding extremely weak.

A woman called out weakly, "My husband..."

The martial arts instructor surnamed Liao panicked instantly and quickly turned around to reply, "Gui Niang, I'm here, I'm here!"

After saying that, he hurriedly nodded to Jiang Ming, picked up a wooden basin, filled it with some water, and rushed into the inner room to take care of his wife.

Jiang Ming stood there, silently watching the scene unfold, saying nothing. He turned and walked out of the dilapidated house, slowly leaving the street.

The fact that this martial arts master surnamed Liao was willing to reveal his family's martial arts skills is probably closely related to his wife's illness of coughing up blood.

Otherwise, if it were merely due to financial hardship, the martial arts master surnamed Liao probably still wouldn't easily pass on his ancestral skills.

……

……

Back at the Red Sand Martial Arts School, Jiang Ming originally intended to practice his Qi and Blood circulation for a while longer before returning to his new home to begin practicing the martial arts he had just acquired.

Unexpectedly, Old Man Liu suddenly rushed back from outside the Red Sand Martial Arts School. He immediately sent someone to summon all the official disciples who could come, and they gathered together under the large shade tree in the inner courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Liu Longquan was dressed in a dark brocade robe, the fabric of which was of decent quality, but it was stretched taut by his large belly.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression much more serious than usual, and he didn't even have the pastry he usually liked to chew while talking. It was clear that what he was about to say was quite important.

Once most of the people had arrived, Liu Longquan slowly began to speak, telling everyone about the situation in Wangyue City.

"In our Wangyue City, the most powerful forces on the surface are the five major families. These five families control more than half of the city's land and shops, such as grain shops, money shops, carriage and horse shops, and other key businesses."

"The five major families are Zhao, Wang, Su, Zhou, and Zheng."

He took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then continued.

"Outside the city, within a radius of several dozen miles, the power of discourse is in the hands of three factions. These are forces rooted in the mountains and have formal sects."

"These three sects are called Green Pine Mountain, Azure Stone Gate, and Mysterious Yin Sect."

"When taken together, people in the Daoist community call them the Five Families and Three Schools."

"Besides that, the rest are martial arts schools like the Red Sand Martial Arts School, which are located on a piece of land and have opened their own schools and accepted students. They are scattered throughout the shops of Wangyue City."

Liu Longquan continued in a low voice, recounting the very important news he had just received outside.

Just last night, the teams sent out by the five major families outside the city were suddenly ambushed, suffering heavy casualties and having their supplies stolen.

Upon closer examination, the martial arts moves and traces left at the scene turned out to be from the Green Pine Sect, one of the three sects.

But the strange thing is that after Qing Song Men found out, they vehemently denied it, insisting that it was definitely not done by their own people, and that someone was deliberately framing them.

Now, both the five families and the three gates are holding their breath, suspicious of each other, and on guard, and a subtle standoff has begun.

The atmosphere inside and outside the city suddenly became somewhat tense.

"When you travel outside, if you encounter people from five families or three sects, try to stay away from them and don't provoke them."

Old Man Liu gave his disciples a final word of advice before turning and leaving the inner courtyard.

Soon, the remaining formal disciples dispersed in twos and threes.

Jiang Ming turned around and saw Fang Heng chatting enthusiastically with his third and fifth senior brothers. The group was laughing and talking, and it seemed they were going to go to the pleasure boat in the inner city for some fun and relaxation.

That area of ​​pleasure boats was a well-known red-light district in the inner city, built along a gentle stretch of the Mu River. Singing, dancing, and music filled the air, creating a scene of extravagance day and night.

Since Fang Heng entered the realm of strength, he has received a lot of financial assistance and broadened his horizons. As a result, he has become quite arrogant and has been going to the pleasure quarters in the inner city every few days.

He frequented the entertainment districts and gambling dens within the inner city, going wherever the excitement was. However, his talent was truly exceptional, surpassing that of his fellow disciples. Even with his indulgence, his cultivation continued to rise rapidly, without falling behind in the slightest.

Jiang Ming glanced at Fang Heng indifferently, then turned around and prepared to return to his new home without thinking further.

He was eager to practice the newly acquired martial arts manual.

I had only taken two steps when a voice suddenly came from behind me.

Wen Jin walked over quickly, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile.

"Junior Brother Jiang, don't rush back."

At this moment, the second senior brother, the fourth senior brother, and the sixth senior sister also came over from not far away, and the group of people gathered together.

"We were just about to get together, and you came along too. We're all fellow disciples, and we don't see each other often, so it'll be good for us to chat more..."

Wen Jin looked at Jiang Ming in front of her, pondering to herself.

Jiang Ming had previously helped the Wen family's herb-gathering team kill the bandits, resolving a thorny problem. Only after that night did he truly take Jiang Ming seriously.

In the past, he helped Jiang Ming simply to spite Fang Heng.

But now, he has taken the initiative to invite Jiang Ming along and help him integrate into the circle of fellow disciples, showing that he genuinely wants to get to know this junior brother better.