Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

Among the crowd below, Zheng Yuan stared intently at Chu Hong, who was highly regarded above, his eyes burning with jealousy.

That glory should have belonged to him; he should have been revered by the people and valued by the government.

But now, they have all been taken away by Chu Hong.

Moreover, after his defeat, his fame and fortune vanished, and due to his misconduct, he had no place to stand in Yunxi County.

The only option is to leave for distant lands and seek development on your own.

Thinking of this, he became increasingly depressed and angry, his mind filled with complex emotions.

He will forever remember this humiliation.

One day, he will return to Yunxi, defeat Chu Hong, and personally reclaim all his honor.

At this moment, the news of the martial arts competition's conclusion spread rapidly throughout Yunxi County and its subordinate townships, carried by the clatter of horses' hooves.

The news of Chu Hong topping the martial arts exam list spread far and wide overnight.

When Chu Hong returned to the city, the city gate was already surrounded by families and curious onlookers, all eager to see what was happening.

In less than a year, Chu Hong rose from an unknown nobody to the top of the martial arts rankings.

How could they not be curious about such a miraculous figure?

When they saw Chu Hong at the front of the line, everyone started talking again.

Some parents gazed at Chu Hong, pointing and whispering, instructing their children to learn from Chu Hong and practice martial arts diligently.

Some of the women and their families had their eyes lit up, wishing they could rush over and grab a handful.

This scene only briefly dissipated after the group entered the inner city.

Although the martial arts exam has ended, the things that follow are not easy.

Within a few days, prominent families, gentry, and other influential figures from all walks of life came to visit.

The threshold was almost worn down by the crowds, and the gifts received almost filled the entire house.

The gifts from various families were not intended to bribe or invest in Chu Hong, but rather to establish good relations with him and avoid offending this newly crowned top martial arts scholar.

Of course, this was not a privilege reserved for Chu Hong alone; the other martial arts scholars received the same treatment.

It was just slightly less impressive compared to the momentum of Chu Hong's side.

The noise lasted for three days before gradually subsiding.

As Chu Hong accepted the gifts, the Wuyou Sect, which had been silent for many days, finally began to take action.

The martial arts rankings from the various counties under Qinglong Prefecture were quietly leaked to the Qinglong Prefecture branch of the Wuyou Sect.

It was passed up through the ranks and delivered to the Venerable One in the church.

Inside the branch headquarters, candlelight flickered.

The Venerable One examined each list until he picked up the list from Yunxi County, at which point his gaze sharpened.

"Is this Chu Hong the disciple of that person from Qingming Mountain?"

The subordinate standing nearby replied in a low voice, "Yes, Your Excellency."

The Venerable One set down the list, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and his expression was solemn:

"In less than a year, he has grown from an ordinary person to such a level. His growth potential is among the best in the entire Azure Dragon Prefecture. I heard that he was only of inferior talent?"

"Your Excellency, after extensive verification, it is indeed so!" the subordinate replied again, his tone firm.

"Knock knock knock".

The Venerable One looked at the list in front of him, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and frowned.

"Could it be that the person the Holy Venerable spoke of is him?"

His first thought was of the Holy One's prophecy.

The one who will destroy the Worry-Free Sect will appear from a county under the jurisdiction of Qinglong Prefecture.

Chu Hong is truly exceptional compared to the other figures on the list.

He was so convinced that this was the person prophesied to be.

As his thoughts raced, his expression gradually turned cold.

He would not allow anyone to undermine the foundation of the Worry-Free Sect, whose great cause was not yet accomplished.

Although he had some doubts about Chu Hong, he could not act rashly.

Firstly, although Chu Hong has shown signs of abnormality, it is not yet entirely certain. If the one who destroyed Wuyou is someone else, his rash actions may alert the enemy.

Secondly, since Venerable Haoyue Lin Chenzhou died at Chu Hong's hands due to carelessness, he wouldn't be foolish enough to take action before figuring out the connection, lest he bring trouble upon himself.

He is in charge of a branch headquarters, with a vast business empire there, so he has many more things to consider.

He is not like Lin Chenzhou, who is a Venerable One who can hit and run.

His fingers paused for a moment, then he gave the order calmly, yet it was full of deep calculation:

"Arrange for someone from Yunxi County to approach him. If you can win him over, do everything you can to recruit him and turn an enemy into a friend."

"If he is not of use to me, and I judge that he will be harmful to my Worry-Free Holy Church, then I will follow the trail and eliminate him, leaving no future trouble."

"Yes!" The subordinate bowed and withdrew upon receiving the order.

After his subordinates left, the Venerable One began to examine the list again.

However, no one has come across talent as amazing as Chu Hong's since.

Until I saw a slightly familiar place name on a list of martial arts examination results from Qinglong Prefecture.

"Xiao Yi, of exceptional talent and physique, is from Yunxi County."

His brow furrowed again...

-----------------

Meanwhile, in Qinglong Prefecture, Huayang Village.

One of the leaders held the secret letter from Yunxi County in his hand, lost in thought.

The letter was not detailed, but it clearly stated all the events that had occurred in the Wei family and the Iron Fist Gang.

The scene on the day Wei Lin returned was witnessed by someone.

Some people saw them break into the Sanhe Gang. The Song family and Dawei Escort Agency surrounded the Sanhe Gang. Not long after, Wei Lin and his group, with their heads covered and faces veiled, rode out of the city from inside the Sanhe Gang.

They disappeared without a trace.

At first glance, it seems they encountered misfortune after leaving the city.

But upon closer examination, it becomes clear that it was merely a smokescreen.

The real Wei Lin must have already fallen into the hands of the Sanhe Gang and Chu Hong and his ilk.

If a powerful force in the Azure Dragon Prefecture were to provoke him, he could only swallow his anger and dare not utter a single word.

Let's just consider it as Wei Lin and the others courting death.

But those who provoked them were only forces within the county, and their strongest members were only at the Transformation Realm. Yet they dared to stroke the beard of Huayang Village; they were simply audacious.

He immediately decided to lead his men to wipe out the Song family and the Dawei Escort Agency.

But then he thought that Huayang Village was in a bad situation, and such a matter of seeking revenge was not something he could decide on his own.

He immediately got up and strode towards the third-in-command.

-----------------

While undercurrents were swirling in the outside world, Chu Hong, who was at the center of the storm, remained completely unaware.

After seeing off the last group of guests, he went to the county government office alone to await Xiong Zhen's summons.

Before long, Xiong Zhen walked slowly towards them, a hint of appreciation on his face:

"Chu Bangtou, if you don't come soon, I'm going to come looking for you."

Chu Hong quickly lowered his head and respectfully bowed, saying:

"Please forgive me, Master Xiong. I have been very busy with social engagements, which is why I was delayed for a while."

Xiong Zhen looked easygoing and waved his hand dismissively:

"It's normal to receive this kind of treatment when you become famous at a young age. I went through the same thing back then."

"Enough with the small talk. Chu, the top scorer, must have already decided on the martial arts he needs. Just speak frankly."

Chu Hong did not ask for it, but instead took the opportunity to frankly explain his plans.

"Lord Xiong, my knowledge is limited, and I hope you can offer some guidance. I currently possess..."

Chu Hong stated frankly that the previously planned system is now complete, encompassing fist, leg, body techniques, and external training.

If you try to do too much, you'll end up with a mess that's neither good nor good.

Xiong Zhen comes from Qinglong Prefecture City and is knowledgeable and experienced; hopefully he can offer some guidance.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Zhen looked Chu Hong up and down again, pondered for a moment, and then said seriously:

"According to Chu Bangshou, your moves and movements are already well-developed. In my opinion, your biggest weakness right now is not in martial arts, but in stance training."

"Your Hunyuan stance training is adequate for the county town, but it would be considered rather rudimentary if placed in a top-tier circle like Qinglong Prefecture."

Chu Hong was puzzled and clasped his hands in a fist and asked:

"May I ask, sir, why is there such a difference between the two, even though they are both stance training exercises?"