From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

Five people were standing outside the courtyard gate.

The woman in the lead was dressed in black riding attire, with her long hair tied back and a short Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Four men followed behind her; three were dressed in black, and the last one carried a briefcase. Their footsteps were silent.

The woman stepped over the broken wood, her gaze sweeping across the courtyard before finally settling on Lu Yunzhou.

Bai Heming picked up the enamel cup on the table, and the bottom of the cup made a soft sound as it tapped against the stone surface.

"This is the Bai Family Martial Arts School. Who allowed you to come in?"

The woman stopped in the middle of the courtyard gate and raised her hand to press the hilt of the knife at her waist.

"I'm here to see Lu Yunzhou, it has nothing to do with the Bai family."

Lu Yunzhou stood up and stood in front of Bai Xiaoxi.

The woman watched his actions and a smile appeared on her face.

"Mr. Lu, Pei Zhongting asked me to pass on a message to you. I never expected that when we met again, you would have already killed the president of the Martial Arts Association."

Lu Yunzhou stared at her face and recognized the voice.

That night at the Half Hill Manor, it was she who relayed Pei Zhongting's message.

Ayase Maki stepped over the broken wood, the short sword at her waist clinking lightly with each step.

The four people behind her stood separately, blocking the front yard exit.

Bai Xiaoxi gripped the broom handle tightly, her shoulders tensed, and she had already taken half a step forward.

"You Japanese woman, you come and bang on my door, and you dare to stand here and say you have nothing to do with the Bai family?"

Bai Xiaoxi's cheeks flushed red, and she squeezed the broom handle so hard it made a cracking sound.

Ayase Maki raised her hand and pressed it against the scabbard. Her gaze swept over her and landed on the broken wooden stakes in the courtyard.

"I'm only after Lu Yunzhou. If you want to get beaten up, I can make that happen."

Bai Xiaoxi gritted her teeth and prepared to push off with her feet.

Bai Heming raised his hand and stood in front of her.

"Step back."

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it made Bai Xiaoxi stop.

Her chest heaved a few times, but she kept staring at Ayase Maki, her hand never letting go of the broom handle.

Lu Yunzhou picked up the enamel cup, drank the last sip of tea, and then put the cup back on the stone table.

The bottom of the cup made a very soft sound when it hit the table.

Maki Ayase turned her head and looked him over again.

"Pei Zhongting said you were ruthless, and it seems you do have some skill today."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Lu Yunzhou's right shoulder.

The area was covered by clothing, but the injuries sustained last night had not fully healed, and there was a barely perceptible stiffness in her shoulders and back when she moved.

Lu Yunzhou raised his hand and patted his shoulder, his tone flat.

"Stop talking nonsense. What are you doing at the Bai family's place?"

"Challenge the venue."

Maki Ayase uttered two words and pointed to the plaque behind Shiratsu Mei.

"Sheng'an Martial Arts Schools are everywhere, all displaying signs for the martial arts of the Great Xia Dynasty. The masters only teach routines, and the disciples only know how to put on airs. After taking a few punches, they all lie on the ground begging for mercy."

Bai Xiaoxi endured it for a long time, but still rushed out.

"You think you can call the entire Sheng'an Martial Arts School trash just because you injured a few people?"

Her voice broke through the courtyard, and several men in black looked up at the same time.

Maki Ayase chuckled softly and tapped her toes on the ground.

"I've won six straight games. If you guys were so capable, someone would have stepped up already."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaoxi could no longer suppress her anger.

She dropped the broom, tucked her fists to her sides, and leaned forward.

Bai Heming raised his arm to stop her.

"You can't catch her knife."

"Grandpa, she's bullying us right at the door!"

Bai Xiaoxi turned around, her eyes red with anger.

Bai Heming did not move aside.

He glanced at the knife at Ayase Maki's waist, then swept his gaze over the man carrying the suitcase behind her.

The four people stood clearly, their steps were steady, and their hands were all outside their clothes.

Those men didn't carry ordinary sticks; instead, they concealed short blades or firearms in the bulges under their clothes.

Maki Ayase dared to lead people into the Bai family's residence, and she didn't rely on just her words.

"She practices Iaijutsu; her sword strikes in the blink of an eye. If you make the first move, she can use your momentum to win."

Bai Heming's reminder left Bai Xiaoxi frozen in place.

Lu Yunzhou reached out and picked up the tea box, then covered the remaining tea leaves inside again.

He killed Zhuo Zheng last night and beheaded Zhuo Chongshan today; the internal energy within him is still suppressed deep within his meridians.

The arrival of Ayase Maki at this moment provides a perfect opportunity for him to try out the close-quarters combat techniques taught by Hakutsuru Mei.

He walked in front of Bai Xiaoxi, blocking Ayase Maki's view.

"I'll take this one."

Bai Xiaoxi was stunned and hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.

"Mr. Lu, she has a knife."

"I have hands too."

Lu Yunzhou pulled his sleeve back and his gaze fell on Ayase Maki.

"If you want to ruin the Bai family's reputation, then follow the Bai family's rules."

Maki Ayase stared at him, her hand moving away from the hilt of the sword.

"You represent the Bai family?"

"Let's calculate it today."

Bai Heming lowered his brows.

He didn't say anything to stop him, but his hand stopped at the edge of the stone table.

Lu Yunzhou turned around and glanced at him.

"Old Master Bai, may I borrow your place for a match? If you lose, I'll take care of your signboard."

"How do you want to handle this?"

Bai Heming looked up at him.

Lu Yunzhou pointed to the plaque outside the door, his tone crisp and decisive.

"If I lose, I will personally take down the Bai Family Martial Arts School's signboard and seal it in the storeroom. Let her do whatever she wants with it."

Bai Xiaoxi's expression changed.

"Mr. Lu, there's no need to gamble with my family's reputation."

"She came here today specifically for the signboard."

Lu Yunzhou didn't turn around; he spoke very directly.

"Even if she escapes today, she'll go to other martial arts schools. If Sheng'an's martial arts instructors get beaten up one by one, in the end, it's the Great Xia martial arts that will lose face."

None of the people in the courtyard spoke.

Bai Heming stared at Lu Yunzhou's back and tapped his finger on the table.

"What are your conditions?"

Lu Yunzhou looked at Ayase Maki.

"If you lose, go to the Sheng'an Martial Arts Exchange Conference, admit your mistake in front of all the martial arts masters, acknowledge that the martial arts of Great Xia have practical combat skills, and apologize to the person you injured."

Maki Ayase raised an eyebrow.

Lu Yunzhou continued, "You must keep every word you said before. If you don't acknowledge it, don't even think about leaving the Bai family today."

The man in black behind Maki Ayase took a step forward.

Lu Yunzhou's shoulders didn't move, but his right foot pressed forward half an inch.

The man in black stopped in his tracks and removed his hand from his clothes.

Bai Heming could see clearly that Lu Yunzhou had already channeled his true energy into his legs.

"You want to seek justice for the entire Sheng'an martial arts community?"

"I'm not that free."

Lu Yunzhou glanced at her.

"Among the people you injured were Old Master Bai's friends and senior masters from Sheng'an Martial Arts School. I'm standing up today simply because I don't want to hear your continued nonsense."

Ayase Maki's eyelids twitched.

"What if I don't agree?"

"Then get out."

Lu Yunzhou raised his hand and pointed to the courtyard gate.

"You want to challenge us? I'll give you the chance. But you can't intimidate the martial artists of Sheng'an with just a few empty words."

Bai Xiaoxi stood behind him, her hands quietly clenching into fists.

She had just been stopped by her grandfather, but now, upon hearing Lu Yunzhou accept the bet on behalf of the Bai family, her nose tingled and her steps became steady.

Bai Heming picked up the enamel cup; there was no tea left in it.

"Miss Ayase, it's up to you whether you accept the bet. The Bai family isn't afraid of losing, but we won't accept provocations without rules."

Maki Ayase looked at the grandfather and grandson, and finally fixed her gaze on Lu Yunzhou.

She had investigated Lu Yunzhou before she came.

Despite being a retired soldier, he has recently killed members of the Chu and Zhuo families, and even fought against an eighth-rank martial artist at the Tiger Soul Hall.

However, the information did not clearly state what level he had reached.

Pei Zhongting only told her that Lu Yunzhou was dangerous; if she could try, she should try; if not, she should kill him.

Now that Lu Yunzhou has taken the initiative to extend the betting to the entire Sheng'an martial arts circle, she has been saved a lot of trouble.

"You lost. The Bai family's name is mine. You also have to kneel down and admit that the martial arts of Great Xia are not worthy of being compared with the martial arts of Japan."

She raised her hand to untie the strap on the scabbard, her tone becoming heavy.

"If you dare to renege, the people behind me will tear the Bai family to shreds."