Chapter Thirty-One: The Secret Scheme

Li Linliu’s voice was not loud, yet it resounded through the surroundings. At the very moment he uttered those words, a terrifying pressure radiated from him. Yu Xingzheng’s face turned deathly pale; facing this youth who was neither as tall nor as robust as himself, he felt a crushing force descend upon him, like a mountain weighing down on every fiber of his body.

“I, I…” His legs gave out; he staggered back several steps, unable to form a single word. The defiance and unwillingness he had shown moments before vanished utterly, leaving only fear behind.

At that moment, dozens of disciples from the Four Symbols Sect who stood behind Yu Xingzheng were likewise cowed—none dared lift their heads, not a single one found the courage to speak.

Li Linliu sneered in contempt, his gaze once again falling upon Gao Yi, the master of the Four Symbols Sect. “Do you have any objections, sir?”

Cold sweat already beaded on Gao Yi’s brow; he gritted his teeth. “No… none…”

The stronger one’s cultivation, the more they could sense Li Linliu’s unfathomable power.

Li Linliu let out another cold laugh, turned away, and sat down.

Only then did everyone in the area feel as if a heavy weight had been lifted from their shoulders; the mountain-like pressure gradually dissipated. Every face bore a look of awe and dread as eyes fell upon Li Linliu.

“This…” Chen Fan’s heart was shaken.

Li Linliu had revealed nothing but his aura, yet it was enough to strip the protestors of any courage to object. Even the highest-ranking figures of Feiling County dared not utter another word—just what level of strength was this?

Amidst his shock and amazement, an intense yearning surged in Chen Fan’s heart.

Such is the way of a true man!

Someday, I too must become this strong.

No—stronger!

…

After several rounds of fierce combat, the top eight had been decided, and then that messy incident occurred. By the time all was settled, the sun had begun to set.

Li Linliu offered Chen Fan a few words of encouragement before departing, leaving the various hall masters and gang leaders exchanging uneasy glances.

“Li Linliu can almost draw upon the power of Heaven and Earth. It seems his realm has reached unity, perhaps even perfection. He can already borrow a sliver of the world’s force; it won’t be long before he breaks through to Grandmaster…”

Awe and complicated emotions colored their faces.

“How can such a peerless figure exist? Li Linliu is barely in his twenties…”

“He isn’t a disciple of the Martial Academy, yet his strength is terrifying. Even in the Martial Academy, no one of his age can match him, and he only appeared in recent years. Could he be from a hidden sect nearby? But I’ve never heard that Master Dong of White Cloud Hall is from such a place…”

They speculated and discussed, guessing at his origins.

Despite Li Linliu’s fame, his background was a mystery to them.

Meanwhile, among the departing disciples of the Four Symbols Sect, Yu Xingzheng remained silent, his face cold as frost. His gaze was locked on the area where the White Cloud Hall disciples stood, eyes burning with hatred.

Li Linliu’s overwhelming strength had left him in despair; he dared not rebel, and so all his resentment was focused on Chen Fan.

Yet he did not dare act in the martial arena…

He cast a long look at Chen Fan’s position, then turned to whisper to a fellow disciple behind him. “Keep an eye on them…”

The disciple stepped forward in surprise. “Xingzheng, don’t do anything foolish…”

Yu Xingzheng replied coldly, “Relax, I have my own plans.”

The conflict between Yu Xingzheng and Chen Fan could be resolved from different perspectives, each having their own reasons. Yet, once Li Linliu stood up for Chen Fan and displayed his terrifying power, any excuses from Yu Xingzheng and his ilk became meaningless.

In this world, strength is everything.

If Yu Xingzheng were clever, he would not continue opposing Chen Fan. Unfortunately, he was neither wise nor restrained, but a hot-headed and arrogant youth.

…

Chen Fan, having finished the competition, did not return directly to the hall. He was pulled away by Bao Tianyou, Meng Qi, and other close brothers from the hall, who took him to the Jiangshan Pavilion.

Perhaps privately, some believed Chen Fan’s success was due to luck; but none would say so to his face. Instead, they praised his talent and insight.

Earlier, others had thought Bao Tianyou’s gifts of lodging and paintings were excessive and wasteful. But after seeing Chen Fan break into the top eight, they felt those gifts were hardly extravagant. Even Bao Tianyou himself began to think he hadn’t done enough to win Chen Fan’s favor.

Even if Chen Fan’s achievements were merely luck, for a boy of thirteen or fourteen from a humble family to reach such heights was unheard of. Regardless of his actual strength, the reputation and influence alone made Bao Tianyou’s investment worthwhile.

Thus, Bao Tianyou gritted his teeth and raised Chen Fan’s monthly stipend by another five taels!

Ten taels a month!

Even though Chen Fan was only an Inner Breath martial artist, not yet practicing true internal arts and unable to fulfill the duties of a retainer, Bao Tianyou offered a monthly stipend almost higher than those of second or third-rank martial artists!

Chen Fan had recently broken through several times and needed nourishment, so he accepted the generosity without hesitation.

While Bao Tianyou and others drank and chatted, Chen Fan abstained, mindful of tomorrow’s contest.

Now, Chen Fan had become the second most important figure in their little group, surpassed only by Bao Tianyou—even Meng Qi could not compare.

After the banquet, dusk had settled.

Chen Fan declined their offer to escort him and hurried home alone.

Bao Tianyou had given him a house in the county, but Chen Fan had only seen it and had not yet moved in.

Still, his body was strong; though the road was long, it posed no challenge.

Outside the county, the surroundings grew ever more desolate. When Chen Fan reached a remote crossroads, he suddenly halted.

This was the most deserted spot in the outskirts; no residents nearby, few ever passed through.

He turned and called out, “Come out.”

From the dark, secluded road, there came a rustling, and three burly figures emerged one after another, forming a triangle as they advanced on Chen Fan.

The three were tall, exuding a violent aura, with scars on their bodies—clearly not men to be trifled with.

“Well, well, sharp senses indeed. No wonder you’re an outstanding disciple of White Cloud Hall…”

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp.

These were not common thugs; they knew him, and dared approach so boldly. Clearly, they were well-versed in martial arts.

He spoke directly, “Were you sent by Yu Xingzheng?”

The bald-headed leader sneered, his fists crackling as he crossed them. “Don’t bother guessing. We weren’t sent by anyone. We just don’t like you, and came to teach you a lesson!”

There is no hatred without cause.

Chen Fan squinted. “So it’s Yu Xingzheng, then. That petty fellow wasted no time coming after me…”

Of course, he was probing; he couldn’t be certain, and suspected it might be the Black Tiger Gang, who had learned he’d killed Pi Liu.

The bald man kept sneering, showing no reaction to the name Yu Xingzheng.

“If you say so, sure.”

Chen Fan frowned, realizing his probe was pointless. He said plainly, “Are you mad? I’m a disciple of White Cloud Hall, favored by the master. If you hurt me, White Cloud Hall won’t let you off!”

The bald man smirked mockingly.

“We know you’re an exceptional disciple. But do you know who we are? As long as we don’t kill you outright, why would White Cloud Hall go to such lengths over a minor matter?”

Chen Fan’s heart sank.

The outskirts were rife with gangs and chaos. These three knew his identity, yet dared attack—clearly, they had their own backing and feared nothing.

As soon as the words were spoken, the bald man charged forward, launching a fierce punch at Chen Fan.

Smack!

Chen Fan sidestepped, his blood surging, easily avoiding the blow.

Whoosh!

The force of the punch grazed his face.

“A true talent! I’m a second-rank martial artist, attacking with full force, and yet you dodged so easily!”

The bald man squinted, surprised, but a bloodthirsty look soon flashed across his face.

“Too bad you haven’t mastered true internal arts. Even if you can resist me, can you handle all three at once? Better accept your beating—what’s the harm?”

The other two fanned out, eyes fixed on Chen Fan like tigers stalking prey.

Chen Fan’s eyes darted; he bent low, as if preparing a full-force attack—but suddenly spun around and took off running!

Swish!

He moved with astonishing speed.

He knew this part of the outskirts well, having traveled it daily.

The three were momentarily stunned.

“Aren’t geniuses supposed to be prideful, unlikely to choose flight?”

The bald man’s face was awkward, but he quickly turned to pursue. “Ahead lies Black Tiger Gang territory—we could be noticed any time. Hurry!”

All three were practitioners of true internal arts; their speed was formidable as they raced after Chen Fan.

Though it was dark and desolate, these three chased with all their might.

Soon, they arrived at a fork in the road.

“This way—I saw him turn here! Don’t let him escape!”

They rushed to the junction and, as they emerged, were suddenly met with billowing white smoke and a splash of liquid flying toward their faces.

“What is that? A hidden weapon?!”

“Careful!”

They reacted quickly, raising their arms to protect their heads—but it was already too late.

A burning, stinging sensation erupted on their faces and in their eyes, quickly turning to agony. Clutching their eyes, unable to endure the pain, they cried out.

“Ahh!!”