Chapter 32

North City, martial arts arena.

This venue, usually empty and cold, was packed with people today.

A temporarily built high platform stood tall, with a scarlet carpet spread in front of it, and flags fluttering on both sides, snapping in the autumn wind.

The area below the platform was packed with people.

There were disciples from various martial arts halls in uniform, wealthy squires in fine clothes, commoners dragging their families to watch the fun, and those foreign martial artists who had just fled from Lushan County, sallow and thin but with sharp eyes.

Directly in front of the high platform, a row of grand chairs covered with brocade was placed.

The County Magistrate sat in the center, smiling, occasionally talking to those on his left and right, fully displaying the dignity and composure of a local official.

Beside him, the top figures of the Anxi County martial arts world sat in order.

Yan Sheng, Master of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, was burly, his face solemn, and his fist technique was said to have reached the peak of the Transformation of Force.

Jin Huang, Master of the Raging Tide Martial Arts Hall, had a sharp face and sharp eyes, his aura surging like a tide.

Xu Feng, Master of the Water Wind Martial Arts Hall, was lean, but a sharp, blade-like intensity condensed between his brows.

The three sat closest, occasionally talking in low voices, clearly the three giants of the Anxi County martial arts world.

Further to the side were the seats for academy masters like Liu Qingshi and Zhou Yue.

Although they were all masters of a hall, their seating was a cut below, clearly divided.

Liu Qingshi's expression was calm, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the three figures not far away, his eyes waveless, unable to tell what he was thinking.

In the scattered seating area behind them were representatives of local powerhouses.

Su Chen, head of the Su family, smiled and chatted with his neighbors, with the slick business style of a merchant.

Zhang He, head of the Zhang family, was also among them, talking in low voices with someone beside him, his expression peaceful, as if he were just an ordinary wealthy gentleman here to observe the ceremony, with no sword-drawn, deep-seated hatred with Liu Qingshi or Su Chen just a few steps away.

In the viewing area on one side of the high platform, several servants carefully carried a soft couch, placing a figure wrapped tightly and deathly pale as paper in the shadows of the corner.

The figure was wrapped in a heavy blanket, revealing only a sunken face, but a pair of turbid eyeballs stared fixedly at the direction of the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy disciples, occasionally leaking a bit of venomous light when they turned.

This person was none other than Zhang Xu.

"Why did that unlucky beast come too?"

In the formation of Qingshi Martial Arts Academy disciples, Su Yan was lowering her head to organize the ties on her cuffs, her movements gentle and meticulous.

But the moment Zhang Xu's venomous gaze fell, her movements paused slightly, and then she lifted her eyes, meeting that gaze squarely.

The moment their eyes met, the smile on Su Yan's gentle face didn't diminish at all, and even deepened a bit.

But deep in those eyes was a cold calmness, like a winter lake reflecting the withered branches and leaves on the shore.

Liu Yiyi never looked back.

She just tilted her face slightly, her peripheral vision sweeping over the soft couch in the corner, a cold light three parts colder than Su Yan's sliding past her eyes.

Then, she shifted her gaze away, as if it were just a pile of insignificant filth.

Two gazes, one gentle and one cold, both carried the same meaning—a cripple, and you dare to look at us with that kind of eyes?

Zhang Xu met those two gazes, and his heart couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably.

The pill dissolved upon hitting his throat. At first, it was cool, but in an instant, a fierce yet not violent heat flow melted within his body.

His fingers gripping the blanket turned white, his chest heaved violently, and a string of indistinct, beast-like low growls rolled in his throat.

"Damn bitches... just wait for me..."

At the edge of the crowd, a tall, lean, and cold figure, like an ordinary old man passing by, squeezed into the crowd watching the fun unhurriedly.

He was dressed simply, with a strange face and an ordinary aura, no different from the excited and agitated faces around him, as if he were just an old man here to watch the fun.

But the eyes hidden in the shadows of the crowd were like a hawk's, precisely locking onto the figure wrapped tightly in the corner of the viewing stand.

"Found you."

Jiang Ye's aged lips twitched slightly, hooking into an arc carrying a chilling coldness.

His gaze lingered on that pale, sunken face for a moment, then swept over the few servants standing with their heads bowed.

"Looking at that kid's weak aura, he'll last at most an hour before he has to be carried back to rest."

"On the way back, the servants will be carrying the soft couch, walking slowly, and it's impossible for experts to be guarding him; that will be the best time to strike."

In an instant, a clear and cold hunting plan flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.

Just at this moment, a commotion suddenly erupted on the high platform of the martial arts meet.

A nimble figure leaped onto the high platform and landed steadily in the center.

It was a young man in gray martial attire, with dark skin and a faint old scar across his brow bone, adding a bit of ferocity to that young face.

He bowed to all sides, but his gaze went straight to the direction of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, his voice loud and full of breath:

"I am He Jie from the Kaishan Martial Arts Hall! I have long heard that Anxi County is full of hidden talents, and I've heard that your hall has recently taken in a 'high disciple' named Hu Tian—breaking through to the Bright Force Realm in half a month, truly a young hero! Today, I have the honor to take the stage; I wonder if this Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Tian dares to come up and fight me?!"

As the words fell, the crowd below instantly exploded.

"Kaishan Martial Arts Hall? Aren't those the people who fled from Lushan County!"

"Good fellow, these foreign martial artists finally couldn't sit still; the first thing they do is pick the most prominent one to fight!"

"Hu Tian? Is that the one who betrayed the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy and defected to the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall?"

"Yes, yes, that's him! The academy has been spreading this for days, saying this kid is eating inside and out, betraying his sect!"

"This is interesting! A challenger from Lushan County against an academy traitor; hehe, no matter who wins or loses, there's a good show to watch!"

"That He Shan also looks like he's in the early Bright Force Realm, with strength similar to Hu Tian's, just evenly matched!"

"It just depends on whether Hu Tian dares to accept! If he shrinks back, then he'll add the title of 'coward' to 'traitor'!"

The crowd was boiling, surging like a tide.

Countless gazes were cast toward the area of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, with anticipation, playfulness, and undisguised schadenfreude.

On the grand chair directly in front of the high platform, Yan Sheng, Master of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, sat motionless, his expression calm as usual, as if the discussions about the traitor had nothing to do with him.

But if someone looked closely, they would find a dark color flashing in the depths of his eyes, like a poisonous snake swimming under a deep pool.

He subconsciously wanted to look back and use his eyes to hint at Hu Tian to stay steady and not rush into the fight.

This kid had only been at the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall for three days, his footing wasn't even firm, and his identity was so sensitive; taking the stage now, it would be fine if he won, but if he lost... it wouldn't just be his own face he lost, but the face of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall.

However, his movement was ultimately a beat too slow.

"Why wouldn't I dare!"

A clear, excited young voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

Hu Tian stood up from his seat, his face flushed, his eyes shining, looking like a young tiger that had finally waited for its prey to come to its door.

What young person didn't want to make a name for themselves on the stage!

Ever since he left the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy and joined the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall a few days ago, he had been living in suppression and stuffiness.

After joining the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, Master Yan Sheng didn't take him in as a closed-door disciple as Zhang Xu had said, but said he wanted to examine his temperament, only giving him treatment slightly better than ordinary disciples.

The looks his fellow disciples gave him always carried a trace of scrutiny and disdain, and the private discussions made him feel like he was on pins and needles.

He desperately needed a hearty victory to shut everyone's mouths, to prove that his choice was not wrong, and to make those who looked down on him look at him with new eyes.

And at this moment, this stage, this opponent, this stage that attracted everyone's attention, was simply a perfect opportunity sent to him by God!

Seeing that Hu Tian didn't look at his signal and directly accepted the challenge, Yan Sheng's brows flashed with a trace of imperceptible displeasure, then he shook his head slightly: "Forget it, this kid is ultimately not a disciple I cultivated myself."

"So what if you're a martial artist from Lushan County? Let me, Hu Tian, meet you!"

He was in high spirits, striding toward the high platform, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, every step firm and powerful.

Vaguely, he seemed to have already imagined the mountain-shaking cheers from the crowd after he knocked down the dark-skinned boy, Master Yan Sheng's approving gaze patting his shoulder, and the envious looks from those fellow disciples who once despised him.

By then, who would still dare to call him an academy traitor?!

On the high platform, He Jie looked at the young man walking toward him, a smile on his dark face, a smile carrying a bit of wild provocation and a bit of eager excitement.

"Zhang Zhang Shixiong Hu Tian, please!"

"Please!"

Below the stage, the crowd became even more boisterous.

"KILL!!!"

Accompanied by a roar, Hu Tian took the initiative, pinched his fingers into a fist, and slammed it toward He Shan's face.

This punch was heavy and fast, carrying a sharp sound of breaking air, and actually had the momentum to tear the air.

Someone in the crowd exclaimed; in just a few days, he had already practiced the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall's signature fist technique, "Breaking Extreme Fist," to a certain degree; this talent was truly worthy of the title "genius."

"Well fought!"

Facing the heavy punch, He Jie didn't dodge or evade, but also threw a punch, choosing to resist head-on.

Bang!

A muffled sound.

Both retreated two steps at the same time, looking evenly matched.

However, the situation changed quickly.

He Jie's fist technique carried a bloody nature of perishing together, many times wanting to trade injury for injury with Hu Tian.

"Is this person crazy! It's just a sparring match, and he actually wants to fight for his life..."

Hu Tian became more and more panicked as he fought.

He usually practiced his fists in the academy by sparring with fellow disciples, stopping at the point of contact, and had never experienced a life-or-death real battle.

Encountering He Jie's desperate fighting style for the first time, his eyes no longer had the confidence they had at the beginning, but instead revealed a bit of panic.

"No... if I keep fighting, I might die..."

After a few more moves, Hu Tian developed a sense of retreat in his heart, and his fist momentum showed a trace of panic.

In an evenly matched battle, whoever shows weakness first is a fatal flaw.

He Jie keenly sensed the panic in Hu Tian's fist momentum; he deliberately showed a flaw, letting Hu Tian's punch hit his left shoulder.

In the muffled sound, his expression didn't change, but instead, borrowing the momentum of that punch, his body twisted violently, and like a loach, he leaned in, circling behind Hu Tian in an instant.

"Bad..."

Hu Tian's heart rang with alarm, realizing something was wrong.

However, it was too late.

He Jie, who had leaned behind him, gathered all his force into his right fist, and then slammed it into Hu Tian's spine like a heavy hammer.

Crack.

A crisp sound of bone breaking that made one's teeth ache.

Hu Tian's whole body seemed to have its bones removed, his forward-rushing figure suddenly stiffened, and then, like a pile of mud, he collapsed softly onto the stage.

He didn't even have time to let out a complete scream, only a few beast-like whimpers before death rolling from his throat.

"AH!!!"

After a moment of dead silence, the shrill scream finally broke through his throat, heart-wrenching, making people's scalps tingle.

Seeing this scene, everyone below the stage changed their expressions, and some timid people even closed their eyes in unbearable sight.

For everyone, the spine was the most vital of vital points.

If this place were severely damaged, it would be a devastating blow.

This change came too fast, so much so that the crowd below the stage only now reacted.

"No way... this is too ruthless..."

"Is that martial artist from Lushan County crazy, using such a desperate fighting style!"

"That punch of his was heavy enough; it's likely Hu Tian's spine has already been broken..."

"Hiss... if the spine is broken, then isn't Hu Tian, that genius, crippled!"

Exclamations, gasps, and unbelievable discussions surged like a tide.

The martial arts hall masters in front of the high platform looked at the scene before them with different expressions.

And at this moment, the most complex expressions were those of Yan Sheng, Master of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, and Liu Qingshi of the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy.

"This idiot!"

Yan Sheng's eye corners twitched violently twice, and then he leaped onto the high platform.

He pressed one hand on the screaming Hu Tian, his palm sticking to his back, his force spitting slightly to investigate the injury.

After a moment, Yan Sheng looked at He Jie with a face as gloomy as water, his voice low: "You were too ruthless; you actually broke his spine in a fist-and-foot sparring match."

He Jie, who had resisted Hu Tian's punch with his shoulder, also had a pale face; facing Yan Sheng's questioning, he lowered his head slightly, avoiding Yan Sheng's gaze that could almost eat people, his voice weak but not too panicked: "The junior couldn't hold back his strength for a moment..."

"Hmph! Couldn't hold back your strength, I think you..."

A flash of cold light crossed Yan Sheng's eyes.

"Zhang Zhang Shixiong Yan!"

A deep voice interrupted him.

A middle-aged man in gray martial attire, with a square face and a burly figure, stepped onto the stage, standing beside He Shan, and said loudly:

"In martial arts sparring, fists and feet have no eyes; this is an eternal truth. I heard that in this martial arts meet, there have been many disciples who were injured because they couldn't hold back their hands in previous years. Zhang Zhang Shixiong Yan, as the Master of the Jiquan Martial Arts Hall, should know better than me. You can't just treat people differently and break the rules because it's your own disciple who was injured, right?"

This person was none other than Shi Kaishan, Master of the Kaishan Martial Arts Hall, also a powerful Transformation of Force martial artist.

He smiled, but his tone was like a needle hidden in silk, not giving an inch.

The atmosphere on the stage suddenly became tense.

"Enough!"

A voice that commanded respect came from below the stage.

The County Magistrate sat on the grand chair, his expression calm, but his gaze carried unquestionable dignity as he swept over the people on the stage.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly entering everyone's ears: "Yan Sheng, let your disciple go for treatment first. We'll talk about the rest later."

Yan Sheng took a deep breath, suppressed the surging anger, and waved his hand.

Several Jiquan Martial Arts Hall disciples stepped onto the stage and carefully carried the soft, screaming Hu Tian down.

Two doctors waiting below the stage immediately stepped forward. After an investigation, one of them walked to Yan Sheng with a solemn face and lowered his voice: "Master Yan, your disciple's spine is severely damaged, and there is now a danger to his life; we need the Great Return Pill to stabilize his injury first."

Yan Sheng raised his brows, his eyes even colder as he looked at Hu Tian.

This idiot, not listening to his instructions, taking the challenge without authorization, now seriously injured, and still needing him to clean up the mess.

You have to know that the Great Return Pill is expensive, and one pill costs three thousand taels of silver.

He raised his finger and pointed to Zhang Xu in the corner not far away, saying to the doctor: "He introduced the person; go find him to get the Great Return Pill."

The two doctors looked at each other, sighed helplessly, carried the screaming Hu Tian, and came to Zhang Xu's soft couch, but before they could speak.

"Go, go, go, hurry back, I want to rest."

Zhang Xu looked at Hu Tian, who was soft as mud and screaming constantly, with disgust, as if he had seen some garbage, and signaled the servants to hurry and carry him back to the Zhang mansion.

A martial artist with a broken spine was not even worth as much as a wild dog on the side of the road to him.

"AH AH AH AH... Big Zhang Zhang Shixiong... save me..."

Hu Tian lay on the stretcher, his consciousness already blurred, but the instinct to survive made him reach out, toward the direction of the soft couch that was moving away rapidly, issuing a shrill plea.

"What kind of cat or dog, and you want to call me brother!"

Zhang Xu's curses drifted faintly into the ears of Hu Tian, who was dying.

"How... how could it be like this..."

Hu Tian's voice became more and more shrill and desperate.

At the same time.

Following Zhang Xu's departure, an inconspicuous old man in the crowd also disappeared.