Chapter 238: I am but a man who knows a thing or two about fisticuffs

"Li Rui."

Yu Zhiqiu clutched his aching hand, gazing at the small pebbles already pulverized on the ground.

At a glance, he recognized the old man who had just struck as Li Rui, the Alliance Master of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

A flash of wariness crossed his eyes.

'He seems even more formidable than the rumors suggest.'

A single pebble had been enough to intercept a palm strike delivered with sixty percent of his strength; this level of skill was truly extraordinary.

"Old man, you are courting death."

Yu Zhiqiu was by nature a hot-tempered man; having lost face in front of such a large crowd, his rage flared instantly.

Whoosh!

A fierce wind whipped up.

A giant hammer behind him stirred a gale; twisting his torso and extending his arms, he swung the massive hammer toward Li Rui with a thunderous roar.

The head of the hammer was wreathed in a ring of firelight.

"Fierce Fire Mountain-Splitting Hammer, die!"

Yu Zhiqiu used his full strength from the very first move.

Seeing such a terrifying strike, Huang Chui, Fei Laosan, and the others all gasped, their hearts tightening.

Before Li Rui could even speak,

the giant hammer was already crashing toward his face.

If a strike with such power and weight were to land squarely on his body, the result would undoubtedly be shattered bones and broken sinews.

This was an attempt on his life!

Li Rui's gaze turned cold.

His long saber left its sheath!

He had a heavy saber at his waist and a barrier saber in his sleeve; the heavy saber was thick enough, and he met the giant hammer head-on with it.

Clang!

The crowd couldn't help but cover their ears; the deafening sound of metal colliding nearly shattered their eardrums.

A numbness like an electric shock traveled from the hammer handle, and Yu Zhiqiu nearly lost his grip.

He retreated several steps, staring at the old man before him in disbelief.

He was simply a human beast.

The martial artists of the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang were known for their strength, yet now, he had actually fallen into a disadvantage in the very area he excelled in.

This was something Yu Zhiqiu found hard to accept.

"Come!"

Li Rui slashed out with his saber, his expression devoid of emotion.

To call it a slash

was perhaps more accurate to call it a smash, for he did not use the sharpened edge, but struck directly with the spine of the blade.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The continuous, terrifying sounds of impact nearly caused those watching the spectacle to bleed from their seven orifices and suffer ruptured hearts and lungs.

Yu Zhiqiu looked at the hammer handle, already bent by the spine of the saber, and cursed his luck inwardly.

He had never expected Li Rui to be this strong!!

"Could it be that the rumors are true, and he really is an imperial secret agent who has been hiding his strength?"

Previously, it had been rumored in Qinghe that Li Rui had defeated Qi Ze.

At the time, he had only assumed Qi Ze was a pampered noble who was too weak, but now it seemed clear: the old man before him was simply too ferocious!

"Damn, miscalculation!"

After a full hundred strikes,

the bones in Yu Zhiqiu's arms were shattered, and he collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud, eventually being carried away by the men from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang.

"Hiss!"

A chorus of gasps echoed at the entrance of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

What kind of devilish, iron-fleshed old man was this?

Li Rui had actually used the spine of his saber to beat a long-renowned expert from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang into a cripple.

For a moment,

the experts from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang standing at the entrance looked at one another.

Not a single one dared to step forward.

Li Rui glanced sideways at the crowd at the entrance:

"Who is next?"

His eyes shimmered with the excitement of battle, as if he were a combat fanatic ready to pounce and kill at any moment.

Seeing this, who would dare to go up?

To charge in blindly would surely mean following in Yu Zhiqiu's footsteps, and if Li Rui happened to lose control, it would cost them their lives.

"Retreat."

"Fine, you win."

The people from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang had originally wanted to leave behind a few harsh words before departing, but after thinking for a long time, all they could manage was "fine, you win."

The onlookers, seeing the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang's men disperse, also turned and left with excitement on their faces.

Today, they had feasted their eyes; no one could resist such visceral, bone-crunching martial aesthetics.

"Master."

"Hall Master."

"Big Brother."

At this moment, Liang He, Liu Tong, Huang Chui, and the others finally gathered around.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "Alright, it is over."

At this moment, as the members of the Heaven and Earth Alliance looked at Li Rui, there was nothing but absolute adoration.

Previously, Li Rui's prestige had been high.

But the Heaven and Earth Alliance was a Jianghu sect, and what truly commanded submission was martial prowess; the strength Li Rui displayed today had shocked everyone present.

They had all heard that their Great Alliance Master was formidable, but it had been limited to word-of-mouth among the Anning Guards.

Seeing it today,

he was truly ferocious!

It was only because Li Rui had deliberately used the spine of his saber; had he used the edge, the man surnamed Yu from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang would have been turned into dumpling filling today.

This kind of direct visual impact made everyone's blood boil.

Liang He blinked his eyes.

He always felt that his master was a bit different today than usual.

But for a moment, he couldn't put his finger on it.

Simply put, he was being too ostentatious.

Ostentatious?

A little, but not much.

Li Rui could have defeated Yu Zhiqiu in many ways, such as winning narrowly or taking a few extra hits, but he chose the most impactful, bone-crunching method.

Why?

As the business grew, the Heaven and Earth Alliance was no longer the same alliance it once was.

Beyond financial strength, it required formidable martial power to deter others.

Only then could they avoid being coveted by others.

Otherwise, even if he had narrowly defeated Yu Zhiqiu today, the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang and even other forces in the city would have jumped out one after another to provoke them.

As the Great Alliance Master of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, he had to demonstrate sufficient combat power to the outside world, which was why he was being deliberately ostentatious.

Sometimes one can endure, or solve problems through other means, but at other times, one must be direct.

Moreover, he could have killed Yu Zhiqiu with a flick of his finger, but he had used over a hundred strikes, which was actually quite restrained.

Li Rui looked at the saber in his hand.

The excitement in his eyes was genuine.

Compared to schemes that drained his mental energy, he actually preferred direct solutions.

It was just that, generally speaking, simple solutions brought more and greater trouble; to prevent future trouble, one had to use their brain beforehand.

Today, he had enjoyed the slashing.

At this moment,

Ning Zhongtian hurried over.

Seeing that the matter was resolved and hearing of Li Rui's feat today from Huang Chui and the others, he also clicked his tongue in wonder.

"As expected of an imperial secret agent!"

His strength was indeed terrifying.

The weight of that statement from Jiang Linxian was only continuing to rise!

"The lad from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang went to find you?"

Elder Tiekuang said while forging iron.

Although he did not turn his head, he knew the person entering was Li Rui.

Li Rui: "Senior, my actions were truly a last resort."

Having beaten a man from the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang, they certainly wouldn't let it go easily; the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang was a major sect, and even if he won, the subsequent trouble would be too great.

The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it.

The Divine Weapon Shanzhuang had come to cause trouble, of course, because of Elder Tiekuang.

Therefore, as soon as he left the Heaven and Earth Alliance, he had come to the smithy at the first opportunity.

He hadn't expected

that Elder Tiekuang already knew about the situation at the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

Presumably, it must have been the disciples of the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang who told him.

With a series of rapid clanging sounds,

Elder Tiekuang stopped his hammer and casually tossed the blade blank into a bucket of water nearby, which hissed loudly.

"That little thing Yu Zhiqiu is even stupider than your disciple; I've long wanted to teach him a lesson."

"If you beat him, you beat him."

Elder Tiekuang tore a rag from a wooden rack and wiped the sweat from his hands.

"Rest assured, those little brats only moved against you because of me; this matter should naturally be handled by me."

Hearing this, Li Rui finally let out a long sigh of relief:

"Many thanks, Senior."

Elder Tiekuang looked at Li Rui with a half-smile: "You lad, you hide things deep; you've already reached the Condensation Realm."

Li Rui bowed: "It is all thanks to your guidance, Senior."

Elder Tiekuang was a Primordial martial artist; of course, he could see through his realm.

"Hide it if you want; it has nothing to do with me anyway."

"Those idiots actually thought they could suppress you by casually sending two people."

"Stupid!"

Elder Tiekuang was truly frustrated by their lack of progress.

Although he was on Li Rui's side in this matter, he had spent his whole life in the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang, and seeing his own people slashed by Li Rui in a few strikes still made him angry at their incompetence.

After Elder Tiekuang finished speaking,

he walked straight out of the smithy.

With Elder Tiekuang stepping in, there shouldn't be any further complications.

"It really is true that a tall tree catches the wind."

But since he wanted to make money, these things were unavoidable.

Living in this world, where is there a life without karma?

Elder Tiekuang had been gone for a full hour.

Li Rui didn't wait for Elder Tiekuang, but instead, lines of small text appeared on his interface.

【Congratulations to the Host for completing the beginner plot of 'Making a Name for Oneself' — Establishing Authority Through Fists.】【There are many ways to become famous; one can use words, but of course, one can also use martial arts. As a prodigy, you have decisively defeated a well-known expert at the age of only ten, making your name known within a ten-mile radius. Excellent performance.】

【Task 'Establishing Authority Through Fists' completed, rewards being calculated.】

【Task Rating: C.】

【Obtained 20 Achievement Points!】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 10】

【Talents: Martial Bone, Superb Comprehension, Wisdom Eye, Great Dream Immortal Journey, Demon-Subduing Victory】

【Cultivation Arts: Long Chun Gong, Dragon Roaming the Nine Heavens Diagram】

【Achievement: 80/100】

Li Rui's lips curled slightly.

This system truly granted achievement points just for showing off.

=9+Shu_Ba

However, he would not choose to show off blindly.

It might feel good for a moment, but the subsequent trouble could cost him his life.

If he hadn't known today that Elder Tiekuang could settle the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang, he certainly wouldn't have chosen to strike; he wouldn't even have minded kowtowing.

A man must know when to bend and when to stretch; what he wanted was the final result.

The process was not very important.

But if he knew victory was certain, he would maximize the fruits of that victory.

"Today's actions were still mixed with personal grudges; my cultivation is still lacking. Shameful, shameful."

Li Rui reflected on himself.

He had indeed been a bit heavy-handed with Yu Zhiqiu.

Late at night.

"Internalizing the divine light, perfecting both nature and life."

Above the Cloud Terrace of his dreams.

Li Rui closed his eyes in meditation.

For low-level martial artists, comprehension was of little use; even if one understood martial arts faster, one wouldn't necessarily practice them faster than a martial artist with good natural bones.

But once one crossed the Dragon Gate,

the situation changed, and the effect of comprehension gradually manifested.

At this moment,

Li Rui looked at his own body.

Ordinary.

Especially the immortal Qi, which he had hidden extremely well.

With a thought,

an Immortal-Seeking Stone appeared in his hand, showing no reaction.

"It is done."

Li Rui felt a surge of joy.

Ever since he obtained the immortal Qi, he had discovered he had become a human indicator light; wherever he appeared, the Immortal-Seeking Stone would light up.

This was an extremely dangerous thing.

If it were anyone else, they would surely rack their brains to find ancient secret arts to cover it up.

Li Rui chose another path.

Creating his own Qi-hiding technique.

The benefit of good comprehension was manifested vividly at this moment.

If it didn't exist, then he would create one himself.

"Very good."

Li Rui had been racking his brains for a long time for this technique, and now it could finally be considered a success.

Besides the Immortal-Asking Tower, there were countless hidden sects in the world.

No one could say for sure if someone might track it down to him.

The sooner he mastered the Qi-hiding technique, the less risk of exposure he would have.

Days passed one by one.

This time,

just as Li Rui returned home from the Trade Office, the moment he pushed the door open, he saw Wang Zhao running over excitedly.

"Master, Master, I have entered the ranks!"

Li Rui was surprised at first.

His little disciple had actually entered the ranks; according to his expectations, Wang Zhao should have needed three to five years of tempering to enter the ranks.

He laughed heartily: "Little Zhao, well done."

Now,

all three of his disciples had become rank-entered martial artists.

It was a matter worth celebrating.

Li Rui reached out and placed his hand on Wang Zhao's shoulder, and soon, his expression changed.

Demon Qi?!

Originally, he had only wanted to use the immortal Xuan Qi in Wang Zhao's body to determine his disciple's foundation, but to his astonishment, he sensed another unique aura within the immortal Xuan Qi.

It was precisely Demon Qi.

And this Demon Qi was extremely familiar; if he wasn't mistaken, it was the Demon Qi of the Red Dragon Horse.

The Red Dragon Horse was itself a descendant of demons and beasts, so having Demon Qi was normal.

But for his disciple to have Demon Qi, that was quite abnormal.

'A human can cultivate Demon Qi... isn't this the path of the Wu Kingdom martial artists?'

Li Rui was stunned.

He had had much contact with the Wu Kingdom delegation, so he knew that many Wu Kingdom martial artists sought to cultivate their true Qi into the Qi of demonic beasts.

Li Rui stroked his chin.

His disciple seemed to have stumbled onto the path of Wu Kingdom martial artists.

But since it happened naturally, Li Rui certainly wouldn't treat Wang Zhao as an alien.

The look of astonishment flashed and vanished.

He looked at Wang Zhao encouragingly: "Little Zhao, keep working hard; your talent is actually not a bit inferior to your two senior brothers."

Being praised by Li Rui, Wang Zhao was caught off guard.

"Master, I... how can I compare to my senior brothers."

Li Rui said firmly: "No, actually, among the three disciples, I value you the most."

He didn't add any qualifiers like 'you are better at horse-raising than Liang He or Liu Tiezhu.'

Teaching according to aptitude.

Because of his past experiences, Wang Zhao was naturally sensitive and insecure; what he lacked was encouragement, and Li Rui certainly wouldn't be stingy with that.

Forced praise would only be counterproductive; praising him now that he had entered the ranks would have a very good effect.

Wang Zhao looked at Li Rui in disbelief.

He hadn't expected his master to have such high expectations for him:

"Master, I will work even harder."

"Good, very good."

Li Rui nodded with satisfaction.

What he had just said wasn't entirely insincere; Wang Zhao was just walking a different path, and his future achievements might not necessarily be low.

A low starting point, walking slowly—these things didn't matter.

The key was to walk steadily and walk far.

In this regard, it was actually Wang Zhao who was most like him.

In the blink of an eye,

it was early winter; the temperature plummeted, and the streets were much quieter.

For several months,

Qinghe had been very peaceful, at least on the surface.

Inside the County Office.

"Magistrate Zhuang, do you have business with me?"

Registrar Zhou bowed respectfully to County Magistrate Zhuang Renhe, feeling suspicious in his heart.

Zhuang Renhe smiled and beckoned to Registrar Zhou:

"I heard that Registrar Zhou was out handling cases in the middle of the night some time ago, which was quite exhausting, so I thought about rewarding the brothers of the Fast Class."

The Registrar was in charge of public security and criminal justice.

The Fast Class and the Criminal Room were departments managed by the Registrar.

Of course, in principle, they were all managed by Zhuang Renhe.

What kind of person was Registrar Zhou?

He was an old fox who had served as a County Magistrate in another county for over a decade.

Although he had served as a County Magistrate and was now a Registrar, his rank had actually gone up a level.

Zhuang Renhe's relationship with him was mediocre at best; today, Zhuang Renhe certainly wasn't concerned about rewarding anyone—this was an attempt to probe about his visit to the Heaven and Earth Alliance that night.

Zhuang Renhe smiled: "I heard that the so-called Heaven and Earth Alliance had a conflict with the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang, and I wanted to ask Registrar Zhou."

Registrar Zhou pondered slightly.

He had long known that Zhuang Renhe was close to the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang; this was an attempt to stand up for his partner.

He readily recounted what had happened that night.

After all, Zhuang Renhe was his superior, and there was no need to hide these things.

"My subordinate suspects that the business of the Heaven and Earth Alliance has a very large backer, so it is better not to act rashly."

"Good, I understand."

Zhuang Renhe nodded.

At this moment, Registrar Zhou asked: "Why is Magistrate Zhuang so concerned about a Heaven and Earth Alliance?"

From the conversation just now, he had discovered that Zhuang Renhe was exceptionally concerned about the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

This made him puzzled.

A County Magistrate, not paying attention to the affairs of the Eight Great Sects in the city, but instead so concerned about a tiny Heaven and Earth Alliance.

No matter how you looked at it, there was a problem.

Rather than guessing, it was better to ask directly.

Even if Zhuang Renhe didn't tell the truth, he could see some clues; if he couldn't see them, he wouldn't lose anything.

Zhuang Renhe sipped his tea: "Just asking casually."

Registrar Zhou observed Zhuang Renhe's subtle expressions and didn't find any clues.

He lost interest in staying any longer: "If Magistrate Zhuang has no other business, this subordinate will take his leave."

"Go."

Having obtained the information he wanted, Zhuang Renhe waved his hand casually.

Soon,

he was the only one left in the room, and he took a piece of jade from his bosom.

If Li Rui were present, he would surely recognize it at a glance as the Immortal-Seeking Stone.

He muttered in a low voice:

"Heaven and Earth Alliance, Li Rui..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 239 =====