Chapter 34: Sweeping Old Li

Two new disciples had come to the Heavenly One Hall again, and the number of personnel in the hall had reached its most glorious time.

Li Rui hadn't expected that the Heavenly One Hall would have a day of being fully staffed.

Of course, this was only a superficial glory; in reality, undercurrents were surging.

The two new disciples were named Han Peng and Yang San, both transferred from outside venues; such situations were common in the Heaven and Earth Alliance, and the procedures were all very formal.

Disciples from the outside venues of the Heaven and Earth Alliance who performed outstandingly were qualified to return to the headquarters and become disciples of the Seven Halls.

Therefore, they often resorted to blades and blood, and their temperaments were very wild.

Zhou Shulin glanced at the room opposite with dissatisfaction: "Li Tangzhu, Han Peng and Yang San are truly lawless; they actually ignored you and went to see Deputy Hall Master Ying first."

Li Rui looked at the indignant Zhou Shulin and said with a faint smile: "If they had really come to pay respects to me, that would be the lack of discernment."

Now, personnel transfers in the Heaven and Earth Alliance were almost frozen and required the nod of a Deputy Helmsman.

Han Peng and Yang San being able to return to the branch from the venues was clearly Zhao Wei's handiwork; Ying Liu alone was still too thin, and these two were here specifically to deal with him.

Li Rui looked at Zhou Shulin and Liang He meaningfully: "Be more patient in the future. If you must take action, I don't care what means you use, there must be evidence to turn the matter into an ironclad case."

"Yes."

Zhou Shulin and Liang He both nodded like chicks pecking at rice.

Li Rui comforted them a few more times: "Rest assured, this is the Heavenly One Hall; nothing will happen."

Han Peng and Yang San chatted with Ying Liu for a full hour.

Only then did they leave satisfied.

With no intention of staying in the Heavenly One Hall to work at all.

This made Zhou Shulin feel even more unbalanced; he looked at their backs and muttered: "Why is it that they don't have to do anything, while we are left here to guard bitterly?"

Liang He shook his head: "Brother Zhou, I thought you were a smart person, but you still didn't understand the Hall Master's words."

Mentioning this, Zhou Shulin only felt even more aggrieved: "Isn't the Hall Master just telling us to endure?"

"You say we are all disciples of the Heavenly One Hall, why are we the only two with such bitter fates?"

Liang He couldn't help but roll his eyes: "The point of the Hall Master's words is in the second half; he wants us to find enough evidence of their misconduct. Them not working in the Heavenly One Hall isn't that evidence?"

Zhou Shulin suddenly raised his head.

"Ahe, you mean..."

Liang He nodded: "Yes, the Hall Master is trying to stand up for us, but he needs a reason."

Zhou Shulin suddenly became excited.

"Hall Master is wise!"

Ying Liu and Han Peng were both people who had come to the branch from the outside venues.

People from the outside venues were indeed fierce and combative.

But don't forget, this is the branch, where the rules are strict, and the rules are things that eat people without spitting out the bones; many people were played to death by the rules.

Evening.

Only Liang He was left in the Heavenly One Hall.

Liang He danced with his long sword, his figure moving like a light swallow in the courtyard before the Heavenly One Hall.

"The sword technique is not bad, but the killing intent is insufficient."

Suddenly, a voice of commentary came.

Liang He stopped his movements, turned his head, and saw Li Rui looking at him with his hands behind his back.

"Hall Master."

He held his long sword and bowed to Li Rui.

Li Rui smiled and waved his hand: "You continue; I'm just passing by."

Seeing Li Rui about to leave, Liang He hurriedly asked: "Li Tangzhu, what did you mean by your words just now?"

Li Rui: "This sword technique of yours wasn't learned from the Heaven and Earth Alliance, was it?"

"Hall Master has a sharp eye; the sword technique is ancestral."

Li Rui nodded.

"The Martial Path is a skill for killing; if you only practice sword moves, you will definitely suffer in life-and-death combat."

As he spoke, he casually snapped off a withered branch.

"I will only demonstrate it once."

Before the words fell, Li Rui used the withered branch in his hand as a long saber, stretching his long arms and swinging the branch in a full circle, open and close, with awe-inspiring killing intent.

Liang He was intimidated by the fierce saber aura and couldn't help but take a few steps back.

He was almost suffocated.

"So strong!"

Liang He stared fixedly at Li Rui's every move; just as Li Rui said, if he encountered Li Rui in actual combat, he would have died long ago.

It wasn't that Li Rui surpassed him in realm.

It was that Li Rui's killing intent was heavy enough, not confined to any single move, and everything was aimed at killing.

After a stick of incense.

Li Rui put away the "saber."

"A person who practices martial arts should have three parts of ferocity; you have always been in the branch, you can go to the venues to gain experience in the future, which will be of great benefit to your mind state."

After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.

Not until Li Rui had walked far away did Liang He recover from the previous shock.

He bowed solemnly to Li Rui:

"Thank you, Hall Master."

Li Rui had already walked a full hundred meters, but he still heard Liang He's words, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

He also felt that Liang He was a talent worth molding, which was why he offered his guidance.

The Heavenly One Hall couldn't always rely on him alone to hold the fort, otherwise, he would be exhausted to death sooner or later.

It was very necessary to cultivate his own forces.

Rather than going outside to recruit people, it was more reliable to cultivate them on the spot.

Liang He had good bones and good character; if he hadn't offended someone before, he probably would have made a name for himself in the Heaven and Earth Alliance long ago.

Days passed one by one.

Outside the Heavenly One Hall.

Liang He was sparring with Zhou Shulin; ever since he received Li Rui's guidance, Liang He no longer practiced dryly all day, paying more attention to actual combat.

He forced Zhou Shulin back with a sword.

High-spirited.

Zhou Shulin sat on the ground on his butt, waving his hands repeatedly:

"No more, no more, Ahe, when did your sword technique become so fierce, like you want to eat people?"

It wasn't that he hadn't sparred with Liang He before, but Liang He in these two days was like a different person, his moves ruthless, and he had no power to parry at all.

Liang He looked at the sword in his hand with surprise.

In just ten moves, he had defeated Zhou Shulin.

After these few days of sparring, Liang He could clearly feel that the problems that had troubled him before were suddenly cleared up.

"Hall Master is truly a remarkable person!"

At this moment, Liang He admired Li Rui immensely.

It wasn't that he hadn't had masters to guide him before, but no one could see the crux of the problem at a glance like Li Rui and give a practical and feasible improvement plan.

"Brother Zhou, we still underestimated the Hall Master."

Zhou Shulin rolled his eyes at Liang He's nonsensical words.

Liang He didn't explain.

Before, he only thought Li Rui was an old man with bad luck who had been demoted to the Heavenly One Hall, but he didn't expect Li Rui to have real skills.

Thinking of this, Liang He's eyes brightened.

In the Jianghu anecdotes he read before, didn't they often say that the person a sect must not offend is the sweeping old man in the Scripture Library!!

"Could Li Tangzhu also be a hidden master??"

"Doesn't look like it."

Liang He was amused by his own thoughts.

Just at this moment—

Zhou Shulin suddenly shook Liang He: "Ahe, it's Han Peng and the others."

He pursed his lips, signaling Liang He to look to the right.

Liang He just turned his head.

And saw Han Peng and Yang San walking toward them with unkind expressions.

"Two pieces of trash, daring to block this master's path, get lost!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 35 =====