Chapter 11: The Wrestling Match

Immediately, in this incense hall, Li Junxian taught by word and deed, passing down another set of Stance Technique that was clearly much more advanced.

This Stance Technique is named Divine Intent Stake, and like the Fixed Mountain Stake, it is also a method for laying a foundation.

It is just that this is the true transmission of the Shenquan Sect, and both its conception and training effects are far superior to the latter.

The Stance Technique has oral formulas, postures, and methods for moving Qi; Lu Yuan spent a full half-hour to memorize it completely.

The Ingestion Technique cannot be activated yet, so before that, he must also keep practicing his Martial Arts.

Afterwards, Lu Yuan left the incense hall, and under Li Junxian's instructions, he moved directly out of the large communal dormitory, moving into the small courtyard next to Li Junxian's, just like Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu, gaining his own private room.

During this process, the way everyone looked at him was already completely different.

Especially the disaster victims who were recruited together with him initially; that kind of envy, jealousy, and fawning almost condensed into substance.

What they were thinking in their hearts was nothing more than: We were all miserable wretches, so how did you suddenly leap over the dragon gate?

Regardless of what others thought, Lu Yuan adapted to the change in his situation with peace of mind.

First, in terms of training, because he switched to practicing the Divine Intent Stake, he no longer needed to practice the Fixed Mountain Stake with the other disaster victims, but instead practiced with the two brothers, Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu.

Including meals, he also ate with these two, with a much larger supply of meat every day.

All these changes, plus the increase in Qi Luck brought by taking a master, made him feel that his kowtows were not in vain.

That evening, the vast majority of people shared in Lu Yuan's good fortune; not only did they have a sumptuous meal that night, but they also rarely got to taste wine.

It was just that because Li Junxian was present, and the Boxiyuan would open for wrestling the next night with many people having to go on stage to compete, no one dared to drink too much.

In the blink of an eye, the sun rose and the moon set, and it was the evening of the next day.

Under Li Junxian's leadership, Xu Dahu, his brother, Lu Yuan, and the other twenty-odd people who were to compete put on their open-chested Wrestling Uniforms and marched imposingly from the back garden toward the front garden.

The front garden was where the Boxiyuan was located; seeing a huge semi-circular building situated there, Lu Yuan had just walked through the back hall and entered it when a massive wave of noise and smoke rushed toward his face.

The vast Boxiyuan was several thousand square meters in size, with spectator stands and even VIP rooms all around, and several wrestling rings of varying sizes in the middle.

At this moment, the stands were already clamorous and packed with people:

Rich men in brocade robes holding women, hooligans in hemp clothes, and ordinary people looking for fun could all be seen here; some were even smoking Hibiscus Paste in public.

This chaotic and noisy scene made Lu Yuan frown deeply.

Hibiscus Paste is actually opium, which dissolves bones and erodes the spirit, causing great harm. The powers of the Shenluo Alliance used it to dump goods in previous years, earning a large amount of gold and silver from the Great Jin.

The Jin Dynasty had the intention to implement a ban on smoking, which provoked the dissatisfaction of the Shenluo Alliance, leading them to dispatch an Ironclad Warship fleet to bombard the national gates, launching a great battle in the coastal waters.

The final result was naturally a crushing defeat for the Jin Dynasty, leading to the spread of opium within the borders that was difficult to eradicate; now, it has even appeared in inland cities like Fengyang Prefecture.

At this moment.

In the waiting area, besides them, many strong and capable men arrived one after another, each wearing clothing with different insignias.

Lu Yuan scanned the area, and a familiar tall figure brought his men before them, saying in surprise:

"Li Shu, why have you come?"

It was none other than the North Hall Protector who had brought him in from outside the city, He Xiong.

Li Junxian seemed to rarely come to the arena, and he coughed lightly as he said:

"I took on a new disciple from those people you sent over, and since it is his first time on stage today, I naturally had to come along to see."

"Took on a disciple?"

Taking on a disciple was a matter from last night, and He Xiong had not yet heard of it, so he immediately turned his head in astonishment to scan Lu Yuan and the others:

"Which one is it?"

Lu Yuan immediately stepped out: "It is me."

"It is you?"

After half a month, He Xiong clearly still had some impression of Lu Yuan; after a slight pause, he burst into loud laughter:

"Good lad, to actually be able to make Li Shu take a disciple voluntarily—I have picked up a piece of gold from the sand!"

Lu Yuan said modestly:

"Protector He is too kind; I just luckily caught my master's eye."

He Xiong laughed: "Li Shu is a veteran of the gang; someone who can be taken as a disciple by him in such a short time is definitely no ordinary character, so don't be humble."

"Alright, alright, we can talk later."

Li Junxian waved his hand:

"Protector He, the matches are about to start, tell them about the situation."

He Xiong stopped talking and immediately pointed to a group of men with money signs embroidered on their chests:

"Watch closely, those entering over there are people from the Money Gang, our sworn enemies in the Qinglong Gang. Don't hold back when you get on stage later; throw them to death, it doesn't matter if they die. Of course, if you feel something is wrong, jump off the stage quickly, don't lose your life."

"Those few over there are disciples of the Tieyi Martial Arts Hall. These guys all practice the Iron Clothes Art; even if they haven't practiced strength, they have thick skin and tough flesh and don't fear pain. Be extra careful when facing them."

"Further to the left, those big men are all Mongolian bondservants raised by General Feng'en's family. General Feng'en is a noble of the Jin Clan's Upper Three Banners; the servants he raises are ruthless and the worst of the lot. If you encounter them in the Low-Level Ring later, it is best to be careful."

Following He Xiong's pointing, all they could see were groups of fierce-looking men. Except for a few veteran Wrestlers, the disaster victims who had been recruited for less than half a month had never seen such a formation, and they were all trembling with pale faces.

Unlike Lu Yuan, although most of them had become much stronger and mastered some basic techniques over the past half month, the training time was too short after all, and it was inevitable that they felt insecure in their hearts.

Xu Dahu, however, shouted:

"What are you afraid of? The Low-Level Ring is all for those who haven't practiced strength; do you think you are weaker than them? We all fought our way up one match at a time back then; pull yourselves together!"

The crowd barely managed to brace themselves, but their eyes were still flickering, clearly lacking confidence.

Lu Yuan, however, appeared extremely calm.

Thanks to the Ingestion Technique, his physique, strength, and even speed and reaction were not inferior to experts at the strength-training level, so he had no fear even if he went on stage.

And amidst the clamorous noise, all parties had arrived, and then all the contestants began to draw lots.

Tonight, there were low, medium, and high rings. Lu Yuan and the other reserve Wrestlers who had not practiced strength went to the numbered boxes one after another to draw lots, then displayed their number plates and lots, which were then written on the public notice board by the theater manager.

Then, a large number of bookmakers began to shout inside and outside the stands, and the gamblers all around held up Silver Yuan to place bets, gambling on the rankings of the contestants they favored.

And Lu Yuan, after a brief glance under the signboard, saw the numbers for himself and his opponent:

Eight against thirty-two.

(End of chapter)