Chapter 121: Striving for Perfection, Open and Aboveboard

Pfft!

Hearing these words, Aojinniezi was consumed by extreme rage, his face twisting, and in full view of everyone, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

At this moment, it could be clearly seen that not only was his upper body drenched in blood and covered in purple-blue fist marks, but his right arm also hung limp and powerless, as if the arm bone had snapped and suffered severe damage during the final exchange just now.

Seeing that Lu Yuan had actually achieved victory with such an overbearing and invincible momentum, the thousands of guests were stunned into silence for a breath or two before all erupting into sky-shaking cheers:

"God Fist Invincible, truly worthy of being God Fist Invincible!"

"Well done, Hall Master Lu! Defeating the Imperial God General of the Sun with sword techniques and suppressing the Title War God of Sha'e with fist techniques—today's display is truly peerless!"

"Hahahaha, what Sword Dao Grandmaster, what Title War God! These foreign devils can't compare in sword techniques, and they can't compare in fist techniques either!"

"I said it before, how could the prestige and foundation of our Shenzhou Martial Arts be matched by these barbarians who have only been developed for two or three hundred years!"

Amidst the rolling waves of sound, Takov and the other accompanying personnel, who had been knocked over, scrambled to their feet in a panic and rushed over to help the livid Aojinniezi up.

However, Aojinniezi brushed them off without a shred of gratitude, gritted his teeth as he struggled to stand, and glared at Lu Yuan with vicious eyes:

"Despicable and lowly Jin Dynasty person, you cheated!"

"There is no one in this world who can take my punch with their bare body. What exactly are you wearing underneath!?"

Hearing this.

Lu Yuan pulled open his collar to reveal his chest, then laughed out loud:

"What a joke!"

"If you lose, you lose. A loser is a loser, yet you insist on finding such a lame excuse; you hairy barbarian are truly shameless enough. In my opinion, your so-called Title War God status is heavily inflated, not even as good as your useless nephew—at least he didn't make excuses like you after he lost! If you aren't convinced, then come and fight again!"

"You!"

Having never suffered such humiliation, Aojinniezi's eyes turned red with fury, and he seemed to grind his teeth to pieces, yet he dared not step forward to fight again.

Because the strength of the opponent's defense was so bizarre that it completely ignored his attacks, as if he were indestructible;

And he himself was now severely injured and battered; if he went up again, he might be beaten to death on the spot!

Now that he had suffered a crushing defeat and lost all face, he could only grit his teeth and squeeze a few words through his teeth:

"Very well, very well."

Having said that, Aojinniezi turned and left, like a dejected wild beast.

Takov and the others had no room to interject and followed him away in a panic, looking crestfallen, while the onlookers remained in an uproar, the sound waves surging to the heavens as they sent these people off with mockery and laughter.

With this, the incident of the challenge to the hall was completely over.

Lu Yuan's record of defeating two top-tier experts in a row shocked the entire audience; in the eyes of all the guests and even the high-level experts, he was like a god among men, peerless and unique.

After Aojinniezi and his group left in disgrace, the massive crowd surged with excitement. Wu Yixian led many veteran experts of the Martial Arts Association to surround him, bowing and offering congratulations with faces full of admiration:

"Young Friend Lu has defeated two top-tier experts from the Sun and Sha'e today, like a heavenly being. You have raised the prestige of our Shenzhou Martial Arts; this old man is truly in awe!"

"These people from the Sun and Sha'e have invaded our land and acted with tyranny. Today's battle has truly allowed us to hold our heads high. From now on, the name of Hall Master Lu and Guangwu Hall will surely shock the world and inspire the masses!"

Lu Yuan retrieved the Seven Star Dragon Abyss he had stuck into the ground and returned the gesture modestly:

"I only did a small thing, you overpraise me, Martial Grandmaster. It is also thanks to this Seven Star Dragon Abyss gifted by you, otherwise I might not have been able to deal with that Guan-shi Masamune."

Wu Yixian laughed:

"Young friend, you are too modest. Although the Seven Star Dragon Abyss is sharp, it would not have worked without your peerless Sword Technique. Now that the unwelcome guests have left, the Jinjin Martial Arts Association is truly honored to host this celebration for you today. Someone, bring the plaque!"

As his voice fell, the crowd behind him parted, and several burly men carried out a plaque, draped in red silk, measuring one zhang long and five chi wide.

Martial Grandmaster now regarded Lu Yuan as an equal and bowed in greeting:

"Hall Master Lu, please!"

Behind him, Zheng Shan'ao, Huang Shihu, and even dozens or hundreds of other martial arts hall masters and experts all bowed in unison and shouted solemnly:

"Hall Master Lu, please!"

The resonant shouts of the many experts echoed, and Lu Yuan nodded and stepped forward, then pulled down the red silk on the plaque, revealing four golden characters written in a bold, calligraphic style:

Guangwu Hall!

The moment the plaque was revealed, gongs and drums clamored, firecrackers blared, and the massive crowd boiled over.

Under the lead of the Martial Arts Association leaders, everyone present, regardless of status, age, or gender, shouted their congratulations in unison:

"Congratulations to Mr. Lu for establishing a sect, becoming a Grandmaster of a generation, and a model for all ages!"

"Congratulations to Mr. Lu for establishing a sect..."

The voices of thousands of people, repeating the congratulations three times, converged into a massive wave of sound that shot straight into the clouds, rolling and echoing, sweeping across half the city district.

Under the gaze of countless people filled with reverence, awe, and fervor, Lu Yuan also bowed and smiled in return:

"Thank you all. I have prepared some light refreshments in the hall to celebrate with you all!"

As the golden plaque of Guangwu Hall was hung up, the atmosphere of this grand ceremony reached its climax.

At Lu Yuan's invitation, the veteran experts of the Martial Arts Association, including Martial Grandmaster, as well as other dignitaries, all entered the hall, drank a cup of wine, and then took their leave.

They had no choice but to leave; many people wanted to build a connection with someone like Lu Yuan, but although the hall was large, there were simply too many people coming in for drinks, and they couldn't find an opportunity to speak a few words with him.

The Martial Arts Association had prepared three hundred jars of fine wine for this celebration, but in just over an hour, they were all drunk dry. Moreover, not only was the hall packed, but even the drill ground outside was filled with excited Jinjin citizens.

After the celebratory wine was finished, a large number of guests took their leave. However, there were still thousands of young people waiting eagerly outside to be assessed and recruited as Gatekeepers. By the afternoon, when Lu Yuan finally had some free time, he personally began to preside over the assessment and recruitment of Gatekeepers.

After comprehensive consideration, he formulated more precise entry requirements for Guangwu Hall: besides being between fifteen and thirty-five years old, they were required to have a clean background with no criminal record. They did not need to have a foundation in martial arts, but they had to be literate.

Actually, the first two were fine, but the requirement of literacy would block the path for many impoverished citizens. After all, under the Jin Dynasty's deliberate policy of keeping the people ignorant, less than ten percent of the lower-class citizens were literate, and those who didn't know a single character and couldn't even write their own names were everywhere.

But Lu Yuan had no choice but to set such screening criteria.

After all, the main purpose of him opening this Guangwu Hall was not to recruit thugs, but to cultivate talents who could do things and handle affairs; literacy was a necessary condition.

Immediately, upon seeing the conditions posted in front of the hall, a large number of illiterate youths and teenagers left in disappointment. Even so, hundreds or thousands of people remained, eagerly participating in the assessment.

Because the number of people was truly too large and Lu Yuan was currently a one-man show in the vast hall, he had to use people from the Martial Arts Association to assist in the assessment and recording, and then he would personally conduct the final screening.

Even so, for the thousands who remained, it took most of the day to screen and record only half of them, and the rest would have to wait until tomorrow for screening.

Lu Yuan estimated that the first batch of Gatekeepers would only consist of one hundred people, so he naturally had to be meticulous. Therefore, after the initial screening, he would conduct further interviews with those who passed to select them as disciples of the hall.

Just like that, after a busy day, the teenagers who had not yet been screened could only leave in disappointment, preparing to return early tomorrow morning.

At the same time, after screening nearly five hundred people, a list recording the basic information of over two hundred candidates was handed to Lu Yuan; to show his gratitude, he also gave a reward to the twenty-plus members of the Martial Arts Association who had been working hard all day.

After these people left with gratitude, the vast Guangwu Hall suddenly became quiet.

After the hall had been renovated, Lu Yuan could be considered to have a foundation in Jinjin; he scanned the area and sighed for a moment, preparing to leave, when several figures suddenly walked in.

It was none other than Li Junxian, Xu Dahu, and the master-disciple pair of Lin Xingchao and Xi Beichen.

"Master, Senior Brother?"

Seeing the arrivals, Lu Yuan was not surprised and immediately smiled as he walked up to greet them:

"When did you arrive in Jinjin?"

After sending that letter some time ago, he had guessed that Li Junxian would very likely come in person, but he had not seen him before today and had thought Li Junxian was delayed on the road.

Looking at Lu Yuan walking toward him, Li Junxian looked at him as if he were a monster, smiling helplessly and bitterly: "You brat, I feel like I can no longer bear the title of 'Master' from you."

Xu Dahu was also looking at Lu Yuan with a hesitant expression, seemingly unable to believe it even now:

"Are you really my Third Junior Brother, or have you been possessed by some demon or ghost?"

Lu Yuan burst into laughter:

"Master, you are joking. How could you not bear it? And Senior Brother, it has only been a month since we last met; I am still me, genuine and authentic."

Li Junxian sighed deeply:

"It is precisely because it has only been a month that I find it hard to imagine. You have created such a foundation and defeated two top foreign powerhouses; your master has lived half a life and it is not as magnificent as your past month. A Yuan, I want to ask you now: was the Qingyike who made the corrupt officials in Fengyang Prefecture tremble with fear actually you?"

Once these words were spoken, not only Xu Dahu, but also Lin Xingchao and Xi Beichen looked over with tense expressions.

Perhaps Li Junxian only had this suspicion after seeing Lu Yuan display his Godly Strength with his own eyes today, but Lin Xingchao and his disciple had already harbored this doubt after Lu Yuan defeated Sangtian Hengyi with his sword half a month ago.

After all, if one thought about it carefully, the Qingyike not only knew they were searching for him without appearing, but later even broke into the Jingwu Division dungeon to rescue Xi Beichen, and even sent him near a secret hiding place.

Such things seemed incredible at the time, but if the Qingyike was someone they were familiar with, it made perfect sense.

Now that things had reached this point, there was no need to hide it, and Lu Yuan nodded:

"That is correct, it was me."

Lin Xingchao and Xi Beichen were speechless, their feelings a complex mix:

"It really was you?"

"You hid it from us so well."

Upon receiving confirmation, Li Junxian found it even harder to understand, asking in surprise:

"You had such ability back then? Then why did you become a disaster victim and get selected into the Boxiyuan?"

Although he was being open and honest, there were still some things he could not state plainly, so Lu Yuan said:

"To tell you the truth, during the process of fleeing the disaster and struggling to survive, I received guidance and the transmission of techniques from a strange person. Both my Godly Strength and Sword Technique came from this, and they require constant tempering in the mortal world to be mastered, so..."

A strange person, transmission of techniques?

Listening to this explanation that sounded like a myth or legend, the group could not help but look at each other, unable to tell if it was true or false.

But since there seemed to be no other explanation for the various magical aspects of Lu Yuan, Li Junxian could not press for more details, only saying slowly:

"So, including the two magical Pills you gave me, they were not actually sold to you by some wandering Daoist, were they?"

Lu Yuan smiled without answering.

Everything needed no further words; the group stood in silence.

"Inconceivable, truly inconceivable..."

Li Junxian sighed deeply, digesting everything he had just learned, and then asked:

"A Yuan, you founded this Guangwu Hall; it shouldn't be as simple as just establishing a sect, right? Are you planning to..."

"That is correct!"

Lu Yuan nodded in admission:

"A person lives once and there are things one must do and things one must not do. This Jin Dynasty world was stolen by foreign tribes who usurped the state; they entered the pass and slaughtered millions, incurring a heavy debt of blood. Even now, the country is rotting in darkness, corrupt officials are emerging one after another, and the people are living in misery. Since I have received the guidance of that strange person, I naturally cannot turn a blind eye. I must overthrow and shatter it, and reshape the world!"

Overthrow and shatter, reshape the world!

These eight simple words carried an unprecedented shock, and the others present were speechless for a moment.

But thinking about it carefully, the current Lu Yuan was so young and already able to defeat top powerhouses of the time; if he used himself as a golden signboard to secretly accumulate strength and prepare for an uprising, there was actually much that could be accomplished!

"Amazing."

At this moment, let alone Xu Dahu, even Li Junxian felt a sense of boiling blood in his heart:

"You brat, you truly have great ambition and great spirit!"

Xu Dahu even exclaimed excitedly:

"Good, this is what a true Han man should do. Compared to you, my being a gang leader in Fengyang Prefecture is just wasting time. Do you need help now? If you don't mind, how about I come over to be your helper?"

Lu Yuan shook his head and smiled:

"Senior Brother, rebelling is a matter that costs heads. You have your own career in Fengyang Prefecture, so why come and wade into these muddy waters? Moreover, Master is at an age where he should be enjoying his later years. No matter what, I should not drag you all into my affairs. Do not mention this again."

Li Junxian was silent for a moment, then said:

"I also did not expect you to walk down this path so quickly, but as the saying goes, 'brothers fight tigers together, father and son go into battle as a team.' If you truly lack help, whether it is me or Dahu and the others, we can all come to help you."

Lu Yuan still shook his head and smiled:

"This matter is exceptionally dangerous. Master, your injuries have only just healed and it is time for you to enjoy life. Senior Brother and the others have yet to marry or have children; how could I let you wade into these muddy waters for my own selfish reasons?

Right now, the Guangwu Hall is only in its initial stages; it still needs time to slowly cultivate a core team and wait for the right opportunity. During this period, it needs constant time to accumulate and develop. When it truly reaches a point of development stagnation, I will definitely ask you to come and help me."

Although Li Junxian and his disciples were his own people, if they came, they would certainly be of great assistance to him as a lone commander.

However, the things he had to do later were indeed dangerous to the extreme; he would not only face the entire Jin Dynasty, but possibly even the three major powers. He truly did not want to implicate Li Junxian and the others, putting them in danger.

After all, whether it was being surrounded and assassinated by powerhouses or facing an army with thousands of cannons firing at once, with his current methods, he could fight if he wanted to and leave if he wanted to.

But Li Junxian and the others were mere mortals of flesh and blood and did not have such abilities.

Li Junxian did not insist upon hearing this; after a moment of contemplation, he sighed softly and nodded:

"Very well."

(End of chapter)