Chapter 164: Challenge

"Jianqing, thank you for speaking up for me in front of Master."

After Zhong Shaoying's family moved into the martial arts hall, a great weight was lifted from his heart, and he felt immensely grateful to Lu Jianqing.

Although his family were nominally servants, moving from the perilous countryside into the city and away from danger could be considered a blessing.

Among the Inner Court Disciples, only Lu Jianqing had the standing to make the old master follow his every word.

"Senior Brother, you are too kind; I owe my success today to your promotion!"

Lu Jianqing was originally a farm boy, and it was Zhong Shaoying who recommended him to join the martial arts hall, leading to his current glory.

His temperament had changed greatly; he was now confident and high-spirited, his whole being filled with an upward-surging aura.

"Zhong Shaoying, come and fight!"

A clear, resonant voice soared straight into the clouds, echoing distinctly throughout the Inner and Outer Courtyards of the martial arts hall, heard clearly by everyone.

An Apprentice from the rural faction hurried over to report the news.

"Two Senior Brothers, Zhou You has set up a ring in the Outer Courtyard to challenge Senior Brother Zhong, and many fellow disciples have gone to watch."

Lu Jianqing's face darkened. "What kind of thing is he to be worthy of challenging Senior Brother Zhong? I will go and meet him."

Although he had only just broken through to the Blood Qi realm, he received Instruction from Wang Jianxiong daily; in terms of time spent receiving guidance from their mentor, no one could compare to him.

Plus, having mastered the full set of White Tiger Seven Kills, dealing with Zhou You would take no effort at all.

"I've long wanted to deal with him; if he were sensible and kept his tail between his legs, he could have stayed a few more days."

"Since he is overestimating his own strength, Senior Brother Zhong, just dispose of him while you're at it."

Lu Jianqing's impression of Zhou You was still from when he had first entered the Outer Courtyard and seen him teaching introductory fist techniques.

Thinking about it now, the other party's strength was mediocre, definitely at the bottom tier of Inner Court Disciples, much like Shi Gaofei.

Zhong Shaoying chuckled coldly. "Junior Brother Jianqing, a pillow just as I was getting sleepy; I've long wanted to deal with him but never had the chance. I didn't expect him to come and throw his life away himself."

"Drink your tea; I'll be back in a moment."

His tone was filled with powerful confidence, as if he could settle it in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"What's the point of drinking tea? I'll go watch the battle with you and hold the line for Senior Brother Zhong."

On the way, Zhong Shaoying asked the Apprentice who reported the news, "Who has he invited to watch and hold the line?"

"Zuo Shier, Shen Sijing, and also Xu Ying and Li Hao."

Lu Jianqing gave a heavy snort; the other party was flexing their muscles, as these people were all Zhou You's die-hard supporters.

In the open space of the Outer Courtyard, a ring stood, and Zhou You sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to gather his energy.

Below the stage, heads were surging; more than half of the martial arts hall's Apprentices were present.

Zuo Shier stood in the crowd, covering his mouth and coughing, appearing as if he were too weak to withstand the wind.

Beside him, Li Hao frowned upon seeing this. "Stop pretending; no one is looking at you here."

They had been invited to come, as it was Zhou You's intention to have them witness this battle firsthand.

The lonely back on the ring radiated a tragic aura of solitary courage and determination in the eyes of the crowd.

No one thought Zhou You was a match for Zhong Shaoying; they all believed this was a desperate gamble by someone pushed to the edge.

Xu Ying whispered a request, "Senior Brother Shen, Zhong Shaoying has a ruthless hand; if it truly comes to a critical moment, you must pull Zhou You back."

The implication was that if Zhou You were losing on the ring, he was asking Shen Sijing to intervene and not let Zhong Shaoying deliver a killing blow.

Shen Sijing nodded. "I know."

The clamor of the Outer Courtyard passed through layers of doors and courtyards, reaching the back residence, where the newly moved-in family members were all discussing the matter.

Lu Jianqing's and Zhong Shaoying's families were all chattering away.

"What kind of blind thing is this, daring to challenge Zhong Shaoying? Isn't this just looking for death?"

"Hey, practicing fists and learning martial arts, sparring is a daily occurrence. My Zhong Shaoying is undefeated in a hundred battles; the number of people he's beaten to death can't be counted on ten fingers, so one more match won't make a difference."

The chattering voices made the back residence as lively as a vegetable market.

Wang Yan snorted in annoyance and slammed her silk fan onto the table. "So annoying!"

Ever since these people moved into the back residence, the environment had deteriorated. Every day she saw this bunch lacking discipline, talking loudly, spitting, and even wanting to dig cesspits and build chicken coops on the flat ground. Ever since that Lu brat entered the Inner Court, he had quickly snatched away the favor that belonged to her, and her original life had been turned upside down.

Father even wanted to marry her to Lu Jianqing...

Wang Yan cried and threw tantrums, but her father no longer indulged her as he once did, becoming extremely strict.

"They are all a bunch of ill-bred scoundrels!"

A maid walked quickly from outside. "Miss, Zhou You is challenging Zhong Shaoying in the Outer Courtyard."

"Everyone has gone to watch the excitement."

The entire martial arts hall was in an uproar; in recent years, this was the first time Inner Court Disciples had publicly sparred.

Everyone knew this was no ordinary exchange; the conflict between the two had lasted a long time, and beyond winning or losing, it involved a life-and-death struggle.

With such a big event happening, where was the Hall Master Wang Jianxiong, and what was his reaction upon hearing it?

"Hoo?"

Amidst swirling smoke, a delicate-looking concubine served by his side.

Wang Jianxiong lay on a bamboo chair smoking, his gaze deep as he looked ahead; he had maintained this posture for a long time.

Although the concubine's feet were aching from standing, she dared not have the slightest complaint; she was just curious.

From this small courtyard, separated by seven or eight layers of walls, could the old man's gaze really turn corners, pass through doors and walls, and see the excitement happening in front? Looking down from a nearby three-story teahouse, the plaque of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall was in full view.

Zhang Shiyu looked down from above, staring in the direction of the martial arts hall; due to the high walls blocking the view, he could only hear the noisy sounds drifting through the air.

He clearly knew what was happening inside, but he couldn't go in to see it for himself.

"Zhou You, you can lose this match, but you cannot die."

"Within ten days I will break through to the Blood Qi realm and find you to wash away this shame; your life is mine."

His heart was burning, and he picked up the cold tea and drank it in one gulp; instead of calming down, he felt even more scorched.

Who could have imagined that he, who hated Zhou You to the extreme, was actually the one who most hoped Zhou You would survive.

Footsteps came from behind, and a deep voice called out, "Shi Yu, I knew you would come here to drink tea."

The person who arrived was his foster father, Captain Ye.

"It is good to watch; at the very least, you can figure out your enemy."

Zhang Shiyu asked in surprise, "Does foster father think he has a chance of winning?"

Captain Ye shrugged, "Victory and defeat are fickle, life and death hang by a thread; who can judge before the final moment?"

The Outer Courtyard began to stir, and the crowd parted like the surface of the sea split by the bow of a ship.

Zhong Shaoying came to accept the challenge, accompanied by Lu Jianqing, walking calmly into the Outer Courtyard.

The Apprentices of the Local Faction swarmed forward, truly a large and imposing crowd, calling out, "Senior Brother Zhong, Senior Brother Lu."

On the arena, Zhou You stood up and brushed the dust off the corner of his clothes; they had finally arrived.

At this moment, his mental state was elevated to its peak, and his Qi and blood were adjusted to near fullness.

In the space surrounding Zhou You, dust motes fell into a state of stagnation.

He looked down at Zhong Shaoying from his vantage point, "Get on the stage quickly."

"Hehe, you don't even have the patience to wait for death? I will grant your wish."

Zhong Shaoying nodded at Lu Jianqing to signal that it was fine, then suddenly kicked off the ground, leaping 10 meters in distance and 4 meters in height, landing lightly on the arena.

His feet struck the arena, signifying that he accepted this challenge.

Winged Tiger Zhou You VS Skull-Splitting Tiger Zhong Shaoying.

The standoff between the two on the arena was formed; to end it, one side must either be defeated or perish.

Today we shall see whether the Winged Tiger tears apart Zhong Shaoying, or if the Skull-Splitting Tiger cracks open Zhou You's head.

(End of this chapter)