Chapter 208: Master-Disciple Transaction: Passing on the Tiger Head Hammer

"Since you have seen through the other party's intentions, why do you still persist in your obsession and insist on being my enemy?"

Wang Jianxiong stared into Zhou You's eyes and asked him, "Do you know that after today, you will have betrayed your sect and become a turncoat despised by everyone in the martial arts world?"

"That group of people is using you to oppose me; they might tolerate your momentary triumph, but they will never let you have a good reputation."

Professions passed down from master to disciple value loyalty; those who defy their masters are despised like rats crossing the street.

He was just curious: Zhou You had vision and schemes, so how could he still embark on this path? "Master, my nickname is Winged Tiger, and sometimes I also ponder what wings are for."

Zhou You raised his hand, spread his five fingers, and scooped up a handful of breeze, "Borrowing force to rise, following the wind to fly—no matter how long the wings are, they cannot reach the sky. They are merely a tool; without the breeze to borrow force from, no matter how much one flaps, one cannot fly."

"In boxing, one does not use dead force or brute force; it also emphasizes borrowing force to move and following the momentum to act."

"As for this matter, they are using me, but isn't it also me using their force and momentum to have a showdown with you, Master?"

Wang Jianxiong was moved, "You have long been thinking of leaving the martial arts school?"

"That is correct. From the day Lu Jianqing entered the school, I knew your intentions, Master."

Zhou You spread his hands, "If I do not seize this opportunity to leave, I fear I will eventually be reduced to a stepping stone for that kid."

A stepping stone? His self-awareness was quite accurate, because this was exactly Wang Jianxiong's arrangement.

No one is willing to become a consumable sacrificed for nothing!

Although Wang Jianxiong was unwilling to admit it, he was wrong—wrong in a very serious way.

Playing with disciples in the palm of one's hand, using them, and discarding them—these are the rights of a master, and there is nothing wrong with that.

His mistake was in taking a tiger cub for a house dog, failing to discover that beneath Zhou You's calm and low-key exterior, he hid such ambition and methods that refused to be subservient to others.

Once the mask was torn off, he was actually caught off guard.

He suddenly discovered that his seemingly impregnable martial arts school actually hid so many conflicts and contradictions; the Inner Courtyard Disciples were not united! "Lu Qiang begged me to spare you for the sake of overall stability, not wanting the Inner Courtyard Disciples to split."

"I am just curious how you convinced the others to take the risk."

Seeing that the matter had become a reality, Wang Jianxiong was no longer in a hurry; instead, he calmly asked Zhou You for the ins and outs of the matter.

"As for Senior Brother Shen, the area outside the city has become increasingly dangerous lately. Nine out of ten merchant caravans do not return, causing huge losses. They are in urgent need of martial arts experts, and I agreed to help."

"Not bad!" Wang Jianxiong nodded, "With interests tied together, no wonder he dared to stand up for you."

"Senior Brother Jiang Hua asked me for a favor: to lend a hand when he takes his revenge in the future."

Wang Jianxiong added, "Hmm, this child always remembers his hatred; as long as he can take revenge, he is willing to do anything."

"The two of you joined forces at Ink Cloud Stronghold to repel Yan Ping, so you understand each other's trump cards a little; you are suitable to work together."

Having analyzed this far, he added, "What about Shi Gaofei? That guy is incomparably lazy; I cannot imagine you having a way to win him over."

Zhou You helplessly spread his hands, "I dragged him in by force. All the other fellow disciples went, so how could he stay out of it?"

"Master, it is not that I want to criticize you, but it is one thing that you cannot treat me equally, but your excessive favoritism toward Lu Jianqing is too much. He has everything from fine fish to meat, while the other fellow disciples cannot even gnaw on bones."

"Today's matter, in the final analysis, is that I am the fuse, but those accumulated contradictions and dissatisfactions are the reasons for the explosion."

"As a disciple with no background and no backing, I can only borrow force and momentum, using all conditions to fight for a path to survival for myself."

Wang Jianxiong was moved by his words and actually nodded in agreement.

"That is true, I am biased, but if I were not biased, how could a mere martial arts school provide enough for Lu Jianqing to return to Dayin Mountain?"

"I originally thought that if he returned to the sect and achieved something in the future, he might be able to help you all in return, but given the current situation, the bond between fellow disciples is severed, and that is no longer possible." Heh, expecting him to give benefits after he achieves success—I might as well dream; it would be faster.

"Zhou You, with such thoughts and methods, you must have long since planned your future path."

Wang Jianxiong said, "However, what you have taken from me must be returned in full."

"You learned my boxing techniques and integrated them into your own new style; I do not want to take that back, nor will I cripple you."

"But you beat Zhong Shaoying to death, breaking one of my arms, and destroyed Lu Jianqing's Amulet. These two debts must be settled clearly."

"You give me 100,000 taels of silver, and this debt will be wiped clean. From now on, the road is wide, and we shall each go our own way."

100,000 taels of bright white silver—what a huge sum, and it had to be in cash!

Zhou You could not produce it; even if he had bonuses and stolen goods, he could not find a way to liquidate them in a short time.

Moreover, if he rashly produced such a large sum of money, it would certainly arouse suspicion and bring trouble upon himself.

"Master, let us negotiate. The amount is too large; you are deliberately trying to force me to my death."

"No, I think highly of you. With your abilities, earning 100,000 taels is not a problem. This is a gap I urgently need to fill; not a single cent can be missing, otherwise you cannot leave in peace."

The old man used the name of the martial arts school and the status of master and disciple to force him, and for a moment, they reached a stalemate.

Zhou You pondered for a moment, "100,000 taels, it is not that I cannot think of a way."

Wang Jianxiong revealed an "as I expected" expression.

But Zhou You then said, "Master, you know how valuable gold and silver are nowadays; a few human lives are not worth that much."

"I ask that you provide Instruction on the remaining content of the Tiger Art, and please also pass on a few moves of the White Tiger Seven Kills."

"Only when a disciple's strength increases can I better earn money for you; wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

It was just bargaining; who wouldn't know how to do that?

"The White Tiger Seven Kills cannot be given to you; I cannot nurture a tiger that will eventually harm me."

Wang Jianxiong said decisively, then thought for a moment, "I can give you the part for cultivating from the middle stage of Qi and Blood to Primary Martial Master; consider it the end of our master-disciple relationship. But the White Tiger Seven Kills is a direct-line secret art; to prevent you from spreading it, I cannot give it to you."

He walked a few steps, thinking as he spoke, "Fists are the handle for weapons; once you reach the late stage of Qi and Blood, you must practice with weapons to nourish your fists."

"You have also played with the Tiger Tendon Pipa; you can be considered to have a small foundation. This is the basis of the weaponry of my sect."

"The weapons derived from the Tiger Tendon Pipa include the Thousand Tiger Gauntlets, Sharp Tiger Claws, Tiger Head Hammer, Tiger Killing Staff, and so on."

"I cannot pass the Thousand Tiger Gauntlets to you; I will only pass them to Jianqing. You may choose one of the remaining three."

Zhou You muttered in his heart, the old guy is being so biased to his face; it seems he has no intention of changing!

Just by listening to him, one knew that the Thousand Tiger Gauntlets were definitely the most powerful weapon, reserved for his favorite disciple.

Zhou You thought of that skull, and his heart stirred, "I choose the Tiger Head Hammer."

Using a martial master's skull to make a hammer would have extraordinary power; it would definitely be able to unleash the full potential of this weapon.

Wang Jianxiong nodded, "Very well, I shall pass this Tiger Head Hammer technique on to you."

"After today, you and I shall go our separate ways, and remember to deliver the 100,000 taels before the end of the year."

(End of this chapter)