Chapter 524: The Little Overlord is Demoted; Zhou You Establishes His Might

Heavenly treasures, the capable shall possess them!

Only by standing above the Martial Dao can one be qualified to become a Great Power.

At the realm of Martial Dao, one's supplements are linked to the exertion of power; Yan Shan has not broken through for long and has not yet had time to secure a stable supply channel for heavenly treasures, so if a fight were to truly break out, he would inevitably lack the stamina to continue.

And although Gu Lao's strength is slightly weaker, he has heavenly treasures in his hands.

"Heh!"

Yan Shan nods, "Wan Jun, did you hear that?"

Yan Wanjun's mind is in a daze, and he nods subconsciously.

"Your mistake lies in failing to investigate Gu Lao's situation before rashly going to his door to stir up trouble; now you are riding a tiger and cannot get off."

"If it were just a minor scuffle, as your master, I could let you do as you please, but now that it involves the Martial Dao and heavenly treasures, do you know your crime?"

Yan Shan says coldly, "From this moment on, you are no longer the Chief Disciple of the Overlord Martial Arts Hall. Quickly strip off your robes, wear white clothes, go barefoot, carry a Thorn on your back, and walk from the gate of the martial arts hall to the front of Daqian Martial Arts Hall to kneel."

"Kneel until Zhou You shows himself. If he takes the Thorn to beat you, that is fine; if he refuses, you shall kneel until you die."

"Afterward, I will give you a place to go; you may live, but you shall never return to Fucheng for the rest of your life."

Such a severe punishment frightens a Vice President into fainting on the spot.

Yan Wanjun is Yan Shan's blood relative and a personal disciple cultivated for decades, yet he is treated with such severity; shouldn't they be carved into a thousand pieces to atone for their sins?

"As for you lot, you are eyesores and hindrances, go, go, go!"

Yan Shan does not wait for Yan Wanjun to agree and tells Qin Shang directly, "You, help him!"

Qin Shang bows respectfully; from this moment on, he takes Yan Wanjun's place and becomes the Chief Disciple.

Inside, he feels no wild joy or the sense of relief from finally succeeding after years of hardship; instead, he feels as if he is walking on thin ice.

Half a day ago, Yan Wanjun was still a glorious Martial Dao disciple, but because he offended one person, he lost everything in the blink of an eye.

To say that Yan Shan's treatment of him is a fate worse than death is no exaggeration.

Even so, Yan Wanjun cannot beg for mercy and is forcibly pressed by Qin Shang to kowtow in gratitude.

If he had even half a word of complaint, Yan Shan would not even need to move; the surrounding martial arts hall disciples would act on their master's behalf and cause him to lose his life before the cauldron. All of this was within Zhou You's calculations.

The coldness and cruelty carved into Yan Shan's bones are directed not only at himself but at everyone around him.

There is not a shred of affection or selfishness in his blood; his goal in all his efforts is to pursue the supreme realm of the Martial Dao, and once anyone obstructs him, they will be met with ruthless disposal.

If it were merely a Zhou You, no matter how much Yan Wanjun stirred up trouble, he would not have paid any attention.

But Gu Lao possesses the ability to break through to the Martial Dao and controls heavenly treasures, which is very important to him.

Beneath Yan Wanjun's martial-fanatic exterior lies an absolutely cold and utilitarian style of conduct; in his eyes, Gu Lao's value is immense and highly useful for his future Martial Dao cultivation.

Since that is the case, Yan Wanjun cannot be kept and must be sacrificed.

Perhaps sparing Yan Wanjun's life is already one of the few instances of warmth in his entire life.

The next day, the whole city is in an uproar...

Yan Wanjun's face is ashen; wearing white, barefoot, and carrying a Thorn on his back, he leaves a bloody footprint with every step as he walks from the Overlord Martial Arts Hall to the Daqian Martial Arts Hall.

He ignores the surrounding gazes, kneels beneath the sign of the Daqian Martial Arts Hall, and kowtows fiercely, cracking his forehead against the ground.

This matter sweeps through the city like a hurricane, and the previous day's conflict is dug up: "What, Gu Lao broke through to the Martial Dao, he..."

"He broke through halfway before being interrupted by Yan Wanjun. This Gu Lao treats Zhou You better than his own children or grandchildren, tsk tsk!"

"Yan Shan has met his match; no wonder he treats Yan Wanjun so cruelly." Regardless of the rumors outside, Zhou You remains calm within the martial arts hall. After returning home, he meets his parents and new wife, settles Zuo Lv and the others, and arranges the spoils of war.

He also meets with Qi Qingdi to examine his studies and progress.

After rushing through all these matters, the wind blowing from the outside world grows increasingly fierce, pressing down on the Daqian Martial Arts Hall until it shakes slightly.

"Son, if you have things to attend to, go ahead; you don't need to keep us company!"

Zhou Laodie and his mother say softly, "With You Xing keeping us company, you don't need to worry about the household."

Hua Youxing whispers to Zhou You, "The Medicine King Sect also sent people to inquire about the news, but I handled them."

"As for Yan Shan, you should still know when to stop while you're ahead."

Zhou You pats the back of her hand, "I have it under control."

"There is no need to be too humble; our family has Gu Lao backing us, we are no longer a small, insignificant household."

Under the reverent gazes of the martial arts hall disciples, he walks slowly to the front of the hall.

Beside the main gate, Yan Wanjun kneels in the front; his expression is withered, like an old man whose oil is exhausted and lamp is dry.

The few Thorns on his back are extremely eye-catching.

Zhou You knows this person is finished; after this incident, Yan Shan has clearly signaled his abandonment of him.

From this day forward, there will be no such figure as the Little Overlord in Fucheng.

He pulls out the Thorn and places it on Yan Wanjun's shoulder, telling him in a low voice, "This is to save face for Hall Master Yan."

Having said that, Zhou You drops the Thorn, "You may go back."

The gates of the Daqian Martial Arts Hall close, and a tidal wave of commotion erupts outside; it is over.

In fact, the noble families and high-ranking officials of Fucheng are the most sensitive, because the Chief Disciple in charge of the Overlord Martial Arts Hall has been replaced by a low-key young man named Qin Shang.

Yan Wanjun's era has passed; now, it is Qin Shang who manages affairs on behalf of Yan Shan.

As for Chu Weisheng and his group, no one pays them any attention; it is only known that over the next few years, they gradually retire and move away, not only being removed from the martial arts circles but disappearing from Fucheng entirely.

Within a few years, they become people who simply do not exist.

The entire event concludes with a seemingly gentle ending; not a single person died, not a drop of blood was spilled, but the cruelty hidden behind it chills all those in the know.

In the vanity fair of martial artists, a famous person's life is their sense of presence; for instance, Yan Wanjun, even though he is still alive, has been demoted to an unknown and dangerous place, and even if he lives, he is merely lingering on, a fate worse than death.

After this incident, Zhou You's reputation soars; no one dares to treat him as a small figure anymore.

There is even a vague suggestion within the martial arts circles to fill the vacant Vice President positions.

As long as Zhou You expresses his willingness, he could become the youngest Vice President in the history of Fucheng without having to go through any complicated procedures.

Yet, this gesture was like winking at a blind man.

After this incident, Zhou You saw through the essence of things: the strong walk alone, while only the weak huddle together. Yanshan's strength does not come from the Martial Arts Association President; on the contrary, the reason he is the Martial Arts Association President is that he has fought across Fucheng and has no equal.

Following this affair, the Daqian Martial Arts Hall's reputation soared, and countless people came knocking to apprentice and learn the arts.

Of course, because of Gu Lao, many noble families extended olive branches to him, all of which were politely declined by Zhou You.

The greatest purpose of the puppet crafted by Kunpengzi is to shield Zhou You from the wind and rain, buying him space to grow. Aside from this, Zhou You practices as low-key as possible and does not wish to involve himself too much in fame and fortune.

(End of chapter)