Chapter 547: Strong Martial Arts, Nothing Matters

"You, you let go of Senior Brother Lu first."

An Apprentice of the martial arts hall said with a trembling voice.

Besides Zhou You and Lu Shengfa, there was no third person at the giant stone pit; the martial artists around had all scattered far away.

The move Zhou You had just made, descending from the sky and slapping Lu Shengfa down with one hand, was too shocking, causing everyone to retreat three steps.

He was like a rampaging bear, filled with infinite energy and a desire for destruction; anyone standing in his way would only end up smashed to pieces.

Zhou You ignored them and pressed his hand directly onto Xue Zhengming's chest; his palm felt as if it had been pricked by an ice needle.

So that was it; Lu Shengfa had used this trick to ambush Xue Zhengming and then pinned the blame on him.

Zhou You's arm trembled slightly, his vigorous Qi and blood surging through his palm, shattering the ice needle and flowing into Xue Zhengming's body in one go.

Whoosh, like the warm sun of spring breaking through a layer of frozen ice, the river water flowed freely.

In the blink of an eye, the cold chill in Xue Zhengming's body rapidly faded, the pallor on his face dissipated, and a hint of color returned.

"Cough, cough!"

Amidst many incredulous gazes, Xue Zhengming 'came back to life,' his breathing changing from weak to strong.

"Cough, cough, Hall Master Zhou, you're gripping too tightly; let go, let go, let me catch my breath."

Zhou You was greatly embarrassed, released the palm gripping Xue Zhengming's chest, and moved it behind his back like lightning.

A group of Disciples were both surprised and delighted, quickly surrounding them, their gazes wary as they separated Zhou You and Xue Zhengming.

"Stop making a scene; he came to save me, it was my own disciple who wanted to kill me instead."

Xue Zhengming sighed, "Lu Shengfa, we were master and disciple, why did you ambush me?"

Lu Shengfa, pressed into the stone pit, laughed twice, "Master and disciple? You are not worthy..."

He then closed his eyes and said no more; clearly, like the previous two martial masters, he was also a dead soldier.

From the moment he joined Zhengming Martial Arts Hall, his motives were impure, and now his attempt to ambush was merely to carry out a certain order.

"Fine, fine, fine, it is I, Xue Zhengming, who failed to judge a person correctly."

Xue Zhengming cupped his hands toward Zhou You, "I have made a fool of myself; this entire disturbance was caused by me, Xue Zhengming. Hall Master Zhou, my apologies."

The hall masters of other martial arts halls were still trying to persuade him, "Hall Master Xue, you cannot back down; your status is established here..."

"What status?"

Xue Zhengming rubbed his brow, "Stop trying to harm me; this old man almost died today."

Once these words were spoken, the many hall masters fell silent.

Zhou You thought to himself that this old martial master was a reasonable person; since that was the case...

"Zhou You, don't get cocky; this matter won't end so easily."

Lu Shengfa's mouth was full of blood, and his loosened teeth shook and fell out as he spoke, but his smile became increasingly manic.

Boom! Zhou You's palm sank down a few inches, his arm bulged, and he pressed Lu Shengfa's head until it deformed into a flat ball.

"Why are you talking so much nonsense!"

Zhou You let go and lifted his arm; Lu Shengfa had only a faint breath left, lying there like a dead dog.

Just as it seemed the matter was resolved...

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Footsteps approached; although they were not particularly loud, they were clearly transmitted to everyone's ears, letting everyone know someone had arrived.

The crowd cleared a path, and a middle-aged man with a dull expression walked out.

The dull-looking middle-aged man walked straight up to Xue Zhengming, "Master Xue, it has been many years; is your health still robust?"

"Good, still good, you..."

Xue Zhengming looked at the newcomer with a complex expression; there was no need to state it clearly, for his identity was already revealed.

The powerful martial artist who walked out of Zhengming Martial Arts Hall was White Stone Wu. After White Stone Wu appeared, the side of Zhengming Martial Arts Hall was in an uproar, and a group of Disciples and Apprentices scrambled to squeeze forward, wanting to see this 'fellow sect' 'big shot.'

The group of hall masters who had come to help also approached with the most humble expressions.

A voice rang out from the crowd, "Venerable One, Zhou You of Daqian Martial Arts Hall is bullying Hall Master Xue by relying on his youth and strength. Since you have come, you cannot just let it be; otherwise, what will the world think of you?"

As soon as these words were out, Xue Zhengming's heart skipped a beat; this was going to be trouble.

"No, don't sow discord, it's nothing!"

Xue Zhengming was anxious to explain, wanting to tell the ins and outs of the matter, but voices fanning the flames continued to come from all around.

"That's right, the old hall master was sitting peacefully at home, yet was bullied by someone coming to challenge his hall."

"Zhou You shielded that madman and even brought his Disciples and Apprentices to attack; how can this be tolerated?"

"During the previous fist fight, they bullied the weak with their strength and trampled the sign of Zhengming Martial Arts Hall underfoot. Old Hall Master Xue's lifelong reputation, how pitiful and lamentable!"

White Stone Wu's dull face moved slightly, and he asked Xue Zhengming, "Master Xue, is this true?"

"It is true, but..."

Before Xue Zhengming could explain clearly, voices rang out one after another all around, "Old Hall Master Xue is kind and wants to settle the matter, but since you, Venerable One, have arrived, you need not have any concerns; naturally, there will be someone to uphold justice for you."

"If you are unwilling to speak, we witnesses must speak up for justice."

Upon hearing this, White Stone Wu nodded, "Understood!"

He turned directly toward Zhou You. "The Hall Master of Daqian Martial Arts Hall, the Hungry Tiger Zhou You?"

"Correct, that is indeed this humble one."

Zhou You faced him with a natural demeanor, showing not a hint of panic or fear, which made others click their tongues in wonder.

After all, he was facing a powerful martial artist, an existence far more formidable than a martial master.

If White Stone Wu truly wanted to make a move, he could easily crush him into powder with a single finger; there was no suspense at all.

"What do you think of those words just now?"

"It's all bullshit!"

Zhou You retorted without ceremony, knowing these were all arranged by Liu Chengen with the goal of provoking Bai Shiwu.

Bai Shiwu flicked his sleeves, "Regardless, you were disrespectful to Master Xue; that is a fact."

"I, Bai Shiwu, value respect for teachers above all else. Firstly, I am venting for Master Xue, and secondly, you are a rebellious disciple expelled from your sect whom I dislike, so I must teach you a lesson."

Hearing this, the martial artists on Zhou You's side were terrified; Qiangwu was going to make a move against Zhou You.

Among the surrounding crowd, many eyes held secret joy; their goal had finally been achieved.

All their actions—sowing discord, fanning the flames, attempted assassinations, and framing—were all for this moment.

More onlookers looked at Zhou You with sympathy and pity; if Qiangwu struck and Gu Lao, who stood behind Zhou You, did not step forward, he would surely die.

"Hmm, I heard you have a Gu Lao behind you; let him come out!"

Bai Shiwu also knew of Old Gu and invited the other party to make a move.

In this situation, how could 'Gu Lao' show his face? He could not use the puppet even if it killed him.

Zhou You shook his head firmly, "Gu Lao is not here; he has gone on a long journey. One person acts, one person bears the consequences; you only need to deal with me."

"You have some guts, at least."

Bai Shiwu sighed lightly, "If you refuse to call out your backer, don't blame others when you throw your life away in vain."

"Hmm, let me remind you again: do you have any other backers? Take this time I'm giving you to call for reinforcements."

Hmm? Hearing this, Zhou You felt there was more to the words and suddenly thought of something.

Could he be referring to Yin Sanfen? This Qiangwu Jiuzhongtian expert had met him once and left behind a fingernail as a token, promising to do one thing for him.

However, only Zhou You and he knew about this matter.

How did Bai Shiwu know? (End of chapter)