Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 51 Challenge

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Lin Mu then pushed open the courtyard gate and walked towards Changfeng Martial Arts Hall.

He's been "recovering" for quite a while now.

The main reason is that the martial arts exam is about to start, and I need to go back and check on things.

When he arrived at the martial arts school, Senior Brother Zhou and Junior Brother Liu were still practicing their stances in the southeast corner.

The two stood in a horse stance, chatting idly.

"Chen Yuan is gone, did you know?"

Junior Brother Liu's tone carried a hint of sorrow for his fellow human beings.

"After failing to get through the gate, his father came and took him away, saying he was going to the grain store to carry grain."

Senior Brother Zhou remained silent for a moment without responding.

Junior Brother Liu sighed, "I don't know how much longer I can hold on."

"Lin Mu has also disappeared."

"But it's no wonder. After being struck by a palm strike from a master of internal energy, it would be unreasonable for him not to be crippled."

"What a pity."

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of a person standing at the gate and abruptly turned his head away.

Lin Mu stood at the door, dressed in a worn gray linen robe, with a few bamboo leaves draped over his shoulder.

He had been standing there for so long that neither of them noticed.

Senior Brother Zhou frowned and looked him up and down.

He's lost weight, but more importantly, he lacks the spirit and energy of a Ming Jin martial artist.

Injured by the neutralizing force, it seems even the manifest force is gone.

"You're here? How's your injury?" After the incident of challenging the dojo, Senior Brother Zhou's attitude towards Lin Mu had changed drastically.

"After resting for a while, it's much better."

Footsteps could be heard coming from under the eaves.

Cui Mingyue and Ye Lang walked side by side, with Zhou Yu following behind.

The three of them stopped at the same time when they saw Lin Mu.

Cui Mingyue glanced at it.

There was no resonant sound from his bones, no trace of inner strength; he was as quiet as a novice apprentice.

She looked away, her tone flat: "It's good that you're back."

Ye Lang nodded beside him without saying anything more.

Zhou Yu glanced at him again, his expression complex.

Cui Mingyue sighed softly, not uttering the words "fate plays tricks on people," but the meaning was conveyed.

Just then, the door to the inner courtyard creaked open.

Bai Yungui walked out yawning, sleepiness still lingering in the corners of his eyes, the wine gourd at his waist swaying.

He squinted and scanned the area, his gaze passing over Lin Mu as he casually remarked, "You're here?" before suddenly stopping.

He looked Lin Mu up and down again.

From head to toe, from toe to head.

Then he strode forward and slapped Lin Mu on the shoulder, causing a thin crack to appear in the blue brick.

"Good lad."

Bai Yungui's eyes shone as if he had just drunk half a pot of strong liquor. "Has it become potent?"

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

Senior Brother Zhou and Junior Brother Liu turned their heads at the same time, completely forgetting about the stakes.

Cui Mingyue and Ye Lang stopped abruptly, their expressions freezing.

Zhou Yu's mouth opened slightly.

Even Yan Hua, who usually kept his eyes straight ahead, paused for a moment at the threshold, turned around to look at Lin Mu, and then entered the inner courtyard.

"It was a recent breakthrough."

"Good, good, good." Bai Yungui said "good" three times in a row, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"It's perfect timing to come back and participate in the martial arts exam."

......

Meanwhile, at the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School.

Zhao Lie had been feeling so stifled these past few months that he was almost going crazy.

At the peak of his Ming Jin cultivation, he was defeated by Lin Mu, who was of a higher level. The entire town watched helplessly as he lay on the ground vomiting blood. This humiliation was like a red-hot nail stuck in his heart.

Later, he heard that Lin Mu had been crippled by Ling Feng's palm strike, and his chance to avenge himself had vanished. He felt a deep sense of unease stuck in his throat.

So when the news came that "Lin Mu is not crippled, but has achieved internal strength," the happiest person was probably Zhao Lie.

That afternoon, a gold-embossed challenge letter was delivered to Changfeng Martial Arts School.

The letter of challenge was surprisingly polite.

I have long heard that Junior Brother Lin has broken through to the Dark Force realm; congratulations!

Although Zhao had forcibly broken through to a higher realm by taking the Dragon Transformation Pill on the day of the match, his victory was dishonorable, and his defeat would have been even more shameful.

Now that my junior brother has demonstrated his true skill in mastering hidden strength, I, Zhao, earnestly request to fight him again. The location will remain the same martial arts arena where we challenged him on the day we did so, and all the elders of the town can watch.

Regardless of victory or defeat, all grudges will be settled.

The news spread faster than the challenge.

The storyteller in the teahouse shouted, "Zhao Lie of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School is going to fight Lin Mu again!" The tea drinkers in the teahouse immediately erupted in an uproar.

They still vividly remember the last time when open force fought against hidden force. This time, both sides are using genuine hidden force. The ticket price alone is enough for them to talk about for three days.

The dockworkers began placing bets, the girls at the Drunken Spring Pavilion started inquiring about the battle date, even Yu Mubai, who was far away in the inner city, was alarmed, and even Duanmu Hong found it somewhat interesting, treating this battle as a warm-up for the martial arts competition.

The senior disciple took the challenge letter, glanced at it, and handed it to Lin Mu: "Accept or not?"

Lin Mu felt this was a good opportunity to test his body tempering technique in actual combat, so he didn't hesitate: "I'll take it."

......

The next day.

The mornings in Heyuan County are punctuated by the shouts of peddlers.

Before dawn, the area around the training ground was already packed with people.

Old Wang, who sells sesame cakes, pushed his oven cart to a good spot. As soon as he got the oven going, the first batch of sesame cakes was snatched up by several dockworkers.

Old Sun, who sells tea, set up his tea stall on the opposite earthen slope, and managed to sell his coarse tea, which cost only a few copper coins a bowl, for a good price.

People were hanging on the earthen slopes, on the walls, and on the branches of the old locust tree. Even the half-broken stage on the south side was occupied by a group of teenagers, who were swinging their legs and eating sunflower seeds.

"Place your bets! Chang Le Gambling House, 1 to 1 odds!" The gambling house employee belonging to the Zhao family squeezed through the crowd, the copper plate in his hand clanging as copper coins were hit.

The dockworkers squatted on the edge of the earthen slope, placing bets.

The dark-faced man bet on Zhao Lie: "Last time you were just taking medicine and didn't know how to use internal force, but this time you've practiced seriously for a month or so, you're guaranteed to win!"

The tall, thin man bet on Lin Mu: "Last time, he won against an opponent with superior strength, how could he lose to someone of the same level this time?"

The two argued heatedly, their faces turning red, and a group of people nearby joined in the commotion.

The girls from Zuichunlou arrived late, so they simply drove the carriage to the high ground to the east and lifted the curtain to watch the battle.

Rouge pressed Zhao Lie's hand: "I entertained him at Zuichunlou last time. He's all muscle, as hard as a stick."

"How is it like a stick?" Xing'er chuckled, her figure somewhat wanton.

She followed Zhao Lie into custody, spitting sunflower seed shells all over the ground.

The people from the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School occupied the entire stands.

Qian Wanjun sat upright in the center, twirling two iron balls in his hands with a rattling sound, his face expressionless.

His apprentice, however, lacked his composure. Leaning on the railing, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Let Changfeng Martial Arts School see what real internal strength is!"

People from Changfeng Martial Arts School arrived one after another.

Senior Brother Zhou and Junior Brother Liu took a good spot near the front, while Bai Yungui leaned against a wooden stake and took a swig of wine.

Zou Wanruo and Hu Xiaoying also came this time. Standing at the back of the crowd, Hu Xiaoying kept tiptoeing to look outside.

Yan Hua has not arrived yet.

Zhao Lie had already arrived in the center of the arena.

He wore only a sleeveless leather jacket on his upper body, with prominent veins on his forearms and his knuckles cracking when he clenched his fists.

His boots had rubbed two shallow pits into the soil beneath his feet, and his eyes looked like those of a tiger that hadn't eaten for half a month.

Over the past few months, he has driven countless wooden dummy drills, replacing one after another, each drill bearing the same name.

The voices suddenly lowered for a moment.

The crowd parted to the north, and dozens of people twisted their necks to back away.

Lin Mu has arrived.

He wore a faded gray tunic with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and walked with a steady gait.

Someone in the crowd muttered, "Is this what happens when someone with superior internal energy is crippled?"

The idler next to him, without even turning his head, replied, "Nonsense, does he look like he's crippled?"