Chapter 61: Humen Square! Wan Jinpeng
The night was deep!
In Humenfang, located on West Road Street in the capital city, lanterns were blazing with light!
Tu Feipeng, the leader of the Flying Eagle Escort Agency, was kneeling on the steps of the Humenfang courtyard.
Sitting on a chair facing him was a burly, middle-aged man in his thirties.
The middle-aged man had a fierce expression, his face covered in rough flesh, instantly revealing him to be a ruthless character.
At this moment,
the middle-aged man sat astride the chair with an imposing, cold gaze.
"Chief! Please uphold justice for me!"
"Those bastards from the Ximen Escort Agency, Ghost-Foot Qi and his gang, actually ambushed us, causing devastating losses to the Flying Eagle Escort Agency!"
"Our Flying Eagle Escort Agency has been shattered!"
Thud, thud—thud, thud—!
Tu Feiping repeatedly kowtowed toward the middle-aged man.
He had been hunted down and severely injured in his battle against Ghost-Foot Qi.
He could not swallow this grievance!
Yet in his heart, he knew clearly that even if he wanted to seek revenge on Ghost-Foot Qi, he lacked the capability.
He was no match for Ghost-Foot Qi; even if he wished to follow martial arts conventions and challenge Ghost-Foot Qi to a life-and-death duel on the arena stage, it would only lead to his own humiliation.
To exact revenge, his only recourse was to turn to Humenfang.
The middle-aged man picked up a cup of tea from the small table beside him, took a gentle sip, and said calmly,
"Rise! It is very late. Tomorrow, we shall take a trip to Ximen Street!"
"I have long heard that Ghost-Foot Qi of Ximen Street is quite formidable in combat. I would like to see just how fast his legs truly are!"
Hearing this, Tu Feipeng was instantly overjoyed.
"Chief, the moment you make your move, Ghost-Foot Qi is as good as dead!"
"No matter how skilled he is, he could never be a match for the Chief."
---
The next day,
after resting for the entire night, Chen Jie felt his injuries had improved significantly.
Though injured the previous night, Chen Jie was pleasantly surprised when he saw a line of text appear on the "Blood Dragon Jade" within his mind.
[Martial Arts Merit Value: +858]
Indeed, although he had almost been beaten to death with an iron rod last night, it had earned Chen Jie 858 points of [Martial Arts Merit Value]!
Merely blocking a single strike from the opponent's iron rod with his wolf-tooth club had unexpectedly yielded so many [Martial Arts Merit Value] points!
A pleasant surprise!
Yet, Chen Jie had no desire to ever try this method of acquiring [Martial Arts Merit Value] again.
It was far too dangerous!
One careless slip, and it could easily cost him his life.
Hearing that Chen Jie was injured, Aunt Thirteen specially massaged his muscles and joints that morning to help the blood circulate and disperse the stasis in his arms!
At the same time,
she instructed him to avoid strenuous exercise for the next few days to allow his body to recover.
---
Waking up early, Chen Jie did not practice his leg techniques. Instead, he sat inside his room, deep in meditation, striving to push his state of mind toward the realm of "Guarding the One"!
The first three stages of mental state are: Cradling Thought, Guarding the One, and Inner Vision!
For Taoists, once spiritual willpower breaks through to the stage of Guarding the One, sensory perception is vastly enhanced, and the sixth sense becomes much more acute.
In terms of martial arts cultivation, mental states complement one another and are extremely crucial, often referred to as the "Realm of Refining the Spirit"!
Just as he entered the meditative state, he suddenly heard the commotion of hurried footsteps outside his room.
Bang—!
As Chen Jie stood up and opened the door to look outside,
he saw the courtyard gate kicked open.
Following that, more than thirty people poured tumultuously into the courtyard, lining up in two rows.
They wore uniform martial attire, with long sabers tucked at their waists, making not a single sound.
That imposing aura gave off an indescribable feeling, heavy with a murderous intent.
Walking right in the middle was a tall, burly middle-aged man.
He had a fierce face, a broad saber strapped across his back, and an overwhelming, ferocious aura.
Fierce, violent, and tyrannical—!
Most shocking of all was his right arm, which was completely different from his left, appearing almost deformed and noticeably a full circle larger.
A thick layer of calluses covered his entire right fist, the skin resembling the bark of an ancient tree.
This man was not only a master of the saber, but his right fist had undoubtedly undergone rigorous tempering, capable of killing invisibly.
Behind the burly middle-aged man followed Tu Feipeng of the Flying Eagle Escort Agency.
At this moment, Tu Feipeng looked up at Aunt Thirteen, Liu Qi, Liu Bamei, and Chen Jie, his eyes filled with hatred.
Today—your entire household shall be wiped out!
He swore silently to himself. Everyone on Ximen Street knew very well that the Flying Eagle Escort Agency was backed by Humenfang.
Ghost-Foot Qi had actually dared to launch a sneak attack, catching them off guard and shattering the entire Flying Eagle Escort Agency.
A blood debt must be paid in blood!
Wan Jinpeng, the chief of Humenfang, possessed saber techniques of unfathomable mastery and had simultaneously cultivated the Iron Arm Fist!
Though Ghost-Foot Qi's leg techniques were exquisite, he was merely an ordinary expert at the "Copper Skin, Bright Force" level.
Wan Jinpeng, however, was a top-tier expert who had reached the great completion of Bright Force, far superior to Ghost-Foot Qi!
Today, Humenfang was avenging him, bringing men straight to their doorstep.
According to the rules of the pugilistic world, fighting a life-and-death duel would surely kill Ghost-Foot Qi and completely annihilate the Ximen Escort Agency.
The Life-and-Death Arena!
This was the simplest and most direct method of combat in the martial world.
Usually, when disputes and conflicts arose between martial factions, to avoid involving the innocent, they would resort to a life-and-death arena to settle their grudges.
Aunt Thirteen stood in the middle of the courtyard and shouted coldly,
"Wan Jinpeng!? What is the meaning of this?"
"Our Ximen Escort Agency and your Humenfang have always minded our own business. Why have you come knocking on our door?"
Hearing this, Wan Jinpeng let out a wild laugh.
"Ha ha—what is the meaning of this?"
"Ghost-Foot Qi, get your ass out here!"
"Last night, your Ximen Escort Agency ambushed and killed so many men from the Flying Eagle Escort Agency. Did you really think this matter would just end like that?"
"Everyone on Ximen Street knows that Tu Feipeng is my man from Humenfang. You killed my people, and you dare ask me why I have come?"
Boom—!
A powerful aura radiated outward with Wan Jinpeng at its center, enveloping the surroundings.
An expert at the great completion of Bright Force possessed an extraordinary and shocking presence.
Hearing the opponent's voice, Chen Jie felt his ears ringing with a persistent buzzing sound.
He widened his eyes, couldn't help holding his breath, and looked up at the more than thirty armed men surrounding the area.
These men were far more powerful than the thugs from the Flying Eagle Escort Agency the previous night.
"Are they here for revenge!? Already?"
"What is going on with the government in this world? In broad daylight, is there really no one coming out to manage this?"
Chen Jie's mind raced, and he felt somewhat anxious.
Last night outside the city, surrounded by reed marshes, it was somewhat understandable that faction battles went unmanaged.
Yet now, no government officials had stepped forward, leaving Chen Jie deeply puzzled.
Life and death are decided upon the Life-and-Death Arena!
When both sides agree to a life-and-death battle, they must sign a death waiver before stepping onto the ring.
If one loses, not only does one forfeit their life, but they also lose any grounds for seeking future revenge.
Under normal circumstances, barring a mortal blood feud, people would not come knocking to wage a life-and-death battle.
Humenfang was considered a prominent and influential force in the West Road Street area.
Wan Jinpeng had actually stepped forward to champion the cause of the Flying Eagle Escort Agency and come to issue a direct challenge.
It seemed Humenfang had been casting covetous eyes upon the territory of Ximen Street.
By making an example of the Ximen Escort Agency first, his purpose was to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.
Because Wan Jinpeng had led his Humenfang subordinates in an imposing march all the way through Ximen Street,
many people had tagged along to watch the spectacle.
In less than ten minutes, the outside of the house was surrounded by crowds.
At any time, rubbernecking and watching the excitement was human nature.
Wan Jinpeng waved his massive hand, signaling the two rows of gang members to part. He removed the broad saber from his back and had two trusted subordinates hold it for him.
His gaze swept over the onlookers outside the door, and a cold smile appeared on his face as he said,
"Don't say I'm bullying you. Today, I won't use my saber!"
"Ghost-Foot Qi, if you can withstand one minute under my fists, I will turn around and leave right now! The blood debt from last night will be wiped clean!"
Crack, snap!
Wan Jinpeng clenched his fists, the muscles across his entire body engorging and expanding.
At that moment, the sinews and bones throughout his body erupted with crisp, popping sounds like snapping beans.
Sinews and bones resounding in unison!
This was the state that could only be unleashed by someone who had attained the great completion of the Copper Skin, Bright Force realm.