Chapter 65: Jianghu Rivalries, Winner Takes All

Won!
Hoo—!
Seeing Wan Jinpeng fall to the ground and vomit blood, Chen Jie and Liu Bamei let out long sighs of relief.
If they had lost this fight, it would have been truly troublesome!
Being driven out of Ximen Street would be a minor issue; getting their martial arts crippled or even being executed on the spot were entirely possible.
Too dangerous!
Chen Jie felt a lingering fear just thinking about it.
All fear stems from a lack of firepower!
Chen Jie's mind was completely occupied with the thought of going back to acquire more 'firepower'!
It was simply too unsafe!
To be honest, however, the duel between Thirteenth Aunt and Wan Jinpeng had been immensely beneficial to Chen Jie.
He had just entered a state of 'deep contemplation and visualization', imprinting the entire clash between the two martial artists into his mind.
One minute and thirty-five seconds!
Though the process sounded long, the actual exchange between the two was extremely brief and perilous in the extreme.
The slightest lapse in concentration would have led to unimaginable consequences.
"Cough, cough—cough, cough—Internal visualization! I never expected your state of mind to have reached the level of 'internal visualization'!"
"I, Wan Jinpeng, do not feel wronged in losing to you!"
Wan Jinpeng coughed violently. After spitting out a mouthful of stagnant blood, he let out a long sigh.
Both he and Thirteenth Aunt were at the peak of the External Force realm. In terms of innate physical conditions, it should have been impossible for him to lose to Thirteenth Aunt.
Between a man and a woman at the same level of mastery, a man's combat potential is inherently stronger.
However,
he never imagined that Thirteenth Aunt's mental state would have already caught a glimpse of 'internal visualization'!
Contemplation, focusing the spirit, internal visualization, guarding the acupoints, fasting the mind, tranquil observation, and sitting in oblivion!
With her mind comprehending the essence of 'internal visualization', her sixth sense for danger and predictive ability were vastly superior to the mere 'focusing the spirit' realm.
What made Wan Jinpeng most distressed was that he had not expected Thirteenth Aunt's sinews, bones, and vital energy to be so formidable.
During their fierce exchange of hard blows, despite his explosive power, he had been unable to gain the upper hand.
Although leg techniques generally carried more force than fist techniques, his right arm had specifically trained in the Iron Arm Fist!
At the same level of mastery, how could a mere woman possess such terrifying ultimate explosive power?
What Wan Jinpeng did not know was that Thirteenth Aunt had undergone a full fourteen-day cycle of medicinal tonics and herbal baths!
Her sinews, bones, and vital energy had reached their peak, and she was on the verge of breaking through to the 'Iron Bone Internal Force' realm at any moment!
"Who is this woman? Her leg techniques are incredible!"
"Chain kicks! This is the technique of the Piercing Kick Sect. The fact that she managed to defeat Wan Jinpeng means she must have broken through to the Iron Bone Internal Force realm!"
"No! The penetrating and vibrating force of Internal Force was absent from her leg techniques; she probably hasn't broken through yet."
"Too fast! Especially that final diagonal kick—it was impossible to track with the naked eye. A strike without a shadow, simply miraculous!"
"I thought the Humen Workshop came with overwhelming momentum and would completely wipe out the Ximen Transport Agency today, but who would have thought Wan Jinpeng would be crippled instead!"
"The various factions on Ximen Street will need to re-evaluate their territories."
"——"
The discussions among the onlookers rose and fell in waves.
Everyone from the Humen Workshop was utterly dumbfounded upon seeing Wan Jinpeng crippled.
They could never have imagined that their chief boss would actually lose!
Life-and-death arena, life and death decided!
The price of losing was—death!
At this moment,
everyone from the Humen Workshop held their breath; not a single person dared to make a sound.
However,
Thirteenth Aunt's next move caused everyone in the Humen Workshop to breathe a sigh of relief.
She simply looked around the surrounding circle and said calmly:
"My Ximen Transport Agency does not go looking for trouble, but we have never feared it either. If any of you harbor any grievances, we are ready to accompany you at any time!"
"Take Wan Jinpeng and get out of my sight!"
Wan Jinpeng's ribs had been shattered, and his internal organs suffered a violent impact.
That single kick from Thirteenth Aunt had injured his vital breathing gate.
Even if he managed to fully recover, it would be extremely difficult for him to practice martial arts or fight others in the future.
The Iron Arm Fist was a fierce and domineering martial art. Once the breathing gate was damaged, it was equivalent to having half of one's martial arts crippled.
Unless he could undergo several consecutive cycles of 'medicinal tonics' and 'herbal baths', true recovery would be impossible.
However,
a single cycle of 'medicinal tonics' and 'herbal baths' cost eighty-four silver dollars.
Five cycles would amount to four or five hundred silver dollars.
Even if he sold the entire Humen Workshop, he still wouldn't be able to gather that many silver dollars.
Clatter—!
Hearing that Thirteenth Aunt was not going to push them to extermination, several core members of the Humen Workshop hurriedly propped up Wan Jinpeng and prepared to leave.
Tu Feiying kept his head down, not daring to make a sound, hiding in the crowd and attempting to slip away.
However,
how could Liu Qi let him get away with it?
His right arm had been smashed and broken by Wan Jinpeng, leaving him severely injured.
Clutching an iron rod in his left hand, he suddenly stepped in front of Tu Feiying and said fiercely:
"Stop right there! Tu Feiying, you motherfucker want to leave? Did you ask for my permission?"
"You ran away last night, and I originally intended to let our grudge rest at that!"
"I never expected you to deliver yourself right to my doorstep today!"
"You wanted to kill me, Ghost-Foot Seven?! Today, I'm going to break your legs and make you remember this lesson for the rest of your life!"
Bang!
Crack!
Scarcely had the words left his mouth when the iron rod in Liu Qi's hand came down fiercely against Tu Feiying's legs.
"Ah—!"
Tu Feiying collapsed onto the ground, clutching his legs and letting out a miserable shriek.
Jianghu rivalries respected only one rule: the victor is king!
All the onlookers could only sigh helplessly, saying nothing more.
Still, Tu Feiying was considered one of their own from the Humen Workshop; at a command from the remaining core members, they lifted Tu Feiying and carried him away together.
A few minutes later, the surroundings grew quiet.
Many of the curious onlookers were now chatting animatedly as they dispersed in all directions.
Today's spectacle had truly been a thrilling sight to behold.
Masters at the peak of the Bronze Skin External Force realm engaged in a supreme duel, a battle of life and death!
Although many people hadn't clearly seen what actually transpired during the fight,
such fierce combat was not something one got to witness every day.
They would certainly have plenty of material to boast about when chatting and bragging with others in the future.
After everyone had dispersed, Thirteenth Aunt instructed Liu Bamei to close the main gates.
Liu Bamei was extremely excited at the moment, grabbing Thirteenth Aunt's hand and saying:
"Thirteenth Aunt, you defeated Wan Jinpeng! From now on, our Ximen Transport Agency can walk sideways across Ximen Street!"
"Haha—Wan Jinpeng is a master at the peak of the Bronze Skin External Force realm, and the chief boss of the Humen Workshop. His martial arts were unfathomable!"
"Who would have thought that under Thirteenth Aunt's kicks, he wouldn't even have the ability to fight back!"
Thirteenth Aunt took a deep breath, shook her head, and said:
"This victory was purely a matter of luck. We have Junior Brother to thank for providing us with those 'medicinal tonics' and 'herbal baths' over this period, which allowed my physical body to undergo a complete rebirth once more, leaving me only a step away from the 'Iron Bone Internal Force' realm!"
"Liu Qi, are you alright?"
With that, she turned her gaze to Liu Qi's right arm.
"I'm fine! Just a superficial wound! I'll have Bamei bandage it up in a moment and it'll be good as new."
Liu Qi said with an indifferent wave of his hand.
Those who practiced martial arts understood bone-setting and injury treatments to varying degrees!
Ordinary fractures could be healed quickly enough by binding them with bamboo splints and applying a few poultices of herbal medicine.
At this moment,
Thirteenth Aunt noticed Chen Jie standing off to the side, completely silent.
She asked in surprise, "Junior Brother, what's wrong?"
Chen Jie shook his head, wearing a profound and serious expression as he said:
"I have a feeling something isn't right about this whole affair! We only had a conflict with the Feiying Transport Agency last night!"
"And yet, early this morning, the Humen Workshop shows up right at our doorstep!"
"How long have we even been moved in here? It seems they were prepared long in advance."
"On the surface, the Humen Workshop came after Liu Qi, but I have a persistent feeling that behind the Humen Workshop, there must be someone else pulling the strings!"
"Liu Qi, let me ask you, where are Xue Qian and the others? Have you settled them down properly?"
Liu Qi was startled for a moment, then replied: "I gave them money and told them to find a place to lay low and avoid the storm."
Hearing this, Thirteenth Aunt paused in thought, furrowing her brow as she said:
"Behind the Humen Workshop... Junior Brother, do you mean—the Qingyi Sect!?"
Chen Jie shook his head slightly, a solemn expression on his face as he said:
"I don't know! But my intuition tells me this matter is far from simple!"
Clatter—!
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of neat, disciplined footsteps echoed from outside the house.
Bang, bang—bang, bang—!
Immediately following that,
the heavy main doors, which had just been closed not long ago, were struck violently from the outside with loud, echoing thuds.
"Open the door! Criminal Investigation Bureau on official business!"