The woman furrowed her brows. Her gaze swept over every figure from the Martial World present in the teahouse. Whoever met her eyes either lowered their head or did not dare to hold her stare.
"If any hero is willing to fight on behalf of the Hundred Battles Sect, the terms can still be negotiated!" With that said, the woman turned and left.
PHEW.
With her departure, the oppressive atmosphere in the teahouse seemingly lightened. Many people heaved long sighs of relief.
"It's Lie Yingniang again. She really comes here every single day without fail. The Martial Arts, gold, and silver are indeed tempting, but one has to be alive to enjoy them. The man she wants to deal with is the Gang Leader of the Celestial Yang Gang, Li Tianyang—an illustrious Second-class Expert. Who would dare to step forward?"
"Lie Yingniang's father, Lie Zhenyue, was the Sect Leader of the Hundred Battles Sect. Not long ago, he signed a Life and Death Contract with Li Tianyang, the Gang Leader of the Celestial Yang Gang, to settle their grudge in the arena. In the end, Lie Zhenyue was slightly weaker and died at Li Tianyang's hands. Ever since then, Lie Yingniang has offered gold, silver, and Martial Arts as a bounty. All one has to do is act on behalf of the Hundred Battles Sect and step into the arena to fight Li Tianyang."
"I heard that Lie Zhenyue and Li Tianyang originally trained under the same master. Later, Li Tianyang betrayed the sect and was hunted down. Barely surviving, he returned to Anyang City and founded the Celestial Yang Gang to oppose the Hundred Battles Sect. The two factions constantly clashed until they agreed to a duel to the death in the arena, where Lie Zhenyue ultimately perished!"
"In terms of Martial Arts alone, Li Tianyang is indeed stronger. To challenge him, one would need the strength of at least a Second-class Martial Artist. But if someone truly is a Second-class Martial Artist, the terms Lie Yingniang is offering wouldn't be very appealing. Which Second-class Martial Artist would risk their life to fight Li Tianyang?"
"If Lie Yingniang keeps this up, I'm afraid she might meet with foul play..."
As for what kind of foul play, everyone knew full well.
"The Hundred Battles Sect..." Ji Qing's mind stirred. He was somewhat interested in the Martial Arts of the Hundred Battles Sect. However, he still needed to see for himself if it was truly worth making a move. Thus, Ji Qing quietly paid for his tea, stood up, and left the Wind Listening Tower, heading straight for the Hundred Battles Sect.
Meanwhile, Lie Yingniang returned to the Hundred Battles Sect.
"Yingniang, how did it go?"
"Yingniang, we can't go on like this. More disciples left the Hundred Battles Sect today."
"Yingniang, we have to think of a way..."
Lie Yingniang swept her gaze over the few disciples, feeling a trace of bitter anguish in her heart. The once-grand Hundred Battles Sect was now reduced to a mere handful of people, with hardly any disciples left. In truth, the current Hundred Battles Sect existed in name only. Without a single Second-class Martial Artist, how could they possibly sustain such a massive sect?
But Lie Yingniang was unwilling to resign to this fate! She could not forget how her father had grabbed her hand on his deathbed, his eyes wide as he voiced his own unwillingness. Furthermore, how could her father's murder go unavenged?
"Yingniang, there are also rumors that the Celestial Yang Gang is planning to make a move against you..." a junior disciple said with worry.
Lie Yingniang sneered. "Those are nothing but hearsay. It's not that Li Tianyang doesn't want to kill me, but he is the Gang Leader of the Celestial Yang Gang. He has a massive enterprise and great prestige in the Martial World. Striking against a weak woman like me would damage his reputation.
"However, if this drags on, it's hard to say... Therefore, we still have to recruit an Expert to defeat or even kill Li Tianyang. Otherwise, our Hundred Battles Sect will never know peace!"
Lie Yingniang saw things very clearly. In truth, her father had also been burdened by his reputation, forcing him to sign the Life and Death Contract with Li Tianyang and fight to the death in the arena. The same applied to Li Tianyang. Having just killed Lie Zhenyue fairly and squarely in the arena, he naturally wouldn't lay a hand on his victim's family in the short term. But this situation would only buy them temporary relief. Over time, Li Tianyang would have plenty of ways to exterminate everyone in the Hundred Battles Sect. This was exactly why the sect's disciples were fleeing one after another—they were terrified that the Celestial Yang Gang would strike.
"Yingniang, did you manage to recruit an Expert?" one of the disciples asked.
"Not yet. Second-class Experts in the Martial World are all renowned figures in their own right. Recruiting one is extremely difficult..." Lie Yingniang sighed softly.
Becoming a Second-class Martial Artist was exceedingly tough. The Hundred Battles Sect had once enjoyed a glorious era, but aside from Lie Zhenyue, no one else had reached the level of a Second-class Martial Artist. Lie Yingniang herself was only a Third-class Martial Artist. For her to become a Second-class Martial Artist, she would need at least several decades, and she would have to stumble upon some miraculous encounter. She held no hope whatsoever of exacting revenge through her own power.
WHOOSH.
Suddenly, a figure drifted in from outside the door. He was entirely soundless. It wasn't until his feet touched the ground that Lie Yingniang and the others abruptly realized someone had intruded.
"Who's there?" Lie Yingniang immediately drew her saber, staring at the intruder with a vigilant gaze. He was dressed in black clothes with a bamboo hat, and a saber strapped to his waist—a very common attire for someone in the Martial World.
"What business brings you to our Hundred Battles Sect?" Lie Yingniang and the remaining disciples stared nervously at the man in black.
"Isn't your Hundred Battles Sect recruiting Experts?" Ji Qing asked slowly.
"Hm? Are you willing to challenge Li Tianyang?" Lie Yingniang was overjoyed.
"That depends on whether the terms offered by your Hundred Battles Sect can satisfy me."
"How should we address you?"
"Li Mu."
"Hero Li, our Hundred Battles Sect is willing to offer gold, silver, and Martial Arts. As for wealth, we will provide a Hundred taels of gold and one thousand taels of silver!
"As for Martial Arts... Hero Li may freely choose any manual within our Hundred Battles Sect, as many as you desire!"
Ji Qing raised an eyebrow. These terms were truly generous!
"The gold and silver offered are substantial, but what I seek are Martial Arts."
"Rest assured, Hero. Our Hundred Battles Sect houses a vast collection of Martial Arts, including our sect's Inner Strength and Saber Techniques, all of which are Upper tier."
At this moment, a disciple stealthily tugged at Lie Yingniang's sleeve and whispered, "Yingniang, this person's origins are unknown. We've never even heard of the name 'Li Mu' in the Martial World. Which Second-class Expert could suddenly pop up out of nowhere? Beware of swindlers..."
Hearing this, Lie Yingniang also felt doubtful. Indeed, Second-class Experts weren't a dime a dozen to be found on any street corner. Anyone capable of becoming a Second-class Expert would likely establish a reputation in the Martial World after just a few fights; it was impossible for them to remain obscure. The name "Li Mu" was completely unfamiliar. Either he was using an alias, or it was highly likely that he was a fraud.
After pondering for a moment, Lie Yingniang said, "Hero Li, this matter is of grave importance. We can provide the Martial Arts, gold, and silver, but could you perhaps demonstrate your skills, or give us a pointer or two..."
Ji Qing instantly understood—they wanted to verify his strength! After all, the target was Li Tianyang, a long-established Second-class Expert. Even Lie Zhenyue had died, let alone anyone else. If one's strength fell short, going there would simply be a suicide mission. Furthermore, Lie Yingniang and her peers were afraid of encountering a swindler.
Ji Qing had no intention of wasting breath on explanations.
SHING.
Ji Qing drew his saber. A dazzling Blade Light filled the vision of Lie Yingniang and the others. Everyone's minds seemed completely captivated by this exquisite Blade Light.
CLACK.
Yet in the very next moment, Ji Qing had already sheathed his saber. Lie Yingniang and the others still felt somewhat baffled.
RIP.
But a split second later, the sleeves of several of Lie Yingniang's disciples instantly tore open. Everyone's expressions shifted to utter horror.
"What a fast blade..." Lie Yingniang murmured in a low voice. She hadn't even seen clearly how the other party drew his saber. Such a swift blade was truly the fastest she had ever seen in her life!
"I wonder if Li is qualified enough to challenge Li Tianyang?" Ji Qing asked in a calm tone.