Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 633 Another Change of Fortune

Two days later.

The entrance to Ping'an Lane.

"Dad, why are you here?"

When Hu Zhiyun saw her father standing at the alley entrance, she quickly walked over, her beautiful eyes filled with doubt.

The house in Ping'an Lane was bought for her father after she passed the disciple assessment of Pingxiang Sect. The families living here were not among the top noble families in Linhai City, but they were all well-off.

Hu Zhiyun knew her father well; he wasn't comfortable living in such a place. But she chose this place for his safety. In the past, her father would either go out to sea to fish with his old friends or stay at home. Why was he standing at the alley entrance today?

"Zhiyun, you're finally back."

When Old Hu saw his daughter appear, his face lit up with joy. He grabbed her hand and asked, "Daughter, it seems Dad has gotten into trouble?"

"Father, don't worry, tell me slowly. Is it because someone came looking for you about that male corpse?"

Seeing her father's anxious expression, Hu Zhiyun quickly tried to comfort him.

Regardless, he was a disciple of the Pingxiang Sect, and the powerful and influential people in the city would be somewhat wary of him.

"He's...he's come back to life! That kid isn't dead, he's still hanging around our house."

Hu Zhiyun: ...

……

The Hu family courtyard.

The man stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. Old Hu looked puzzled. He had thought that with his daughter back, the boy would know to leave, after all, his daughter was a disciple of the Pingxiang Sect.

To his surprise, just as he was about to use his daughter's name to get the boy to leave, his daughter stopped him first.

"Zhiyun?"

"Father, why don't you go inside and rest for a while?"

Hu Zhiyun was on edge. The young man in front of her, just by standing there, exerted a pressure on her that surpassed that of several elders of the sect.

You should know that the sect's elders are all experts at the Innate Realm.

"Go inside?"

When Lao Hu saw his daughter's expression, his heart skipped a beat. His daughter was deliberately trying to get rid of him.

"I'll just stay inside and go for a walk outside."

Although he didn't know why his daughter wanted to send him away, Old Hu didn't hesitate much. He walked out of the yard and even closed the gate behind him. He didn't go far himself, but stood guard a few feet away from the gate.

If your daughter is even trying to get away from you, it means she doesn't want anyone to hear what she's about to say to that boy. So, I'll just stand guard at the gate and keep everyone away from your yard.

"Junior disciple Hu Zhiyun of Pingxiang Sect greets senior."

After her father left, Hu Zhiyun took a deep breath and mustered her courage to speak.

Did you write this calligraphy?

The man turned around, holding a calligraphy scroll in his hand. Hu Zhiyun saw the characters on the scroll and nodded, saying, "Yes, this is what I wrote in the study when I went home last time."

"you do not know me?"

Hu Zhiyun was surprised that this senior would suddenly ask such a question. Could it be that she had seen this senior somewhere before?

But after recalling everyone she had ever met, Hu Zhiyun was certain that she had never met this senior before. She would never forget a powerful person of this level, let alone have any interaction with them, even if she had only met them once from afar.

"No...I don't know him."

The man looked deeply into Hu Zhiyun's eyes, and with just that one glance, Hu Zhiyun felt as if he had seen right through her, and her pretty face couldn't help but blush slightly.

"Are the characters on this calligraphy scroll what you came up with yourself?"

After a long while, the man spoke again, and Hu Zhiyun shook her head: "Reporting to senior, the words on this calligraphy are not my own, but come from a great person."

"An important person, what's his name?"

"Lin Chen, Lord Lin Chen, who hails from Canglan Island."

"Lin Chen?"

The man murmured something to himself, and as if he had thought of something, his previously confused eyes gradually brightened.

Seeing that the senior was silent, Hu Zhiyun did not dare to disturb him and just stood there, carefully not daring to move.

Until an hour had passed!
"So this is me."

Lin Chen whispered, "Now I remember everything."

He received the spirit and will of Sister Piao on the ghost ship and stayed there. When the ghost ship returned to the edge of the Annihilation Storm, he disembarked and was subsequently frozen until he was pulled out by someone...

"Are you a disciple of the Pingxiang Sect?"

Lin Chen looked at the woman in front of him. Regardless of the circumstances, her father had pulled him out of the sea, so he owed her a favor. Otherwise, he didn't know how much longer he would have been floating in the sea.

"Yes, I joined Pingxiang Sect two years ago," Hu Zhiyun answered truthfully.

He joined Pingxiang Sect two years ago and has the strength of a second-rank martial artist.

With just a glance, Lin Chen knew Hu Zhiyun's martial arts strength. This strength would be at the bottom in a super sect, but on these islands in the East China Sea, she could be considered a pretty good genius.

When Lin Chen thought of Pingxiang Sect, he also thought of a beautiful woman.

The beautiful woman Zhu Ru, I had once worked with Zhu Ru to obtain the tempering sand, and at that time Zhu Ru was an elder of the Pingxiang Sect.

"Does your sect have an elder named Zhu Ru?"

Although Zhu Ru is an elder of Pingxiang Sect, so many years have passed, and Lin Chen cannot guarantee that Zhu Ru is still in Pingxiang Sect. She may have left, or she may have perished.

"Elder, Zhu Ru?"

Hu Zhiyun recalled the names of the elders she knew, but none of them were named Zhu Ru. Just as she was about to answer, she seemed to realize something and her beautiful eyes widened suddenly: "Senior...the Zhu Ru you mentioned is our sect leader."

"Oh, Zhu Ru is now the sect leader of your Pingxiang Sect?"

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unexpected. Zhu Ru was already a Xiantian Realm martial artist and quite young. With the tempering sand she had obtained last time, her martial arts strength would definitely improve.

"Senior, do you know our sect leader?"

Hu Zhiyun was a little curious. In her mind, the sect leader was a high and mighty figure. Even she had only seen the sect leader once from afar after passing the entrance examination in her first year of joining the sect.

Lin Chen did not answer Hu Zhiyun's question. Instead, he raised his right hand and wrote a few words on the back of Hu Zhiyun's calligraphy book from a distance: "Quenching Sand Old Friend".

It's likely that once Zhu Ru sees these words, she'll know what's going on.

Zhu Ru didn't know her identity at the time, but as she later became famous in the Tower of Babel, she must have guessed it by now.

As for why I didn't write anything about asking Zhu Ru to take care of Hu Zhiyun, it's because it's completely unnecessary.

As soon as Zhu Ru sees these words, she will definitely ask Hu Zhiyun about the situation in detail, and then she will know what to do next.

“Your father pulled me out of the sea, so I owe your family a favor. Take this piece of paper back and give it to your sect leader.”

Although Hu Zhiyun had doubts, Lin Chen didn't say anything, so she didn't dare to ask any more questions.

But she wasn't stupid. Since this senior said he owed her family a favor, and now asked her to deliver this calligraphy to the sect leader, he was certain that the sect leader would take care of her as his disciple after seeing the calligraphy, thus repaying the favor.

"Thank you so much, senior."

Seeing that Hu Zhiyun understood the deeper meaning behind his arrangement, Lin Chen smiled slightly, and the next moment his figure disappeared.

Seeing the empty courtyard, Hu Zhiyun's eyes burned with fervor. Perhaps this time she had truly met a benefactor who could change her fate.

……

……

Three days later!
Pingxiang Gate.

As soon as Hu Zhiyun returned to the sect, several senior sisters looked at her with strange eyes. If it were just one or two, it wouldn't be so bad, but the fact that so many senior sisters were looking at her like that made her heart skip a beat. Could something have happened during the few days she was away from the sect?
"Zhiyun, you're back!"

The woman who had been talking to Zhiyun earlier saw Hu Zhiyun and immediately rushed over. At the same time, she glanced around and whispered, "Zhiyun, you're in trouble."

"what happened?"

“Someone has reported to the deacons of the Enforcement Hall that you have been in private contact with disciples of the Star-Picking Sect. Now the deacons of the Enforcement Hall are going to punish you.”

"What? I've been in private contact with disciples of the Star-Picking Pavilion? That's completely untrue..."

Hu Zhiyun abruptly stopped mid-sentence, remembering that a few months ago she had purchased elixirs from a disciple of the Star-Picking Pavilion.

But she wasn't the only one in the sect making these kinds of deals.

As the only sect on Star Moon Island that can rival Pingxiang Sect, the relationship between the two is naturally not good. Over the years, they have been vying for control of Star Moon Island's resources, accumulating considerable hatred.

However, the two sides are not yet at the point of being irreconcilable enemies. Some of the martial arts resources controlled by the Star-Picking Tower are not available to other sects, and ordinary disciples of both sides will also trade with each other in private.

The sect's stewards and elders were aware of this, but they simply turned a blind eye.

In an instant, Hu Zhiyun realized that someone was deliberately targeting her.

"Zhiyun, I heard that Liu Li is targeting you, and that the deacon of the Enforcement Hall seems to have connections with Liu Li's family."

Liu Li?

Hearing that name again, Hu Zhiyun's eyes flashed with anger. She had no grudge against Liu Li, yet the other party had targeted her time and time again.

"Zhiyun, what do you plan to do?"

"I must go and request an audience with the sect leader!"

Hu Zhiyun touched the calligraphy book in her arms. If she hadn't gone home this time, she really wouldn't have been able to deal with Liu Li's targeting.

But the thought of that senior's demeanor and the calm expression on his face when he mentioned the sect leader gave her some confidence.

"Request an audience with the sect leader? Zhiyun, don't be reckless. The sect leader is not someone we ordinary disciples can meet. Even inner disciples can only request an audience with an elder at most."

Pingxiang Sect has several thousand ordinary disciples and several hundred inner disciples. Above them are stewards and elders. As for the sect leader... many ordinary disciples would probably never be able to say a word to the sect leader in their entire lives.

"Don't worry, I won't mess around."

……

……

A quarter of an hour later.

Hu Zhiyun appeared in the square in front of the Pingxiang Gate's main hall, but was stopped before she could even step inside.

"This is a sacred area of ​​the sect; trespassing is strictly prohibited!"

The sect disciples guarding the main hall glanced at Hu Zhiyun's attire with disdain. Ordinary disciples dared to step into this place; they were simply ignorant of their own limitations.

At that moment, Liu Li and the others, who had also received the news, rushed over. When they saw Hu Zhiyun being stopped, Liu Li's eyes were filled with mockery.

Hu Zhiyun is really delusional, trying to complain to the sect leader. But what kind of status does the sect leader have? How could an ordinary disciple possibly meet him?

For a major sect, rules are the most important thing.

Even if a disciple suffers injustice, it must be handled according to the rules. If a disciple suffers injustice or is wronged, he or she can only report it to the steward, unless he or she is a disciple accepted by an elder, in which case he or she can report directly to the elder.

The sect's establishment of such rules is essentially a manifestation of the law of the jungle, and at the same time, it tells all disciples that if they want to improve their status, they must strive to improve their strength.

If inner and outer disciples are the same in every way except for the martial arts resources provided by the sect, why would they work so hard to cultivate?
"Just wait, Hu Zhiyun will be taken away by the people from the Law Enforcement Hall in a moment, and this time she will have an additional crime to commit."

Liu Li's eyes held a hint of contempt. She had already notified the people of the Enforcement Hall. This time, even if Hu Zhiyun was not expelled from the sect, she would still be severely punished by the sect and would no longer enjoy the martial arts resources provided by the sect. Without these resources, given Hu Zhiyun's family background, she would inevitably be demoted by the sect to do odd jobs in three years.

No sect trains its disciples for free. Those with potential and talent will be continuously given resources, and these disciples will grow into the backbone of the sect in the future. Those who fail the assessment will be sent down to the territory controlled by the sect to run businesses for the sect and earn back the resources invested by the sect.

"You insolent fool! How dare an ordinary disciple act so presumptuously here? Come with me to the Hall of Enforcement."

Just a few breaths after Liu Li and her group arrived, a middle-aged man slowly walked over.

The middle-aged man was a steward of Pingxiang Sect and one of Liu Li's backers.

When Hu Zhiyun saw this Steward Zhang and then Liu Li with a contemptuous smile, a resolute look appeared on her face. She knew that if she could not see the sect leader this time, she would have no future in the sect.

"A senior asked me to deliver a letter to the sect leader. I am here to deliver the letter to the sect leader."

Hu Zhiyun took out the calligraphy copybook from her bosom. However, as soon as she said this, Liu Li sneered and said, "Senior? With your family background, Hu Zhiyun, what kind of powerful seniors could you possibly know? Don't try to make excuses for yourself."

Zhang Zang, who was a steward, was initially stunned by Hu Zhiyun's words, but Liu Li's words reminded him that Hu Zhiyun was just an ordinary fisherman's daughter. How could she know any powerful seniors? She just wanted to use this as an excuse to see the sect leader.

Hu Zhiyun has gone completely insane. If she really gets to meet the sect leader, she'll definitely suffer the consequences.

Although the sect has strict rules and there is a law of the jungle and oppression, these things cannot be brought up in public. If they are brought up to the sect leader, Hu Zhiyun will be punished, and Hu Zhiyun will not be able to escape punishment either.

"Come with me to the Hall of Enforcement to receive your punishment!"

Zhang Zang walked towards Hu Zhiyun. Upon seeing this, Hu Zhiyun took a deep breath and shouted, "Steward Zhang, what I said is true. Don't mislead yourself, Steward Zhang!"

"Quick-tongued. Since you say that a senior asked you to pass it on to the sect leader, then bring it out to me."

Zhang Zang reached directly for the calligraphy scroll in Hu Zhiyun's hand with his right hand. With his first-grade martial arts strength, Hu Zhiyun didn't even have time to react before the scroll fell into his hands.

However, the moment the calligraphy copybook was grasped, the sneer on Zhang Zang's face vanished, replaced by an expression of horror. The next moment, under everyone's gaze, his right hand snapped with a crack, and he knelt on the ground.

The calligraphy scroll slipped from his hand and slowly floated in mid-air.

boom!
A terrifying pressure surged from the calligraphy scroll. The two guards standing to the side, along with Liu Li and the others, turned pale instantly and knelt down, unable to withstand the pressure.

"Who dares to be so insolent at my Pingxiang Gate!"

At the same time, an old voice rang out, and the figure of an old woman appeared in the distance. However, as soon as she stepped into the square, her expression changed drastically, and the next moment she fell down and knelt on the ground.

Apart from Hu Zhiyun, there was no one else standing in the entire square.

Hu Zhiyun was also shocked at this moment. She didn't understand what had happened and why Deacon Zhang and the elders would kneel down. Could it be because of that senior's piece of paper?
Soon, several more figures appeared in the sky above the square, but unsurprisingly, they all knelt on the ground.

Seeing the sect elders kneeling there, Hu Zhiyun's face turned pale. She didn't know what had happened, but so many elders were kneeling because of her. Had she offended them?

Where did this paper come from?

Outside the square, Zhu Ru appeared, followed by two elders. The three of them looked at the calligraphy scroll with shock and apprehension.

A single calligraphy scroll was enough to make even a master of innate strength kneel down; this was beyond their comprehension.

Zhu Ru couldn't help but think of what had happened not long ago in the East Sea region with the appearance of the young master of the Dongfang family. He had used a calligraphy scroll written by his father to make many innate experts submit.

"Sect Master... Sect Master, this calligraphy copybook was given to me by a senior I met. That senior said he knew you and asked me to pass this copybook on to you."

Hu Zhiyun quickly explained, and just as she finished speaking, the calligraphy scroll seemed to sense something and slowly floated towards Zhu Ru.

"Sect Master, be careful!"

The two elders behind Zhu Ru quickly spoke up, wanting the sect leader to step back. If even the sect leader knelt down, and there were many disciples present, it would be a huge blow to the prestige of Pingxiang Sect if the news got out.

"No need."

Zhu Ru glanced at Hu Zhiyun. She believed that this disciple would not dare to fabricate a lie, so this calligraphy was written by an old friend she knew.
But among the people I know, are there any experts of that level?

As the calligraphy scroll floated closer, Zhu Ru's pupils constricted when she saw the five characters on the back, and the image of a young man immediately flashed into her mind.

Could it be him?

When she saw the two sentences written on the other side, although the handwriting was clearly not from the same person, Zhu Ru was certain of her judgment at that moment.

Because these two sentences also came from that same person.

In an instant, Zhu Ru's heart surged with emotion. It was rumored that the handwriting of the Dongfang family's elder could make even a Xiantian expert submit and unable to muster any resistance. Now, Lin Chen's mere few words had also made a Xiantian expert kneel down. Could it be that Lin Chen's strength had also reached that level?

hiss!
Upon hearing this conjecture, Zhu Ru's entire body trembled slightly. If her conjecture was true, then the Yan Dynasty, which had just undergone a change of regime, was likely to face another change of regime.

(End of this chapter)