The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 29 The Dragon-Tiger Pact, the Qionghua Martial Arts Tournament

God is never fair.

Some people are born into wealth and luxury, while others are born into poverty and hardship.

Talent is something that can't be forced.

Even though Yang Erhu was in his prime and had a sliver of control over his strength, he couldn't say he was guaranteed to win against Hong Yuan, who had just emerged from the "Azure Phoenix Wonderland".

Yang Erhu estimated it to be 20/80!
He has the higher odds of winning.

As long as you can land a powerful blow on your opponent, you can win. However, there is always the possibility of an unexpected defeat. If you are not careful, you may be beaten to death by your opponent's flurry of punches.

Yang Erhu was unaware that Hong Yuan was using cheat codes; he could only marvel at his little apprentice's strong physique and bones.

Now that Hong Yuan has mastered the art of internal strength and understands the subtle uses of it, he is far from being a match for him!

Fortunately, this was a disciple of his Fuhu Sect.

"Teacher, let's talk about the Dragon Tiger Ancestor and the Dragon Subduing Gate..."

Hong Yuan then returned to the main topic.

In fact, Hong Yuan already knew most of the details by combining them with Meng Yue's confession. As for the missing pieces, he could fill them in by himself after watching so many movies and TV series and reading so many novels.

The inquiries now are simply a way to get confirmation.

Hong Yuan already knew that the Dragon and Tiger Ancestor had taught Zhang and Li as disciples, and that the mantle was divided into the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Subduing lineages.

Memories surfaced in Yang Erhu's eyes, and he began to recount them.

Although the two masters, Zhang and Li, had a dispute and disliked each other, the two factions were not in the same prefecture and might not see each other even once every few years, so they were able to live in peace.

The problem arose more than ten years ago when Master Li suddenly died.

Li Zhenren's death was an accident.

He was cultivating, and perhaps due to his advanced age, he had some lapses in controlling his qi and blood, which led to a sudden backlash from the force.

Then, because he was cultivating alone and no one came to his rescue, he died instantly!

Zhang and Li were, after all, fellow disciples from the same school. No matter how many grudges they had, Zhang would still come to mourn Li Zhenren's death.

Unexpectedly, after the worship ceremony, Master Zhang proposed that since the two schools were originally one, they should be merged into one school and not distinguish between each other.

Yang Erhu and his brothers, along with Wu Duxiong and his two companions, were furious and resolutely refused.

Master Zhang, as a second choice, requested to observe the secret teachings of Subduing the Tiger, but was once again refused.

That Master Zhang didn't argue and simply left. The next few years were peaceful until the Qionghua Festival six years ago.

"The Qionghua Festival?!"

Hong Yuan was slightly surprised.

As a scholar, he was naturally aware of the Qionghua Festival and even longed to attend it.

The Linjiang Prefecture where he was located was situated in Mingzhou.

Mingzhou has been a gathering place for literati, poets and scholars since ancient times, and its elegant charm is renowned throughout the world.

Scholars enjoy composing poems about the wind and moon, and when they gather in large numbers, elegant gatherings centered around flowers become more frequent.

In Mingzhou, the Qionghua flower is uniquely beautiful. Thousands of blossoms cluster together like snow weighing down the branches, with delicate jade-like stamens and a subtle fragrance. Its appearance and charm are worthy of praise.

Therefore, every March, when the magnolia blossoms are in full bloom, it is also a grand occasion for literati to go on spring outings and appreciate the flowers and the moon. Initially, this was just an activity for scholars, but after hundreds of years of evolution, it gradually became a celebration for everyone.

When the magnolia blossoms are in full bloom, everyone from royalty and nobles to ordinary people and peddlers participates.

Activities will be held in all the prefectures and counties of Mingzhou, but the most lively place is the prefecture capital, Longyuan Prefecture.

As far as Hong Yuan knew, all the brothels and entertainment venues in Longyuan Prefecture would put up their most beautiful courtesans during the grand event, vying for attention and attracting wealthy patrons from all directions. They would often spend a fortune just to win a smile from the beauty.

This news was something Hong Yuan heard from Fatty Huang.

But what does this have to do with martial artists?
Yang Erhu sighed softly:

"What ordinary people don't know is that during the Qionghua Festival, martial artists also gather to hold a martial arts competition. There is a small competition once a year, which is mostly attended by martial artists from Longyuan Prefecture, and a large competition every three years."

"At that time, all the sects and factions with any influence in the entire Mingzhou, or those heroes who claim to be highly skilled, will flock here to show off their abilities!"

Yang Erhu said, "Six years ago at the martial arts tournament, Senior Zhang proposed and sent his troops to join forces again. At that time, I was still in my prime and inevitably hot-blooded. If that Master Zhang had used his seniority to pressure me, I would have refused. But he first admitted his mistake and then pleaded, saying that he was old and only wanted to see the dragon and tiger united before he died. How could I refuse him?"

Yang Erhu sighed again: "Moreover, to be honest, I also wanted to see the secrets of the Dragon Subduing Technique and achieve the power of the Dragon and Tiger. So, in a moment of impulse, I agreed."

Hong Yuan recalled Yang Erhu's joy upon seeing the "Grass-Flying" secret technique and knew that this was his obsession.

"We have decided to hold a martial arts tournament, with three rounds of competition, best of two out of three. The winner will become the master of Dragon Tiger, and the loser will become a vassal..."

Yang Erhu paused, closed his eyes slightly, and after a long while said with a bitter expression, "But what I didn't expect was that I lost in the very first match."

"Three years ago, in the second match, it was my younger brother who took the stage. Although he won the fight, he paid a heavy price and could no longer fight."

Yang Erhu's younger brother was Yang Lie's father, who was a wealthy man in the prefectural city.

"Both sides have one win and one loss, so the final match will be next March. Originally, this battle was supposed to be fought by Junior Brother Wu. He even spent several years training in the army for this battle, but now..."

Yang Erhu's gaze fell on Hong Yuan, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

No wonder!
Hong Yuan suddenly realized why Yang Erhu had accepted him into his sect so easily, and even imparted all his secret teachings to him.

It's not that Yang Erhu is a bad person, but no matter how good he is, he must want something in return for being so good to a young person he has only known for a short time, right?

Hong Yuan didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Yang Erhu was after his talent, and he was after the secret teachings of the Fuhu Sect. They each got what they wanted, and the master-disciple relationship would develop gradually, wouldn't it?
"Don't worry, teacher, I'll take this battle."

Hong Yuan smiled.

Having received the benefits, he naturally had to put in the effort. Besides, opening the [Tai Sui Blessed Land] required the highest level of martial prowess, and the path of Gou Dao was something he was destined to never pursue. Since the Qionghua Martial Arts Tournament could attract many experts, he couldn't possibly miss it.

"Besides, it's not even October yet, and there are still almost six months until the martial arts tournament. Isn't that plenty of time?"

Given Hong Yuan's rate of progress, he has no idea how far he will grow by then.

Of course, Hong Yuan was also aware that as his strength increased, the difficulty of acquiring innate talent and comprehension also increased significantly. For example, this time he killed Meng Yue and then beheaded Yan Laosan at the dock, killing and injuring dozens of people, but he didn't acquire even a trace of innate talent or comprehension.

Yang Erhu took another sip of tea, a thoughtful look on his face, and finally made a decision: "Wait a moment, I have something for you."

After saying that, he stood up and went back to the inner room.

A short while later, Yang Erhu returned with a cloth bag in his hand, which he carefully handed to Hong Yuan.

"Teacher, this is..."

"The secret manuscript left behind by your grandmaster, Master Li!"

(End of this chapter)