The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 37 Crouching Tiger Manor and Moon-Gazing Garden, the Heroes' Arena! (4k)

"Lanyue Garden?"

"Hero Arena?"

In the stone-paved alley, Hong Yuan muttered to himself. He slightly pushed off with his foot, and the scarred man struggled desperately, whimpering as his face sank into the muddy pavement. But with a crisp 'crack', he straightened up and fell silent.

Looking around, there were about twenty vicious thugs lying on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

These thugs were all recruited by Wei Zhenzhu with power and money. Under the threat of their lives, it was impossible to expect them to keep quiet.

With a little coercion from Hong Yuan, they spilled everything.

Scarface, as the leader, knew the most, since Wei Zhenzhu had said she wanted to capture Hong Yuan alive, and if she did capture him, she would take him away.

According to Scarface, judging by the time, Wei Zhenzhu is currently heading to Lanyue Garden.

Although the name of Lanyue Garden is elegant, the events that took place there were quite bloody.

Lanyue Garden is located thirty miles east of Linjiang Prefecture. It was originally a private garden built by a high-ranking official decades ago. It covers a vast area and is luxurious inside.

After the high-ranking official died, the garden gradually fell into disrepair until a dozen or so powerful families joined forces to buy it from his descendants and carried out extensive renovations. Now it has become a huge dueling arena.

That is——

Hero Arena!
Those powerful clans used various means, either enticing or coercing, to gather many martial arts masters to compete on stage and rank them.

For more than a decade, the Hero's Challenge has been held every late autumn without interruption.

The best fighters from various powerful families took to the stage to compete with others for fame, attracting many gentry, nobles, and wealthy families to watch, place bets, and wager thousands of gold coins!
This Hero's Arena lasted for a month and gradually became the second most important event in Linjiang Prefecture after the Qionghua Festival.

"A month isn't too much of a rush!"

Hong Yuan had already told Yang Erhu that he planned to travel around before returning to the martial arts school.

Having witnessed Hong Yuan's martial arts skills, Yang Erhu felt quite at ease with him.

Wei Zhenzhu...

Hong Yuan was definitely going to be killed, especially since the other party dared to ambush him in his "home" and try to capture him alive. This made him feel nauseous and annoyed.

I can't even sleep peacefully if I don't kill this person.

However, since Lanyue Garden has gathered many powerful families, gentry and nobles, its defensive strength is undoubtedly far superior to that of 'Biwu Wonderland'.

Even if Hong Yuan only wanted to infiltrate and kill Wei Zhenzhu, he still had to be prepared for the possibility of being exposed.

Therefore, he did not intend to rush over there; he wanted to take the time to raise his combat strength to another level.

Studying 'spiral force' is one direction for breakthrough.

Stepping into the tiled house, Hong Yuan looked around the 'home' and couldn't help but shake his head.

It's unclear how many days those thugs stayed here, but the two tiled houses were completely ruined. Bowls and plates were broken all over the place, the ground was filthy, and the furniture had been burned with firewood.

Even the few books that the original owner cherished and placed on the bookshelf had to be put into the brazier. There were still embers in the brazier, and dust rose and fell as the cool breeze blew in from outside the window.

Hong Yuan remained indifferent, showing no lingering attachment or resentment, and left the room directly, closing the door behind him.

Hong Yuan had considered going to a 'familiar' neighbor's house to leave a few words for his second uncle, but after a moment's thought, he gave up on the idea.

Today, he killed the Huang family, cut off one of County Lieutenant Zhang's ears, and crushed all the men sent by Wei Zhenzhu. If he were to contact his so-called neighbors again, he would only bring disaster upon them.

The people in Shiban Lane are already struggling to make a living, so let's not cause them any more trouble.

Besides, given his actions today, word of it will soon spread throughout Stone Slab Alley. If Second Uncle returns, he can find out with a little inquiry, so there's no need to add anything unnecessary.

Shaking his head, Hong Yuan's figure gradually disappeared at the end of the alley, leaving only pairs of fearful eyes peering through the windows of the cramped houses.

at the same time.

Along the official road a hundred miles away—

Bang!
A figure coughed up blood, screamed in pain, and tumbled out of the dilapidated thatched teahouse by the roadside. Its head slammed heavily onto a sharp-edged bluestone, and it died instantly.

A large footprint was visible on his chest, indicating that he had been kicked away.

'choke!'

Amidst the sharp clang of swords being drawn, a fierce shout rang out: "You sneaky bastards, I knew you were up to no good, trying to harm me. You think you're worthy?"

A majestic and imposing figure rose to his feet, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, and with each swing of his long sword, a chilling light shone forth.

As he slashed with his longsword, he simultaneously exerted force from his waist and hips, gathering all his strength into this strike. With just one strike, he terrified the tall, thin tea seller in front of him, causing him to panic and lose his composure, his head flying into the air.

As blood splattered, a rough-looking woman nearby screamed, and a short blade flew out from her sleeve, aiming straight for the swordsman's forehead.

A long bench suddenly appeared from the side, bringing with it a gust of wind. It knocked away the short blade and landed with a loud thud on the woman's forehead.

Brain burst!

Amidst the flying pieces of wood, Yang Lie leaped down to the swordsman's side, his back pressed against the swordsman's. His gaze was sharp and fierce as he shouted, "What are you pretending for? Anyone who wants our lives, come out now!"

These two men were Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie.

After leaving the Yang Family Martial Arts School, the two traveled down the Jade Belt River, stopping and starting along the way. Sometimes they would rest for a day or two to hone their martial arts skills, or seek out nearby martial arts masters for instruction. As a result, more than half a month passed, and they had only traveled through three counties.

They had just left the county town about seven or eight miles away when they came across a teahouse on the main road, so they took the opportunity to rest and have a drink.

They had barely sat down when three groups of people arrived, each group consisting of three or four people, forming a subtle encirclement that blocked their escape route.

The 'couple' who ran the teahouse also had a strange look in their eyes and were secretly exchanging hand gestures.

Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie were both seasoned veterans of the martial arts world, and they immediately realized something was wrong and reacted on the spot.

As the teahouse 'couple' died, the three tables surrounding them stood up simultaneously, some wielding sticks, others taking out weapons from their bundles, exuding a murderous aura.

Besides the dozen or so people in the teahouse, a dozen or so people, each wielding a sharp weapon, fiercely charged forward from the swaying bushes in the thickets on both sides of the official road.

Yang Lie's face darkened: "Are you working for that fat pig Wei Zhenzhu?"

"How dare you disrespect the mistress!" a gray-clad man wielding a steel knife roared. "You're courting death..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Wu Duxiong saw another wave of people rushing over, straightened his back and shoved Yang Lie.

Yang Lie immediately understood his intention. He flipped over, crashed through the thatched wall, and rolled away. Wu Duxiong spun his long sword and cut the wooden pillar supporting the teahouse. With a series of crashes, the thatched roof collapsed, burying the dozen or so people inside the teahouse beneath it.

As soon as Wu Duxiong slashed the wooden pillar, he leaped out and met Yang Lie's gaze. The two did not exchange a single word.

Yang Lie also drew his weapon, and the two of them slashed wildly at the figure wriggling under the thatch, causing screams and wails to erupt.

"Damn it!" The dozen or so men who rushed out of the woods saw their men being slaughtered so inexplicably and their eyes immediately turned red.

Three men rushed forward from directly in front, their steel knives slashing down with a fierce wind.

Wu Duxiong snorted coldly, stomped his foot, and attacked at an even faster speed. The fish-scale knife in his hand was slashed upwards, and the blade light flashed like a cold lightning bolt.

when!
Amidst the clang of metal, the long sword in the hand of the foremost man was knocked away, and he was also pushed backward by a great force.

But Wu Du Xiong's sword strike was not yet finished; it swept across his chest, the cold blade tearing through flesh, a few drops of warm blood landing on his face, which only made him more composed.

Almost simultaneously, two men on his left and right attacked Wu Duxiong's ribs. He twisted his body, shifted his steps, and dodged the attack, his blade following his body, drawing a sharp semi-circle.

Puff puff!

As the blade flashed, the wrists of the two men holding weapons were severed at the root, and their screams were drowned out before they could even escape their lips.

On the other side, Yang Lie attacked even more fiercely, but in the end he still failed to kill all ten or so people covered by thatch. Three or four people rolled out, each with a look of terror on their face.

Yang Lie chuckled coldly, his feet moving swiftly, his blade flashing as he launched a fierce attack.

Even though Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie caught their opponents off guard, there were still nearly twenty opponents left, including two with exceptional skills that would require caution even in one-on-one combat.

Swords clashed, the sounds of their weapons clashing echoing endlessly. Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie fought and retreated, leading the enemy into the dense forest on the other side.

The two groups were trapped in the dense forest, their figures intertwined, and in the midst of the fierce battle, fallen leaves and withered branches were thrown up, obscuring their vision.

Amidst the clanging of metal, occasional shrill screams rang out.

When both sides were exhausted from fighting and were catching their breath, Wei Zhenzhu's men were shocked to find that the withered branches and fallen leaves were covered with the corpses of their comrades. Some of them were not completely dead, and they were making gurgling sounds in their throats. Only four people were left alive.

"Come on!"

The remaining four people's expressions changed drastically, and they retreated in panic. But how could Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie let them go?
Although Wu Duxiong and his companion also felt exhausted, they still had the strength to fight.

"Leave this guy to me!" Yang Lie set his sights on a middle-aged man in blue. The man was short and agile, but he almost tripped Yang Lie.

Most importantly, this middle-aged man in blue had already mastered the technique. Although he did not wield a weapon, he was as cunning and slippery as a venomous snake, and his attacks were extremely secretive and ruthless.

Earlier, when Yang Lie was entangled with two opponents, this person suddenly darted out from behind a large tree and attacked with explosive force, locking his throat in one strike.

Just like a venomous snake that has been lying in wait for a long time, it catches its prey.

The attack was too vicious and swift, and Yang Lie was distracted. The reason he survived was purely due to good luck. There was a hole at the bottom of the fallen leaves, which caused him to slip and fall.

Although he was slashed in the chest and hit in the back with a stick, he managed to avoid a throat lock.

Although the middle-aged man in blue was not alone, he was clearly far from being able to combine strength and gentleness and control his attacks freely. After his first strike, his aura stagnated slightly, and he missed the opportunity to follow up with another attack.

"Come on, let's exchange a few more blows!" Yang Lie rushed forward, catching up with the middle-aged man in blue, and attacked with his sword.

The middle-aged man in blue was more adept at maneuvering and fighting, but he was slightly slower and couldn't shake off the opponent at all. He said urgently, "Young man, you have won this match. Don't be so aggressive."

"Fight if you want, run if you want, have you asked the knife in my hand?" On the other side, as if in response to the middle-aged man in blue, Wu Duxiong's fish-scale blade flashed with cold light, encircling the figures of the other three who were trying to escape.

Yang Lie had no intention of wasting words with the other party. He simply unleashed the Seven Slashes of Bolang, each strike aimed directly at the vital points of the middle-aged man in blue.

The middle-aged man in blue robes had a gloomy face. He used his agile movements to fight back, occasionally throwing out a move, never directly confronting Yang Lie, but simply exhausting his opponent's strength.

But he was already in a great hurry, because Wu Duxiong had already dealt with the two of them!

Suddenly, the middle-aged man in blue's eyes lit up. He noticed a slight pause in Yang Lie's swordsmanship. His face lit up with joy. He swayed his body to avoid a slash, and his five fingers, like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, burrowed towards Yang Lie's chest!
"Die, boy!"

At this moment, Yang Lie suddenly laughed, the long sword in his hand fell to the ground by itself, his breathing rhythm changed, and he suddenly leaped up, like a tiger leaping out from a high mountain cliff.

As he dodged the attack from the middle-aged man in blue, a fierce punch landed!
boom!
The fist collided head-on with the middle-aged man in blue's forehead, producing a crisp cracking sound, as if an egg had been smashed. A large dent appeared in the man's forehead, and he was sent flying several meters away like a rag doll.

Yang Lie landed on the ground, staggering, barely able to stand, his face covered in cold sweat and deathly pale.

But his eyes were clear and bright, and he was overjoyed, wishing he could burst into laughter.

Get into the game!

From this day forward, Yang Lie has finally entered the realm of true mastery. From now on, who would dare say he is not a master?
A moment later, Wu Duxiong finished off the last man, came to Yang Lie's side, patted Yang Lie on the shoulder, and laughed loudly, "Good lad, I, Wu Duxiong, was right about you, you..."

With a thud, Yang Lie knelt on one knee, looking at Wu Duxiong with a face full of resentment.

A quarter of an hour later, Wu Duxiong carried Yang Lie to a stream about a mile away to wash him and bandaged his wounds. Yang Lie regained his strength and his fighting spirit surged up. He suggested, "Uncle Wu, now that I'm in the zone, why don't we join forces and kill that fat pig Wei Zhenzhu together?"

Wu Duxiong sneered: "You've only just entered the realm of Qi, and you already think you're so arrogant? Let alone whether you can find Wei Zhenzhu's location, even if you do, do you know how many guards she has? After suffering a loss once, wouldn't you hire some experts to protect her?"

"Just in dealing with us, there's a martial arts master who has reached the Energizing Realm among them. Do you think she wouldn't have someone by her side?"

Yang Lie revealed a hint of worry: "What about Uncle and Brother Hong's side..."

Wu Duxiong waved his hand: "This is not something you should worry about. Once we martial artists step into the world, our lives depend on our own hands. You should trust Old Yang and Hong. Even if something unexpected happens, all we can do is avenge them."

Yang Lie said, "In that case, Uncle Wu, shall we continue our travels through the martial world?"

"No!" Wu Duxiong shook his head and said calmly, "Now that you have entered the realm of mastery, it is not very meaningful to fight with ordinary martial artists. If you want to make rapid progress, you need a place with many experts."

"Hmm?" Yang Lie looked up in surprise.

Wu Duxiong looked in one direction, his gaze calm:

"I've heard that there's a powerful figure in the southwest of Linjiang Prefecture named Song Yinglong. He built a manor called 'Crouching Tiger Manor' with the Mangcang Mountain behind him. He not only invites guests from all directions but also befriends heroes from all over. Because of his generosity and willingness to help others, he has attracted many skilled fighters to join him. It's said that he has a thousand retainers under his command, among whom there are countless experts..."

At this point, Wu Duxiong suddenly smiled, "It's a crouching tiger, while we are the Tiger-Subduing Sect. It's quite a coincidence, so we'll go there this time—"

"Wohu Manor!"

"Let's see if it truly lives up to its name, a place teeming with hidden talents!"

……

(End of this chapter)