The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 39 Night Raid on the Martial Arts School
Wushan County has narrow alleys and lanes, and people live near the mountains.

After nightfall, apart from the occasional noise from the brothels and teahouses in the central business district, the area is almost completely silent and quiet.

Under the cover of night, a figure quickly crossed the deserted street and arrived at a large house with a spacious courtyard.

The figure bent his knees slightly, leaped up, and lightly climbed the nearly ten-foot-high courtyard wall.

With a quick glance at the scene in the courtyard, it began to run across the narrow wall, its movements more agile than a cat's. In a flash, it reached the end of the wall and then leaped onto the roof of the main house in the courtyard.

He stood on the roof ridge, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside the house below. Suddenly, he exerted force, and with a crisp "crack," he shattered a tile.

Whoosh!
At the same time, the person also flipped and leaped, as light and agile as a hawk, and landed steadily in the courtyard. He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the main gate of the house, and waited quietly.

Looking around the courtyard, there were wooden stakes, sandbags, stone locks and other similar items everywhere. On the left and right sides, there were weapon racks with knives, spears and clubs.

It turned out to be a martial arts school.

"Who?"

Hearing the commotion, the person inside gave a low shout and did not come out through the front door. Then, with a crash, the window shattered, and a burly man with a thick neck climbed out of the window.

The burly man had clearly been startled awake from his sleep and hadn't had time to get dressed yet. He was only wearing shorts, holding a steel knife, and glaring at the uninvited 'guest' with hostile eyes!
The newcomer was tall and slender, with an upright posture. He was dressed in black and his face was covered with a black cloth. Only his eyes calmly scrutinized him.

The burly man stepped forward, pointed his steel knife, and said coldly, "Who are you?"

"Master Zuo, there is no need to worry. I have come here with no ill intentions. I only wish to learn a few moves from you."

The man in black spoke in a flat tone.

This burly man was Zuo Lie, the master of the Zuo Family Martial Arts School in Wushan County. Upon hearing this, he spat and said, "Hiding your head and tail, sneaking around like a thief. If you want to have a fight, then come openly and honestly during the day. To break in uninvited in the dead of night is the act of a thief, not the behavior of a hero."

The man in black chuckled and said, "I'm doing this for Master Zuo's sake. I heard that Master Zuo just lost a fight recently. If he loses again in public, the martial arts school might be out of business."

Upon hearing the other party mention his embarrassing incident, Zuo Lie was furious: "Although Yue Feng is arrogant, his martial arts skills are indeed remarkable. I lost to him because I am not as skilled as him. It is not your place to laugh at me."

Zuo Lie could tell from the man's voice that he was not very old.

And that Yuefeng is the same fierce dragon that has been making headlines in Wushan County recently.

Upon arrival, he challenged Zuo Lie and another martial arts school owner, establishing his reputation. He then recruited men and waged war against other gangs to seize territory.

"You've got a big mouth, kid. Well then, try my knife. Don't blame me if you die."

Zuo Lie stomped on the ground, causing the blue bricks beneath his feet to tremble violently. He strode forward, taking a few steps to reach the man in black. He twisted his heel on the ground, using the momentum to spin around, and wielded his sword with lightning speed, unleashing a horizontal slash.

He was defeated by an outsider, which greatly humiliated him. Japan had been harboring resentment for some time, and this rude guest dared to rub salt into his wounds and mock him. He couldn't contain his anger and attacked without holding back.

A coward who sneaks in and breaks into a courtyard at night, he's dead, and people will just praise him for killing him.

scoff!

The long sword sliced ​​through the air with a short, sharp whistling sound, its momentum fierce.

The man in black suddenly retreated, easily dodging Zuo Lie's slash. Zuo Lie frowned, thinking to himself that the man who dared to come looking for trouble was indeed quite capable.

With light and swift footsteps, Zuo Lie advanced step by step, wielding his longsword like a whirlwind, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes high, sometimes low, his attacks swift and his angles tricky.

However, the man in black reacted much faster than Zuo Lie had imagined. Every time Zuo Lie moved his blade, the man's movements would change accordingly. He would brush past the blade every time, seemingly dangerous, but in reality, he did not harm the man in the slightest.

Zuo Lie was startled, and his swordsmanship faltered.

"Faster, faster!"

"With such slow knife skills, how are you going to make a living?"

The man in black was still urging him on, his voice soft, but it made the veins on Zuo Lie's forehead bulge.

"Boy, all you can do is hide like a flea? If you have the guts, fight me for real."

Zuo Lie charged forward with his sword, a fierce aura emanating from him.

The man in black lightly touched the ground with his toes and swiftly retreated to the weapon rack, replying, "Alright!"

With a 'smack', he slapped his palm on the shelf, and an iron spear flew out. He caught it in his hand and instantly switched from retreat to attack. He took one step and covered two zhang, carrying a violently surging force. The iron spear in his hand was as graceful as a dragon. Suddenly, he thrust it out!
"Qiang!"

A metallic clang rang out, echoing through the night. The spearhead struck the blade with pinpoint accuracy, sending sparks flying. At the same time, Zuo Lie felt an overwhelming force surge through him, causing him to stagger backward.

Whoosh!
The spear came again, a thrust and a strike.

Zuo Lie's arms were already numb from the force of the clash of swords and spears, and now he could no longer hold on, and the long sword immediately slipped from his hand and flew away.

A flash of cold light, and the spear, like a venomous snake, darted forward, swiftly aiming for his throat.

Zuo Lie had no time to react; he was so shocked that his hands and feet turned ice-cold, and he thought to himself, "My life is over!"
The spear tip touched his throat and stopped abruptly. The icy touch made Zuo Lie's heart leap into his throat, his body stiffening, and he dared not move.

"Master Zuo, in your opinion, how does my martial arts compare to Yue Feng's?" The man in black smiled, flicked his wrist, and withdrew the iron spear.

Zuo Lie touched his neck and immediately realized that not even the skin had been broken. He was astonished by the other party's control over the force.

"A perfect blend of strength and gentleness, capable of both control and flexibility?!"

Zuo Lie was also a martial artist who had entered the realm of internal strength. He had insight and knowledge, and controlling pure force was certainly no more difficult than controlling qi and blood.

It is possible to strike the blade of his swung steel knife in the darkness, or to strike his throat with a lightning-fast shot without breaking the skin.

This precise control over force is something that ordinary martial artists who have reached the level of mastery cannot achieve.

Before his shock had subsided, he suddenly felt that the other person, even with their face covered, had a kind and benevolent appearance.

This person's martial arts skills are so formidable, yet he didn't come to beat him up during the day. Instead, he came late at night, keeping a low profile. He really gave Old Zuo a lot of face.

It's one thing that he didn't understand the 'expert's' intentions, but he even spoke rudely, which is really inappropriate.

Upon realizing this, Zuo Lie felt extremely guilty and hurriedly said, "Yue Feng's martial arts are certainly no match for the chivalrous gentleman, and I am far from being able to match him."

"Alright!" The man in black nodded and said calmly, "Now that we've tested our weapon skills, let's discuss our hand-to-hand combat."

"Hero..."

Zuo Lie cursed inwardly, "Oh no!" A dark shadow flickered before his eyes, and the opponent reached out with a large hand, immediately unleashing a fierce and malevolent wind, like a ferocious tiger reaching out its claws.

Zuo Lie's eyes twitched, and he pulled back, only to find that the claws were relentless, always grabbing him tightly no matter how he retreated, forcing him to muster all his strength and do his best to deal with it.

Zuo Lie was on high alert and dared not slack off in the slightest.

He wouldn't assume the other party wouldn't kill him just because they held back; what if they did?
Faced with the overwhelming onslaught, Zuo Lie was forced to unleash all his skills, displaying his martial arts prowess without reservation.

Even when he felt he had no chance of escaping death several times, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, leading to a brilliant response unlike anything he had ever seen before.

It felt like his potential had been unleashed under the oppression and coercion of the man in black.

However, the more he did this, the more he was exhausted. Zuo Lie was already starting to feel weak. Suddenly, a palm struck through the air, striking his chest with incredible speed.

Before the palms even arrived, Zuo Lie felt an unprecedented threat of death. With a sharp shout, he pushed out with both palms, unleashing his true strength.

The man in black withdrew his hand and spun around as easily as if he were enjoying a spring outing in the countryside, thus avoiding Zuo Lie's thunderous palm strike. He then moved behind Zuo Lie and grabbed him by the neck.

Just then, Zuo Lie unleashed his full power, causing his blood and energy to drain away, leaving him limp and about to collapse. The man in black, however, supported him. He tossed Zuo Lie aside onto a stone bench and said, "Master Zuo, how does Master Shi's skill compare to yours?"

There were only two martial arts schools in Wushan County. Besides the Zuo family martial arts school, the other one was the Shi family martial arts school. Both of them were taken over by Yue Feng, the "Cross-River Dragon".

Zuo Lie was panting heavily, cold sweat rolling down his forehead. After a moment, he finally replied, "Shi Meng's martial arts are no less than mine, and he is much younger than me. His skills have improved greatly in recent years, and he is probably far superior to mine."

Zuo Lie's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood the black-clad man's intentions. He was probably like Yue Feng, who wanted to challenge Shi Meng after defeating him.

Between two martial arts schools in the same county, there was bound to be some competition. They immediately started praising Shi Meng, saying that he couldn't let his old rival suffer less from the hardships he had endured!
Little did he know that in the darkness, the man in black had seen his expression clearly, and simply smiled: "Master Zuo, how about I make another deal with you?"

A moment later, the man in black leaped out of the Zuo family martial arts school and onto the long street. He gently pulled off his mask, revealing a handsome and dashing face—it was Hong Yuan.

With a flick of his left hand, a thin sheet of paper covered in small writing appeared before his eyes. It was none other than the secret recipe of the Zuo Family Martial Arts School, "Bone Strengthening and Meridian Clearing Oil"!
Besides this prescription, there is also a bottle of medicine that Zuo Lie made but has not yet used.

It wasn't exactly by force or robbery; he bought it from Zuo Lie for five hundred taels of silver.

Zuo Lie probably wouldn't dare to tamper with it to fool him, since the medicine is for external use and it wouldn't do him any harm. But if he noticed anything wrong, Zuo Lie would have to wash his neck thoroughly.

Even for some secret medicines that can be taken internally, the ingredients are displayed openly.

It was in the restaurant that Hong Yuan heard the story of Yue Feng, the dragon who crossed the river, which inspired him.

However, their purposes were different. Yue Feng challenged the two martial arts schools in order to make a name for himself as quickly as possible.

Hong Yuan learned about these martial arts masters' techniques, power generation skills, body movements, and even how to trade secret medicine recipes or readily available medicines through repeated encounters.

"The Shi Family Martial Arts School cannot be let go either..."

Hong Yuan took a step and quickly disappeared into the alley.

About 15 minutes later, Hong Yuan leaped out of a large courtyard, pulled off his mask, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

The master of the Shi Family Martial Arts School, Shi Meng, is indeed slightly better than Zuo Lie. Although his name is fierce, he is quite short and practices a kind of "cat fist"!
Most importantly, the 'Cat Fist' has many similarities with the Tiger Subduing Fist that Hong Yuan learned. Although the former is less ferocious than the latter, it is more swift and sharp, which has greatly benefited Hong Yuan.

Furthermore, the "cat fist" style is more agile in terms of body movement and footwork, which gave Hung Yuen a lot of inspiration.

Besides the benefits in martial arts, he also naturally obtained a secret medicine recipe.

Unfortunately, Shi Meng had run out of medicine on hand, otherwise he could have saved himself the time of getting more medicine.

Hong Yuan closed his eyes, recalling his previous fight with Shi Meng. He integrated the moves, stances, and footwork of the 'Cat Fist' into the Tiger Subduing Fist, feeling that he could completely digest it in a few days.

After challenging the owners of two martial arts schools, about half an hour had passed. Hong Yuan thought that he couldn't let go of that intruder, lest he show favoritism.

During the day, Hong Yuan found out Yue Feng's address.

After Yue Feng beheaded the leader of the rival gang, he led his men to take advantage of the chaos and crushed the gang in one fell swoop. They then turned around and directly occupied the gang's original territory.

In this day and age, the central government is in disarray, and local powers are rising up everywhere.

The knight-errant uses his martial arts to break the law, and Hong Yuan is not the only one who has broken the law.

Of course, this is also because Mingzhou has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times, and it occupies a vital waterway between the north and south. The grain transport, salt transport, and commercial goods converge here, making it known as "the gathering place of all the world's boats"!
Such prosperity naturally attracted the covetous eyes of various forces: powerful clans, aristocratic families, nobles, military leaders, martial arts sects...

Some have been rooted in Mingzhou for generations, some for more than ten generations, while others have gone to great lengths to squeeze in. There are also many eyes watching with eager anticipation!

The intertwined and mutually restraining forces meant that there was no single force that could make the final decision.

Outside of Mingzhou, other prefectures have already seen the emergence of powerful forces that control one or several prefectures, or even directly rule an entire prefecture.

In that kind of territory, ordinary martial arts practitioners and even gangs could only lie on the ground like eels, and if they dared to overstep their bounds, they would be beaten to death, let alone challenge powerful clans or the government.

Only martial arts masters at the microscopic level dare to make a few moves in those territories.

With a thought in his head, Hong Yuan moved swiftly and arrived at a manor in the west of the city in a short while.

Compared to the two major martial arts schools, there are many more guards here, with numerous thugs patrolling both inside and outside the walls.

However, being a newly formed gang, it's impossible to expect them to be particularly elite. Although the thugs weren't drinking or making a ruckus, many of them were yawning and listless.

Hong Yuan followed suit, quickly leaping onto the roof and observing from above for a while. He determined that there were seventy or eighty thugs and a dozen or so servants in the entire manor.

The main room was lit, and light shone through, revealing Yue Feng inside. Two figures were visible, clearly talking to someone.

The two thugs patrolled the courtyard, glancing left and right, much more cautious than the people outside.

Hong Yuan hooked one leg upside down on the roof and landed lightly. Just as his face was about to touch the ground, he braced himself with one palm and stood up steadily without making a sound.

Hidden in the shadows, he moved swiftly to within a few feet of the two guards, then darted out like the wind, striking each of them on the back of the head with a palm strike.

The palm strike was gentle and soft, without the slightest sound of wind, and landed lightly. The two men trembled violently, their mouths wide open, but they couldn't utter a single word and died on the spot!

Before the two could fall to the ground, Hong Yuan had already lifted them up with one hand each and gently put them down.

He used a soft, gentle technique with these two palm strikes. The moment his palms made contact with the backs of the two men's heads, he released a light burst of energy, which instantly eroded their brains with a soft, water-like force, damaging their brain structure.

Hong Yuan doesn't yet possess any methods to knock someone unconscious without harming them.

Even if there were any, there would be no need. As a member of a gang, killing and being killed are both reasonable. If Hong Yuan were ever killed, he would only feel that he was not as skilled as others, and would not complain about fate.

The essence of martial arts in this world after reaching the level of internal strength is actually to increase the total amount and control the output.

Open source!
Cut costs!

I just got into the zone, and too much of it was ineffective.

For example, Yang Erhu demonstrated how a single palm strike could shatter a jujube wood stake. To kill someone, such a powerful force is unnecessary; a strike to a vital point would require only one-tenth of that force.

Subsequent training is actually for controlling output and reducing ineffective overflow, which is why there are three waves, nine mountains, and twelve towers after gradually controlling the force...

Once you reach the level of complete control, you can divide your power into dozens or even more parts, and you can contain the power within a single palm, controlling its release at will.

If Hong Yuan's strength is considered to be 100, he killed the two guards with soft force without using a fraction of it, and he could recover with just a little breathing.

His natural talent is too strong.

The power originates from the martial artist's own muscles, bones, qi, and blood. Therefore, in terms of the total amount of power, Hong Yuan is actually extremely powerful. It is just unknown how he compares to the Master of Subtlety.

Hong Yuan has high hopes for this.

"Entering the subtle" is not some mysterious realm; it is merely a skill for controlling one's strength, but it certainly requires a strong physique to master.

He silently reached the shadow of the eaves. Before taking any action, Hong Yuanxian could clearly hear the conversation inside the house.

"With this group of men in hand, I'll have two or three hundred men at my disposal. The remaining gangs in Wushan County are no match for me. The only ones I can worry about are the few powerful families in the county..."

A young voice said, "It's too difficult for my rabble to fight against those big families. We need the lord to send more men to help us."

"You defeated Zuo Lie and Shi Meng. What do you think of them? They are quite skilled and have trained many martial arts students. If you can recruit them, you will have two great helpers."

A calm and gentle male voice rang out.

Hong Yuan raised an eyebrow, a playful look flashing across his face. He was very familiar with the voice, but encountering it here was truly unexpected.

(End of this chapter)