A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

Inner city, bluestone alley.

This place is adjacent to the canal, a bustling hub of commerce, with a constant stream of small vendors and peddlers, making it one of the most lively spots in the inner city.

At this moment, in the center of the widest street in Qing Shi Lane, a several-foot-high arena rose from the ground, square in all directions, exuding a certain majesty.

The area around the arena was already packed with people, creating a noisy and bustling atmosphere, all discussing today's life-or-death boxing match.

"They're here! Make way, everyone!"

"Today I'll finally get to witness the strength of that Inspector Zhou firsthand. To defeat a fierce bandit with a body tempered by bone forging is something I've never heard of in my half-life."

"I think the Wang family is in trouble this time."

Praise for Zhou Yuan could be heard from the crowd.

However, dissenting voices have also emerged.

"You underestimate the Wang family too much. Liu Cang is a renowned master of the Yi Jin Jing, nicknamed 'Iron-Blooded Eagle Claw.' He traveled all over the country in his early years and has countless murders on his hands. A bandit leader like Xu Qingyi is no match for him."

"That's right. I've also heard that Liu Cang has a unique secret technique called 'Seeking Flowers in the Mist.' Everyone who has seen this move is dead. With this move alone, he's practically invincible in the Yi Jin Realm!"

These words caused many who had previously been optimistic about Zhou Yuan to begin to waver.

Just as everyone was discussing this, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.

The crowd automatically parted to both sides to create a path.

Two tall horses led the way, with two martial artists sitting upright on them. Their auras were deep and composed, and they were clearly both experts in the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Technique).

One of them was a bald, burly man with a fierce face; he was none other than Xu Zhan, the leader of the Salt Gang.

The other person was dressed in a gray outfit, with snow-white eyebrows and a faint smell of blood emanating from him. He was one of today's main characters, Liu Cang.

"They're from the Wang family!"

"My God, Liu Cang and Xu Zhan, the leader of the Salt Gang, are personally leading the way. What a grand spectacle!"

The Wang family had been entrenched in Luochuan County for decades, accumulating immense power and influence, their reputation enough to silence ordinary people.

The two rode slowly, followed by more than a dozen fierce-looking martial artists, who surrounded a luxurious sedan chair.

The group stopped in the stands next to the arena.

Liu Cang and Xu Zhan dismounted and respectfully walked to the sedan chair, bowing in greeting.

"Young master, we've arrived at Bluestone Alley."

The sedan curtain was lifted, and the figure of Wang Xuanzhao, the second young master of the Wang family, appeared before everyone.

Wang Xuanzhao nodded slightly to the two of them, then took the lead and walked to the main seat of the stands, sitting down with an air of authority.

Xu Zhan and Liu Cang stood on his left and right, like bodyguards.

Looking at the endless stream of people below the stage, Wang Xuanzhao's thoughts drifted back to last night.

The Five Races Conference proceeded exactly as the royal family had planned.

At first, Wei Tianhe and his group wanted to resist, but faced with the "Envoy's" absolute strength, which surpassed the fourth level of Body Tempering, they all wisely lowered their heads.

Now that the Chen family has been dealt with, the powerful clans in Luochuan County will be completely consolidated.

When the time comes, the sky over Luochuan County will change color.

Wang Xuanzhao snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Xu Zhan beside him.

"Have you taken care of everything I asked you to do?"

Xu Zhan had a face full of fat, but in front of Wang Xuanzhao, he was all smiles and even bent over.

"Young master, rest assured, the entire Salt Gang has made it clear that they will neither sell nor consume a single Blood Spirit Pill."

Wang Xuanzhao nodded in satisfaction.

Although the Blood Spirit Pills originated from the Wang family, the Wang family themselves did not use a single one. In this way, even if things go wrong in the future, the Wang family can cleanly extricate themselves from this vortex.

Time passed slowly, and more and more people gathered below the arena.

Heads popped out from every window of the surrounding restaurants and teahouses that offered a view of the arena.

Inside one of the private rooms, a man and a woman were sitting facing each other, drinking tea.

The man was handsome and the woman was spirited; they were Zhao Ziwen and Xue Min, two of the "Three Heroes of Luochuan".

"Is it true, as rumored, that Zhou Yuan killed Xu Qingyi?" Zhao Ziwen took a sip of tea. "Your younger brother was present at the time."

Xue Min was a centurion in the patrol battalion, as was her younger brother, Xue Renjie.

"Renjie said that when he arrived, the battle was already over." Xue Min put down her teacup. "All he saw was that Xu Qingyi's throat had been crushed by Zhou Yuansheng."

"So, nobody knows the specific details of the fight?" Zhao Ziwen said thoughtfully.

He had secretly investigated Zhou Yuan over the past few days. Before killing Xu Qingyi, Zhou Yuan's resume was extremely ordinary. He couldn't understand why Zhou Yuan would suddenly unleash such strength.

"We'll find out today." Xue Min seemed to have seen through his thoughts. "Instead of wasting time on someone at the Bone Forging Realm, we should think more about how to deal with Wu Xingtong."

"I heard that his aunt, the elder of the six major sects in Qingzhou, has obtained a lot of precious medicines for him. When he comes out of seclusion, his martial arts skills alone will be enough to give us a headache."

Upon hearing the name "Wu Xingtong," Zhao Ziwen frowned slightly.

Although they were all three outstanding talents of Luochuan, Wu Xingtong's strength was subtly superior to theirs.

The "Dragon's Roar Iron Shirt" technique he cultivates is a martial art from a state-run sect, offering a defense so strong that it's difficult to injure him with swords or blades. Even more troublesome is his innate superhuman strength; three years ago, upon entering the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing) stage, he already possessed the strength of a thousand jin (approximately 500 kg). Now, three years later, with the support of precious medicines, his strength has likely already exceeded two thousand jin (approximately 1000 kg).

That's really tricky.

"What? Scared?" Xue Min chuckled softly.

"I'm not so much afraid, but I just feel that in this world, it's always easier to get things done if you have connections in higher positions," Zhao Ziwen said with a helpless smile.

In terms of talent, the three are roughly equal. However, Wu Xingtong has powerful connections and access to resources far exceeding what the others can match.

Xue Min remained noncommittal.

Being in the patrol battalion, she had better resources than Zhao Ziwen, who came from a pure martial arts school, but she was still a step behind Wu Xingtong, who had the support of the six major sects.

Just as the two were talking, a figure silently appeared behind the crowd near the arena.

The newcomer was dressed in white, holding a sword, yet possessed a somewhat effeminate air; he was none other than Dong Mo of the Jingye Division.

Looking at the massive crowd, Dong Mo couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

A boxing match has attracted so many people.

He was sent by his commander to observe Zhou Yuan. As a veteran of the Jingye Division, he naturally knew that this so-called observation was actually a test.

He also wanted to see for himself whether Zhou Yuan was truly as legendary as they said, capable of forging bones and severing tendons.

Just then, a commotion arose from the back of the crowd.

"They're here! It's the Chen family and Zhou Yuan!"

Everyone turned to look.

Then, Chen Chongfeng, the head of the Chen family, appeared in everyone's sight with his son Chen Shaoshang and Zhou Yuan.

Chen Chongfeng looked at the dense crowd, then at Wang Xuanzhao's mocking expression on the platform, took a deep breath, and strode towards the stands.

The fate of the Chen family rests on this day.

Chen Shaoshang stopped and walked to Zhou Yuan's side, lowering his voice.

"Junior Brother Zhou, if this battle becomes unwinnable, you may withdraw on your own. I am already extremely grateful that you came."

Zhou Yuan felt a warmth in his heart and patted him on the shoulder.

"Senior brother, you flatter me. I never fight a battle unprepared."

After saying that, he prepared to walk towards the stands.

But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure.

He paused, then abruptly turned his head.

However, the crowd was bustling and crowded, and there was nothing particularly special about it.

He vaguely remembered that when he first arrived at the patrol station, he had questioned two merchants from Liangzhou. One of the young men in white looked somewhat like the figure he had just glimpsed.

Zhou Yuan carefully scanned the crowd again, and finding nothing else, he turned his gaze away and walked towards the stands.

Just as he turned around, Dong Mo's figure slowly emerged from an inconspicuous corner at the back of the crowd.

"This kid's vigilance is indeed extraordinary."

Dong Mo sighed inwardly, turned around and walked to a teahouse far from the arena. He casually found a seat, ordered a pot of hot tea, and prepared to enjoy the grand spectacle.

He had barely sat down when five or six more martial artists walked into the teahouse.

The leader was an old man dressed in black, with a gloomy aura, and his cultivation had even reached the Yi Jin realm.

This man was none other than Wei Hong, the head steward of the Wei family.

He was followed by four or five capable henchmen. The few tea drinkers in the teahouse who were already there saw the menacing group and quickly paid their bills and left, or moved to tables further away, not daring to get close.

Wei Hong found a table and sat down, and several of his men immediately stood at attention beside him like javelins.

He picked up his teacup, gazing at Zhou Yuan's figure in the stands, a flash of cold light passing through his eyes.

The Wei family's meticulously planned scheme was ruined because of this guy named Zhou Yuan.

Enraged, the patriarch Wei Tianhe ordered him to thoroughly investigate Zhou Yuan's background. The investigation revealed a shocking secret.

Anyone who had a grudge against Zhou Yuan either died unexpectedly or mysteriously disappeared.

Gao Qiang, Zhao Dacheng... He even found a name: Goldman Sachs!

Goldman Sachs also had another identity: he was the personal attendant of the young master Wei Rong.

The intricate connections between them made him sense something was very wrong.

Just as Wei Hong was pondering this in the dark, a subordinate rushed in from outside and whispered in his ear.

"Steward, I've asked the stewards in the manor. Before the incident, the young master did indeed send him to contact Zhao Dacheng, the patrol inspector of the North City, with the aim of having Gao Sheng set up an ambush outside the city to kill Zhou Yuan."

"And the night the young master was murdered was the night before they planned to take action!"

......