Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Chapter 80 The Genius Ten Years Ago

The moment the door closed, the noise outside seemed to be cut off with a single stroke.

The room was neither too bright nor too dim, with a table and two chairs.

Master Huang sat at the head of the table, neither offering tea nor showing any displeasure, but merely glancing at Ye Xiao and saying, "Sit."

Ye Xiao sat down.

Master Huang pushed aside the unnecessary items on the table and got straight to the point: "Seven days from now, once everyone is here, we'll raise the flag and begin the competition."

Ye Xiao hummed in agreement.

Master Huang looked at him: "We agreed that things would remain unchanged. But I have a bad habit—I don't believe rumors, I only believe what I see."

Ye Xiao raised his eyes: "What do you want?"

"Let's test you," said Master Huang calmly.

Ye Xiao nodded: "Okay."

Master Huang nodded in agreement: "I don't put all my eggs in one basket. If you're not qualified, I'll find someone else. After all, each hall can only recommend one person to take the stage."

Ye Xiao didn't waste any words: "How do we try?"

Master Huang knocked lightly twice on the door.

The curtain was lifted, and a man walked in.

He wasn't tall, but he had broad shoulders and a thick back. His footsteps were almost silent, and his eyes were steady. As he entered, he clasped his hands in greeting: "Master."

Master Huang pointed at Ye Xiao: "Pan Wu. If you beat him, you'll be the one going this time."

Pan Wu was about to speak.

Ye Xiao had already stood up, his gaze falling on the man's toes and shoulder line, and said indifferently, "You only have one chance."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Pan Wu's eyes hardened, his body sank, and he suddenly pressed close. His fist moved in a straight line, his power flowing through his entire body—a typical gang fight style, first disrupting the rhythm, then dragging the opponent into the mud.

Ye Xiao did not retreat, but only took half a step forward.

With just that half step, Pan Wu's punch missed its mark by an inch, his center of gravity seemed to be pulled away by someone, and his body swayed instinctively.

Ye Xiao raised his right hand, not in a fist, but with the heel of his palm, and gently pressed down on the tendon below Pan Wu's collarbone.

"Smack."

The sound was very soft, but Pan Wu's entire right arm felt as if all the strength had been drained away, and his fingertips were numb, making it impossible for him to even grasp it.

He instinctively switched to his left hand to grab it again.

Ye Xiao's second move has arrived.

Knee to lower abdomen.

Not ruthless, but tough.

Pan Wu's breath stopped on the spot, his vision went black, his legs went weak, and he knelt down, his forehead hitting the ground, the pain making his head numb.

Ye Xiao pressed two fingers on the back of his neck, not with force, but like the tip of a knife: "That's it."

Pan Wu's throat bobbed, and he dared not move an inch. After catching his breath, he managed to squeeze out three words: "I lost."

Ye Xiao released his grip, returned to his original position, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Master Huang looked at Pan Wu: "Do you submit?"

Pan Wu looked up, his reddened eyes still holding a hint of fire, but the resentment was gone, replaced by a chilling coldness: "I submit."

Only then did Hall Master Huang turn his gaze back to Ye Xiao. Instead of praising him, he asked a crucial question: "Why didn't you throw a follow-up punch just now?"

Ye Xiao answered clearly: "You let him test me, not let me kill your man."

Master Huang nodded, as if finally confirming that this person was ruthless and strong, but would not break the rules.

"it is good."

He smiled with satisfaction: "I thought you defeated Zhang Yuan because of your strength and solid foundation, but I didn't expect your combat skills to be so good. You are indeed qualified to compete for the position of hall master."

The next moment, he pulled a folded piece of paper from under the table and pushed it in front of Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao took it, but didn't rush to look at it.

Huang, the gang leader, put it more bluntly, and in more gang slang: "The Green Owl Gang changes its leader without writing any documents or putting on a show."

"The flag will be raised to open the arena, and the seven hall masters and four protectors will be present to oversee it. To put it simply, the fight will begin in public, and whoever stands last on the stage will receive the hall master's name and command."

Ye Xiao pondered for a moment: "A free-for-all?"

"Yes, a free-for-all." Master Huang nodded: "You can fight however you want on the stage, whether you team up or use underhanded tactics, it all counts as skill."

He tapped his knuckles on the table, giving only one bottom line: "Anyone who makes a move from the audience is considered to have overthrown the stage or betrayed the gang."

Ye Xiao nodded: "Understood."

Master Huang then pointed to the piece of paper: "The key points of the intelligence are all here. Most people are about the same strength; the only differences are their methods and trump cards. There's only one truly troublesome one."

Ye Xiao looked up: "Name."

Master Huang uttered three words: "Xu Chongshan".

As the name was spoken, there was a momentary pause in the breath in the room.

Pan Wu subconsciously clenched his numb arm, said nothing, but straightened his back slightly, as if recalling the oppression he had once witnessed.

"How strong is he?" Ye Xiao asked.

Master Huang lowered his voice: "He is Golden Bone."

"He was a genius ten years ago, but failed twice to break through to the third level of Blood Refinement." Hall Master Huang stared at Ye Xiao, trying to see what he was thinking. "He's not a cripple, but he'll never be a true martial artist again."

Ye Xiao nodded: "I understand."

Huang Tangzhu looked at him and suddenly changed the subject, his tone still calm: "But you don't need to worry. I'll arrange for you to meet with a few people, and they'll have a way to deal with him then."

A hint of doubt appeared in Ye Xiao's eyes.

"They are participants selected from the other halls," Hall Master Huang said. "I and the other hall masters reached a consensus earlier."

"Should we team up and attack Xu Chongshan first?" Ye Xiao asked.

Master Huang didn't beat around the bush: "That's right."

Ye Xiao asked calmly, "When?"

"The day after tomorrow afternoon, at Jufu Restaurant on Xifu Street." Master Huang looked at him and said, "Go there and hear what they have to say."

Ye Xiao stood up: "Okay."

As he reached the door, Master Huang added casually, "If you're truly outmatched, don't risk your life. Working under me will certainly bring you benefits."

Ye Xiao hummed in agreement, lifted the curtain, and went out.

People were laughing and talking outside in the corridor; it felt very lively.

As Ye Xiao walked by, the laughter of the bodyguards subsided slightly, and they averted their gazes. It wasn't fear, but awe—they knew this was someone they couldn't afford to offend.

The competition will begin seven days later.

No one will be idle during these seven days.

Ye Xiao didn't turn around, his sleeves were pressed flat, but his steps were more steady than when he came.

He left the security agency and walked along the street for a while.

The food stalls on the street corner were already open, with syrup bubbling in iron pots and skewered hawthorns glistening red.

Ye Xiao slowed his pace by half a beat, and Xiao Xue's face flashed through his mind.

He pulled out some copper coins: "Two strings."

The vendor twirls the candy around and dips it in, the sugar coating solidifying with a "crack," and hands it to you with a smile: "Buy two skewers, you probably already have smaller ones at home. I'll pick out the crispy ones for you, you'll have to eat them on the way home, they'll stick to your teeth if they get cold."

Ye Xiao thanked him, took the bamboo stick, put it in his sleeve, and turned to leave.

When I reached the alley entrance, the lights were brighter than they had been a while ago.

After living in Qingshi Lane for a few months, a small doormat appeared at the door, preventing mud splatters from being carried into the house. The edges of the window paper were pressed tightly shut, preventing the wind from seeping through the cracks. The water vat in the courtyard was covered, and a brush sat beside it.

Ye Xiao pushed open the door.

The room was filled with warmth, first from the charcoal fire, then from the aroma of meat broth, and the smell of oil wafted from the edge of the pot, making one feel comforted and at ease.

Footsteps came from the inner room.

When his mother came out, Ye Xiao paused for a moment.

She looked healthier than before, stood straighter, and had a steady gaze.

"It's good that you're back." Mother breathed a sigh of relief before asking in a low voice, "Do you still have errands to run?"

"I've been busy these past few days." Ye Xiao didn't explain much, changing the subject, "Where's Xiaoxue?"

Mother's lips moved, as if she wanted to say a few words of advice, but she swallowed them back. She only lifted the pot lid a little, and a burst of hot steam rushed out: "Eat something first. The broth in the pot is still hot."

Then she called out towards the backyard, "Xiaoxue, your brother is back!"

Light footsteps echoed in the backyard, and Xiaoxue practically ran out.

She's become more like a little girl lately. Her cheeks are softer, her skin is rosy after washing, and her lips are no longer chapped. Her hair is tied into small braids with brightly colored hair ties, and the ends of the braids swing back and forth as she runs, with a touch of smugness in them.

She spotted the candied hawthorn in Ye Xiao's hand at a glance, and her eyes lit up: "Brother!"

Ye Xiao handed over the candied hawthorn: "Slow down, don't choke."

Xiaoxue hugged it and took a bite. "Crunch!" It was so crisp and sweet it made her eyes squint. Turning around, she couldn't resist showing off to her mother, "Mom, look! It's crisp! Did you hear that? Crunch!"

The mother was amused and wanted to laugh, but she held it back and turned to get a bowl: "Don't shout, wipe your mouth first."

Ye Xiao casually handed another skewer to his mother: "Here, take this. Give it to her after she finishes eating."

The mother was taken aback, and before she could say anything, Ye Xiao spoke first: "It's not expensive."

Mother then took the phone, turned to the stove, and said in a very soft voice, "There's soup in the pot, and the meat is almost done stewing—I also made two meat pies."

"Have a couple of bites first."

Ye Xiao nodded: "Okay."

Xiaoxue, biting into a candied hawthorn, leaned closer and whispered, "Brother, are you going to get into a fight again?"

Ye Xiao raised his hand and ruffled her hair: "It's not called fighting, it's called getting things done."

Xiaoxue nodded seriously: "Then you should go home early after you finish your business."

3

Ye Xiao looked at her rosy cheeks and softened his voice: "Okay."