The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Chapter 80 Planning

A woman dressed as a young woman, her clothes flowing and spotless, arrived from the Green Ox Martial Arts Society.

He looked to be in his thirties.

As soon as he entered, he called out Lin Chong's name, "Lin Chong, you come out here!"

The disciples were puzzled.

When Lin Chong came out and saw this, his face turned green with trembling. "Junior Sister Su, what brings you here?"

A single word can cause a great stir.

The disciples of the Green Ox Martial Arts Society all had their own guesses.

Junior Sister Su gave a cold snort and walked towards the inner hall.

Lin Chong's expression changed, and he quickly followed obediently to serve him.

In the courtyard, several disciples gathered together, and their hushed conversation could be heard.

"Who?"

"I don't know him!"

"Master Lin's nemesis?"

"Get lost, how old is Teacher Lin?"

"So what do you think?"

"Does Master Lin want to book another room?"

The atmosphere inside was not as lively as outside.

In fact, Su Wanqing had always looked down on Lin Chong. When her sister Su Wanru married Lin Chong, she strongly opposed it.

Later, after Lin Chong left the Four Symbols Gate, his entire family moved to Linjiang City.

In the early years, Su Wanqing would occasionally come to Linjiang City to visit her sister.

After Su Wanru passed away, she visited less often, and the relationship gradually cooled down.

"What is the purpose of summoning me here today?"

Su Wanqing's expression was cold, and her tone carried a hint of arrogance.

"Wanqing, it's like this. Haven't you always been in charge of external affairs for the Four Symbols Sect? I have a very talented disciple here, who ranked in the top ten in the Linjiang Martial Arts Examination. Do you think it would be possible to bring him to the Four Symbols Sect?"

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Zhong finally spoke.

His relationship with Su Wanqing wasn't good; in fact, it was quite strained at one point. But for the sake of his disciple's future, he couldn't care less about that.

Entering the Four Symbols Sect means you can access the complete lineage of the Four Symbols Skill and have the opportunity to learn about the Vermilion Bird Breathing Technique, which is above the Transformation Realm.

This is the limit in the hearts of every disciple of the Four Symbols Kung Fu.

"I do have a spot, but it depends on his qualifications." Su Wanqing maintained her unmoved, indifferent expression. "Linjiang City is such a small place, what kind of person could it possibly produce?"

"He's different," Lin Chong quickly said in a humble and ingratiating tone.

In Lin Zhong's view, Li Yuan was a calm and composed young man who was loyal and righteous, and was worth putting aside his pride for.

The Four Symbols Gate is a more suitable place for Li Yuan to go than the Guicang Alliance.

If he could go to the Four Symbols Sect, Li Yuan's cultivation methods would be consistent, saving him from many detours.

and.

Linjiang City is about to descend into chaos; we can't stay any longer.

This was also the best path he had envisioned for his most prized disciple.

"What could be different?!" Su Wanqing said, but seemed to realize that her tone was too harsh. After all these years, her brother-in-law had never asked her for anything. Since he had asked, then... "Let me meet him when I have the chance."

"Okay, okay, okay..." Lin Chong said "okay" three times.

"Alright, I'm tired from the long journey, I need to rest. You can go now," Su Wanqing said without any politeness.

Lin Chong cupped his hands in greeting, his brows relaxing considerably.

But his back, as he turned to leave, seemed even more hunched.

He's really getting old.

The next day.

As the morning light pierced the gray sky, Li Yuan had already become part of the courtyard.

His arms were bare, their lines resembling both mountain ridges and knife edges; when still, they were the former, and when he moved, they were the latter.

Beneath the skin is not a blockage, but flowing iron.

He breathed, the intervals between the rise and fall of his chest were unusually long, and white breath escaped from between his lips and teeth, as thin as a thread, before being swallowed by the lingering mist.

Moved.

There was no momentum, no build-up.

My left foot slid forward—it was a slide, but also a nail; my whole body felt like it was suspended in mid-air, and the moss on the soles of my feet wasn't even crushed.

At the same time, the right arm sprang up from under the ribs, not to throw a punch, but as something that had been stretched to its limit suddenly relaxed.

"Snapped!"

The sound is short, crisp, and dry.

It felt like a twig breaking inside my ear.

The muscles under the skin suddenly lurched forward like a startled swarm of snakes, then coiled tightly back onto the bones.

Shaking Mountain Fist, with black patterns wrapped in iron.

He suddenly came to life, twisting his waist and hips, pushing his spine segment by segment, making a muffled sound like an old bamboo shoot growing.

The force rolled up from the heels, over the knees, over the hips, over the lumbar spine, all the way to the shoulder blades, swirled around the shoulders, and finally exploded at the tips of the five loosely clenched finger bones.

Using this twisting, evil force, the left fist suddenly burst out, silently and without a trace, and at the end, the wrist flicked!

The strings of rainwater that had hung under the eaves all night suddenly snapped.

The water droplets didn't splash, they exploded, transforming into a fine, fleeting mist in the gray-white morning light.

The situation has changed.

The skillful drilling suddenly came to an end, replaced by the heavy pounding.

The Shaking Mountain Fist can split rocks and shatter mountains.

His toes dug into the mud, and he sat down, not squatting, but sinking.

The right fist slashes upwards from below, drawing a short, hard, and violent arc.

The muscle bundles under the skin were twisting and writhing wildly; you could see them jumping through the skin.

The final move.

His body suddenly tensed, like a spring compressed to its limit, then he leaped upwards with a powerful thrust, his arms tearing through the air like a monkey, diagonally upwards.

Fang suddenly tore it apart!

Suddenly, the entire canopy of the old locust tree overhead trembled, and the accumulated dew, rainwater, and withered leaves pelted down like an unexpected downpour.

He finished his stance and stood in the rain, his scalding skin sizzling as the cold dew hit it, sending white steam billowing around him.

[Shaking Mountain Fist (Minor Mastery): 450/500]

It should be only a couple of days away from completion.

Yang Cheng walked out of the inner hall, his gaze sweeping across the training ground before settling on Li Yuan.

Li Yuan is practicing boxing.

He was composed and focused.

Yang Chen couldn't bear to interrupt.

Li Yuan seemed to notice Yang Cheng's gaze, stopped what he was doing, turned around and looked at him calmly: "Senior Brother Yang, is there something you need?"

"Master Lin is calling everyone to the inner hall."

Li Yuan was somewhat puzzled as to why Master Lin had summoned everyone, but he didn't think too much about it. He called the other disciples who were cultivating and they all went to the inner hall together.

"Teacher Lin!"

"Teacher Lin!"

All the disciples clasped their fists together.

Lin Chong sat upright in the central armchair, took a sip of tea, paused, and then said, "You are all aware of the current situation. The Merchant Alliance is now wielding its sword to eliminate all dissidents."

The dozen or so disciples looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

The merchant alliance's monopoly on elixirs made life difficult for each of them.

Lin Chong looked around at his disciples and continued, "After much deliberation, I have made a decision. We will leave Linjiang City and head to Cangzhou Prefecture to regroup and rebuild the Qingniu Martial Society."

Of course, Lin Chong also had his own plans for this. Iron Lion Ridge near Cangzhou Prefecture was the location of the Four Symbols Gate.

Firstly, he was quite familiar with the area around Cangzhou Prefecture, where many martial arts schools would likely give him face.

Secondly, if Li Yuan could join the Four Symbols Sect, both sides could have more support.

Upon hearing this, most of the disciples were tempted.

Staying in Linjiang City offers no way out; it's better to venture out and take a gamble.

Cangzhou Prefecture was a major city on par with Qingzhou Prefecture.

No matter how far the Linjiang Merchant Alliance's reach extends, it cannot penetrate the territory of Cangzhou Prefecture.

"Professor Lin, I'm willing to go!"

"And me!"

Before long, seven or eight disciples expressed their determination.

"Good, good!" Lin Chong said, his face beaming.

The fact that he has so many disciples shows, to some extent, that he is recognized by most of his disciples as a master.

As for the remaining ones, each has its own reasons.

Ning Zhicheng's parents are old, and there's no one to take care of the grain shop business. He bit his lip, revealing a troubled expression.

Wen Sibei also frowned slightly. His elders were originally from the martial arts world and were high-ranking members of the Cao Gang. They only went to the Qingniu Martial Arts Society to improve their health and broaden their horizons, and did not regard it as their main profession.

Lin Chong nodded slightly. "This matter is based on the principle of voluntariness. All of you are in the same boat. If your family is well-off or you have other connections, there's no need for you to go through all this trouble with me. In fact, I can understand if some of you change your minds and join a martial arts school under the Merchant Alliance."

As he spoke, Lin Chong glanced at Qi Xiuyuan and Chen Ting, intentionally or unintentionally.

These two are a bit special.

They all come from families that are neither too big nor too small.

The heads of their respective families are probably facing a major headache right now, unsure whether to accept the merchant alliance's invitation.

Hearing Master Lin say this, the two of them felt relieved, as if they had breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they were born into nobility, they didn't have much say in their families and had to obey the arrangements of their elders, leaving them with little control over their own lives.

In this era of rapid change, they are not much better off than ordinary people who drift with the tide.

So-called fate depends entirely on the head of the household's decision.

Choosing the wrong side is like falling into an abyss of no return.

Qi Xiuyuan looked away, not daring to meet Lin Chong's gaze.

It seems he has no intention of leaving with Lin Chong.

"Teacher Lin, I'll go with you!" Chen Ting said, her lips almost bleeding from biting them, as if she had made a very difficult decision.

Chen Ting's statement surprised Lin Zhong.

Why is that?

If the Chen family sided with the business alliance, they would receive the same VIP treatment; there was no need for her to make things difficult for herself.

Lin Chong didn't say anything more, but simply nodded with a solemn expression.

Chen Ting may seem like a big-breasted, brainless woman, but she actually has her own plans.

Women, in the end, all need to find a good home.

Staying in Linjiang City means accepting your parents' arrangements and becoming a sacrifice in a marriage alliance with a member's family.

Leaving Linjiang City with Master Lin is her only chance.

Lin Chong looked at Li Yuan, his gaze seeking his opinion.

"Li Yuan, what are your plans?"

Li Yuan certainly had his own ideas.

Although we have not yet received any official letter from the Guicang Alliance in Qingzhou Prefecture, there is still a chance.

Even if he couldn't become a disciple of the Guicang Alliance, he decided that the path he would take was to continue to advance further in martial arts and try to reach the innate realm that breaks through the limitations of lifespan.

So he has to wait.

Even if that opportunity doesn't come, I'll try other things.

The Guizang Alliance is not the only major martial arts sect in the world.

Besides, he still had some things to take care of in Linjiang City.

He crippled Xiao Yichen and severely injured Qin Lang. How could Tianlong Martial Arts School and Xiao Changfeng willingly let him and those around him go?

Rather than feeling uneasy, it's better to cut the Gordian knot.

"Master Lin, I need to think about it," Li Yuan said.

He did not refuse immediately, but prepared a way out in advance.

Lin Zhong was taken aback.

However, he quickly realized what was going on.

Li Yuan was different from the other disciples; he had a much brighter future.

Lin nodded. "This is a matter of great importance and certainly needs careful consideration."

In fact, the Four Symbols Gate is the most suitable place for Li Yuan to go.

However, Su Wanqing has not yet shown any sign of making a statement, and Lin Zhong is not in a position to mention it to Li Yuan.

Lin Chong gave a few more instructions to his disciples, and then they dispersed.