Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 23 Zhang Zehu Bows His Head

Five days passed, and the news of the Poison Wolf Squad's annihilation spread.

However, this had nothing to do with Ning Ze, and he continued to cultivate at his previous pace.

Ning Hua was in charge of this matter. They were well-prepared at the time, and there is video evidence, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

It's normal for martial artists to fight each other. If you dare to come looking for trouble, you should be prepared to die. If you're going to be killed for such suicidal behavior, then you deserve it. No one will say anything bad about you. At most, they'll just say you're too ruthless and wiped out two teams.

Of course, things are different here at the Limit Martial Arts Academy. After this incident, Ning Hua's reputation changed dramatically. His name "Golden Blade," which had been forgotten for seven or eight years, is now known to people again.

However, everyone still calls them "Golden Fire Bear," which the people at Thunder Martial Arts School have some reservations about, and of course, they won't say anything nice about them. The people at Limit Martial Arts School are simply used to calling them that, and since there's not much malice involved, they naturally won't change because of this.

And because of this, a special guest came to their house.

"Chief Instructor, did you need something?"

Ning Ze, who came out of the training room, was a little surprised. They had lived in this community since they were young, and he was very familiar with the head instructor of the Yangzhou District Extreme Club.

Head Instructor Wu Tong smiled broadly. "Come on, Uncle Wu wants to ask you for a favor this time?"

Ning Ze's expression was very strange. "Let me? You must be joking. How could I possibly be of any help to you?"

The Extreme Martial Arts Academy has instructors, branch masters, city headquarters masters, and supervisors.

The head of the main branch in the city is the same person as the head of the Extreme Martial Arts Club. In Yangzhou District, he is the nominal head of the Extreme Martial Arts Club. How could he possibly help such a big shot?

As he said this, he turned to look at his father, but the father just smiled and didn't say anything.

"I came to call you, so naturally I can get your help." Wu Tong smiled slightly. "You should have heard of that genius who just came to our neighborhood. After he became a quasi-martial artist, he was attacked at the police station. It turns out that the police there have martial arts backgrounds. Let's all try to negotiate this matter. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. If we can settle it privately, that would be better."

"It just so happens that your combat squad was involved in that incident recently. Although you're not the strongest, they certainly won't dare to underestimate you. Since this is a negotiation, we can't be too forceful. Your past contributions were no less than those of high-ranking generals."

Ning Ze looked at him strangely; he never imagined he would have a day when he would be standing on a platform.

Martial artists value their reputation, and their behavior and personality are often unrestrained and arrogant, which naturally leads to many conflicts. Negotiation is the purpose of easing tensions between the two sides.

The people standing on the platform are all renowned and powerful figures, all for the purpose of maintaining order and dominance. Who would listen to someone without strength and reputation? Neither side in the feud would believe them.

"Master, do you think my going will be effective?" Ning Ze said somewhat helplessly.

Those who have the strength are naturally not afraid of offending people. If he goes there... needless to say, there will definitely be a powerful figure on the other side, at least a top-tier high-level general. Just a few days ago, he needed to ask Shao Yang and others for help. Now, if he directly confronts them... how can he stand firm if he can't even maintain his own position? It's very dangerous!

Wu Tong said with a grin, "Kid, are you scared?"

Ning Ze looked awkward. Was this a question of whether he was afraid or not?

Offending someone for no reason is no joke.

I turned my head and looked at my father, who was pretending nothing was wrong.

He thought for a moment and roughly understood what the two meant. There aren't that many "yes, yes, yes" messages between martial artists.

Martial artists are known for their fearsome reputations!

The code name is either a weapon, a battle record, a cultivation secret, or a personality trait.

If you are strong, others will fear you; if you are fierce, others will dread you.

Now that something like this has happened in his squad, Flying Eagle is also publicizing his combat strength.

When you're in the wilderness, you're not in control of your own destiny. Being well-behaved doesn't guarantee safety. Even if you don't intend to harm a tiger, it may be that the tiger is intent on harming you. When a fearsome reputation is combined with innate talent, others will have to think twice before taking action.

He does have a certain deterrent effect, and he should even make more noise.

"Uncle Wu, you're joking. If a martial artist is afraid of this and that, what kind of martial artist is he? He should just stay in the base city obediently." Ning Ze chuckled, then his expression became arrogant. "I'll take this job! My Warfire Squad may not be top-tier, but we're not afraid of trouble!"

"Besides, with you setting up the stage, I have even less to fear. If it's a warrior over there, that's fine; as a senior, I'll give him some face. After all, Luo Feng is a newcomer. As long as we save face, we can make some concessions. But if it's a regular soldier, he'll have to behave himself. He should admit his mistakes, accept punishment, and stand at attention when he's hit. Only if he has a good attitude will we be lenient. After all, we can't tarnish the reputation of my Extreme Martial Arts School!"

"Hahaha!" Wu Tong laughed loudly after hearing this. "Good lad, that's the spirit! But that's not a general over there, but a high-ranking soldier. We can't let him get too arrogant."

"Okay. When will the negotiations begin?" Ning Ze asked directly about the time.

"I'll be there in about ten minutes," Wu Tong said with a smile. "I just suddenly remembered you were coming, so I decided to come at the last minute."

"Let's set off now," Ning Ze said directly.

"good!"

The two arrived at the reception room on the second floor of the Extreme Club in Mingyue Community.

Since he knew them all, Ning Ze greeted them one by one, "Brother Chen, Uncle Kong..."

His gaze lingered briefly on the two men, for they were both powerful warriors at the level of generals. Finally, he fixed his gaze on a young man who looked rather ordinary.

Standing at around 1.75 meters tall, he appeared quiet and composed. While not conventionally handsome, he possessed a unique kind of fortitude, especially his exceptionally bright eyes.

At the same time, Luo Feng was also sizing up Ning Ze. His white training uniform looked somewhat elegant on him. He had strikingly handsome features with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a faint smile on his lips that made him seem like a kind person. However, his face looked a bit young.

Luo Feng felt something was off. For negotiations like this, anyone who came had to have some reputation, otherwise it would be a waste of time if no one recognized them. Why would a very handsome young man appear under these circumstances?

Seeing that the two were carefully sizing each other up, Wu Tong smiled and said, "What's wrong? The two geniuses of my Bright Moon Community haven't met yet? I suppose you've both heard of each other."

"I've heard about it many times." Ning Ze smiled slightly. "Luo Feng, hello."

"Brother Ning."

Luo Feng's eyes showed a hint of realization; it was Ning Ze! He nodded slightly and responded.

He has now integrated into the Bright Moon Community, so he is naturally aware of what happened to the martial artists. The Warfire Squad killed two groups of martial artists who were causing trouble in the wilderness, and this incident has caused quite a stir on the Extreme Home forum.

At the same time, he also attaches great importance to Ning Ze himself.

He not only heard about it many times, but he also set it as his goal.

He thought that his spiritual power had awakened and his cultivation speed had increased significantly, allowing him to catch up with this genius. However, he did not expect the other party to progress so quickly. In just half a month, when he heard news of the other party again, he had already reached the level of an advanced warrior.

This made Luo Feng's heart skip a beat. Yes, he did have the talent of a mentalist, but talent always has its limits. Even with the talent of a mentalist, his cultivation speed was still a little slower than his opponent's.

Even if a mentalist is invincible at the same level, that's still just being at the same level. If Ning Ze's strength far surpasses his, even a mentalist can't compare to Ning Ze, so how can a martial artist catch up with him?

"Haha, you're all young people, so it's good that we all live together and chat more often," Wu Tong said with a smile.

"Okay, if I have a sparring partner, my cultivation speed will be faster." Ning Ze agreed with a smile. He really wanted a sparring partner, as that would improve his cultivation speed!

"I'm no match for Brother Ning yet. I'll go and ask him for guidance once I've mastered the secret manual." Luo Feng's attitude was somewhat humble. Even though he was a mentalist stronger than his opponent, he could frankly admit his own lack of martial arts strength.

With Wu Tong present, everyone chatted happily.

Soon, eight more martial artists arrived at the reception room.

One of them was very tall and burly, and his whole appearance was like that of a ferocious beast. He was Zhang Zehu.

His fierce eyes swept around, and when he saw Luo Feng, his gaze turned menacing. But when he saw Ning Ze, he frowned slightly; there was another young man there. Zhang Zehu was very puzzled. Who was this kid?

The leader of the Thunder Martial Arts Academy was a burly man who walked with an arrogant and haughty demeanor. When he saw Ning Ze, he was slightly taken aback, frowned, and said, "It's you, kid?" He turned to Wu Tong and said with displeasure, "What does your Limit Martial Arts Academy mean by sending this kid here?"

Ning Ze nodded in response with a faint smile on his face.

This burly man was the one who threw him the weapon during his duel with Zhai Yanke. He was able to maintain order at the guild hall, and he certainly wouldn't be outdone when facing off against Wu Tong, the chief instructor of the Yangzhou district.

"Mad Blade, don't misunderstand. Xiao Ze also lives here. If a young person wants to come and visit, then of course they've come." Wu Tong's smile deepened.

The burly martial artist snorted coldly, not very satisfied with the answer. The Poison Wolf Squad had been wiped out just a few days ago, and only Flying Eagle from the Blood Shadow Squad had escaped back. Bringing Ning Ze here was somewhat of a show of force.

"Let's get straight to the point. Hu Zi's nephew did make a mistake regarding Luo Feng's matter, but he's just a little kid. How old is he? What does he know? Besides, he's just an ordinary person, not a martial artist. There's no need to keep holding onto this."

"Mad Blade, your word doesn't count." Wu Tong shook his head and smiled. "This matter is crystal clear. You've come here to settle things privately, haven't you? Mountain Tiger, you speak."

Zhang Zehu is known as "Mountain-Opening Tiger" in martial arts circles.

"Director Wu," Zhang Zehu smiled slightly, his gaze falling on Luo Feng, "it's best if Luo Feng speaks about this himself. Luo Feng, what do you think would be a satisfactory solution?"

"hehe."

The laughter was abrupt. Zhang Zehu frowned and turned to look. When he realized it was the young man laughing, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he said in a low voice, "Kid, what are you laughing at?"

Wu Tong, Kong Quan, and the others smiled with amusement. This Kai Shan Hu was really arrogant, daring to offend even Ning Ze.

Kuangdao's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "This kid is Ning Ze. You just came back from the wilderness area and don't know yet, but he already has the strength of a near-warrior."

Zheng Xuan, who had escaped, said that the kid could withstand his attack and that his strength had reached the level of a warrior general. Although everyone felt it was a bit exaggerated and didn't quite believe it, they still acknowledged Ning Ze's strength.

Offending Luo Feng is not a big deal, but offending Ning Ze is terrifying. He didn't say anything just now because he came here to help, not to offend anyone.

The fierce glint in Zhang Zehu's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a look of astonishment. He turned to look at the others, trying to confirm if he had misheard, only to find that the people who had come with him were filled with apprehension. He had a vague sense of unease.

This pretty boy is actually someone!

Ning Ze said with a disdainful look, "If you do something wrong, you have to accept the punishment. Your nephew doesn't deserve to apologize, that's why we need you here. You're here today to apologize, why are you even asking what Luo Feng wants? What a joke! If you want to apologize, then show some respect! Do you think we newcomers are easy to bully?"

Zhang Zehu was so angry that his face was trembling. How could he bow down to a newcomer?

"Mr. Zhang Zehu," Luo Feng spoke up at this moment, smiling slightly, "I'm a little embarrassed that so many of my brothers had to get involved in this matter. Actually, in my own opinion... Hmph, Zhang Haobai breaking my legs is a small matter, but he dared to hit my father, that's courting death!"

Kuangdao frowned slightly but didn't say anything more. Family is a martial artist's bottom line, and no one could bear such a thing happening to them.

Zhang Zehu's face was extremely ugly. He had already remembered who Ning Ze was. This kid had gone to the Thunder Martial Arts Hall for a duel before. At that time, it was rumored that this kid was very strong. In just half a month, his strength had approached that of a warrior general, which was no worse than his own.

Zhang Zehu was still somewhat rational; he certainly wouldn't dare offend such a genius.

But even Luo Feng dared to glare at him, and he was furious. "Hmph, Luo Feng, what do you plan to do? Speak!"

"In short, fifty million Chinese yuan. I, Luo Feng, will give you face and let this matter drop," Luo Feng said with a smile.

"You're really asking for the moon, fifty million!!!" Zhang Zehu glared.

During negotiations, the amount of compensation awarded is a matter of face.

Kuangdao's gaze swept across the faces of everyone at the Limit Martial Arts Academy. The headmaster, Wu Tong, was alright; although he held some positions, he wouldn't leave the base city. However, "Cannon" Chen Gu and "Eagle Blade" Kong Quan would be leaving the base city later. Among them, Kong Quan was a veteran warrior whose strength was no less than Kuangdao's.

Then there's Ning Ze, a rising star among geniuses. Geniuses always appreciate each other, and since they both live in Mingyue Community, they might become friends later. This time, he might not only offend Luo Feng, but also Ning Ze.

He said in a deep voice, "Tiger, just give them the money. It's better than donating a hundred million to the country and offending people. It's not worth it."

Martial artists are a privileged class. If an ordinary person offends a martial artist, the authorities will directly take action to convict them unless they become a star-level citizen, meaning their contribution level reaches one star. Ordinary people can only donate if they cannot hunt monsters!

Zhang Zehu's face changed from red to green. For Kuangdao to say such a thing, he must have been very wary of him. But it would be too humiliating for him to bow down to a newcomer.

He had figured out the crux of the matter and turned to look at Ning Ze. He saw a pair of indifferent eyes, and that indifference made him smell the scent of death, sending a chill down his spine.

"Alright!" Zhang Zehu said with great difficulty after struggling for a moment. "This time, Xiaobai was in the wrong. For everyone's sake, I'll give him 5000 million!" After saying that, he was extremely embarrassed and turned to walk straight outside.

"I'll transfer the money to you later." Mad Blade said this and turned to leave.

The other six martial artists from the Thunder Martial Arts School nodded to Kong Quan and the others, their gazes lingering briefly on Ning Ze before they left.

Luo Feng's face lit up with joy. With an extra 5000 million Chinese yuan, he could buy even better equipment!

Everyone had seen Zhang Zehu's expression earlier. Wu Tong teased, "Kid, it seems your intimidation is stronger than Old Kong's. Zhang Zehu is known for his bad temper, yet he actually bowed down to you."

"Uncle Wu, please don't say that. My strength is far inferior to Uncle Kong's." Ning Ze smiled modestly and nodded to Kong Quan beside him.

Luo Feng felt a pang of envy; this was the intimidating power of talent and fame. He spoke earnestly, "Thank you all for your help this time." As he spoke, he looked at Ning Ze.

Ning Ze smiled and nodded.

(End of this chapter)