Bang!
The door of Qingshan Martial Hall was kicked open after a long time, revealing a group of disciples practicing martial arts, who looked astonished.
They stared at the heroes from Liangzhou who were streaming in, momentarily at a loss.
It seemed like they were here to challenge the school!
Ever since they came under the banner of Feiyun Martial Hall, they hadn’t experienced such a challenge.
“Hahaha, we are heroes from Liangzhou, call out your school master!”
Among the group of brash men, Fang Long stepped forward, holding a solid iron rod, his tone bold.
“Who are these ruffians? Our school master is not someone you can just meet!” a disciple retorted defiantly.
Fang Long chuckled indifferently, grinning as he said, “Little brother, we are here to challenge the school. Who else would we look for if not your school master?”
“If you want to challenge our school master, you must first get past us!”
Several disciples in training outfits stepped forward, unafraid as they stared directly at the Liangzhou heroes.
“Hahahaha, you’ve got guts, but blades and swords have no eyes. You little brothers should be careful.”
“Zhang Peian, these few are up to you.”
As the words fell, a man wielding a broadsword stepped out from the crowd, facing several disciples from the Martial Hall, his imposing aura not diminished in the slightest.
This man named Zhang Peian had thick hair, his cheeks covered with black whiskers, and his robust figure exuded a sense of intimidation.
“I’m Zhang Peian. Are you coming one by one or all at once?” Zhang Peian sneered.
Upon hearing this, several young disciples, full of vigor, could no longer hold back: “Arrogant!”
“I’ll go first!”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, an apprentice who looked like he had just started practicing martial arts stepped forward.
The two exchanged no more words, locking eyes before immediately engaging in combat.
“Kill!” shouted the martial arts disciples, bolstering their courage as they took their stances and charged at Zhang Peian.
Having experienced the rivers and lakes, Zhang Peian looked at this apprentice who resembled a fledgling bird and felt little interest.
“Hmph, seeking death!”
A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Peian's eyes, and without further ado, he drew his sword and struck.
Swish!
The disciple didn’t even have time to dodge, receiving a vertical slash from shoulder to abdomen, crimson blood spraying out in an arc.
The young disciples, who had never seen blood before, suddenly felt their legs tremble.
The faint scent of blood wafted into their noses, and they finally realized that this was a real challenge, not the friendly sparring they were used to where they would shake hands afterward!
“Gulp!”
It was unclear who swallowed, but the sound was particularly clear in the silent Martial Hall.
“If we take him down now, he won’t die, but if we wait a bit longer, I can’t guarantee that,” Zhang Peian said disdainfully.
As soon as this was said, several martial arts disciples rushed out to carry the bleeding disciple away.
With this example, the disciples who had just mustered the courage to step forward began to waver.
You look at me, I look at you, wide-eyed and speechless, no one dared to speak first.
For these fledgling disciples who had never seen blood, the seasoned Fang Long couldn’t be bothered to engage with them. He directly used his strength to shout:
“They say the master of Qingshan is a true hero. Can’t he even show his face?”
“It’s truly disappointing. If you’re afraid to fight, you might as well roll out of Chiming Street. This street belongs to us Liangzhou brothers from now on!”
His loud proclamation, infused with external strength, spread widely, and nearly half the street could hear it clearly. Moments later, the old master Xu Qingshan finally appeared from the back of the Martial Hall.
His face was as dark as water, his gaze fixed on the group of Liangzhou heroes.
“I do not know where I have offended you, esteemed heroes. Could you speak plainly?” Xu Qingshan said, cupping his fists. Faced with such formidable figures, he hoped to avoid a fight if possible.
Fang Long scoffed, “Master Qingshan, you really are getting old and confused. You haven’t offended us; we brothers have taken a liking to this street you’re protecting. From today on, you and your people should roll out!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingshan realized there was no hope left; these were not people who could be sent away with a bit of silver.
“I have the tacit approval of Feiyun Martial Hall to operate this Martial Hall.”
Before he could finish, Fang Long stepped forward with his iron rod, directly interrupting him: “Let me tell you, what our Liangzhou brothers want doesn’t require anyone’s approval!”
Bang!
He slammed the iron rod heavily onto the ground, producing a muffled sound.
At the same time, the energy within him surged, creating an overwhelming presence.
“Then let’s have a proper fight!” Xu Qingshan knew that today’s matter could not be resolved peacefully, so he steeled himself and prepared to engage with the ancestral Qingshan Technique.
Without further ado, Fang Long lunged forward, unleashing his full strength as he swung the rod fiercely at Xu Qingshan.
Xu Qingshan, being an expert in external strength, was naturally much stronger than the disciples under him who lacked real skill.
He sidestepped and struck out with a palm infused with energy, aiming directly for Fang Long’s forehead.
However, what the old master did not expect was that Fang Long didn’t even attempt to dodge; he simply raised one arm to block, while the other hand wielding the iron rod struck out again.
Seeing this scene, Xu Qingshan was greatly alarmed. This was no wild dog fighting for scraps; this was clearly a fierce hungry wolf, fighting with the intent to exchange injury for injury, life for life!
Such ruthless tactics threw him into disarray.
Xu Qingshan’s palm ultimately struck out, but Fang Long’s blocking arm cracked with a sound, severely twisted, resembling a fracture.
However, Fang Long’s powerful strike also landed heavily on Xu Qingshan’s abdomen.
Bang!
The frail Xu Qingshan could not withstand such a blow, immediately rolling his eyes back, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his body flew backward like a kite with a severed string.
In just a few exchanges, the outcome of the battle was already clear.
Xu Qingshan lost consciousness, while Fang Long stood in the center of the Martial Hall, still holding the iron rod.
“From today on, this street is under our protection. You all get as far away as you can; don’t let me see you again!”
Though Fang Long’s arm was severely injured, he spoke fiercely without changing his expression, still exuding a fierce aura that left the other disciples too afraid to respond, as they awkwardly carried their master Xu Qingshan away from the Martial Hall.
Chiming Street officially changed hands today!
The few Liangzhou men immediately took down the plaque of Qingshan Martial Hall and, in front of the entire street, forcibly broke it.
At the same time, they loudly declared, “Starting next month, our Liangzhou brothers will only charge each neighbor two taels of silver as a protection fee. In the future, if anyone encounters trouble that the authorities refuse to handle, feel free to come find us!”
Upon hearing that the protection fee had returned to two taels of silver, the merchants were overjoyed.
Previously, Qingshan Martial Hall had raised the protection fee to three taels, effectively squeezing them dry, and they had been burdened for quite some time.
Most of them were small business owners, and one tael of silver was no small amount.
Such events were continuously occurring in Shengtian City, as various streets under the protection of the three major Martial Halls were being challenged by martial artists from all over. The martial arts atmosphere in the imperial capital reached its peak.
However, once the martial arts atmosphere thickened, public order began to deteriorate.
The nights in the imperial capital had not been peaceful lately, with street battles over territory occurring more than once.
(End of Chapter)