Immortal Refiner

Bang! The door of the Green Mountain Martial Arts School was kicked open, a rare occurrence that left the disciples inside stunned.

They watched as the Liangzhou Heroes filed in, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

This looked like a challenge to their school! Ever since they had come under the wing of the Flying Cloud School, they hadn’t experienced anything like this.

”Hahaha, we’re the Liangzhou Heroes. Call out your master,” one of the burly men declared boldly.

”Who do you think you are? Our master isn’t someone you can just summon,” a disciple retorted defiantly.

Fang Long, holding a solid iron rod, stepped forward with a hearty laugh. ”Little brother, we’re here to challenge your school. Who else should we look for if not your master?”

”If you want to challenge our master, you’ll have to get through us first!”

Several disciples in training uniforms stepped forward, fearlessly facing the Liangzhou Heroes.

”Hahaha, brave indeed. But swords and knives have no eyes. Be careful, young ones.”

”Zhang Pei’an, these guys are yours.”

As soon as the words were spoken, a man wielding a broadsword emerged from the crowd, standing alone against the disciples, his presence undiminished.

Zhang Pei’an was a burly man with thick facial hair covering his cheeks, his imposing figure exuding intimidation.

”My name’s Zhang Pei’an. Are you coming at me one by one or all together?” he sneered.

This provoked the hot-blooded young disciples. ”Arrogant!”

”I’ll go first!”

Under everyone’s gaze, a novice disciple stepped forward.

Without much ado, the two locked eyes and immediately engaged.

”Kill!” the disciple shouted, bolstering his courage before charging at Zhang Pei’an.

Having experienced the jianghu, Zhang Pei’an looked at the inexperienced disciple with little interest.

”Hmph, seeking death!”

A flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, Zhang Pei’an swung his blade without hesitation.

Swish! The disciple couldn’t even dodge; a vertical slash from shoulder to abdomen sent a crimson arc of blood spraying out.

The young disciples, who had never seen blood, began to tremble.

The faint scent of blood reached their noses, making them realize this was a real challenge, not the friendly sparring matches they were used to.

”Gulp!”

Someone swallowed audibly, the sound echoing in the silent school.

”If you take him down now, he might live. Any later, and I can’t guarantee it,” Zhang Pei’an said dismissively.

At this, disciples rushed out to carry away the bleeding comrade.

With this example, the disciples who had stood their ground out of sheer courage now hesitated, exchanging nervous glances, none daring to speak first.

Fang Long, a seasoned veteran, couldn’t be bothered to deal with these inexperienced youngsters. He directly used his strength and began to shout, ”They say the Green Mountain Martial Arts Master is a true hero, but now he doesn’t even dare to show his face?”

”It’s truly disappointing. If you don’t dare to face us, then get out of Chiming Street as soon as possible. From now on, this street will be under the protection of us brothers from Liangzhou!”

His loud shout, amplified by his Outer Strength, carried far and wide, reaching the ears of nearly half the street. After a moment, the old master Xu Qingshan finally appeared from the back of the martial arts school.

His face was as dark as water, his eyes locked onto the group of heroes from Liangzhou.

”I don’t know where I have offended you gentlemen. Could you please speak plainly?” Xu Qingshan said, cupping his fists first. Facing these men who seemed like dragons crossing the river, he hoped to avoid a fight if possible.

Fang Long sneered, ”Master Qingshan, you’re really getting senile. You haven’t offended us in any way. We brothers have taken a liking to the street you’re protecting. From today onwards, you and your people can get out.”

Hearing this, Xu Qingshan knew there was no hope. These were not people who could be easily dismissed with a bit of silver.

”I established this martial arts school here with the tacit approval of the Flying Cloud School...”

Before he could finish, Fang Long stepped forward with an iron rod, interrupting him, ”Then let me tell you, what we brothers from Liangzhou want doesn’t need anyone’s tacit approval!”

Bang! He slammed the iron rod hard into the ground, producing a dull thud.

At the same time, the energy within his body surged, making him the center of attention.

”Then let’s have a match,” Xu Qingshan knew that today’s matter couldn’t be resolved peacefully. He steeled himself and prepared to fight, deploying his ancestral Azure Mountain Technique.

Without another word, Fang Long lunged forward, unleashing all his strength, and swung the iron rod fiercely at Xu Qingshan.

Xu Qingshan, after all, was also a master of Outer Strength. Naturally, he handled it much better than his disciples who lacked real skill.

He sidestepped and struck out with a palm imbued with energy, aiming directly for Fang Long’s forehead.

However, to the old master’s surprise, Fang Long didn’t even try to dodge. He merely raised one arm to block and, in the same motion, swung the iron rod with his other hand.

This sight filled Xu Qingshan with dread. This was no mere scavenging dog; it was a ferocious wolf, fighting with a brutal, life-for-life approach! Such ruthlessness threw his mind into disarray.

Xu Qingshan’s palm strike landed, and Fang Long’s blocking arm twisted with a sickening crack, as if it had been fractured.

But Fang Long’s powerful swing of the iron rod also struck Xu Qingshan’s midsection with full force.

Bang! The frail old Xu Qingshan couldn’t possibly withstand such a blow. His eyes rolled back, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with its string cut.

In just a few exchanges, the outcome of the match was clear.

Xu Qingshan was unconscious, while Fang Long stood in the center of the martial arts school, still holding the iron rod.

”From today onwards, this street is under our protection. You all can get as far away as possible, and don’t let me see you again!”

Although Fang Long’s arm was severely injured, his expression remained unchanged as he delivered his threats, still exuding a fierce and menacing aura that silenced the other disciples. They could only carry their master, Xu Qingshan, and leave the martial arts school in a disheveled state.

Chiming Street had officially changed hands today!

The several Liangzhou men who took over immediately brought the plaque of the Green Mountain Martial Arts School out to the street and, in front of everyone, forcefully broke it in half.

At the same time, they loudly announced, ”Starting next month, we, the brothers from Liangzhou, will only collect two taels of silver as the monthly fee from our neighbors. In the future, if anyone encounters trouble that the authorities are unwilling to handle, feel free to come to us!”

Upon hearing that the monthly fee would be reduced to two taels of silver, the merchants were overjoyed.

Previously, the Green Mountain Martial Arts School had raised the protection fee to three taels of silver, essentially sucking the lifeblood out of them. The burden during that period had been immense.

For these small-scale merchants, even just one tael of silver was already a significant amount.

Such events were continuously happening in Shengtian City. Streets previously under the protection of the three major martial arts schools were being challenged by martial artists from various regions, and the martial atmosphere in the capital reached its peak.

However, as the martial atmosphere intensified, public order also became increasingly chaotic.

In recent nights, the capital had not been peaceful, with street brawls and territorial disputes occurring more than once.

(End of the Chapter)

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