Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 174: Chapter 134: Refining Viscera

Early in the morning.

”WHOOO!!!”

A train whistle blew as the Saint City Railway Station was enveloped in a cloud of grayish-white coal smoke.

The reddish-brown locomotive slowly pulled into the station, its wheels letting out a dull CLANG-CLANG as they rolled over the tracks.

Steam billowed from beneath the wheels, and the smell of soot filled the platform.

The rectangular platform was already teeming with people.

An old man in a dark blue tunic suit carried a wicker case, a few young men in berets held leather suitcases, and beside them, a woman wrapped in a thick scarf cradled a child.

Farther ahead, several women clutched string bags filled with apples and eggs.

Everyone huddled in their clothes, their breath forming white puffs in the air as they stomped their feet and pushed toward the edge of the platform.

”Make way! Make way...”

A train attendant with a red armband shouted at the top of her lungs, a stack of ticket stubs in her hand. ”Form a line, form a line! Everyone has a seat, so what’s all the pushing for!”

The crowd formed a long, crooked line in front of her.

”Junior Brother Wan!”

Tan Xiao squeezed out of the crowd and jogged over, a bulging canvas bag on his back and a simple smile on his face. When he got closer, he scratched the back of his head. ”I was afraid I wouldn’t make it.”

Wan Ze wasn’t surprised. He nodded at him. ”Brother Tan...”

”No, no, no, just call me Brother Xiao. Old Tan works too.” Tan Xiao chuckled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. ”The Hall Master said he was arranging an assistant for you, and I signed up the second I heard.”

He paused, as if afraid Wan Ze would get the wrong idea, and quickly added, ”Don’t get me wrong, I just want to tag along and see the world. You don’t normally get a chance to experience this kind of martial world business.”

Wan Ze smiled and said nothing more.

The two of them walked forward with the crowd.

The platform grew more and more crowded. Beneath their feet was hard concrete, and overhead, daylight filtered through the station’s canopy.

”Tickets out, tickets!”

The attendant stood at the carriage door, holding a ticket punch. Her voice was loud enough to be heard over the roar of the train.

She took the tickets passengers handed her, punching them with a CLICK without even looking up. ”Move along, move along, don’t block the door!”

Dressed in casual clothes, Wan Ze and Tan Xiao didn’t stand out among the other passengers.

The two handed over their tickets, and the attendant glanced at them before deftly punching a hole.

”Get on. Carriage number three, move inside.”

Wan Ze took the ticket stub and stepped onto the carriage’s metal steps. Tan Xiao followed, his bag clanking on his back.

”Careful, careful...” the attendant called after them before punching another ticket.

...

”Ah Ze, here!”

Tan Xiao was standing in the aisle between two rows of seats. At over 1.8 meters tall, the big guy completely blocked the walkway. He turned and waved to Wan Ze, a good-natured smile on his face.

”Coming.”

Wan Ze replied, making his way down the aisle.

The heating in the carriage was cranked up. The luggage racks on both sides of the aisle were stuffed with wicker cases and canvas bags. A few string bags poked out, the apples inside them gently bumping against each other with the train’s motion.

He passed six rows of seats and finally stopped at a window seat.

It was an old-fashioned hard-seat carriage with two rows of deep green leather seats facing each other. Each row could seat three people.

On the small table between them was a white crocheted tablecloth, held down by an enamel mug and a few worn-out magazines.

In their row, a young man sat by the window, and across from him sat two young women.

All three looked to be in their late teens or early twenties, like university students.

As Wan Ze approached, the young man was speaking animatedly, gesturing with his hands in mid-air. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was just audible enough for the surrounding rows to hear. ”...I’m telling you, North Yong has really been backed into a corner this time. Don’t be fooled by Nangge’s crew acting all high and mighty. If they didn’t have someone backing them, they would’ve been dealt with long ago.”

He paused, pushed up the glasses on his nose, and gave them a ’you-know-what-I-mean’ look.

”When has the Eurasian Plate ever been quiet these past few decades? North Yong’s resources have been drained by their conflict with Nangge for nearly two years. They’re almost at rock bottom...”

Tan Xiao was busy stuffing their bags onto the luggage rack. He first took Wan Ze’s bag, pushed it in on his tiptoes, then crammed his own bag in.

The luggage rack was a bit high, but for someone of his 1.8-meter-plus height, it wasn’t much of a struggle. The muscles in his arms tensed.

The young man beside them glanced up, his gaze sweeping over the two newcomers. He noted Tan Xiao’s muscular build and then paid extra attention to Wan Ze’s devastatingly handsome face before nonchalantly looking away and resuming his topic...

”...This whole international situation, when it comes down to it, is just a great power game. Small countries are caught in the middle and can only choose a side. If North Yong had listened to advice earlier, it wouldn’t have come to this...”

As he spoke, he glanced at the two young women across from him.

The two women sat side-by-side. One had her hair in a ponytail, the other wore it down over her shoulders. They were dressed cutely. They listened to the young man and nodded politely, but their eyes kept drifting to the side.

Wan Ze sat down by the window. The morning light streaming in illuminated his profile, defining his features.

These days of martial arts training had made his posture increasingly straight and tall.

The way he sat there—back straight, shoulders broad—was a world away from the other passengers, who were hunched over and dozing.

The woman with the ponytail quietly nudged her companion’s arm and whispered something.

The woman with her hair down shot a quick glance at Wan Ze before lowering her head, the tips of her ears turning a little red.

The young man was still talking, but the two women’s attention had clearly strayed, leaving him frustrated and at a loss.

Tan Xiao finally finished with the bags and plopped down next to Wan Ze, making the seat CREAK under his weight. He rubbed his hands together and looked out the window with a simple grin. ”This train’s moving pretty fast. We should be there before dark. By the way, Ah Ze, have you ever been to South City?”

”First time,” Wan Ze said with a smile. ”What about you, Brother Xiao?”

”I went to university nearby, so I’d sometimes go to South City with friends for grilled skewers... Oh right, Brother Yu used to spend some time in South City.” Tan Xiao vaguely remembered this but had forgotten what position Zhai Yu held there.

”WHOOO...”

The train whistled again.

A CLACK-CLACK sound started up as the train began to slowly move forward, picking up speed.

It sped past patches of farmland, and the scenery outside the window slowly changed from towns to rolling hills.

The carriage quickly grew lively.

Wan Ze leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the view outside as his mind turned over what his master had told him last night.

’We’re heading to South City this time.

The place is in the southwest of Holy City, sharing a river with it.

Years ago, its rich mineral resources made it one of the most famous major cities in all of Jiangnan. Back then, who wouldn’t sing South City’s praises?

Unfortunately, it failed to transition in time. The mines are nearly depleted, and the city has declined along with them.

Its former glory is gone, never to return. Now, all that’s left is a pile of old factory buildings.

Ming Family Manor is in the southern part of South City.

Speaking of the Ming Family Manor, it once had its glory days. With a hundred-year heritage and powerful ancestors, a stomp of their foot in this region would command respect from both the authorities and the underworld.

But they put too much emphasis on bloodlines and failed to grow against the odds like the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall.

Back then, Dragon Eagle was far inferior to the Ming Family. But after Situ Bai took over, he recruited disciples when he should have, made changes when he should have, yielded when he had to, and acted when it was time to act.

Over several decades, it grew against the tide from a second-rate little martial arts hall into an existence that no one in the area dares to provoke.

This time, I’m representing the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall to intervene in the feud between the Ming and Sheng Families. Although I’m supposed to be an arbitrator, given the relationship between the old Ming family head and Situ Bai, I naturally have to ensure the Ming Family’s interests aren’t violated.

The Sheng Family is coming on strong. They must have something up their sleeve...’

Wan Ze mulled over the information his master had provided.

’The Ming and Sheng families are both local martial factions—to put it bluntly, Martial Dao Families that live by the sword. In the early years, they often came to blows over territory and resources. They were ruthless back then, and the grudges run deep.

The Ming Family’s ancestors were supposedly taught by a famous master and had a formidable background. But outsiders don’t know the specifics, and the Ming Family themselves are secretive about it. In any case, not much of value has been passed down to the present day.

The Sheng Family is a different story.

They practice the Explosive Star Secret Martial Arts, a fifth-tier technique.

Don’t look down on the fifth tier. In the martial world, that’s already something respectable. Countless minor families and schools can’t even get close to a tiered technique.

Dragon Eagle’s Secret Martial Arts is third-tier, two levels higher than the Sheng Family’s. That’s why, after all these years of struggling, the Sheng Family has never produced a single master in the Refining Force Realm.

It’s understandable. After all, the upper limit of the Cultivation Technique is a hard ceiling. No matter how hard you train, you can’t overcome that hurdle.

But a technique is just a technique, and the present situation is what matters.

Right now, the Sheng Family has four members at the Refining Viscera Realm, one more than the Ming Family. What’s more, they have a Refining Viscera Late Stage expert holding down the fort. The Ming Family... their strongest is only at the Refining Viscera Middle Stage.’

Wan Ze silently did the math in his head.

’The Ming Family: one Refining Viscera Middle Stage, two Refining Viscera Early Stage.

The Sheng Family: one Refining Viscera Late Stage, one Refining Viscera Middle Stage, two Refining Viscera Early Stage.

Four versus three, and they have an extra Late Stage expert.

Damn...’

Wan Ze gave a wry smile. Other than the reputation of Dragon Eagle, there was no guarantee the other party would give him any face.

He turned his head to look at Tan Xiao.

Tan Xiao was leaning over the small table, carefully filling an enamel mug with hot water, afraid of spilling any. The big guy, over 1.8 meters tall, looked completely cramped in the narrow seat.

After filling the mug, he looked up and gave Wan Ze a simple, toothy grin.

”Ah Ze, want some water?”

”...No, thanks.”

...

「Holy City.」

「Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall.」

Inside the tea room, sandalwood smoke curled in the air.

Master Qin lifted his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze fell on the leisurely face across from him. He paused, set the cup down, and couldn’t help but tease, ”Old Situ, are you really that comfortable sending Wan Ze and Tan Xiao to South City? That mess between the Ming and Sheng families is deep water for them.”

Situ Bai leaned back in his old wicker chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. He looked over with a smile. ”What, are you worried?”

”Of course I am.” Master Qin shot him a glare. ”You know what state the Ming Family is in, don’t you? A Refining Viscera Middle Stage holding the line, with two Early Stages under him. The Sheng Family has four Refining Viscera experts, one of them a Late Stage. If talks break down and a fight starts, can that little disciple of yours handle it?”