Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 184: Chapter 141: The Flames of War Rise

By the time the news reached the Ming Family, the group still hadn’t left the stadium’s parking lot.

Ming Zhaojun answered his communicator. After listening for just a moment, his expression changed. ”...What did you say?”

The person on the other end hastily repeated themselves.

Ming Zhaojun stood there stunned, phone in hand, not moving for a long time.

Ming Venerable, leaning on his cane nearby, saw his expression and frowned. ”What is it?”

Ming Zhaojun slowly lowered his phone and looked at him. His lips moved, his voice a little dry. ”Dad... Zhou Yuan and Zhao Ying from the Divine Martial Society... were beaten by Master Wan...”

”What?” Ming Venerable and the other high-ranking members of the Ming Family behind him were all dumbfounded.

”It just happened...”

Ming Zhaojun took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. ”Sheng Rulong blocked their path to provoke Master Wan, and those two from the Divine Martial Society were fanning the flames... First, Zhao Ying fought Tan Xiao, and Tan Xiao lost. Then Master Wan made his move... He defeated Zhao Ying in a single blow and crippled Zhou Yuan in three.”

He sounded as if he couldn’t believe his own words, adding, ”Master Wan... swung Zhou Yuan around and slammed him into the ground. He was knocked unconscious and has been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.”

Ming Venerable’s grip on his cane tightened slightly.

He lifted his head.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in his cloudy old eyes.

The old man said nothing. He simply shifted his gaze slowly toward the stadium entrance.

People were coming and going.

After a long moment, Ming Venerable sighed softly and murmured to himself, his voice thick with complex emotions, ”Situ Bai... he has truly molded the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall to its very bones.”

Ming Zhaojun froze, then whipped his head around to look at his father.

Ming Venerable spoke slowly, as if to himself, yet also as if for his children and grandchildren to hear. ”Back when I dealt with Situ Bai, Dragon Eagle was just an ordinary martial arts hall, a far cry from our Ming Family. I never thought that after all these years... he would manage to build his hall into such a grand establishment. With so many disciples, just sending two young people is enough to beat the personal disciples of the Divine Martial Society into such a state...”

He paused and shook his head. ”You have to respect that.”

The members of the Ming Family listened, but no one said a word.

Just then, Ming Lei and his group hurried over.

He arrived just in time to hear those words. He stood to the side, his arm in a sling and his face still pale, as the scene he had just witnessed replayed in his mind... Wan Ze standing amid the wreckage, Zhou Yuan and Zhao Ying lying on the ground like dead dogs, and Sheng Rulong so frightened he’d flopped onto the ground...

A sudden impulse surged through his heart.

’I’ll go to Dragon Eagle!’

He desperately wanted to train in a place like that.

But his mouth moved, wanting to say something, but one look at his father Ming Zhaojun’s face made him swallow his words.

Ming Wei didn’t share his reservations.

She looked at her grandfather, thinking of the clean, decisive way Wan Ze had acted, of the pool of blood when Zhou Yuan was slammed into the ground...

Suddenly, she clenched her jaw and, as if throwing caution to the wind, declared, ”Grandfather, I want to go to Dragon Eagle to practice martial arts!”

The moment the words left her mouth, the surroundings fell silent.

Ming Zhaojun’s brow furrowed, and he instinctively opened his mouth to scold her, but he held his tongue.

He knew his old man’s temperament.

The Ming Family had been passed down for three generations, and the old man valued two things above all else: bloodline and rules.

The Ming Family’s martial arts could only be passed down to Ming descendants.

Outsiders were forbidden, and even branch family members were taught a lesser version.

Over the years, many had wanted to send their children elsewhere to learn, but the old man had never once relented.

’For Ming Wei to speak up like this, I’m afraid...’

He looked at Ming Venerable.

Ming Venerable was also looking at Ming Wei.

His deeply wrinkled face was unreadable.

Her grandfather’s gaze made Ming Wei’s skin crawl, but the words were already out. She couldn’t take them back. All she could do was stand her ground, her palms slick with sweat.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Ming Venerable finally spoke, his voice slow. ”This matter... I will discuss it with Situ Bai.”

Ming Wei was stunned.

Ming Lei was stunned.

Ming Zhaojun was also stunned.

He stared at his father with wide eyes, as if looking at a stranger.

’Is this... the old man?’

’The same old man who’s been lecturing about family rules for decades?’

Ming Wei was the first to react, her eyes lighting up instantly. ”Grandfather, you agree?!”

Ming Venerable didn’t speak, merely waving his hand dismissively.

But that gesture said it all.

Ming Wei and Ming Lei looked at each other, unable to hide the surprise and delight in their eyes.

...

In a VIP room at the stadium, the jubilant atmosphere from their great victory over the Ming Family had now plunged to a freezing point.

When the news arrived, Sheng Rushan was holding a teacup and joking with Sheng Hai. The moment the messenger finished speaking, the cup nearly slipped from his grasp.

”What do you mean... ’almost beaten to death’?”

He stared, his face a mask of bewilderment.

The messenger kept his head bowed, not daring to look at him, and repeated his words. ”Brother Zhou Yuan and Brother Zhao Ying of the Divine Martial Society... were beaten by that man from Dragon Eagle, Wan Ze. One was knocked unconscious, and the other collapsed, vomiting blood... They’ve already been sent to the hospital.”

The room fell deathly silent.

The younger members of the Sheng Family looked at each other, their faces pale.

They subconsciously looked toward Sheng Rulong.

Only Sheng Rulong had been present. Only he had witnessed that scene firsthand.

But Sheng Rulong sat in a chair in the corner, utterly silent, not making a sound.

His face was ashen, his gaze vacant. He stared at a single point on the floor, as if he hadn’t heard anything, yet also as if he’d heard everything but couldn’t speak.

Sheng Rushan opened his mouth, wanting to ask something but not daring to.

The others were even more afraid to speak.

’But they were all thinking the same thing... Just how strong is that Wan Ze from Dragon Eagle?’

Zhou Yuan was Elder Peng’s personal disciple and had already reached the Refining Viscera stage.

Zhao Ying was also a peak expert at the Blood Tempering Third Transformation.

’And yet, the two of them together were beaten into this state by a single person?’

’And, more importantly!’

’They say that Wan Ze is even a few years younger than Sheng Rushan...’

They secretly exchanged glances, none of them daring to voice their thoughts.

’No wonder the Patriarch always warned us...’

’The people from Dragon Eagle are not to be provoked.’

...

On the other side of the room, the atmosphere was even more rigid.

Elder Peng had brought four disciples with him, but now only two remained by his side, each with an ashen face.

The stocky young man was named Shi Lei, a disciple Elder Peng had accepted three years ago. He was taciturn and spoke little, but his skills were solid.

The girl with the ponytail next to him was Liu Qing, Elder Peng’s youngest disciple. Only seventeen this year, she was extremely talented and had always been arrogant.

Right now, her delicate face was filled with disbelief. Her eyes were wide, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. ”Brother Zhou and Brother Zhao... were both taken down? Two against one, and they were beaten this badly?”

The messenger kept his head bowed, not daring to respond.

Shi Lei asked in a low voice, ”What else?”

The messenger hesitated for a moment before forcing himself to say, ”That Wan Ze... sent a message. He said he wants an explanation from the Divine Martial Society.”

”What?!”

Liu Qing shot her head up. ”An explanation for him? He beat our people into this state, and he wants an explanation from us?!”

’This is outrageous!’

Hearing this, Shi Lei’s eyebrows raised slightly, and his expression darkened.

He wasn’t actually angry that Zhou Yuan and Zhao Ying were injured.

He was angry that the Divine Martial Society had its face stomped on and humiliated, and that this Wan Ze character dared to turn around and blame them!

’What kind of organization is the Divine Martial Society?’

’One of the five great Martial Dao powers in Jiangnan, with five Refining Grandmasters and disciples far and wide. Wherever they go, aren’t they treated with the utmost respect?’

Today, they were beaten by a young man from Dragon Eagle in his early twenties, and now they had to offer an explanation?

Liu Qing’s chest heaved with anger. She turned to Elder Peng, who had been silent the whole time. ”Master, that man surnamed Wan is too arrogant!”

Elder Peng sat in the main seat, a cup of tea in his hand. The tea had long gone cold, but he hadn’t taken a sip.

His expression was unchanged, betraying no joy or anger.

But his eyes were half-closed, and no one could see what lay hidden within them.

”Where is he?” he asked, his voice calm.

The messenger hurriedly replied, ”At the hotel. The man surnamed Wan said... if he doesn’t get an explanation, he’ll... he’ll go cause trouble at headquarters.”

”How absurd!” Shi Lei slammed his fist on the nearby coffee table, making the teacups CLATTER. ”Master, let me go deal with him!”

Elder Peng ignored him.

He remained seated, his fingers gently rubbing the rim of his teacup, seemingly lost in thought.

Liu Qing bit her lip and said no more.

At that moment, Sheng Yunfeng appeared alone, walking briskly. After knocking and entering, he began to recount the incident, but halfway through, he saw the ugly expressions on the faces of the Divine Martial Society members and immediately understood. He gave a dry cough, stood to the side, and his eyes darted around.

He could tell Elder Peng was in a foul mood.

’In a situation like this, you have to pick a side.’

So he took a step forward and said with righteous indignation, ”Elder Peng, that kid surnamed Wan is completely out of line! Beating someone and then having the audacity to make such arrogant demands—he clearly has no respect for the Divine Martial Society! In my opinion, we can’t just let this go... If you have need of the Sheng Family, I’ll take my men right now and get that kid...”

”That won’t be necessary.”

Elder Peng cut him off, slowly raising his eyelids to glance at Sheng Yunfeng.

A smile stretched across his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

”I appreciate Patriarch Sheng’s kind offer.”

With that, he stood up and dusted off his robes. ”I will personally go and meet this star pupil of Dragon Eagle.”

Sheng Yunfeng’s indignant expression froze, then he nodded repeatedly. ”Of course, of course. With Elder Peng personally taking action, that kid will surely... I’ll take my men and follow you.”

”You don’t need to come.”

Elder Peng cut him off again.

Without even looking at Sheng Yunfeng, he turned and walked out.

Shi Lei and Liu Qing hurried to follow.

Sheng Yunfeng was left standing there, the smile frozen on his face, not knowing what to do with his hands.

He didn’t pull his gaze back until the sound of their footsteps disappeared down the hall.

The smile on his face slowly vanished.

He stood there for a moment, then suddenly let out a soft breath.

To be honest, he felt a surge of relief.

It was a good thing Elder Peng didn’t let him follow.

’When it came down to it, what did this have to do with the Sheng Family?’

’Wasn’t it that little bastard Zhou Yuan who insisted on instigating Rulong to be his blade? He wanted to use the Sheng Family as a weapon to test the depths of Dragon Eagle?’

’Well, look what happened now.’

’He lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot.’

’Zhou Yuan is in the hospital, Zhao Ying is in the hospital, and the Divine Martial Society’s face has been ground into the mud by that Wan fellow...’

’But what does any of that have to do with their Sheng Family?’

The agreement he, Sheng Yunfeng, had signed was to transfer the mines to the Divine Martial Society, not a contract to sell his life away.

A clash between the Divine Martial Society and Dragon Eagle was a battle between gods. If their little Sheng Family got involved, they would just be cannon fodder.

’Elder Peng not letting him follow... was perfect.’

”Perfect,” he murmured.

As Sheng Yunfeng thought this, his expression gradually relaxed, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

He took a few steps, then suddenly saw Sheng Rulong still sitting in the corner with that same dazed and shaken look. The anger in his heart flared up again.

Sheng Yunfeng strode over and stopped in front of Sheng Rulong.

A shadow fell over him, and Sheng Rulong looked up.

Father and son met each other’s gaze for a second.

The last bit of relaxation on Sheng Yunfeng’s face vanished completely. He said coldly, ”Follow me to the study.”