Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 320: Chapter 183: The Martial World Is More Than Just Fighting and Killing, But Are You Worthy of My Respect?

In truth, Wan Ze wasn’t opposed to fighting on a public stage.

Watching the old men play chess in the park as a child had taught him a simple truth: you never know how good someone is until you play a game.

The Martial Dao was the same. Practicing ten thousand times behind closed doors couldn’t compare to a single fight on stage.

His private training was for accumulating attribute values.

But without the chance to fight others, how would he ever know his true strength?

Besides, he wasn’t against making a name for himself.

’I have to be strong! Stronger! Strong enough to command everyone’s respect—only then can I avoid a lot of trouble!’

”Might as well take it as it comes,” Wan Ze said with a smile.

No grand pronouncements, no impassioned speeches. He would just do what had to be done. It was as simple as that.

Zhai Jia looked at him and smiled as well. ”Don’t worry, Master treasures you. I just wonder how many from your group will make it. I used to have high hopes for Ah Ming, but that kid hasn’t even reached Refining Viscera yet, so it’ll be tough for him this year... No, wait, the new year just started. I wonder if he can reach Refining Viscera before early spring.”

Lei Ming had joined the martial arts hall before Wan Ze and had a solid foundation. Before Wan Ze’s arrival, Lei Ming had always been considered the most promising of the younger generation.

”Brother Lei still has a chance,” Wan Ze said. He genuinely believed Lei Ming could make it.

Zhai Jia shook his head and smiled. ”He just can’t seem to settle down and focus. This is the age for building a foundation. The Martial Dao isn’t like running a business; you can’t rush it. If he’d take the time he spends on side jobs and use it for stance training—if he could just be as steady as you and focus on his Cultivation—he wouldn’t still be stuck before Refining Viscera, and I wouldn’t have to be worrying about it.”

In fact, anyone in the hall who could reach the Blood Tempering Third Transformation before the age of eighteen was exceptionally talented.

Master himself had praised Lei Ming’s talent back in the day, and everyone in the hall assumed he would be the first of the younger generation to reach Refining Viscera.

But no one had expected Wan Ze to come out of nowhere.

And how much time had passed? Now, even Tian Guipu, a Refining Viscera Late Stage expert, was no match for him. Who would believe such a thing?

Zhai Jia’s only regret was not being able to witness Ah Ze taking down Tian Guipu. ’It must have been an incredible sight,’ he thought.

A sudden thought made Zhai Jia look over. ”By the way, those two from the Divine Martial Society... do you have any plans for them?”

He was referring to Xiao Yunkai and Zhou Hai.

Some things didn’t need to be said aloud; everyone had their own moral compass.

Cut the weeds but leave the roots, and they’ll grow again with the spring wind.

Everyone understood this principle, but he still wanted to hear his junior brother’s thoughts on the matter.

Wan Ze knew what Zhai Jia was implying.

If he gave the nod, Zhai Jia could make those two disappear by morning without Wan Ze having to lift a finger.

”Let’s try to pry something out of them first...” Wan Ze had never intended to kill them all. Since the Divine Martial Society had made this move, he had to use it to his advantage; otherwise, the injuries he’d suffered would be a waste.

Besides, the item from Xiao Yunkai had allowed him to obtain a Spiritual Form. That alone warranted more careful thought.

Normally, when he used Stealing Celestial Secret, he only obtained things related to the Martial Dao.

But the two times he’d used Stealing Celestial Secret in connection with the Divine Martial Society had been different.

The first was Elder Peng; the Jade he carried had a Spiritual Form.

The second was Xiao Yunkai’s pendant, which also had a Spiritual Form.

’Is the problem with these two individuals, or is the Divine Martial Society itself connected to Huangliang?’

’Are the traces of Qi Refiners hidden in personal items, or are there actual Qi Refiners hiding within the Divine Martial Society?’

If he could get more items containing Spiritual Forms from the Divine Martial Society, all the better.

’Where did Xiao Yunkai’s pendant come from? Do other members of the Divine Martial Society have similar things? Besides investigating the cause of Sun Weilong’s death, what other reasons did they have for coming to the Holy City?’

”Pry something out? You mean...?” Zhai Jia looked at him.

Wan Ze looked at him and mouthed the words, ”Qi Refiners.”

Zhai Jia froze. Just as he was about to speak, Wan Ze grabbed him. ”Give me a little more time. I’m going to seize a great opportunity for you all!”

Zhai Jia was instantly thrilled.

’Qi Refiners?’

’Holy crap, that’s the stuff of legends!’

He stared blankly at Wan Ze.

A theory suddenly formed in his mind, explaining how his junior brother’s strength could have improved so rapidly.

’A Qi Refiner?’

’Holy crap, Ah Ze is actually a Qi Refiner?’

He suddenly gripped Wan Ze’s hands, his eyes wide with yearning. He didn’t say a word, but his expression said everything.

The unspoken plea was obvious: ’Ah Ze, you have to help your big bro out.’

Wan Ze chuckled and patted his hand. ”I get it, I get it. Come on, let’s get out of the car and go inside,”

he urged.

He already had a plan, but something like this had to be advanced with caution.

After all, he himself had yet to truly establish a firm foothold in Huangliang.

Pushing open the car door, a blast of cold wind rushed in through the opening, sobering both Wan Ze and Zhai Jia.

Wan Ze flexed his still-numb arm. A stinging ache still radiated from his shoulder to his fingertips, but it was much better than before. At least now his fingers could form a fist.

He followed Zhai Jia at a brisk pace through the main gate of the martial arts hall.

At this late hour, they didn’t disturb their master.

At this hour, the martial arts hall was like an empty temple. Only the ever-burning lamp at the end of the corridor remained lit, its wick occasionally letting out a POP that was startlingly clear in the silence.

Zhai Jia knew how to dress wounds.

He went out on operations so often that, whatever his other skills, he could bandage a wound with his eyes closed.

He had Wan Ze sit on a long bench and straighten his right arm. Squatting beside him, Zhai Jia rummaged through the medicine cabinet and pulled out a jar of brown ointment. The moment he twisted off the lid, a particularly pungent herbal aroma filled the air.

”This is the first time I’ve ever seen you get hurt like this.”

Zhai Jia smiled, scooping out a dollop of ointment with his fingers. He warmed it by rubbing it in his palm before carefully spreading it over Wan Ze’s arm, making sure not to miss a single inch from shoulder to wrist.