The teaching session was quite long, taking up most of the morning. The class didn’t end until noon.

The moment class ended, the parents waiting by the door surged forward. Some offered fruit, others cigarettes and liquor.

After they all scattered, a pile of gifts was left behind.

Qin Rui tidied up the items, saying wistfully, "So this is the power of a Grandmaster! I should just open a supermarket; I’d never have to stock the shelves."

Zhao Rui chuckled, then said seriously, "You should focus on your training. Miao Miaomiao has already advanced to Level 9."

"You’re still stuck at Level 8. Soon, I won’t be able to bring you along even if I want to."

Hearing Zhao Rui’s words, Qin Rui nodded.

She knew all too well that as Zhao Rui’s Cultivation grew stronger, the gap between them would only widen.

"In a little while, I’ll be returning to Qingcheng Mountain. Before I go, I’ll teach you a new form of Martial Arts. You must practice it diligently and break through to the Grandmaster Realm as soon as possible."

"Yes, I understand!"

Seeing that Qin Rui understood him, Zhao Rui said no more. He leaned back into the lounge chair by the door and closed his eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, in a private residence somewhere in Jeju, twelve Martial Arts Hall masters, including Nie Sheng, were gathered together.

"I’ve gathered you all here today because of the attack on Guo Qiquan. Do you all recall our journey to the Northwest a year ago in search of the Shady Grass?"

Nie Sheng said in a low voice.

"Could it be related to those people?"

The masters exclaimed in surprise.

"Correct. According to my and Qiao Si Niang’s deductions, these are the very same people who tried to steal the Shady Grass back then."

Nie Sheng said with a nod.

"How dare they? This is the heartland, not the borderlands."

"The chaos on the border probably means we can no longer stay out of it. For now, our only option is to report this to the Court..."

"Outrageous! These vile heretics, colluding with outsiders, plotting treason... They deserve to die!"

A hall master with a thick beard slammed his hand on his chair and roared in anger.

"I’m afraid it’s not that simple!"

A thin, middle-aged man said sinisterly, "For so many years, the Court has been promoting Martial Arts throughout the land, but how many true masters have any of you actually seen?"

"We live out our mediocre lives, holed up in our Martial Arts Halls, far from the Jianghu and the Court. Isn’t this just a form of self-preservation?"

"Watch your words!"

Nie Sheng’s expression changed, and he quickly cut him off.

The others grew fearful as well, glancing around nervously, afraid of being overheard. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"With this kind of cowardice, we’re a disgrace to the title of Grandmaster!"

"Brother Zhang, I know you’re unhappy, but this is a mess we can’t get involved in. Enough said. If any of you disagree, then go ahead and try to get the Shady Grass from the Court with your own strength! My mind is made up!"

Nie Sheng pressed a single palm toward the ground. Instantly, a palm print an inch deep appeared in the floor, seemingly from the air.

The man called Brother Zhang sneered and stood up. "As of today, the Thirteen Martial Alliances is hereby disbanded. Whether you call yourselves the Twelve Martial Alliances or the Ten Martial Alliances, it has nothing to do with me from now on."

With that, the man strode out.

The remaining masters all turned to look at Nie Sheng.

Nie Sheng frowned. "Things have come to this. Even with twelve of us, it changes nothing. If the Court doesn’t intervene, we’re all going to die!"

After speaking, he placed the two brocade boxes he had brought, which resembled ring boxes, on the square table in front of everyone.

Seeing his action, the others also placed identical brocade boxes on the table one by one. There were exactly twelve in total.

"Good! Once we are past this crisis, I will find another great opportunity for all of you, my brothers. I will not go back on my word!"

Nie Sheng’s prominent nose twitched. With a sweep of his hand, he gathered eleven of the brocade boxes into his arms.

A moment later, Nie Sheng mysteriously got into a black car and drove away from the secret residence.

「That night.」

Zhao Rui finished his training, checked the time—it was almost nine—and drove to a nearby public square.

After parking his car, he walked to the nearby Mu Ying Martial Hall.

When he reached the martial hall’s entrance, Zhao Rui stepped forward and pounded on the main door.

After a short while, a young woman came and opened the door.

"Who are you looking for?"

"I’m looking for Qiao Si Niang. I’m here to challenge your hall! I ask that Hall Master Qiao not hold back in her instruction!"

Just as Zhao Rui’s words fell, a sharp sound came from inside the house, followed by what seemed to be a whimper.

Both Zhao Rui and the woman who opened the door froze for a second, then ran into the courtyard together.

When they reached the source of the sound, the woman cried out in alarm, "Master!"

She hastily pushed open the door to a room, and the stench of blood instantly assaulted their nostrils.

"Master!"

Zhao Rui hurried forward to look, and his expression immediately changed, his brow furrowing deeply.

Qiao Si Niang was lying by the bed, her clothes in disarray. Her chest was covered in scratch marks, and one of her hands was clenched tightly around a strip of cloth, her fingernails stained with blood.

"Master, Master!"

As if sensing the sound, Qiao Si Niang’s clenched hand fell to the floor with a THUD, and she breathed her last.

"Call the Patrol Office!"

As a witness to a murder, Zhao Rui knew he couldn’t just leave.

He could only urge the woman to call the police quickly.

In just over ten minutes, a team of Patrol officers arrived, cordoning off and investigating the scene.

Arriving with them were Nie Sheng and the others from the Thirteen Martial Arts Halls.

Seeing Zhao Rui there again, Nie Sheng couldn’t help but ask in shock, "Even you couldn’t protect her?"

The question was a bit ambiguous, but Zhao Rui understood what he meant.

"I was already too late when I arrived."

"Damn it!"

Furious, Nie Sheng shot a palm strike into the distance, producing a loud CRACK.

Another ten minutes or so passed before a group from the Court strode in. They were dressed in plain clothes and had an extraordinary air about them.

The leader lifted the sheet covering Qiao Si Niang’s body, glanced at it, and a sneer appeared on his lips.

He said, "They even went after a woman this old."

"You!"

Hearing his words, one of the Martial Alliance’s hall masters flew into a rage. What was that if not an insult!

Nie Sheng quickly stopped him and cupped his fist to the man from the Court. "Governor, I ask that you capture the killer as soon as possible and restore peace to us."

"Of course, of course!"

The man chuckled, carelessly tossing the sheet aside. He clapped his hands and said, "It’s the Demon Hand Chasing Soul. Only that group of lunatics from the Northwest knows this Martial Arts style. Looks like we were right."

With that, he started walking out and said, "Wait for news from me within twenty-four hours. If you don’t hear from me, then you’re on your own!"

After speaking, the man led his team out.

Zhao Rui stared after him, stunned by his attitude.

’What kind of organization is this?’

’So arrogant. These people are all Grandmasters. Even if they’re just ordinary Grandmasters, they shouldn’t be treated like this!’

"Yes! Be careful, Governor."

Hearing the man’s words, Nie Sheng didn’t get angry. Instead, he respectfully watched them leave.

"You’re coming with us. We need you to explain what happened."

Zhao Rui was about to ask a question when a Patrol officer walked over and took him to the Patrol Office for routine questioning.

Half an hour later, a frustrated Zheng Huai Peak bailed Zhao Rui out, saying exasperatedly, "Can’t you just stay out of trouble?"

"I try to stay out of it, but trouble finds me!"

Zhao Rui spread his hands, indicating his innocence. He had only wanted to have a martial arts duel.

Who would have thought a duel would lead to something like this?

"Just try to lay low for a while!"

"Who were those people? Do you know?"

Zhao Rui took the opportunity to ask about that special group from the Court.

"I’m not sure. I’ll help you look into it later. There are some things that even we at the Patrol Office don’t necessarily know."

Zheng Huai Peak said, shaking his head.

"Okay."

Seeing this, Zhao Rui didn’t press the issue.

「Three days passed in a flash.」

On this day, Zhao Rui was teaching his students Martial Arts as usual.

During this period, he had successfully copied ten of the twenty students.

Adding the twenty he had copied previously, and the one he had absorbed from Nie Sheng,

he had gained thirty-one in total.

Zhao Rui had already allocated the previous twenty points to his Inner Strength.

The surge of True Qi made it feel increasingly viscous, as if it were progressing toward a liquid state.

The speed at which his every move attracted the world’s True Qi was also increasing.

It seemed the greater the density and the more profound the True Qi, the faster he could absorb it.

’What a pity. If I could copy the skills of those thirteen hall masters, I’d get at least another ten or so Advancement Points!’

Zhao Rui thought with some annoyance.