After discussing some details with Li Zhendong, Chen Yang left on his own. The entire Feiyang Martial Arts School, however, was plunged into an atmosphere that was both excited and tense, tinged with a touch of uncertainty.

It was a risk, of course, but the opportunity it contained was a rare one.

What Li Zhendong did not know was that before long, his Feiyang Martial Arts School would become the largest in the country, praised by countless people for its reasonable fees and genuine, skillful teaching.

Of course, these were matters for the future.

「The next day.」

Early in the morning, several explosive news items jolted Lingjin City awake.

The first was that the funeral of Yuan Qingyun, the second son of the Haoyu Group, was to take place that morning at Anwu Cemetery. This piece of news was expected, like the other shoe dropping, and it stirred up everyone's interest in the spectacle. After all, the Haoyu Group had announced in advance that the senior executives of the Qin Corporation, as well as the murderer, had to be present to carry the coffin. Everyone eagerly awaited to see whether these people would attend and what the final outcome would be.

The second piece of news was that several large multinational pharmaceutical companies had begun to establish themselves in Lingjin City. The Meilin Group had invested 1.8 billion to acquire Huarui Group, a medical equipment manufacturer. Lingjin City had a modest, underdeveloped pharmaceutical industry, so why were all these giants suddenly appearing? Without a doubt, they were targeting the Qin Corporation. By now, it was common knowledge that the Qin Corporation possessed a formula for an anti-cancer drug.

The Qin Corporation had narrowly escaped the Haoyu Group's onslaught, but how would they fare this time? And what was the Meilin Group's ultimate purpose in acquiring the Huarui Group? These questions deeply piqued everyone's curiosity, but for now, the answers were shrouded in mist, waiting for a breeze to blow away the fog and reveal the truth.

The third piece of news, however, stunned everyone: the Feiyang Martial Arts School was expanding its recruitment and moving its headquarters into the former Lingjin City branch of the Martial Association.

This was outright rebellion! Who would have thought that the Feiyang Martial Arts School, always known for quietly making a profit, would suddenly make such a dramatic move? Most crucially, the Martial Association had an explicit rule that prohibited martial arts schools from enrolling more than five hundred students. The Martial Association had already suffered a major defeat here, and now someone was trying to take over the entire Lingjin City martial arts scene. Wasn't this a blatant insult to the Martial Association's dignity?

Opposing the Martial Association so openly was unbelievably audacious.

However, upon careful consideration, the move was risky, but with the mysterious figure hindering the Martial Association's influence, it was indeed a good opportunity for expansion. Fortune favors the bold, while the timid starve. As long as that mysterious backer remained undefeated against the Martial Association, the Feiyang Martial Arts School would be safe and sound.

There was another possibility: the Feiyang Martial Arts School had received support from that mysterious backer. If that was the case, things had become even more exciting.

These developments were merely the beginning; only time would tell how they would unfold.

In short, the ancient capital of Lingjin City had become a gladiatorial arena where various powers vied for dominance. The usually inconspicuous and low-key Qin Corporation had become the center of this struggle. All because of a single medicinal recipe, and as the beneficiaries of that recipe, they could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

---

A high-end RV sped along the highway toward Lingjin City.

Inside the vehicle, a middle-aged man, a half-step into the ninth rank, was driving. In the passenger seat sat an elder, meditating with his eyes closed. His aura was profound, and he sat cross-legged like an immovable boulder.

"Your Chen Family has caused quite a stir this time. It seems many people have been mobilized, haven't they?" a black-robed old crone asked from the back. Her hands rested on a dragon-headed cane, and a glint of curiosity shone from her deep-set, yellowed eyes.

This was Wu Lan. Like the elder in the passenger seat, she was a Nine-Bag Elder of the Martial Association.

"Heehee, our Chen Family, this time it's because..." Beside her, a petite girl about twenty-two or twenty-three years old chuckled and began to speak. She had a doll-like face and her hair was tied up in a bun.

But before she could finish, a young man of about thirty seated next to her cut her off. "Mengyao!"

"Elder Wu, we're simply looking for something this time. It's nothing important," the young man spoke indifferently. He had narrow, triangular eyes and a longsword strapped to his back. Though young, he exuded an air of maturity and composure.

Wu Lan smiled and did not press the issue further. She could guess it was no trivial matter, but since it concerned the Chen Family, her curiosity had to take a backseat. It would be inappropriate to pry.

The girl, Chen Mengyao, realized she had spoken too hastily. She stuck out her tongue and fell silent.

"Miss Liu, I never expected Chairman Guo would send a Chief Disciple like you!" the young man, Chen Ke, changed the subject. He looked at the tall woman beside the old crone, a strange light flickering in his triangular eyes as he spoke with a smile.

The woman was around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. She had a pretty face, but an icy coldness pervaded her fair complexion, making her seem like a block of eternal ice. She gave off an aura of someone to be admired from a distance but never trifled with.

The woman's name was Liu Ruyan. She was the Chief Disciple of the Martial Association President and the most formidable martial artist of the younger generation. Even outside the Martial Association, she was an outstanding and distinguished figure throughout all of Cangyun City.

Despite the admiration in Chen Ke's eyes, there was also a hint of wariness.

Liu Ruyan brushed back her bangs and said coolly, "He's just some worthless fool courting death. My Master need not deal with him personally."

"He only had an opportunity to act up because I was accompanying my Master in closed-door cultivation. This time, I will capture him alive, bring him back to Cangyun City, and make him kneel before my Master to beg for forgiveness!"

In her delicate, boneless-seeming hands, Liu Ruyan toyed with a small, bell-adorned jade ball. It produced a crisp, pleasant tinkling sound.

Chen Ke laughed. "With you on the case, Miss Liu, that fool will be dealt with easily. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I don't need it," Liu Ruyan declined flatly. "You have your own important matters to attend to. Besides, I heard from my Master that your Chen Family has already suffered a loss in Lingjin City. It seems your mission is not so simple, either."

In fact, Liu Ruyan was also very curious about what the Chen Family was up to. Most crucially, someone had dared to harm a member of the Chen Family. It was truly inconceivable.

Chen Ke's expression shifted slightly, but he maintained a casual smile. "Rumors are often inaccurate. In truth, a disciple of the Chen Family simply lost contact for a short while, that's all."

"Miss Liu should know," Chen Ke said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as confidence and pride radiated from him. "Looking across the entire country, who would dare to oppose our Chen Family?"

Liu Ruyan nodded and said nothing more.

"Miss, after we enter the city, are we going directly to the Feiyang Martial Arts School?" Wu Lan asked, her sallow eyes flickering with cold light. "A mere martial school dares to openly defy the commands of our Martial Association and trample on our dignity. I will obliterate their entire clan!"

"There's no rush. We can wait until their official opening day to make our move," Liu Ruyan said dismissively, waving her hand. "The focus is on that so-called mysterious expert. I want to investigate him thoroughly first."

"Once he is killed, what is a small Feiyang Martial Arts School worth?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.