Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 59 Yan Hua's Sneak Attack

When Quan Feng climbed over the wall of the Quan family's backyard, the moon had already climbed onto the rooftop.

His steps were unsteady, blood was still seeping from the tiger's mouth of his right hand, his white robe was splattered with mud, half of his ponytail was loose, but a lazy smile with lingering satisfaction hung on the corner of his mouth.

Quan Boyue was flipping through a stack of old account books in his study when he heard footsteps. He looked up and frowned slightly.

He had rarely seen Quan Feng like this.

He was already at the peak of internal strength, and there were very few people in Heyuan County who could injure him.

"How did it get like this?"

Quan Feng sat down in the chair, picked up the half-full cup of cold tea on the table, took a sip, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"I went to try out Lin Mu from Changfeng Martial Arts School."

He unfastened the dagger and placed it on his lap, flicking the blade lightly with his fingertip, producing a crisp hum. "Before he used the beast pattern, I was no match for him."

Quan Boyue put down the account book.

Quan Feng continued, "My explosive force struck his air membrane, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea. He seemed to be able to easily neutralize my hidden force."

"Body Tempering Technique?" Quan Boyue's brows furrowed even more.

"Body Tempering Technique requires an extremely large amount of Qi and Blood to support it. Unless you have a large number of pills or are a demon descendant, it's useless to practice it."

"Lin Mu is just an ordinary person with inferior physical constitution."

It's rare for Quan Feng to be serious.

"Let's leave that for now."

"Eternal night is approaching. You should restrain yourself for now and save your strength for the martial arts department."

"What's the matter of trying to break through to the next level of mastery?"

"I want to wait until I have complete control over the beast patterns before I talk about it."

"The Golden-Winged Kite has been quite restless lately; we must complete the final adjustment period with it before reaching the Transformation Realm."

Quan Feng stood up, sheathed his short sword, and asked, "By the way, how's the investigation going with the demon descendants sent by the Xuanmen to infiltrate Heyuan?"

"Still screening."

"If a demon descendant does not actively activate their bloodline, they appear no different from an ordinary person, making them extremely difficult to detect."

"Moreover, there are signs that the Xuanmen have recently gathered in Maple Forest Town, with a large number of demon descendants converging there from various branches, on a scale different from the past."

"What are you plotting?"

"We don't know yet."

......

The next morning, Lin Mu returned to Changfeng Martial Arts School.

Several junior disciples were practicing stances in the front yard, and the swords and spears on the weapon rack gleamed in the morning light.

Senior Brother Zhou and Junior Brother Liu squatted in their usual spot in the southeast corner, practicing horse stance while chatting idly.

With the martial arts exam approaching, powerful figures from all walks of life are gathering in Heyuan, making it the perfect time for them to use their prepared topics.

"This year, the number of experts in the Dark Force group is more than 30% higher than in previous years. Many experts from other towns and counties have come, and I heard that some even came all the way from Fenglin Town."

"Zhao Guo, a rogue cultivator from the outer city, has been practicing the Dark Force realm for six years and is skilled in wielding twin swords."

"It is said that the hidden energy attributes on his two swords are completely different, one hard and one soft, and when they are used at the same time, they are impossible to defend against."

"Last year, he fought in the outer city's free-for-all arena and won 23 consecutive matches without defeat. In the end, it was Cui Yong from Zhenshan Martial Arts School who personally intervened to break his winning streak."

"Twenty-three consecutive wins." Senior Brother Zhou clicked his tongue. "Isn't that even more impressive than Xue Yuan?"

"However, he still lost to Cui Yong."

"When you think about it, Zhenshan Martial Arts School is still the strongest."

"That's right, Zhenshan Martial Arts School is as stable as Mount Tai."

"How so?" Upon hearing about Zhenshan Martial Arts School, Lin Mu approached for the first time.

"Junior Brother Lin Mu doesn't know yet?"

"Zhenshan Martial Arts School is the number one martial arts school in Heyuan."

"There are seven disciples with hidden strength below, with Quan Feng as their leader."

"Quan Feng has superior physical constitution, comparable to Yan Hua. He reached the peak of internal strength at the age of eighteen and can transform his internal strength at any time."

"He's usually lazy and always looks like he hasn't woken up yet, but when it comes to fighting, no one in the entire Heyuan County dares to say they can beat him."

Senior Brother Zhou immediately perked up and recited the stories fluently and knowledgeably.

"The Quan family's 38th generation descendant, a single heir, holds up half the sky in Heyuan County."

"The remaining half will be divided among the Duanmu family, the Cui family, the Ye family, and the Zhao family."

Junior Brother Liu was not to be outdone.

......

The fellow disciples chatted animatedly, revealing Quan Feng's entire background.

After learning about Quan Feng's situation, Lin Mu began practicing standing meditation, leaving Junior Brother Liu sighing and complaining.

It seems that Yan Hua has recently been pursuing Wanruo and wants to marry her.

Just then, the light in the front yard entrance dimmed for a moment.

Yan Hua walked in dressed in white, glanced at everyone, and when he saw Lin Mu was also there, his eyes narrowed.

He stomped his left foot on the ground, and the dew that had accumulated overnight in the cracks of the blue bricks was blasted into a fine mist by the force of his foot.

Sudden Wind Step, the seventh move of Long Wind Fist - Through the Hall Wind.

He held nothing back with this palm strike, his inner strength wrapped around the edge of his palm. As the palm wind pierced the air, it emitted a sharp hiss and headed straight for Lin Mu's chest acupoint.

This was his all-out attack.

Lin Mu's performance on the stage that day struck him as odd, and he wanted to test Lin Mu's strength.

If we can't handle it, there will be no future.

Let's address this issue now.

But Lin Mu's reaction was faster than he had expected.

Almost at the same time as he ground the ground, Lin Mu leaned against the pillar, took a half step back with his right foot, turned to the side, letting his palm brush past his clothes, and at the same time pushed against the pillar with his left hand, using the force to spin around and circle behind the pillar.

The aftershocks of the palm strike reverberated on Lin Mu's back; even through the air membrane, he could feel the sinister penetrating force.

This is murder.

Lin Mu's eyes narrowed, and he activated his Body Tempering Technique, forming an air membrane and entering combat mode.

The two circled the pillar three times, like two leopards testing each other.

Yan Hua's punches grew heavier and heavier, the hidden force spreading from the edge of his palm to his entire forearm; a direct hit would result in injury.

Lin Mu's figure appeared and disappeared among the pillars. Several oil lamps were extinguished by the fan, making the corridor dimly lit. Only the swords and spears on the weapon rack reflected a fleeting glint of cold light.

Yan Hua exchanged more than twenty blows with Lin Mu, but still couldn't do anything to him.

Seeing that things were hopeless, he suddenly withdrew his palm, said "Let's spar, let's spar," and turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard as if nothing had happened.

Lin Mu watched Yan Hua disappear into the inner courtyard, pondering this inexplicable battle, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

......

At noon, the coach stood on the bluestone steps and clapped his hands.

"According to the rules of martial arts competitions, all martial artists of the appropriate age can participate, with those possessing Ming Jin, An Jin, and even Hua Jin competing on the same stage."

"About three hundred people registered this year. The imperial examination uses an elimination system, with the order determined by drawing lots. Those who win advance, and those who lose go home. The top eight will participate in the state capital competition."

The crowd erupted in a buzz of excitement.

Is there no realm restriction for this martial arts competition?

What to do when Ming Jin (明劲) clashes with Hua Jin (化劲)?

Who will cover the element of luck in the lottery?

The instructor ignored the murmurs below and continued reading.

"Weapons are not limited, fists and feet are also acceptable; admitting defeat, falling to the ground, or leaving the game all count as a loss."

"During the martial arts competition, the security of the inner city will be managed by the Palace Guard. Martial artists are full of vigor, so remember not to get into conflicts with others off the field, or you may be disqualified."

"In addition, food and lodging are not included, and waist badges must be shown when entering and leaving the training ground."

"The location is the East Military Training Ground in the inner city, and the chief examiner is Duanmu Hong."

"Report to the Great Parade Ground at 3:45 AM tomorrow morning. Late arrivals will be considered as forfeit."

......

After the instructor announced the disbandment, Yan Hua quickly returned to the inner courtyard to practice his boxing, while Lin Mu walked alone towards the east side of the inner city.

The location of the Great Parade Ground is easy to find; it's right at the foot of the eastern city wall of the inner city.

A wide rammed earth ground, several times larger than the training ground, was surrounded by a wooden fence about half a person's height.

Several palace guards were marking white lines in the field, and the lime powder was being blown around by the wind.

He walked around the training ground, memorizing each location, and then stopped to gaze into the distance.

Finally, their attention settled on a house outside the training ground.

The open view from there was perfect for him to observe martial arts.