Chapter 4: The Heavenly Wolf’s Ferocity (Thanks to book friend Regardless, Careless, and Indifferent for the Alliance Leader tip)

After Lin Jingqi seized the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy, he did not change its name.

After all, the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy had already gained a certain reputation in Lianshan City, and changing the name recklessly would affect the academy’s business.

At this moment, about a hundred Disciples were practicing martial arts in the center of the academy’s grounds.

Beginners were doing stance training and horse stances, while some Disciples who had been studying for a long time had already begun practicing the Great Silken Thread Hand.

Holding a teapot in his hand, Lin Jingqi walked among the many Disciples, correcting their movements one by one.

He was thirty-five or thirty-six years old this year, with masculine and upright features, and his beard made him look quite mature.

At this moment, Lin Jingqi suddenly frowned and handed the teapot in his hand to a Disciple beside him.

“Is this how you practice the Great Silken Thread Hand?”

Lin Jingqi gave a cold snort. His left hand, like a spiritual snake or a giant python, coiled around a wooden post and suddenly exerted a strangling force. The post let out a loud crack and was actually snapped in two!

“This is the secret Great Silken Thread Hand of my Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy: softness containing hardness, with hidden killing intent.

What on earth are you practicing? Each one of you is soft and weak, with nothing but a superficial appearance!

If you don’t Cultivate properly now, don’t claim to be a Disciple of the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy when you go outside. I, Lin Jingqi, cannot afford to lose Face like that!”

Just then, a burst of clapping suddenly came from the entrance of the academy.

“Master Lin is truly rigorous and responsible in his teaching. Not bad, truly not bad.”

Chen Yuan, with a yanling blade at his waist and a Wolf-patterned Cloak over his shoulders, stepped into the academy followed by a dozen tall, robust members of the Heaven Wolf Gang carrying long sabers.

Strictly speaking, these members were not official members of the Heaven Wolf Gang, but reserve members practicing in the Skill Transmission Hall.

However, those trained by the Heaven Wolf Gang were all Jianghu outlaws who could fight, kill, and were willing to risk their lives.

Although this batch of reserve members had not yet officially joined any of the branches, their Aura was significantly stronger than that of the academy Disciples present.

Seeing the newcomers, Lin Jingqi’s expression changed slightly.

He had never met Chen Yuan, but he could guess his identity.

One of the Three Heroes of the Heaven Wolf Gang; the one who used to be the most low-key had become the most high-profile over the past few days.

But what was Chen Yuan doing at the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy? He didn’t want to deal with these Gang people.

Strictly speaking, a martial arts academy exists somewhere between Jianghu People and ordinary people.

Academies only teach martial arts and do not participate in Jianghu struggles; they only collect tuition fees and do not fight for territory.

Lianshan City’s various academies maintained a respectful distance from these Gang members.

Lin Jingqi cupped his hands. “Might I be facing Young Master Chen Yuan, one of the Three Heroes of the Heaven Wolf Gang? I wonder what business brings Young Master Chen to my Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy?”

“It’s simple. I’ve come to your Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy primarily to demand an explanation.”

Chen Yuan looked at Lin Jingqi with a smile. “Disciples from your Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy have joined the Blackwater Gang, killed my Heaven Wolf Gang brothers, and seized our territory. Shouldn’t you give me an explanation for this, Master Lin?”

Lin Jingqi’s Face changed abruptly, and he hurriedly said, “Young Master Chen, you misunderstand. My Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy only teaches Disciples martial arts. As for whether they go on to become caravan guards, roam the Jianghu, or join which Gang, those are not things I can control!”

Chen Yuan looked at Lin Jingqi with a faint smile. “Master Lin, those words aren’t quite right. Why is it that the Disciples you train don’t join my Heaven Wolf Gang but insist on joining the Blackwater Gang?

Could it be because you’re always badmouthing my Heaven Wolf Gang in the academy, or perhaps you’re in league with the Blackwater Gang yourself and are specifically training members for them?

Your Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy is within the Heaven Wolf Gang’s sphere of influence, yet you’ve incited your Disciples to join the Blackwater Gang. This is a classic case of biting the hand that feeds you; you clearly don’t take my Heaven Wolf Gang seriously.”

Lin Jingqi was already sweating profusely from anxiety.

How did he end up being accused of colluding with the Blackwater Gang just like that?

He didn’t want to provoke anyone from the Heaven Wolf Gang, and he kept an even greater distance from the Blackwater Gang.

Just then, a young woman in her thirties walked out of the house and said angrily, “Lin Jingqi! What are you still explaining for? Can’t you see they’ve just come to cause trouble?

The rule for all martial arts academies in Lianshan City is to only teach martial arts and not concern themselves with what the Disciples do afterward.

Once a Disciple leaves the academy, any of their actions have nothing to do with the academy, and the academy must not interfere in the grievances between Disciples.

This Chen Yuan hasn’t just started hanging around Lianshan City today; how could he not know these rules?”

Chen Yuan looked at the woman with interest.

She had a voluptuous figure and a pretty Face, quite attractive. She must be Zhang Qiuhe, the fiancée who was seduced by Lin Jingqi and helped him drug Duan Mubai.

But looking at her now, the woman’s personality seemed very strong, with a temper even more explosive than Lin Jingqi’s, which was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

“Shut up!”

Lin Jingqi glared at her fiercely.

Turning his head, Lin Jingqi cupped his hands to Chen Yuan, his attitude humble:

“My humble wife is ignorant, I hope Young Master Chen won’t take offense. May I ask the name of the academy Disciple who joined the Blackwater Gang? I will immediately expel him publicly and host a banquet to apologize to the Heaven Wolf Gang.”

The academy Disciples present all looked at Lin Jingqi in disbelief.

The Master was usually so majestic; why was he so lowly and wretched before this young man today?

Lin Jingqi wanted to be tough, but he knew that his small Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy was simply no match for the Heaven Wolf Gang.

Any branch leader picked at random from the Heaven Wolf Gang would be a Martial Artist of the Pulse Opening Realm, with hundreds of elite members experienced in Jianghu combat under them. Razing their Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy would be effortless.

The old Master, Duan Zhenshan, was indeed in the Pulse Opening Realm, and the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy back then still had some Face.

But Lin Jingqi had been unable to cross the threshold of the Pulse Opening Realm for many years and remained at the Peak of the Quti Realm. How could he have the confidence to be tough with Chen Yuan, one of the Three Heroes of the Heaven Wolf Gang?

Chen Yuan said casually, “His name is Zhang San.”

Lin Jingqi said subconsciously, “I’ll go get the register and check for this Zhang San right away.”

But then Lin Jingqi felt something was wrong.

The Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy recruited over a hundred Disciples every year. Although he couldn’t possibly remember every Disciple’s name, he was certain that the academy could not have anyone named Zhang San.

Since ancient times, it’s been said that the poor study literature while the rich practice martial arts. The tuition for the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy alone was over a hundred taels a year. Who would dare come to the academy to learn martial arts without some family wealth?

Therefore, even the least well-off Disciples of the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy came from well-to-do families. How could anyone have such a common name like Zhang San?

“Young Master Chen, are you sure that person is really called Zhang San?”

“I’m not sure, because I just made that name up.”

Lin Jingqi’s Face instantly turned flushed red. “You…”

Zhang Qiuhe gave a cold laugh. “Lin Jingqi, don’t you see it yet? They’ve come here today specifically to find trouble with us. Even if you kneel down to them, it’s useless!”

This time, Lin Jingqi did not scold his wife again, but only stared fixedly at Chen Yuan with bloodshot eyes.

“Young Master Chen, my Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy has never provoked your Heaven Wolf Gang, and I have never even met you. Even if you want to kill me, you should at least let me die knowing why, shouldn’t you?”

Chen Yuan toyed with the hilt of his yanling blade and said nonchalantly, “When you plotted to cripple Duan Mubai, you didn’t exactly give him a heads-up beforehand, did you?”

Hearing the name Duan Mubai, Lin Jingqi’s expression changed instantly.

Zhang Qiuhe, however, suddenly pulled out two short blades from behind her and slashed toward Chen Yuan.

At the same time, she shouted at Lin Jingqi, “Kill Chen Yuan! Take his head and go seek refuge with the Blackwater Gang!

He’s here for the matter regarding Duan Mubai. If we don’t kill him, we’re all dead!”

A smile appeared at the corner of Chen Yuan’s mouth.

This woman, Zhang Qiuhe, was actually more decisive and clear-headed than Lin Jingqi.

Knowing that he was here for Duan Mubai, she immediately understood that the two sides were now in a life-and-death struggle.

Kneeling was useless, so they could only fight for their lives.

Fighting to the death and then seeking refuge with the Heaven Wolf Gang’s mortal enemy, the Blackwater Gang, was their only way out.

Unfortunately, although she was clear-headed, her strength was only mediocre.

The yanling blade in Chen Yuan’s hand was unsheathed in an instant, and the piercing sound of the blade’s ring immediately echoed throughout the academy.

This strike arrived first despite being launched later, the blade’s momentum like a hungry wolf’s attack.

With a loud bang, the twin blades in Zhang Qiuhe’s hands were sent flying, and the webs between her thumbs and index fingers were instantly dripping with blood.

Chen Yuan turned and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying backward as she instantly spat out blood.

Both were in the Quti Realm, but compared to an ordinary Martial Artist who only tempered their Physical Body, a Quti Realm practitioner who had cultivated an Internal Skill had a world of difference in power.

Martial Artists who only tempered their Physical Bodies had strength, but it was just brute force that could only be exerted through muscle.

But after cultivating an Internal Skill, one could mobilize the power of the Meridians and blood, resulting in much greater explosive power.

Lin Jingqi no longer hesitated or cowered. With a flip of his hands, a pair of Steel Chainmail Gloves was already on his hands.

These Steel Chainmail Gloves were made by connecting diamond-hard rings the size of rice grains, incredibly exquisite and detailed.

The Great Silken Thread Hand was a grappling technique for close-quarters combat; when facing blades and weapons, one could use these King Kong Lock Ring Gloves to catch a bare blade with empty hands.

However, this item was exquisitely made and extremely difficult to produce, costing more than its weight in silver. It was left behind by Duan Zhenshan and was now in Lin Jingqi’s possession.

Lin Jingqi’s movement was extremely fast, lunging straight at Chen Yuan like a leopard.

The yanling blade pierced diagonally, and amidst the crisscrossing blade momentum, several blade shadows slashed down in succession.

Heavenly Wolf Shadow Strike!

Lin Jingqi gave a thunderous shout, his arms dancing like butterflies through flowers as he directly clashed with the blade, producing a series of metallic clangs.

Then, finding an opportunity, his hands became like delicate silk threads, suddenly coiling around the yanling blade. They wound and spiraled, the King Kong Lock Ring Gloves locking the blade firmly in place.

Lin Jingqi was overjoyed and was about to close in, but in the next moment, a massive force suddenly erupted from the locked saber in his hands!

A shower of sparks suddenly erupted from between the yanling blade and the King Kong Lock Ring Gloves as the blade was forcibly pulled out. In the next instant, a dazzling and brilliant blade light appeared before Lin Jingqi’s eyes.

The blade light was brilliant, like a bright moon.

Heavenly Wolf Devouring the Moon!

In his haste, Lin Jingqi crossed his hands in front of him to block, but Chen Yuan’s strike directly shattered most of the King Kong Lock Ring Gloves on his hands, and the bones in his hands instantly splintered.

The Heavenly Wolf Swordplay focused solely on offense without defense; it was a devious and ruthless technique, an extreme swordplay primarily centered on killing.

If Lin Jingqi had adopted a defensive posture to stall, he might have been able to trade a few blows given the characteristics of his Great Silken Thread Hand.

But he insisted on meeting offense with offense, which only led to a faster defeat.

Seeing his own bloody hands, Lin Jingqi’s eyes were filled with despair.

With his hands crippled, he couldn’t even use the Great Silken Thread Hand; he was now in a desperate situation.

Looking at Chen Yuan coming toward him with the blade, Lin Jingqi pleaded bitterly, “Don’t kill me! Although I was the one who crippled Duan Mubai back then, I wasn’t the mastermind!”

Lin Jingqi suddenly pointed at the heavily injured Zhang Qiuhe on the ground and said through gritted teeth, “It was her! This woman seduced and incited me to act against Duan Mubai!

Master Duan’s kindness to me was as heavy as a mountain. I originally didn’t intend to compete with Duan Mubai for anything. It was she who said Duan Mubai couldn’t protect the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy and told me to seize it.

She was also the one who took the initiative to drug Duan Mubai and told me to deal him a fatal blow. If you want to avenge Duan Mubai, you should kill her, not me!”

PS: Thanks to book friend Regardless, Careless, and Indifferent for the reward. Congratulations on becoming the first Alliance Leader of this book!