Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 231 - All in Favor

August 29. 5 p.m. in Namu City in Kaijong County, the county that neighbors Wenxia County.

The sunset light bathed a rather quiet white villa and its rooftop tiles in a golden-red glow. The path leading up was paved with rough, yet slightly reflective, white marble slabs. It was also lined with rows of black street lamps, each adorned with intricately designed carvings at the top. The faint sound of a piano drifted from the villa's surroundings, while water sprayed out intermittently from the fountain in the circular plaza.

A young man with purple hair sat cross-legged in the center of the plaza. There was a light-colored trench coat beside him, and a sword resting over his knees. His eyes were closed as his chest rose and fell slightly. A sharp hiss came from his nose every time he exhaled. It seemed to be some form of breathing technique that gave off an intense cutting aura.

The purple-haired youth's upper body was bare, revealing a strong and well-proportioned physique. Though he wasn't bulky, his muscles were lean and powerful. No one would doubt the strength lying dormant inside of that body. There were, however, several strips of white bandages wrapped two or three times around him from his left waist to his right shoulder.

"Hiss… Hiss… Hiss…"

His breaths came out long and forcefully, following a unique rhythm. Although his body remained still, the muscles on his exposed torso were as tight as steel cables. They contracted and relaxed, forcing drops of sweat to slide down until they were evaporated by the heat of his body. A faint mist hovered around the purple-haired youth's body.

A few meters away, the marble fountain continued doing its job. The adorable child statue on the white pillar remained as diligent as ever as it tirelessly spouted water and attracted birds from the sky.

A white bird flapped through the air, scattering feathers as it descended. It glided downward as it rode the gentle breeze, spiraling in a few loops before passing directly over the purple-haired youth's head.

A silvery-white flash streaked through the air. The purple-haired youth on the ground remained motionless, his rapier placed in front of him. His hands rested on his knees as his eyes stayed closed.

The bird above him showed no signs of alarm and calmly landed by the fountain to preen. A white feather slowly drifted down from above the youth and gently landed in the center of the rapier's scabbard. The end of the feather had a smooth angled cut.

Clap, clap, clap…

Suddenly, slow clapping rang out from one side of the plaza as an old bald man dressed in white walked over with a smile.

"Lance, your swordsmanship has improved again. To cut a bird mid-flight without harming its body and only taking a feather requires incredible precision and control."

The old man stopped next to the purple-haired youth, his tone filled with admiration. "Young people progress so quickly. You just fought Flower Secret Sword from the Secret Sword Society yesterday, but you've taken another step forward in your swordsmanship. I fear I'm no longer a match for you."

The purple-haired youth responded in a deep voice, "I am still not your match, Teacher. Otherwise, I would have already drawn my rapier to challenge you."

He slowly opened his eyes. "The leader of the Secret Sword Society is indeed formidable. Even giving my all, I could only manage a draw. I might even be slightly weaker."

He glanced at the white bandages on his chest and spoke with certainty, "However, I have closed the gap between us. Since we were from the same Covert Martial Arts sword sect, sparring with him has greatly helped my progress. I faintly sensed a bit of Qi an hour ago, but I still have a long way to go…"

"You've sensed Qi?!" The bald old man looked genuinely delighted as his smile grew wider. He reassured his disciple, "No rush, no rush. Sensing Qi means you've already earned your ticket to the realm of combat artist. You just need a bit more experience and a little more refining of your willpower. Keep up this momentum, fight a few more battles, and you might naturally break through that bottleneck."

The old man's eyes were filled with satisfaction and pride. "Lance, you might just become the first of the Eastern Three Stars to break into the combat artist realm."

As he spoke, he was reminded of something. "Oh, by the way, I just received news. Aro from the Star Ring Fist is also heading to Wenxia County. I suspect he has similar intentions to ours…"

The Star Ring Fist, like the Soul-Breaking Sword Path, was one of the best Covert Martial Arts schools among the Eastern Nine Sects. Its pride and joy was Aro, known alongside Lance as one of the Eastern Three Stars. Aro was the only one in the younger generation of the Star Ring Fist to have mastered all three Secret Techniques of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. His techniques were so dazzling that he earned the title of Glory Fist.

Lance had sparred with Aro once, and six months ago, their record stood at two wins and three losses, with Lance slightly at a disadvantage. After six months of intense training, Lance felt confident that he could at least fight him to a draw, though he wasn't certain if he could come out on top. This proved how strong Aro was, so the news that he was heading to Wenxia County wasn't exactly good for Lance.

However, Lance no longer feared Aro as much as he once did. Lance rose to his feet and replied, "Let him come if he wishes. It's the perfect chance to change the result of our spar from six months ago. All those flashy Secret Techniques won't help him now. Pure strength can break through anything, and so can a perfect sword."

"Good!" The bald old man applauded his disciple's confidence, nodding approvingly. He glanced at the bandages on Lance's body. "Let me call a doctor to check on your injuries…"

"No need. One more day and I'll be fine." Lance unwrapped the bandages, revealing a long, narrow brown scar. Strong medicine and healing from his breathing technique had almost completely healed the injury inflicted by the leader of the Secret Sword Society. It wouldn't affect his combat ability.

He could feel his mind, willpower, and emotions at their peak. Continuing to fight in this state was the best course of action. If he rested for a few days, he feared that his unstoppable momentum would fade away.

Swish.

Lance threw on his light-colored trench coat, striding forward with a long scar across his chest and his rapier in hand.

"Teacher, there's no time to waste. Let's head directly to Wenxia County."

***

At 11 p.m…

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

A series of explosions echoed from the Extreme Judo training room. It was the sound of fists colliding with flesh in rapid succession.

Every now and then, the thick, sturdy walls would shake violently, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. The Extreme Judo disciples standing around the training room were on edge, as if they were listening to two ancient beasts battling inside. The intensity of the battle was terrifying.

That night, a weathered, unfamiliar combat artist had come to challenge the sect master. The two had entered the training room half an hour ago, and about five minutes ago, the room had erupted in violent commotion. The booming crashes hadn't stopped for even a moment.

"Senior, do you think…" a young disciple began to speak.

Suddenly, the closest wall to them exploded outward with a loud crash as an arm pierced through. The debris bounced off the ceiling and ground, leaving small craters behind.

The young disciple let out a muffled grunt as a small pebble struck his back. When he lifted his shirt, he found a rapidly purpling bruise. Thankfully, he hadn't been in the direct line of fire, and the pebble had been small. If it had been the size of a fist, he might have been knocked out cold.

"All disciples, fall back another ten meters! Stay at least fifteen meters away from the training room!" A visibly older youth stood up and shouted. Everyone immediately retreated further into the night.

They had barely moved when the wall gave way with a thunderous crash. Half of the wall crumbled as two figures, locked in a frenzied battle, flew through the rain of debris, sending waves of powerful energy outward like a tsunami.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Bang!

Finally, the two silhouettes came to a halt. The scene before them was imprinted in the eyes of all the Extreme Judo disciples.

A man in a trench coat stood with his hands outstretched, palms flat as if pressing down on a watermelon. His palms rested on either side of the sect master's temples. The sect master was frozen in place, his fist still suspended in the air as blood trickled from his ears and eyes.

The tableau lasted for five seconds and etched itself deeply into the minds of the disciples. It wasn't until Cassius lowered his hands that time seemed to move again.

The sect master staggered, but steadied himself before cupping his fists. "I've lost. Thank you for your mercy…"

"Well fought." Cassius returned the salute, and blurred into motion. By the time the Extreme Judo disciples realized what had happened, Cassius had already disappeared, leaving only the sect master standing alone.

"Cough, cough!" The gym master suddenly swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, he caught himself with a knee and a hand as he knelt.

"Sect Master!" A group of disciples rushed forward to surround him.

The sect master waved them off and stood up on his own. After a few more violent coughs, he looked up at the clear, cloudless night sky and muttered, "Such ferocious fists, killing intent and overwhelming Qi. A storm is coming to Wenxia County…"

***

Three days passed in the blink of an eye as September 1 arrived.

A train whistled as it arrived at a platform in Mia City's train station in Wenxia County. Passengers from distant lands disembarked with their suitcases and were quickly guided out of the station by train attendants.

A white-gloved hand curled around the doorframe as the purple-haired youth stepped off the train. His black eyes shone with a hint of crimson in the sunlight as he scanned his surroundings. He wore a trench coat long enough to partially conceal a long, bandaged object shaped like a sword.

The youth stood aside, watching as the other members of the Soul-Breaking Sword Path disembarked one by one. Just as the last one left the train car, he was about to look away when he suddenly turned to the side.

His eyes narrowed, and the corners of his eyes sharpened like a blade. A strapping, fair-skinned youth stepped out of a carriage further down the platform. He seemed to sense Lance's gaze and turned back to offer a hearty smile.

"Star Ring Sect's Glory Fist Aro…" Lance murmured to himself as his right hand instinctively reached for the hilt of his rapier. The loose bandages around it seemed ready to unravel.

"This is a train station. Are you sure you want to start something here?" Aro’s clear baritone voice rang out from several meters away. He wore a black sleeveless vest that exposed his muscular arms and tight shorts. His left arm was wrapped in white bandages, and he was calmly wrapping his right hand in new bandages.

"Hmph."Lance let out a cold snort, as he allowed his hand to drift away from his rapier. The already cold aura around him darkened further.

"Since we keep running into each other like this, wouldn’t you say we were simply destined to meet?" Aro raised his thick black eyebrows and stretched his tire-like shoulders. His eyes swept over the members of the Soul-Breaking Sword Path. "Where are you all heading to with so many people?"

"None of your business." Lance's gaze remained as icy as ever.

"Why wouldn't it concern me? Brother-in-…" Aro chuckled as he walked a few steps forward.

Shing!

A gleaming silver rapier hummed as it sliced through the air. Its sides were as smooth as a mirror and its blade was long and sharp. A brass crossguard that curved like flower petals, protected the user like handles of a pair of scissors.

The tip of the rapier was pointed directly at Aro, and the darkness in Lance's eyes seemed almost ready to drown him. "Say 'Brother-in-law' one more time…"

"Ah, haha." Aro chuckled awkwardly as he raised both hands. "No need to get so worked up. This is a public place. I won't mention your sister anymore. Just put your rapier away."

"Hmph!" Lance snorted coldly again. He turned and led the members of the Soul-Breaking Sword Path out of the station without glancing back, while Aro and his three or four companions got into a car.

The two groups, one ahead and one behind, had the same destination. Both were heading to Evil Eye Fist, which was also part of the Eastern Nine Sects.

The Evil Eye Fist Martial Arts Hall was a villa complex located halfway up a hill in the suburbs. It also served as the headquarters of the Evil Eye Fist. A middle-aged man in a green short-sleeved shirt sat at the head of the table in a spacious conference room meant for receiving guests. Other martial artists took their seats one after another along the sides of the long red table.

There were representatives from smaller Covert Martial Arts sects, as well as the sect masters of several mid-sized schools. One man sported a thick brown beard and wore a short-sleeved martial attire. Luen, the current head of Red Falcon Fist, had a fierce raptor emblem on his chest near his shoulder.

The man seated at the head of the table was the current sect master of Evil Eye Fist, Justin. Evil Eye Fist had been pressuring various Covert Martial Arts sects in Wenxia County for the past half month, and now it was time to discuss the matter.

The meeting had started at 8 a.m. and was still going at 11 a.m. It would be impractical to assume a single meeting could solve so many conflicts. However, some of the Covert Martial Arts sects were beginning to waver.

Creak.

Someone suddenly entered and whispered something to Justin.

"Someone's challenging the Evil Eye Fist Martial Arts Hall at this time? And they're specifically asking to fight Elder Jay?!" Justin's brow furrowed. "Who's this punk? Never mind him for now. I'll deal with him later. Let's finish the Eastern Nine Sects' plan first…"

The Evil Eye Fist disciple nodded and quickly left the room. Justin cleared his throat, placing one hand on the long table as he scanned the room and began to speak, "I don't want to waste anyone's time, so I'll get straight to the point. Let's join the Eastern Alliance together. All in favor?"