Logistics always came first in a war. It was the same with the martial path—money always came first. Naturally, as the only means of additional income, New Year’s Gold was a major event of the clan banquet. Many clan members looked forward to this day and it had finally come to a conclusion with Wun Siu Lan’s stunning results.
Of course, this event was more important for the young members.
The grown-up members of the clan all had their own financial means. They could easily put together several dozen gold coins at any moment. There was no reason they would be impressed by the several hundred silver coins that the young ones fought over. What was more important to them than money was the progress of their training.
As a clan founded through martial strength, the Wun Clan had never forgotten its roots. Every member of the clan worked hard day and night to improve their powers. Unfortunately, some of the older members would get stuck at a certain level, unable to progress due to a lack of martial inspiration.
Where did inspiration come from then?
Knowledge and understanding of the martial path weren’t things that would just fall into your lap. They weren’t goods put on sale on a street-side stall either. You might ask, what about looking at trees and flowers and nature to gain a better understanding of the martial arts? Well, at the very least, your ordinary, average martial artist didn’t have such fantastical abilities yet.
Most martial artists would deepen their understanding of martial arts by watching battles between those who were better than them. This was especially the case when watching senior members of the clan spar because the senior members would often use skills that they were already familiar with, which would give them more insight into their own abilities.
Thus, the most anticipated segment of the clan banquet for the grownups was the challenge segment!
Disciples would challenge each other during the banquet, sometimes even interspersed with spars between the elders. There was plenty to watch and learn. With fights of such quality, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few members were to learn something and improve drastically after.
“The New Year’s Gold segment has concluded. Let us welcome the third elder to host the challenge segment,” the second elder finished his job and immediately walked back to his seat.
Rules and order were necessary for any organisation. Second elder Wun Ching Muk was in charge of the Enforcer’s Hall and kept order within the Wun Clan. Those who broke the rules would be detained for punishment. Clan Master Wun Ching Yeung was the face of the clan, in charge of diplomacy with other parties, the development of the clan and all other general affairs.
Meanwhile, third elder Wun Ching Fung managed the Accounting Hall and the Tomes Chamber. He was in charge of punishing those who broke the rules, as well as all financial accounts of the clan. At the same time, he was also responsible for organising the Wun Clan’s collection of martial tomes. Any disciple that wished to learn a new technique through the tomes would have to obtain his approval.
The executive, the legislative and the judicial; three branches connected, but not interfering with the others. Wun Fan had been speechless for a while when he realised how the clan was run. It reminded him of the world from his previous life.
The third elder slowly walked toward the edge of the platform. He wore an ordinary robe and had sharp brows, gleaming eyes and an aura of sternness. He had a stubborn personality and spoke in short, curt sentences. The Wun Clan disciples both loved and feared him for it. Everyone knew that the third elder did everything by the books, fair and unbiased, never favouring one side or the other. However, this also meant that he was sometimes too strict and inflexible in his judgements. He would not look the other way, no matter how minor the infraction. The third elder also held seniority to be extremely important, which made it hard for the average disciple to get along with him.
Wun Fan was the only exception. The third elder would talk with Wun Fan about anything, from astrology to regular gossip, which perplexed everyone in the clan. Why would the third elder favour a sixth-level Martial Disciple who was mocked for being a ‘cripple’?
The murmuring crowd fell silent when the third elder stood at the platform's front. He was calm and composed as he recited the rules of the challenge segment, “All of you, remember this! Sparring between clan members is not a duel to the death. Look around you! There are no outsiders here. Anyone who intentionally goes for a killing strike will be expelled from the Wun Clan.”
The third elder’s reminder was spoken with a matter-of-fact tone, but no one doubted the weight behind his words. They knew what he was like. He lifted off his toes and landed softly on the arena. Everyone waited in silence for the first challenger. Just ten seconds later, a disciple stood up bravely to the applause of the crowd.
He slowly got into the arena with a giant sword on his back. He bowed before the third elder, performing his greeting as a disciple.
The third elder smiled and asked, “Name? And who are you challenging?”
“Third elder, I, Wun Sam, wish to challenge Brother Wun Si.”
The crowd immediately started chanting in rhythm, “Accept it, accept it.”
“Heh, as you wish!”
Wun Si walked out of the crowd and the atmosphere grew even livelier. He quickly got on the stage and locked eyes with Wun Sam. They were both eager to fight.
“Wun Si, seventeen, advanced Martial Mortal, at your service.”
“Wun Sam, seventeen, advanced Martial Mortal. I won’t hold back.”
Two seventeen-year-old advanced Martial Mortals. That was decent for the average clan. However, compared to Wun Siu Lan’s brilliance, they were like stars to the moon.
The usual courtesies were still necessary before they fought. They both put one hand over a fist and greeted each other. Wun Sam clumsily pulled the oversized sword from his back. His combat style clearly consisted of large, powerful moves. Meanwhile, Wun Si drew a long and thin sword from his scabbard. It was obvious that he was an agile fighter.
“Mm, this seems to be an interesting match.”
This might be the first time Wun Fan had seen someone close to his age fighting since he arrived in this world. His maturity didn’t allow him to mingle with the other kids, so he often went looking for the third elder to talk about all sorts of stuff instead, from philosophy to martial techniques. Furthermore, he was trained as a killer in his previous life. All of his techniques were far too lethal to be used in regular spars with other disciples.
That was why Wun Fan was interested in this fight.
The third elder stood in the middle of the stage and gave a short reminder of the rules. “First to fall from the stage loses; first to be unable to continue loses; first to surrender loses. The winner must cease all attacks upon victory. Break the rules and you lose!”
“Do not go overboard. The challenge begins!” The third elder finished speaking and jumped backward, sliding through the air as if he was a weightless piece of paper. He maintained the proper distance between the fighters; just far enough to see everything and just close enough to stop the two of them if anything unexpected happened.
“Martial soul, descend!”
Both fighters summoned the martial soul within them, soul energy rapidly engulfing their bodies. This was the realm of Martial Mortal—what flowed through was not aether any longer, but soul energy. The soul energy reinforced their bodies wherever it flowed.
Wun Sam was the first to strike. He took a giant stride forward, quickly closing the gap between him and Wun Si. There was no fancy technique or pretty moves. It was just a simple downward slash at his opponent.
“Lethality: Path of the Agile Sword.”
Wun Si used an ability and immediately became extremely agile. He hopped here and there on the stage like a rabbit, crossing great distances with a light push of his toes. He would stab at Wun Sam occasionally and Wun Sam had no means of retaliation.
“Lethality: Tyrant’s Stunning Strike.”
There was a gleam in Wun Sam’s eyes. He waited for Wun Si to strike before slamming the flat of the sword into the ground, unleashing a strange shockwave. Wun Si was just about to step with his toes when he came into contact with the shockwave. His body trembled and his right leg was numbed, causing his movements to be slower than usual.
Even the third elder was hit by the shockwave, though this amount of power couldn’t affect him at all.
Wun Sam wasted no time when he saw his ability take effect. He took the opportunity and slashed horizontally at his opponent.
“Lethality: Hundred Pound Sweeping Sword.”
The giant sword howled as it swung at Wun Si’s waist. If it made contact, Wun Si wouldn’t get away with just a scratch.
Seeing as he couldn’t dodge it, Wun Si gritted his teeth and placed his sword over his chest. A faint surge of soul energy wrapped around his sword for a defensive move.
“Lethality: Sword’s Formless Guard.”
The two swords collided and Wun Si flew to the edge of the arena. He rolled on the ground several times before coming to a stop. Wun Si leaned against his sword and barely stood up. However, the fire in his eyes had not gone out. He saw that his arm had been scuffed badly and that blood was flowing down to his palm. He decisively tore a piece of fabric from his clothes and tied the sword to his right hand to prevent it from slipping.
Wun Fan felt his blood boil when he saw the two fight. He dreamt of the day he would fight a battle even more exciting than what he was watching. He couldn’t help but get on his feet as he watched.
Wun Siu Lan laughed at this, “What is it? You want to go down there as well?”
“I don’t mind. If anything happens, I have you to watch my back. Let’s see who has the guts to hit me when I have a peak Martial Mortal for a sister.”
Wun Siu Lan’s chime-like laughter couldn’t stop as she listened to Wun Fan brag proudly and shamelessly, as if he was the Martial Mortal.637Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VUzOKJqUq
