Chapter 241 - 212: Requesting an Audience (2)

"People really are different from one another. But it’s best we keep Mr. Zhao’s promotion to Harmony a secret. If the other factions find out, they’ll become wary, and that will hinder our plans."

Ruan Daohua said.

"That’s right. Mr. Zhao is our trump card. As the Martial Arts Association expands, the moment we publicly announce our alliance, we’re bound to make the other factions wary. A fight will be unavoidable. If Mr. Zhao’s strength is revealed, that fight will be incredibly difficult. I must ask everyone present to remain silent about what happened today."

Huang Zhankui said.

"That goes without saying. But everyone in this room is completely trustworthy. There’s no chance of a leak."

The Heavenly Elder nodded and said.

...

...

「The next day.」

The strongest masters of the Five Great Schools, along with their disciples, paid a public visit to the Martial Arts Association Headquarters. They entered the World Hall to register their names, signifying that the Five Great Sects were officially announcing their alliance with the Martial Arts Association.

This news spread rapidly. The Five Great Sects joining was a shot in the arm for the many Schools that were still waiting on the sidelines. Instantly, countless Schools’ confidence in the Martial Arts Association soared, and they rushed to make their decision as well.

For a time, the Martial Arts Association’s prestige in the nation’s civilian Martial Arts Realm grew immensely once more.

Afterward, the Martial Arts Association released another piece of news: to celebrate the end of the first World Martial Arts Tournament, they would be holding a banquet in Jinmen in seven days, cordially inviting all civilian Martial Arts Schools in the world to participate.

It was named: the World Martial Banquet!

Once again, it sent shockwaves through the realm!

The news reached the ears of all the major factions at an extremely fast speed.

「Shangjing, Yuan Mansion.」

"The Jinmen Martial Arts Association’s influence is expanding far too quickly. The strongest masters of the Five Great Schools are all at the Half-Step Harmony Realm—veteran powerhouses of immense strength. Furthermore, their School headquarters are located on the borders of the Divine Land, where they reign supreme. It won’t be easy for any of our armies to intervene."

"At this rate, the Martial Arts Association’s power will skyrocket. If this continues, the Jinmen Martial Arts Association might truly become the World Martial Arts Association. If the Three Elders of Jinmen ride this momentum and unite with the few Harmony masters in the civilian Martial Arts Realm, they will become a dire threat to our core interests. We must curb their growth immediately!"

"That’s right. If this continues, the Martial Arts Association will surely become a major problem. This matter cannot be delayed. It must be resolved as soon as possible."

"..."

Inside the mansion, a group of advisors spoke, their expressions grim.

The Martial Arts Association’s actions had completely crossed their line.

"This is actually a good thing."

Just then, Yuan Tianhao spoke calmly, and everyone immediately stopped their discussion.

"With the Martial Arts Association’s expansion, the bickering and buck-passing between the armies should come to an end. Seven days is more than enough time."

"The higher they leap, the harder they’ll fall. The more prestige the Jinmen Martial Arts Association gains, and the more Schools that join it, the easier it will be for us to integrate the civilian Martial Arts Realm once they collapse. Soon, there will be only one voice for the Martial Dao in all the Divine Land."

Yuan Tianhao said.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

Just then, there was a knock on the study door, and a tall man walked in quickly.

"Military Commander, we just received intelligence from an inside source. Yang Xun of the National Salvation Association’s Divine Martial Department is suspected to have left Jinling and headed for Jinmen! As for Li Ping and Wei Yun, their whereabouts are unknown. However, we can be almost certain that a top general from the National Salvation Association is heading to Jinmen, most likely because of the Martial Arts Association!"

The man’s expression was grave as he delivered the latest intelligence.

An uproar erupted in the room.

This piece of intelligence immediately sent the advisors in the room into a flurry of discussion.

If the National Salvation Association were to intervene, the situation would become much more complicated. They would have to reassess their strength if they wanted to bring Jinmen under control.

"So, all the ghouls and demons are gathering in one place, are they?"

Hearing this news, a terrifying glint flashed in Yuan Tianhao’s eyes before he quickly regained his composure.

"All the better. We’ll just deal with them all at once."

...

...

「Nighttime at the Jinmen train station.」

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The last train of the day pulled into the station. The doors opened, and the silent night was instantly filled with a cacophony of noise.

Passengers crowded and streamed out of the cars, shoving one another. Curses in various dialects could be heard from time to time. From a regular passenger car, two young men dressed like ordinary farmers followed the flow of the crowd and exited the carriage.

Their clothes were old and worn, even showing traces of dirt and dust. They each carried a large bundle on their shoulders, which looked to be some kind of dried farm produce. From their appearance, they seemed to be country folk who had either come to rely on relatives or were looking to make a life for themselves in Jinmen.

There were countless such travelers in the train cars, so the two of them didn’t attract any attention at all.

After disembarking, they followed the crowd out of the station. Once outside, they followed a pre-arranged secret sign, their figures melting into the night. After turning down a street, they arrived in an alley.

An old-fashioned sedan was parked in the alley. The two men approached the car and knocked rhythmically on the trunk a few times.

The car doors opened instantly, and two people got out.

The two were figures Zhao Xuanqi knew quite well: Sun Yunyong and Yang Zhongliang.

The moment Sun Yunyong got out of the car, he immediately looked at the man in the lead who was disguised as a farmer.

"Chief!"

Sun Yunyong’s expression was tinged with excitement as he spoke in a low voice.

"Get in the car first. This isn’t the place to talk."

The man patted Sun Yunyong’s shoulder. Then the two newcomers quickly opened the trunk, placed their bundles inside, and got into the car.

The vehicle started and slowly drove out of the alley.

Inside the sedan, Sun Yunyong quickly and briefly reported the situation in Jinmen to Yang Xun.

"So, the Five Great Schools have allied with the Jinmen Martial Arts Association? This is both a blessing and a curse. The other factions won’t just stand by and watch the Association grow stronger. Outside of the border of the Northern Territory, Jinmen is destined to become another focal point, drawing everyone’s attention."

"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are arrayed along the Northern Territory’s border, making the situation there tense. That is a battlefield where armies and collective powers clash. Jinmen, however, is likely to become a battlefield where individual powers collide. The coming days are sure to be turbulent. It seems we made the right choice in coming. A great disaster is about to befall the Jinmen Martial Arts Association."

Yang Xun said with a calm expression.

"Yes. The various Warlords have been discussing cooperation regarding Jinmen, but they’ve been constantly bickering over their own interests. This incident will probably spur them to unite quickly. I’m afraid they will take action in the coming days."

Yang Zhongliang said in a low voice.

"The Jinmen Martial Arts Association is currently trending toward becoming a true World Martial Arts Association. The civilian Martial Arts Realm was oppressed by the imperial court because of the Weapons Ban Order, and now the Warlords have taken its place. This is a force we can ally with. Having the Martial Arts Association lead the civilian Martial Arts Realm would not only weaken the Warlords but also strengthen the Martial Dao of our Divine Land. It’s a matter of national and public interest. For that reason, we must ensure the Jinmen Martial Arts Association survives."

Yang Xun nodded, then said to Sun Yunyong, "How has Zhao Xuanqi been recently?"

"After the tournament, he went into seclusion and only recently came out. It’s said that last night, he met with the strongest masters of the Five Great Sects. That’s why the Five Great Sects officially announced they were joining the World Hall and allying with the Martial Arts Association this morning. Zhao Xuanqi likely played a huge role in this."

"The man’s talent is extraordinary, as if he was born with innate knowledge. He is also clear about his debts and grudges. He is destined to be remarkable."

Sun Yunyong added. He didn’t know about Zhao Xuanqi’s breakthrough to the Harmony Realm, as time had been tight. For one, the Three Elders had locked down the information, believing the fewer people who knew, the better. For another, it had never even occurred to Sun Yunyong and the others to think in that direction. They simply assumed it was a normal period of seclusion for Zhao Xuanqi.

Who could have imagined that Zhao Xuanqi would break through to the Harmony Realm before he was even twenty?

"I’ve wanted to meet him for a long time, but unfortunately, there was never a chance, nor was it the right time. Now, the time has come. Yunyong, Zhongliang, find a way to contact him. I want to meet with him."

Yang Xun said.

"No problem. I’ll get on it right away."

Sun Yunyong nodded.

...

...

「Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanqi was in seclusion at the Martial Arts Association Headquarters.」

Having just reached Harmony, his body hadn’t yet been fully strengthened. In other words, he couldn’t yet display the full might of the Harmony realm. So, unless there was something urgent to attend to, he remained in seclusion.

As for the necessary Secret Medicines and materials, he didn’t need to worry at all. He was now a pillar of the Martial Arts Association. The Three Elders and the many Schools allied with the Association would help him take care of all his needs.

This was the benefit of being backed by a major power.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the stone door of the secret chamber. Zhao Xuanqi was startled out of his state of concentration and frowned slightly.