"Excellent martial skill!"
A voice rang out from behind Wu Tian, Wu Di, and Wu Ren. The disciples of the Wu Tian Chan Sect immediately erupted into cheers, all of them overjoyed as they shouted in unison:
"Chan Master Wu Tian hears suffering and rescues the distressed,Compassionate at heart, delivering all from misery,At times merciful, at times mighty!
Chan Master Wu Tian, whose Buddhist power is boundless,Neither born nor destroyed,Coming from nowhere, going nowhere!"
Holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, Chan Master Wu Tian slowly walked into the center of the arena and spoke:
"Amitabha. Might this young brother be allied with the Five Immortals?"
At that very moment, Cui Fujun, Chief Judge of the Judges' Guild, leapt into the arena and pointed toward Li Jian.
"Chan Master, allow me to introduce this young hero. This is Li Jian, the newly appointed Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness."
Chan Master Wu Tian inwardly trembled.
No wonder his martial skills are extraordinary. He truly is no ordinary man.
Li Jian immediately responded:
"This junior is Li Jian, newly appointed Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. I pay my respects to Chan Master Wu Tian."
As he finished speaking, he respectfully cupped his fists and bowed deeply.
Chan Master Wu Tian had always been exceedingly proud. Now, before the gathered heroes of Jianghu, his three greatest disciples had been defeated and humiliated. If he simply ignored the matter, would he not become the laughingstock of the martial world? The lifelong prestige of the Wu Tian Chan Sect could collapse in an instant.
Thus, as the grandmaster of the sect, he could not fail to display the dignity of a sect leader.
Giving a cold snort, he said sternly:
"Judge Cui, since this young brother is the Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, he should understand the rules of Jianghu. The Five Immortals repeatedly provoked this poor monk today. Their suffering is merely the fruit of their own actions, not the desire of our sect."
To survive in Jianghu required not only courage, but wisdom.
Li Jian, however, was still inexperienced and not yet deeply tempered by worldly affairs. He replied honestly:
"Senior, this junior has little experience traveling Jianghu. Today's actions were merely spontaneous impulse. I had no intention of offending your honored sect."
Though Li Jian's martial attainments were already exceptional, relying solely upon reckless courage while wandering Jianghu would only lead a man into peril. That was precisely why Wu Tong had insisted Li Jian travel the Central Plains and temper himself through experience.
At this moment, the three disciples had suffered crushing defeat at Li Jian's hands before the assembled martial heroes, causing Chan Master Wu Tian to lose considerable face. As grandmaster of the Wu Tian Chan Sect, he could hardly allow the matter to pass merely because the new Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness offered a few polite words.
Yet Li Jian's fame had recently risen rapidly throughout Jianghu, and Wu Tian hesitated inwardly.
Just then—
"Judge Cui, since this young brother is the newly appointed Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, I naturally must come see him myself."
A loud, resonant voice suddenly rang out from the crowd behind them, interrupting the tense exchange.
Everyone turned to look.
An old man strode boldly forward.
It was Beggars' Sect Chief Fei Jin, known throughout Jianghu as the "Drunken Beggar."
Tan Wei immediately ran forward with a bright smile.
"Senior Fei!"
When Fei Jin suddenly saw a stunningly beautiful young woman rushing toward him while calling out in such a familiar voice, he froze in astonishment.
The girl wore pale green robes. Graceful and refined, she possessed extraordinary beauty and appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen.
Seeing the puzzled look on Fei Jin's face, Tan Wei instantly realized her appearance had changed so greatly that he no longer recognized her. She hurriedly explained:
"Senior Fei, it's me—Wei'er! The ugly little girl who used to follow Uncle Wu Tong!"
As she approached, Fei Jin had already found her strangely familiar. Suddenly realization struck him.
Looking carefully again, he saw that the once "ugly little girl" now resembled a fairy descended from Heaven itself.
Delight instantly filled his face.
"You… you…"
For a moment he was too overjoyed to speak properly before bursting into laughter.
"What ugly little girl? You're clearly a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world! I truly never imagined you would grow into such beauty!"
Tan Wei's cheeks immediately flushed crimson, her face filled with shy happiness and gentle delight.
Fei Jin then asked:
"And where is Wu Tong? Where has that rascal gone?"
Tan Wei deeply respected the Beggars' Sect Chief and did not dare neglect proper etiquette. Bowing respectfully, she answered:
"Uncle Tong has important business to attend to and has already departed for the Western Regions. He instructed me to accompany the new chief here to seek out Senior Fei."
At this moment, Li Jian also stepped forward with light and graceful movements, so light that even the dust upon the ground failed to stir. Bowing respectfully with cupped fists, he said:
"This junior Li Jian pays respects to the Beggars' Sect Chief."
Fei Jin nodded and carefully examined the young man before him.
Li Jian's eyes shone like morning stars. Handsome and dignified, with a proud bearing and high nose bridge, he possessed extraordinary presence. More importantly, his breathing was calm and subtle, while brilliant energy flickered within his gaze. His internal cultivation was clearly no weaker than Wu Tong's.
Fei Jin felt greatly pleased.
Smiling faintly, he sighed:
"That boy Wu Tong has always been impossibly proud. For years he spoke of finding a true prodigy to inherit the leadership of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, yet he never succeeded. Heaven truly rewards perseverance. I never imagined he would actually find such a successor."
At that moment, Chan Master Wu Tian observed the scene carefully. He had already been wavering over whether he should personally discipline the young man before him.
Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind.
"Chief Fei," he said, "this new Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness repeatedly interfered with the affairs of my sect and even injured three of my disciples. How does Chief Fei propose this matter be handled?"
Though Chan Master Wu Tian appeared outwardly as a venerable Buddhist master, inwardly he was deeply calculating and highly skilled in manipulation. By speaking now, he hoped to gain a favor from the Beggars' Sect Chief.
Unexpectedly, Fei Jin replied:
"Chan Master Wu Tian, since the new Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness has offended your sect and damaged your reputation, then there is no need for further words. Why not simply follow the rules of Jianghu and exchange martial arts in open combat? Let this serve as an opportunity for mutual learning and sparring."
At this moment, Fei Jin had already realized that Chan Master Wu Tian represented a grave hidden danger within the martial world. In the future, Li Jian would inevitably have to contend with such people.
Today offered the perfect opportunity to probe the martial arts secrets of the Wu Tian Chan Sect. It was also a rare chance for Li Jian to exchange blows with a grandmaster-level figure and gain valuable experience.
Such an opportunity was extraordinarily rare.
As the saying went:
"Without enduring bitter cold,How can plum blossoms yield their fragrance?"
Meanwhile, Li Jian stood nearby listening in stunned confusion.
Uncle Tong always said Beggars' Sect Chief Fei Jin was admired by all beneath Heaven for his righteousness and generosity, he thought. So why, at our very first meeting in Jianghu, instead of mediating this conflict, is he encouraging me to fight Chan Master Wu Tian?
Fei Jin's conduct was utterly unfathomable.
How could Li Jian possibly understand the deeper reasoning behind it?
When Chan Master Wu Tian heard this proposal, his heart shook violently.
Chief Fei Jin of the Beggars' Sect was famous throughout Jianghu for his benevolence and heroic spirit. Who among the martial world did not admire him?
Wu Tian had originally intended to give Fei Jin face and use the opportunity to gracefully withdraw from the situation. Yet whether intentionally or not, Fei Jin had instead suggested they settle matters according to Jianghu custom through martial combat.
This outcome lay far beyond Wu Tian's expectations.
His expression stiffened slightly before he forced out a smile.
"How could the reputation of the Wu Tian Chan Sect compare with the fame of the newly appointed Chief of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness?" he said. "I have heard that this young chief recently defeated the Unvanquished Heavenly Demon himself. His martial arts must indeed be extraordinary! And now Chief Fei wishes for the two of us to exchange blows according to Jianghu custom and spar together? Surely you jest!"