Zhang Yang's tone was unfriendly, yet he was very conscious of his image.
After saying this, he casually flicked his non-existent hairline, displaying the demeanor of a master.
The next second...
Gaba.
A crisp sound echoed within the Jingyang Palace.
Unable to bear it any longer, Liang Hao rushed up and slapped him.
"What are you pretending for? Daring to put on airs in front of my older brother?"
Who gave you the courage? Damn it, you're definitely not going to live today.
Slaps rained down on Zhang Yang's face. After a barrage of blows, Zhang Yang was completely transformed into a pathetic, dejected man, kneeling on the ground.
"Big brother, stop fighting! If you keep fighting, I won't be able to find a Daoist partner."
"Someone like you can find a Daoist partner? I'm so handsome, yet I don't have one. Where do you get the audacity to say that, you bald guy in your forties or fifties? Take a hit from my Heavenly Frost Fist first!"
"Spare me, brother, spare me!"
Zhang Yang was beaten so badly he screamed, feeling like crying but having no tears left to shed.
Who did I offend? All I did was show off, why was I treated so cruelly?
When Wu Yousheng saw Zhang Yang being beaten, instead of stopping him, he was so excited that he almost jumped into a driving test to cheer him on.
Zhang Yang, relying on his position as an elder of the Court of Judicial Review, spent his days in the palace eating and drinking for free at public expense, which the emperor had long resented.
Now that someone has stepped in to teach him a lesson, he is naturally in high spirits and can't wait to kick him a couple more times.
Faced with such ferocious damage output, the bald swordsman brought by Zhang Yang decisively pressed the restart button after his CPU crashed for several tens of seconds.
"Stop! To injure someone in front of me, the Sword God Ximen Chuibi, do you really have no intention of saving face?"
"And let me show you the unparalleled swordsmanship of the Ximen family."
The bald swordsman Ximen Chuibi immediately drew his longsword and performed a set of "Newcomer Sword Techniques" on the spot, instantly shocking everyone present.
Just as he was in high spirits and about to show off his "Dongxi Sword Technique" again, someone finally reached their limit.
Su Yunying immediately slammed her hand on the table and stood up. She dodged to his side and directly raised her hand, sending him and his sword flying.
Shen Zhao immediately rolled up his sleeves and roared, "Damn it, let's get started!"
Then, together with Liang Hao, they rushed over, and the three of them unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on Ximen Chuibi...
After half an hour of intense exertion, Zhang Yang and Ximen Chuibi knelt before Shen Zhao, their faces bruised and swollen, a stark contrast to their previous high spirits.
Seeing the two in such a miserable state, Shen Zhao looked heartbroken and said to Liang Hao, "Why did you hit him so hard? He is my fellow disciple, my dear friend and family!"
Liang Hao looked aggrieved: "Big brother, you were the one who hit the hardest just now."
"But he's my fellow disciple, and according to seniority, I should call him senior brother!"
Shen Zhao sighed repeatedly, his face filled with sorrow.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, that's right, we are fellow disciples."
The next second, Shen Zhao said with tears in his eyes, "Why not just give them a quick death?"
Liang Hao immediately realized, "Big brother, I understand."
After saying that, he pulled out a 39-meter-long broadsword and held it to the necks of the two men: "Vulgar ants don't deserve to live."
"Out of consideration for our shared sect, you'll be allowed to leave your last words. Then run another 38 meters; if it's even one meter more, I'll dig up your ancestral graves."
Zhang Yang was shocked and hurriedly pressed down on the blade, asking incredulously, "What? Am I about to leave my last words?"
"Brothers, this is far too cruel. Don't you know that killing fellow disciples is a grave taboo in any sect, and will be condemned by your fellow practitioners?"
Ximen Chuibi nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, you should think this through carefully."
We're all brothers; minor disagreements are normal. There's no need to make it a fight to the death, or we'll be ridiculed.
Liang Hao frowned, just about to ask Shen Zhao how to handle the situation, when Wu Yousheng offered his help:
"Don't worry, if you don't tell and I don't tell either, after we kill them, we'll just take their bodies to the back garden as fertilizer. Who would know then?"
Liang Hao's eyes lit up: "Great idea, let's go with it."
Zhang Yang and Ximen Chuibi were stunned. At this critical moment of life and death, a strong will to survive filled every cell of their bodies.
"Big brother, can you give me a chance?"
Zhang Yang was the first to cling to Shen Zhao's leg.
"I, Ximen Chuibi, am willing to offer up my family's strongest sword techniques, the Xibei Sword Technique and the Rising Sun Sword, in exchange for a way to live."
Ximen Chuibi followed closely behind.
The two men had resolute expressions, completely unpretentious. Anyone unaware of the truth would have thought they were heroic figures ready to die for their cause.
Shen Zhao glanced at the two of them with disdain, then said, "The reason why the Court of Justice has fallen to this state is largely due to unambitious people like you."
"Fine, I can spare your lives, but you must show some sincerity."
"Sincerity?"
The two exchanged a glance, and Zhang Yang said, "Senior brother, if you're asking us for spirit stones or anything, we really don't have any."
"Then there's no point in living. As a member of a sect, you're slandering your own sect behind its back. Such a person doesn't deserve to live. Liang Hao, make your move."
"Yes, brother!"
Just as Liang Hao raised his broadsword to strike, Zhang Yang immediately shouted, "Wait!"
"Any last words?"
"Senior brother, I don't have spirit stones, but I have proof of my eligibility for the public trial in the Southern Region Immortal Martial Arts Competition. I wonder if that can be used to pay for our two brothers' lives?"
"Qualifications for a public trial?"
Shen Zhao frowned, realizing that things seemed to be more complicated than they appeared.
Wu Yousheng explained, "Sir, he does indeed have the authority to conduct a public trial for this Immortal Martial Arts Competition and to supervise whether any of the disciples cheated during the competition."
Shen Zhao grabbed Zhang Yang and said, "I didn't know you were so capable. Where did you get this thing from?"
Zhang Yang: "This qualification was obtained by me from a great master of the Confucian School at the cost of my entire fortune."
The aim is to restore the prestige of our Court of Justice in this Southern Region Grand Competition.
However, it seems that you, senior brother, are more suitable for this qualification than I am.
As a junior disciple, I should respect my senior brother; therefore, I entrust this refereeing role to you, senior brother.
"To revive the reputation of the judiciary? I think it's just a way to make money."
Liang Hao ruthlessly exposed Zhang Yang's trick.
Zhang Yang gave an awkward smile but did not refute: "So, senior brother, what do you think?"
"Fine, considering we're from the same sect, I won't hold it against you. Give me the right to conduct the public trial."
"Senior brother, the qualifications for a public trial also need to be recognized by those members of the Confucian Sage Sect."
The right to conduct the public trial can only be transferred if they agree, but I'll take the initiative to do it, so there shouldn't be any problem.
"So troublesome? Do we really have to make a trip to the Confucian Sage Sect?"
"No need for that. The Confucian scholars will be coming to the palace tomorrow. We can just meet them and explain the situation."
Wu Yousheng nodded, "Elders, what he said is true. Tomorrow, the people from the Confucian Sage Sect will enter the palace to meet the Emperor."
"but."
Zhang Yang reminded him again.
"Senior, you need to be careful about one person; the other public judges are all easy to talk to."
That fellow named Kong Lian is particularly troublesome; Senior Brother, you must be careful.
Upon hearing this, Liang Hao became angry: "What, how troublesome is Kong Lian? Does he have three heads and six arms or something? If he dares to cause me any trouble, I'll just punch him to death."
Zhang Yang: "That's not the case. Kong Lian is a pedantic scholar. As an inner sect steward of the Confucian Sage Sect, his cultivation has already broken through to the ethereal and unfathomable Profound Realm."
Upon hearing this, Liang Hao sneered: "A mere Profound Realm expert? I thought he was some great figure. Don't make him sound as terrifying as an emperor."
"It's not a matter of strength. I just want to remind you, senior brother, that Kong Lian is a seasoned female boxing master, you know?"
Upon hearing this, Liang Hao immediately thought of Huang Xiaoting, the female boxer from Chunyang Palace, whom he had encountered in the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land. His face twitched involuntarily, and he was so angry that his teeth itched.
"Damn it, you want to fight? I'm going to meet him in person tomorrow!"
Shen Zhao looked at him with distrust: "Are you sure you want to face the female boxer alone?"
"A Nirvana cultivator cannot be insulted. Brother, please rest assured, I will definitely reclaim everything I lost in the past."
Seeing his unwavering resolve, Shen Zhao stopped trying to dissuade him.
But his eyes revealed endless suspicion.
The female boxers in this world are just as formidable as those in the world before I transmigrated. Can you handle it?
...
Meanwhile, outside the palace gates, Yin Jiao'e and Su Xuejiao kowtowed repeatedly to a middle-aged man dressed in a scholar's robe.
The middle-aged man weighed the storage bag in his hand, nodded, and raised his hand: "Alright, I understand your matter. Come with me to the palace tomorrow morning."
Su Xuejiao was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Senior, can you really take me into the palace?"
"Of course, not only can you go in, you can also stay there. In the Southern Region, there is nothing that Kong Lian cannot do, so you two can rest assured."
Upon hearing this, the mother and daughter immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Senior, you are a highly respected sage of the Confucian school. Given my daughter's talent, could you make an exception and accept her as a disciple?"
Yin Jiao'e looked at Kong Lian with anticipation.
Kong Lian glanced at Su Xuejiao, then shook her head and said, "To tell you the truth, although I have spent my whole life fighting for women's physical and mental freedom from the exploitation of vicious men..."
However, it would be very difficult for your daughter to enter the Confucian Sage Sect given her aptitude. But if your daughter can make it into the top twenty in this competition,
I can reluctantly recommend one person.
Upon hearing this, Su Xuejiao's disappointment was palpable.
She was very clear about her own abilities; she knew she couldn't even get into the top 20, let alone the top 200.
It's more likely they'll be eliminated in the first round.
After all, her cultivation level wasn't achieved through diligent practice, but entirely through the effects of medicine. Moreover, she lacked practical combat experience, so whether she could win against someone with a lower cultivation level depended entirely on fate.
Yin Jiao'e also saw her daughter's emotions and continued to plead: "Senior, could you please make an exception? Just think of it as a mother who has been running around and working hard for her daughter. Please."
"Oh well, never mind."
Kong Lian sighed.
"Considering the hardships you and your daughter have endured, I can't bear it, so I'll lend a hand. But you should know that this is a very difficult matter."
"I'm willing to pay any price as long as Xuejiao can enter the sect for further studies."
"Alright, I won't say anything more then. Three hundred thousand spirit stones, I'll pull some strings for you. You can start raising the money now. I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving now."
"Okay, thank you, senior."
After seeing Kong Lian off, Su Xuejiao asked worriedly, "Mother, where are we going to get 300,000 spirit stones?"
"Don't worry, Mother will find a way. As long as I can send you to the Confucian Sage Sect for further studies, I'm willing to pay any amount of money."
In fact, at this time, after the Huo family came to "collect debts," the Su family's economy was not as good as before.
The company still owes a large amount of debt and lacks liquid spirit stones, which has significantly impacted its business. It is now struggling to survive by selling off its assets.
When Yin Jiao'e thought of a way to raise money, she naturally decided to borrow "online loans" from the underground banks in Daliang City.
Su Xuejiao, however, was completely unaware of this and remained immersed in her fantasy of soon joining the Confucian Sage Sect.