Chapter 497: Sweeping Like a Gale (2)
The Alliance of the Desperate
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains whole.
Faced with Luke's relentless aggression, the sect leaders—mocked by netizens as "fat rats"—finally couldn't take it anymore and formed an alliance.
In a traditional garden estate with a Southern Chinese waterfront style, six elderly men sat around a square table. The man at the head wore a white silk jacket, his sparse hair neatly managed. He looked at least eighty years old.
The man was named Liu Hezu, a once-prominent figure in his youth.
He organized this meeting. Starting from his right, the other five old men were Zhao Cheng, Lian Qigong, Lu Ya, Feng Junhu, and Lin Chuancheng—all leaders of major martial arts sects.
The martial arts world of today was different from the past. With many disciples and extensive businesses, they, as the "bosses," were immensely prestigious and respected everywhere. Unfortunately, a single storm had sent them plummeting from the mountaintop to the valley floor, turning them into targets of public hatred.
With their reputation ruined, the public's support dissolved.
Disciples left or scattered. Their past unethical deeds were exposed. Every day, people blocked their gates—either lawyers or debt collectors.
The saying "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter" perfectly described the situation.
The five old men had lost their former cheerful demeanor. Their aged faces were etched with worry. After exchanging their sorrows, Zhao Cheng couldn't help but ask,
"I just can't figure out what that Luke Shaw wants. We have no grudges from the past, no hatred from the present. Why is he coming after us?"
Lu Ya said coldly, "His surname is Shaw, and he is the grandson of Changlin Shaw, the former president of the Hongmen. It's said that Lingxu Zi passed the Tiger Fiend Scripture to him."
"We didn't have any falling out with Lingxu Zi back then, nor did we steal the Tiger Fiend Scripture."
Feng Junhu spread his hands. "Me neither. And what's the result? My name plaque was still ripped down."
Lin Chuancheng slammed the table.
"It's humiliating! Damn humiliating! Lived a lifetime, only to have our reputation ruined by two brats in old age!"
"Hateful!"
Lian Qigong swirled his teacup, hinting,
"Yesterday afternoon, Luke Shaw's motorcade was ambushed by assassins. Could those assassins possibly be from Elder Brother Lin's people?"
Lin Chuancheng immediately stood up.
"Surname Lian, what are you implying?"
"Nothing. I just have a piece of news for you. Just a moment ago, your eldest son, Lin Ji, suffered a sudden heart attack and died."
As the words fell, the air became eerily silent.
Lin Chuancheng's eyes were wide and round. He roared with the greatest force he could muster.
"You're lying!"
Liu Hezu, who hadn't spoken, said, "Old Lin, go make a phone call and ask."
Lin Chuancheng was terrified, his face drained of color. He stumbled out of the courtyard. A short while later, a lonely, wolf-like howl echoed from outside.
Everyone felt a sense of sadness, realizing that their time was also drawing to a close.
The assassins failed, and the next day, retaliation struck. The opponent's methods were ruthless, directly taking the life of a son without leaving any evidence. How could such an incident not strike fear into their hearts?
Liu Hezu said solemnly, "Those from the Hongmen cannot be dealt with using common sense. Stop using underhanded methods. If he wants a martial arts contest, then let's compete fairly and openly."
Zhao Cheng asked hopefully, "Old Liu, do you have a plan?"
"Since that turmoil over twenty years ago, the ethos of the ancient martial arts world has changed, and no true talents have emerged."
At this point, Liu Hezu sighed. Everyone's faces stiffened, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"We can only let the older generation step forward."
"Chen Feng, come out. Greet your Senior Brothers."
As he spoke, a sallow-faced man around fifty years old walked into the courtyard. The man was unassuming, looking at first glance like a simple farmer. The bones of his hands were unusually large, and his knuckles were wrapped with thick, hardened calluses.
Although the others hadn't practiced martial arts for a long time, their experience allowed them to recognize the yellow-faced man's extraordinary skill instantly.
"Who is this gentleman?"
"My youngest Junior Brother. He has practiced Hard Qigong since childhood and only fortunately managed to develop internal energy over a decade ago. He is wooden, quiet, and not fond of talking. Please bear with him."
"Not at all, Elder Brother Liu, you are too kind. If we had known you had such a Junior Brother, we wouldn't have been so worried."
External martial arts requires dedication, year after year. Only by reaching the extreme can one achieve internal mastery (you wai ru nei). Those who reach this level are all Grandmaster-level experts, and the yellow-faced man before them was clearly one. Despite his plain appearance, the spiritual light in his eyes couldn't be mistaken. Only those who have achieved internal energy possess such a presence.
Chen Feng stepped forward to perform the courtesy: distant, wooden, and poor at conversation. Previously, the old men wouldn't have given him a second look, but now it was different. A master who had achieved internal energy through external training was precisely the figurehead they desperately needed.
With the candidate selected, the next step was to arrange the match. This time, they not only had to win but had to win beautifully, letting everyone know that the ancient martial arts world had not fallen and was still full of hidden masters.
After deliberation, they first arranged manpower to enhance the yellow-faced man's strength as much as possible. Simultaneously, they utilized media connections to begin a huge propaganda campaign.
They aimed to reverse the image of the ancient martial arts world and regain their transcendent status.
At the same time, a challenge letter appeared in Luke's hands.
"See? The master has arrived."
Linda quickly scanned it.
"Chen Feng? Who is Chen Feng?"
"I don't know, and I'm not interested in finding out. Since he's the chosen figurehead, I assume he has some skill."
"Are you going to accept the challenge?"
"Of course. Only by completely destroying the entire martial arts world can I push Jiu's reputation to the peak. Then, we can proceed with the next phase of the plan: the Heavenly Master's Strategy will finally fall into my hands."
Linda pouted. "I feel like you're the main villain in a movie."
"Do I look like it?"
"In every way except your face."
"I disagree. Villains in movies never lack women, unlike poor, lonely me." As he spoke, he subtly placed his hand on the girl's thigh. Unfortunately, before he could fully appreciate the feeling, his hand was clamped down tight. The force grew stronger, the gap smaller. Her seemingly soft and pale legs held unimaginable strength.
Luke's face rapidly shifted from green to white—an utterly bizarre sight.
Jiu, in the front seat, asked curiously,
"Big Brother, are you sick?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine."
Luke strained his face, absolutely refusing to admit anything. Linda grinned, slowly releasing her legs, and the errant right hand was finally freed from its prison.
Looking at his hand, which resembled a pig's trotters, Luke swore under his breath,
"When we get back, I'm building a Red Sun Chamber and locking you in it for a month!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
Luke let out a cold laugh. The girl felt utterly uncomfortable under his gaze. She opened the car door and flew out.
Jiu asked in confusion,
"Where is Sister going?"
"Don't worry about her. We have a match tomorrow. Remember two things: win fast, and don't kill anyone."
"Understood."
After fighting dozens of matches, provoking countless enemies, and breaking hundreds of legs, the boy remained as he was at the start, completely unaware of how terrifying his actions were to others.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
Luke shook his head and began to plan his next steps.
Time flew quickly. The next morning, Luke and the others arrived at the sports venue as agreed. By the time they arrived, the area was already filled with media reporters who had been invited.
It was clear that the alliance had high confidence in their chosen champion.
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