30

"Ah, it seems like my leg is broken."

"My hand, my hand, it hurts so much, so much."

"Master, please save me."

The wails continued.

In a moment, many disciples fell to the ground, screaming in agony.

"He's so powerful, is Leon Wei really that powerful?"

The disciples brought by Bai Canghai and Pang Haichao stood dumbfounded, completely awed by the situation before them. Leon Wei's methods had left them stunned, so much so that they felt it was surreal.

Upon hearing his disciples' words, Bai Canghai and Pang Haichao's expressions turned grim.

A sense of unease surged within them.

Soon, Leon Wei stood with his hands behind his back, surrounded by groaning individuals. He slowly approached Xu Tai and said, "Master Xu, you can't handle the business of the canal trade. It's better to leave it to our deputy master. If you can withstand my blow, I'll leave immediately. But if you can't, then don't cause trouble here again."

Without waiting for Xu Tai's response, he suddenly struck out with his palm. In an instant, an overwhelming force poured out like a landslide. Xu Tai's face changed drastically, and he could only muster his strength to confront it.

As their palms collided, a loud bang echoed.

Xu Tai was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, blood spraying from his mouth and nose.

"How can his strength be so terrifying?"

This was Xu Tai's last thought before losing consciousness.

"Too weak."

Leon Wei shook his head slightly, not bothering to look at Xu Tai again. Instead, he turned and walked away, leaving behind a group of awestruck disciples. As he passed by the dazed Bai Canghai and Pang Haichao, he casually dropped a remark, "I'm leaving. Remember to clean up the mess here."

Under the admiring gazes of the disciples, he walked off into the distance.

The onlookers were completely astounded.

"Leon Wei is too formidable."

"More than formidable, he's downright fearsome. That's the Soul-Chasing Hand Xu Tai and the Five Tiger Saber Zheng Hu. They were easily defeated by Leon Wei."

"I think the Lin Clan Martial Hall is probably the strongest among the six halls."

As Leon Wei thought about leaving, he deliberately approached the surrounding commoners. He felt a sense of satisfaction as he listened to their discussions, knowing that his prestige would definitely skyrocket. After all, the commoners would spread the word for him.

As for how far the news would spread, that was beyond his imagination.

Bai Canghai looked at the gradually disappearing figure and said slowly, "Pang Haichao, do you think the Tri-Hall Martial Arts Tournament still serves a purpose?"

"Huh?" Pang Haichao snapped out of his daze, looking at Bai Canghai in bewilderment.

"I'm talking about the Tri-Hall Martial Arts Tournament to select the external manager. Do you think we can win?"

Pang Haichao fell silent upon hearing this question, unsure of how to respond. Can we win? This question left him momentarily at a loss.

Looking at Xu Tai lying on the ground and then at Zheng Hu, who was clutching his chest and spitting blood, he knew that this was not a question he should dwell on. How could they possibly win when even Zheng Hu, who had pushed him to the brink, couldn't withstand a single move? He was just throwing his head against a wall.

The incident at the dock began to spread, and soon the entire city knew about it.

At a teahouse:

"Did you hear? With a single palm, Leon Wei sent Xu Tai, the Soul-Chasing Hand, flying, and even disarmed Zheng Hu of the Five Tiger Saber without any resistance," a man exclaimed, gesturing dramatically.

The surrounding listeners were taken aback.

"That's incredible."

"It's definitely impressive. I saw it with my own eyes. And there's more to it. Leon Wei single-handedly fought nearly a hundred people, leaving them screaming in agony. If you go to the doctor now, you'll understand that what I'm saying is true."

"But then again, that Pang Haichao and Bai Canghai are really despicable, bringing their apprentices and causing those apprentices to be injured. Look at how good Leon Wei is. He didn't bring a single apprentice because he knows that these apprentices are here to learn martial arts for money, not to risk their lives."

"You're not one of Leon Wei's plants, are you?"

"Plants? Everyone in Ankang County knows that Leon Wei is full of martial virtue. When the two hall masters fought, Leon Wei saw that his side had one more person and didn't make a move until the result was clear, then he fought them alone."

"Wow, that's truly martial virtue."

...

At the martial hall:

Leon Wei returned to the courtyard and watched the disciples practicing. He felt that he had gained a lot from this battle.

Bai Canghai and Pang Haichao were likely to face a wave of apprentices leaving the hall.

As for the Tri-Hall Martial Arts Tournament, he was no longer expecting anything from it. As long as their heads were screwed on right, they would surely withdraw on their own. After all, being defeated on the stage was quite embarrassing.

He had also earned some wish points, not a lot, but still a dozen or so, all provided by those beaten disciples.

He immediately began the draw.

As he drew, the practicing disciples occasionally looked towards their hall master. They had already heard the rumors about their hall master's display of power at the dock, defeating Xu Tai and Zheng Hu single-handedly and even taking on a hundred people alone. This filled them with pride and admiration. After all, he was their hall master.

At that moment, Han Wei hurried over. Upon entering, he immediately gave a thumbs-up to Leon Wei, acknowledging his prowess. He had come to the martial hall specifically after hearing about the incident.

"Brother Han, how do you think things will unfold from here?" Leon Wei received Han Wei in the hall, offering him tea and engaging in casual conversation.

Han Wei, holding a teacup, took a sip and pondered, "The Mountain and River Martial Hall won't let this go. There will likely be a clash between the personnel of the Mountain and River Martial Hall and the Changying Martial Hall."

"This will lead to casualties," Leon Wei said slowly.

"Yes, there will be casualties. In the face of significant interests, casualties are inevitable," Han Wei was most concerned about this. Regardless of which side suffered, the ultimate result would be an all-out conflict between the Mountain and River Martial Hall and the Changying Martial Hall.

The once stable situation would be completely shattered.

Leon Wei had no intention of getting involved in the conflict between the two martial halls. His focus was on helping Mo Wangnian establish the Blackstone Martial Hall.

He had to obtain the five golden wish points.

As an external inspector for the Patrol Division, if he also became the external manager of the Changying Martial Hall, his status would skyrocket.

He would have influence in both the underworld and the legitimate world.

But first, he needed to have the strength to back it up.

Being in the Skin and Flesh Realm allowed him to stand firm in Ankang County. If he reached the True Qi Realm, he wouldn't have to give face to anyone in Ankang County.

At night:

The high-ranking members of the Mountain and River Martial Hall gathered.

Bang!

A perfectly good tea table was shattered by a hand.

"The Changying Martial Hall has gone too far."

An angry roar erupted from the deputy hall master of the Mountain and River Martial Hall. "Master, we must fight back. We cannot allow the Changying Martial Hall to meddle in the canal trade."

The hall's many branch leaders and managers felt the same, eager to have a good showdown with the Changying Martial Hall.

"Currently, the Red Hero Yan of the Changying Martial Hall is in seclusion. Deputy Hall Master Wang Rong wants to snatch the canal trade from us. Let's see if he's capable of doing so."

"If we don't make a stand, the other four martial halls will think we're easy to bully."

"That's right."

They were discussing Wang Rong, completely ignoring the dock's powerful figure, Leon Wei. After all, he was just a hall master of an affiliated martial hall and had yet to catch their attention.

"Quiet, everyone." A seated elder slowly spoke up, and the room fell silent as all eyes turned to the hall master.

"Do you know why the county lord hasn't intervened?"

One of the branch leaders said, "Master, could it be that the county lord is supporting Wang Rong behind the scenes?"

Suddenly, the expressions of everyone in the room changed.

The hall master remained silent.

They had previously eliminated the county's captain, Liu Shen, at the behest of the county lord. Now, the county lord seemed to be supporting Wang Rong in seizing their canal trade. Were they being used as a tool, to be discarded at will?

The story continues...