Chapter 5

In a deserted alley in the distance.

Jin Ray leaned against the wall, his chest heaving, breathing rapidly, fists clenched tightly, his eyes filled with joy and astonishment.

"I... I actually managed to defeat him."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled his time at the martial arts school, where he was often bullied by Zhao Quan and others. Despite his hard training, his slender frame was no match for them.

Always being toyed with like a monkey.

But now... everything had changed.

Taking a deep breath, calming his emotions, he left the alley and headed towards home.

Jin Ray lived in Chang'an Alley, a place close to the city wall, where the lower-class people of the county lived. As he entered this place, he could smell strange odors, the roads were uneven dirt paths, litter scattered everywhere.

No one cared about this place, no one cared about their lives, everything depended on themselves.

Pushing open the broken courtyard door, the courtyard was surrounded by branches.

"Brother, you're back." A tender voice came, and then a little girl with braided hair in patched clothes ran out happily.

"Yeah, I'm back."

With Jin Ray's joyful mood, his tone of speech was light, he patted the little sister's head, walked into the house. The house was very old, made of mud and wood mixed together.

Sometimes when it rained, it would leak.

The little sister was not his biological sister, but an adopted one.

Initially, the little sister and her grandfather wandered to Ankang County. Her grandfather unfortunately fell seriously ill and died, and the local gangsters had their eyes on the little sister long ago. Seeing this, Jin Ray said to them, "Where do you want to take my sister?" Thus, he drove away those people, and from then on, he kept her by his side to take care of her.

Otherwise, if taken away by those gangsters, with luck, she might be sold to a kind-hearted wealthy household, but with bad luck, she would be sold to those brothels. Many people liked little girls, once they fell into that place, the result was obvious, no need to think too much.

"Brother, dinner is ready, just waiting for you to come back." Li Xiaomei pulled Jin Ray to the old table, where there were two bowls of porridge and three pancakes.

Life was so poor, even though Jin Ray joined the martial arts school, he didn't earn much money. The only benefit was being able to fill his stomach a little.

"Little sister, from now on, brother will work hard." Jin Ray said.

"Mm, mm."

Li Xiaomei held the bowl, sipping the porridge, despite her young age, she was obedient and sensible, managing the house well with her slender figure.

"Brother, we will definitely make it." Jin Ray's tone was firm. In the past, he wouldn't have said these things, but now, he believed that with his master, things would get better, and he also treated his little sister as his own sister. In any case, he had to work hard and strive for a better life for his family.

The next day, early in the morning.

Outside the Three Blades Martial Arts School, a group of common people gathered.

These common people looked at the closed gate, waiting for Ma Sandao to appear. Although they had heard some gossip about Ma Sandao's situation and felt sympathy for him, they still wanted to see the excitement.

Inside the martial arts school, Ma Sandao was dressed neatly, carrying a knife on his back, looking at his wife standing beside him, who was nodding obediently. His eyes were full of disdain, thinking of his once great reputation, being framed and exposed, he felt utterly humiliated.

The apprentices around naturally didn't dare to breathe heavily, all standing straight, heads down, looking at their toes.

Suddenly.

Ma Sandao grabbed his wife's neck, making her face turn red, trying to struggle but to no avail. Then, with a snap, Ma Sandao's two slaps hit her face, making her already slightly swollen face even more swollen.

His wife sat on the ground, crying.

"You wench."

Ma Sandao cursed angrily, taking big steps towards the gate, "Wang Bao, have you invited everyone we need?"

"Back to the Master, everyone has been invited."

Wang Bao respectfully responded. He had bribed Chen Liu yesterday, and even hosted a banquet for the apprentices in the evening. Everything was ready, waiting for the Master to achieve victory. By then, he would be able to secure the second seat in the school.

Known as Senior Brother Wang.

The apprentices in the school had bet heavily on the Master's victory. In their eyes, it was a sure thing, absolutely no problem.

Outside the martial arts school, as the gate opened, the common people exclaimed.

Whether inside or outside, Ma Sandao's demeanor was completely different. He stood on the steps like a general, looking down at the common people below. Then, with a wave of his hand, he led the apprentices towards the Lin Martial Arts School in a grand manner.

The common people followed closely behind, some had placed bets, some just wanted to watch the excitement.

"Master Ma, can you win?" a voice came from the crowd.

Ma Sandao stopped, turned around, and said fiercely, "You shouldn't ask if I can win, you should ask if he can survive."

Oh...

The crowd boiled over.

The heavy burden of life often makes many people feel suffocated, so much so that they are very repressed. When a life-and-death battle occurs, it seems like an emotional release valve is opened.

Meanwhile, not far from the crowd, a few men were discussing.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

"Does it really matter who wins? Two dogs fighting has no meaning."

"That's true, it's a toss-up. Ma Sandao only knows a few moves, thinking he's invincible just entering the Blood Qi Realm. Once he finishes this challenge, the next one will be his turn."

"I heard that the Red Fist Martial Arts School has sent out a lot of gifts recently, trying to establish six affiliated martial arts schools. Can this plan succeed?"

"Whether it can succeed is hard to say. In the end, it depends on one person's decision."

...

Lin's Martial Arts School.

The courtyard was already full of people, and several grandmaster chairs were placed on the side. The middle-aged men sitting on the chairs were the witnesses called by Ma Sandao.

These old men had no real skills, but they had gained some reputation, and in middle age, they had to find ways to supplement their income. So, being witnesses to the martial arts challenge was a stable job for them.

It had style, money to be earned, and food to eat.

Where else could they find such business?

Ma Sandao had invited them, and they had been paid.

These men pointed and gestured towards Leon Wei sitting there, although they didn't speak, the meaning in their eyes was clear, they were disdainful.

At this moment, Leon Wei was sitting with his legs crossed, drinking tofu pudding, and there were some boiled eggs on the side table. These were all prepared by Kai Zen himself, to ensure that Leon Wei was well-fed and energized for the upcoming match.

Kai Zen was currently massaging Leon Wei's shoulders, knowing that when it came to their own pockets.

If things got tough, he would have flown long ago.

"Leon Wei, I've inquired about it. Ma Sandao only knows three moves, attacking the lower, middle, and upper areas, and has a signature move, the White Knife In, Yellow Knife Out, skilled at stabbing the shit bag."

"Kai Zen, I'm eating."

"Alright, alright."

Kai Zen served diligently, relaxing his muscles and bones, invigorating his whole body.

A shout came from outside the door.

"Master Ma of the Three Blades Martial Arts School has arrived..."

Clang!

In the courtyard, everyone turned to the door.

Witnesses also stood up, ready to welcome.

"Master Ma."

"Master Ma."

Amidst the cheers, Ma Sandao appeared proudly in front of everyone's eyes.

The witnesses invited by Ma Sandao crowded around him, shaking hands, speaking polite words.

Ma Sandao's gaze swept over Leon Wei, who was pretending to be calm, sitting there.

This look seemed to say.

The witnesses, the referees, all are on my side. What can you do against me?

The only one who remained calm and drank tofu pudding was Leon Wei. Jin Ray stood straight beside him, and Kai Zen, with his excellent massage skills.

"Prepare the tea."

Leon Wei took a bite of the egg, a sip of tea, and completely absorbed Ma Sandao's imposing presence.

He had noticed the whispers among the witnesses, as Kai Zen's wish was to become the Senior Brother, and he had two wish points. With Wang Mang out of the picture, Kai Zen had a chance.

Unfortunately... Ma Sandao was destined to lose.

He walked up to Ma Sandao and saw the clear difference in their physique. Despite being over six feet tall, he was still shorter than Ma Sandao, who had a robust build. Indeed, such a physique was ideal for martial arts in this era, as common people often lacked the nourishment of oil and meat, resulting in slender bodies.

But now, things were different. With the appearance of the golden finger, he had transformed into a martial artist with martial skills.

Although his realm wasn't high, it was enough to deal with Ma Sandao.

"Hey, Master Ma, where's that guy Wang Mang who challenged us last time? Why isn't he here?"

"You...!"

Ma Sandao's face changed, his eyes suddenly fierce and angry, glaring at Leon Wei, as if he wanted to devour him. The matter that no one dared to mention, Leon Wei dared to bring up in front of him, which was simply seeking death.

Before Kai Zen could finish, Ma Sandao roared, grabbing his wife's neck, making her face turn red. She tried to struggle but to no avail. Then, with a snap, Ma Sandao's two slaps hit her already slightly swollen face, making it even more swollen.

His wife sat on the ground, crying.

"You wench."

Ma Sandao cursed angrily, taking big steps towards the gate, "Wang Bao, have you invited everyone we need?"

"Back to the Master, everyone has been invited."

Wang Bao respectfully responded. He had bribed Chen Liu yesterday, and even hosted a banquet for the apprentices in the evening. Everything was ready, waiting for the Master to achieve victory. By then, he would be able to secure the second seat in the school.

Known as Senior Brother Wang.

The apprentices in the school had bet heavily on the Master's victory. In their eyes, it was a sure thing, absolutely no problem.

Outside the martial arts school, as the gate opened, the common people exclaimed.

When inside and outside, Ma Sandao's demeanor was completely different. He stood on the steps like a general, looking down at the common people below. Then, with a wave of his hand, he led the apprentices towards the Lin Martial Arts School in a grand manner.

The common people followed closely behind, some had placed bets, some just wanted to watch the excitement.

"Master Ma, can you win?" a voice came from the crowd.

Ma Sandao stopped, turned around, and said fiercely, "You shouldn't ask if I can win, you should ask if he can survive."

Oh...

The crowd boiled over.

The heavy burden of life often makes many people feel suffocated, so much so that they are very repressed. When a life-and-death battle occurs, it seems like an emotional release valve is opened.

Meanwhile, not far from the crowd, a few men were discussing.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

"Does it really matter who wins? Two dogs fighting has no meaning."

"That's true, it's a toss-up. Ma Sandao only knows a few moves, thinking he's invincible just entering the Blood Qi Realm. Once he finishes this challenge, the next one will be his turn."

"I heard that the Red Fist Martial Arts School has sent out a lot of gifts recently, trying to establish six affiliated martial arts schools. Can this plan succeed?"

"Whether it can succeed is hard to say. In the end, it depends on one person's decision."

...

Lin's Martial Arts School.

The courtyard was already full of people, and several grandmaster chairs were placed on the side. The middle-aged men sitting on the chairs were the witnesses called by Ma Sandao.

These old men had no real skills, but they had gained some reputation, and in middle age, they had to find ways to supplement their income. So, being witnesses to the martial arts challenge was a stable job for them.

It had style, money to be earned, and food to eat.

Well, where else could they find such business?

Ma Sandao had invited them, and they had been paid.

These men pointed and gestured towards Leon Wei sitting there, although they didn't speak, the meaning in their eyes was clear, they were disdainful.

At this moment, Leon Wei was sitting with his legs crossed, drinking tofu pudding, and there were some boiled eggs on the side table. These were all prepared by Kai Zen himself, to ensure that Leon Wei was well-fed and energized for the upcoming match.

Kai Zen was currently massaging Leon Wei's shoulders, knowing that when it came to their own pockets.

If things got tough, he would have flown long ago.

"Leon Wei, I've inquired about it. Ma Sandao only knows three moves, attacking the lower, middle, and upper areas, and has a signature move, the White Knife In, Yellow Knife Out, skilled at stabbing the shit bag."

"Kai Zen, I'm eating."

"Alright, alright."

Kai Zen served diligently, relaxing his muscles and bones, invigorating his whole body.

A shout came from outside the door.

"Master Ma of the Three Blades Martial Arts School has arrived..."

Clang!

In the courtyard, everyone turned to the door.

Witnesses also stood up, ready to welcome.

"Master Ma."

"Master Ma."

Amidst the cheers, Ma Sandao appeared proudly in front of everyone's eyes.

The witnesses invited by Ma Sandao crowded around him, shaking hands, speaking polite words.

Ma Sandao's gaze swept over Leon Wei, who was pretending to be calm, sitting there.

This look seemed to say.

The witnesses, the referees, all are on my side. What can you do against me?

The only one who remained calm and drank tofu pudding was Leon Wei. Jin Ray stood straight beside him, and Kai Zen, with his excellent massage skills.

"Prepare the tea."

Leon Wei took a bite of the egg, a sip of tea, and completely absorbed Ma Sandao's imposing presence.

He had noticed the whispers among the witnesses, as Kai Zen's wish was to become the Senior Brother, and he had two wish points. With Wang Mang out of the picture, Kai Zen had a chance.

Unfortunately... Ma Sandao was destined to lose.

He walked up to Ma Sandao and saw the clear difference in their physique. Despite being over six feet tall, he was still shorter than Ma Sandao, who had a robust build. Indeed, such a physique was ideal for martial arts in this era, as common people often lacked the nourishment of oil and meat, resulting in slender bodies.

But now, things were different. With the appearance of the golden finger, he had transformed into a martial artist with martial skills.

Although his realm wasn't high, it was enough to deal with Ma Sandao.

"I... I actually managed to defeat him."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled his time at the martial arts school, where he was often bullied by Zhao Quan and others. Despite his hard training, his slender frame was no match for them.

Always being toyed with like a monkey.

But now... everything had changed.

Taking a deep breath, calming his emotions, he left the alley and headed towards home.

Jin Ray lived in Chang'an Alley, a place close to the city wall, where the lower-class people of the county lived. As he entered this place, he could smell strange odors, the roads were uneven dirt paths, litter scattered everywhere.

No one cared about this place, no one cared about their lives, everything depended on themselves.

Pushing open the broken courtyard door, the courtyard was surrounded by branches.

"Brother, you're back." A tender voice came, and then a little girl with braided hair in patched clothes ran out happily.

"Yeah, I'm back."

With Jin Ray's joyful mood, his tone of speech was light, he patted the little sister's head, walked into the house. The house was very old, made of mud and wood mixed together.

Sometimes when it rained, it would leak.

The little sister was not his biological sister, but an adopted one.

Initially, the little sister and her grandfather wandered to Ankang County. Her grandfather unfortunately fell seriously ill and died, and the local gangsters had their eyes on the little sister long ago. Seeing this, Jin Ray said to them, "Where do you want to take my sister?" Thus, he drove away those people, and from then on, he kept her by his side to take care of her.

Otherwise, if taken away by those gangsters, with luck, she might be sold to a kind-hearted wealthy household, but with bad luck, she would be sold to those brothels. Many people liked little girls, once they fell into that place, the result was obvious, no need to think too much.

"Brother, dinner is ready, just waiting for you to come back." Li Xiaomei pulled Jin Ray to the old table, where there were two bowls of porridge and three pancakes.

Life was so poor, even though Jin Ray joined the martial arts school, he didn't earn much money. The only benefit was being able to fill his stomach a little.

"Little sister, from now on, brother will work hard." Jin Ray said.

"Mm, mm."

Li Xiaomei held the bowl, sipping the porridge, despite her young age, she was obedient and sensible, managing the house well with her slender figure.

"Brother, we will definitely make it." Jin Ray's tone was firm. In the past, he wouldn't have said these things, but now, he believed that with his master, things would get better, and he also treated his little sister as his own sister. In any case, he had to work hard and strive for a better life for his family.

The next day, early in the morning.

Outside the Three Blades Martial Arts School, a group of common people gathered.

These common people looked at the closed gate, waiting for Ma Sandao to appear. Although they had heard some gossip about Ma Sandao's situation and felt sympathy for him, they still wanted to see the excitement.

Inside the martial arts school, Ma Sandao was dressed neatly, carrying a knife on his back, looking at his wife standing beside him, who was nodding obediently. His eyes were full of disdain, thinking of his once great reputation, being framed and exposed, he felt utterly humiliated.

The apprentices around naturally didn't dare to breathe heavily, all standing straight, heads down, looking at their toes.

Suddenly.

Ma Sandao grabbed his wife's neck, making her face turn red, trying to struggle but to no