"Do you know the rules?"
The dead-fish-eyed man spoke with a tone neither sharp nor soft, but it was enough to make Li Yan and Sha Lifei bristle, and even Wang Daoxuan's gaze turned faintly cold.
"The rules… of course I know them!"
Sha Lifei gave a sly chuckle, rising and rubbing his bald head. "We'll get to the rules of the duel in a moment, but when speaking to others, you announce your name first—that's the rule of the martial world…"
"It's the rule of being a man!"
"You don't even know the basics of being a man, so what nonsense are you spouting here?"
Sha Lifei's fists might be average, but his tongue was his weapon in the martial world. He'd never lost a verbal spar and wasn't about to let someone trample over him without a retort.
To everyone's surprise, the dead-fish-eyed man didn't flare up. Instead, his attention shifted to Sha Lifei, his tone flat. "The rules of being a man? I know a thing or two. Everything calls for a touch of moderation."
"Three parts smile, three parts reason, three parts wine. But before anything's even started, you're flipping tables and challenging people to life-or-death duels. Think your fists are that hard?"
"Hard or not, you'll only know if you try!"
"Problem is, they might go soft before you even get the chance!"
The two traded barbs, each retort as sharp as the last, their verbal sparring evenly matched.
The air grew inexplicably tense.
Sha Lifei's eyes widened.
The dead-fish-eyed man's face grew stern.
They sized each other up, like generals meeting a worthy foe on the battlefield.
Li Yan rubbed his brow and cut in. "What exactly do you want?"
He had a strange feeling that if these two kept bickering, the whole morning would be wasted.
Interrupted mid-spar, the dead-fish-eyed man looked faintly disappointed but finally introduced himself with a casual clasp of hands. "Zhang's Martial Academy, Zhang Shitong. Also a roaming envoy for the Xianyang Divine Fist Association."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed. "Sent by Zhou Pan?"
He knew the rules of a life-or-death duel.
First, a challenge letter must be sent. Since he'd issued the challenge, he'd be the one to deliver it.
Second, a witness was required—either from the yamen or a respected martial elder—to oversee the signing of a life-and-death contract, ensuring no legal repercussions for a fatal outcome.
Third were the rules of the duel itself.
If he sent the letter, the opponent had to accept or be branded a coward.
But if they accepted, they set the terms—whether it's a circular arena, a plum-blossom stake fight, or a contest of fists or weapons, the challenger had no say.
If he refused their terms, he'd have to admit defeat and leave Xianyang.
As for the roaming envoy, that was a role within the Divine Fist Association.
The association, largely composed of local martial academies, was part of the martial world's "banner trade." Some were hired as estate guards, others ran escort agencies, aligning closely with the court.
They sometimes aided the court in settling martial disputes or quelling banditry, maintaining ties with local militias, often sending instructors to teach weapons and techniques.
A roaming envoy was tasked with traveling and gathering intelligence.
Li Yan had planned to send the challenge letter today, so why had they sent someone first?
"Heh."
Zhang Shitong gave a cold smirk. "The Divine Fist Association isn't Zhou's personal kingdom. My father's the vice-president—Zhou doesn't have the clout to order us around."
Li Yan frowned. "Then what's this got to do with you?"
"Nothing, originally." Zhang Shitong's gaze grew serious. "Zhou's two disciples have been running wild in Xianyang, shaming the entire association. We can't stand it, but there's little we can do."
"If you'd just killed them outright, I'd secretly call you a hero."
"But challenging a duel in the name of Li Hu's son? That makes it our business."
"My father… wants to test your skills in person!"
…
Zhang's Martial Academy sat in the northeast, near the Medicine King Temple.
This was Xianyang's old city, unlike in past eras, still fairly well-preserved. A section of the ancient Qin capital's crumbling wall, reinforced, separated two streets.
The academy was spacious and ancient, its walls built of old Qin bricks, paired with a faded plaque that exuded a weathered gravitas.
What caught the eye most were the two stone lions at the entrance.
Even before drawing near, Li Yan's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Stone lions, as protective objects, originated in the Han dynasty.
Back then, the kings of Parthia and Dayuan offered lions as tribute. Later, with the spread of Buddhism and Taoism, they gained divine significance, becoming guardians of homes.
This pair of lions was archaic in design, worn smooth in places, yet their fierce, domineering aura hit like a wave—pure Han style, far from ordinary.
As expected, activating his supernatural sense of smell, Li Yan detected a scent laced with incense and an air of majesty, clearly a convergence of righteous energy forming a small "formation."
A true guardian treasure, far surpassing his family's plaque.
With these lions standing watch, no malevolent entity would dare approach.
Zhang Shitong, sharp-eyed, noticed his reaction and sneered. "These are heirlooms of our academy. Even my father calls them 'Grandmasters.'"
"I hear you've entered the Mysterious Gate?"
"A word of advice: the Mysterious Gate may lead the martial world, but it has its own rules. And Zhou Pan's family has an even stronger guardian. Don't try any tricks."
"Otherwise, you'll be dealing with someone else…"
"I know that!" Li Yan replied calmly.
Under the Great Xuan dynasty's iron rule, neither martial artists nor sorcerers could kill openly without facing a warrant, be they roving blades or practitioners of the occult.
Of course, things were different behind closed doors.
Before they even reached the academy, the sound of disciplined shouts echoed from within, clearly disciples training in拳术 (fist techniques).
At the entrance, Zhang Shitong respectfully bowed to the stone lions, saying, "Greetings, Grandmasters," before leading Li Yan inside.
Li Yan's heart tightened.
Well, damn. That's likely an insider's trick.
Over the years, these stone lions might have gained sentience, becoming the academy's guardian spirits, much like the methods of great mountain sects.
Inside, two large training grounds awaited.
One, paved with yellow earth, held racks of swords, spears, staffs, and clubs.
The other had plum-blossom stakes, stone weights, and balls.
Though autumn had set in, with chilly rains cooling the air, the disciples in the training ground wore short tunics. Their muscles bulged, their punches swift and forceful, steam rising from their heads.
Heart-Mind Six Harmonies Fist?
Li Yan recognized the style at a glance.
This fist technique held that "the heart's intent moves the will, the will directs the fist," derived from spear techniques, striking in six directions, hence its name.
In Guanzhong, Red Fist was dominant, but Heart-Mind Six Harmonies Fist was widespread, and academies teaching it weren't rare.
The academy's main hall was spacious, with a portrait of the Zhang family's ancestor hung on the back wall, flanked by two grandmaster chairs. Rows of chairs lined both sides, and majestic landscape paintings adorned the walls.
An old man sat in one of the grandmaster chairs, short in stature, dressed in a green cloth jacket. His brow ridge was prominent, his hair graying, and he too had dead-fish eyes.
"Greetings, Elder Zhang." Li Yan clasped his fists in respect.
Though defiant by nature, he wasn't ignorant of etiquette.
This old man, Zhang Yuanshang, was both vice-president of the Xianyang Divine Fist Association and head of this academy, with ties to several escort agencies—a true martial elder in the region.
Zhang, puffing on a water pipe, barely raised his eyes as Li Yan entered. At a glance, several disciples in the hall retreated, closing the door behind them.
With the thud of the closing door, the hall dimmed.
Only the Zhang father and son remained with Li Yan.
Zhang Yuanshang's dead-fish eyes fixed on Li Yan, a chilling glint flickering as he rasped, "Li Hu might've been a skirt-chaser, but he was a bold, commanding man. How'd he sire a pretty boy like you?"
Short as he was, his presence was overwhelming.
His icy gaze felt like a blade pressed to the forehead.
Li Yan's expression didn't waver. He glanced at Zhang Shitong standing nearby and shook his head. "Elder, you're impressive. Truly father and son."
The Zhangs and Zhou Pan were at odds, so this invitation wasn't about fighting.
The old man was just flexing, testing his nerve.
But that foul mouth? Exactly like his son's.
"Weakling, but you've got some spine."
Zhang wasn't angered. Leaning back, he sighed and spoke. "If you'd come to me first, it wouldn't have come to this."
"Forget the life-or-death duel. Leave Xianyang—you'll at least keep your life!"
Li Yan chuckled. "My duel's got something to do with you, Elder?"
Zhang replied, "Your life or death means nothing to me. But as Li Hu's son, fighting a duel in Xianyang? That's my business!"
Looking out the window, he said calmly, "The martial world's simple yet not, complex yet not."
"Simple in that the hardest fist makes the strongest spine!"
"Complex in that it's bound by rules, tangled in favors and face."
"Ten years ago, me and some old mates saw potential in your father. Knowing Zhou Pan's character, we didn't want him leading the Xianyang Divine Fist Association. We pulled strings, made plans, spent no small effort."
"Just as it was coming together, your father died in Chang'an—in a brothel, no less. Zhou Pan took the seat easily, and we were left ridiculed."
"The other old mates bowed out, but I didn't. If you, bearing Li Hu's name, get killed in Xianyang, that old monkey will crow louder, and I'll lose face to step outside."
"Get the logic?"
"I get it!" Li Yan nodded calmly. "You're worried I'll step on the scales. Once the weights are measured, some words won't hold."
"Exactly."
Zhang Yuanshang nodded slightly, lighting his water pipe again. "Whatever you're planning, once you call for a life-or-death duel, it's no longer about lowlifes like Meng Haichen. Win or lose, his life's forfeit."
"Zhou Pan's reached transforming strength and loves his face. He won't fight—might not even show."
"His top disciples, the Eight Great Vajras, are all at hidden strength. The leaders of the Iron Blade and White Ape gangs are among them. Any one could kill you."
"But Zhou won't let them fight. You're too young, and they're outsiders, established for years. Winning wouldn't count as a win."
"If I'm not mistaken, it'll be Zhou Bai, the standout of Zhou's younger generation. Seventeen or eighteen, he hit hidden strength last year. A martial maniac, always sparring, with plenty of experience."
"No tigers in the mountain, the monkey reigns. Only if Zhou Bai kills you will that old monkey's grudge be settled."
"So… still got the guts to step up?"
Li Yan raised a brow, saying coolly, "I reckon that old monkey's grudge will just have to keep simmering!"
"Good. At least your mouth's tough!"
Zhang Yuanshang clapped, nodding. "Shitong, test his mettle."
"If it's just his mouth that's tough, break his legs and toss him out of Xianyang!"
*(End of Chapter)*