"Dad... it was Xun who won."
Wei Hongyao clutched Wei Baizhu’s arm, his face alight with joy, as if the gloom from just moments before had been swept away completely.
Wei Baizhu looked at his group with lingering fear.
If Xun Liuyi had lost and died in battle, according to the rules, they would have had to send nine more fighters.
Counting Shi Yu and Lu Yang, the entirety of Shanyao Hall was almost accounted for.
Those nine stepping onto the stage would have certainly met their deaths, and thus, the grudge would have been settled.
That is the ultimate implication of a Blood Challenge!
But now, it was as if the situation had taken a dramatic turn, from darkness to light, and Wei Baizhu clutched at his chest, feeling like he was nearly having a heart attack.
"How could Luo Kongtuo possibly have been defeated and killed?"
While Shanyao Hall was brimming with joy, the people of San Shan Sect were completely dumbfounded.
It was at this point that Luo Shanshan realized what it meant to ’lift a rock only to drop it on one’s own feet’. Looking at his nephew’s body, he was trapped in a no-win situation.
"Sect Master, let’s fight them, let all of the disciples go up together, forget about the Jianghu rules."
Nie Rufe, who had also been named to enter the ring, knew he stood no chance against Xun Liuyi, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes as he stepped forward to suggest.
Luo Shanshan was equally unwilling to go up and face certain death, his heart stirring.
At that moment, Meng Tian also reacted, calling out sharply, "Aren’t you going to step up to the stage?!"
Luo Shanshan’s face turned white as he took several steps back and bellowed, "Where are the disciples of San Shan Sect?"
A large number of San Shan Sect disciples stepped forward; some hesitated while others drew their weapons outright.
"Heh, you want to fight?"
Meng Tian waved his hand, and disciples of the Nine Elements Sect appeared on the wall ramparts, each holding a bow and arrow.
He shouted loudly, his inner strength resonating, audible across the land: "Listen, disciples of San Shan Sect, you are people of Jianghu, so you naturally understand the rules... the Blood Challenge cannot be broken! If you all rush us together, then we of the Nine Elements Sect will hold our duty as enforcers, attack you, and wipe out your entire sect, to everyone’s applause!"
"If you abide by the rules, today only a few of you from San Shan Sect will die!"
"Consider these choices for yourselves!"
His every word was tantamount to slaying their spirits.
And indeed, he had hit the nail on the head.
Letting the Blood Challenge proceed would mean the San Shan Sect higher-ups were certainly doomed, but the lower-ranked disciples would at most leave the sect or retire from Jianghu.
However, if they broke the rules, then the Nine Elements Sect and the witnesses had the duty to hunt them down until death.
There are certainly those in this world who would risk their lives out of loyalty, but they are few and thus remembered and praised.
At that moment, Luo Shanshan, looking at his disciples whose expressions flickered, suddenly felt the desolation of betrayal and the end of a tyrant.
Although there were still a few disciples who yelled about sacrificing their lives and taking them on together, they were quickly subdued by their own sect brothers, without the need for Meng Tian to act.
"Forget it, forget it, let our two sects’ grievances end here today. Sect Master, I’ll be going ahead."
Nie Rufe laughed bitterly, leaped onto the stage, and blood pearls started to form all over his body, clearly using some secret technique that damaged his own body in exchange for an outburst of inner strength.
Zhong Shenxiu casually struck with a palm, obliterating his opponent’s internal organs, sending the corpse flying off the platform.
Zhong Shenxiu’s expression was cold and stern, like a deity high above deciding life and death.
Luo Shanshan gave a wry smile and leaped onto the stage...
In Anshan City, at a teahouse.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen!"
The storyteller’s face was flushed with pride as he clapped the gavel, "Ever since the establishment of the Heaven, Earth, and Human rankings, our Anshan City’s vicinity has finally produced a Human Ranking Expert, and that is Xun Liuyi of Shanyao Gang!"
"To speak of Shanyao Gang, there was a case before. Xun Liuyi, a scattered disciple of the gang, was nevertheless determined for revenge. Eventually, he triumphed over ten men from San Shan Sect on the Blood-stained Platform. Even when San Shan Sect brought in Luo Kongtuo, the former one hundred and fifth-ranked Star Picking Hand on the Human Ranking, he still could not prevail. In front of everyone’s eyes, Xun Liuyi seized his ranking, and the Star Picking Hand himself also lost his life... That battle that day was truly earth-shattering and moved ghosts and gods to tears..."
"After this battle, Xun Liuyi of Shanyao Gang became famous throughout the world. This month, the latest Imperial Human Rankings have been set. He has replaced the Star Picking Hand as the one hundred and fifth on the Human Ranking, with the title ’Five Elements Palm’! Given that this person is not yet twenty, he has a full ten years to challenge the rankings. Perhaps he could be the next Iron Arhat, Goddess Constable, or even Hidden Dragon!"
The teahouse customers were envious, and those who had seen Zhong Shenxiu disciplining Chen Jiu and his gang loudly cheered.
A customer sitting in the corner, who did not have much presence, threw down a few copper coins and stood up to leave.
"Five Elements Palm, that’s alright... Otherwise, if I were given a nickname like ’Weak Kidney Palm’, I would be utterly embarrassed... It really pays off to know people in the yamen. Props to Yan Wushuang..."
Zhong Shenxiu smirked and adjusted his hat.
Being on the Human Ranking, he was already a famous figure in Anshan City. Without concealing his identity, stepping outside would mean getting swarmed by onlookers.
"Moreover... This time the news has spread far and wide, giving me ten Heavenly Show Points at once. This is incredibly gratifying... It’s better than the last world I traversed to. Could it be because the people here are of higher quality? If I make my name in the main world, how many Heavenly Show Points would I receive?"
He had come to Anshan City on business.
That day, Luo Shanshan took to the stage and was killed after just three moves.
Immediately thereafter, San Shan Sect’s remaining leadership was also extinguished by Zhong Shenxiu on the Blood-stained Platform.
The San Shan Sect faced crushing defeat and, sticking to their agreement, forfeited Little Mountain City.
In reality, with all their higher-ups gone, they now had to fear the revenge of the rebuilding Shanyao Gang.
According to Wei Baizhu’s intelligence, once San Shan Sect retreated back to their original stronghold in Little Mountain City, infighting began, and many disciples chose to leave the sect.
It was fair to say that at this stage, revenge was complete.
After all, the principal culprits had been eliminated. If Zhong Shenxiu were to slaughter the remaining few hundred disciples, he would become Jianghu’s new demon lord.
"Now, Wei Baizhu is in Little Mountain City, preparing to rebuild Shanyao Gang. The local Shanyao Hall can be easily overseen by just assigning someone..."
Zhong Shenxiu was here, not for the Shanyao Hall, but for the Nine Elements Sect!
As they say, interests dictate one’s standpoint, and your standpoint dictates your thinking. With San Shan Sect gone, the Shanyao Gang, now backed by a Human Ranking Expert, would become the greatest threat in the eyes of the Nine Elements Sect.
Of course, with Shanyao Gang only having a handful of members at the moment, and given the previous relationships, an immediate conflict was unlikely.
But it’s prudent to prepare for stormy weather before it hits.
Zhong Shenxiu planned to pay a visit to the Nine Elements Sect Master.
The past-due Human Ranking Expert was likely of the blood-replacing caliber. Perhaps his Inner Strength had grown more formidable with age, but Zhong Shenxiu wasn’t too concerned.
The visit was, after all, for the sake of Shanyao Gang.
"Hmm... No need for a formal visit, I’ll just go at night and deliver a message."
He glanced at the sky and made his decision.