Chapter 76: Establishing a New Master

Han Mo crashed heavily to the ground, immediately clutching his lower abdomen as he shouted, “Liusheng Hua, you—” But he had barely uttered these words when a searing pain ripped through his throat; his mouth hung open, yet no sound would come forth.

Lei Yingfeng sprang up from his chair, raising his palm to strike at Liusheng Hua, but his body suddenly lost all strength and he slumped back down, rasping, “Brother Han, Elder Fan, we’ve been poisoned…”

Lei Yingfeng, Han Mo, and Fan Shang all suffered the same fate. Their bodies were limp and powerless. Not only was their inner energy utterly gone, but they could not exert even the slightest physical strength. Their throats felt as though a thin blade had been thrust through them—each word they tried to utter brought a pain as sharp as being cut by a knife.

Meanwhile, Liusheng Hua, Wen Lie, Zhao Dongqiang, Xu Ye, and Zuo Qianshan showed not the slightest sign of discomfort, wearing faces of utter confidence.

Hidden in Liusheng Hua’s sleeve was a very small bottle. From it emanated a colorless, odorless poison known as Dissolving Essence Powder. Once inhaled, this poison instantly dispersed a martial artist’s internal energy and rendered their bodies completely powerless, while inflicting excruciating pain in the throat, as if slashed by blades.

Liusheng Hua and his allies had already taken the antidote beforehand, rendering them immune to the poison. Lei Yingfeng, Fan Shang, and Han Mo, caught completely off guard, had fallen victim without ever realizing it.

“Heh.” Seeing Lei Yingfeng’s furious glare, Liusheng Hua smiled. “Brother Lei, Master Han, Elder Fan, there’s no need for such animosity. All I wish for is the position of headmaster, so I can freely manage the Storm and Thunder Martial Hall. I have no intention of shedding your blood. I’ll build a residence for the three of you, so that you may enjoy your twilight years in peace.”

“You—!” Han Mo glared at Liusheng Hua with burning anger. Suddenly, as if a realization struck him, he cried, “So, the Golden Battle Python was released on purpose by you! You wanted to exploit the chaos for your own ends!”

Liusheng Hua only smiled, saying nothing, tacitly admitting Han Mo’s accusation.

At that moment, a disciple of the Wind Faction hurried into the assembly hall and whispered a few words into Liusheng Hua’s ear. Liusheng Hua nodded and turned to Wen Lie and the others. “Lei Jianqin, Fan Qianjun, and Tang Jiao have returned. Assemble the elite disciples of the Wind and Thunder Factions at once, and convene the succession ceremony for the new headmaster in the assembly hall!”

“Yes, sir!” Wen Lie and the others nodded at once, their demeanor making it clear that they regarded Liusheng Hua as their unquestioned leader.

With a smile, Liusheng Hua surveyed the scene. The situation was entirely within his grasp; the position of headmaster was almost his for the taking.

At this moment, night had already fallen, shrouding the land in darkness. Amid the shadowy gloom, a lone figure was slowly moving away from the assembly hall.

This figure was none other than Chu Feng.

A few hours earlier, Chu Feng had left the Storm and Thunder Stone Grotto astride the Thunderclap King Beast, pursuing Liu Run. Before long, he caught sight of Liu Run’s silhouette.

Initially, Chu Feng intended to seize Liu Run and force a confession, but he reconsidered. Rather than alerting the mastermind with hasty action, it would be wiser to follow in secret and uncover the true puppet master behind the scenes.

In fact, Chu Feng already suspected who this was—likely none other than Liu Run’s father, Liusheng Hua. But it wasn’t until he witnessed the scene in the assembly hall that Chu Feng’s suspicions were confirmed: Liusheng Hua was no upright gentleman, but an ambitious scoundrel.

A hypocrite with honeyed words and a dagger behind his smile.

“Lei Yingfeng, Fan Shang, and Han Mo are already under Liusheng Hua’s control. With his own loyal followers, the entire Storm and Thunder Martial Hall is effectively in his hands. What should I do now?”

Chu Feng’s thoughts raced. Lei Jianqin, Fan Qianjun, and Tang Jiao had just returned; without knowing the truth, they too could easily fall under Liusheng Hua’s sway. If that happened, the situation would become even more dire.

Chu Feng had come to the Martial Hall simply to help resolve the threat of the Storm and Thunder Catastrophe, hoping to settle the debt he owed for having accidentally consumed the Golden Battle Python. He never expected to be swept up in Liusheng Hua’s insurrection, yet now there was no possibility of extricating himself.

Naturally, Chu Feng would never aid the treachery of Liusheng Hua and his son. His only choice was to employ both wit and courage, and try to reverse this dire predicament!

At that moment, as Chu Feng watched, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of elite disciples were gathering in the darkness, along with several division masters and stewards. It was clear that these were the Martial Hall’s finest.

Seeing the mass of disciples, inspiration struck Chu Feng—he suddenly thought of a way out.

…

In the time it takes to burn a single incense stick, the elite disciples of both Wind and Thunder Factions, the thirty-two division masters, and all the stewards had assembled in the assembly hall.

The vast hall was packed to its limits, with over two thousand people present. With so many gathered, whispers soon began to ripple through the ranks.

“Brother Wang, do you know why the master summoned us here? Has something happened at the Stone Grotto?”

“I’m not sure! It doesn’t seem to be about the Stone Grotto. No matter what happens there, I doubt they’d call all of us together.”

“I noticed our Thunder Faction’s Master Liu and Master Meng looked quite grim. Could this gathering be a bad omen?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. We’ll soon find out what this is all about.”

As the murmurs grew, Wen Lie, standing atop the dais, raised his hand for silence.

Once the hall was dead quiet, Wen Lie announced in a ringing voice, “Everyone, you have been summoned here at this late hour for a matter of utmost importance! Lei Yingfeng, the current headmaster of the Martial Hall, has—while overreaching in his training—fallen into inner turmoil, his strength utterly depleted, and is now as helpless as an invalid. He can no longer serve as headmaster…”

“What? Master Lei went into turmoil during training? How could that be?”

“When did this happen? Why haven’t I heard a word about it?”

“This is too sudden! Where is Master Lei now?”

At Wen Lie’s words, a wave of shock swept through the disciples and division masters below—especially those of the Thunder Faction, who stared in disbelief.

“Let me say a word!” At this moment, Zuo Qianshan, a Thunder Faction division master and one of Liusheng Hua’s allies, stepped forward. “Master Wen speaks the truth! Earlier this very evening, Master Lei, Master Han, and Elder Fan were training in seclusion together. All three fell into turmoil at the same time, leaving them helpless and speechless—their conditions are truly dire!”

“That’s right,” agreed Xu Ye, the Wind Faction’s division master. “There is no doubt about the misfortune that befell the three masters during training.”

“Whether it’s to be doubted or not, we must see it with our own eyes! Where are Master Lei, Master Han, and Elder Fan? Why won’t you let us see them?” demanded Wu, a Thunder Faction division master.

“Master Wu, enough noise!” barked Zhao Dongqiang, another Wind Faction division master. “The three masters are recuperating in seclusion and must not be disturbed! A snake cannot function without its head. What matters now is that we establish a new headmaster to lead the Martial Hall! Vice-master Liusheng Hua is the leader of the Wind Faction, a man of virtue and ability; for him to succeed as headmaster is the will of the people! What say you?”

At these words, the two thousand disciples below erupted in another uproar. Division masters and stewards whispered and debated among themselves.

Master Wang of the Thunder Faction stepped forward and declared, “Master Lei has not even shown himself in this hall, and now you want to hand the headmaster’s position over to Vice-master Liusheng Hua? This is neither reasonable nor lawful!”

“That’s right! No matter if Master Lei is alive or dead, ill or well, he must be present for the passing of the headmaster’s mantle!” echoed Master Wu.

“Indeed! Besides, if a new headmaster must be chosen, it should be someone from our Thunder Faction! For sixty years, the Martial Hall has been led by the Thunder Faction. Master Lei has served as headmaster for only ten years—the remaining fifty should also go to a Thunder Faction leader!” shouted Master Song.

It was clear that Masters Wang, Wu, and Song were highly respected figures within the Thunder Faction; their words instantly roused the Thunder disciples, many of whom shouted in agitation.

At that moment, a Thunder Faction disciple called out, “The situation at the Stone Grotto has yet to be explained, and now you want to change the headmaster? Is this a mere coincidence, or is something fishy going on? We must see Master Lei and Lei Jianqin—otherwise, the headmaster’s mantle cannot be passed!”

Those nearby turned to look at the speaker, only to realize that while he wore the robes of a Thunder Faction disciple, his face was unfamiliar—no one knew which division he belonged to.

“Who just spoke? Step forward at once!” thundered Liusheng Hua from the dais, his eyes flashing with anger as he swept his gaze across the hall.

Clearly, the words of this Thunder Faction disciple had struck a nerve, infuriating Liusheng Hua.