Chapter 57: Trouble in the Southern Forge

After chatting a bit more, Zhang Ze finally learned that the man who had asked him for directions twice was named Qi Lijun. However, Qi Lijun didn't seem keen on conversation; after finding his place, he promptly departed.

That night, everyone from Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall gathered in the small conference room that Ren Fan had prepared in advance.

"Well, well—look who's here! Isn't that my flamboyant brother Peng Fei?"

The moment he stepped into the room, Qianqian's mischievous gaze landed on Peng Fei's face, his tone mocking and sarcastic. But with Ren Fan and Zhao Wu present, Peng Fei, his swollen face betraying recent bruises, ignored him entirely.

"Since everyone is here, I'll explain in detail the situation with this martial arts hall exchange conference," Ren Fan said, rising to his feet and scanning the room. He continued, "Exchanges and sparring between martial arts halls are commonplace in every province. Private, public, sponsored, unsponsored—they come in all forms. But you all know that the sparring held at the end of July and beginning of August each year is the most important. That's because, at this time every year, the venue is the Martial Bureau of each province."

Even Liu Qianqian and Peng Fei, usually irreverent, grew serious at those words. Liu Qianqian, her face still swollen, raised her hand and asked, "Coach Ren, you mentioned the Martial Bureau instructors will pre-select recruits at this exchange conference. How many spots are there usually?"

Zhao Wu, who had sat quietly with eyes closed, now spoke in a deep voice, "Based on past years, at least three and at most five will be chosen."

"Three to five..." Zhang Ze and the others murmured, digesting the numbers.

Frankly, everyone present—so long as their age was right—was aiming for one of those coveted spots. But with four cities in Anqing Province, plus Mengyang County joining this year, there were ten martial arts halls participating. If each hall brought eight or nine people, that made eighty or ninety participants! And among them, the weakest had already broken through to the first rank of martial artist. Selecting one from almost thirty martial artists was no easy feat.

The gravity of these odds weighed on the room, casting a somber atmosphere.

"Heh..." Ren Fan chuckled softly. "What's this? Losing confidence already?"

"No way, I'm just lamenting!" Peng Fei, his swollen cheeks not hindering his speech, sounded utterly unlike his usual hesitant self. "Coach Ren, look—Ze is the strongest, and Cai Hu and I aren't weak either. If the three of us get in, the Jinlong brothers have no spots left. Even if there are five spots, Qianqian won't have a chance. Sure, he's got a sharp tongue and annoys me, but if he doesn't make it..."

His words tumbled out, and even the stoic Zhao Wu couldn't help but snicker. He teased, "No need for nonsense. If any one of you gets pre-selected, when the conference ends, I'll treat everyone to barbecue!"

Qianqian, having endured Peng Fei for a while, was about to retort, but Zhao Wu's promise made him suddenly excited.

Afterward, Ren Fan steered the conversation back to business, taking everyone through information on all the martial arts halls and participants attending the conference.

During a break, Zhang Ze focused intently on the profiles in his hands.

Name: Qi Lijun
Martial Arts Hall: Bangqing Martial Arts Hall (Captain)
Rank: Second Grade Martial Artist
Family: Parents—military; elder brother—military

From these details, it was clear to anyone that Qi Lijun likely came from a military background, which meant he might be formidable in martial techniques.

"Interested in this guy, huh?"

Somehow, the swollen head of Peng Fei had sidled up next to Zhang Ze.

"Do you know him?"

Never one for humility, Peng Fei hurried to boast, "He’s pretty strong, even has some fame in Bangqing City—I know all about him." He remembered, after all, that his own family were major landowners in Bangqing City, and Zhang Ze became intrigued.

"Tell me?"

"I don’t know much else, but the death of his parents in battle years ago was big news in Bangqing City for a long time. He wanted to join the army with his brother, but because he's hopeless with directions, he was screened out."

"No wonder he seemed familiar when I met him earlier today," Peng Fei mused.

Qianqian, overhearing, scoffed, "Is it that you forgot, or that your eyes were glued to the girls?"

Seeing the two start to bicker, Zhang Ze refrained from joining in, instead picking up other profiles and studying them for a long while.

The Moon Lake Martial Arts Club from Heyue City caught his attention for quite some time. He muttered, "Lin Dong, Qian Xiaoming..."

Meanwhile, in Nanye City, inside a small eatery.

"We've been out for ten days now. I think it's time we head back," the woman said softly to the man as they ate.

The middle-aged man set down his chopsticks and agreed, "You're right. Xiao Hu and the others are joining the exchange conference tomorrow. As parents, we should go back to cheer him on."

They decided to pack their things after dinner and prepare for the journey home.

"Boss, two pounds of lamb kidneys!"

Just then, two middle-aged men entered. One with a buzzcut sat down and immediately noticed the couple. He gestured to his companion, who followed his gaze and saw the woman. His brow furrowed, and he said coldly, "We've just finished our business. Listen to me—don't cause trouble in Nanye City!"

His companion, dressed in a trench coat, spoke with an air of authority. The buzzcut man looked displeased but didn't argue.

After finishing their meal, the couple noticed the buzzcut man's hostile stare and decided not to linger. But as they stepped away, the woman was grabbed by the wrist.

"In such a hurry—where are you going?"

"Damn it..." The trench coat man knew his partner was about to cause trouble, cursed under his breath, and tried to intervene. But the buzzcut man snapped, "Why are you so anxious? I just want to chat with this lady. We've been holding back for days, and now that our business is done, if I get my way, we can leave Nanye right away!"

Hearing this, the trench coat man realized that further interference might provoke a real outburst. Luckily, the man with the woman wasn't even a martial artist—surely nothing serious would happen.

With that in mind, the two men abandoned their order, and forced the couple outside.

Elsewhere, in a residential complex in Nanye City.

"Honestly, you're a girl—shouldn't you tidy up your room?" Ma Cheng, crutch under his arm, called out to Qin Yao, who was lounging on the sofa playing with her phone.

At his words, Qin Yao put down her phone, rested her chin in her hands, and stared at him earnestly.

Suddenly, she said, "Brother-in-law, you look so handsome when you're cleaning up!"