The young man with the mysterious identity was none other than Lou Yi.
Compared to the main world, his appearance in this world had not changed at all, but he was using the alias Liu Shu.
Half an hour later.
A group of six people, including Lou Yi, Wang Yukai, Li Shishi, Ma Shaoqi, Niu Dainan, and Shen Feihong.
They selected the best six horses from those brought by the Exotic Race and galloped towards Danzhou, dust billowing beneath the hooves.
"Brother Liu, where have you been all these years? Iâve been looking everywhere for you!"
"Went back to my hometown, itâs quite remote there."
"Could it possibly be farther than Wanma Country?"
"Yes, very far, much farther. The world is far larger than you can imagine..."
In the conversation with Wang Yukai, Li Shishi and others, Lou Yi learned about the current situation in Qinguo.
More than two years ago, National Master Mu Yun of Wanma Country, who had been in closed-door cultivation for several years, announced his return, and Wanma Country held a grand celebration for him.
Not long after, Wanma Countryâs army began invading Qinguo, winning several consecutive victories, forcing Qinguoâs generals to only dare to defend and not to act actively.
At this time, the experts from the National Masterâs Residence came swaggering into the Central Plainsâ martial world.
Led by the four disciples of the National Master, they successively challenged recognized top experts like âJade Sea Saber,â âLone Crane Under the Moon,â and âInvincible Iron Fist.â
Before the challenges, they would set a wager that the losers must pledge allegiance to the National Masterâs Residence.
However, in the days leading up to the competitions, these challenged martial arts masters invariably suffered various attacks, such as being poisoned while drinking tea, being seriously injured by intruders at night, or even having their family members kidnapped.
As a result, they naturally found it difficult to achieve victory in the competitions.
Although they lost, they were not convinced and few were willing to submit to the National Masterâs Residence.
To establish their dominance, the National Masterâs Residence often resorted to murderous acts, such as exterminating entire families, which were not uncommon.
This caused a great upheaval in the martial world, and everyone was outraged, hoping the four major sects would uphold justice.
But the four major martial sectsâWenxin Valley, Haoran Sect, Yunkong Temple, and Tyrant Sword Villaâabnormally withdrew their forces at this time.
They even ordered their disciples not to go out easily, turning into turtles hiding in their shells.
This abnormal behavior immediately sparked numerous speculations.
The most widespread rumor was that National Master Mu Yun of Wanma Country had successfully broken through to become a Grandmaster.
With the emergence of a Grandmaster, thereâs no one in the world who can easily stand against him, so the retreat of the four major sects is not surprising.
This time, the National Masterâs Residence set its sights on âOne Hand, Flat Riverâ Li Weizhou.
Mu Yunâs youngest disciple, Tuoba Hong, challenged Li Weizhou to a martial competition.
As a result, Wang Yukai and his wife hurried back from another city after receiving the news.
Unexpectedly, they encountered an ambush by the National Masterâs Residence, and if it werenât for Lou Yiâs intervention, they would have been in grave danger.
"Yah! Husband, we must increase our speed, tomorrow is the day of the competition!"
"Fear not, my dear, with Brother Liu here, we can surely foil Wanma Countryâs plot!" Wang Yukai said with excitement, speaking highly of Lou Yi.
The other members of the party were extremely curious about Lou Yiâs identity, as they had never heard of such a powerful person before.
...
Danzhou, Cloud Brocade Villa.
The five-foot-tall bluestone arena outside the villa was already surrounded by a dense crowd of onlookers.
"This arena was built over four years ago, I was one of the participants back then. Manor Master built it for his daughterâs martial arts competition to find a suitor, and now itâs being utilized again."
"Do you know why Manor Master Li was targeted by the National Masterâs Residence?
Because he not only refused to be recruited by the National Masterâs Residence but also donated a hundred thousand taels of silver to the frontier army, recruiting soldiers to resist these barbarians!
Thus, he naturally became a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh of the National Masterâs Residence..."
"Manor Master Li is principled and will surely defeat that so-called disciple of the National Master!"
"Look, people from the Fenglei Sect have arrived!"
Amidst the crowdâs discussions, a group of men and women dressed in blue-black short-sleeved tunics, all with heads held high and in high spirits, strode quickly towards the gates of Cloud Brocade Villa.
The leader, an elderly man with half-white hair, was tall and robust, walking with the demeanor of a dragon and a tiger, his eyes gleaming brightly, like an old lion patrolling its hunting ground.
"The Sect Leader of the Fenglei Sect, Situ Meng, founded his sect with the Fenglei Hand Technique.
It is said that in his youth, he befriended Manor Master Li through a fight, forming a deep friendship, and heâs here to support Manor Master Li!" Someone whispered.
After the Fenglei Sect.
Many other forces from the martial world arrived.
There were men wearing tight trousers and metal leg bands, recognized as members of the Divine Wind Leg Sect; robust men dressed in short robes with golden tiger designs, wielding broad knives, belonging to the Golden Tiger Gang, the largest local force in Danzhou;
There were Daoists dressed in red Daoist robes, carrying long swords on their backs, from the Hongye Sect of the neighboring Red Leaf Mountain...
Seeing so many sects and forces coming to offer support, the onlookers were very excited.
"Manor Master Li, as befitting a famous figure in the martial world, has a wide network of friends, this spectacle is sure to scare those barbarians witless, isnât it?"
"With so many heroes of the Central Plains, we surely wonât let those guys from Wanma Country run rampant this time!"
"Keep your voices down, those barbarians are coming!"
As someone reminded them, everyone looked up.
They saw a large group of people approaching the arena in a neat formation, far grander than the previous sects, with an estimated hundred people.
The outermost layer was a group of young strong men dressed in crude leather skirts, with one shoulder exposed, the largest in number.
Their arms were tattooed with various wild beasts, wielding sinister black Wolf Fang Clubs, exuding the ferocity of foreign barbarians.
Surrounded in the middle were a group of nobles wearing luxurious pelts, wearing black and white felt hats, all of whom were burly and intimidating with their glances.
At the very center, surrounded by others, was a young man in his twenties, dressed like someone from the Central Plains.
He wore a blue brocade robe, a white jade waistband, a circular Jade Pendant on his left, and a sword with a luxurious scabbard on his right, possessing a somewhat noble demeanor.
However, his reddish-brown curly hair and gray-green eyes, different from those of the Central Plains, gave him an odd appearance.
The young man was none other than Tuoba Hong, the closed-door disciple of National Master Mu Yun of Wanma Country.
This time he came to challenge the well-known top expert of the martial world, Li Weizhou, drawing attention from all sides.
"Where is Manor Master Li? I am Tuoba Hong, and today, as agreed, I wish to spar with you, to experience the profound martial arts of the Central Plains!" The red-haired young man went straight to the point, wanting to start the arena battle with Li Weizhou.
At this point, the gates of Cloud Brocade Villa finally opened.
Manor Master Li Weizhou, surrounded and followed by those who came to support, strode out to the main position in front of the arena.
He wore a dark brocade long robe, his figure tall and burly, exuding a calm aura, and walked with steady steps.
However, his complexion was extremely pale, his lips showing no blood, making him look like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Even a child of seven or eight could see that Li Weizhou was not in good condition.
"Tuoba Hong, if you wish to challenge, do it openly.
Why did you have people attack, leaving Manor Master Li seriously injured, two days ago?
Is this the method of the National Masterâs Residence?" Beside Li Weizhou, his friend, Fenglei Sect Leader Situ Meng, loudly reprimanded.
His half-white beard twitched, underscoring his inner unrest.
...