Chapter 38 I Strike Three Times for You!

“What a pity, Qinghan, you must have noticed—this man, though outwardly neither servile nor overbearing and seemingly unconcerned with competition, is in truth brimming with pride beneath the surface. If I so much as make my intentions clear, he would surely refuse at once.” Lin Dong shook his head, gazing at the tall, upright figure of Jiang Yu in the ring and sighed, “What a waste of such a promising talent. If he were to become my disciple, it wouldn’t be impossible to nurture another master of Internal Force in the future.”

Xia Qinghan’s heart skipped a beat. How rare are secular masters! Even the Xia family’s right branch, which prided itself on martial prowess, had managed to produce only five or six Internal Force experts over the years, despite pouring in vast resources and effort. Each one of them possessed the strength to hold off thousands single-handedly. They were the most valuable assets of the right branch, the very reason it could suppress the left branch so thoroughly. In recent years, the right branch had even shown signs of swallowing the left entirely.

Moreover, standing behind the right branch were a military major general and the silent backing of a contemporary grandmaster. The Xia family’s meteoric rise to become the overlord of Jiangbei was entirely due to the support of that Internal Fusion grandmaster.

Xia Qinghan raised her goblet, her red lips barely grazing the rim, her movements elegant and refined. “Ziyue, Jiang Yu becoming Lin Dong’s disciple would be the greatest fortune of his life.” She left her words at that, but the astute Jiang Ziyue instantly grasped the deeper meaning. Joy flashed across her face and she nodded vigorously. “I’ll go persuade Jiang Yu.”

A personal promise of support from Xia Qinghan—how many dream of such a thing? Once tied to the Xia family of Jiangbei, even a pig would see its status soar.

Within the boxing club, silence reigned. No one dared answer Jiang Yu’s open challenge of “Is there anyone else who wishes to fight?” Are you joking? Mo Tian and Zhou Yongji had both been defeated; who among them could compare to those two? To many, Mo Tian, Zhou Yongji, and Liu Xu were spiritual pillars. Now, with all three toppled, the rest shrank back, unwilling to test their luck.

With his strength, Jiang Yu had silenced them all.

“After today, my name will surely spread throughout the circle, won’t it? All the better. Establishing a reputation now will save much trouble later. At least, when my name precedes me, any flies looking to stir up trouble will think twice about their own abilities.”

Jiang Yu stepped down calmly. His expression unchanged, even his breathing remained as steady and powerful as before.

“To me, it was merely a warm-up—not even one-thousandth of my true strength.” He had no intention to kill; had he simply dispatched his opponents without mercy, the effect would have been more intimidating, but it would also have drawn unnecessary trouble. After all, at his current level, Jiang Yu was not yet strong enough to contend with the machinery of the nation.

A grandmaster may command awe and respect, but at the highest echelons—even a grandmaster, even a living legend, must yield. The authorities had never hesitated to suppress insubordinate grandmasters, often with thunderous force. No matter how powerful you are alone, could you stand against three grandmasters at your own level working together? If three are not enough, then thirty. For China, it would be no difficult task.

A grandmaster is allowed to stand above certain rules, but there are still hard lines drawn by those in power.

Mo Tian was utterly dejected, deeply shaken and lost in self-doubt. Having fought Jiang Yu himself, he understood fully the gap in their abilities. Everyone present had felt that Jiang Yu had not even exerted himself in their defeat. It was like an adult play-fighting with children—how could one go all out for such a contest?

Clap! Clap! Clap!

A burst of applause suddenly rang out.

Lin Dong smiled, “Jiang Yu, you are truly remarkable. I believe your strength, while not yet that of a true secular master, is nearly there. All you lack is a suitable manual and a proper teacher to guide you onto the path of the martial elite.”

Hearing such praise from Lin Dong, Mo Tian, Zhou Yongji, and the others paled. Although they were only experts in judo and taekwondo, they were somewhat familiar with the world of secular martial artists and had heard of Internal Force masters.

Take Lin Dong, for example—even if everyone in the boxing club joined forces, none could match him. The gulf between a secular master and an ordinary expert was like that between a firefly and the bright moon.

Just as an adult could defeat a dozen armed children with bare hands, true strength leaves one unthreatened by the weak.

Xia Qinghan suddenly understood, a sly smile at her lips. “Xia Ning, I finally know why Jiang Yu is your friend.” After all, Jiang Yu had shown not only outstanding intellect but also remarkable martial prowess. Such achievements were more than enough for Xia Ning to seek his friendship.

Xia Qinghan shot Jiang Ziyue a look, then turned and entered the room. Jiang Ziyue’s gaze was complicated as she whispered, “Jiang Yu, I have something to say to you.” Jiang Yu smiled knowingly, perfectly aware of her intentions. “Go ahead.”

He lit a cigarette—not out of addiction, but from habit formed by this body. Besides, tobacco did him little harm; even ten packs a day would do no more than cause a slight headache, without any real damage. One mustn’t forget—Jiang Yu was originally a cultivator, and the health risks of smoking were calculated for ordinary people.

Jiang Ziyue bit her lip. “Lin Dong has agreed to take you as a disciple. If you accept, your future status may not be any lower than Jiang Shaoqi’s. Isn’t surpassing him what you’ve always wanted?”

Jiang Yu was unsurprised. He had seen through everything from the moment he entered. The room quieted, even Xia Qinghan looking at him with anticipation. If he agreed, the Xia family’s right branch would gain another Internal Force master. Only with enough Internal Force experts could they hope to train a true master of Energy Transformation!

Perhaps thirty Internal Force experts might not yield a single Energy Transformation grandmaster, but what about a hundred, or two hundred?

As expected, Jiang Yu didn’t hesitate and gently shook his head. “Sorry, but in this world, there is no one qualified to be my teacher.”

Jiang Ziyue grew anxious. “Can’t you be flexible for once? You know I mean well—why do you always have to go against me?”

Lin Dong laughed, “He is proud indeed. But you don’t realize what opportunity you’re refusing. I admit, among the likes of Mo Tian, you’re formidable—no less than a fifth-degree black belt. But you have no idea of the wonders that exist beyond this world. Agree, and you’ll realize just how limited your vision once was.”

Jiang Yu’s smile deepened. He could see that Lin Dong’s confidence came from his own mid-stage Internal Force cultivation.

Jiang Ziyue’s gaze turned resolute. “I’ll decide for you this time. Not every opportunity comes twice. The Jiang family is already favoring your second uncle’s branch; from now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”

Looking at her earnest expression, Jiang Yu felt a moment of reflection. Indeed, what seemed trivial to him was, in their eyes, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. From Jiang Ziyue’s perspective, she was only acting out of concern, never imagining how much effort she had expended for this opportunity.

Perhaps he had been too hard on his cousin. He understood her intentions; it was only her manner that sometimes seemed overbearing.

At that moment, Xia Qinghan spoke as well. “I promise you, if you acknowledge Lin Dong as your master, I will assist you three times in the future.”

Lin Dong’s lips curled. “A promise from a late-stage Internal Force master is worth its weight in gold.”

Jiang Yu chuckled. From the moment he saw Xia Qinghan, he had already seen through her cultivation. “Are you truly so eager to take me as your disciple?” His smile took on a teasing note.

Lin Dong nodded. “You have great talent. Once I consult my teacher, Lin Wangtian, I’ll teach you the arts of the secular masters.”

“Very well, I agree to become your disciple. I only hope you won’t regret today’s decision.” Jiang Yu laughed aloud.

He wondered—when Lin Wangtian learned that Lin Dong had accepted him as a disciple, what sort of expression would he have?