Chapter 142: A Martial Arts Tournament to Determine the Alliance Leader

The morning sun shone upon Yao Ye’s face. He walked to the door, pushed it open gently, and squinted his eyes against the charming sunlight.

Yao Ye took a greedy, deep breath, and as he listened to the chirping of birds in the courtyard, his entire body relaxed.

"Sigh! Even the most beautiful scenery has its filth. It is yet another troubled autumn," Yao Ye lamented. He walked toward the main hall, where Fang Yu and Fang Yan, who had been waiting for a long time, hurried over to meet him.

"Master, shall we depart now?"

"Fang Yu, the two of you cannot accompany me together. Something is bound to happen today; one of you must remain at the headquarters and be ready to follow my orders at any moment!"

Fang Yu and Fang Yan exchanged a look. "Brother, you stay to guard the base. I will accompany the Master. You must be ready to support us at all times!"

Fang Yan wished to go, but he felt that what Yao Ye said made sense, so he nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, Fang Yan, I won't let your brother come to any harm. Besides, I can tell you that I have already made preparations; there is no real danger."

Yao Ye turned his head toward Fang Yu and said, "Let's go. Today, we shall meet the heroes from all walks of life!"

Yao Ye took only Fang Yu with him as he headed toward the destination of the assembly. Along the way, Fang Yu appeared troubled, but Yao Ye saw this and chose not to offer any hollow comfort.

Upon arriving at the square where the Wan family was holding the assembly, Yao Ye chose a spot on the periphery and quietly observed his surroundings. As more and more people arrived, no one came forward to greet him, which suited Yao Ye just fine.

As time passed, the square filled with people of all stripes. Fang Yu whispered information about the various factions to Yao Ye, who responded with an occasional nod.

By noon, Wan Xin and his entourage arrived slowly. He took his seat on the elevated platform, casting his gaze over the people below.

When he saw the Shangguan family's seats empty, Wan Xin snorted coldly but chose to ignore it. He stood up and spoke in a resounding voice:

"Everyone, please settle down!"

As Wan Xin spoke, the crowd quieted and looked toward him. Wan Xin nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the attention. Just as he was about to continue, a voice came from afar:

"Brother Wan, forgive my rudeness. I have arrived late; I hope you can be generous."

Wan Xin frowned, stood up, and said, "Brother Shangguan, you are too kind. The assembly has not yet begun, so how can you be late? Please, take your seat!"

Once the seats were filled, Wan Xin spoke again: "Everyone, we have been able to establish ourselves in Xiaoyao City by standing united against outsiders, but lately, some people have been looking to stir up trouble!"

Shangguan Xiong said nonchalantly, "Who exactly is Brother Wan referring to? Have we not always stood united against outsiders?"

Wan Xin suppressed the anger in his heart and said, "Brother Shangguan, are you unaware of the many factions that have emerged recently?"

"Oh? I would like to hear more."

"The most prominent of the newly emerged factions is Tianfu, but they are decent enough and follow the rules."

"Then, Brother Wan, why have you summoned us here today? If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave. I have many family affairs to attend to and cannot be delayed for too long."

"Brother Shangguan, you are not showing me much respect. This little bit of time will not cost you much!"

The tension between the two was palpable from the very beginning of the assembly. In the corner, Yao Ye let out a cold laugh.

"It is like this: in Xiaoyao City, we fight our own battles. If a strong enemy were to invade, we would be leaderless, which would surely lead to our defeat. Therefore, I have summoned you all here to elect an Alliance Leader!"

"Oh? And in your opinion, Brother Wan, who would be a suitable leader? If it were you, I, Shangguan Xiong, would be the first to disagree!"

Seeing Shangguan Xiong show no regard for his face, Wan Xin’s expression darkened.

"Shangguan Xiong, I respect you as an elder and have given you face at every turn, yet you oppose me at every opportunity. Very well. Xiaoyao City values strength above all else—how about we decide the leader through a trial of combat?"

"Brother Wan, it is not that I do not wish to give you face, but you know we are accustomed to our freedom. Once we have a leader, we must be cautious, must we not? I am in full agreement with deciding the outcome through combat!"

"Good. Since Brother Shangguan has no objections, what is your opinion, Brother Tie?"

"My Tie family has no objections. Brother Shangguan, you may decide."

"Very well. I declare the selection of the Alliance Leader by combat to begin now. I will state the rules: anyone who steps onto the ring, life or death is of no consequence, and any means may be used. The victor is king. Brother Shangguan, do you have any additions?"

"That sounds excellent. I have no objections!"

"Beat the drums! Let the combat begin!"

Following Wan Xin's command, the drummers around the square began to play vigorously. The newly appointed Third Master, Wan Meng, was the first to leap into the ring.

"I am the newly appointed Third Master, Wan Meng. Who dares to challenge me?"

The crowd lowered their heads, neither speaking nor responding. Wan Meng laughed aloud.

"I shall come to learn from your superior skills, Brother Wan!"

A young figure leaped from the Shangguan family's side, flew onto the ring, and cupped his hands.

"I am but a nobody from the Shangguan family. I ask for your guidance, Brother Wan!"

Wan Meng curled his lip and, catching the youth off guard, launched a rapid attack. Having lost the initiative, the youth could only defend passively against Wan Meng's onslaught.

After hundreds of exchanges, the youth seized a moment when Wan Meng was distracted to throw several daggers from his robes, catching Wan Meng off guard and forcing him to scramble to dodge.

However, the attack was too dense, and Wan Meng was struck in the thigh. He fell to his knees uncontrollably.

"A perfect opportunity!"

The youth dashed to Wan Meng's side and kicked him in the chest. Wan Meng felt a sweetness in his throat, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying.

"Your Shangguan family is despicable, using hidden weapons!"

Shangguan Xiong laughed happily as he looked at Wan Xin's livid face. "Brother Wan, you were the one who said any means could be used. Surely you aren't going back on your word in front of all the leaders of Xiaoyao City, are you?"

"You! Fine! Wan Lu, go!"

After cupping his hands in a salute, Wan Lu flew onto the ring. After the two exchanged salutes, Wan Lu attacked with lightning speed. After dozens of rounds, the youth from the Shangguan family lost his focus and was grabbed by the throat by Wan Lu.

Wan Lu wore a cruel smile as he crushed the youth's throat. The youth collapsed to the ground, his body twitching involuntarily, until his head lolled to the side, his eyes wide open, and he fell silent forever.

"Such ruthless methods. I, Shangguan Yun, will face you, Second Master of the Wan family!"

Shangguan Yun jumped into the ring, and without another word, the two began a fierce battle. They traded blows, neither able to gain the upper hand.