“Who is he?”
Chen Fan didn’t spare a glance at the tall young man, instead, he shot a glance at Huo Donglai.
His keen observation had picked up the signals between the lines of Huo Donglai and the old man’s conversation. He knew the visitors were from the Ba Ji Sect and they came here to discuss the Martial Arts Conference.
“My name is Gao Baisheng and I am from the Ba Ji Sect.” The tall young man said proudly.
He was well known among the younger generation of martial artists, so Gao Baisheng had expected that Chen Fan would recognize his name. However, he found no trace of recognition in Chen Fan’s stoic expression.
“Head Sergeant, he is my Apprentice-Nephew. Please forgive his impatience.” Huo Donglai smiled in embarrassment.
People who practiced Ba Ji Fist were well known for their short tempers. Huo Donglai’s Great Uncle Master, for example, was even testier than the young man.
“Head Sergeant Chen, I have heard a lot about your power. Since you have already achieved the Transcendent State—so I have heard, I wager that you won’t mind showing a thing or two to us?” Gao Baisheng cupped his fists and asked.
“What do you mean? You think our Head Sergeant is going to be scared of you?” Tank flung back at Gao Baisheng. Tank’s temper would make him a perfect Ba Ji Fist master.
“No kidding! Kiddo, be careful what comes out of your mouth. One more disrespectful word, we will throw you out of here.”
The other Cang Dragon soldiers followed.
“Really?” Gao Baisheng scanned around him as a pompous smile surfaced on his face. “Head Sergeant Chen, is this how disciplined your soldiers are? I am worried about you.”
After he said that, he stomped the ground and unleashed the Art of Tremors of the Ba Ji sect.
The earth shook at the impact and when he lifted his feet from the ground, the pavement was crushed inward forming a large depression.
Gao Baisheng looked around him haughtily. He was convinced that no one in the Cang Dragon unit could pull it off. Huo Donglai’s eyes lit up with joy. “Baisheng, you have achieved phenomenal success?”
The pavement was made out of special cement, and no ordinary martial artist could have damaged it.
“Indeed.” Gao Baisheng nodded.
Sergeant Gu and the other sergeants were taken aback by the revelation. Gao Baisheng had achieved great power at such a young age, it was evident that the Ba sect is going to take off.
“Twenty years ago, the Ba Ji Sect sired a masterful fighter, Huo ZhengTang; will history repeat itself twenty years later?” Deep thought shone in Sergeant Gu’s eyes. Despite his friendship with Huo Donglai, the Gu family and the Ba Ji sets were at odds with each other for many years.
Although the Cang Dragon soldiers were riled up by Gao Baisheng’s rude comments, they couldn’t do anything about it.
Let it be shooting, battle tactics, they were far more skillful than the arrogant Ba Ji disciple. However, when it came down to personal combat, they were no match against the professional martial artists.
“Head Sergeant!”
Tank shouted at Chen Fan indignantly.
“Head Sergeant!”
Eagle-eyes followed.
“Head Sergeant!” “Head Sergeant!” “Head Sergeant!”
Everyone started calling out Chen Fan’s title as if summoning their champion.
This was the base of the Cang Dragon unit—one of the very few law enforcement units in China. Everyone on the team was one in a million, the cream of the crop. Never in their professional careers had they being looked down upon by a civilian.
“Head Sergeant Chen, everyone is waiting for you.”
Gao Baisheng readied his fists like a typical martial-arts-master.
Chen Fan stood still and his eyes were fixated on Huo Donglai.
“Is this how you invite me to the Martial Arts Conference?” Chen Fan asked stoically.
“Head Sergeant, please let me explain.” Huo Donglai’s face tightened as he hurried an explanation.
“Save your breath.” Chen Fan waved a dismissal. “I will still attend the Martial Arts Conference, but I won’t be representing Ba Ji Sect.”
“Head Sergeant Chen…” Huo Donglai panicked. Even as Huo Donglai wanted to explain further, he heard Guo Xiaomang snort and then said: “Humph. If you are even scared to fight my sect brother, how are you going to represent Ba Ji sect? Dream on.”
Two of her Uncle-Masters nodded in agreement.
They came with loads of doubts in their minds. They simply couldn’t believe that such a powerful person would have existed. When they saw how young Chen Fan was, they felt their suspicions were true. “He is just a fledgling, green babe in the woods. How dare he call himself Transcendent Master so shamelessly.”
“Great Uncle Master, please help me.” Huo Donglai looked to the scrawny old man for help.
To his dismay, the thin old man regarded Chen Fan for a while and then shook his head.
“I don’t believe he is a Transcendent Master. I have seen Transcendent Masters, more than once, and he doesn’t have the same imposing mannerism as those ones I have met.”
“Great Uncle Master!” Huo Donglai nearly lost his voice.
He had hoped that his Great Uncle Master would be experienced enough to see the diamond in the rough, however, the old man’s words only exacerbated the situation.
“Donglai, mind your attitude!” The old man’s voice boomed. “Since when has the Ba Ji Fist Sect needed other people’s help? My Art of Iron Fist along could overcome any opponent.”
“Why… Great Uncle Master, why do you do this!” Huo Donglai shook his head in disappointment.
They said the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; the old man’s short temper and testy manner were in part to be blamed for the younger generation’s impatience and crossness. However, they had no idea how powerful Chen Fan was, otherwise, they would turn their arrogance down a notch.
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and said: “Oh, really?”
He turned around to look at Gao Baisheng and then shook his head. “You are not my worthy opponent yet.”
“Me? Not worthy?” Gao Baisheng felt lighthearted by the remark. It was as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life.
He flung back at him: “Chen Beixuan, ever since I was five, I had partaken in more than thirty matches and never lost one. Not to mention that I have achieved phenomenal success at the age of twenty-seven. How dare you question my credentials?”
“Still not enough to fight me.” Chen Fan said lightly.
“What an arrogant fool!” The two middle age man who comes with Gao Baisheng guffawed.
One of them took a step forward and said: “Count me in the match.”
“Is that Mu Shan?” Sergeant Gu was taken aback.
A member of the Cang Dragon unit asked curiously: “Who is Mu Shan, Sergeant Gu?”
“Mu Shan was regarded as one of the most powerful Ba Ji fighters. He was only half a step away from the peak of Internal Force cultivation ten years ago; a level he must have long since obtained.” Concern flashed in Sergeant Gu’s eyes as he spoke.
A martial artist who had achieved the peak of internal force cultivation could have commanded tremendous authority in a sizable region. People like Lin Hu who arrived at a region that lacked a competitor would quickly establish a foothold and eventually claim dominance.
Therefore, such a powerful person ought to be the backbone of the Ba Ji sect.
“Even within the Gu family, only my family lord who was near the Transcendent State could have rivaled Mu Shan.” Sergeant Gu calculated in his mind.
Soldiers of the Cang Dragon unit pulled taut faces. From their many sergeants with martial arts backgrounds, they knew the jargon of the martial art’s level progression. Although their martial arts sergeants seemed nearly invincible to them, they had only reached phenomenal success in their Internal Force cultivation.
They couldn’t even begin to imagine the power of someone who had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation.
“Indeed. Five years ago, I finally mastered my Internal Force.” Mu Shan said proudly.
He had been holding back his overbearing energy ever since he entered the training ground. As he finally loosened his control over his power, his eyes started to glint and he started to transform into a calm and deadly warrior.
“Senior Brother, you have finally reached the peak?” Huo Donglai was shocked.
“If he hadn’t entered the peak of the Internal Force cultivation, why would you think I would bring two of our kids to the Martial Arts Conference?” The wizened old man gave him a shrewd smile.
He was as cunning as an old fox. Despite his hot temper, he was wise most of the time.
“Do you think the two of us would make a worthy opponent?” Mu Shan asked.
Everyone looked to Chen Fan expectantly. To their surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and said: “NO.”