Chapter One: The Emergence of the Martial God (5)

Liu Sihai glanced up and saw no one on the roof, realizing he had fallen into a trap. A sudden breeze arose beside him, indicating that Zhan Feixiong had already approached. Without a moment's hesitation, Liu Sihai struck back with a palm aimed at Zhan Feixiong's chest. Even if Zhan Feixiong managed to grasp the "Yunmen Acupoint" on his shoulder, he would still have to endure Liu Sihai's strike. To avoid this blow, Zhan Feixiong would naturally retreat, as this is the fundamental principle of survival and self-preservation for martial artists.

Zhan Feixiong also smiled and said, "Indeed, the leader of this stronghold has long had this intention, but it has been difficult to proceed with various matters..." Just as he was speaking, he looked towards the roof behind Liu Sihai and the others, his face showing a look of astonishment, and said, "Oh! How did you come here?" Liu Sihai and the others all turned to look at the roof, only to find it completely empty, with not a single shadow in sight.

Liu Sihai could not help but recall what Wu Tianyuan had said at that time: "Liu Gong has taken this 'Life Creation Pill' and inherited my 'True Fire of Samadhi'. Although this 'True Fire of Samadhi' is not very strong at the moment, the spiritual seed has already been planted. In the future, even if it is... heh heh! It is not impossible."

At that moment, he clasped his hands in salute to Liu Sihai and the other guests, then gracefully departed

Although Dongfang Tianying is arrogant, he is not a fool. He realizes that he has encountered a master today, and if he continues to argue stubbornly, he will not be a match for them in terms of theory or martial arts. This would only lead to an inexplicable enmity, and perhaps even bring disaster to "Dongfang Fortress." He hurriedly struggled to stand up and said to Wu Tianyuan: "What happened earlier was due to my misunderstanding, having been instigated by treacherous individuals, which led to this misunderstanding. I have indeed wronged Brother Li. I hope Brother Wu will not take offense; I sincerely apologize for my actions."

"In the future, even if it is ... ... , what does it mean?" Liu Sihai could not help but fall into deep contemplation. Suddenly, a mad thought surged in his heart, so crazy that he dared not think further. He thought to himself: "Impossible! Impossible! How could such a thing exist in the world?" Then, he thought again: "Perhaps such a thing really could exist in the world. At such a young age, Wu Tianyuan's martial arts have already reached an unfathomable level; what is there that is impossible?" He thought: "Impossible! Impossible! How could such a thing exist in the world?" Then, he thought again: "Perhaps such a thing really could exist in the world. At such a young age, Wu Tianyuan's martial arts have already reached an unfathomable level; what is there that is impossible? Perhaps such a thing might really happen to me!" Upon thinking of this, Liu Sihai felt his heart racing wildly, both afraid that this was merely his own delusion and filled with an indescribable joy.

Wu Tianyuan turned to Liu Sihai and said: "Because of my younger brother's matter, it has disturbed Liu Gong's birthday banquet, and I truly feel uneasy about it." Liu Sihai smiled slightly and replied: "Young Master Wu is overthinking; I am not the kind of person who holds grudges over trivial matters." He then addressed the guests: "I kindly ask everyone to take their seats again; I hope you all enjoy yourselves today and drink to your heart's content, not leaving until you are intoxicated. Please do not blame this old man for being neglectful towards you all." The guests replied in unison: "We dare not."

Upon seeing this situation, anyone would know that if they made even the slightest reckless move, they would be shot down by the archers below, turning into five porcupines. At that moment, the only option was to leap forward to Liu Sihai and the others. However, the leader coldly remarked: "Liu Sihai, what a grand display!"

Liu Sihai, borrowing the light of the fire, saw that the five individuals approaching were all dressed in night attire, each displaying a look of shock. The leader among them had a broad nose and wide mouth, with a fierce glint in his eyes. Liu Sihai's mind turned, and he recalled someone, saying: "Are you not the renowned leader of the 'One Hand Covers the Sky', Zhan Feixiong?" Upon hearing his identity being revealed so directly, the leader was momentarily taken aback and replied: "Indeed." Liu Sihai's mind turned, and he recalled someone, saying: "Are you not the renowned leader of the 'One Hand Covers the Sky', Zhan Feixiong?" Upon hearing his identity being revealed so directly, the leader was momentarily taken aback and replied: "Indeed."

Liu Sihai, upon witnessing the situation, realized that matters had escalated. If Wu Wuyuan were truly to go to "Oriental Fortress" to cause trouble, it was not something he wished to see. In fact, Liu Sihai had long intended to intervene; he had simply hesitated at first because Li Yueqian was present, and Li Yueqian was a reckless youth. He also understood that all witnesses were no longer on the scene, and if the people from "Oriental Fortress" questioned Li Yueqian, he would undoubtedly become the one at a disadvantage. Therefore, when Li Yue was lost and helpless, Liu Sihai seized the opportunity to guide him to leave. Later, upon hearing the exchange between Wu Tianyuan and the attendant of Dongfang Tianying, he was filled with indignation, thinking: "How can this person be so ungrateful? You keep mentioning 'Oriental Fortress' here and there. Ha! The reputation of 'Oriental Fortress' may intimidate ordinary people in the martial world, but it cannot scare Wu Tianyuan. How can the people of the Dongfang family be so blind? They must be used to being arrogant."

Zhan Xiongfei seized the opportunity to leap beside Liu Sihai, his movements swift as the wind, aiming to strike the "Yunmen Acupoint" on Liu Sihai's shoulder. He realized that given the dire circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to leave Liu's residence unscathed, so he spoke casually, engaging Liu Sihai in a seemingly random conversation, while in reality, his mind was constantly devising a way to escape. He led Liu Sihai and the others to glance towards the rooftop behind them; as soon as they fell for his trick, he would seize any one of them, and the situation would naturally reverse. Moreover, rumors in the martial world suggested that Liu Sihai had long lost his martial prowess, and as the head of the Liu residence, he was undoubtedly the prime target for his coercion. However, Zhan Xiongfei had never anticipated that Liu Sihai's martial skills had actually been restored the day before. Had he come two days earlier, the outcome might have been entirely different.

At that moment, a cold voice was heard from outside: "Liu Sihai! Come out!" The voice was not loud, yet it resonated as if it were right beside him, indicating that this person possessed considerable internal strength. Following that, Liu Jiandong's voice rang out from outside: "Which friend from the road is visiting at this late hour? What is your intention?"

After Liu Sihai and Zhan Feixiong's palms met, he realized that Zhan Feixiong's internal strength was slightly inferior to his own. However, even though he had cultivated the "Xuantian True Qi" to its fullest extent, he could not achieve victory in a short time. Suddenly, he thought, why not try the power of the "Samadhi True Fire" he had obtained from Wu Tianyuan? As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he felt a wave of scorching energy flow from his palm into Zhan Feixiong's body.

Although the crowd found Liu Sihai's words somewhat inappropriate, they understood that in such circumstances, it was not easy for Liu Sihai to act as a mediator. Liu Sihai referred to Dongfang Tianying as his nephew and to Wu Tianyuan as a young lord, indicating that Wu Tianyuan held a much more significant position in Liu Sihai's eyes. However, it remained to be seen how the usually arrogant Dongfang Tianying would respond.

Liu Sihai rose and walked out of the quiet room with composure. He saw five figures lined up on the ceiling of the front hall, and on both sides of the roof, there were two more people standing, who were his four sons. He then waved his hand to Liu Jiandong and said: "Let them come down"

Liu Sihai shot him a fierce glare, walked over to Dongfang Tianying, and grasped his wrist. He could feel that Dongfang Tianying's pulse was steady and solid, knowing that his internal injuries were not serious. He then said: "Dongfang Shizhi, Wu Shaojun, both of you should not be angry. In my old opinion, this is all a misunderstanding. Fortunately, Dongfang Shizhi's internal injuries have been treated by Wu Shaojun and are not serious. Today is the anniversary of my mother's passing, so I kindly ask both of you to show me a little leniency. Why not turn enemies into friends? I wonder what both of you think?" He spoke as if asking for their opinions, yet his gaze was fixed on Wu Tianyuan, who seemed oblivious and continued to stare at Dongfang Tianying and the others.

Liu Jiandong received the order and said to the five individuals: "My family has a command, please descend to converse." After speaking, Liu Jiandong and his four brothers swiftly approached Liu Sihai's side. Immediately after, it was unclear what signal he had given, but in an instant, the entire Liu residence was illuminated, with all the lights almost simultaneously igniting. Beneath the eaves, countless figures had emerged at some point, each drawing their bows and aiming at the five individuals on the roof, collectively stating: "Please, esteemed guests, come down to converse!" The voices of these hundreds of people resonated in unison, shaking the accumulated dust from the beams and tiles.

Zhan Feixiong said: "I heard that the book 'Xuantian Baozhuan' has finally fallen into your elder brother's hands. You have been studying this secret manual for over ten years; it cannot be monopolized by you alone. I kindly ask Brother Liu to bring it out so that we can all discuss it together." Liu Sihai replied with a faint smile: "So it turns out that Zhan Zhaizhu has come for this matter. However, I still find it somewhat unclear. The 'Xuantian Baozhuan' has been in my Liu family's possession for over ten years. It seems that Zhan Zhaizhu has had this intention for a long time, so why has he only come to request the book today?"

Wu Tianyuan listened as he took all the blame upon himself, feeling somewhat embarrassed to say anything further. He also returned the courtesy, saying: "My younger brother is naturally rough and reckless, lacking discernment, and has inadvertently offended Young Master Dongfang. I hope you can forgive him. In the future, I will certainly take my younger brother to Dongfang Fortress to apologize to you." His words had already become much more polite. On the surface, he was referring to Li Yueqian as "naturally rough and reckless, lacking discernment," but in reality, he was alluding to Dongfang Tianying. How could Dongfang Tianying be unaware? A wave of heat rushed to his face, and he hurriedly replied, "I dare not." He was clearly referring to Li Yueqian as "naturally rough and reckless, lacking discernment," but in reality, he was alluding to Dongfang Tianying. How could Dongfang Tianying be unaware? A wave of heat rushed to his face, and he hurriedly replied, "I dare not."

Wu Tianyuan let out a long sigh and said, "I appreciate Liu Gong's kind intentions. However, my brother has run off alone, and I am uncertain what trouble he might cause. I am quite worried and must go find him. I shall take my leave now." Liu Sihai originally wanted to ask him how to cultivate the 'Three Mystical Fires,' but seeing his urgency to leave, he felt it inappropriate to stop him. He had the intention to ask, but in front of so many people, it was not suitable to inquire. Thus, he could only say, "Since that is the case, I shall not insist on keeping you, young sir. In the future, when you have leisure time, do not forget to visit my humble abode for a chat." Wu Tianyuan smiled and replied, "Rest assured, Liu Gong, if fate allows, we shall meet again in the future."

On the night of the following day, the lights in Liu Sihai's quiet room continued to flicker. Liu Sihai sat cross-legged on a mat, with a book titled "Xuantian Baozhuan" placed before him. He waved his right palm lightly, and with a soft sound of "whoosh," the candle flames in the room, regardless of their distance, were stirred by the wind from his palm, flickering on and off. Liu Sihai knew that his "Xuantian True Qi" had reached a minor achievement. According to the "Xuantian Baozhuan," it would take at least five years, and at most over a decade, to cultivate the "Xuantian True Qi" to such a level, and it was impossible to achieve it in just one day. However, since Liu Sihai consumed the "Shengsheng Zao Hua Dan," his internal strength had increased several times compared to before. Additionally, Wu Tianyuan had infused a trace of "Sanmei True Fire" into his body, which, although only a small amount, possessed immense power. Whenever Liu Sihai encountered obstacles while practicing the "Xuantian True Qi," that trace of "Sanmei True Fire" would appear to break through the obstructions. It was precisely due to these numerous fortuitous coincidences that Liu Sihai achieved his current level of skill. At this moment, Liu Sihai felt as if he were still in a dream.

Although he thought this way, he knew he could not avoid stepping in as the mediator, as this was, after all, an incident that occurred in his residence. At that moment, he cleared his throat and stepped forward. Upon seeing Liu Sihai emerge, the attendant rushed over like a drowning person grasping a life-saving straw, and said, "Lord Liu, please say a word of justice!"

Indeed, Zhan Feixiong instinctively took a step back, only then recalling the rumors about Liu Sihai's lost martial arts skills, feeling a sudden pang of regret for having retreated. At that moment, he had no time for regret; if the Liu brothers regained their composure and ensnared him, it would be truly difficult to escape. Without hesitation, he swung his left palm and struck towards Liu Sihai's chest. Liu Sihai also swung his left palm to meet the attack. A muffled sound echoed as their palms collided. Zhan Feixiong felt the immense force emanating from Liu Sihai's palm, overwhelming and unstoppable, surging like a tidal wave. Alarmed, he realized that Liu Sihai's martial arts had indeed returned. In this perilous situation, he found himself in a dangerous contest of internal strength with Liu Sihai, who seemed to have deliberately lured him into this predicament to prevent his escape. If he were to withdraw his palm at this moment, he would surely be harmed by Liu Sihai's internal energy. He could only curse Liu Sihai in his heart for being cunning and treacherous, but at this juncture, there was no other option but to engage in a contest of internal strength with Liu Sihai.

Shandong's Zhi Xiang Ma is renowned throughout the world. This "One Hand Covers the Sky" Zhan Feixiong is not only a hero of the green forest but also the chief of the Nine Villages and Eighteen Halls of Baiyun Ridge. He is known for being fierce, cunning, and cruel, with an arrogant demeanor and a significant background. Liu Sihai felt somewhat puzzled: "Our Liu family has no grievances with Baiyun Ridge; why has Zhan Feixiong come here in the middle of the night to provoke us?" He then clasped his fists and said: "Zhan Zhaizhu, your esteemed presence is an honor. Please forgive Liu for not welcoming you from afar. May I ask what brings you here at this late hour, and what guidance you have for me?" Liu Sihai felt somewhat puzzled: "Our Liu family has no grievances with Baiyun Ridge; why has Zhan Feixiong come here in the middle of the night to provoke us?" He then clasped his fists and said: "Zhan Zhaizhu, your esteemed presence is an honor. Please forgive Liu for not welcoming you from afar. May I ask what brings you here at this late hour, and what guidance you have for me?"

At that moment, Chang was taken aback. He had only intended to save some face and provide an explanation to the fortress lord upon returning to "Eastern Fortress." Unexpectedly, he had genuinely provoked Wu Tianyuan. Wu Tianyuan was now serious about confronting him, intending to go to "Eastern Fortress" alone to cause trouble, which was not what he had hoped to see. He knew that Wu Tianyuan's skills were at least one or two times superior to Li Yueqian's, if not three or four times (otherwise, Li Yueqian would not be so afraid of Wu Tianyuan). Moreover, the martial arts that Li Yueqian had just displayed were likely unmatched within the fortress. He understood that provoking such a formidable opponent as Wu Tianyuan could bring great calamity to "Eastern Fortress." At that moment, Wu Tianyuan's eyes glinted with a cold light as he fixed a fierce gaze on him, leaving him pale and speechless.

Upon hearing Wu Tianyuan's words, the crowd became increasingly impolite. He neither mentioned seeking out Zheng Qianli and Liu Hanyan, nor did he propose to lead Li Yue to apologize; he simply stated his intention to pay a visit. Since it was neither a visit to reason nor to apologize, what else was there to discuss? Naturally, it was clear that Wu Tianyuan intended to take on "Eastern Fortress" by himself. Those who had any grievances with "Eastern Fortress" could not help but revel in the misfortune.