What sort of people were brawling in that dense wood to the east? A quest for vengeance and robbery, or perhaps the snatching of hidden treasures? Ye Qin paused, a thread of curiosity piqued. By his reckoning, he had been with the Herb Gathering Hall for a full five or six years now; he was, to some extent, a man of the Jianghu (martial world). However, spending most of his time deep in the wild mountains gathering herbs meant he rarely lingered in the county seat, so he had witnessed very few of the common brawls and skirmishes that characterized the martial world, let alone participated in one directly. Given Ye Qin's current cultivation level, ordinary Jianghu folk posed almost no real threat to him. After a brief thought, he decided to venture over and witness this "legendary" martial world melee for himself. He tapped his foot and sprang forward, flying toward the thicket of trees.

Arriving at the woods to the east, he found a large, open meadow spanning several qing (a unit of area). Two distinct groups were facing off on opposite sides of the field, radiating hostility. One large contingent consisted of young men and women in azure robes—sixty or seventy people in total—all wearing expressions of righteous indignation. The other, smaller group wore white robes, numbering only about ten or twenty individuals, yet they carried themselves with immense arrogance. In the center of the clearing, two young men were locked in a fierce, drawn-out duel. The crowds on both sides were shouting encouragement for the two combatants, punctuated occasionally by jeers and curses.

Ye Qin was slightly taken aback when he saw the large group before him—young men and women clad in the very familiar azure and white colors that signified his own affiliation. These people were none other than the disciples of the Outer Hall of the Herb Gathering Hall and the disciples of the Inner Hall for Medicine Preparation. Moreover, they were all apprentices roughly between the ages of fifteen or sixteen and twenty-five or twenty-six; there were no very young boys present.

A sense of the absurd welled up in Ye Qin’s heart. He had come looking for a Jianghu spectacle, only to stumble upon his own kin fighting amongst themselves. Among the Outer Hall disciples, the leadership was held by the usually very active, commoner-born youths like Yang Yicheng and Xu Zhi. Sun Ying, Qian Ruoxiu, and others stood among the Outer Hall disciples, glaring furiously at the Inner Hall group. The Inner Hall contingent was led by several disciples hailing from wealthy county families, such as Cao Yu'an and Zhou Huiliu. Their fathers were well-known grain and cloth merchants in Zhuqi County. In the Martial Kingdom, though merchants were still considered low-status commoners, they possessed wealth and were generous spenders. Furthermore, they had learned more and stronger martial techniques than the Outer Hall disciples, naturally making them haughty and scornful of their Outer Hall counterparts.

After clearly perceiving the standoff on the meadow, Ye Qin gradually understood the situation. It appeared this private fight had erupted over the recent incident where Sun Ying and several other female Outer Hall disciples had been harassed by members of the Inner Hall. The mutual animosity and conflict between the Outer and Inner Halls of the Herb Gathering Hall had existed for a long time—it was by no means a new issue. However, this particular event had escalated, inciting the collective fury of the Outer Hall disciples, otherwise so many wouldn't have gathered to cheer them on.

The two youths currently fighting in the arena: The burly youth from the Outer Hall wielded a heavy broadsword. His movements were simple, broad, and sweeping; every slash brought forth a sharp, whooshing sound of displaced air. However, his lower stance was unstable. He possessed formidable power but lacked sufficient steadiness. Often, his strikes carried through but he couldn't rein them in, ending with empty cuts striking the ground. The Inner Hall had sent a lean youth wielding a light steel sword, favoring agility. His swordplay was tricky and sharp. Such light maneuvers should ideally counter the broad, powerful hacking of the broadsword. Yet, fear flickered in his eyes concerning the burly youth’s fierce blows. Afraid of taking a serious injury from an errant hit, he dared not close the distance, losing the advantage. He was instead firmly suppressed by the surging momentum of the broadsword wielder’s wild attacks.

Ye Qin had never studied swordsmanship or sabersmanship, nor did he understand the finer points of either art. He couldn't discern any true subtlety in their forms. The only thing he could clearly see was that both men’s bodily movements were somewhat stiff, lacking sufficient flexibility. Their skill level was, at best, that of a second or third-rate hand. For such practitioners, the refinement of their techniques mattered little; their moves were full of openings, and any casual strike could lead to defeat.

With Ye Qin’s current strength, watching these two fight was no different from watching children squabble. He lost interest after watching only a short while, finding no depth in it. In terms of pure martial prowess, the Outer Hall disciples might not match the Inner Hall disciples. After all, the Inner Hall members dedicated more time to martial practice and had the means to purchase superior martial arts manuals. However, in actual combat, the Outer Hall disciples, constantly gathering herbs in the wilderness, often risked their lives fighting wolves and tigers. Their ferocity was something the Inner Hall disciples could never match; they fought with a reckless disregard for their own safety. The Inner Hall members cherished their lives and were unwilling to engage in hard clashes, relying solely on superior technique to win, inevitably putting them at a disadvantage. In a group brawl, given the sheer numbers of the Outer Hall disciples, they would certainly leave the Inner Hall disciples crying for their mothers.

Thus, whether in one-on-one fights or group brawls, the Outer Hall disciples generally held the greater chance of victory. Ye Qin felt no worry that his side would be disadvantaged, nor did he plan to intervene in this duel.

As Ye Qin considered whether to leave now, a slight breeze stirred the treetops above his head. His attention shifted instantly, and he looked up, spotting a very familiar, nimble silhouette. On a dense, nearby tree, Feng Xiao squatted on a thick branch like a great monkey, staring at Ye Qin in astonishment. "Second Senior Brother, I just used Qinggong (lightness skill) to sneak over here, trying to startle you, yet you noticed me immediately?"

Feng Xiao felt a sudden wave of anticlimax. Opening his large eyes wider, he continued, "Sigh, Second Senior Brother, where have you been these past few days? I looked everywhere for you. You spoke of avenging Sun Ying a few days ago, but you haven't shown your face once—that’s not very loyal."

Ye Qin replied calmly, "I’ve been wandering around the county perimeter these past few days, busy with some matters, which delayed me. Besides, with so many Outer Hall disciples here, my presence is hardly missed or missed. You and First Senior Brother have rallied so many people; do you think I still need to worry about Sun Ying not getting her revenge? By the way, how is this competition being decided? Can our side win?"

Feng Xiao didn't think too deeply and excitedly recounted the details of the bout: "We made an agreement with the Inner Hall to have thirty rounds in total; the side with the most wins prevails. If one side loses the overall contest, they must kneel and kowtow to the other, promising never to provoke them again. It's a shame you missed it, Second Senior Brother. Our Outer Hall members have already fought dozens of rounds against those bastards from the Inner Hall over the last two days, haha! We’ve already won a solid thirteen matches, and they’ve only won ten! If we win this current one, it’ll be fourteen! What’s more, the Inner Hall can no longer field any top experts! If we win just one or two more, our victory is certain! You should see those Inner Hall folk—they're nearly driven mad with rage."

As an Outer Hall disciple, Ye Qin naturally stood with his own faction, and he was delighted by this news. "Heh, that’s excellent. Once those Inner Hall disciples have knocked their heads raw, they’ll have to crawl around with their tails between their legs from now on and will never be able to hold their heads up again."

As the two were talking in the woods, a new development occurred in the arena. "Ah—!" A sharp cry echoed from the dueling ground. The thin, sword-wielding Inner Hall disciple had, in a moment of carelessness, been struck on the shoulder by the broadsword, tearing a bloody gash several inches long. He dropped his sword, clutching his left shoulder from which blood spurted freely, and was forced out of the field. The Outer Hall apprentices cheered loudly, seeing their side secure another victory. "Senior Brother Xu Zhi, well fought!" －－－－－－－－－－－－ We are hitting the charts at midnight tonight; your support is eagerly awaited! Also, this book begins receiving the Sanjiang recommendation today. We hope all book friends will visit the [] [Sanjiang Channel] to cast a vote for Zifu Xian Yuan. Sanjiang Channel: http://sjg. .com