Chapter 354: Don't Get Yourself Dirty

It was that time of evening when many families were sitting down to dinner, and Luoxia Villa was no exception.

The martial arts convention in Duming Prefecture was also known as the Qizhou Martial Arts Convention. The second master of Luoxia Villa remained behind, while Luo Ling and Luo Feng, as the most prominent figures of the villa, had both arrived in Duming Prefecture and were currently dining there.

"Villa Master Luo! Villa Master Luo Ling! A wicked Jianghu practitioner is after me! I beg Villa Master Luo Ling to intervene! Villa Master Luo, save me!"

Lan Ningke's full-throated shout echoed from a distance, making both Luo Ling and Luo Feng pause with their chopsticks.

"Go out and see who is calling for help!"

No sooner had the words left their lips than their seats were empty. Both were exceptionally skilled in Qinggong, and with light, successive steps, they had already traversed the garden, leaped over the courtyard wall, and landed right in front of Lan Ningke.

After shouting a few times, Lan Ningke was suddenly startled to see figures flash before him.

"Ah..."

Due to the intense stress and extreme physical exertion of his journey, he lost his balance in a panic. A seasoned martial arts master, he nevertheless stumbled and fell.

Luo Ling's figure flashed as he supported Lan Ningke by the chest and looked at the man.

"Were you the one calling for help?"

"Villa Master Luo! Villa Master Luo! It's good to see you! You must save me! There's a villain publicly hunting down fellow martial artists; Jiang Meng is already dead, and he's definitely coming for me! He's definitely coming for me!"

Lan Ningke frantically tried to explain the situation, then looked around and spotted Lu Chengfeng and several Yun Ge disciples running from the other end of the street.

For some reason, Lan Ningke seemed even more agitated at the sight of Lu Chengfeng than he had been upon seeing Luo Ling and Luo Feng, a morbid excitement appearing on his face.

"Hoo-hoo, hey... Lu Chengfeng, Lu Chengfeng! I'm here, hurry over!"

Luo Feng frowned, observing Lan Ningke's current state, and felt that the man was somewhat unbalanced. Luo Ling, for his part, released Lan Ningke once he had stabilized.

Luo Feng had successfully achieved the Xiantian realm several years prior and was now also a Xiantian master. With two Xiantian masters from Luoxia Villa present, they naturally had no fear of any schemes.

Lu Chengfeng's footwork was excellent; employing his 'Mizong' steps, he quickly approached from a distance, arriving before Lan Ningke and the others. Meanwhile, servants from Luoxia Villa emerged with lanterns, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

Lu Chengfeng bowed to Luo Ling and Luo Feng with cupped hands.

"Villa Master Luo, Third Master!"

These two were true pillars of the martial world, figures whose very presence could send tremors through the entire Qizhou martial arts community. They commanded respect from anyone they encountered.

"Hmm, he says a shared enemy has arrived?"

Luo Feng squinted, observing Lu Chengfeng and Lan Ningke. He had just heard what Lan Ningke had said when calling out to Lu Chengfeng, and then something about a villain pursuing fellow martial artists. He was still quite unclear on the full situation.

"An enemy?"

Lu Chengfeng looked at Lan Ningke, who now resembled a stray dog, a stark contrast to his demeanor earlier that day.

"What enemy? Grandmaster Lan, how is it that I, Lu, am unaware of any shared enemy with you?"

Lan Ningke's facial muscles twitched.

"Yes, there is! Heh heh heh, you've forgotten too, you've forgotten too, hahaha, everyone's the same, everyone's the same! He's here, he's coming!"

Luo Ling frowned, about to speak, but suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look towards the end of the street.

Under the starlight, a figure in a pale yellow robe slowly approached, step by step. Their steps were light, showing no trace of martial arts footwork, making them appear utterly ordinary.

"He's here! He's here! That's him! He ripped out Jiang Meng's heart!"

Lan Ningke suddenly became agitated and cried out.

Lu Shan Jun approached as if on a leisurely stroll, gazing from afar towards the outside of Luoxia Villa.

"Oh? Two Xiantian masters. My master told me that Xiantian masters are all individuals of exceptional talent and profound perseverance. I didn't expect to encounter two of them. Indeed, their vitality is robust and their yang aura strong. Hmm, Lu Chengfeng is here too; that's quite convenient!"

Luo Ling squinted at the newcomer. Although he couldn't discern the sophistication of his footwork, his tone sounded quite arrogant, and some of his words were difficult to comprehend.

"Who are you? Was Jiang Meng, the Fierce Tiger of the River, killed by you? And why are you relentlessly pursuing Lan Ningke? If there's any misunderstanding, I hope you will grant Luoxia Villa some face, and we can all sit down to speak openly."

Such formal words were entirely appropriate given Luo Ling's status; both his standing and his martial power carried significant weight.

"No need for all that trouble."

Seeing Lan Ningke deliberately trying to drag Lu Chengfeng into the situation, Lu Shan Jun realized that the man had no bottom line. There was no need for further restraint. No sooner had he finished speaking than he closed in on Lan Ningke like a ghost.

"Stop!"

Luo Ling struck like lightning, extending his hand for a punch and swinging his left arm for a palm strike, intending to repel the newcomer. However, Lu Shan Jun, with a single upward and downward motion of his hand, merely batted away the punch and palm.

"Hmm?"

Luo Ling and Luo Feng were both startled. Luo Ling, using the momentum from the exchange, twisted his waist and shifted his stance, flashing to stand in front of Lan Ningke. At the same time, Luo Feng leaped into the air, his figure swirling like a butterfly as he spun upside down, unleashing several continuous palm strikes towards Lu Shan Jun from above.

At the same moment, Luo Ling again launched alternating fist and palm attacks, only this time it was no longer a test, but a full-force effort.

"Whoosh... whoosh..."

The wind generated by the fists and palms of the two Xiantian masters actually let out a whistling sound.

"Thud, thud, bang, thud..."

Lu Shan Jun dodged, swung his hands, flicked his sleeves, blocked with his elbows...

In a flash, Lu Shan Jun exchanged more than a dozen blows with the two Luo Villa Masters. The sounds and commotion grew louder with each exchange, and even the floor tiles beneath their feet began to crack.

He was single-handedly blocking two Xiantian masters, and one of them was Luo Ling!

The scene astonished Lu Chengfeng and everyone around him. Only Lan Ningke showed little surprise. By now, he had caught his breath, his expression extremely tense, his face a mix of changing emotions.

"Not bad fighting!" Lu Shan Jun said coldly, sweeping Luo Ling aside with a flick of his sleeve. Then, at the exact moment Luo Feng's palm strike arrived from behind, he turned and met it with a smile.

"Bang... crackle..."

Luo Feng felt a surge of overwhelming palm force; the bones in his right arm cracked, and his tendons and muscles tore. After tumbling four or five somersaults in the air, he continued to retreat upon landing. By the time he steadied himself, one arm hung limp at his side, trembling slightly.

"Third brother, how are you?"

Luo Ling asked tensely, while Luo Feng forced himself to reply.

"I'm fine!"

Lu Shan Jun smiled.

"You two are quite good; you could be described as having excellent skills."

As he spoke, Lu Shan Jun was about to advance again, but Luo Ling suddenly erupted, pushing his internal energy to its limit. His movements and attacks became three times fiercer than before, repeatedly flashing around Lu Shan Jun, launching fists and kicks like afterimages with every move. It seemed as if he was single-handedly blocking his opponent.

However, those at the level of Lu Chengfeng and Lan Ningke could already see that Luo Ling was at an absolute disadvantage, unable even to force his opponent to shift a few steps.

"Villa Master Luo, I'll help you!"

Lu Chengfeng shouted loudly, activating his internal energy to execute his Mizong steps, and instantly closed in on Lu Shan Jun with extreme ferocity.

"Hah!"

His shout contained a large amount of internal energy, and his 'Mountain Shaking' punch emerged, producing a whistling sound as it tore through the air.

"Thud, thud, thud, thud..."

A single punch exploded, followed by a continuous flurry of fist afterimages.

Luo Ling and Luo Feng had not originally expected Lu Chengfeng to be of much help, but they hadn't anticipated such martial prowess from him.

Enduring the pain, Luo Feng also returned to the fray, using his left hand to channel palm force in support. Lu Chengfeng's attacks were fierce, but as he was not a Xiantian master, his recovery of internal energy was his biggest weakness, and he would immediately weaken once this set of punches concluded.

Luo Ling, meanwhile, was greatly encouraged. His Xiantian Qi enveloped his arms, and he poured his internal energy into his attacks without restraint, striving to defeat the enemy quickly.

On the other side, Lan Ningke's heart had already grown cold. After Lu Chengfeng joined the attack, he discovered that the monster still had the leisure to frequently glance at him, its expression always a half-smile.

'He can't be stopped! They can't stop him!'

With his resolve crumbling, Lan Ningke actually turned and fled, dashing wildly towards the end of the street once more.

"Thud..."

After only a dozen steps, he suddenly bumped into something, and Lan Ningke fell onto his backside again. He looked up to see Lu Shan Jun, dressed in a yellow robe with cloud patterns, wearing a chilling, unnatural smile.

"Where are you planning to run off to?"

Luo Ling, Luo Feng, and Lu Chengfeng on the other side all looked over in astonishment. A strong sense of defeat rose within them; the enemy they had just been fighting had vanished from their sight in an instant and seemingly teleported dozens of steps away. It felt as though he had merely been toying with them earlier.

"Have, have mercy on me... I, I will certainly act righteously from now on, I will definitely prioritize chivalry, I will definitely keep my promises, I will certainly repent and reform! Oh, and the Fan family, I will return their money to them! I will help the Fan family restore their glory! I will, I will go to them bearing thorns to atone for my sins, I will..."

Lan Ningke immediately pleaded and made promises, rattling off a string of words. He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly with heavy thuds, his forehead bruised and bleeding, yet he did not stop.

Lu Shan Jun looked at Luo Ling, Luo Feng, and Lu Chengfeng.

"Did you hear that?"

Any sane person would understand that this string of words revealed much, at the very least confirming that Lan Ningke was no good person.

Lu Shan Jun, smiling, helped up Lan Ningke, who was still trying to kowtow.

"Get up, get up, don't kowtow anymore."

Looking at the man standing before him, pale and covered in sweat, mud, and dust, Lu Shan Jun even extended his sleeve to wipe away the blood, sweat, and dirt from his forehead.

"Look at you; don't get yourself dirty."

No sooner had these words fallen than, in the instant Lan Ningke's guard dropped...

"Roar..."

Lu Shan Jun suddenly opened his mouth wide, and a spectral tiger head materialized.

"Ah!"

Amidst Lan Ningke's terrified cry, Lu Shan Jun swallowed him whole in one gulp. Everything happened so fast, it seemed like an illusion.

The others were all stunned on the spot, while Lu Chengfeng stiffened with a jolt. In that instant, the one who had swallowed Lan Ningke was already directly in front of him, barely two fists' distance away.

Cold sweat immediately broke out, drenching his back. Lu Chengfeng faintly understood who this person was.

Lu Shan Jun smiled at Lu Chengfeng.

"Are you scared?"

Lu Chengfeng forcibly suppressed the urge to flee and answered, steadying his trembling voice.

"Of course I'm scared!"

"I hear you haven't left Yuchang County much these past years. How do you view your agreement with me?"

Lu Chengfeng knew this was a moment of life or death. Though a strong chill permeated him, he couldn't help but speak his mind.

"One acts as a hero only after securing one's family. My Yun Ge clan is unstable and surrounded by danger. At a time like this, for me, the path of chivalry is to protect my home and family!"

Lu Shan Jun's eyes shifted slightly, and he appeared to be contemplating, but he did not speak. Instead, he looked towards the end of the street.

"What demon dares to commit evil here?"

"You monster, you seek death!"

Two furious shouts came from the end of the street, reaching Lu Shan Jun's ears. It was clear that the demonic aura he had just revealed had been detected by the Night Patrolling Deities.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I accidentally overdid it. I don't want to get into a conflict with the Underworld authorities."

Casually leaving behind a sentence, Lu Shan Jun leaped up, and his figure rapidly disappeared into the distance.