Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 242 - I Object!

"I object!" A man with thick, dark eyebrows that almost joined together across his face suddenly spoke. He was seated on the left side of the long table, near the main seat. The burly man appeared to be in his forties and wore a ring on his right hand. The style of the ring was old and simple, with a wide band. The words "Bright Plate Martial Dao" were deeply engraved on its surface.

The man was the head of Bright Plate Martial Dao, a notable mid-tier Covert Martial Arts force in Wenxia County. The sect had once produced combat artists, and had a strong foundation to back it up.

Among all the Covert Martial Arts sects Luen had contacted, Bright Plate Martial Dao had the most explicit stance and the strongest will to resist. A combat artist from their sect had once been injured by the senior elder of the Evil Eye Fist and died after years of suffering.

The current head of Bright Plate Martial Dao was the son of that combat artist. He held a deep grudge over losing his father, so it was no surprise that he was the first to oppose Justin when facing oppression from Evil Eye Fist.

The conference had fallen silent when Justin spoke, so the objection sounded particularly jarring. At the head of the table, Justin’s expression didn’t change. He rested his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers as he slowly turned to look at the middle-aged man on his left.

Without speaking, Justin then turned to his right, where an elderly white-haired man, dressed in black martial arts attire, was seated. "Elder Leroy, what is the position of your Blossom Sword Dao?"

The old man’s cloudy eyes shifted when he heard Justin call his name. He opened his mouth to speak, but the head of Bright Plate Martial Dao, Shute, interrupted, "Since you said you didn't want to waste time with unnecessary talk, Justin, I won't bother with pleasantries either. Let's cut to the chase! Everyone knows what the Eastern Nine Sects, the Evil Eye Fist, and you, Justin, are trying to do! We're not kids, nor are we stupid. Do you really think joining the Eastern Alliance is as good as you say? Anyone with half a brain can see it's just a ploy to drain us under the guise of resource sharing!" Shute let out a cold laugh as he fearlessly exposed the hidden agenda.

Shute glanced at the pugilists across from him and then at the people to his right before continuing, "Your Evil Eye Fist has been so eager to push this through, to the point of pressuring our sects purely because there's profit in it for you. You want to use the Eastern Nine Sects as your backing to absorb all the forces in Wenxia County and expand your sect."

Shute sneered again. "If we all joined this Eastern Alliance, it would only take a generation or two for the entire Covert Martial Arts community of Wenxia County to become nothing but your Evil Eye Fist and its lapdogs!"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the tea in the surrounding porcelain cups to splash out as he rose to his feet.

Shute’s eyes swept quickly across the conference room. "My fellow Covert Martial Arts Practitioners, you all know the potential consequences of joining the Eastern Alliance in your hearts. You're just unwilling to be the first to step up and face the backlash from Evil Eye Fist. Since no one else will, I'll take that role! On behalf of Bright Plate Martial Dao, I reject this so-called Eastern Alliance! We Covert Martial Arts sects and martial halls will decide for ourselves how we want to develop, recruit disciples, and operate! We don't need Evil Eye Fist to worry about that for us!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell into silence. But a moment later, several representatives of other Covert Martial Arts sects stood up and slammed their fists on the table.

"Well said!"

"Master Shute's words reflect exactly what we feel!"

"Evil Eye Fist should focus on its own affairs..."

Justin’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. A deeply hidden sense of danger swirled in his brow as if a single spark was needed to ignite an eruption.

Creak!

At that moment, the door suddenly opened. A disciple of Evil Eye Fist quickly stepped in and bent over to whisper to Justin, "Master, two of the Eastern Three Stars, Lance of Soul-Breaking Sword Path and Aro of Star Ring Fist, have arrived at the entrance, but they've been stopped by officials from the Federation..."

"They've arrived?" Justin raised an eyebrow slightly.

The official the disciple mentioned was from the Hongli Federation. Ever since the establishment of the Black Ops Agency, which specialized in supernatural happenings within the country, the Hongli Federation had been intervening in and monitoring the Covert Martial Arts community. Although its influence wasn't large, the Covert Martial Arts world was still a vast organization with closer ties to ordinary people than other supernatural forces. As such, they still had to show some respect to the ruling Hongli Federation.

This was especially so in recent years as the Black Ops Agency had grown rapidly. When East Sea County’s Cloud Dog Fist initially organized the Eastern Exchange Tournament, they had worked with the government. If a conflict erupted between Covert Martial Arts sects, it was one thing if only members of the sects died, but if civilians or large public buildings were inadvertently affected, the impact would be disastrous.

So, in recent years, when major events occurred in the Covert Martial Arts world, the Hongli Federation would send police forces to maintain order on the roads and surrounding areas. They would even, when necessary, evacuate civilians to minimize unnecessary casualties.

In the conference room, Justin's deep gaze swept across the people who had stood up. His previously somewhat dark expression suddenly transformed into a smile as he clapped his hands. "Everyone, no need to be so agitated. It just so happens that a few friends from the Eastern Nine Sects are visiting. Why don't we all go out to greet them together?"

"Which of the Eastern Nine Sects members are visiting?" asked a seated elder from one of the Covert Martial Arts sects.

Justin smiled again before standing up. "Lance of Soul-Breaking Sword Path and Aro of Star Ring Fist. Two of the Eastern Three Stars..."

Five minutes later, about eight people exited the conference room and arrived at the gates of the Evil Eye Fist's headquarters. They could see blue-uniformed police officers blocking off the area in the distance. The officers wore matching uniforms, with black handguns strapped to their waists, as they directed traffic.

In some areas, yellow caution tape was stretched across the roads, blocking several black cars. Justin led the group forward and casually exchanged a few words with the police chief who was smoking at the roadside. A few moments later, the officers lifted the caution tape and let them through.

The cars drove in and parked in nearby lots. Under the watchful eyes of the various Covert Martial Arts sect leaders and elders from Wenxia County, the car doors opened one by one to reveal a group of experts from the Eastern Nine Sects. Some of them radiated formidable Qi, causing the instincts of the onlookers to prickle.

The eyes of a few Covert Martial Arts elders betrayed their wariness. It was a little after eleven in the morning, so the sun was still high in the sky, casting golden rays that slightly reflected off the black cars. Birds were circling far above them.

The last two people to step out of the cars were young men. The man on the left wore a light-colored trench coat, with striking purple hair and mismatched black and red eyes. He had a cold demeanor, and a sword wrapped in white bandages hung at his waist, partially hidden by his coat.

On the right was a fair-skinned young man who was noticeably more muscular than his compatriot. He wore a black vest that exposed his strong arms. Both arms were wrapped in white bandages, accentuating the muscular contours of his biceps.

The two young men naturally scanned the group of Covert Martial Arts Practitioners from Wenxia County. Instantly, a few members of the group felt dizzy, as if they saw a flash of silver moonlight cutting through the air on the left, while a vast field of stardust spread out on the right.

Bright Plate Martial Dao’s Shute blinked and snapped back to his senses. His eyes narrowed cautiously. "Such powerful Qi... These two have already begun to carve their own paths. It's a sign that they're on the verge of becoming combat artists."

The Eastern Three Stars, no wonder they're the core talents nurtured by the top sects of the Eastern Nine Sects. They're already comparable to experts of a generation above them.

"Hahaha, welcome to Wenxia County, members of Soul-Breaking Sword Path and Star Ring Fist. These must be Lance and Aro, two of the Eastern Three Stars. I missed the chance to meet you both during the last gathering of the nine sects, but it seems we can finally remedy that today," Justin laughed heartily as he strode forward.

"Sect Master Justin, I've long heard of the famed Evil Eye Fist," Aro cupped his fists in greeting. His eyes then swept over the group behind Justin. "And who might these people be?"

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce them." Justin shifted slightly to the side. "These are the elders and sect masters from various Covert Martial Arts sects in Wenxia County. They're here at Evil Eye Fist to discuss matters concerning the Eastern Alliance."

He half-turned and began introducing the group.

"This is Sect Master Carter of Sand Art Fist, this is Elder Olge of Swift Slash Sword, this is Master Luen of Red Falcon Fist, and finally, Shute, the sect master of Bright Plate Martial Dao."

"Hmph." Shute snorted coldly. His attitude couldn't be more apparent.

The other elders from various Covert Martial Arts sects wore mixed expressions. Some were indifferent, while others displayed clear resistance, and a few smiled to show goodwill. Lance and Aro observed everything closely as they realized that the plan to implement the Eastern Alliance in Wenxia County was far from smooth. It seemed there was still significant opposition.

Though, that was precisely what they were looking for. Without opposition, how could they justifiably issue challenges and amass significant achievements?

Lance’s eyes swept over the entire group again before suddenly speaking. "So, these are the elders and masters of Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts sects. At first glance, I thought all of you were just some frail old men. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Lance's tone was remarkably calm and devoid of sarcasm or emotion, yet it made his words all the more grating. It was true that out of the eight or nine present, half of them were elderly with graying hair, and the others weren't young either. But calling them "frail old men" was far from accurate, especially for these seasoned pugilists.

"You!" Shute was known for his fiery temper, and was the first to react. He was furious after being ridiculed. "Calling us frail old men? I don't care what your so-called Eastern Three Stars title is. You're in no position to judge any of us! In fact, did your master never teach you to watch your words when you're out in the world?"

Another elder, equally provoked, chimed in, "Even if you're from Soul-Breaking Sword Path, young man, don't be so arrogant!"

An old man standing behind Lance was about to step forward, but Lance quickly responded, "Apologies, I've just come from Kaijong County, and from just the Qi here, I can tell you all are quite a bit weaker than the sect elders I've challenged in Kaijong. Sorry about that."

Though his words were an apology, his expression remained unchanged. His face carried an inexplicable and sinister undertone.

"Bold youngster. You've barely reached the peak of pugilist, yet you think you can judge our strength? You're far from qualified. If the master of Soul-Breaking Sword Path had come, it might be different..."

"Kaijong County? We from Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts community exchanged pointers with them three years ago. It ended in a draw, with neither side victorious. Where is all this nonsense you're spouting coming from?"

Several of the Covert Martial Arts elders responded immediately, but Lance's expression didn't change.

He briefly exchanged glances with Justin before speaking again. "If you all think your strength isn't lacking, then allow me to propose a challenge. How about we do it right here in this estate?"

A sharp aura suddenly surged like a drawn sword. It was pointed directly at Shute, Luen, and the others. The voices of the crowd suddenly fell silent.

A cold smile curled the corner of Lance's mouth. "What's the matter? Why is no one speaking? Don't tell me you're afraid?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Shute responded immediately as he glanced at Justin. Though Shute was impulsive, he wasn't foolish. Lance's tactics were nothing but the most basic form of provocation, and this challenge was likely tied to the Eastern Alliance plan. This whole scene might have been premeditated.

In the world of Covert Martial Arts, it was considered embarrassing for a combat artist to fight pugilists who were weaker than them, but it was perfectly acceptable for a young pugilist prodigy to challenge multiple sect masters and elders. Losing was normal, but winning would tarnish the reputation of the losing sect.

Moreover, Covert Martial Arts sects could hardly refuse such challenges. Rejecting them would result in some degree of negative backlash. Lance and Aro had clearly come ame with the intention of challenging Wenxia County's Covert Martial Arts sects. Even if they didn't accept the challenge today, sooner or later, they'd be forced into a fight.

Shute was fairly confident in his strength. He didn’t believe he would lose to Lance, and at worst, the fight would end in a draw.

The group immediately began moving toward the estate's combat arena. There were over a dozen people, and their movements were quite noticeable.

Inside a three-story building within the estate, someone sipping tea in the reception room heard the commotion outside. They immediately opened the window and quickly scanned the group below.

Lance's body suddenly stiffened, as his hair stood on end. His right hand instinctively fell to grip his rapier as he quickly looked up.

His eyes met that of a blond young man staring down from where he hovered in the air.