The moments those words were uttered, I felt all my frustration and tensed body going away, the guy that just appeared was to this second, my biggest backer and benefactor, without that guy help, I would have taken a lot of time to achieve what I currently have .
Even though things might had led to one another and allowed me to achieve what I had achieved, the fact still stands, the guy beside me have helped me so much, to the point that I was currently drowning in my debt to him, but once again I reminded myself to pay him back tenfold for the kindness he showed to me .
" Junior Brother Tian Long greet Senior Brother Fu, I thank senior brother for coming to my rescue .
Don't act like a stranger all of a sudden, it's my job as a Senior Brother to get justice for my junior brother, won't you agree, junior brother Lu Chiang ? .
Just as he finished saying this, he turned his head towards the guy who was currently absent-mindly looking at the stage, unable to say a single word for a few seconds, but after a short while, he seemed to regain his composure and come back to his senses, he hopped on the ring and directly said :
Junior Brother Lu Chiang greet Senior Brother .
You know Junior Brother Lu, I really hope for your sake that master don't hear a word about what happened today, was this your way of grieving on your father, I'm really quite disappointed at you .
The moment I heard that Senior Brother Fu had been here from quite the long time, I didn't need to even ask about why he was cold towards Lu Chiang, he had seen through that guy vile heart and schemes, but I was a bit surprised as I got a feeling from his tone that he wouldn't be relaying this to the master of the Dojo himself .
Lu Chiang apologized and was currently bowing and cupping his fist towards senior brother Fu, who just nodded his head at him, but he seemed to be still a bit cold towards him, Lu Chiang then got back to standing straight and just as he was about to try and defend himself perhaps, the young master of the Lu Family beat him to it, Lu Jian said :
I have heard a lot about the Martial Skills of wanderer Fu and I need to say, rumors didn't give you enough due, allow me to greet you as well .
Senior Brother Fu :
Brother Lu don't need to be so formal with me, we both are the heirs to our own families, you can speak to me more freely .
Lu Jian :
Then I will call you brother Liu, could I be presumptuous and ask brother Liu to clarify how your junior brother was able to beat a second layer Flesh Tempering with his First layer .
I hope brother Liu take no offense in this, I already aware that your brother had won fair and square, but that dog Lu Du's words could cause some serious and dangerous rumors to be spread about brother Tian, so I hope brother Liu could help clarifying what had happened to those of us who had no eyes .
So senior brother Fu was actually a heir to one of the prestigious families in Howling Wolf City, similar to Lu Jian, he was called brother Liu just now meaning that his name was Fu Liu, it was a good piece of information, knowing the full name of good senior brother was good, the two seemed to have known each other as well, as I heard the words that Young Master Lu said, I couldn't help but look at him in a new light, a good one too .
Even though his words seemed to imply him asking for an explanation, he was actually giving me a way out by declaring that I had won fair and square in front of all the people present, him asking for an explanation in that way was both for the sake of keeping his Lu Family's Face and clear all the bad rumors that might appear about me, so who was doing that for my sake as well .
The real reason to why I was quite surprised was because his sudden turn of face, before he was looking at me unbothered to interfere and now he wanted to suggest doing something like this for my sake, was he in awe of my performance or was he just acting like it because of senior brother Fu being present, either way, I had no say in the matter, I looked at senior brother Fu waiting for however will his response to that will be and whatever he was going to say .
Weirdly enough just as I turned to him, he seemed to be looking at me as well, I wondered why, but a second later, I already know the answer to that, my senior brother said while again patting me on the shoulder again :
You just used the move written in the Solid Rock Fist Manual didn't you ? .
Surprisingly, he didn't turn to look at young master Lu nor he start explaining what happened, he just asked me if I used the move written in the Solid Rock Fist Technique just now, I cupped my fist and said :
" Senior Brother is mighty, I did indeed use the Solid Rock Fist to break apart his so-called Rock Gate .
I thought that this would be all, but then he said :
Have you also improve your mastery over Crouching Tiger to the Small Success realm ? .
I was surprised that he noticed, but I nodded again, indicating that this was indeed the case, but after I gave him my answer, he once again asked me another question, all the previous question was said in a loud voice, but this was louder than before, he said :
Have you did the same with Thunderclap Fist that you had only acquired yesterday ?.
Not knowing what exactly was this about, I still nodded my head, seeing me nodding, he again asked me another question, saying :
Whendid you start practicing Martial Arts ? .
" Senior Brother Fu, you know that I had only joined the Dojo yesterday .
So you didn't practice any Martial Arts before yesterday ? .
" Yes, I'm a Lu Family slave, I am not allowed to practice Martial Arts from the family nor having enough money to be buying a Manual from the outside .
He no longer asked me anymore questions, strangely enough, I also noticed that the scene seemed to be deathly quiet enough to allow someone to hear the sound of a needle being dropped on the floor, I was unable to understand what was going on, but then I heard senior brother turn towards the Lu Family young master and say loudly :
I believe that you already have your answer, brother Jian .
Lu Jian :
I never doubted that your junior brother was a genius, it's those guys that seemed to be still unsatisfied .
Fu Liu :
Well, I can make them accept it by force, my junior brother Tian is a genius, not only was he able to breakthrough to the first layer of Flesh Tempering after practicing for 1 night, he improve his Mastery over two Martial Skills that he only got yesterday, to the Small Success realm, do you still doubt that he used vile methods to one just now .
All the people present sucked a cold breath of air and were gaping, looking at them like that and hearing what my senior brother said about me being a genius, I couldn't help but wonder what might his reaction be, if I were to tell him that I had improved my Mastery over these two Martial Skills to the Great Success realm, but I discarded that thought from my mind the next second .
Being cautious about my secrets can never become a problem, if anything it would be quite the great advantage, especially if I were to encounter someone who had inquired about me, then taking him by surprise, might allow me to win effortlessly .
After everything was cleared up, he turned to me and said :
Your comprehension had exceeded my wildest expectations junior brother Tian, uncle Li seemed to have told the master all about you yesterday and he sent me early in the morning to come and summon you, he heard about Junior Brother Lu Chiang's father passing away and he told me to summon him alongside you, since I will be in the Lu Family anyway .
Lu Chiang, I hope your father rest well .
Thank you senior brother Fu .
With that out of the way, let's go, the chariot awaits us outside .
" Can I finish some of the business that I had here first senior brother, believe me, it wont take much time at most an incense stick of time to be exact .
What kind of business you still have here ? .
I said while pointing at the rows of the guys whe were all in the second layer of Flesh Tempering, they were down to 4 now :
" The competition is still going on, I hope senior brother will allow me to finish it, so that I can restore the face that I made the Dojo lost its face .
An untamed killing intent suddenly began to spread in all, even some of elders were cowering in fear, then my senior brother roared loudly :
Who dared to say that the Solid Rock Fist Dojo lost its face, come out and accept your punishment .
My eyes couldn't help but stare strangely at Lu Chiang, who currently had a pale face and was lowering his head, so it seemed that my senior brother didn't know why this whole situation started in the end, or was he just acting, I really can't tell .
Seeing that no one seemed to answer him, he turned to me and said one word with an icy cold tone, he said :
Who ? .
I acted as if I lost my composure and pointed with a shaking hands towards my other Senior Brother who was currently trying to bury his head in the floor, senior brother Fu looking at where I was pointing and said :
Tell me brother Chiang, why did you think that we lost face by accepting Tian Long in the Dojo, didn't he paid the fee needed to be tutored in Martial Arts, what's so disgracing about the arrangements that Master made .
The guy who was being asked this directly bowed his head while cupping his fist :
I'm sincerely apologizing for saying something that I shouldn't have .
You say that you are sincerely apologizing, but I'm not even the person that you should be apologizing to .
I'm sorry junior brother Tian, I was at wrong, I don't expect you to be so capable and competent, I hope you forgive me for this .
" Senior Brother Lu, was doing it for my sake, how can I hold you accountable for this .
Even though I said this, but in my heart, I was sneering at how fast that guy was able to change his attitude, he seemed to have apologized, but I didn't have an ounce of doupt that he would directly struck me in the back, the second he got the change to, but just to keep appearances, I still asked him to get up, which he did, then he said :
I will be sure to compensate you later .
Finish your business here and let's go .
Hearing the impatient voice of senior brother Fu, I directly turned towards those guys from before and said :
" Does anyone else want to challenge me, hurry up and got on the stage .
I yelled these words out, trying to look more imposing and trying to use the momentum that Senior Brother helped me in creating .
No one answered my invitation after a long time, which forced me to look at Lu Jian with no idea of what to do now, he got up from his seat and said :
Brother Tian is really a genius, since it seemed that no one else want to challenge you, then I'm declaring you as the winner, congratulations, what do you wish of me, ask and it's yours .
While looking at Lu Chiang, I directly said :
" I hope for the family to set me free, I no longer want to be a part of the Lu Family as a slave nor do I want to be as official member either, I also want my debt to the family to be completely wiped as well, I hope Young Master Lu can grant me this wish, I will be grateful .
The moment my words fell, the bustling crowd was silenced again, all the eyes were on me and I began feeling different eyes falling on me, some hold ridicule in them, some were beginning to show some expectations and inspiration, some were blatantly confused at my request .
I could tell that my request wasn't actually that grand, after all, the Lu Family's slaves weren't even humans in the eyes of others and needed to pay quite the hefty price, just to acquire something to eat and that was on a regular basis, so we don't owe each other anything, so it should be quite an easy decision, yet after my request had been spoken, the Lu Family young master seemed to be a bit hesitant .
Lu Chiang's face was completely expressionless, but the bone chilling stare he was giving me, already said plenty about he was currently feeling, after finish looking at that guy, I once again turned to look at young master Lu Jian and before I say anything, Senior Brother Fu beat me to it and said :
What is wrong brother Lu, why aren't you granting my junior brother's wish, it can't really be that difficult to do it, can it .
Lu Jian :
Brother Liu's words are correct, it really isn't a difficult thing to do, but could I convince brother Tian Long to stay in the family, don't misunderstand my intentions, I will grant you the wish I promised either way, brother Tian Long from now on you are a free man, someone go bring the binding papers this instant .
As he said this, someone was seeing running into the interior of the house, holding quite the amount of keys, followed closely by Lu Qang, minutes later, the paper directly landed in front of me and inside these yellow papers scrolls, I saw that my handprint was on almost all of them, then I shred them to pieces on the spot, the moment I did this, I felt as if my spirit suddenly got elevated all of a sudden .
I felt as if I was bound by shackles and those shackles were mostly on my neck, holding me from breathing, but now, now I think that I had grown a new pair of lungs, even the air that I was breathing now, somehow had a different taste than before, I was so emotional that I felt I could tear up directly, if not for the fact of being under many eyes .
Congratulations on the good news for you, Junior Brother .
" I thank my Senior Brother Fu for being here from the bottom of my heart .
I already told you between us brother there was no need for you to do that, why aren't you congratulations Junior Brother Tian, Junior Brother Lu .
Congratulations .
With a mild tone, he was able to squeeze that word out of his mouth after senior brother Fu reminded him, but his word of Congratulations, wasn't making happy at all, if anything that guy's word brushed by my heart as if it was a sharp sword .
I believe your business here is done, let's go .
We were about to leave when I got called by none other than the Young Master Lu Jian, whose wrong use of words almost upset senior brother Fu, Lu Jian said :
I hope brother Lu can stay .
Fu Liu :
Do you still have some business with us ? .
Lu Jian :
Brother Liu misunderstood, as I said before, I just wanted to try and convince brother Tian Long to stay in the Lu Family with an elevated and esteemed status as an official member of the Lu Family and his name will be inscribed in the Family's Ancestral Hall, you won't even need to change your family's name .
I would even allow him to browse through the many different techniques and Martial Skills in the family's library for at most three times, those who will be disapproving of the arrangements here, I would deal with them myself so you won't have any worries, what do say brother Tian .
To say that offer in front of me wasn't enticing, would be a clear lie, someone else in my position, might have jumbed out of happiness, but I was already aware of some hidden currents that was running in this family, so after acting as if I had began to consider, I still said :
" Thanks for young master's kindness, but Tian Long here prefer to be free and unfaltering, so I will sadly refuse .