Chapter 769 - 769: Pushing Too Far
The elder had been at the Xingyi Martial Arts School for quite some time, and the members of the Southern Xingyi School were already seething with rage. Now, as he proposed that the Southern Xingyi School merge into the Northern Xingyi School, it was as if he had stirred up a hornet's nest—all burst into a clamor.
One person next to Tie Weihua erupted in anger, "When my Master decisively defeated your Northern Xingyi School back in the day, he never demanded that your school be dissolved and merged into the Southern Xingyi School. What you are doing today is taking things too far, isn't it?"
The elder smiled faintly as usual, absolutely ignoring the crowd around him, focusing only on Tie Weihua, "Nephew Tie, this was an agreement between Senior Tie and me. If my Northern Xingyi School were defeated, we would also dissolve it and incorporate it into the Southern Xingyi School. Such a wager is fair and just. Since Senior Tie agreed to this bet with me back then, let's proceed with the agreement. Of course, if you all choose to default on that bet, then I won't say anything else. After all, Senior Tie is no longer with us, and the disciples he taught, hehe..."
The elder snickered and shook his head, though he said nothing further, his disdain for everyone at the Southern Xingyi School was evident.
This only further fueled the fury of the Southern Xingyi School members, who became even more vociferous in their clamor to fight the Northern Xingyi School's members. The elder, however, remained unfazed, as composed as Jiang Taigong fishing, completely indifferent to the uproar. Without Tie Yongwen, he did not take any of these Southern Xingyi School members seriously. In truth, he had never made such an agreement with Tie Yongwen; he was convinced of victory for the Northern Xingyi School this time, which is why he declared his intent to swallow the Southern Xingyi School in one fell swoop.
Tie Weihua's face turned ashen. When Tie Yongwen was still alive, how could the Southern Xingyi School have ever been humiliated like this? Now, with Tie Yongwen barely passed away, they were already being bullied to their doorstep. Under Tie Yongwen's presence, the members of the Southern Xingyi School had never suffered losses, each developing an arrogant demeanor, which is what led them to form such a feud with Ye Qing. And today, with the elder bringing the Northern Xingyi School to their door, it was an outright slap in their face—who could possibly stand this? Even Tie Weihua himself was grinding his teeth in rage.
However, as furious as Tie Weihua was, he knew all too well that he could not agree to the elder's demand. Although he used to act impulsively, after managing the Southern Xingyi School for so long, a few setbacks had made him much more cautious. He was aware that agreeing to the elder's proposition would mean the end of the Southern Xingyi School that his father Tie Yongwen had built with his own hands. He could not bear to see that happen.
"Uncle Du, you claim this was an agreement between my father and you, but why have I never heard my father mention it?" Tie Weihua said coldly, "My father was a forthright man who hardly kept anything to himself. If such an agreement existed, he would have surely told us, to encourage us to practice martial arts diligently. He wouldn't have kept us in the dark. Furthermore, my father was honorable and generous, harboring no ambitions of merging with the Northern Xingyi School; he would never have agreed to such a bet. Uncle Du, could it be that you're mistaken?"
The elder replied with a cold laugh, "Nephew Tie, I knew you would say this. Hahaha, that's fine, I was just making a point. If you don't want to acknowledge it, so be it. But on that note, Nephew Tie, ever since Senior Tie passed, it seems the boldness of the Southern Xingyi School has significantly diminished. You've called off the match right from the start—have you already decided on your defeat? Avoiding the agreement by ranting, hahaha, I didn't expect that the Southern Xingyi School, who once exuded such grandeur under Senior Tie, would be so timid today. Pathetic! Sad, indeed!"
While saying this, the elder turned to several individuals seated nearby and said, "My apologies to everyone. I had intended to have you all bear witness to this matter. But, as these members of the Southern Xingyi School are unwilling to honor the agreement made by their Sect Leader, it seems there's no need to compete. I regret that you've made this trip in vain."
These individuals—some dressed in Taekwondo uniforms, others in Sanda clothing or other martial arts attire—were from some of the larger martial arts schools in Shenchuan City. They didn't possess much genuine skill, but still counted among the notable figures in Shenchuan City's Martial Arts World. The elder had called upon them to witness the event, aiming to use their voice to spread today's happenings. Though their own skills may be lacking, their talent for spreading rumors was certainly not small, and through them, the tale would likely spread quickly all over Shenchuan City. Once the story that the Southern Xingyi School couldn't face Northern Xingyi School's challenge, let alone battle them, got out, the reputation of the Southern Xingyi School in Shenchuan City would be thoroughly tarnished.
It must be admitted that the elder's plan was meticulous and cunning. He started by forcing the Southern Xingyi School into a martial arts contest, then intended to absorb them. Predicting that the Southern Xingyi School would refuse to compete, he brought in others to destroy the school's reputation. Thus, even if he couldn't absorb the Southern Xingyi School, it would be utterly ruined amidst contempt from all sides, and his Northern Xingyi School would emerge victorious.
Hearing the elder, the people around him could not help but sneer. When they were in Shenchuan City, they were nobodies, not daring to show arrogance in the presence of the Southern Xingyi School. But with Tie Yongwen gone and the elder supporting them, they were more than happy to kick the school when it was down and enjoy the spectacle.
The Southern Xingyi School members were close to exploding with anger, with Tie Weihua's fellow disciples crying out in fury, ready to confront the Northern Xingyi School's members. Tie Weihua promptly stopped them all, though he too was seething and longed to take on the Northern Xingyi School. He knew that doing so would lead to the utter downfall of the Southern Xingyi School, ruined in his hands.
"Uncle Du, with my father gone, you can say whatever you please!" Tie Weihua retorted sharply, "But you, as an elder, coming here to bully us juniors—humph, the Northern Xingyi School is indeed remarkable."
The elder burst into laughter and replied, "Nephew Tie, have I raised a hand since entering? You accuse me of bullying the younger generation, haha, I really don't understand. How have I bullied you? Those who are sparing with you are my disciples. Your father and I were fellow disciples, which makes you and my disciples fellow disciples as well. Is it bullying if fellow disciples spar and exchange martial arts skills? If you can't win, it simply means you haven't fully mastered the art. It suggests Senior Tie didn't teach his disciples well, not that it has anything to do with me."
The old man's words were entirely a slander against Tie Yongwen, causing almost everyone from the Southern Xingyi School to boil over with rage. Even Tie Weihua's face turned icy as he spoke in a deep voice, "Uncle Du, please be careful with your words. My father's body is not yet cold, and you are here besmirching him. That's really out of line!"
"So you do know how to defend your father's honor," the old man sneered. "Since you have the heart, why don't you carry on your father's legacy?" he asked. "You are too scared to fulfill the agreement you made with me. What face do you have to blame me here? Tie Weihua, Southern Xingyi School, hmph, is this the so-called respect for one's teacher? Pah!"
The old man's words were deliberately provoking the anger of the members of the Southern Xingyi School. And succeeded he did, as the people from the school erupted in fury. With that, Tie Weihua could no longer hold them back. A dozen people rushed over, shouting, "If you have the guts, fight me, fight me! Who says the Southern Xingyi School has no one left?"
The old man watched the dozen people with a cold smile and waved his hand, saying, "Don't be hasty, your Sect Leader hasn't even spoken yet and you all run out here. Is this the discipline Senior Tie taught you? Besides, this matter can only be decided by the Sect Leader of the Southern Xingyi School. If he doesn't speak up to accept the challenge, then there's no need to fight!"
Speaking slowly, the old man stood up leisurely, looked at Tie Weihua with a faint smile, and said, "Nephew Tie, what do you think? If you really can't fight, then I'll just take my leave. Anyway, I've seen it, your Southern Xingyi School won't last much longer. Oh, by the way, who owns this house? I quite like it. Some day, I'll have someone come over and negotiate. If your Southern Xingyi School completely collapses, then I'll rent this house and move my Northern Xingyi School here. Haha, from then on, there's no need to divide Xingyi School into north and south, just my family will do!"
The old man's words were rubbing salt in the wounds of the people from the Southern Xingyi School, who were even more enraged upon hearing them.
"Sect Leader, let me fight them. I will definitely win!" a man shouted loudly.
"Sect Leader, even if we lose, we must fight. We can't let them look down on us like this!"
"Senior Tie, I'll fight them. Even if it costs me my life, I can't let them belittle Master like this!"
"Senior Tie..."
Everyone was clamoring, but Tie Weihua's face turned ashen, and he remained silent. After a long time, Tie Weihua finally waved his hand, saying dejectedly, "Uncle Du, father never mentioned this fight, so..."
"So you're not fighting, is that it? No problem, if you prefer to be cowards, what can I say? Hahaha..." The old man stood up and laughed wildly, casting a contemptuous side glance at the members of the Southern Xingyi School.
Everyone was extremely angry. One person, standing beside Tie Weihua, urgently said, "Sect Leader, why won't you accept the challenge?"
"We, the people of the Southern Xingyi School, can die standing, we cannot live on our knees!" another voiced angrily.
"Let's fight them. By not fighting like this, are we honoring Master's spirit in heaven?"
Just as everyone was clamoring, a faint voice suddenly came from a corner, "If only Junior Brother were here, he's the strongest among us, he definitely wouldn't lose!"