Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 84 Strength Reigns Supreme, Winner Takes All

Yu Lianzi's body lay on the ground.

The incision in the throat was still bleeding.

The blood crawled along the cracks in the blue bricks all the way to the tip of Han Tieshan's boot.

Han Tieshan looked down at the line of blood, remaining motionless.

His mind was racing with calculations.

He worked under Cai Zhongtie for nine years, rising from an ordinary sword guard to a squad leader.

They receive 30% more medicine quotas than others, and their fieldwork allowance is twice as high.

Every year when the duty roster is drawn up, his subordinates never have to work the coldest late night shifts.

These benefits didn't come for free; he earned them by kneeling before Cai Zhongtie and pledging his loyalty.

It was also something he earned by suppressing the discontent of his subordinates on behalf of Cai Zhongtie countless times.

After Cai Zhongtie died, the first person he sought out was Yu Lianzi for a drink.

The first thing he said was, "Deputy Commander Yu, from now on, we brothers will follow you."

Yu Lianzi smiled as she held her wine cup and did not refuse.

From that day on, he tied himself to Yu Lianzi's boat.

Because Pei Shifeng was standing behind Yu Lianzi.

As long as Pei Shifeng doesn't fall, Han Tieshan's life will remain the same as before.

The money is still his, the good assignments are still his, and the night shifts that don't require him to work the second half of the night are still his.

But now Yu Lianzi is lying on the ground, her head chopped off with a knife.

Han Tieshan couldn't stop trembling.

He wasn't afraid of blood, but rather afraid that he had chosen the wrong side and might be purged.

What did Yu Lianzi shout before he made his move?

He once shouted, "Three moves to force him to retreat three steps."

Not only that, he also snorted several times.

The whole courtyard heard it.

He didn't stop Ma Ping from joining in the commotion, but he laughed when Fang Dachuan told Chen Yu to "throw away the knife and punch him instead."

As long as Chen Yu wasn't deaf or blind, he saw all of these things.

Now that Yu Lianzi is dead, his patron has fallen.

Pei Shifeng is still around.

Whether Pei Shifeng can protect him, or whether he is willing to protect him, is still unknown.

Thinking of this, Han Tieshan took a deep breath.

Then he took a step, his boots treading on the blood of the jade lotus seeds, and walked to a spot three steps in front of Chen Yu, where he knelt down firmly on one knee.

"Thump!"

His knee slammed into the blue brick with a dull thud.

He clasped his hands together and raised them above his head, shouting loudly:

"Han Tieshan, squad leader of the third squad of the sixth academy of the Sword Guard Hall, from this day forward, the third squad will follow only the commander's orders. Anyone who dares to utter a single word of dissent will be met with my sword drawn!"

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head forcefully.

The back of my neck was exposed to the midday sun, and sweat trickled down my hair.

Zhao Siping stood under the eaves, his hands still in the clapping position, frozen in mid-air.

His mind worked faster than Han Tieshan's because he was more afraid than Han Tieshan.

He was just an ordinary sword guard, having been in the inner court for only two years. He had no seniority and no powerful backing.

The quota for tonics is always what others have left over.

He usually bragged and made a fuss in front of Sun Dayong and Ding Dangmao, thinking he was someone important.

But when it came to choosing sides, he wasn't qualified at all.

He was the loudest one shouting from the outside, saying things like "Yu Lianzi has at least an 80% chance of winning" and "Chen Yu is only three inches behind him."

When he shouted those words, all he could think about was how he could show his face more often in Pei Shifeng's courtyard after Yu Lianzi won.

Now that Yu Lianzi is dead, this statement is evidence of his crime.

"Zhao Siping, Fourth Squad Sword Guard! Commander, your swordsmanship is unparalleled! Just now, I, Zhao, was foul-mouthed and blind, spouting nonsense. Please punish me, Commander!"

Sun Dayong knelt down next to Zhao Siping.

"Sun Dayong, Fourth Squad Sword Guard, from this day forward, whatever the Commander says, Sun Dayong will never say a word against it!"

Ma Ping struggled to his feet on the stone steps, tears and snot still on his face.

He is very old, but he is very timid.

When Chen Yu drew his sword, he was the first to cover his eyes.

She was also the first person to faint from fright at Yu Lianzi's corpse.

He knelt behind Sun Dayong, his voice trembling with tears.

"I am Ma Ping! I surrender! Ma Ping surrenders! Commander's strike, uh, that strike was so powerful! No one in the entire manor could pull off something like that!"

Fang Dachuan stood under the locust tree, his back still pressed against the courtyard wall.

His palms were sweaty.

The smile that had been plastered on his face when he was making a scene was long gone, replaced by a deathly pallor.

He was more senior than Han Tieshan, having served in the Sword Guard Hall for a full ten years.

However, he lacked Han Tieshan's discernment and Yu Lianzi's fighting prowess.

All he has is an uncontrollable mouth and a heart that can't choose sides.

He was leaning against the trunk of the locust tree when the commotion started.

That line, "Commander Chen, aren't you good with your fists? Throw away your knife and fight with your fists!" was shouted by him.

He called it out of his own volition; no one forced him.

The neat cut on Yu Lianzi's throat now looked like a split mouth silently mocking him.

Fang Dachuan panicked and quickly found an empty spot to kneel down.

"Fang Dachuan, Second Squad Sword Guards! I was blind and ignorant, and I couldn't have said anything decent. I was disrespectful to the Commander just now! I deserve to die!"

"Commander, that strike was clearly a peerless swordsmanship of destruction followed by creation! I am utterly in awe! From now on, I will serve you with utmost respect, and at your command, I will not hesitate to obey your every word!"

He was smiling as he said this.

But even Sun Dayong could see the fear hidden beneath that smile.

The second, third, and fourth teams, dozens of people, knelt on the ground.

A dense mass of dark backs stretched from Chen Yu's feet all the way to the courtyard gate, and no one dared to stand there anymore.

Fang Dachuan was the first to straighten up.

He turned around and raised his voice towards the sea of ​​heads filling the courtyard.

"Brothers! We witnessed this fatal blow today!"

"A single strike to the throat, a minor mastery of bone refinement—such skill is rare, not only in the Sword Guard Hall, but in the entire manor!"

"We've served under Cai Zhongtie for so many years, when have we ever seen such swordsmanship?"

"Cai Zhongtie doesn't understand these things, and neither does Yu Lianzi! The people we used to follow were only good at arranging night watch schedules and dividing silver. Compared to Commander Chen, they were like fireflies compared to the bright moon!"

"From now on, only by following the Commander can we say we've chosen the right person to follow!"

"I'll set an example; from now on, I'll change my name to Chen Dachuan! All of you brothers are my witnesses!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Siping reacted as if he had been stabbed in the back, suddenly realizing what had happened.

Fang Dachuan was offering everyone a way out.

Now it's not just about kneeling; it's about making a statement louder than anyone else's for people to believe you're truly convinced.

He quickly joined in the shouting.

"Senior Brother Fang is right! What kind of people were we following before?"

"Cai Zhongtie only knows how to box, and Yu Lianzi only knows his broken sword technique. Unlike Commander Chen, whose swordsmanship is unparalleled and whose courage is incomparable. This is the kind of commander we've always hoped for!"

Sun Dayong's lips were dry, but at this point, he wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't shout.

"Exactly! From now on, if anyone dares to gossip about the Commander again, I, Sun Dayong, will be the first to turn against them!"

Han Tieshan knelt at the very front.

Hearing the chorus of praise behind me, I suddenly felt a mix of emotions.

He was the first to kneel and the first to express his opinion.

But now Fang Dachuan and Zhao Siping are taking turns flattering him, each one louder and more forcefully than the other.

If this gets to Chen Yu's ears, wouldn't it make him seem like Han Tieshan wasn't loyal enough?

"I heard you all clearly! When I knelt down just now, I said that from now on I will follow Commander Chen's lead."

"This isn't just something to say. I'd like to ask everyone, from now on, what's the family name of this courtyard?"

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Han Tieshan took the lead and shouted, "His surname is Chen!"

Then came Zhao Siping's voice.

Then came Fang Dachuan, followed by Sun Dayong, Ma Ping, and Ding Dangmao.

"His surname is Chen! His surname is Chen!"

Dozens of people shouted together, making the old locust tree in the yard buzz.

Chen Yu stood in front of the main hall, with the commander's chair placed three steps in front of him.

The chair back, which Fang Dachuan had wiped with his sleeve, was so shiny it reflected light.

He did not sit down immediately.

Instead, he turned around and faced the courtyard.

The guards in the courtyard were still kneeling, and no one dared to raise their heads.

Chen Yu recalled the moment he pushed open the door and entered the courtyard.

Dozens of eyes turned towards us from all directions.

To scrutinize, to examine, to look down upon, to give a cold shoulder.

There were all kinds of gazes, but no respect whatsoever.

Han Tieshan stood under the eaves with his arms crossed, and snorted through his nose.

Fang Dachuan leaned against the locust tree trunk, hoping he would make a fool of himself.

Zhao Siping concluded that he had no chance even before the competition started.

No one stepped forward to bow, and no one offered a greeting.

The silence of everyone in the courtyard told him: You are not qualified.

These are the same people kneeling at his feet.

Han Tieshan said he would follow his lead without question.

Fang Dachuan said he was willing to lead the horse and whip it for him.

Zhao Siping called him a master swordsman.

Every word uttered by the person who said these things was completely opposite to what he had said half an hour earlier under the eaves of the corridor, under the locust tree, and under the eaves of the side room.

Chen Yu knew why they were kneeling.

It's not because I genuinely admire him as a person, but simply because he won.

Yu Lianzi lay on the ground, using her life to tell them that in this courtyard, there was only one choice: submission or death.

That's enough.

Chen Yu understood perfectly well.

The rules of the Sword Guard Hall have never been to win people over with virtue.

Here, might makes right, and the winner takes all.

They had won, so they knelt down.

From now on, every word I say will be listened to, and every order I give will be carried out.

Han Tieshan would never dare to hum him through his nose again.

Fang Dachuan would no longer dare to lean against the locust tree and cause trouble.

Zhao Siping would no longer dare to gamble on his chances of winning in front of him.

From now on, a single word he utters while standing in this courtyard will be a hundred times more effective than the token the young master had when he first walked in from the gate.

A token is given by others, but respect is earned through one's own actions.

With one stroke of his knife, he showed everyone that with the knife in his hand, he was the one to set the rules.

Chen Yu had to admit that he did feel a sense of pleasure at that moment.

He used the most direct way to tell the people in this courtyard, "I understand your rules. If you follow your rules, I will still win."

From the moment I won, my rules are the only rules.

He raised his gaze and looked again at the crowd kneeling in the courtyard.

These people were afraid he would settle scores with them later.

"Indeed, in this courtyard, fear is the most effective tool for control!"

"Respect can be faked, loyalty can be acted out, but fear is the only true reality."

If someone is truly afraid of you, their knees will be like Han Tieshan's, automatically kneeling down without you having to say a word.

From now on, he will deploy troops, arrange shifts, and distribute benefits in this courtyard.

Everything revolves around the word "fear".

What we fear today will become the rules of tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Chen Yu took a step forward.

The sound of boots hitting the blue bricks was particularly clear in the quiet courtyard.

Han Tieshan, who was kneeling in the front row, visibly trembled.

"Get up, all of you."

The kneeling crowd did not move immediately.

Someone looked up and peeked at him.

Some people hesitated, unsure whether they should get up.

Someone shifted their knees slightly and then knelt back down.

"Yes, sir!"

Han Tieshan was the first to stand up, and he did so very quickly.

Fang Dachuan stood up immediately, followed by Zhao Siping, Sun Dayong, and Ding Dangmao, who all got up one after another.

These people moved at varying speeds, but each of them was trying their best to project an image of unquestionable loyalty.

Seeing this comical scene, Chen Yu almost burst out laughing.

First they assert themselves, then they become obsequious—who can resist that?

"Alright, everyone has their tasks, go do what you're supposed to do!"

"Oh, right, let's process the jade lotus seeds first and clean up the area!"

Chen Yu waved his hand, and everyone in the courtyard began to get to work.

Han Tieshan leaned closer, ingratiatingly asking, "Commander, is there anything I can do specifically for you? Like matters concerning mansions, flowers and birds, beautiful women, gourmet food, handsome men, and the like..."

"Oh? You want to find out my hobbies?"

Chen Yu replied calmly.

"Hahaha, the commander saw through it!"

Han Tieshan chuckled awkwardly three times and continued, "If the commander has any other matters to attend to, you can delegate them to me. I guarantee I'll handle them perfectly!"

Chen Yu thought about it and realized there really was something that needed to be done.

That is to find the whereabouts of the Holy Fire Cult.

After seven days of morning prayers, the equipment requirements for the Ahura statue have been met.

Now, the three missing parts still need to be collected in order for the statue to function at its best.

"Tieshan, I do have a small favor to ask you!"

After Chen Yu finished speaking, Han Tieshan immediately replied with great enthusiasm, "No trouble at all! No trouble at all! I live to serve the Commander! Just give me any orders you may have!"

"Alright, Tieshan is a straightforward man! Then I'll just say it directly."

Chen Yu's tone became serious.

"Here's the thing, I have a distant cousin who was unruly in his youth and insisted on joining some kind of Holy Fire Cult. He's been missing for many years now."

"I hope you can help me find out the whereabouts of the Holy Fire Cult. Of course, once you find them, you don't need to go deep. Just report the relevant information to me, and I'll handle the rest myself."

"The Holy Fire Cult?"

Han Tieshan was startled.

Although this sect is not well understood by most people, he had heard of it.

This is a rather terrifying sect, filled with experts, all of whom are bloodthirsty and elusive.

This task is probably going to be very difficult to complete!

"What, you don't want to?"

Chen Yu asked with a half-smile.

"No, no! Commander, rest assured! I'll take care of it right away and guarantee to find any trace of the Holy Fire Cult!"

"Go quickly! Treat this as a serious matter! Don't try to fool me!"

"yes!"

Although Han Tieshan was afraid, he still reluctantly agreed.

After seeing Han Tieshan off, Chen Yu lay on a chair and basked in the sun for half the afternoon.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, a familiar figure had been waiting for me for a long time.