Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 636 Martial Arts School

Within Huayang City, the disappearance of Wen Xi was first discovered by his family and relatives, who then began a search.

But no matter where he was, whether it was a government office, a mansion, a restaurant, or even the brothels and casinos that Wen Xi frequented.

No trace of Wen Xi was found. It was then that everyone realized something was wrong.

Something happened to him.

The matter gradually escalated, eventually alarming high-ranking military officers.

Despite a city-wide search and investigation, no clues were found.

It was as if a living person had simply vanished without a trace.

They questioned colleagues, interrogated subordinates, and summoned guards... but still found nothing.

The last clue we could get was that a caravan, operating under Wen Xi's name, left the city to transport a shipment of grain.

Left with no other choice, they could only follow this clue and, sure enough, discovered something fishy.

On the day of the incident, the troops stationed outside the city did not receive any food supplies. Moreover, the military camp had sufficient food and did not issue any requests for food aid.

With this information, there must be significant problems with the transport of this batch of military rations…

Or perhaps, this is where the answer lies.

Following the clues, sure enough, these exit documents, complete with all the paperwork and bearing Wen Xi's handwriting and seal, were forged and fake.

Wen Xi was a high-ranking official promoted by Fang Jiulian. He had a clean background, held a powerful position, and had a bright future ahead of him. The possibility of him betraying Fang Jiulian was virtually nonexistent.

Besides, even if he betrayed us, his family and relatives are still in the city; none of them ran away.

Since he did not betray the country, his personal seals and other important items disappeared without a trace, and he himself vanished without a trace.

There is only one possibility, one explanation.

Wen Xi could only have been assassinated in a sneak attack. That's the only way to explain all of this.

The investigation results caused an uproar in the city.

At the height of its power, the government army controls the entire situation in Huayang City.

Who has the audacity and the strength to dare to provoke the government troops at this time and bring about their own destruction?

Soon someone came up with the idea of ​​a force, or rather, a person.

Nine-Bend Gate, Han Yi.

During the investigation into the grain transport, some astute individuals noticed that Plum Blossom Pavilion, rumored to have close ties with Han Yi, had quietly closed most of its shops, leaving only the main store still open.

Even the owners, Tao Qingtang and Yue Hongying, were nowhere to be found. The once grand Tao mansion was now deserted.

Meanwhile, the bounty hunters who had been sent out to keep watch on the two men were also discovered dead at this time.

The truth seems obvious at a glance.

Strangely, this blatant slap in the face, this act of defying authority, didn't cause a ripple in the army.

The government troops remained silent, seemingly ignoring the matter and treating it with indifference.

This bizarre reaction immediately caused an uproar among the people of Huayang City.

Some say that Han Yi was too strong, and the government troops couldn't stop him, so he could come and go as he pleased.

Some say the imperial guards were terrified of Han Yi and couldn't do anything about it, so they couldn't pursue the matter. Of course, others refute this, saying that Emperor Yuanmiao intervened to support the Nine-Bend Gate, so the imperial guards could only swallow their anger.

There are different opinions.

As the situation escalated and rumors spread, the confidence of the lower-ranking officials in the government army began to waver.

Faced with this situation, the government troops had no choice but to send people out to refute the rumors and explain the matter.

However, it would have been better not to refute the rumors at all. Instead, the attempt to refute and explain them at the beginning only made the public believe the rumors and confirmed the matter.

After all, only the truth will alarm the higher-ups and prompt them to spend time and energy providing a targeted explanation.

Rumors and gossip continued.

The government troops were clearly unprepared for this situation and were overwhelmed by an even more intense barrage of rumors.

Left with no other option, they had to send soldiers to violently suppress the rebellion.

They don't care whether it's a rumor or the truth. Anyone reported for spreading it, or discovered talking about it indiscriminately, will be arrested and taken away.

In a short time, many people who spread rumors and caused trouble were arrested, but many innocent people were also taken away.

Everyone was on edge, and even the cicadas seemed to be silenced.

On the surface, it seemed that no one in the entire Huayang City dared to discuss the matter anymore, and the matter was thus concluded.

But in private, among close friends and family, it still circulates. It's just that it's done in a more secretive, careful, and cautious manner.

Simply resorting to violence will never silence public opinion.

The government troops had also considered other methods and reported them to Kou Hu for his opinion.

But at this moment, Kou Hu and Fang Jiulian were not concerned about this matter at all. Their minds were entirely focused on discussing truly important matters with the royal family of Tantai.

Through a series of coincidences, the fame of Beast Demon Han Yi spread like wildfire, growing ever larger and gradually becoming known throughout the entire Yunzhou region.

The names of the three young masters of Huayang City have been forgotten.

Instead, they were replaced by Beast Demon Han Yi and Black Hand Fang Jiulian.

These two are considered to be the two most outstanding masters among the younger generation in Huayang City.

Together they are called a binary star system.

One good and one evil.

Among the various forces, the main branch of Jingtian Manor has also fallen into silence and low profile amidst earth-shattering changes, no longer possessing the former glory of the five major forces in Yunzhou.

In fact, it's not just Jingtian Manor; other sects like Jingtian Manor, which are based on tradition, master-disciple relationships, and rules, have also declined.

The reason lies not with them, but with the new policies. Huayang City was regarded by the government army as the first pilot city for the new policies, so naturally, they would vigorously promote various new policies and measures.

As the largest interest group in the area, the sects were the first to be affected and impacted.

Even without being explicitly stated, it's clear to anyone with eyes to see that the various policies and measures are aimed at the factions that control a large amount of resources.

Jingtianzhuang has been fragmented, and now only one main branch remains on the surface, which has to operate with its tail between its legs.

They all noticed the signs.

Therefore, after seeing the fate of Jingtian Manor, most sects began to actively respond to the new policy and obey orders to change.

According to the new policy, sects should fade from view.

Of course, fading out of sight here doesn't mean forcing you to disband your sect. That would be too difficult and unrealistic, and would easily provoke strong resistance.

Fading from view means existing in a different form, which is what is known as a martial arts school.

Those former sect leaders have transformed into so-called martial arts school owners.

Those senior brothers and sisters became martial arts instructors and teaching assistants.

With the strong promotion and advocacy of the government and military, the martial arts school model, which allows anyone to enter the school to learn regardless of their background, social status, or wealth, has taken root in people's hearts and quickly gained a warm welcome from the public.

Compared to the past when they were aloof and superior, now when recruiting disciples, sects need to consider a comprehensive range of factors, including aptitude, talent, family background, and so on.

Clearly, martial arts schools that offer "pay to teach, everyone can practice" are more likely to be popular.

In no time, people flocked to it.

Every martial arts school was packed with people.

In contrast, those sects that still adhere to tradition and remain conservative are increasingly declining and have lost their former prestige. Forget about prestige; under the oppressive restrictions of the government army, their income has been drastically reduced, making it impossible for them to support their disciples.

Many disciples left the sect to join martial arts schools and become instructors. As for recruiting disciples, no one was willing to come. Some sects even changed their strategy and offered to recruit for free, but they still couldn't find any.

Driven by various factors, more and more martial arts schools are responding to the new policy and joining the martial arts alliance.

The Martial Arts Alliance, or simply the Martial Alliance.

It is an official, or government-affiliated, semi-official organization that sets rules and regulates the behavior of martial arts schools, with the government as the core and the government as the central authority.

In order to obtain the legal status of a martial arts school, a sect must undergo review and inspection by the Martial Arts Alliance.

After these sects joined, they were pleasantly surprised to find that turning into a martial arts school wasn't as bad as they had imagined.

Aside from the slight discomfort caused by the change in status, the investment and returns at the martial arts school are far better than before. There's no need for a one-on-one master-disciple relationship, nor for the hassle of individually assessing character and honing willpower.

Any martial arts master can be randomly assigned to set up a class, and one person can teach dozens of people.

If you lack talent, don't have money, or lack patience... well, if you don't learn it well, that's your own problem. It has nothing to do with the martial arts school.

Martial arts schools only need to teach; no one really cares about the results.

Among the martial arts alliance, three martial arts schools are the most famous and sought after, and can be considered the star martial arts schools in the alliance.

Fire Ape, Gale, and Spirit Fox are three martial arts schools that teach different martial arts styles, each with its own unique characteristics and corresponding to different aspects.

The coaches inside are friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the value for money is extremely high.

There are even rumors that these three martial arts schools have powerful backers. If a student is talented and gains the favor of the school owner, they may be recommended to study at a higher-level academy.

Therefore, among all the martial arts schools in Huayang City, these three are implicitly considered the leaders, and everyone depends on them.

New situation, new identity, new transformation.

Gradually, the old sects were no longer mentioned, and a new policy reform was thus launched.

Meanwhile, in the northeastern ward of Huayang City, an inconspicuous school sprang up.

I heard that the old gentleman retired from the prefectural city to live out his retirement at home. He used to work at "Dongyang Academy," but couldn't stand the loneliness after retirement, so he opened this school.

The school was not large, and the courtyard had just been renovated, with red bricks and green tiles, and brand-new decorations.

A black plaque hangs in front of the gate, with four large gold and red characters that read "Xunzhen Academy".

……………

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Qingjiang Mountain, Yuanmiaozong.

It's another monthly meeting.

"Alright, everyone, speak freely. If you have something to say, say it now. If not, the meeting is adjourned."

Li Huade sat lazily in the seat of honor, speaking in a languid tone.

He wore a purple Taoist robe and had an old-looking face, but his hair was not completely white and his complexion was still rosy like a baby's.

Upon hearing this, the heads of the six inner courts on both sides couldn't help but frown.

Compared to the previously dedicated Yang Huawu, the newly appointed chief elder Li Huade is unwilling to take on any responsibility and is unwilling to manage anything.

"Well, it seems that's all for today. Everyone, disperse." Seeing that no one spoke, Li Huade flicked his whisk and prepared to leave.

It's not that he lacks the ability, but that he simply doesn't intend to get involved.

Yang Huawu was his senior brother. Back then, his senior brother went to great lengths, pouring his heart and soul into handling all sorts of troublesome matters and balancing relationships, but what was the result…?

He's still locked up in the cave of reflection, and it's been like this for so long.

Although the Jade Crafting lineage still controls the daily affairs of the Yuanmiao Sect, their great influence makes them vulnerable to attack. If they are not careful, they will face retribution if they get involved in the internal strife among the three peaks.

Li Huade saw everything and naturally didn't want to meddle and get himself into trouble.

Minor matters are left to the heads of the various departments to handle themselves, while major matters are reported up to the higher-ups for consideration. He'll simply be a good tool, a messenger, and get through this period safely; that would be good enough.

"Senior brother, I have a question. Please explain." Suddenly, a clear voice rang out from below.

Upon hearing the voice, Li Huade frowned.

He just wanted to coast along, acting as a middleman, but some people were always annoying, disrupting his goals and disturbing his resolve. The head of the Nine Lives Academy in the Purple Star Academy was one of them.

This person is quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent, skilled in divination, fortune telling, and the secrets of celestial formations.

Unfortunately, this person is also stubborn. Whenever the divination results are bad, he will always insist on his own opinion, which is extremely annoying.

"Nine Lives, what's wrong now?" Li Huade asked impatiently.