A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 140 - 120: Ten Years Gone By, Disciple Like Master

Lao Ou remained silent, the Zhu Family's elder, who had a wide circle of friends in his early years, indeed called many of the Seventeenth Lineage's elder brothers and sisters brothers.

This led to the old story of the Fifth Young Master's father going to fight in the ring and dying at the hands of Ninghai Zen.

Just the kind of tragic situation where there are no fathers, no uncles, no elder relatives, is all too common.

In the Thirteenth Lineage, it's a common occurrence and not considered anything new.

For example, He Jingfeng, who was at odds with the Fifth Young Master.

In the elder family alone, nearly twenty blood relatives whom he could name died at the hands of Ninghai Zen.

Let alone other families.

When Ninghai Zen was unknown, he fought in the martial arts street of Yihai Prefecture.

The details of his background were not clear, every time he declared his origins, he would only mention "Tongwen Hall."

No one had heard of it, so he was treated as a practitioner from a poor rural area who had just entered the city wanting to earn some fame and exchange it for practical silver coins to buy wine and meat.

But it didn't take long, about five or six days, for the name Ninghai Zen to quickly spread.

Because he only fought in the signed death match arena and won consecutively, with little entanglement, often resolving the outcome in a few moves.

Although Red County Divine Land is governed by Dragon Court, with Daoist Officials holding power, the true widespread trend that had become a stepping stone across the prefectures and counties was the Four Great Martial Arts Practices.

Everywhere, there was martial arts!

As the saying goes, there's no first in literature, no second in martial arts.

Everyone is a practitioner making a living with their fists and feet, why should anyone submit to you, open a hall, establish a sign, and attract apprentices?

Thus there were arenas!

To determine rank, but also decide life and death!

Some arenas stop at a touch, while others indulge in life-and-death struggles.

There are also various styles with weapons, wheels, and others.

In the Eight Directions Arena, the victor remains as the arena master, welcoming any challenger from all directions.

Previously signing the document, life and death are one's own responsibility!

It's the most spectacular arena battle in Yihai Prefecture!

"Every year, someone suddenly emerges in Yihai Prefecture... either as a dog raised by the Thirteenth Lineage, helping to bite people, or entering Pai Bang to become a Squad Leader, enjoying life.

But Ninghai Zen doesn't play by the rules and lacks restraint! His strikes always draw blood, killing and maiming too many, and the martial arts world is heavy on tradition. If you can't hold your ground, how can you take on apprentices in the future? Who would be willing to follow you?"

Lao Ou's eyebrows drooped as he spoke. He sold himself into the Zhu Family when he was in his teens and was chosen by the Second Young Master, Zhu Shou Rang's father, to learn martial arts and techniques.

"The grudges and entanglements in the martial arts world are like a tangled mess, one goes up to the arena, another is carried down, the blood can't be washed clean.

Because his strikes were too ferocious, Ninghai Zen earned the notorious name, 'Living Yama.'

Then, the other Sixteen Lineages tried to recruit him for their own use!

The whole matter went wrong here!

In short, nobody knew who started it, but it seemed that the Su Family and Han Family's two young masters used Ninghai Zen as a bet, gambling on how many fights he could endure.

In the Eight Directions Arena, the victor remains as arena master and cannot refuse challenges unless admitting defeat, needing to face one practitioner after another.

The Han Family bet on him to win, the Su Family wanted him to lose, and thus for a full three months, he fought ninety-nine matches.

It wasn't until the hundredth match, past noon, when Ninghai Zen didn't appear that he was deemed lost.

The Eldest Young Master Su won the bet."

Zhu Shou Rang was stunned, showing confusion in his eyes. According to Lao Ou, this person subdued the martial arts world with his fists, winning ninety-nine matches in a row, it didn't make sense not to take the hundredth and complete the unprecedented hundred-win record in Yihai Prefecture?

"It might be that the Eldest Young Master Su got anxious and employed tactics, and Ninghai Zen never returned to the arena.

But Su's Eldest Young Master died in broad daylight in the house outside, five attendants along with him, a steward, even two dogs, all lost their lives.

Before the Su Family could react, Han's Eldest Young Master, who was drinking flower wine that evening, also had his head crushed, his corpse floating in Nu Yun River... how could such high doors of the Seventeenth Lineage be killed at will, thus began the blood debts and lives lost.

Until Ninghai Zen achieved the Water and Fire Immortal Robe Great Perfection, and bare-handedly killed a Four Practices expert invited from Celestial Water Prefecture, the Seventeenth Lineage finally realized this person couldn't be subdued, his cross-boundary life-and-death combat was as easy as eating and drinking water, deciding to bow the head.

But Ninghai Zen wouldn't agree."

Lao Ou spoke with fearful passion; his most commendable duel in life was probably when he took a kick from Ninghai Zen yet survived with half his life intact.

"Anyway, Yihai Prefecture had no way to deal with him, ultimately paying a huge price to finally send this Plague Deity away, thus, the feuds with Ninghai Zen were written off.

Fifth Young Master, listen well to the elder master's instructions, settle down to be Master Li's last disciple, after he's gone, with the Zhu Family's support, Big Punishment Kiln will be yours!

When you become Shopkeeper at Hongming, you'll have a reputation, possibly bringing your father's tablet back to the ancestral hall!"

Zhu Shou Rang slowly released his clenched fist, seemingly drained of all his strength, nodded woodenly:

"I'll listen to you, Uncle Ou, I won't think about revenge anymore."

Lao Ou sighed in relief, truly loyal to the Zhu Family, and had raised the Fifth Young Master himself, holding a bond deeper than that of master and servant.

Yet Lao Ou had seen the carnage executed by Ninghai Zen with his own eyes, if it wasn't for that Squad Leader from Pai Bang showing up to eventually trace the origin of Ninghai Zen's sect, they might not have stopped him.

Yihai Prefecture endured four straight days of heavy rain, and four high gates were gone from the city.

The shock and horror, despite ten years passing, remains vivid.

If it had rained more, how many houses of the Seventeenth Lineage might remain?

Note that even the Daoist Official couldn't sit still, yet was ineffective.