Chapter 915: All-out brawl!
Chapter 915: All-out brawl!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Arrested by the police?
Extorted by someone?
Leading passengers in a protest?
Oh my god, I'm floored! What sort of martial arts masters are these!?
Zhang Ye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought to himself about why these martial arts masters sounded so ordinary. But giving it some thought, it was also true that this was unavoidable in such an era. If you took the train while carrying darts and throwing knives all over your person, how could you expect to not get arrested! By the time the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference ended, this fellow would probably still not be released as he would be detained for at least three days!
...
In the Tianshan region.
Somewhere.
The people from the Eight Trigrams School gradually arrived!
Lu Yuhu, Rao Aimin's junior brother, was also in the crowd. He had handed over the cases that he was following to a colleague, turned off his phone, and rushed over to Tianshan without even applying for leave from his workplace. At the moment, he was anxiously pacing around. As he was the least skilled of the current generation of the Eight Trigrams School's disciples, all he could feel now was a sense of helplessness!
What should I do?
What should I do right now?
At this time, another two people arrived outside. It was a man and a woman.
Lu Yuhu went up to them, shouting, "Fifth Senior Sis!"
"Little Junior Bro!" His fifth senior sister strode over to him.
The senior brother beside her asked anxiously, "Where is Eldest Senior Sis?"
Lu Yuhu said, "She's in closed-door training!"
His fifth senior sister said anxiously, "She clearly knows that this is an extremely dangerous place, so why is she still so insistent on coming!"
Lu Yuhu sighed deeply and said, "Who can stop Eldest Senior Sis when she has decided on something?"
His fifth senior sister observed their surroundings. "We only have this many?"
One of the junior brothers who arrived early said, "This is all there is!"
His fifth senior sister asked, "Where is our Eldest Senior Bro? And Second Senior Bro?"
Lu Yuhu said angrily, "Don't bring them up. A lot of people couldn't come because they have been pressured by Master. Eldest Senior Bro and company even tried to force their way here! But they were held back forcefully at the training hall! None of them made it out!"
Hearing that, every one of them fell silent.
The group was made up of men and women, with most of them young people who were the current generation of disciples. When some of them heard about the Martial Arts Conference, they all started rushing over, starting from a few days ago. Some of them just made it here today, with no luggage and not even a change of clothes. It could be seen just how much of a hurry they were in to get here!
"Why did Master do that?"
"Master said that this was Eldest Senior Sis's personal grudge that had nothing to do with the Eight Trigrams School, so he wouldn't allow us to join her! He even said that Eldest Senior Sis has already left the Eight Trigrams School!"
"Master, he…"
"Eldest Senior Sis will always be our Eldest Senior Sis!"
"Don't blame Master for this. He has no other choice! Eldest Senior Sis has angered too many people this time and flouted the rules of our martial arts world. She has forced the Zhou Family Style School into a corner, injuring so many of their disciples and masters, and overturning so many of their training halls and schools at the same time. There is a written rule in the National Martial Arts Association forbidding such behavior, so the motive of the Conference this time is basically targeted at her. They're trying to gather the support of our entire martial arts world to denounce Eldest Senior Sis. Although our Eight Trigrams School is considered as one of the large sects, that is more because of the status we gained during the Qing dynasty. Our style has already weakened since then and Master does not wish to offend our entire martial arts world. If he did, then our Eight Trigrams School would definitely have no chance of survival!"
"But that's Eldest Senior Sis we're talking about!"
"Master has his considerations, so it's not our place to speak. But whatever it is, now that Eldest Senior Sis is in trouble, we definitely have to support her. I'll try to contact the other disciples who are outside and see if we can get more to come! We can't let Eldest Senior Sis battle on her own! Do they really think that the Eight Trigrams School can be easily pushed around?"
"Don't call the junior disciples. They won't be of any help even if they came!"
"Will it be OK with just this many of us?"
"What else can we do? We can only take them head on!"
The disciples of the Eight Trigrams School gathered together and started to discuss their strategy!
...
In the evening.
It was getting dark.
At the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference, Zhang Ye had already sneaked into the venue with Chenchen using his invite. Only the organizer's staff looked curiously at Zhang Ye who had brought a child along with him, but they did not say anything or even check his invite and allowed him into the venue. They arranged for them to check into an inn on the west side of the resort.
The rooms were on the third story.
Right after Zhang Ye put down their luggage, Liu Yiquan, Liu Yizhang, and the others came over.
"Bro Chen Zhen, wanna grab dinner?"
"Alright."
"Do you drink?"
"That's a must!"
"Hahaha, great, let's have a couple drinks together!"
"Let's go!"
They headed downstairs. The dining areas were located within this large holiday resort. When they got there, the restaurant was already full, so they had to wait more than ten minutes before they got a table that had been temporarily set up on the first floor's lobby. After all, there were too many people and the seating both upstairs and downstairs were filled to the brim with at least several hundred people eating. But all they wanted now was a steaming hot bowl of rice, so it didn't matter where they were seated.
Sitting down, they ordered some dishes.
Zhang Ye could hear the conversations of those around him from all the different sects and schools of the Chinese martial arts world. Some of them were drinking wine and talking especially loudly.
"If Rao Aimin attends this Conference, then she better not think that she can leave standing!"
"She's bullying us as a more skilled martial artist. How is that the bearing of a grandmaster?"
"Our brothers from the Zhou Family Style have had it hard this time!"
"It's already been half a year and their training halls and schools have all closed down one by one. Even if Rao Aimin is a grandmaster, she can't break the rules like that. We definitely cannot forgive her and must seek justice for our brothers of the Zhou Family Style!"
"Right, supporting Old Master Zhou!"
"The Conference this time is basically a denouncement session aimed at Rao Aimin!"
"Has anyone from the Eight Trigrams School arrived yet?"
"They're not here yet, but there's nothing to be afraid of even if they are. How many people can they have?"
"Haha, that's right. With grandmasters like Zhou Tianpeng and Chen Xi taking helm, it doesn't matter how many of their people are here! Rao Aimin wasn't a match for the two grandmasters several years ago. Several years later, she still won't be a match for them. This time 'round, we can just sit back and watch how it plays out tomorrow!"
"We from the Kongtong Sect will definitely be supporting Old Master Zhou!"
"Our Iron Palm Sect will support Old Master Zhou too. Senior Rao Aimin has really gone too far this time!"
"Let me thank all of you on behalf of the Zhou Family Style's disciples!"
"Bro Huang, don't mention it!"
"Yeah, if you thank us like that, you're just treating us as outsiders. This sort of problem calls for our indignation, so of course we will be supportive! Or else it would end up with us witnessing Rao Aimin destroying the legacy of the Zhou Family Style!"
Some disciples belonging to several other schools did not say anything and only ate.
But some people started clamoring, shouting, and saying things like calling for the denouncement of Rao Aimin. From the looks of it, these schools had already reached a consensus with the Zhou Family before they arrived. Grandmaster Zhou Tianpeng's social ties within the Chinese martial arts world had always been quite good. He was also a long recognized grandmaster of the Chinese martial arts world. With such a status and reputation, there were many martial schools that had a good relationship with him. With such events happening this time, a lot of the martial schools did not hesitate in showing their support for Old Master Zhou.
The food was served.
Chenchen's face was sunken and she did not even pick up her chopsticks.
Zhang Ye had only just found out that so many of those who were participating in the conference this time were actually here to denounce Old Rao. This was obviously an extremely dangerous place for her to be!
One of the newcomers who'd joined their group said, "Senior Rao Aimin is in big trouble this time!"
He Badao said in a low voice, "Let them say whatever they want, but we should not get involved."
Liu Yiquan agreed, "It's none of our business, so let's just observe. This is a fight between the gods; it's nothing we can take part in even if we wanted to."
"This dispute entails details that are too murky for us," Liu Yizhang remarked.
Li Quanneng raised his cup and said, "Let's drink. Bottoms up."
A lot of those who were eating quietly at the restaurant were people like Liu Yiquan, Liu Yizhang, and others who weren't affiliated with any sect or school. There were a lot of these non-affiliates who did not belong to any traditional sect or school of the Chinese martial arts world. Some of their kung fu was blindly practiced by themselves and they did not even have a proper teacher to guide them. They were purely born out of an unorthodox background without any roots in the Chinese martial arts world. As a result, they had no say in most of the matters in it and just kept a low profile.
They ate and drank their fill.
But the shouting got louder and louder. Before long, even those seated on the second and third floors joined in.
"Denounce Rao Aimin!"
"Drive her out of our martial arts world!"
"We can't let her continue being arrogant like that!"
"Right!"
"Well said!"
"Kill that bitch!"
"Return our martial arts world its clear blue skies! Kill that bitch!"
The Zhou Family Style's disciples were especially rowdy after downing a few drinks and were getting even more agitated!
Zhang Ye was becoming irritated from hearing all those voices. Hey, are you guys finished? Zhang Ye also stared hard at those who kept shouting "bitch" and burned their faces into his mind. You guys are dead!
Chenchen's expression was even darker!
Suddenly, a loud voice exploded not too far away from them!
"Why is it so expensive?" It came from a table of seven youths. Judging by their clothing, they should also be non-affiliates.
However, Zhang Ye was taken aback by the sight, because he had spotted a familiar face in that group. If Zhang Ye wasn't wrong, that person was called Yan Hui. During the hijacking incident when Zhang Ye couldn't hold his bladder and had to go to the bathroom, it was Yan Hui who held back the hijackers briefly and prevented the passengers from getting hurt. He held them off until Zhang Ye returned. After the airplane landed, Yan Hui, along with some of the injured passengers and aircrew, were transported to the hospital. That was the last time Zhang Ye saw him, so it was really unexpected to bump into him here. Eh, but he suddenly remembered that back on the airplane, didn't Yan Hui use karate? Although his skills were not much to talk of, his character was pretty good and Zhang Ye's impression of him was extremely good too. It looked like he had switched to practicing Chinese martial arts now? He was also here to participate in the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference?
The restaurant waiter glanced at them and said, "That is the price."
Yan Hui's companions shouted, "There's just the seven of us, why would it come up to over 3,000 yuan for the bill?"
Yan Hui said angrily, "You guys are out to slaughter us!"
Of the non-affiliates who came to attend the event this time, most of them were not rich to begin with. A bill of over 3,000 yuan was definitely too expensive for them. The other non-affiliates around them who heard this were also shocked. Even among those who belonged to a sect, some of them were relatively poor due to the fact that their sect's training halls and schools were not earning as much as before.
"Over 3,000 yuan?"
"This…"
"Who read the menu just now?"
"I looked through it, but I don't think there was anything this expensive in it."
"Then how much would it cost for our table?"
"I don't know!"
A commotion started in the restaurant.
That waiter frowned and said, "The wine you ordered was expensive. Our restaurant fermented this wine ourselves and a jug of it costs 2,000 yuan. It's all written on the menu, didn't you see?"
When they heard that it was the wine that was expensive, a lot of those people at the surrounding tables heaved a sigh of relief as they did not order it.
Yan Hui said angrily, "What wine is this that it costs so much?"
Another person said, "A jug costs 2,000 yuan?"
Another companion shouted, "Whose restaurant is this? I demand to see your boss!"
A table of people at the other side of the room looked over.
One of them who stood up was the Zhou Family Style's fourth senior brother of the current generation of disciples. As he ranked number four in the Zhou Family Style, everyone usually greeted him as Fourth Bro Zhou. Fourth Bro Zhou said stiffly, "The Zhou Family Style School are part owners of this restaurant, so this is our property. Do you have any problems?"
The restaurant was owned by the Zhou Family?
When many of the people heard this, they dared not utter another word.
Old Master Zhou Tianpeng's reputation was too great within the Chinese martial arts world!
Yan Hui also stood up. "You're all scammers!"
Fourth Bro Zhou sneered at him. "Don't come and eat here if you don't have the money! What are you going off about for!"
"You…" Yan Hui was infuriated.
His companions beside him dragged him back and tried to calm him down. This was the Zhou Family Style School! They were a large sect in the Chinese martial arts world, and their sect leader was a grandmaster. Even if they had to close down a lot of training halls after Rao Aimin's antics, their status as a large sect was still there. They definitely should not be messed with!
The seven of them decided to swallow their pride and let it go.
But at this time, a young man wearing a pair of sunglasses indoors, at night, suddenly sprang up and said loudly, "The Zhou Family has gone too far!"
It was Zhang Ye!
Everyone was stunned.
Liu Yiquan, Liu Yizhang, and the others were dumbfounded!
Yan Hui and his companions were also stunned! What?
They heard Zhang Ye angrily say while he pointed at Fourth Bro Zhou, "Don't come if we don't have the money? We all heeded Old Master Zhou's invitation and came to the Martial Arts Conference this time to support the Zhou Family's denouncement of Rao Aimin. Some of us came from the capital, some came from Shandong, and there were even some who rushed back from overseas and traveled thousands and thousands of kilometers to get here, all because we wanted to come here to support you! None of us complained! But you guys? After sending out a mass invite to the martial arts community, it seems like their intention was just to cheat us of our meal money by slaughtering us with exorbitant prices? Cheat us of our wine money? Not only are they asking us to support them, they're even blatantly making money off us? What motives do you have! Where is your conscience!"
Listening to these words, Fourth Bro Zhou was in shock!
Fuck, what did I say? When did I ever fucking mean it like that!
When the surrounding people heard that, their expressions turned to anger at once and people stood up!
"Yeah! What is the meaning of this?"
"The Zhou Family invited everyone here to give you our support, so why are you still trying to cheat us of our money?"
"The bill for a seven-person meal came up to over 3,000 yuan, isn't that just like a scam?!"
Fourth Bro Zhou quickly tried to explain, "That wine was meticulously fermented by our—"
Zhang Ye instantly cut in, "This wine was meticulously planned by you guys! The bill for their table came up to 2,000 yuan for the wine, then for another table, it would be 2,000 yuan for the food! And another table would run up 2,000 yuan for the tea. No one can run from it! You're the ones who're doing all the talking anyway, so it's just going to be whatever price you want to set it at! We were initially full of respect for the Zhou Family Style School and also held a deep reverence for Old Master Zhou. But today, we all have really been disappointed! Everyone here knows that the Zhou Family has been in an abject state for the past six months. You have closed down many training halls and your income stream must have had a sharp decline. But you can't just try to cheat us of our money because of that! Were your training halls and schools brought down by us? Why should we be paying for it? 2,000 yuan for a wine that you bought in bulk? It's even more expensive than Maotai!?"[1.]
When some of the people heard this, they had a sudden realization!
"The Zhou Family is in need of money!"
"No wonder!"
"But we're all on the same side. Surely you can't scam us like this."
"Right, why are you all cheating us of our money?"
"How can there be wine bought in bulk that costs 2,000 yuan! That bro in the sunglasses is right! This scam is way too obvious!"
Everyone was slowly getting convinced the more they listened!
Fourth Bro Zhou flew into a rage. "Which sect are you from?"
Zhang Ye banged the table and shouted, "Which sect am I from? Listen to that! Just listen to that! If we're not from any sect or if we're from the small sects, we can only suffer the slaughter of the Zhou Family! While those from the large sects get to eat and drink for free! This is a clear act of bullying! They are clearly targeting people like us from the small sects! Because our money can be easily cheated! Because we don't have much foundation and talent, we're a good pick for getting bullied! They can easily scam us of our money without much effort! Getting us to come support the Zhou Family Style School and using us a tool in their fight, we came without questions. When we got here, they want us to pay them for our meals, and we also have to pay without question! They want our support and want our money too! They're taking us for idiots!"
A burly man who was a non-affiliate also slammed his fist against a table. "Fuck!"
A tipsy group of disciples from a small sect also jumped up in anger. "So what if you're from a large sect! Do you think you can take us for idiots?"
"Despicable!"
"You people from the Zhou Family, what's the meaning of all this?"
"You guys are pushing it too far!"
"You even dare to profit with such ill-gotten gains?"
"Do you still have a shred of martial righteousness in you?"
Liu Yiquan, Liu Yizhang, and the rest of their group also got angry. They followed Zhang Ye and stood up!
Fourth Bro Zhou was completely stupefied! Damn, what the fuck did I say? I only fucking asked you which sect you were from! All I did was ask that!
At this moment, one of the bad-tempered senior brothers of the Zhou Family Style suddenly smashed the teacup that he was holding onto the floor. He was just frustrated by what was going on and wanted to vent!
Crash!
The cup was smashed to pieces!
Then, Zhang Ye shouted furiously, "Smashing the teacup as a signal? You guys are even thinking of attacking us!?"
After those words left Zhang Ye's mouth, all of a sudden, many of the expressions on the faces of the non-affiliates and disciples of the small sects changed. They suddenly blew up in anger!
"Son of a bitch!"
"You guys are even thinking of attacking us?"
"Attack us then!"
"C'mon! Fuck! Let's fight!"
"Fuck you, Zhou Family!"
That senior brother of the Zhou Family Style was dumbfounded!
Fourth Bro Zhou was also dumbfounded!
Fight?
Smashing the cup as a signal?
I'll goddamn smash your second granny instead!
Some of the people at Yan Hui's table were already walking toward them, swearing at them as they approached the people from the Zhou Family Style!
Suddenly, the group of people seated at the Kongtong Sect table stood up as well. They grabbed Yan Hui and held him back, saying, "This is the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference! Don't make trouble here!"
The unprepared Yan Hui suddenly stumbled and was thrown back.
Zhang Ye roared, "The large sects are hitting us! They're all in cahoots! Fuck! Fuck them!" With that, Zhang Ye immediately led the charge forward. He found the person in the Zhou Family Style School who spoke ill of Rao Aimin earlier and brutally gave him a flying kick to the face!
The non-affiliates and small sect disciples were so angry that they lost their heads too!
"Fuck them!"
"Motherfuckers!"
"They were really going to attack us?"
"They're taking it too far!"
"Dammit, I'm gonna take them on!"
"A warrior prefers death to humiliation!"
That person from Kongtong Sect who held back Yan Hui was dumbfounded. "Attacking? Who's attacking anyone now? I was just—" Before he could finish, he had already received three punches to the face. "Aiyo! Who the fuck hit my face!"
The Kongtong Sect people were suddenly infuriated!
Two sects beside them who were on good terms with the Zhou Family Style School were also angered. They kicked aside their chairs and joined in the clash!
Yan Hui rushed forward. "Get them!"
The brothers Liu Yiquan and Liu Yizhang shouted angrily, "The large sects are taking it too far with this bullying! If this can be tolerated, then what would be intolerable?!"
He Badao roared, "You want to see who has more people? Would we non-affiliates have anything to fear when it comes to that?"
Li Quanneng had already sent a flying kick and downed a disciple of a large sect. "You want to scam us non-affiliates of our money? You should ask if I, Grandpa Li, am willing to be scammed or not first!"
It was a mess!
A free-for-all!
Before the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference could even be convened, a huge brawl had broken out!