Silence reigned.
All eyes turned to Hua Hongdao, waiting to see how he would respond.
As expected of a free-spirited young man, Chief Escort Lin's every word was extremely aggressive.
The question I just asked was even more precise and hit the nail on the head.
Hua Hongdao clearly hadn't expected the other party to ask such a question in front of everyone.
There's no way I can not answer now.
He waved for the scene to be cleaned up before shaking his head at Lin Ce.
"Chief镖头 Lin is joking. There has never been such a rule. It has always been just a show of kindness from our colleagues."
Then he laughed and said:
"If Chief Escort Lin is interested, I can also guide the Four Seas Escort Agency to join the alliance. With your agency's rapid growth, it will surely become a mainstay of the alliance in time."
"That won't be necessary."
Lin Ce shook his head and refused.
Su Qianzhong, the fifth young master of the Su family, also said he would help arrange for the Sihai Escort Agency to join the Escort Alliance.
But to be honest, he doesn't intend to do that.
Joining this escort alliance seems like it will bring even more trouble.
Behind Lin Ce, Li Qingshan was very unhappy.
I thought there would be a big battle today, but unexpectedly, Hua Hongdao, the chief镖头 (chief镖师) of the No. 1镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency) and a Xiantian martial artist, showed no intention of competing with Lin Ce.
Those from the martial arts world who came to the scene were also greatly disappointed.
I thought I'd see a clash between the two escort agencies, but there wasn't even a chance.
In front of everyone, facing Lin Ce's relentless pressure, Hua Hongdao surprisingly chose to back down repeatedly.
But the next moment, many people were dumbfounded.
What Hua Hongdao did was even more extreme than they could have imagined.
"Since so many fellow martial artists are here today, let's take this opportunity to announce something."
The next moment, he said this.
"Hua has recently felt that he is old and frail and no longer has the strength to do what he used to do. He plans to retire from the business today."
"Whoosh~"
This time, everyone was truly shocked.
Hua Hongdao has been famous for decades, and he is indeed not young anymore.
But once one's martial arts realm reaches the Innate level, living to be a hundred or so years old is simply a piece of cake.
Who would believe a martial artist in his fifties or sixties who claims to be old and frail?
That was just an excuse I made up on the spot.
Since it's not due to its own fault, it must be caused by other factors.
Everyone suddenly started to overthink things.
"Was it Lin Ce of the Sihai Escort Agency who was so aggressive that he forced Elder Hua to back down?"
"What a formidable force that has crossed the river! Even the local bully, Old Master Hua, has been subdued."
"This time it was Old Master Hua, who will it be next time?"
...
Immediately, discussions arose.
Seeing Hua Hongdao, who was clearly at his peak, being forced into retirement, many people couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.
"Chief镖头 Lin, you've gone too far. You may have some skill, but you don't know how to respect your seniors. How can you expect to have a good future in the martial world?"
"Yes, you just arrived in Sanjiang County and forced Elder Hua of the First Escort Agency to retire. Do you even care about our fellow travelers in Sanjiang County?"
"We have no objection to you opening a security escort agency in Sanjiang County, but you still have to follow the rules, right?"
"If everyone does this, wouldn't the martial arts world of Sanjiang Prefecture be without rules and in complete chaos?"
...
Various voices came from the surrounding area.
It is showing a trend of escalating further.
Clearly, with more people around, they each had more courage.
"Old Master Hua's decision to retire is his own; what does it have to do with me?"
Lin Ce smiled coldly and looked around.
"Rules? I really don't know these rules. Could one of you come out and teach me?"
The surrounding noise suddenly fell silent.
Clearly, no one intends to offer any advice.
"Since you don't dare to take action, then shut your mouth. Being both cowardly and talkative is the most shameless thing you can do."
Lin Ce looked around with a cold smile, showing no mercy whatsoever.
His words clearly stung many people present.
"Hmph, you're just relying on your Innate Realm. If I were to reach the Innate Realm in the future, it would be hard to say who would be stronger."
The words startled everyone, and a young man stood up from his seat.
He stood ramrod straight, his entire being exuding a sharp edge, like a long sword held in his hand.
Lin Ce almost thought he was seeing a second Li Qingshan.
"You're not convinced?"
"That's right, I disagree."
Having already stood up, the young man decided to stick to his guns.
In front of everyone, he had only spoken the truth. He didn't believe that the other party would dare to defy public opinion and kill him.
Lin Ce did not actually make a move, but simply asked:
"So what level are you at now?"
"Not high, not high at all, only the eighth rank now."
The young man was about to show off, but then he suddenly remembered that Lin Ce looked younger than him, yet he was already a Xiantian martial artist.
Compared to the other party, his eighth-rank cultivation level was nothing.
"Alright, Li Qingshan, it's up to you now."
Before the young man could understand what was going on, he saw a boy jump out from behind Lin Ce and point at him.
"Come out, I'm also an eighth-rank, let's have a spar."
The young man's eyes were somewhat timid, but after confirming that Lin Ce would not make a move, he finally mustered his courage and leaped into the arena.
He was momentarily excited.
Because of Lin Ce, a martial artist with innate talent, the reputation of the Sihai Escort Agency has skyrocketed in just a few days.
But besides Lin Ce, the chief镖头 (chief镖师), what else does the Sihai镖局 (Sihai Escort Agency) have left?
At first glance, all you see are green-eyed teenagers who haven't quite shaken off their childishness.
If I were to defeat the people from the Four Seas Escort Agency at this moment, wouldn't I be able to ride this wave and soar to great heights?
"My name is Long Tao, an eighth-rank martial artist, especially skilled in swordsmanship. Please give me your guidance."
The first step to becoming famous is, of course, to pronounce your name loudly so that the audience can hear it clearly.
Li Qingshan didn't listen at all.
He yawned impatiently: "It doesn't matter, come on."
Long Tao had originally intended to be modest and offer some concessions, such as letting the other party make the first move.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him in a flash.
Li Qingshan's "Flying Sand Step" became increasingly refined, and when he used it, it was like flying sand blinding people, catching them off guard.
Just as Long Tao was about to draw his sword, he saw a shadow of a staff flying like dust in his face. He was hit a few times, and his head spun. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
"Huh, the swordsmanship of the Mountain Sword Sect."
Outside the arena, a woman in green glanced at him, her face showing surprise.
"Does she have connections with the Mountain Sword Sect? Or did someone else make the connection for her? It seems I need to report this to my master first, regarding the position of Peak Master..."
In the arena, Li Qingshan had returned to his position.
"Too weak, no fun."
He shook his head, his longsword still sheathed.
I just easily defeated my opponent with my sword still in its sheath.
Although Long Tao was also an eighth-rank martial artist, he was so weak in front of him that he didn't seem like someone of the same rank at all.
"Who is that young man? How could someone so young defeat an eighth-rank official so easily?"
"He is a bodyguard from the Sihai Escort Agency."
"This is terrifying. What's going on with the Four Seas Escort Agency? It's one thing for the chief escort to be so young, at the Innate Realm level, but the other young escorts are also quite powerful?"
...
Another buzzing sound came from outside the stadium.
Long Tao was unharmed. After a moment of dizziness, he got up from the ground and scrambled out of the crowd.
He thought it was the first step to fame, but it turned out to be a stepping stone for others.
Ignoring the fleeing opponent, Lin Ce stood proudly and surveyed his surroundings.
"Anyone else? Come out and join us. Our Sihai Escort Agency is ready to take you all."
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