Seeing Chen Yan not expressing his position, Ding Qiu naturally understood what Chen Yan meant.
He genuinely wanted to achieve something significant with Chen Yan.
Ever since that day in Taiyun City when Chen Yan let him go, Ding Qiu had made up his mind—this brother Chen Yan, he had decided to acknowledge.
Since his brother had no interest in this matter, then he would lend him a helping hand.
"What do you plan to do next, Brother Chen?"
Ding Qiu asked.
"Of course, I'll go to the Lü Family's training hall to find him."
Chen Yan replied.
"Be careful not to alert the enemy. That bastard has stooped so low as to hide in the Lü Family's training hall as an instructor, which means his usual way of handling things must be extremely cautious. If he senses something is off, he'll definitely flee immediately. Then all our efforts would be for nothing."
"Brother, what do you think is the safest way for me to proceed?"
Chen Yan asked.
Hearing this, Ding Qiu chuckled, then pulled out two disguise masks from his robes:
"These two masks cost me quite a few spirit stones to have custom-made by a rather famous craftsman. It's said this craftsman once apprenticed under a Supervisor from the inner court of the Mirage Palace. They can absolutely pass for the real thing. Originally, I prepared them for myself and Xiao Wu."
Chen Yan took the masks from Ding Qiu's hand and examined them.
"And then?"
He asked.
"Go challenge their hall."
Ding Qiu answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
...
Jiangdao Prefecture, Lü Family Training Hall.
In the center of a sixteen-foot-high marble wall stood two twenty-two-foot-wide redwood doors, inlaid with one hundred and eight gilded rivets, appearing quite imposing within Jiangdao Prefecture.
Two cultivators wearing Daoist robes walked up to the doors and stopped.
One looked to be in his forties, with a somewhat fierce countenance.
The other seemed to be just sixteen or seventeen, his eyes and brows brimming with an arrogant air.
Then, the older cultivator knocked on the door's knocker.
After roughly a few breaths of time, a young cultivator wearing a Daoist robe made of higher-quality fabric opened the door from inside.
The young cultivator sized up the two standing before the door, then showed a slightly puzzled expression:
"Might I ask what business brings you two Fellow Daoists to our Lü Family Training Hall today?"
"Having long heard of the Lü Family Training Hall's far-reaching reputation and its fame shaking the Green Sparrow Kingdom, today I have brought my unworthy disciple here specially to seek some instruction."
The older cultivator declared loudly.
The young cultivator behind the door was slightly taken aback;
he naturally understood this old-and-young pair had come to challenge their hall.
"Please wait a moment, both of you. I will go inside to report."
The young cultivator said, then immediately closed the redwood doors.
The two cultivators outside the door—the one playing the master was Ding Qiu, and the one playing the disciple was naturally Chen Yan.
For cultivation families that operate training halls, having their halls challenged by outsiders is a very common occurrence.
Some who come to challenge are idle cultivators seeking to make a name for themselves, but more commonly, it's people sent by rival or even hostile cultivation families or factions to cause trouble.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, neither the Lü Family members nor Qiguan Jin would become suspicious just because unfamiliar cultivators came to challenge their hall.
In less than half the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the redwood doors were opened again from the inside, and the person appearing within was still the same young cultivator from before.
He opened the redwood doors fully, then stepped aside.
"Please come in and speak. Our young master is waiting for you both inside."
The Lü Family's young cultivator said.
Ding Qiu nodded and strode through the doorway.
Chen Yan followed slightly behind him.
Passing through the entrance corridor, what unfolded before Ding Qiu and Chen Yan's eyes was the Lü Family's circular training hall.
It must be said, in terms of area and scale alone, the size of this Lü Family training hall was comparable to the outer court training grounds of the Kongshan Sect—truly quite impressive.
In the very center of the training hall, over a dozen Lü Family disciples were practicing martial arts and forging their bodies. From their movements, one could not see any trace of the Kongshan Sect disciples' style.
On a raised platform to the side stood a young man who looked to be in his twenties. With a half-smile, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing toward the direction of the entrance corridor.
Presumably, that young man was the 'young master' mentioned by the young cultivator who had opened the door for them earlier.
"Might I ask how you two should be addressed?"
After Ding Qiu and Chen Yan approached the platform, the Lü young master spoke from his elevated position, looking down at them.
"Li Dayuan, a Rogue Cultivator from Anjin Mountain."
Ding Qiu also clasped his hands behind his back, introducing himself thus.
"Yan Chen, from Anjin Mountain."
Chen Yan followed suit.
Anjin Mountain was a mountain located four hundred li west of Jiangdao Prefecture. The spiritual energy on the mountain was somewhat more abundant than in ordinary areas, but only somewhat.
Therefore, many rogue cultivators in the surrounding region built their cave dwellings on Anjin Mountain.
"I am Lü Ziping. Might I ask if you two, coming here today to seek instruction, are aware of the rules for sparring at our Lü Family Training Hall?"
The young man on the platform said.
Lü Ziping was the only son of the Lü Family's current head, Lü Zhengbo. Twenty-nine years old, two years ago, under Zhan Xiangming's guidance, he initially entered the Qi Circulation Realm and had progressed by leaps and bounds. There was even a possibility he could break through to the mid-stage of the Qi Circulation Realm within five years.
"What rules?"
Ding Qiu asked.
"Life and death are not considered."
Lü Ziping declared, tilting his head back, assuming an even more overbearing posture.
Ding Qiu smiled, then, without turning his head, said to Chen Yan behind him:
"Well, Yan Chen, you heard what Young Master Lü said. Are you afraid?"
"Perfect!"
Chen Yan said loudly, his eyes and brows still brimming with that arrogant air:
"That's exactly what I want—life and death not considered!"
Seeing Chen Yan's arrogance below the platform, a flash of ruthless intent passed through Lü Ziping's eyes on the platform, then he said with a smile:
"What spirited youth! So, will you choose your opponent yourself, or shall I choose for you?"
"I'll choose myself."
Chen Yan said.
"Good!"
Lü Ziping looked down from the platform at the young cultivator who had opened the door for Ding Qiu and Chen Yan earlier:
"You, go over and call all the disciples currently practicing and cultivating in the training hall. Let this young friend choose an opponent."
"Yes, Young Master..."
"No need!"
The young cultivator had just turned around when Chen Yan immediately called out.
"What?"
Lü Ziping cast his gaze toward Chen Yan's direction.
"No need to call all those disciples over. I'm not fighting them."
Chen Yan refused, then raised his hand and pointed at Lü Ziping on the platform:
"I'll fight you!"
"Oh?"
Lü Ziping's pupils contracted, then he shook his head, revealing a dismissive smile as he spoke:
"To fight me, I'm afraid you, young friend, are not yet qualified. Perhaps come back and try when you have stepped into the Qi Circulation Realm..."
Hearing this, Chen Yan snorted coldly, then declared loudly:
"This young master is here precisely to fight those in the Qi Circulation Realm!"