Lu Dingtai had long noticed the prying eyes of Wang Tiancheng and the other two, but he had been busy dealing with the Shi brothers, so he paid them no mind.
Now that things were settled, he of course wanted to go check it out.
If these three meant no harm, that would be fine, but if they harbored ill intentions, Lu Dingtai wouldn’t mind taking care of a few more.
Thanks to his deep foundation, after advancing to the Fifth Realm, Lu Dingtai’s strength didn’t just simply double; he leaped to the peak of this realm.
That’s how he was able to easily wipe out the Shi brothers.
And his overwhelming strength also gave him immense confidence. Even though the three lurking in the shadows might also be from the Capital City, Lu Dingtai felt no fear and was even eager to fight another round.
Looking at his master, who was full of excitement, Zhao Ya was at a bit of a loss.
As it was, Lu Dingtai never had a good temper; he often resorted to action with the slightest disagreement.
Now, after advancing to the Fifth Realm, his temper had become even more straightforward and violent.
However, Zhao Ya didn’t say anything because he knew Wang Tiancheng and the other two were probably watching without any ill intent from afar.
And since they hadn’t left after the affairs were resolved, it was clear they were waiting for the two of them to go over.
A few leaps later, Lu Dingtai and Zhao Ya appeared in front of Wang Tiancheng and his companions.
Upon seeing his arrival, Wang Tiancheng, Xu Niannian, and Gu Chaoyue all cupped their hands in greeting.
"Greetings, Hall Master Lu!"
Lu Dingtai’s gaze swept over the three, then he sneered.
"The Golden Saber Institute, Wunian Academy, and Mirror Moon Sect, all gathered together. How lively it is."
Hearing Lu Dingtai reveal their sects in one sentence, both Wang Tiancheng and Xu Niannian showed a look of surprise.
"Senior knows our sects?"
"Of course I do. Before I came to Yunxiao County, I stayed in the Great Yan Capital City for some time. Three Sects, Two Academies, and a Manor... what a grand title!" Lu Dingtai said coldly.
The three didn’t dare make a sound.
While standing by watching the battle earlier, they didn’t feel it much, but now, up close, they deeply sensed the pressure emanating from Lu Dingtai.
They had only felt this kind of pressure from the elders in their sect before.
It showed how powerful Lu Dingtai was, on par with the elders of the major sects in the Capital City.
In the Martial Dao, strength commands respect.
So the three remained very humble.
"Tell me, what do you three intend by coming to Yunxiao County? You were also the ones watching in the shadows during the Beast Tide, yes?"
When besieging that Ghost Child in the forest, Lu Dingtai had also sensed the prying from afar.
But back then, he hadn’t broken through the bottleneck and his strength was not what it is now, coupled with being preoccupied with dealing with the Beast Tide, so he ignored it.
"Hall Master Lu, don’t misunderstand, the reason we came is that we heard about the Beast Tide and wanted to see if there was any advantage to gain." Wang Tiancheng spoke candidly.
"Later, seeing the various martial artists repel the Beast Tide single-handedly, we were impressed, so we decided to stay a few more days, unexpectedly encountering the matter with Wei Hongbin, which delayed us until now."
"You are far from the Capital City, how did you hear about the Beast Tide in Yunxiao County?" Lu Dingtai keyed in on the crucial point immediately.
For this, Wang Tiancheng was prepared and said, "It’s because this Beast Tide was orchestrated by the Beast Taming Sect, and somehow the news got leaked, everyone at higher levels in the Capital City basically knows."
"The Beast Taming Sect? That old Demon Sect?" Lu Dingtai frowned.
"Yes!"
"No wonder this Beast Tide felt so suspicious, it was their doing in the shadows. Once I catch them, I’ll tear them to pieces." Lu Dingtai said coldly, his words carrying a lethal edge.
Then he looked at Wang Tiancheng and the others.
"You’re staying here, not leaving, just to tell me this news?"
"That’s just part of it; I also have something I want to ask Hall Master Lu directly."
"Alright, for the sake of this news, I’ll answer one question of yours."
"May I ask if Hall Master Lu is from the Azure Dragon Temple?" asked Wang Tiancheng earnestly.
Lu Dingtai did not hesitate and nodded directly, "I am."
Upon hearing this, the three showed expressions of shock.
They had heard much about the famous Azure Dragon Temple, and many scattered teachings were found among the populace, but this was their first time seeing a true disciple.
Wang Tiancheng then said, "I noticed that Hall Master Lu’s Great Vajra Fist differs greatly from the scattered teachings outside; is it the true inheritance of the Azure Dragon Temple?"
As early as the time of the Beast Tide, Wang Tiancheng had recognized that Lu Dingtai was using the Great Vajra Fist.
But fists can vary greatly.
As a sect with a very long-standing tradition, much of the Azure Dragon Temple’s martial arts have been passed down among the populace.
Most of these heritages come from the outer disciples dismissed by the Azure Dragon Temple due to having no hope of advancing to the Inner Sect, so the teachings are incomplete and the power is just average.
So at that time, Wang Tiancheng and Xu Niannian didn’t pay much attention.
But when Lu Dingtai woke up and successfully advanced to the Fifth Realm, the Great Vajra Fist he exhibited showed terrifying power.
With just one punch, he seriously injured Shi Donglai, who was also in the Fifth Realm.
This indicated that the Great Vajra Fist Lu Dingtai used didn’t come from scattered teachings but was truly inherited.
That’s why the three showed such surprise.
Faced with Wang Tiancheng’s questioning, Lu Dingtai did not hide anything and nodded directly, "Yes, the fist technique I use is indeed the True Inheritance Fist Technique of the Azure Dragon Temple."
Wang Tiancheng let out a heavy breath, then solemnly cupped his fists in respect, "So Hall Master Lu is an Inner Sect disciple of the Azure Dragon Temple?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Dingtai shook his head, "No."
"Huh?" Wang Tiancheng was somewhat bewildered.
The Azure Dragon Temple, or rather all the sects of the Thirteen Sects Beyond the World, are the same: only upon entering the Inner Sect can one receive the true inheritance.
That’s why Wang Tiancheng instinctively thought Lu Dingtai was an Inner Sect disciple of the Azure Dragon Temple.
Unexpectedly, Lu Dingtai denied it.
"There’s no need to guess. I am indeed not an Inner Sect disciple of the Azure Dragon Temple. As for why I know the True Inheritance, the reasons are very complex and can’t be easily explained to you."
"I see, then we three will not disturb you further."
Since Lu Dingtai was unwilling to elaborate, Wang Tiancheng naturally didn’t dare press any further.
Moreover, regardless of whether he was an Inner Sect disciple or not, Lu Dingtai’s strength was evident, and they couldn’t help but respect him.
He turned to Zhao Ya, smiling as he spoke.
"Zhao, the agreement I made with you earlier still stands. Of course, I’m not presuming you will join my sect; I just believe that if you wish to develop further, you should go out more and broaden your horizons."
"So when you come to the Capital City in the future, be sure to visit the Golden Saber Institute and spar with me for a few days."
Faced with Wang Tiancheng’s heartfelt invitation, Zhao Ya was naturally very grateful.
"Sure, if I visit, I won’t avoid imposing."
Wang Tiancheng clasped his fists towards Lu Dingtai and Zhao Ya, and then the three of them leaped up and soon disappeared into the early morning light.
Watching the direction they left, Zhao Ya exhaled slightly.
"It’s dawn!"
"Indeed, it’s dawn."
After a night of fierce battle, the once-dominant Wei Hongbin was killed, and his subordinates either fled or surrendered, even the cavalry camp outside the city was empty.
Many people only realized the change when they woke up.
The cavalry lords who once ruled over them were expelled by the city’s martial artists, leading to their wild elation.
The Commandery City was filled with jubilation, with some even lighting firecrackers, their crackling sounds adding to the festive atmosphere.
As the absolute protagonists of this battle, the martial artists were treated like heroes.
Whenever they walked through the streets in their martial attire, merchants would forcibly shove their goods into their hands.
From fruits and grains to gold and silver jewelry, they simply couldn’t refuse.
Passersby gathered around them, and bold young women even asked if they were single.
In short, the entire Commandery City was in a frenzy of celebration.
Zhao Ya did not stop them.
Because he knew, after enduring so much oppression, it’s normal for them to be a bit over-excited upon victory.
But this left the martial artists with a blissful trouble.
And it was not only the martial artists; Zhao Ya himself was also pursued relentlessly by the crowd.
As the planner and initiator of this battle, his contribution was undoubtedly the greatest.
Though the final decisive blow was delivered by his master Lu Dingtai at the critical moment.
But facing a Fifth Realm martial artist, especially one with a bad temper, anyone with any sense wouldn’t dare provoke him.
In contrast, Zhao Ya was much more approachable.
Especially since he was young, and it’s heard that apart from an orphan girl, he had no family ties.
All this made Zhao Ya the center of attention, especially among many young women.
After being chased several times, Zhao Ya finally realized that being too popular wasn’t always a good thing.
To avoid these troubles, he could only choose to disguise himself and sneak out.
Even so, there were still a few times where he was almost recognized.
At this moment.
Looking at the listless Zhao Ya sitting across the table, Shang Luoluo chuckled.
"Why do I feel like you’re not very happy?"
"I am indeed a bit unhappy."
"Why? Now your name is on everyone’s lips in the city, countless noble daughters are enamored by you and want to marry you, this is every man’s dream, why are you so down?" Shang Luoluo teased.
Zhao Ya sighed helplessly, "Alright, stop teasing me. Imagine having people swarm around you all day, even following you to the restroom."
"Sounds quite awkward."
"Exactly, now you understand why I’m so bothered."
"So you came to my place for some peace?" Shang Luoluo said with a teasing smile.
"Yes, the Martial Arts Hall isn’t livable anymore, for the first time I realized how fast those normally sheltered young girls can run, even the guards at the hall couldn’t keep them out, they snuck in without being noticed."
"Haha, I heard the guards at your Martial Arts Hall have been receiving so many bribes lately," Shang Luoluo laughed.
Zhao Ya paused, realizing it wasn’t inadvertent at all, it was all business, and he gritted his teeth in anger.
"Gu Mingdong, just wait until I return!"
"Alright, do me a favor."
Saying this, Shang Luoluo took out a stack of white paper fans.
"What’s this for?" Zhao Ya was puzzled.
"Well, my friends heard I’m close to you, and asked me to get some of your things, after thinking about it, I figured you writing a few words would be best."
"Alright!"
The guest is king.
Since I’m hiding out at her place, writing a few words isn’t too much.
Though he hadn’t practiced calligraphy much, due to his precise muscle control, Zhao Ya’s writing wasn’t unpleasant, and even had a bit of imposing flair.
After finishing a few strokes.
Shang Luoluo was very satisfied after scrutinizing them, carefully storing the paper fans, she then smiled and said, "Paper fans handwritten by the currently popular Young Hero Zhao, selling for a few hundred taels each isn’t too much, right?"