Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 82 First Steps into the Inner Courtyard: Tensions Rise

Three days later, Chen Yu stepped into the Sword Guard Hall.

The gate to the Sword Guard Hall is a pair of double iron and wooden doors.

There were no guards at the gate, because they weren't needed.

The Sword Guard Hall is one of the most heavily guarded places in the inner courtyard.

According to the rules of the manor, any ordinary disciple who approaches without being summoned can be apprehended immediately.

The squadron led by Chen Yu was in the sixth courtyard of the Sword Guard Hall.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, and the afternoon sunlight streamed in from behind him.

The Sixth Hospital is very large, with a row of seven main halls directly opposite, featuring upturned eaves and corners.

A black plaque with gold lettering hangs under the eaves, bearing the three large characters "Jianwei Hall".

There is a row of side rooms on the east and west sides.

At this moment, the courtyard was full of people.

Fifty inner court sword guards, all dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with a silver pattern of crossed swords embroidered on their left chests.

Any one of these people could be a formidable expert in the outer or middle courtyards, yet they all stood silently in place, not uttering a single word.

Chen Yu walked from the gate to the center of the courtyard.

The courtyard was completely silent.

The gazes of the fifty sword guards converged on Chen Yu from all directions.

These gazes contained scrutiny, assessment, undisguised hostility, and a hint of curiosity hidden beneath the hostility.

But no one stepped forward to bow.

No one greeted them.

No one even offered their name.

The news of his consecutive kills of Liu Chenyu and Cai Zhongtie at the sword-testing arena had already spread throughout the entire inner courtyard.

These people are standing here today, partly to recognize the new leader.

On the other hand, more people are assessing the capabilities of this young man from the Intermediate People's Court.

Chen Yu remained silent.

He stood under the locust tree, his gaze sweeping from the plaque in the main hall to the crowds in the east and west corridors.

Beside the pillars, a burly middle-aged man stood with his arms crossed, his eyes unusually indifferent.

His name is Han Tieshan. He served as a squad leader in the Sixth Hall of the Sword Guard for nine years and was a veteran promoted by Cai Zhongtie.

At this moment, his thick eyebrows were lowered very low, and from the moment Chen Yu pushed the door open and came in, his gaze had not left Chen Yu.

Standing next to Han Tieshan was his deputy, a lean man in his early fifties named Ma Ping.

Ma Ping, who was usually very good at reading people, tilted his head and whispered something in his ear.

"That's him. He doesn't look like much! He's not even as strong as one of my new recruits!"

Han Tieshan did not answer, but only gave a very soft hum from his nose.

That snort sounded particularly jarring in the quiet courtyard.

But Chen Yu didn't react at all, and didn't even glance in that direction.

"Creak!"

Just then, the main hall door was pushed open from the inside.

"You're Chen Yu?"

The speaker emerged from the shadows in front of the main hall entrance.

Chen Yu looked up.

This person is very tall, about two meters.

His frame is not broad, and his shoulders are rather narrow.

Her waist was incredibly thin.

A silver-gray belt cinched her waist, making her waistline even slimmer than most women.

He was also wearing the black, close-fitting attire of a sword guard.

But unlike the rough and rugged people in the courtyard.

The same uniform, when worn by him, somehow managed to give off an ethereal, Taoist-style feel.

The fabric fit him exceptionally well, with the cuffs and collar tightly gathered without a single extra wrinkle.

"My secular name is Si Jianzhang, and my Taoist name is Yulian. Everyone calls me Yulianzi. I used to be Commander Cai's deputy and have been in this courtyard for five years."

As Yu Lianzi spoke, Chen Yu sized him up.

This person's features were so exquisite that it was almost impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

Her skin was a cool white, almost transparent white.

Her eyes are classic peach blossom eyes, with slightly upturned corners and long, thick eyelashes.

The bridge of the nose is straight, and the tip of the nose is small.

The lips are thin with full cupid's bow, and the color is a natural light pink with a slightly moist, fleshy feel.

If this face were on a woman, it would be a face that could bewitch and bewitch people.

But it just so happens to grow on a man, and on a skilled deputy commander of the sword guards.

After taking a good look, Chen Yu took a deep breath.

Then, meeting his gaze, I nodded.

"What's up?"

Yu Lianzi stood at the top of the stone steps, her hands behind her back.

His gaze swept over the people in the courtyard and landed squarely on Chen Yu under the locust tree.

"I admit that you killed Cai Zhongtie with your bare hands, and everyone here admits it."

"The life-or-death contract has been signed, the rules of the arena are watertight, and the young master has also nodded in front of the four stands. You are now in the position of commander. According to the rules, no one can find fault with it."

"But hand-to-hand combat is between you and Cai Zhongtie. If you win, it only proves that your martial arts skills are superior to his, not anything else."

He paused for a moment at this point.

Then he took a step forward and descended one step from the top of the stone steps.

Yu Lianzi stopped on that stone step and looked down at Chen Yu.

The height difference between the two people was reduced by half a body length at this moment.

"Fists and swords are two different things."

"Different levels of Qi and blood lead to different weapon skills and different life-and-death rhythms."

"Just because you can defeat Cai Zhongtie with your bare hands doesn't mean you can take any one of the people in this courtyard into battle with a sword."

"The people here don't respect you, not because of who you are, but because you haven't proven to them what makes you qualified to stand in this chair!"

The sound echoed throughout the courtyard in the silence.

Every swordsman heard those words clearly.

Standing beside the pillar, Han Tieshan's lips twitched slightly, revealing a barely perceptible cold smile.

Under the eaves of the west wing, several younger sword guards exchanged glances, their eyes filled with anticipation for a show.

A few troublemakers started muttering in an unabashedly loud voice, their tone full of anticipation for a good show.

"Deputy Commander Yu has spoken for us. Winning with bare hands is one thing, but matters of weaponry are another."

"Exactly! We can't expect the commander to face swords and blades bare-handed on missions in the future! What would become of the brothers then?"

"You're absolutely right! If he didn't have the ability, why would we entrust our brothers' lives to him?"

Under the eaves of the west wing, a few young sword guards, upon hearing this, were also unable to contain themselves.

A tall, thin man nudged the person next to him with his elbow, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Here it comes! I knew Deputy Commander Yu wouldn't stay silent!"

"Nonsense! He's been with Cai Zhongtie for five years, and he fought his way to that position with his own fists and sword. Now, a newcomer from the Central Academy who hasn't even shown his weapons has been parachuted in. Who would submit to that?"

"I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to see what kind of weapon Chen Yu used. When he fought Cai Zhongtie, he used his fists and never revealed his weapon."

At the back of the crowd, young sword guards who had just been promoted from the Central Court a few years ago stood on the outermost edge.

They couldn't see what was happening in the center of the field at all; they could only peer through the gaps in the crowd, tiptoeing forward.

One of the slightly chubby boys, named Sun Dayong, was so nervous that he kept rubbing his hands together and asked the person next to him in a trembling voice.

"Just how powerful is this Yu Lianzi? How come he speaks with more authority than Cai Zhongtie? Cai Zhongtie is the commander, and he's just a deputy."

His companion, Zhao Siping, turned his head and glared at him, his tone filled with disdain for the newcomer's ignorance.

"You dare to come here without even knowing this? Before entering the inner courtyard, Yu Lianzi was a Taoist priest from Lingjian Mountain. He entered the Taoist path at fourteen, touched a sword at sixteen, and at eighteen, he fought a famous swordsman of the time, killing him with a single strike!"

"That year, Yu Lianzi was only eighteen years old, and she had already reached the Tendon Refining Realm! Now she has long since entered the Minor Completion Realm of Bone Refining!"

"The reason he's the deputy is because he respects Cai Zhongtie and doesn't want to be the head, not because he's only qualified to be the deputy!"

"not to mention……"

His voice lowered even further.

"Cai Zhongtie is dead. Who among the remaining old men in this compound is most qualified to take over as commander? Who else could it be but him? Have you counted how many people are standing behind him?"

"So who's backing him? Commander Cai is dead, who's protecting him now?"

Sun Dayong asked, puzzled.

Zhao Siping remained silent for a moment, then lowered his voice to a level that only the two of them could hear.

"You think Cai Zhongtie is the most powerful person in this courtyard? Above Cai Zhongtie is Pei Shifeng, one of the six deputy commanders of the Sword Guard Hall, who commands over a hundred people."

"Yu Lianzi and Cai Zhongtie are both Pei Shifeng's men. Cai Zhongtie occupies the position of commander, while Yu Lianzi occupies the position of strategist."

"Do you think only Yu Lianzi is dissatisfied with today's performance? Pei Shifeng's men have been killed, so who's going to sit in this chair? Without his approval, no one can sit comfortably!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Dayong gasped and shrank back.

When I stood on tiptoe to look ahead again, a thin layer of sweat had already seeped out on my forehead.

Under the old locust tree in the center of the courtyard, Chen Yu stood about twelve steps away from Yu Lianzi.

He has been observing ever since he entered the courtyard.

Observe each face.

He saw all the emotions on those faces, from contempt to curiosity, from hostility to expectation.

He had heard about the rules of the Sword Guard Hall even before he stepped through that door.

This is not just a place to judge seniority, nor is it just a place to show personal relationships.

Everyone here came up here through fighting.

Their superiority in the inner courtyard ultimately stems from their strength.

Anyone who wants to stand above them needs more than just the young master's token; they also need more than just two corpses on the arena.

Cai Zhongtie's death only proves that he was stronger than Cai Zhongtie.

It cannot be proven that he is better than anyone else in this courtyard.

At least that's how they see it.

Chen Yu understood perfectly well.

Liu Chenyu and Cai Zhongtie still have their followers.

These people had been under Cai Zhongtie's command for too long. From the distribution of silver to the arrangement of tasks, the entire chain of interests was tied to Cai Zhongtie.

Now that Cai Zhongtie is dead, it's like the main shaft has broken.

All the benefits had already been divided up in an orderly manner during Cai Zhongtie's era.

If a stranger suddenly comes in, they are unlikely to willingly hand over what's in their bowl.

Today, Yu Lianzi stands up, and behind him stands not only his own pride, but also the vested interests of the Cai Zhongtie era.

Chen Yu turned around and faced the main hall.

He stepped out of the shadow of the locust tree and looked up at the jade lotus seeds on the stone steps.

Their eyes met in the air, neither flinching nor yielding.

"Would you like to have a contest?"

Chen Yu said in an unfriendly tone.

"certainly!"

Yu Lianzi drew a lotus-shaped iron sword from her waist.

He walked to the center of the stone steps with his sword in hand, then dropped the tip of the sword down onto the stone surface.

"Ding~"

A cold, crisp sound rang out.

Then he raised the tip of his sword, pointing it directly at Chen Yu from a distance of about ten steps.

"Commander, I don't need to repeat the rules of this courtyard. Whether you sit firmly in this chair today is not something I, Yu Lianzi, can decide with a word, nor is it something the young master can give with a token. You earned it yourself with your weapons."

Yu Lianzi flipped the sword over so that the spine was facing up and the blade was facing down.

"If you win, from now on, if anyone in this courtyard dares to utter a single word of dissent, I, Yu Lianzi, will be the first to stand up and shut them up!"

"From now on, you'll be in charge of deploying troops and setting up defenses, and I'll be in charge of relaying orders. You'll be in charge of organizing the squads and taking turns on duty, and I'll be in charge of arranging the formations."

"Just open your mouth, and I'll run the errands; you dare to make the decision, and I dare to take action!"

"I'll press the button for everyone in this courtyard, down to the last person."

His voice suddenly turned somber.

"However, even if you lose, you can still wear the commander's token on your waist."

"Because it was given to you by the young master, no one will stop you from wearing it while going through the formalities."

"But from now on, you just need to move your chair to the main hall and sit down. You don't need to worry about the rest."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard changed.

This isn't just a matter of being dissatisfied; it's practically a coup.

This is a blatant declaration to everyone that today's fight is not just about martial arts, but also about deciding the fate of the world.

The loser must not only relinquish face, but also relinquish real power!

Under the eaves, Han Tieshan finally lowered his arms, which he had been holding in front of his chest.

He leaned forward slightly, his lips pressed tightly together.

The previous contempt had been replaced by a deeper tension.

After all, he was someone who had shared meat during Cai Zhongtie's era. If Yu Lianzi wins today, the layout of the courtyard will remain the same, and he will get every last bit of food from his bowl.

If Ke Yulianzi loses, there will be no one else between him and Chen Yu who can stop her.

"Yu Lianzi doesn't want a competition; he wants to overturn the table!"

Zhao Siping's tone was extremely excited.

"Yu Lianzi is setting up a trap, forcing Commander Chen to take the attack. If he can't handle it, the title of Commander will be meaningless from now on."

Sun Dayong's palms were sweating with nervousness: "Will the commander accept the challenge?"

Zhao Siping continued.

"He can't refuse! Think about it, what would happen if he didn't? The whole yard would be watching. If he didn't answer, it would be like admitting defeat. Who would listen to him then?"

"They dared to force him to fight in front of the whole courtyard today. Do you think it'll end well if he doesn't accept? Losing is losing, refusing is also losing, just in different ways!"

Sun Dayong, standing timidly behind Zhao Siping, asked, "What if Yu Lianzi wins? Will Commander Chen have to step down and give way to a more capable person?"

Zhao Siping sneered, his lips turning down.

"Won? Winning is too easy. Cai Zhongtie's chair was personally helped up by our Deputy Commander Yu, and major events outside were decided by our Deputy Commander Pei!"

"Commander Chen's victory over Cai Zhongtie was a true test on the stage, but can he single-handedly turn the entire Sword Guard Hall upside down? If Yu Lianzi wins, who do you think will be in charge of this courtyard from now on?"

Sun Dayong didn't dare to reply.

"If you want to fight, then I'll fight you to the bitter end!"

Chen Yu said frankly.

There's no point in saying more now that things have come to this.

Let's see who's truly capable!

"good!"

Yu Lianzi stood on the last step of the stone steps, and suddenly raised the tip of her sword, pointing it directly at Chen Yu's face from ten steps away.

"That's exactly what I've been waiting to hear!"

Under the old locust tree, Chen Yu drew his deer-slaying knife from his waist.

The blade was blood red, and in the sunlight it looked like a flowing flame.

Chen Yu held the knife at his side with the spine facing outwards.

The tip of the knife was three inches off the ground, maintaining the exact same height as the tip of Yu Lianzi's sword.

"The loser shall henceforth address the other as 'Senior Brother' whenever they see each other."

Yu Lianzi bent her legs slightly and lowered her center of gravity.

He raised the hilt of his sword to chin level, with the tip pointing directly at Chen Yu's throat.