Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 435: The Li and Ding families join forces

He paused, reached for the teacup on the table, and took a sip of the already slightly cold tea. His gaze passed through the window, seemingly gazing into the distant past. "Over a hundred years ago, Lingyuan City wasn't just dominated by four major families like it is today. Back then, five major families shared control of the city: the Ding and Ming families, along with the Chen, Kong, and Sha families." Hongze's eyes revealed a complex expression. "These families were all powerful local forces at the time. To consolidate their position and interests, they adopted extremely harsh and ruthless measures against smaller families. They would never allow any small family to rise, fearing they would be replaced by these rising stars. The entire Lingyuan City was shrouded in a tense and oppressive atmosphere, and everyone felt insecure."

"Until a new city lord arrived. His name was Gao Jinghao. Over a hundred years ago, this city lord arrived in Lingyuan City, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, causing a considerable ripple." Hong Ze put down his teacup, folded his hands over his chest, and leaned forward slightly, as if to emphasize the importance of this city lord. "From the moment he took office, he keenly perceived the difficulties facing Lingyuan City—extremely scarce resources and near isolation from the outside world. News from the outside world seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, making it difficult for the city to reach. It was like an isolated island forgotten by the world."

"To change this situation, City Lord Gao pondered and ultimately came up with a unique solution—a resource allocation system." Hong Ze's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "He stipulated that every two years, major families must hold a grand martial arts tournament. This tournament is no small feat. The winner will receive the City Lord's protection, and most of the precious resources the City Lord painstakingly brought back from the outside world will fall into the hands of the winner. However, if a family ranks last in the tournament for ten consecutive years, they will face elimination. Their status and resources will be ruthlessly replaced by other families, and they will disappear from the historical stage of Lingyuan City."

As Hong Ze recounted his story, expressions of surprise and confusion crossed the faces of Xu Tian and the other two. They seemed to be witnessing the fierce martial arts competitions of the past, where masters from various clans battled desperately in the arena, swords flashing and blood staining the arena red. The shouts and cheers of the audience were deafening, and the scene was breathtaking.

"Thus, over the course of time, the structure of the five major families quietly shifted through these repeated competitions." Hong Ze's voice was slightly low, tinged with emotion and regret. "Until fifty years ago, only the Ding and Ming families remained of the five major families. City Lord Gao realized that having only two families was detrimental to the long-term development of Lingyuan City, like a carriage missing a few wheels, struggling to move forward smoothly. However, finding a suitable new family to fill the gaps was difficult at the time, leaving him in a dilemma."

"So, City Lord Gao decided to personally support the rise of two families, which are today's Li and Cao families." Hong Ze's eyes revealed a hint of cunning, as if he was proud of knowing these secrets. "However, the Li and Cao families were initially weak, like newly sprouted seedlings, struggling to grow under the shadow of the two giant trees, the Ding and Ming families. But with their tenacious perseverance and the support of City Lord Gao, they underwent a long process of development. It wasn't until five years ago that they finally gained the strength to barely compete with the Ding and Ming families, which allowed the power structure in Lingyuan City to return to stability. Otherwise, all industries in this city would probably be firmly controlled by the Ding and Ming families, and the other families would be forced to survive in the cracks, with their living space extremely compressed."

Chen Xiner's brow furrowed, a hint of worry in her eyes. She asked softly, "So, does City Lord Gao still care about the Li and Cao families?" Her voice was gentle yet anxious. Her hands unconsciously clasped together, their fingers entwined, revealing her inner unease. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Hong Ze, as if trying to find the answer in his eyes.

Hong Ze raised his head slightly, his eyes sweeping over the three of them, and slowly said, "The Li and Cao families now have a solid foundation and can stand on their own. Therefore, City Lord Gao has restored the tradition of martial arts competition, allowing the major families to compete on the stage based on their strength. He will protect the winner, and everything will be decided by strength."

Chen Xiner frowned even more tightly, and she continued to ask, "Then which family is City Lord Gao protecting now?" Her eyes revealed a hint of tension and anxiety, and her body became more tense, as if the answer was related to their life and death.

Hong Ze smiled slightly, a hint of mystery in his eyes, and deliberately kept everyone in suspense: "Guess?" Seeing that the three did not respond, he slowly said: "It is the Ding family that is being protected now. Moreover, there have been recent reports that the Li and Ding families seem to be joining forces."

This news was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the hearts of Xu Tian and the other two. Chen Xiner's face instantly turned pale, and a hint of fear flashed through her eyes. The scene of Xu Tian causing a scene at the Li family yesterday instantly flashed through her mind, and she thought to herself, "Xu Tian caused a scene at the Li family yesterday, and this morning the Li family sent people to apologize and give gifts, and he's going to a banquet tonight. If the Ding family really joins forces with the Li family, then the Ding family will definitely be there. If a conflict breaks out then, wouldn't that be equivalent to making enemies with the Ding family and even the city lord? With our current strength, I'm afraid there's only one way out."

She turned to look at Xu Tian and Chen Yu, finding their faces equally etched with worry. Xu Tian's hands were clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles white from the strain, and his eyes betrayed a hint of anger and helplessness. He was filled with regret. His impulsive actions yesterday might have put them in a dangerous position, like a reckless deer caught in a hunter's trap, unable to escape.

Chen Yu anxiously asked, "What should we do? Shouldn't we go to the banquet?" His voice trembled, his eyes filled with helplessness. He glanced back and forth between Xu Tian and Chen Xin'er, hoping for some comfort and a solution. He rubbed his hands nervously on his knees, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead, gleaming in the morning light.

Chen Xiner shook her head slightly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "If we don't go, it will be a disgrace to the Li family. We are outsiders in Lingyuan City after all. If we offend the Li family, we will probably have a hard time in the future. Besides, we don't know when Lin Feng will be able to arrive in Lingyuan City. If something happens in the meantime, what should we do?"