Chapter 782: Suppressing the First Seat

"Hahaha, old man! Brother A-Yang, you've arrived so early!"

"The feeling is mutual, Iron Arhat. I was just thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful if only Brother A-Yang and I met, with no one else showing up?"

Music Princess Lingwu's playful teasing drew hearty laughter from everyone.

"You little rascal, are you trying to charm Brother A-Yang? Don't even try! I'm telling you, Brother A-Yang's strength far exceeds all of ours! Your little tricks won't have any effect on him."

Everyone shared a good laugh, and the atmosphere instantly became much livelier.

Afterward, Elder Brother Tan, the older gentleman present, kindly introduced the four individuals to Xu Yang.

Unbeknownst to him, these four were exemplary martial heroes from within Chang'le Commandery, each leading a substantial martial arts organization.

Wandering Immortal commanded a group of over eighty ronin, all his sworn brothers whom he had brought from his homeland.

Sword Fanatic, on the other hand, had a unique identity. As a long-time solitary practitioner, he had no subordinates or apprentices, typically only associating with these few people.

Shadow Lord was a dedicated practitioner of ninjutsu, commanding hundreds of disciples and absolutely first-rate in intelligence gathering.

Among them, the most remarkable was the young woman, Music Princess Lingwu.

Not only was she sweet-faced and exceptionally skilled in music, but she also owned music establishments throughout Chang'le Commandery and two neighboring prefectural cities, making her a celebrated performer of her generation.

"Brother A-Yang, from this day forward, whether in Chang'le Commandery or anywhere else, with us brothers by your side, even if the Enforcement Hall dares to challenge you, just give the word. Our forces from all sides will gather and ensure you have all the support you need!"

Xu Yang gazed deeply at these few people, finally resting his gaze on Elder Brother Tan.

"Thank you for your high esteem. You are the first martial heroes we have befriended. From today, if you are willing, I can lead you to conquer all corners, forge a great undertaking, and ensure your names resound throughout the Yingzhou region!"

Elder Brother Tan and the others heard Xu Yang's words and then burst into laughter.

Xu Yang could tell that they didn't take his bold pronouncements too seriously, understanding that his current abilities were perceived only as those of a powerful martial artist.

"Brother, we don't aspire to widespread fame or renown. What's most important in life is camaraderie and loyalty. To be able to befriend an open-hearted brother like you, what more could we ask for? No matter what difficulties you face in the future, just remember that we will all follow you, come what may!

We always admired Master San's character, but sadly, he has been disheartened and struggled for years, with no clear prospects for advancement. Furthermore, due to pressure from the Enforcement Hall, we couldn't associate too closely with him.

But now, with your presence, you can bring together like-minded individuals like us, and that is precisely what we most wished to see!

We are accustomed to a carefree life, but we've always wandered the world without a fixed home. Now, with you and Master San among us, we drifters finally have a place to belong."

For some reason, their words filled Xu Yang with a pang of emotion. He secretly vowed to himself that on this trip to Yingzhou, he would secure a bright future for these individuals.

"Rest assured, from now on, we shall share all good fortunes together."

No sooner had Xu Yang finished speaking than two Shadow Stream experts, covered in blood, suddenly appeared and knelt on one knee before Shadow Lord.

"Master, things are dire. The Chief of the Enforcement Hall has suddenly led an assault into Baimu Forest. It seems they have at least two to three hundred top experts; they must have received intelligence about our gathering here in advance. Our brothers are currently fighting fiercely on the periphery, and over half of them have already been injured."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yang finally understood that these martial leaders had all arrived ahead of time. Each had brought many followers who had come to join them, but those slower individuals had gradually fallen behind. Who would have thought that in such a brief time, they would be ambushed by the Enforcement Hall?

"This bastard dares to attack my people!"

Shadow Lord erupted in fury. Similarly, Wandering Immortal, Sword Fanatic, and Music Princess, who were by his side, all displayed righteous indignation.

"The Enforcement Hall has always been arrogant, and truly, no one has been able to curb them. But now that they humiliate us like this, I will not retreat, even if it means fighting to the death today."

Just then, Xu Yang let out a few hearty laughs and patted their shoulders.

"Enough. Today is the day I forge friendships with you all, my brothers. For the sake of our grand future, where we will conquer all directions, today I shall personally slay the Chief of the Enforcement Hall! I will use his head to commemorate our fallen brothers."

As soon as Xu Yang's voice faded, without waiting for those who considered themselves his elders to stop him, he transformed into a blur and vanished from the spot.

"My heavens, Brother A-Yang's speed is incredible... Has he been holding back his strength all this time? This man is likely far more powerful than we ever imagined!"

"Regardless of his identity, Brother A-Yang is someone we should deeply befriend. From now on, let's follow him!"

Led by Elder Brother Tan, Shadow Lord and the other three nodded gravely, wholeheartedly deciding to follow Xu Yang.

However, when the five of them arrived at the battlefield, they witnessed a scene that would forever be etched in their memories.

They watched as Xu Yang, alone, single-handedly faced the siege of two to three hundred elite Enforcement Hall experts. Not only was he completely unperturbed, but with every strike, he effortlessly eliminated ten or twenty people! Such devastating combat power utterly stunned the old brothers.

"Such strength... My God, am I really not dreaming?"

Music Princess was completely dumbfounded; she even felt as though she had fallen in love with Xu Yang.

What woman wouldn't be captivated by such a magnificent, righteous, and extraordinarily powerful young man?

In just a blink of an eye, Xu Yang wreaked havoc, utterly annihilating the two to three hundred Enforcement Hall warriors before him. This scene was deeply etched into the eyes of the white-bearded old man, the Chief of the Enforcement Hall.

This white-bearded old man was, without a doubt, the foremost expert in all of Chang'le Commandery. He rarely stationed himself within the commandery city, so his sudden return this time must have been for a significant reason.

But it seemed he wouldn't have time to return to Chang'le Commandery. When he received the Third Elder's letter and decided to lead these elites in a raid on Baimu Forest, his fate was sealed.

Outside the Chief of the Enforcement Hall's sedan, the short, black-clad youth was none other than Ye Xiao, the Grand Elder of the Chang'le Enforcement Hall.

"Lord Chief, this young man appears very powerful, but I cannot discern the style of his martial arts!"

The Chief merely sneered, "No matter how strong, he's just an unrefined practitioner. Go confront him!"