Fortunately, it was already past the rush hour. I took a taxi and arrived at the Guowei Martial Arts Hall in about ten minutes.
As soon as I walked in, I found that the disciples were still training as usual, but most of them seemed to be 'slacking off'. Some were secretly playing with their mobile phones, some were chatting, and only a few were seriously training. After seeing me, they hurriedly stopped and greeted me, showing undisguised worship and awe.
Grandmaster Chen had previously announced that I would be the judge of this month's martial arts hall assessment. In other words, I had the "power of life and death" over each and every one of them. Although it was a bit exaggerated, it was an indisputable fact.
Today's Guowei Martial Arts Hall could be said to be like the sun in the sky. It was an invisible honor to be able to stay in the Guowei Martial Arts Hall. When they walked out, they straightened their backs and looked very proud. In the eyes of outsiders, it was a matter of course.
In the past, only Gyeongbu Hall had such an honor. It was conceivable that my brilliant performance in the dojo challenge competition had brought them many benefits. Even the cultivation resources were a lot more than before.
However, I still felt that this was far from a reason for them to slack off. The road of martial arts was like rowing a boat against the current. If you don't move forward, you will fall back. If you want to really stand firm, you have to be strong.
"It seems that I need to say a few words." I cleared my throat and looked around. The disciples suddenly quieted down.
"Everyone knows that I am in charge of this dojo assessment. But looking at the situation, He Gang didn't tell you, right?
I will say it again. Don't have any wishful thinking, and don't think about making an exception. I can tell you very clearly that there is no such thing as making an exception. No matter who it is, in my eyes, they are just participants in the assessment, "I said unhurriedly.
"Oh."
These disciples were a little dumbfounded and couldn't help but look at He Gang. The latter's old face turned red and was slightly embarrassed, but he didn't say anything.
In fact, I also understood that He Gang was in a dilemma. In the past, he basically had no status among the disciples of the Guowei Martial Arts Hall. He was the last one.
But during the dojo challenge, when I was in danger, He Gang's eagerness showed that he and I were brothers. Because of this, He Gang's position among the disciples was only second to mine. It was like the saying, 'When a man achieves the Dao, even his chickens and dogs rise to the heavens.'
Actually, this wasn't a good thing. My state of mind had stabilized, but the disciples had become arrogant.
Grandmaster Chen has been very busy lately, so he hasn't been able to take care of everything. Moreover, he doesn't want to give them a hard time because he wants to save me some face. So, I'm the most suitable person to talk to.
"Sigh, I've discovered that some of you really don't have a good attitude. At the very least, when I mentioned this matter, your first reaction was not to secretly rejoice, but to gloat."
I didn't say it directly enough. Some of the disciples were at a loss, so I paused and continued.
"It's obvious that if He Gang doesn't work hard enough, it will be difficult for him to be promoted to an inner disciple. He might even be removed from the outer disciple list. In this way, you will have one more spot and a little more chance. You should understand that the Guowei Martial Arts Hall pays attention to fairness and justice. You can't break the rules just because of me. Hurry up, it's less than a week," I said earnestly.
After experiencing so many hardships, my state of mind had improved a lot. If I was still the young man from back then, I might have gone easy on them and let them become inner disciples as they wish, but not now.
At any time, I must do things with a clear conscience. This was my standard and principle.
As soon as I finished speaking, I heard a burst of applause.
"Well said!"
A familiar male voice came from the side. I turned my head and looked. Who else could it be besides Ye Duzui?!
Grandmaster Chen was next to him. I hadn't seen him for a while. Ye Duzui was still gentle and elegant, but he had a little beard, which made him look particularly masculine.
Grandmaster Chen called me just now and called him Lord Zhan Long. It could be imagined that this guy's identity was extraordinary.
"Cough, sorry to keep you waiting." I smiled embarrassedly.
"It's okay. Who doesn't know that you are a busy person?" Ye Duzui said teasingly.
I was a little embarrassed. I could hear the teasing in his words.
Sure enough, the older, the wiser. He first praised me, then began to criticize me. However, my own problems couldn't be ignored.
As a disciple of the Guowei Martial Arts Hall, even if I became the big brother, I couldn't be so casual and free when it came to training. Strictly speaking, I didn't set an example and train with them.
I also had a headache on this issue. After all, I couldn't split myself. Moreover, if I stayed here, their problems wouldn't be exposed. It could only be said that there were pros and cons.
Seeing that I didn't say anything, Ye Duzui took the initiative to start a topic.
"Kid, how are your preparations?" Ye Duzui asked curiously.
"There shouldn't be a problem," I said with a little hesitation.
"Should?
Are you being modest? Or do you not have the confidence? I will say the ugly words first. If you lose, you won't have another chance in the future. Kid, your growth is too fast. I am panicking. Moreover, if you lose this time, you will miss a very good opportunity. If you don't have full confidence, I can give you a few more days. "Ye Duzui frowned slightly and then added," Anyway, don't expect me to go easy on you. "
The expressions of those disciples were a little strange. Ye Duzui's words were really humorous. Although they didn't know who the big shot in front of them was, they could roughly guess from Grandmaster Chen's attitude that he was most likely a super big shot that was above the six great martial arts halls!
They looked at me with envy and jealousy, but there was no hatred. This was the benefit of strength. Thinking back to what I said before, many people secretly made up their minds.