Mystical Journey

"Oh by the way, what happened to that small policeman who was catching up from behind?" Garen recalled the incidents one at a time from his memories, and thought of the small policeman, Jia Ning who came rushing back. According to the Sky Warrior Corbella, this small policeman was a righteous young man who was trying to help him escape the ambush. However, it hadn’t occurred to him that Garen was able to deal with the Behemoth Gate and Black Mark association single-handedly.

"No idea. I think he’s still at the Crimson Sand Sword."

Garen nodded. He admired such a grateful person.

As he collected his thoughts, the eighth Golden Hoop had already arranged an airplane to Harmony City.

Not far away from Harmony City was Wei Maen City, which was also where the headquarters of the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate was located. The fastest way to Wei Maen City was to go from the Skylark Mountain Range, nearby the city.

It was also the secret hideout of White Bird Holy Fist Palosa.

The two of them were engaged in further discourse; the eighth Golden Hoop was asking advice on techniques in practicing secret martial arts. Garen truthfully answered as much as he knew.

Most of his experience and techniques were taught by his master and acquired from his physical exercise. Although he had not plan his training to be as as detailed as some other fighters, he was knowledgeable in some training that could injure muscles in the body.

These were the riches of every fighter that would never be enough.

The next morning, the gate master of the Crimson Sand Sword brought along two of his disciples and the small policeman Jia Ning to a visit.

Just as they sat down, Corbella of the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate came with two of his disciples as well.

The courtyard was densely surrounded by the Men in Black. They were all special forces mobilized by the Golden Hoop. The two of them were hints to Garen’s background.

Inside the white spacious living room.

The Crimson sand Sword Gate sat on a white sofa on the left, whereas the people from the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate sat on the sofa on the right. In the middle were Garen and the eighth Golden Hoop.

The morning rays seeped in from the entrance and formed golden enigmas shaped onto the ground, brightly reflected by the white floor tiles and lighting up the whole living room.

As everyone sat down, Garen glanced and observed both parties.

On the left, the gate master of the Crimson Sand Sword Gate and two of his disciples carried a weary look. They obviously had not recovered from the incident a few days ago. The small policeman Jia Ning was looking at him helplessly as if he was lost in thought.

On the right, the Sky Warrior Corbella noticed Garen’s eyes upon him and politely smiled back.

He had brought two of his very similar looking disciples along, one male and the other female, who looked like they were in their thirties. Not only did they look like twins, they also seemed to possess good demeanor. On hindsight, these two were skeptical of Garen as they greeted him. They obviously could not believe that Garen, who was supposedly about the same age as their son could have achieved the top of the martial arts world.

"And what might be the reason for this visitation?" Garen questioned them directly.

"Gate Master Garen, we the Crimson Sand Sword are here today because of your help a few days ago. The Crimson Sand Sword Gate could have been destroyed if you had not reached out." He glanced at his beautiful disciples.

Although this disciple looked like she was below 15 years old, she already had an developed figure. With a full cheongsam-like uniform and a short skirt on her body with a brown ponytail hairstyle, she walked towards Garen and passed him a white bank cheque with both of her hands.

"Please accept this as our thanks Gate Master Garen." The girl smiled sweetly with her big eyes. Her skin was flawless like a porcelain doll even when viewed from such a close distance.

She obeyed his father’s arrangement and passed Garen the cheque on her own accord. This allowed her to showcase her pure and charming seduction. Garen looked vigorous and imposing as he sat firmly in the middle of the living room. He was like an aggressive beast in the living room, pressuring others with power and influence. Anyone who entered his presence would feel a strange feeling of oppression.

This was not the cause of spirit but the effect of his reputation. Like a commoner meeting someone with authority, psychological pressure is not uncommon. .

"If I could seduce him, perhaps we can put this man onto the Crimson Sand Sword’s Chariot, and the success rate of father’s plan would increase tremendously." The idea kept churning inside the girl’s mind.

Although she knew that Beo had a crush on her, it was an incomparable difference between the man currently in front of her. She was a girl with extreme greed. After being appointed as a navigator by her father, she started recruiting potential fighters into the Gate. This visit was most probably suggested by her as well.

The girl smiled sweetly again as dimples appeared on her cheeks.

The cheque had ten million dollars in Federation currency presented by a pure, beautiful and seductive young woman.

Any hot blooded young fighter would not be able to resist.

Since fighters were all hot blooded, this meant that their body would produce more endocrine. Naturally, their natural desire would amplify tremendously as well.

Unfortunately, Garen didn’t give her a second look after glancing at her.

"I don’t need the cheque. To me, money is as of no significance. If you really want to thank me, please allow me to enter your secret martial arts treasury and read on some non-core based secret martial arts."

"Studying secret martial arts?" The Crimson Sand Sword Gate Master was stunned. Then he smiled. "I see. You’d need these since the White Cloud Gate Master had already reached such a level. We will naturally comply but please understand that we will not show you any high class secret martial arts related to the Crimson Sand Sword. However, the others are fine." As he was afraid of any misunderstanding from Garen, he continued after pausing a while. "Don’t worry, There are at least fifty types of middle range secret martial arts."

"Thank you,. Mr..." Garen thought for a while and realized that he did not know his name yet.

"Call me Luther."

"Thank you, Gate Master." Luther

Both of them smiled in satisfaction as they looked at each other.

"It’s our turn to talk since both of you have finished chatting." The Sky Warrior Corbella voiced out as he sat at the sofa that could only fit one person.

"Please do, Sky Warrior Corbella." Garen focused his attention onto him after he waved his hand to dismiss the girl.

Corbella introduced both of his disciples.

"These two are from our headquarters. Under the Gate Master’s instruction, we would like to invite Gate Master Garen to our headquarters to meet the Gate Master."

Both of the youngsters were wearing a white suit. The man with mustache stood up and bowed slightly towards Garen.

"Dear respected Gate Master Garen, we have come to greet you with the utmost respect in place of the Gate Master. The Gate Master is very happy that there is a new grandmaster of combat in the martial art world. Unfortunately, due to the immense workload he is currently facing, he is unable to visit you in the flesh. If Gate Master Garen could pay him a visit personally..."

Paying a visit to each other’s place was a common social practice to indicate that the respective Gates were of the same level. The Gate Master of the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate had obviously positioned Garen of the White Cloud Gate as the same social standing as him.

Once Garen visits him, the opposite party must welcome him in an extravagant manner.

"I appreciate the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate Master’s attention. I will definitely pay a visit very soon. Please do not worry." Garen had already planned to visit the Southern Sky Holy Fist Gate so it was natural for him to do so, since the opposite party had shown more than enough respect.

Both of them bowed once more before they sat back down.

Sky Warrior Corbella had finished his most important task.

"Please voice out freely if Gate Master Garen had any more request. Corbella has some connections in the southern area."

"I shall thank you in advance, Sky Warrior Corbella."

"Then I will await your visit soon." Corbella nodded. He already knew that Garen planned to challenge White Bird Holy Fist. He planned to find a few good spots in the Skylark Mountain Range for this high level duel. He had also invited a few good friends to spectate the duel as well as it was a battle that no fighter would wish to miss.

He couldn’t help but to look at Garen once more as he thought about it.

He recalled that inhumane battle that night. Clark, who was many times stronger than him was beaten like he was a rubbish bag. He had clearly been broken by Garen as he hadn’t even dared to turn around and insult Garen as he escaped.

How much difference in battle power could cause such a result?

Was the martial art world going to rise to its prime again?

Garen and Andrela, who were both geniuses appeared in the same generation.

Corbella’s mind churned.

Garen didn’t know what Corbella was thinking, and started with both parties on the topic of the status of the martial art world. He then had a general knowing of the martial artists around the world.

In the martial art world, those who were below the grandmasters of combat were extremely weak against firearms. Any slightly trained gunner could pose a great threat towards the fighters, much less go against them head on.

Only the people who were the grandmasters of combat could go square ahead with firearms. Since they were different from the lower ranks, the government of each country has different attitudes towards the grandmasters of combat.

The Federation’s view towards them wasn’t too serious, but they did not take them lightly either. A grandmaster of combat was just one man after all. They could kill him instantly with specially made ammunition, from a few kilometers away with a special firearm.

On the other hand, Weisman respected the grandmasters of combat. However, they did not have many information regarding them as they had the least number of them. Most of the grandmasters of combat were from the east, as all of them were mostly influenced by ancient martial arts. Most of the ships from the east made landfall at the Yalu Confederation, as the Weisman Kingdom was too far away. Geographical location was a major factor.

As for Galantia, the majority of their martial arts were bred locally. There, martial arts based on ancient weapons were advocated, with a variety of styles and types due to the sizeable amount of grandmasters of combat they inhabited. However, it was not similar to the east.

"The position of being a grandmaster of combat is gaining momentum internationally. It may be because technology is getting more advanced and there are less foundations as time goes on. As a result, people who practice martial arts become few and far between. Most people view martial arts as a form of sports that helps them train their bodies." Corbella sighed. "Although our positions are getting more and more important, the quantity of the new generation of the grandmaster of combat is much lower when compared to previous ones. For the past decade, there have been less than five grandmaster of combat that are from the new generation. Same goes for the North."

"There’s less than ten in total?" Garen frowned. The martial art world was in a worse state than he had previously thought. "This means that there are only two more people who became a grandmaster of combat in the southern region, excluding myself; Andrela and Beo?"