I Can Merge Techniques

Chapter 400: Chapter 144: A Changed Status Shocks the Gang; A Great Leap to the Third Heaven of the Spirit Awakening Realm!

"!!!"

His senior brother’s words struck Deng Rong like a bolt of lightning.

He froze instantly, his eyes wide and round, his mouth hanging slightly open. He looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, fried to a crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

A sealed memory burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, washing away the fog in his mind!

"I... Holy shit! I remember! I finally remember!"

Deng Rong slapped his thigh, his face deathly pale and his voice cracking on the verge of tears. "It’s true! Back then, there was a boy, maybe sixteen or seventeen, peeking around the entrance to the boxing hall. He was dressed plainly, and I didn’t think he looked like he could afford the tuition, so... so I went up and questioned him a bit."

"He asked me how much silver it cost to learn boxing. I told him the amount, and he shook his head and said he didn’t have it... I... I just thought he was loitering or trying to steal our techniques, so... so I spoke to him harshly and drove him away..."

With a miserable look on his face, Deng Rong finally understood the meaning behind his master Wang Kaishan’s gaze—that mix of frustration for his disciple’s failure to live up to expectations, tinged with deep regret.

"No wonder... no wonder Master wants to beat me up every time he sees me now. I get it... I personally shoved a peerless, once-in-a-generation genius—one who could have brought glory to our hall and was almost in my master’s grasp—right out the door!"

At that moment, all the disciples of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall shot sidelong glances at Deng Rong. Their eyes were filled with a mixture of sympathy and speechlessness, along with a hint of awe that said, ’You’re really something else, kid.’

This guy... he actually performed the "heroic deed" of chasing Chu Fan—the very same Chu Fan who was now famous throughout Qing Province—away from the gates of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall?!

Deng Rong was on the verge of tears but couldn’t cry, trying to defend himself. "Is... is this my fault? I told him how much silver it cost to join the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall, and he said he didn’t have it. I was just following the rules by sending him away!"

"Who knew he’d turn out to be such a... such a monster!"

His senior brother patted his shoulder, his tone a mix of sympathy and helplessness. "Sigh. It’s true. From your perspective at the time, you were just following the rules, so maybe it’s not entirely your fault. But it just so happened to be you, so you can only blame your bad luck. After all, the result is what it is." fгeewebnovёl.com

"Just look at the people from the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall now..."

"Chu Fan learned the ’Moon Eclipse Arrow’ at Moon Arrow Martial Arts, and even before the hall merged into the Seven Stars Gang, they were already like sworn brothers."

"Now that the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall has merged with the Seven Stars Gang, their relationship is even closer."

"But what about us? ...From now on, everyone will know that a guy named Deng Rong once kicked Chu Fan out of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall."

"..." Deng Rong froze completely, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg!

The other disciples of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall looked at each other, speechless.

They also finally understood why their master, Wang Kaishan, always had such a complicated expression whenever he saw Chu Fan now—it was a look of seventy percent admiration mixed with thirty percent inexpressible regret and heartache.

Chu Fan was so close... so very close! He could have been a disciple of their Mountain Opening Boxing Hall!

And then there was Chen Xuan, the master of the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall and now Left Guardian. Every time he mentioned Zhao Tianxing and Chu Fan, he would grin from ear to ear, bursting with pride.

They heard that it was Gang Leader Cao who had recommended Zhao Tianxing and Chu Fan to the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall. Guardian Chen Xuan had gained two genius disciples at once; he probably laughed himself awake from his dreams these days!

Meanwhile, their own master, Wang Kaishan, probably beat his chest and stomped his feet with regret whenever he dreamed of Chu Fan!

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

A disciple muttered under his breath, "Luckily, our Mountain Opening Boxing Hall has also merged with the Seven Stars Gang. We’re fellow disciples with Chu Fan now. That relationship should be enough to soothe some of our master’s regret, right?"

Finally, the senior brother advised Deng Rong in a heartfelt tone, "You need to be smarter from now on. Try not to hang around Master so much, and especially don’t push your way to the front when Master and Junior Brother Chu are in the same place."

"Every time Master sees you, it’s hard for him not to be reminded of that ’unfortunate incident’ from years ago."

Deng Rong was about to cry. "It’s... it’s not my fault... How can you blame me? How was I supposed to know..."

His fellow disciples dispersed one by one, leaving Deng Rong standing alone, a mess in the wind, muttering over and over, "It’s not my fault... How can you blame me..."

Just then, Yu Xiao, the eldest senior brother of the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall, walked over.

Seeing Deng Rong’s dejected and muttering state, he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, "Junior Brother Deng, what’s wrong with you? Did you leave your soul back in the Martial Arts Arena?"

Deng Rong, who was desperate for someone to talk to, immediately latched onto Yu Xiao like a drowning man clutching a straw. With a miserable expression, he recounted the entire story from beginning to end—his "glorious achievement" of how he, being "blind," had "shut the door" on Chu Fan.

After listening, Yu Xiao stared fixedly at Deng Rong, his expression a spectacular sight to behold.

It was a mix of surprise, sudden understanding, and a touch of exasperated amusement.

After a long moment, he finally said, "I knew about that incident... but I never expected that the person who chased Junior Brother Chu away from the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall back then would be you. Junior Brother Deng, you... you... sigh!"

As he spoke, he shook his head repeatedly, shot Deng Rong a look that said, ’You’re on your own,’ and left with a sigh.

Deng Rong watched Yu Xiao’s retreating back, feeling even more of a mess. He shouted after him, "Hey! Senior Brother Yu? Senior Brother Yu!"

"Aren’t you going to offer a few words of comfort? We’re all part of the Seven Stars Gang now, we should stick together... Hey! What’s with that sidelong glance? Hey!"

At that moment, Deng Rong felt like he had been abandoned by the entire world.

The profound sense of loneliness and helplessness made him want to find a deserted place and cry his heart out.

...

「Seven Stars Gang, Council Hall.」

Everyone took their seats and exchanged a few pleasantries.

Chen Xuan looked concerned and asked, "Fan, you’re a Demon Suppression Guard now. Are you planning to live in the gang’s headquarters, or will you go to the place arranged by the Demon Suppression Bureau?"

Before Chu Fan could speak, Li Qingxue cut in, a hint of subtle urgency in her voice. "The gang has already prepared a place for Junior Brother Chu. He’ll still be living with Tianxing. The courtyard is quiet and elegant, and no one will disturb him. Even if the Demon Suppression Bureau has arrangements, you can still treat this place as your home, Junior Brother."