Chapter 406 - 202: The Undying Flames, S-Rank Customized Contract
Chapter 406: Chapter 202: The Undying Flames, S-Rank Customized Contract
Long Bohan felt his hand trembling slightly.
It wasn’t from nervousness, but from an irrepressible, wild joy.
Lin Ye had shaken his hand.
This gesture meant that the Firewood Martial Hall had seized a decisive advantage.
Long Bohan even started to wonder.
’Is this the chance of a lifetime?’
Long Bohan could already picture it—if he managed to sign Lin Ye today, his future at the Firewood Martial Hall would be wide open!
Lin Ye, however, was oblivious to the grand, tumultuous drama playing out in the mind of the young man before him, who was roughly his own age.
But as he looked at the two clearly distinct groups before him, he understood the situation perfectly.
The larger group was Xinhuo.
And the other group, dressed in dark blue-black uniforms and exuding an unapproachable aura, was Kunlun.
The huge stir he’d caused in *Martial Arts Peak* was all for this very moment.
It looked like he had achieved his objective.
Standing not far behind Lin Ye, Dongfang Zhen and Zhang Daoxuan took in the entire scene.
With a smile, Dongfang Zhen said to Zhang Daoxuan.
"See? I told you. After today, Mr. Lin’s name will be known throughout the entire province!"
A look of admiration crossed Zhang Daoxuan’s face.
"To have two top-tier Martial Halls show up to recruit him at the same time... what a spectacle..."
He shook his head and sighed softly. "It’d be a lie to say I’m not jealous."
At the auditorium entrance, countless family elders and Martial Artists who had come to greet their own children also turned to look, their curious gazes fixed on the area.
A public standoff between two Martial Halls over a single young man wasn’t a common sight.
In the crowd, a well-dressed middle-aged man frowned at his son.
"Hao, what’s going on over there? Who’s that man surrounded by everyone?"
The young man called Hao was one of the trainees who had previously run into Lin Ye at the camp and been scared out of his wits.
He stared at the figure at the center of everyone’s attention, and the joy he’d felt just moments before from his own graduation vanished without a trace. In its place was a bitter, complicated feeling that was hard to put into words.
A few unpleasant memories surfaced uncontrollably.
"Dad, that’s Lin Ye. He was the top graduate of our training camp."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s eyes lit up. He completely missed the change in his son’s expression and instead gave a cold snort.
"Look at him! You were in the same training camp. Why couldn’t you be more like him and come back as the top graduate?"
"From now on, you should get to know him better. Do you hear me?"
Wang Hao felt like a popped balloon, all the air rushing out of him.
The excitement and pride he’d felt in the auditorium while receiving his rank and honors now completely evaporated.
Just then, in the ranks of the Kunlun Martial Hall, Min Yutang’s patience finally wore thin.
He strode forward and, ignoring the fact that Lin Ye’s hand was still clasped with Long Bohan’s, forced his way directly between the two men.
"Hello. I am Min Yutang, Hall Master of the Kunlun Martial Hall’s Ninghai Branch."
His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a piercing quality that was impossible to ignore.
A flash of anger crossed Long Bohan’s face, and Wang Jingcheng looked so agitated he seemed about to speak.
But Lv Yongze, who stood at the very front, simply raised a hand to stop their impulsive actions.
His seasoned face showed no change in expression as he silently observed the unfolding situation.
Because he had clearly caught the subtle, fleeting change on Lin Ye’s face.
He had frowned.
Lin Ye was indeed annoyed by the man’s rudeness.
It was like having a third person butt in while you were in the middle of a conversation—an incredibly rude gesture.
What’s more, Lin Ye instinctively sensed a condescending air from Min Yutang and the people behind him.
That was especially true of Min Yutang. Even as he introduced himself, he never once let up on his appraising stare.
The next moment, Lin Ye did something no one expected.
He completely ignored Min Yutang, as if the man didn’t exist, and continued speaking to Long Bohan with a smile.
"I apologize. I was in closed-door training before, so I never had the time for a proper conversation."
Long Bohan was practically floored by the attention, and he quickly waved his hands in dismissal.
"Not at all, not at all! We were the ones who were afraid of disturbing your training, so we didn’t dare contact you."
Left hanging on the sidelines, Min Yutang’s expression turned incredibly foul.
’He felt as if he were suffering the greatest humiliation of his life.’
’As the Hall Master of the Kunlun Martial Hall, he had come in person to invite a fresh graduate from a training camp.’
’This was already the biggest concession that he—and by extension, the entire Kunlun Martial Hall—could possibly make.’
’After all, the order had come directly from headquarters.’
’But as far as he was concerned, any Martial Artist who heard the name ’Kunlun’ should have been falling all over themselves to join.’
’How could he possibly be met with such a cold, dismissive attitude? It was complete disregard!’
Only then, as if he had just finished his business, did Lin Ye turn to face him.
He extended his hand and gave Min Yutang’s, which was still frozen in midair, a perfunctory tap before immediately pulling away.
"Hello. I’m Lin Ye."
Min Yutang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his rage and struggling to plaster a smile on his face.
He collected his thoughts, chose his words carefully, and began to speak slowly.
"Lin Ye, you should know that we at Kunlun rarely recruit Martial Artists from the general public."
"And even when we make exceptions, it is invariably for renowned experts with exceptional combat records."