CHAPTER 537: CHAPTER 230: RETURN TO THE CAPITAL AND QUANZHEN DAO’S STRONGEST ARRAY (PART 2)

On the way back to the capital, Xu Qing had already received the news that the Martial Arts Tournament had concluded.

Among the top ten martial artists, three leaders of the Imperial Guard were included, especially Zhao Changrong, reputed as the top martial artist of the Imperial Guard, who won the martial champion title of this tournament.

At just fifty years old, he stands at the pinnacle age among Martial Arts Grandmasters.

Through each duel, he showcased the profound and subtle intricacies of the Taiyi Five Elements Fist he practiced.

Even the newly appointed Martial Saint, Master Xiong Chan, personally praised him as the foremost beneath the Martial Saint.

For a regular Martial Arts Grandmaster, winning the martial champion title would be difficult, but Zhao Changrong, being a leader of the Imperial Guard, participated in the tournament, raising its standards.

If this championship fell to someone else, how would the Court maintain its dignity, and what about Your Majesty’s face?

Of course, most importantly, Zhao Changrong truly has genuine skills.

Although Master Zhao had the simplest tournament schedule, it doesn’t detract from his formidable strength.

However, more than the rankings of the tournament, Xu Qing was concerned about the gains from the Martial Arts Tournament.

The tickets for this Martial Arts Tournament were sold at exorbitant prices.

Even so, demand still far outstripped supply.

After all, the capital never lacks wealthy nobles.

These people tend to stir things up out of boredom, let alone during such exciting events as the Martial Arts Tournament.

Besides, with Martial Saint Xiong Chan personally overseeing, it attracted many heroes and outlaws from the worldly society.

The Martial Saint is almost the highest martial achievement of the present day, who wouldn’t want to glimpse the style?

Additionally, King Lin participated under an alias.

Without conferring with Xu Qing, he unluckily encountered the most challenging schedule, yet despite this, King Lin still managed to reach the top eight, only half a step away from the world’s top four.

King Lin specifically wrote to Xu Qing to complain about the heavy corruption in the Martial Arts Tournament. Yet, he still looked forward to the next one with anticipation.

For after one tournament, King Lin admitted he had gained a lot.

Moreover, with Xiong Chan’s close watch, the Martial Arts Grandmasters who would otherwise fight to the death could be separated at a critical moment, allowing the duelists on stage to have fewer worries.

This reflects Xiong Chan’s quick reflexes and ability to control the arena as a Martial Saint.

In his eyes, even the moves of Martial Arts Grandmasters are predictable.

This is also the Absolute Skill of the Great Zen Temple, known as Dharma Eye, from which nothing in the Great Thousand Worlds can escape.

The Buddhist sect is indeed good at boasting.

Additionally, Xu Qing did not deny that the Great Monk’s Dharma Eye indeed had its unique aspects.

The profits from this Martial Arts Tournament were astounding; the Court took fifty percent, Xu Qing and Xiong Chan split forty percent, and the remaining ten percent went to various expenses.

Upon seeing the silver, the Ministry of War wished to hold a Martial Arts Tournament every year.

But Xiong Chan knew the principle of "draining the pond to catch the fish."

He suggested to the Ministry of War to hold it once every three years. On the other hand, to maintain popularity, preliminary selections should be conducted in the provincial capitals.

This Martial Arts Tournament was evidently rough and wild, and afterward, rumors of corruption abounded outside.

Xu Qing added a suggestion: If the previous champion wishes to participate again, they can directly enter the top four, along with a hefty appearance fee.

In Xu Qing’s view, the original intention of the Martial Arts Tournament was pure, meant to provide a stage for martial artists of the world to realize their dreams.

Whether or not it makes money doesn’t matter; the key is helping the world’s martial artists fulfill their dreams.

The content of this Martial Arts Tournament was fully reported by the New Citizen Newspaper and Shuntian Times, who invited Hanlin Scholars and Academic and Supervisory Officials to describe and publish it.

Especially many Academic and Supervisory Officials from the Inspection Bureau chose the New Citizen Newspaper.

Although the New Citizen Newspaper’s backer is Xu Qing, who is a major rival of the Academic and Supervisory Officials of the Inspection Bureau.

The issue is the New Citizen Newspaper offers very high manuscript fees.

The Shuntian Times, being a government-operated publication, has fixed and very low manuscript fees.

The officials of inspectorate rarely have chances for extra earnings, and participating in this, they could watch the Martial Arts Tournament for free and also get family tickets.

They were quite helpless.

For the sake of their families, many had no choice but to take this fee.

Moreover, they believed that once material needs were met, they could criticize Xu Liushou with more vigor!

Because they had benefited, the Academic and Supervisory Officials involved in this matter were tacitly silent in their official memorials about opposing the Martial Arts Tournament, and when encountering colleagues criticizing it, they advised them kindly.

Some officials countered by pointing out Xu Qing as the financial backer behind the Martial Arts Tournament.

But the officials who had benefitted righteously argued, "How can we stop doing something because of who supports it?"

They insisted that their criticisms of Xu Qing were purely official business, with no personal bias.

If one develops prejudice against someone, consequently extending that bias to everything that person does, how can one claim to be a true gentleman?

A senior official who had received substantial manuscript fees sighed, "Preconceived notions in people’s hearts are like a mountain; it’s hard to remove the thief from the heart..."

A person should clearly differentiate between public and private matters!

Some officials who did not receive manuscript fees continued to argue against it.

Someone sarcastically remarked, "If you dislike what Xu Gongming did, then don’t use Immortal Coal to keep warm in the dead of winter."

A cutting remark, too deadly.

In fact, whether the capital’s various dignitaries admit it or not, many matters in the capital have been subtly changed by Xu Gongming.

Especially the fireworks and firecrackers improved by the Fang Immortal Dao disciples invited by Xu Gongming working with the Ministry of Industry, which during Chinese New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival, added much warmth to the cold capital.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers, a year passes away, and the spring breeze sends warmth into the wine.

Xu Qing and the reformer Wang Jingchuan from the previous dynasty are both similar and different.

Both are the Literary Masters of their time.

However, Xu Gongming is clearly more adaptable, even as an adversary, they felt Xu Qing’s arrival breathed new life into the Great Yu Dynasty.

As nobles, they still couldn’t help but harbor resentment towards Xu Qing.