Boss Qing, with a stern face, had Qing Lin return to his side. Li Zhonglou and Yue Hai, following behind him, also entered the office.
The martial arts association's office was much plainer than those he had seen before. Although the space was the same size, there were very few decorative items inside, with only a few landscape paintings hung on the walls.
It seemed that people who liked martial arts also liked landscape paintings simultaneously. Perhaps this was the charm of traditional culture, how the two resonated with each other.
As Li Zhonglou entered, he discovered there were actually three people inside. At the same time, his gaze met with Hu Nan Hu's.
"It's you."
The two spoke in unison.
Hu Nan Hu, who had been leaning casually, now shot up to his feet.
Boss Qing, standing beside them, asked with some confusion, "Little Li Zi, do you two know each other?"
Know each other? Not exactly, but they had met!
Hu Nan Hu looked at Li Zhonglou's figure, his brow suddenly furrowing.
Li Zhonglou also hadn't expected to encounter Hu Nan Hu, who had been a judge in the strongest bodyguard competition, in Yang Dongtian's office. He couldn't help but frown slightly.
Could this be a situation where he had to fight against two people?
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. At this moment, Yang Dongtian, seated behind the long table, broke the brief silence.
"I heard you were looking for me? What is it?"
Although he had heard that it was regarding Yu Ke of the Yu family, Yang Dongtian hoped it was just a misunderstanding after learning that even Yu Xu had been convinced.
In Yang Dongtian's opinion, as long as it wasn't about Yu Ke, he could be accommodating. Even if it were the descendant of an old enemy, he wouldn't mind apologizing in front of outsiders.
"Yu family's Yu Ke."
Li Zhonglou's concise four words directly extinguished Yang Dongtian's last flicker of hope.
Yang Dongtian was not one to beat around the bush. He immediately stated his stance: "This matter is not up for discussion, no matter who you are!"
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense again.
On the way, Li Zhonglou had learned about Yu Ke's constitution from Qing Lin. Like Boss Qing, upon hearing this news, he realized that this matter would likely not be easily resolved.
For those who practiced traditional martial arts involving the cultivation of virginity, individuals with a "furnace" physique were worth risking criminal acts for!
However, times were different now. The current martial world was no longer one where strength reigned supreme, where one could do whatever they pleased as long as they were powerful enough and held a high status in the martial world.
This was now a society governed by law, and people's mindsets had to keep pace. Moreover, given his relationship with Yu Ke, Li Zhonglou was determined to intervene, even knowing that the matter couldn't be easily resolved. And he would resolve it thoroughly!
Therefore, Li Zhonglou decided to use the most suitable methods to deal with these traditional and feudal individuals.
He issued a challenge.
"Since that is the case, let's have a match. The loser will obey the winner. Do you dare?"
Although Li Zhonglou's voice was calm and his tone measured, his words caused the expressions of the three men to change drastically.
Hu Nan Hu spoke first, "Kid, if I recall correctly, your name is Li Zhonglou, right? You need to think clearly. What you're saying is issuing a challenge to us, the martial arts association!"
Li Zhonglou said calmly, "I am only challenging him as an individual. I cannot control how you interpret it."
Hu Nan Hu's brows immediately knitted tightly.
Yang Dongtian, as the principal party, had an expression of anger at being offended, mixed with a sense of disdain emanating from within.
"Kid, it's not that I'm afraid to accept the challenge, but what is your current identity and status? Do you have the qualifications to challenge me?"
Yang Dongtian said with a cold smile. He wasn't evading; rather, according to the rules of the martial world, if one person wanted to challenge another, their status had to be comparable.
If the difference was too great, and the other party accepted, people would say they were bullying a junior. If they refused, people would say they were afraid to accept. Therefore, to avoid such situations, a long-standing rule existed in the martial world.
For any situation where the statuses were asymmetrical, the weaker party was not qualified to issue a challenge! Or, in other words, the stronger party could refuse without reason.
Boss Qing then chimed in, "Young man, you should not be impulsive. How about we discuss this further? It's not necessary to fight."
"Boss Qing, this is not up for discussion. You are well aware of my family's situation. I cannot give up on something like this!"
Boss Qing had intended to act as a mediator, but Yang Dongtian directly reiterated his stance, effectively cutting off any further negotiation.
Not up for discussion!
Li Zhonglou's brow furrowed slightly. If his challenge was not accepted and there was no room for discussion, would he have come here in vain?
He certainly could not agree to such a situation.
"Don't force me."
Li Zhonglou said in a deep voice, causing the expressions of everyone present to change once again.
Yang Dongtian slowly stood up, his face somber, and said, "Young people shouldn't be too arrogant. There's always someone better. If you can't even grasp this simple truth..."
Before Yang Dongtian could finish his sentence, Li Zhonglou interrupted him, "Stop the nonsense. You have two choices: fight, or agree."
Dominating, overbearing!
This time, even Hu Nan Hu and Boss Qing couldn't help but react.
"Do you mean to challenge our entire martial arts association?"
Both of them stepped forward, aligning themselves with Yang Dongtian.
It was unavoidable. No matter how ordinary their relationship was, they were all the faces of the martial arts association, and they couldn't possibly not respond to an outsider's provocation.
Meanwhile, Qing Lin, standing by, grew anxious. She tugged at her grandfather's sleeve and whispered, "Grandpa, this doesn't concern you. Why are you getting involved!"
Boss Qing glanced back at her, a rare occurrence, and said sternly, "Children should not interrupt when adults are talking!"
Qing Lin's expression faltered, and she pouted aggrievedly.
A flicker of concern crossed Boss Qing's eyes, but considering the greater picture, he could only pretend not to see it and continued to stare at Li Zhonglou.
Li Zhonglou chuckled.
"Well said, Martial Arts Association. So you can do whatever you please, even forcing good people into prostitution?"
Hu Nan Hu's expression shifted slightly, and he said, "Our martial arts association has never done such a thing! Since I am older than you, I will call you 'Little Li.' My nickname is also Little Li. Listen to my advice, don't be impulsive!"
During the strongest bodyguard competition, Hu Nan Hu had been most impressed by Li Zhonglou. At that time, if it weren't for considerations of face and the presence of people from the general administration, he might have taken Li Zhonglou as a disciple on the spot.
Therefore, Hu Nan Hu did not want to see Li Zhonglou do something so foolish.
Challenging the entire martial arts association for a woman would undoubtedly ruin his future! He might even lose his life!
Li Zhonglou shook his head.
"Isn't that just burying your head in the sand? My friend has explicitly stated that she doesn't like him. I came here simply to ask him not to interfere anymore, but what have I heard now?"
"Does this mean my friend will be forced to choose only your son in the future?"
Li Zhonglou looked at Yang Dongtian. The latter remained silent, but his lack of denial was implicit consent.
This time, even Hu Nan Hu and Boss Qing felt ashamed to speak further.