Talented Martial Hero
Chapter 36 A Suicide Challenge

The tense air between Darren and several men was palpable. The charged atmosphere piqued thecuriosity among the disciples. They gathered around them, wanting to have a good look at thecommotion.

"This is going to be interesting," one of the disciples gestured towards the group from School ofBlade Skill. "These guys often bully the newcomers.”

"That guy is Darren, the fallen genius.”

"I see. I heard he gets lots of resources each month. No wonder these guys are giving him a hardtime."

Whispers and murmurs could be heard all around as the crowd started to scrutinize. They wereeager to see what was about to unfold.

"Brat, it looks like you don't know what you're doing. If you mess with us, you will be in a lot oftrouble,” one disciple of the School of Blade Skill threatened.

"Shut up!" Darren snapped brashly. "Aren't you planning on stealing my resources? I'd like to seeyou try." Darren did not flinch one bit. He did not replace those guys daunting at all. They were nothingbut revolting scoundrels for him.

"Oh? You're one arrogant guy, aren't you? Let's see if you can still be haughty later,” the disciplecontinued

He pulled out his blade to attack Darren.

One person decided to put a halt to this madness. He rushed forward and interjected, "What areyou doing? If you continue this brash display, the Elder is sure to know about this. Fighting on thesquare will get you severely punished.”

Darren shifted his gaze towards the speaker. It was Keller, the one who led him to his placeyesterday.

Keller walked towards his side and whispered, "Darren, get out of here. These are notorious tyrants. Iwill stall them for you. Go to the Sword Mountain. You'll be safer there.”

"Who the hell are you, you bumpkin? Get lost!" One member of the group spat.

"Guys, it's best for you to let go of Darren. If you don't, the Elders are going to know about this.Disciples are not allowed to fight out of personal matters. I'm sure you know that," Keller continuedgrimly.

This made them uneasy. They were familiar with the rules of the sect, and they didn't want anytrouble.

"Son of a bitch! You better watch your back. We will not spare you." They threatened before walkingaway.

"Get to the Sword Mountain and stay there in the next few days. I'm afraid they might return soon,”Keller suggested, a concerned expression clear on his face.

"What about you?" Darren asked with a frown, looking at Keller. He had already considered him ashis friend.

"Don't worry about me. They might hit me but I'll be fine as long as I don't fight back," Kellerassured him. "I'm going to go out to buy some items. Take care of yourself." Keller headed down themountain hurriedly.

"Let me know if anything happens,” Darren urged. A small smile formed on the corner of Keller'smouth. Without looking back, he continued to walk down the mountain.

The guys who attempted to put Darren down went to a corner on the square. They talked to twoominous looking men in a low voice.

"You're a bunch of useless losers!" William, one of the two men, hissed. "All I ask is for you toprovoke him and trick him into going to Life and Death Valley, but you couldn't even do one simpletask!" William berated furiously.

"We almost made it but a bastard appeared. We were worried he might tell the Elder. That couldmean so much trouble for us. Please don't be mad at us," one of them explained. All of them kepttheir heads down in terror.

"William, that jerk left cuts on my face. I want him dead no matter what," Karl, his brother, chastised.There was ferocity and hate etched on his face.

"Leave. I have a way to lure him to the Life and Death Valley!" William outraged to the petrifieddisciples. He turned to his brother and said, "Karl, take Jimmy here. Use him to goad Darren andbeguile him to the Life and Death Valley. I will ask people to kill him there.”

"Why don't you go challenge him yourself?" Karl asked dryly.

"I am much more powerful than him. He will not accept my challenge,” William replied.

"You're right," Karl agreed, nodding his head. "You!" Karl boomed as he called for one of theirsubordinates, "Bring Jimmy to me."

"I am on it," the disciple obeyed and took off. Karl gathered himself and made his way to Darren.Not long after, he came face to face with him.

"Loser, do you remember me?" Karl scorned

"What a bad luck! What do you want, you freak?" Darren replied coldly.

"How dare you!" Karl ground his teeth and stomped his feet furiously. "You little bastard, I bet youhaven't forgotten Jimmy. Aren't you curious how he is doing?" Karl pointed at somewhere in closeproximity.

His eyes followed the direction of Karl's finger. There, Darren saw a dirty and unkempt guy tied upin chains.

His face fell in recognition.

"You did this to me,” Darren bellowed, anger swelling up within him.

Karl laughed and responded, "This is the consequence of upsetting me. He is nothing but a pawn tous. Do you want to save him? If you do, come with me.” He turned around and went to the corner ofthe square.

Darren always thought Jimmy was a good person. He didn't understand why Jimmy fooled him intorefining the sword intent seed and the blade intent seed. But now, any confusion left in his minddissipated. Even though he was aware that this was a trick, Darren still followed Karl.

Upon arriving, he paused before Jimmy. His body was covered in wounds, most of which hadfestered. His face still bore congealed blood. His clothes were an utter mess. Jimmy looked like hewas hanging on for dear life as his hands and feet were pierced by screws.

"Jimmy!" Darren called out, appalled by the horrible picture before him.

Jimmy tried to raise his head slowly to look at Darren, and tears ran down his cheeks.

"D... Darren, I owe you..." he struggled, his cracked lips failing as he formed his words.

"No, you don't owe me anything. It's my fault. I got you involved in this," Darren reassured. He felthis heart ache like a wolf eating his chest. The nausea swirled unrestrained in his stomach. The sightof Jimmy injured broke him. "He was forced to set me up, *

he thought, clamping fingers into white-knuckled vise-grips. He felt anger like acid—burning,slicing, potent.

"You jerks, what do you want? Just say it!" Darren rebuked.

"That's what I want to hear. Do you have the guts to fight me in the Life and Death Valley?" Karlchallenged.

When Darren didn't respond, Karl kicked Jimmy in the face. "Ha-ha-ha. Can't you see it? He issuffering this because of you!" he taunted.

"You still refuse to accept my challenge? Fine, I will torture him to my heart's content.” He liftedJimmy's arm and broke it.

"Oh, there is one more thing. He deceived you to save his fool brother. But you know what? It wasall for naught because his brother died, anyway. William killed him in a single blow. Jimmy losteverything—because of you!" Karl laughed out loud—evil glinting in his eyes.

Jimmy, who was curled up on the ground, burst into tears. Sadness washed over him like a flowingriver, cold and unending.

Every word stung, only fueling the fire that burned inside of Darren. Every violated phrase was likegasoline to it, and his fists began to clench and his jaw rooted. He felt sorry for what had happenedto Jimmy. He couldn't bring himself to hate him—he even felt guilty.

"If pissing me off is what you want, you got it," Darren hissed through gritted teeth. "You cold-blooded beasts, I will not let you go, all of you. I'll meet you at the Life and Death Valley!" Darrendeclared, rage coursing through his body like a deadly poison.

"Great. I will make you regret that you even crossed my path. I will skin you alive!” Karl responded, asardonic grin plastered on his face.

"Tell your brother he is going to die!" Darren spat icily. “It's impossible for this freak to defeat Jimmyof the Spirit Realm. This must be his brother's doing, * he assumed.

"What did you just say, you brat?" Upon dropping his words, William suddenly stepped forward,disdain painted on his face. He initially decided to hide his presence to avoid scaring Darren away.But the lad had the guts to drop such audacious statements—it ticked him off.

"There you are, you son of a bitch. I just said that I would take your life. That's all,” Darren repliedimpassively.

"What?" William's eyes widened for a second before narrowing in disbelief. 'A loser dared tochallenge me? You've got to be kidding me, * he thought.

"I said I am going to take your life. Is that so hard for you to understand, you jerk?" Darren snarled,internal force gushing out from his body.

His voice echoed throughout the whole square. This whole fiasco caught the attention of the otherdisciples.

William and Karl were stunned at his remark.

"Are you going mute, you cowards? Meet me in the Life and Death Valley this afternoon. I swear toGod I will eliminate you," Darren hollered.

Many disciples on the square flocked to them.

"Seriously? William of the School of Blade Skill has reached the third stage of Spirit Realm. This guyhad the gall to meet him at the Life and Death Valley."

"Once people enter that valley, they are liable to their actions. They will not be punished even if theykill other disciples. Has he lost his mind?"

"He is Darren. He has just been accepted as an official disciple. A fallen genius dared to challengeWilliam? He is digging his own grave."

"He must have gone mad. He hasn't even reached the Spirit Realm. He definitely has lost his mind.”The crowd was throwing in opinions right and left. They thought Darren was playing with fire.Darren bellowed, "You bastards, are you coming to meet me at the Life and Death Valley or not?"His bold actions took everyone present by great surprise.

William's face turned livid. Anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. A loser who hadn'treached the Spirit Realm had the nerve to bark at him in public, which embarrassed him.

"My brother is going to kill you without even breaking a sweat," Karl snorted, composing himself.He was trying to get him and his brother out of this degrading situation.

Darren let out his boiling antipathy and swung his fist, too quick and potent, into Karl's face. Hehowled, "You talk too much. Just answer my question: yes or no?"

As the crowd was taken aback with the turn of events, the whole square was surrounded withstunned silence. The disciples’ mouths were agape, apprehensive of what might happen next.