Jin Yuan sighed. "Back in the day, the Demon Sect kept their tails tucked between their legs and wouldn’t have dared to cause trouble. It’s only in the last few years that they’ve gotten so bold. They even dared to make a move on the Third-Grade King of Jiangcheng, to say nothing of Middle-Grade Martial Cultivators. We noble Martial Cultivators, stuck in the middle ranks, have all suffered at the hands of the Demon Sect, one way or another."
Li Qingxian nodded. The Demon Sect loved to use Martial Cultivators for their experiments.
Luh Gaoming sneered. "For this Myriad Phenomena Cyan Cloud Examination, a bunch of us Martial Cultivators have privately agreed to target the Demon Sect. We can’t pull off a ’Broken Cyan Cloud’ like Fairy Qingcheng did, but we can definitely kill a few more of those scourges."
"Killing one Demon Sect disciple is the same as saving ten people. If you die and go to the Underworld, imagine how much karmic merit that would be," Songg Baige said sarcastically.
Luh Gaoming said, "Song, my brother, that’s an understatement. Throughout history, the number of humans killed by the Demon Sect is in the tens of millions, if not more. Killing a single one of their disciples is like saving a hundred people, at the very least."
"Exactly. Kill one demon, save a hundred people. Come, a toast to the dead little demons!" Songg Baige raised his cup, and the others laughed and joined in.
Li Qingxian smiled and set down his cup. ’That Songg Baige has had a strong sense of justice since childhood. He adamantly hunted demons in Beichen City, jumped right into minor campaigns as soon as he returned to the Divine Capital, and now he’s getting ready to stir up trouble for the Demon Sect at the Myriad Phenomena Cyan Cloud Examination. He’s exactly the same as when we were kids.’
"Qingxian, are you really not going to participate in the Myriad Phenomena Cyan Cloud Examination this time? It’s a rare opportunity," Songg Baige said. "Your Cultivation might be low, but you have money, Talismans, and Magical Treasures! All of us put together might not be a match for you."
Wang Buku chimed in teasingly, "We’ve all heard about you. You’ve earned the nickname ’Treasure Sharing Child.’ They say every time someone goes into battle with you, they get to borrow a Magical Treasure."
"This whole Myriad Phenomena Cyan Cloud Examination business... you guys have been talking about it for over half a month straight. I’ll say this only once: you all can do as you please, but I, Li Qingxian, am not getting mixed up in that mess! Let’s drop this depressing topic and talk about something cheerful."
Songg Baige chuckled. "Good news? In the Divine Capital? How come I haven’t heard any?"
After their laughter, a collective sigh filled the room.
As they were chatting, the guard from the doorway came in, bowed to the group, and walked over to Jin Yuan. He whispered, "Young Master, Marquis Nanxiang of the Dingnan Royal Family has gone to Room A. I’ve heard that Shen Xiaoyi is there, along with that famous Mountain King’s Heir."
’Li Qingxian didn’t have much of an impression of Marquis Nanxiang. He only knew that the man was the eldest legitimate son of the Heir of King Dingnan and had been granted the title of Marquis at a young age thanks to the repeated military triumphs of his grandfather, King Dingnan. The King Dingnan, on the other hand, was a legendary figure—a First-Grade Official whose mastery of Martial Arts was supreme. He guarded the Southern Border, keeping the surrounding smaller nations in check. The Dingnan King Mansion had produced Upper-Grade experts for five generations, making them one of the most preeminent noble families in Qii Country.’
’The Dingnan King Mansion alone could rival any of the current Major Sects.’
’He was surprised Shen Xiaoyi was here as well, and he was also quite interested in this Mountain King’s Heir. He’d heard that the man was a renowned Seventh-Grade Great Cultivator and a perfect match for the Mountain-Suppressing Divine Skill. His mastery of Hard Skills was unparalleled among Seventh-Grades, and he was widely recognized as the number one Martial Cultivator of the Lower Grades.’
Jin Yuan said, "My father served under King Dingnan’s command for many years, and I’ve known Marquis Nanxiang since we were children. Now that we know he’s here, we should go offer a toast. Who wants to come with me?"
"I’ll go check it out. Marquis Nanxiang is famous for being warm and hospitable, not like the arrogant nobles from other great families."
Wang Buku shook his head. "I’ll pass. I don’t really know him, and besides, I’ve been in the spotlight too much lately. I’d rather not give people more to gossip about."
After they had eaten for a while longer, Jin Yuan and Luh Gaoming got up to go to Marquis Nanxiang’s room and offer a toast.
Not long after, the two returned, their faces flushed with excitement. Luh Gaoming said with a laugh, "Guess who else was there to offer a toast?"
"How could we possibly guess that?" Wang Buku said.
"Another Great Cultivator, the Ten Thousand Talisman Scholar of the Nine Talisman Sect! He heard me cursing out the Demon Sect and gave me a Fire Talisman for protection on the spot." Luh Gaoming proudly took out a Seventh-Grade Yellow Talisman and waved it around.
Li Qingxian nodded. ’He’d heard of this man, a leading figure in the Daoist Sect. The last time he and Jiangg Youfei had broken a siege by the Demon Sect, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice had intervened, but only after Zhou Chunfeng had asked Mr. Wu of the Nine Talisman Sect to help defuse the situation.’
As they were eating, the doors to the room swung open. The group looked toward the entrance, their expressions turning to shock as they all rose to their feet.
Jin Yuan and Luh Gaoming were both flattered and astonished.
"Marquis Nanxiang, what brings you here?"
Li Qingxian also rose slowly, looking toward the three newcomers.
The leader was a tall, slender man in his early twenties with a fair complexion and a languid smile. He wore a small violet-gold coronet, an elegant, bright blue brocade robe, and a brilliant yellow sash. A leather pouch on his left hip was inlaid with two pure gold carp.
The Gemstones that formed the eyes of the pure gold carp glowed faintly.
’A Qi Fortune Golden Fish Pouch.’
’Even Zhou Chunfeng didn’t have one; he’d only ever seen one on Songg Yunjing’s hip.’
Then, Li Qingxian’s gaze shifted to Shen Xiaoyi, who stood behind the man. They exchanged a slight nod, a silent greeting.
However, the most striking figure was the bald giant who entered last. He was enormous, well over seven feet tall by the look of it, and had to duck to get through the doorway.
"Old Jin, you came to give me a toast. How could I just sit there and accept? I had to come and return the favor," Marquis Nanxiang said in a friendly tone as he swaggered over.
Jin Yuan’s face was flushed with pleasure. "You’re too kind, Marquis," he said with a laugh, while simultaneously shooting a quick glance at Li Qingxian, Songg Baige, and the others.
"Buku, it’s been a few years since we last met," said the Marquis.
"Greetings, Marquis." Wang Buku bowed respectfully.
The Marquis gave Wang Buku a light punch on the shoulder. "What’s with the formality? In a couple of days, let’s have a sparring match. I want to see if you’ve gotten rusty."
Wang Buku hadn’t expected the Marquis to be so approachable. He grinned and said, "Deal."
"Qiu Ye, has Duke Liuyang’s health improved?" The Marquis’s smile faded slightly.
"Thank you for your concern, Marquis. My father is holding up well," Qiu Ye replied with a respectful bow.
"And these gentlemen are...?" The Marquis looked toward Li Qingxian and Songg Baige.
Jin Yuan quickly made the introductions. "This is Li Qingxian, son of Mr. Gangfeng, who has recently made quite a name for himself in the Capital City. And this is Songg Baige, the only son of Lord Songg, the head of our Divine Capital Prefecture."
"Greetings, Marquis Nanxiang," Li Qingxian and Songg Baige said in unison, bowing.
’To be made a marquis at such a young age... even if it wasn’t for military merit or Cultivation, his rank was still equivalent to a Third-Grade official.’
The Marquis waved his hand dismissively. "Bah, what’s all this ’Marquis’ business? That’s just for outsiders. I’m just a guy in my twenties with a Junior Seventh Grade status, no better than anyone here. Anyway, let me make some introductions. This is Shen Xiaoyi, the Young Master of the Jiangnan Commerce Association. Don’t let her youth fool you; she’s already a Seventh-Grade Fate Master."
"A pleasure to meet you all," Shen Xiaoyi said with a graceful bow.
"And this," he continued, "is the renowned Mountain King’s Heir, Lin Zhenyuan, whose Jianghu moniker is ’Eastern Peak.’ His Horizontal Training makes him invincible among the Lower Grades, and some say he has even surpassed the original Mountain King."
"A pleasure to meet you all!" Lin Zhenyuan stood in the room like a great tree, his sheer bulk seeming to dim the light. His voice was so deep and booming that it made everyone’s ears ring.
Li Qingxian studied the man. He was clad in Black Iron Carved Light Gold Dragon Scale Armor. His frame was broad and solid, and his powerful muscles were visibly bulging all over. His knuckles were enormous, like eggs protruding from his hands, and the muscles on either side of his exposed neck formed a small, triangular mountain of flesh.
Oddly, despite his rugged build, the man’s skin was as pale as jade, and it even seemed to hold a faint luster.
WHOOSH... WHOOSH...
Li Qingxian’s gaze traced along the man’s skin to the blood vessels beneath, where he could see the blood surging at a furious pace.
’His Qi Meridians and blood vessels are merged as one. His qi and blood are like a raging tide.’