“But…”
“He’ll compensate you.”
Nan Shiying pointed at the man across from them, grinning foolishly as he clutched the porcelain bottle.
“Then you…”
“I have plenty more.”
Seeing how she didn’t seem to care about the medicine, Dai Zhiqi couldn’t help but wonder how much of this medicine she possessed to be so nonchalant. Who exactly was she?
Noticing her senior sister spacing out with the medicine bottle, Huang Yuyao quickly made space with a porcelain bottle, rapidly transferred the pills from her senior sister’s hand into the bottle, and then pressed the bottle back into her hand.
Dai Zhiqi snapped back to reality, grasped the medicine bottle, and thanked Nan Shiying.
“Thank you, young lady, for the medicine.”
The man pocketed the medicine bottle and bowed apologetically.
The tension in the inn subsided. Even though some still harbored resentment, they dared not speak out rashly.
Nan Shiying hadn’t genuinely intended for them to spar; it was merely a case of using their own tactics against them.
As for the strong man who had been crippled, Xuan Yi had already thrown him to the medical clinic. He wouldn’t die.
“Miss Feng, please!”
Dai Zhiqi poured tea and offered it to Nan Shiying. Huang Yuyao and Lü Yiyi sat opposite each other, still disdainful of one another.
Wei Ruyun gave up struggling and sat beside Lü Yiyi.
Nan Shiying accepted the tea and thanked her.
Huang Yuyao still didn’t dare to meet her gaze directly, always feeling as if the other person, who was smiling one moment, would slit her throat the next.
She instinctively retreated behind Dai Zhiqi. Seeing her timidness, Lü Yiyi covered her mouth and chuckled. If looks could kill, Huang Yuyao would have been executed by a thousand cuts from Lü Yiyi.
No one brought up the previous events. The casualties in the inn caused no disturbance. The officials merely went through the motions, inquired about the situation, warned everyone, and then carried away the bodies.
This was how Fengyu City was during every martial arts gathering.
As long as the martial artists did not harm the common folk, the authorities would not interfere in their grievances. Even if brains were splattered, they would only curse and clean it up.
The reputation of Feng Ying quickly spread.
Her beauty, which surpassed that of the foremost beauty in the martial world, her ruthless and decisive methods, and her unfathomable background all made her the center of attention.
The martial arts gathering was divided into preliminary rounds, semi-finals, and finals.
The preliminary rounds involved drawing lots to determine opponents for one-on-one duels. The arenas were built on the outskirts of the city, three in total, with three groups competing simultaneously. During the matches, poisons, hidden weapons, and forbidden drugs that enhanced potential were prohibited. Violators would be directly disqualified. After selecting the top fifteen, the semi-finals would proceed in a challenge format. Those confident among the fifteen could directly ascend the arena, or challengers would be selected through another drawing. Subsequently, the remaining participants would challenge them. Finally, the three who successfully defended their arena would advance to the finals.
The finals were a free-for-all among the three.
The competition for the leader of the martial arts gathering was not divided by sects; in other words, anyone could participate.
The previous leader of the martial arts gathering was the sect leader of the Jiangyu Alliance. He would also re-contest the position of leader, starting from the preliminary rounds like everyone else.
Since the master of Jutuo Manor had retired from martial arts, Jutuo Manor had ceased its involvement in Jianghu affairs. Now, at the martial arts gathering, they made an appearance, but the leader was not Hui Jingxian, but his son, Hui Ziling.
Sects whose names were known and those whose names were not gathered in Fengyu City.
On the second floor of the Fengyuan Inn, Nan Shiying rested her elbow on the windowsill, supporting her chin with her palm. A team was approaching from the direction of the city gates. A carriage led the way, followed by pedestrians. Hearing the hushed discussions from all around, Nan Shiying raised her eyebrows slightly. Wan Ku Lou. They had finally arrived.
Xuan Xiao stretched and jumped off the carriage.
“Vice Sect Leader, we’re too late. The inns are all full.”
The people from Wan Ku Lou had scoured the entire Fengyu City, and all the inns were fully occupied, making it impossible to find lodging.
Xuan Xiao casually pointed to an inn not far away and said indifferently, “That one it is!”
“But…”
“Just drive the people out.”
Wan Ku Lou had always acted this domineeringly. If they had no place to stay, they would seize one.
The sound of fighting echoed from the lobby. Nan Shiying couldn’t be bothered. She picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth. Xuan Yi heard footsteps ascending to the second floor, got up, walked out of the room, closed the door, stood at the entrance, and kicked someone down to the first floor.
Xuan Xiao looked up and saw Xuan Yi standing at the door. He was slightly stunned.
Isn’t this the bodyguard of Feng Luan? Why is he here? Could it be that Feng Luan has arrived? But that shouldn’t be the case. If Feng Luan were here, he wouldn’t have heard any news at all.
Xuan Yi’s gaze lowered, and he quickly scanned Xuan Xiao’s face, ignoring the scrutiny and contemplation in his eyes.
“Waiter, serve tea!”
Xuan Xiao turned around and sat on a stool, beckoning the waiter to serve tea.
During dinner, Xuan Yi delivered the meal to the room. Xuan Xiao was unable to see the person inside until the morning of the third day.
It’s her?
Feng Ying, who had recently become famous?
Xuan Xiao had heard some about Feng Ying’s deeds. The rumors that she had produced elixirs from Medicine King Valley had led people to speculate about her connection to Medicine King Valley. Now, it seemed, she wasn’t related to Medicine King Valley; she was related to Feng Luan.
Who was this person to Feng Luan?
Not only the bodyguard but even the Poison Elder was following her.
Could it be that Feng Luan was disguised as a woman!
Xuan Xiao was amused by his own thought. However, speaking of which, Feng Luan and this Feng Ying did bear some resemblance. Could they be siblings?
Xuan Xiao’s thoughts wandered. For a moment, he didn’t restrain his gaze. Nan Shiying turned her head back, a sliver of sharpness flashing in her eyes. Xuan Xiao’s eyes were stung by the sharpness, and he came back to his senses, curbing the scrutiny in his eyes.
Three hundred years ago, Fengyu City was called Bai Ran City.
A wealthy merchant in the city rescued a dying boy on his way to transport goods. The boy disliked studying but loved martial arts. The wealthy merchant, who had lost his son in his early years and only had a daughter in his middle age, intended for the boy to marry his daughter and inherit the family business. As the boy disliked studying, the wealthy merchant had his daughter study and manage accounts, while he was sent to learn martial arts.
Ten years later, the Northern Ji cavalry broke through the gates of Da Yuan City. Da Yuan was destroyed, and the wealthy merchant died in the war. The boy, relying on his martial arts, protected the girl in the chaotic times.
In the decades that followed, the imperial court gradually stabilized, but Jianghu remained chaotic. By this time, the boy had become a martial arts titan. He dispersed his family fortune and, with all his efforts, finally nominated a capable person before his death – the first leader of the martial arts gathering, Lin Feng.
From then on, every martial arts gathering was held in Fengyu City and organized by the Lin family.
After Lin Feng’s death, the Lin family retired from Jianghu and established the Chengwen Academy. Most of their disciples studied literature, and the collateral branches were skilled in business, thus developing into a prominent family today.