Meng Zhiyuan looked at Gu Qianying and the others, his eyes chilling. "Meng Qinghua! How dare you bring so many outsiders in here? What are your intentions!"
All the Yi people present, including those who followed Meng Zhiyuan's orders, turned their gazes towards Gu Qianying and her companions.
Every face was solemn, fists instinctively clenched, blocking Gu Qianying and the others' path.
Yi Jing Ge could only have Yi people, and each Yi person here had a tiger head emblem carved on the back of their hand.
The rules of Yi Jing Ge stated that outsiders were forbidden.
If someone from the martial world wanted Yi Jing Ge's people to emerge from seclusion, they would first send a letter and remuneration. Once Yi Jing Ge's people accepted this remuneration, they could leave seclusion to set up formations for their patrons.
Those with exceptional formation skills would even be invited by the imperial court to military camps, offered positions as strategists, and serve the nation alongside generals.
Such individuals, once employed by the court, could shed their Yi person identity and become citizens of another land.
Once this happened, they could not return to Yi Jing Ge unless the Pavilion Master decreed it.
Upon seeing Gu Qianying and the others,
Meng Qinghua was deeply moved.
He had not explicitly disclosed the internal affairs of Yi Jing Ge to them, not wanting to implicate his sworn brothers. Yet, these people had come nonetheless.
"Outsiders? We are not outsiders."
Nangong Li spun his folding fan in his palm, then opened it, fanning himself.
He pushed aside the Yi people surrounding him and walked towards Meng Qinghua.
As Meng Qinghua stood up, Nangong Li reached him and called out, "Brother!"
Meng Qinghua smiled.
He motioned for the attendants behind him to quickly prepare several chairs and place them before him.
He then introduced to Meng Zhiyuan, "Second Uncle, these are my sworn brothers: Nangong Li, Du Chun, Nangong Mo, and Gu Qianying. This is my sister-in-law, Lora Yata."
He introduced Gu Qianying and the others' identities to all the Yi people.
As he introduced Gu Qianying and the others' identities,
Gu Qianying and her companions walked towards Meng Qinghua.
Around them, the Yi people who had been surrounding them observed that Gu Qianying and the others each possessed a powerful aura.
A hint of fear crept into them, and they all retreated.
The Yi women who had rushed over after dressing up at home, upon seeing Nangong Mo and the others, either gasped or praised them, revealing their admiration.
Nangong Mo was aloof and cold, his deep, icy gaze fixed solely on his wife.
Gu Qianying sat close to Nangong Mo, clad in a red robe, her exquisite beauty making her the object of jealousy among the women present.
Nangong Li was handsome and dashing, with a roguish charm, sitting with his legs crossed.
Lora Yata sat beside him, her demeanor elegant and dignified.
Du Chun, with a shock of white hair and handsome features, was gentle and refined, capturing the hearts of more than half the women present.
At this moment, Meng Xiangxiang, disguised as a subordinate next to Meng Qinghua in men's attire,
though she had already dismissed thoughts of Du Chun, she couldn't help but glance at him several times.
"Since they are sworn brothers and sisters, Second Uncle, these people are not outsiders, are they?"
With the support of Gu Qianying and the others, Meng Qinghua felt considerably more at ease.
Meng Zhiyuan's expression stiffened slightly.
He glanced at Gu Qianying and the others.
As he looked towards them, Gu Qianying was also appraising him.
However... upon meeting Meng Zhiyuan's triangular eyes, Gu Qianying's body trembled.
How could it be him?
Sensing Gu Qianying's slight abnormality, Nangong Mo reached out and took her hand.
"Wife, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
As he asked this, Du Chun, seated two seats away, subconsciously looked towards Gu Qianying.
His eyes lingered for only a moment before he quickly averted his gaze.
It was natural for him to be concerned about his sworn sister's well-being.
However... he still couldn't bring himself to act too openly.
"I'm fine. It's just that the child in my belly kicked. It's nothing."
Gu Qianying lied.
"It's good that you're alright. If my wife is tired, I'll take you to rest. They can handle things here."
Nangong Mo naturally placed his wife's safety above all else.
Nangong Li and Du Chun were more than enough to assist Meng Qinghua.
"I'm not tired. This child likes liveliness."
Gu Qianying used this as an excuse to stay.
Nangong Mo acquiesced.
When no one was paying attention, Gu Qianying looked towards Meng Zhiyuan again.
Meng Zhiyuan was seated directly opposite her.
"Meng Qinghua, he is your Second Uncle?"
Gu Qianying withdrew her gaze and turned to Meng Qinghua.
"Yes."
Meng Qinghua nodded.
"Before I returned, my Second Uncle was temporarily in charge of Yi Jing Ge. However, Yi Jing Ge has an ancestral teaching that only a direct descendant can be the legitimate Pavilion Master. Therefore, after my return, he handed over Yi Jing Ge to me. But... who would willingly give up the power they hold?"
In his words, Meng Qinghua revealed the internal struggles within Yi Jing Ge.
"I recall you mentioning that you were poisoned and expelled from the Meng family years ago, and your parents also died in an accident. You were just a child then. It seems the poisoner might be him."
Nangong Mo took a sip of hot tea.
Mentioning the past,
Meng Qinghua clenched his fists.
The events of that year were a nightmare he did not wish to recall.
But regarding his poisoning and his parents' accidental deaths, after so many years,
all the attendants serving him had long since died.
Even if he was certain that his Second Uncle, Meng Zhiyuan, was responsible for the wicked deeds, he had no evidence to present to the elders of the Sanyuan Society.
Thus, harboring hatred, he could not exact revenge.
Since he took over as Pavilion Master, Meng Zhiyuan had made numerous attempts on his life behind his back.
He had endured each time because, after becoming Pavilion Master, he lacked capable subordinates.
Seeing Meng Qinghua's face turn somewhat pale,
Gu Qianying and the others frequently looked at him.
Nangong Li placed his hand on Meng Qinghua's hand.
Nangong Mo poured Meng Qinghua a cup of hot tea and placed it before him.
"Don't overthink it. Today, we'll take this opportunity to avenge you, brother!"
Nangong Li picked up the cup of hot tea in front of Meng Qinghua and personally fed it to him.
Du Chun interjected, "Ah Li is absolutely right."
Unnoticed by anyone among them, Gu Qianying kept staring at Meng Zhiyuan opposite them.
In her previous life, she had met this man.
This man had sought out her master, Old Man Bai.
At that time, this man had contracted a strange illness, one that no renowned physician in the world could cure. Later, he met her master, Old Man Bai, who managed to heal his ailment.
During that period, this man frequently met with her master, Old Man Bai.
While he claimed it was for treatment, she had accidentally discovered that when this man visited, he often requested that her master, Old Man Bai, receive him alone.
"Has he ever left this island? Has he been to other countries?"
Gu Qianying asked again.
Meng Qinghua shook his head.
"As the Pavilion Master or someone in charge of Yi Jing Ge, one is not allowed to leave this island until natural death.
This is also a rule established by Yi Jing Ge over a hundred years ago.
It is also the family mission, which is why he was reluctant to return.
But after taking on the family mission, as the Pavilion Master of Yi Jing Ge, he is to be treated with respect by both the martial world and the imperial courts of various countries.
Yi Jing Ge's reputation in the martial world is even greater than that of the Poison Doctor Sage Pavilion.
"Never left?"
Gu Qianying frowned.
Her heart was filled with confusion.
"What's wrong? Have you met this person before, wife?"
Nangong Mo replaced Gu Qianying's tea with a fresh cup.
Gu Qianying shook her head, remaining silent.
Some matters required her to investigate thoroughly.
Since Meng Qinghua had acknowledged these outsiders as his sworn brothers and sisters,
and had declared before everyone that he, Meng Qinghua, and his sworn siblings had taken an oath.
This oath was witnessed by the gods and testified by heaven and earth.
Therefore, these individuals were considered "half Yi people."
As half Yi people, their presence here was quite fitting.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhiyuan, who had intended to embarrass Meng Qinghua,
was so enraged that he nearly bit off his own teeth.
"If that is the case, then in today's Yi Jing debate, will Nephew Qinghua have these sworn brothers and sisters of yours compete in your stead?"
Meng Zhiyuan's lips curved into a more pronounced sneer.
Even if he brought in a few outsiders to "support his facade," so what?
He didn't believe that Meng Qinghua could turn the tide with just a few outsiders?
Ha! A fool's dream!
"This..."
Meng Qinghua was momentarily speechless.
The Yi Jing debate was not a martial arts competition, but a formation competition.
Furthermore, his brothers, except for Nangong Li,
knew nothing about formations.
Moreover, in formation competitions, both sides had to sign a life-and-death contract.
In formations, falling into a death trap or being backlashed by the formation could be fatal.
And in competitions, breaking the formation would result in victory, while failure to break it or being backlashed would lead to defeat.
Thus,
how could he bear to let these good brothers risk their lives for him?
"No need, I alone..."
Meng Qinghua stood up, preparing to enter the arena.
But Nangong Li pushed him back down.
"Brother is the Pavilion Master of Yi Jing Ge. How can the Pavilion Master personally enter the arena? We 'half Yi people' are not useless."
With a flick of his sleeve,
Nangong Li, holding his folding fan, stepped on the shoulders of the few Yi people in front of him and leaped onto the arena.
He landed steadily, his robes fluttering in the wind, exuding an unparalleled grace.
His opponent was a Yi person named Amenyan.
He wore a light gray cloth robe and carried the Liu Yao...