Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Famous People of the Martial World
"Master Xu"
With Shangguan Xing’s hints, Shi Xiaole naturally wouldn’t hold back, and promptly extended a greeting to the opposite party with neither humility nor arrogance.
As for the matter of his father saving Xu Beihe many years ago, Shi Xiaole wasn’t clear about the insider details. Their many years of silence was not worth discussing in terms of resentment or disappointment.
His father saving the opposite party was his father’s business, there was no reason to use such favor to overstate his importance. Of course, being cautious was a given.
"Xian nephew, you’ve suffered a lot over the years."
Xu Beihe felt a shock in his heart.
If Shi Xiaole showed indifference or even mockery, he was confident that he could change the other party’s impression, but the other’s nonchalance made him feel uncomfortable and somewhat humiliated.
Was this young man deeply manipulative, doing this deliberately, or was he genuinely transparent, with a profound understanding of the principles of life?
Xu Beihe suddenly realized that he couldn’t see through Shi Xiaole anymore.
"Xian Nephew, when I first met your parents, you and Snow hadn’t been born yet. I didn’t expect that, in a blink of an eye, so many years have passed. Your parents would certainly be proud of your current situation."
The beautiful woman beside Xu Beihe stepped out, her face showing a kind smile typical of the elders. She was Xue Yuanting’s sister, Xue Furong.
"Snow, haven’t you met your Brother Shi yet?"
Xu Beihe suddenly chastised Xu Nianxue in the crowd.
Xu Nianxue’s beautiful face suddenly flushed red with a mix of shame, agitation, and unspeakable embarrassment.
Initially, she had thought to get rid of Shi Xiaole with a single secret manual, and she looked down on him from the bottom of her heart. But now, her indulging father was asking her to pay respects to this young man in front of everyone.
If possible, Xu Nianxue would have undoubtedly jumped into a crack in the ground.
She glanced surreptitiously at the person opposite, seeing him maintain silence, as if reveling in her embarrassment. Her anger further intensified.
What’s there to be proud about? Is it just because your natural talent is slightly higher, your swordsmanship slightly better, or because you won first place in the Martial Heroes Contest...
As these thoughts streamed through her mind, Xu Nianxue’s anger subsided.
"Snow, what are you waiting for? The Shi family has saved our Xu Family. Both in reason and emotional standpoint, you should call this Xian nephew, brother."
Xu Beihe raised his voice.
Xu Nianxue mustered her courage and lifted her head, but when she saw Shi Xiaole’s calm expression, as if he couldn’t care less, she blurted out, "I won’t call him that!" and ran away with a turn of her head.
This unworthy girl!
Xu Beihe, having lost face, was unable to say anything else and could only command his son, Xu Canghai, to bring his sister back.
Xue Furong’s smile remained unchanged, she gently said to Shi Xiaole, "Please forgive my niece for her childish behavior." After saying that, she walked towards Su Yanru, affectionately took her hand, and began to praise her for her beauty and for taking care of Shi Xiaole.
Su Yanru, who had heard about Shi Xiaole and Xu Nianxue’s engagement, scoffed when she heard the way Xue Furong was speaking as though Shi Xiaole was part of their family. However, she wasn’t someone to be trifled with and she managed to parry with a smile.
The people from Snow Listening Mountain villa, who weren’t far away, watched this scene with peculiar expressions on their faces.
"Beihe once told me that Snow has a fiancé, could it be..."
Xue Yuanting hinted.
Xue Changqing, who was beside him, couldn’t help but laugh.
He had finally stepped out of the shadow of failure, and considered Shi Xiaole as a lifetime rival. If Shi Xiaole had that kind of relationship with Xu Nianxue, that would certainly be interesting.
Despite Xu Beihe’s many invitations for Shi Xiaole to visit and the hinting at their past marriage agreement, Shi Xiaole still declined citing that he was busy with other matters.
How could he not understand that the other party’s persistence might partly be out of goodwill, but was most likely because they valued his worth?
If one day his value was no more, would they turn their back on him?
Setting these thoughts aside, Shi Xiaole didn’t have many feelings for Xu Nianxue to begin with. Besides, considering how she had previously insulted him, it was impossible for them to be together in this lifetime.
The Xu family was after all a prestigious family. Seeing that Shi Xiaole had tactfully declined, they did not persist further and left with their goodbyes.
...
"My lord, should we just let this be?"
Inside the luxurious carriage, Xue Furong, still angry at Shi Xiaole’s ignorance, looked at Xu Beihe.
"One wrong step leads to many more. But the previous agreement was only verbal, it could also be considered jesting. If it really doesn’t work out, we will have to give up."
Xu Beihe shook his head, with a bitter smile.
One who could hold the position of the Xu Family Head is not a narrow-minded person.
In his eyes, regardless of Shi Xiaole’s talent, he was still a young man. Not to mention whether he could continue to grow in the future, even if he could, without twenty years at least, he wouldn’t be able to surpass him. They weren’t on the same level, so why quarrel with a junior.
"Humph, you’re really patient."
Seeing that her husband was indifferent, Xue Furong snorted coldly and stomped her foot.
...
While Xu Beihe and his wife were conversing, Shi Xiaole said goodbye to the members of the Will Sect and the Positive Pole Sect, and with Su Yanru and others, they entered a small town near Qingxue City.
There were many guesthouses in the small town, but the largest, the Fortunate Fate Guesthouse, was teeming with guests from the Martial World, all bustling with discussions about the grand martial arts competition.
"I’m sorry, customer, our rooms are fully occupied,"
Said the elderly innkeeper with a smile.
The return tide of guests from the Martial World in recent days caused all the guesthouses along the way to be fully occupied. Shi Xiaole and his group had split into more than a dozen groups, each inquiring at multiple guesthouses.
Finally, Yu Fangge and others managed to check in successfully, with only Shi Xiaole, Su Yanru, and the three geniuses from Golden Phoenix Tower still without accommodations.
"Are we going to be sleeping in the wilderness?"
An exasperated Su Yanru asked.
Thump, thump, thump.
Right then, footsteps echoed, and in walked a few impressive-looking men.
"Prepare ten rooms for me."
The leading man slapped a silver ingot on the table, its gleam blinding the innkeeper. The innkeeper regretfully informed them of the full occupancy.
"That’s easy."
The leading man smiled and cupped his hand towards the crowd, "I am Zhao Tianhao, the Junior Dart Leader of Central Plains Escort Agency. If ten heroes are willing to vacate ten rooms, I’d be most grateful."
"Ah, he’s the renowned Junior Dart Leader of the Central Plains Escort Agency? I’ve heard he has an impeccable record."
"The Central Plains Escort Agency is well-connected in the Central Plain. I heard if you run into trouble there, the agency can help you settle it."
No sooner had Zhao Tianhao introduced himself than a dozen people from the Martial World agreed to vacate their rooms, leaving everyone surprised at the power of the Central Plains Escort Agency.
Zhao Tianhao felt a burst of pride.
Although the Central Plains Escort Agency was not a leading power in Qingxue State, it had connections across all social strata. Sometimes it had even more sway than leading powers, so he always carried a great deal of prestige in the Martial World.
Just as Zhao Tianhao was about to step forward, he noticed a young man in blue at the corner of his eye. His heart pounded as he turned to look closer, then said while cupping his hand, "May I ask, is your surname Shi?"
Shi Xiaole glanced at Zhao Tianhao and nodded with a smile.
Zhao Tianhao’s eyes sparkled, "Brother Shi, it seems you’re also seeking accommodations. How about this, I will vacate five rooms from my agency for you."
The statement left the guests from the Martial World in shock.
Zhao Tianhao, despite his reputation for generosity, also had a certain arrogance typical of profligate sons. He wouldn’t usually hold just anyone in high regard, yet he gave away five rooms to a young man in blue at first sight.
The martial artists who observed the competition from Heroic Mount were few in number and from side peaks, it was difficult to see the participants’ faces clearly. But Zhao Tianhao was different.
He had a unique ability allowing him to see even the movement of a mosquito’s wings from three yards away. Thus, he managed to get a good look at Shi Xiaole’s figure even from the side peaks.
Now, hearing the youth affirm his surname and observing his exceptional temperament, Zhao Tianhao could almost instantly confirm that this handsome youth was none other than the top prodigy of Qingxue State: Shi Xiaole.
"Brother Zhao, you’re affording us such convenience, how could we accept?"
Shi Xiaole laughed gently.
Zhao Tianhao laughed heartily, "Brother Shi is too kind. If they knew who you were, I’m sure more than eighty percent of the people in this guesthouse would want to befriend you. This small gift is nothing in comparison."
That wasn’t an exaggeration. In previous grand martial arts competitions, even if one did not come first, just being in the list of young heroes would take one a long way. And this competition, with standards far above previous ones, had broken historical records. The first place achieved by Shi Xiaole was simply astounding.
Perhaps, Shi Xiaole couldn’t fathom the heights his fame had reached. From Qingxue City, spreading in all directions, wherever there were martial artists leaving the event, his name, Shi Xiaole, could be heard.
Terms of praise such as ’heaven-graced talent’, ’master of sword and sabre’, ’number one prodigy’, were freely used before his name. It was not hard to imagine what a sensation Shi Xiaole could cause when news of him spread throughout Qingxue State in a few days.
"This is the fee for five rooms, Brother Zhao, please accept."
Taking out some silver from his pocket, Shi Xiaole flicked it effortlessly towards Zhao Tianhao, and it landed readily in Zhao’s hand.
Caught off guard, Zhao Tianhao immediately composed himself, "Please, Brother Shi."
He did not reject Shi’s silver. Interactions between people required gradual progression. If he appeared too eager to please, it would put him at a disadvantage.
As Shi Xiaole and Su Yanru, along with the others, made their way upstairs to their rooms, the hall broke into a buzz of fervent discussion.
There were quite a few sharp people in the room. The moment they heard ’Shi’, they became alert. Taking into account his appearance, temperament, and Zhao Tianhao’s attitude towards him, some people were so shocked that they couldn’t contain themselves.
"Lele, you’re a real celebrity in the Martial World now."
Inside the room, Su Yanru looked at Shi Xiaole with a teasing smile.
"Fame can be tiresome. If I had the choice, I would rather be an unknown soldier."
That was Shi Xiaole’s sincere sentiment. Along the journey, his name would come up whenever there was a conversation. He was invariably compared to the historic greats.
To be honest, it’s easy to offend people this way, although he didn’t care.
"Lele, come here and give your auntie a shoulder rub."
She held her gaze on Shi Xiaole’s handsome face and tall form. A thwarted desire to possess him once again stirred within Su Yanru, teetering uncontrollably.
This time, she even fantasised about having Shi Xiaole serve her like a servant. The thought set her entire body alight.
