Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Golden Phoenix Tower (Seeking recommendations, seeking favorites!)
After fully consolidating his internal power at the fifth-tier peak of the Hidden Qi, Shi Xiaole finally got up, stretched lazily, his mouth unconsciously revealing a slight smile.
He was in a good mood, so he ordered the inn’s waiter to bring a bucket of hot water. After a thorough wash, he put on his newly-bought clothes and left the inn.
As people were moving in all directions in the street, Shi Xiaole rounded a corner and suddenly turned around, saying, "Come out."
No one responded.
"Sir, I’ve already detected you. Do you still want to conceal yourself?"
Shortly after his words fell, a figure emerged from the shadow, saying with a laugh, "Young Master, as expected, you are alert."
This person was no other than the masked man who previously saved Shi Xiaole at the foot of Mountain Luyan.
"Who exactly are you?"
Shi Xiaole sighed inwardly. How could he have detected this person? It was most likely that the other party had deliberately revealed flaws.
"Young Master, it’s me, Old Meng."
The masked man removed his veil, revealing a square face with a full beard. Paired with his tall stature, he emanated the air of a martial artist.
"Uncle Meng."
Shi Xiaole quickly recognized the man based on his memory.
As he remembered, this man was named Meng Qi, known as the Violent Bear, one of the few trusted confidants of his aunt. He was highly regarded by her.
Remembering how Meng Qi had previously helped him defeat the Chief Steward, Shi Xiaole instantly realized that he was sent by his aunt to secretly protect him.
A surge of warmth quietly entered the lonely heart of Shi Xiaole. This was the first time since his rebirth that he truly felt cared for by others.
"Uncle Meng, why did you suddenly decide to see me today? Is there something important?"
Suppressing his thoughts, Shi Xiaole playfully asked with a rare smile.
Meng Qi thought to himself that the Young Master was indeed sharp-minded. In the past years, he had probably been pretending to be foolish. Even the Master had been deceived by him.
"Young Master, you really don’t remember?"
"What exactly?"
Meng Qi finally asked with expectation, "Young Master, the Golden Phoenix Tower’s once-in-a-decade successor competition is in two days. Aren’t you going to watch?"
If this was before, Meng Qi certainly wouldn’t have brought it up to avoid making Shi Xiaole embarrass the Master.
However, in the past period, he personally felt the changes in Shi Xiaole, especially the Invisible Gorge battle, which made Meng Qi deeply realize the potential of this young man!
"The successor competition?"
Shi Xiaole was slightly stunned. Indeed, in the memory of the original host, there was indeed such an event.
The Golden Phoenix Tower, as one of the top martial arts forces in Feiyan City, traditionally has one Master and three Deputy Masters.
To ensure the continuity of their power, right from the onset, the first-generation Master of the Golden Phoenix Tower established the rule of "the able takes charge."
That is to say, the Master of the Golden Phoenix Tower is not appointed by the previous Master. Instead, every ten years, the young talents of the Golden Phoenix Tower compete. The eventual victor is granted the qualification to inherit the Golden Phoenix Tower.
Shi Xiaole hadn’t realized that the intra-tower competition held every ten years was to take place the day after tomorrow.
Poor him, the present nephew of the Master, hadn’t heard about this until now.
Shi Xiaole wouldn’t blame his aunt.
While his past talent couldn’t be said to be bad, it definitely wasn’t good. Especially among this generation of young talents of the Golden Phoenix Tower, there were several extraordinarily talented individuals. When comparing him with these individuals, he seemed insignificant.
In addition, according to the snippets in his memory, although the Golden Phoenix Tower seems unified on the surface, there are many hidden conflicts within. Most likely, his aunt didn’t want him to get involved and consequently affected.
"Young Master, with your current strength, even though you may not have the certainty of defeating those few individuals, you can still enhance the prestige of the Master’s line. If you go back, I believe the Master will definitely be very happy," said Meng Qi, trying to persuade him.
While he had great expectations for Shi Xiaole’s potential, potential needed time to be converted into strength. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Shi Xiaole could claim first place in the intra-tower competition.
However, he was hoping that Shi Xiaole could return, take part in the competition, and incidentally counterattack the candidates from the other lines. This would avoid having the Master’s line being attacked from both sides and consequently facing extreme pressure.
"I haven’t seen my aunt for a long time. Even if Uncle Meng hadn’t mentioned it, I had planned to go back and visit," Shi Xiaole agreed without giving it much thought.
Setting aside his relationship with his aunt, he was eager to witness the once-in-a-decade grand event of the Golden Phoenix Tower, the intra-tower competition.
...
As for the Golden Phoenix Tower, it was not a solitary tower but an extremely magnificent and luxurious manor.
At the entrance of the manor, two white jade phoenix sculptures stood on either side of the gate. Starting from there, a saber-wielding guard was stationed every five meters, forming a circle around the periphery of the Golden Phoenix Tower.
The guards inside the manor were even stricter, monitoring each sector around the clock in rotation.
Such an impenetrable defense made the Golden Phoenix Tower one of the safest places in Feiyan City. Even a powerful expert in the Qi Absorption Realm would have to pay a great price to break in.
On this day, a blue-clothed young woman with a beautiful appearance and distinct demeanor arrived outside the Golden Phoenix Tower. Upon seeing this lady, the previously stern guards at the gate showed expressions of joy and all chorused, "Miss Lan Ning!"
Lan Ning, the granddaughter of the Second Deputy Master of the Golden Phoenix Tower, has had an exceptional talent for the sword since childhood. Even amongst the numerous talents of the Light Sword Sect, she was remarkably outstanding. It was said that she was recently selected as a personal disciple by the Grand Elder of the Light Sword Sect.
"Have Jin Wuwei and Sha Zongheng returned yet?"
Lan Ning asked in an icy tone.
"Miss Lan Ning, Young Master Jin and Young Master Sha have not yet returned,"
One of the guards immediately answered, not daring to slack off a bit.
"Hmm."
Lan Ning nodded and strode into the Golden Phoenix Tower with a haughty gait.
Jin Wuwei, Sha Zongheng, we were rivals two years ago. For this competition within the Tower, I must defeat both of you in front of everyone.
As Lan Ning entered the Golden Phoenix Tower, at the gate of Feiyan City, two young men with an air of elegance arrived on horseback.
Although the two seemed to be no more than sixteen or seventeen, their posture, expression, and even their handling of the reins were more sophisticated than those of some old hands in the martial world. Outsiders would have a hard time finding their vulnerabilities.
"Brother Jin, I heard that Lan Ning has learned the third-rate upper-class sword technique, the Light Sword Great Method, from the Light Sword Sect. I suppose her ability must have improved dramatically,"
The younger man on the right laughed.
"Sha, why are you pretending to be modest? Haven’t you also acquired one of the third-rate upper-class martial arts from our sect? When will you let me have a look?"
The larger youth on the right casually asked.
Sha Zongheng chuckled and said, "My humble martial arts skills are nowhere near Brother Jin. I hope you’ll show mercy in the grand competition the day after tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, a smirk appeared at the corner of Jin Wuwei’s mouth.
This Sha Zongheng, who had been deep in thought since childhood, intentionally hid his strength. Anyone who took his words lightly would be in for a big hit.
But he, Jin Wuwei, had improved greatly from the past and felt that no matter how strong Sha Zongheng and Lan Ning were, they would not be his match.
He was determined to become the master of the Golden Phoenix Tower!
"By the way, do you think Shi Xiaole will come back this time?"
Sha Zongheng abruptly shifted the conversation, a suggestive smile playing on his face.
As the nephew of the tower master, Shi Xiaole should be their biggest competitor. But unfortunately, he has been mediocre since childhood, and by now he is probably lagging far behind not just them, but also the other young people in the tower.
"I heard he was sent by the tower master to a sect in Mountain Luyan. This big event should prompt him to return. But it makes no difference whether he does or not,"
Jin Wuwei, much more direct than Sha Zongheng, said. In his view, if he were in Shi Xiaole’s shoes, he would never return. It would be embarrassing to go back; better not to return at all.
Just as Jin Wuwei and Sha Zongheng returned to the Golden Phoenix Tower, causing a stir inside, a young man in a green shirt and Meng Qi approached the mansion gate, unnoticed.
"Chief Steward Meng, Young...Young Master Shi."
The six guards were somewhat surprised but quickly returned to normal.
Meng Qi nodded and led Shi Xiaole inside.
When the two had walked away, one of the guards whispered, "It seems Young Master Shi is also participating in the competition within the tower this time. Sadly, he’s destined to play a supporting role."
Another guard reprimanded him, "Watch your tongue! Be careful what you say!"
The one who had spoken immediately fell silent.
No matter how much Shi Xiaole disgraced the tower master, his status was far beyond that of mere guards.
As they walked through the estate, they could see pavilions, rockeries, and corridors. Guards frequently passed by, greeting Shi Xiaole and Meng Qi before quickly leaving.
The Golden Phoenix Tower, as the top martial power in Feiyan City, operated numerous businesses, including restaurants, pawnshops, martial arts schools, and tea shops, earning tens of millions each year and becoming a household name in the surrounding area.
It made perfect sense - without such a vast source of revenue, how could they support the thousands of individuals in the tower?
As the tower master of the Golden Phoenix Tower, Su Yanru’s reputation spread far and wide. Everyone in the black and white realms of the nearby martial world had to give her some face.
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but think, if his aunt had not hidden her identity back then, would the Grand Elder of the Huajian Sect dare conspire against him?
Just as he was pondering, the two arrived outside Ru Garden.
"Young Master, I have some business to attend to, so I’ll leave you here. Remember to say some good words about me in front of the tower master,"
With a broad smile, Meng Qi patted Shi Xiaole on the shoulder and left leisurely.
Shi Xiaole thought to himself that appearances could be deceiving. Meng Qi, who seemed coarse, was in fact a thoughtful person. His actions were obviously out of consideration not to disturb him and his aunt.
Shaking his head, Shi Xiaole took a step into the Golden Phoenix Tower, the most important place there.
After crossing the courtyard and opening the door, a faint feminine fragrance wafted into his nostrils. For some reason, Shi Xiaole’s heart raced, and he felt a bit restless.
"Lele, is that you?"
Behind the screen embroidered with mandarin ducks, came a slightly lazy feminine voice.
Then, a bewitching, glamorous woman strode out. She was dressed in red with her hair in a high bun. Her lush lips curled into a smile, stirring even the flowers to envy.
This was Su Yanru, the tower master of the Golden Phoenix Tower, also known as the Bewitching Flying Phoenix.
"Aunt."
Shi Xiaole blurted out, his heart pounding.
