Chapter 473: Chapter 472: Eve
Shi Xiaole always thought that he was quite generous, but after witnessing Ai Wenhong’s spending, he realized that there were always people better than him, and there were higher realms beyond his comprehension.
Upon departing from Whitehead Town, the latter directly purchased the town’s only triple-horse carriage, and hired three drivers to take turns on the road.
The carriage was filled with the finest pastries and wines from the town, with four women from the brothel in attendance. According to Ai Wenhong, my they were there to prevent loneliness during the journey.
Seeing that Shi Xiaole did not seem interested, Ai Wenhong had to ask the women to leave, not mentioning the advance payment he had made at all.
"Brother Shi, one should enjoy life to the fullest. People like you should live joyfully every day so as not to waste their precious youth."
Ai Wenhong said.
Shi Xiaole gave a wry smile.
Finally, he understood why the capabilities of Ai Wenhong didn’t match his talent. The man was clearly a hedonist, and he would probably be grateful if he could spend a third of his time on martial arts.
In his free time, Shi Xiaole wasn’t against some enjoyment. However, his idea of enjoyment always came after his martial arts training. It was just a spice in his life.
"Ah, seeing Brother Shi always reminds me of my elder sister. Both of you are able to ignite my ambitious aspirations, making me want to test my skills in the Martial World. But if you let me be alone for a while, I would find enjoyment more important."
Ai Wenhong gave a bitter smile.
Seeing Shi Xiaole start to meditate and adjust his breath, thinking about the upcoming Immortal Gathering in Linjiang, he gritted his teeth, suppressing his restless thoughts and started cultivating too.
"Interesting."
On a slender branch along the path of the carriage, the Wine Beggar lied horizontally as weightless, retracting his gaze from the carriage top, and took a swig of wine.
...
Linjiang, the largest river in Shuntian Capital, spans millions of miles with the widest point reaching thirty thousand miles. It’s formed by the confluence of several streams and flows directly into the East Sea.
Its scale is renowned throughout the Flying Horse Dynasty.
With more than ten days left until the seventh day of September, the towns and cities near Linjiang were already bustling and vibrant with groups of martial artists arriving daily.
These visitors consisted mostly of young faces, expressing either warlike intention or restless excitement.
Each Immortal Gathering in Linjiang was the most significant event for the younger generation within Xuanwu State. In order to participate in the grand event, people would put aside all other matters, whether they were far away, deep in cultivation, or tied up with other tasks.
Many ambitious youngsters even saw the Immortal Gathering in Linjiang, as the first stepping stone into the Martial World, hoping to gain fame overnight.
However, though it was a nice dream, less than one in a hundred thousand could truly make it come true.
After all, those who qualified to attend the Immortal Gathering in Linjiang were all exceptional talents. Placed in any state of Shuntian Capital they could be considered top talents.
To come out on top among such strong competitors was as hard as climbing to the heavens.
The Linjiang Tower, thirteen stories high, offers a picturesque view of Linjiang mountains and water from the top. However, not just anyone could get up there. In the past decade, only three people were invited by the proprietor to this level.
Today, it received its fourth guest.
A graceful young man in simple clothes, with an air of gravity despite merely eating and drinking.
The proprietor of Linjiang Tower, who scorned martial arts experts, respectfully stood by, ready to answer the call at any moment.
After a while, the young man in common clothes put down his chopsticks saying, "Not bad."
"As long as Young Master Yu likes it."
The proprietor let out a clandestine sigh of relief, grinning broadly.
"What day is it today?"
"The twenty-first of August."
The man in plain cloth glanced at Linjiang shrouded in mist in the distance, murmuring, "I hope those people can allow me to let loose."
He got up and went down the stairs.
"Boss, who is this person anyways, that you’d personally attend to him?"
Once the proprietor returned to the ground floor, some waiters couldn’t help but ask.
"His surname is Yu, and his name is Zhao."
The proprietor said.
"Yu Zhao... that sounds familiar. Wait, the Yu Zhao?!"
The traffic at Linjiang Tower brought many martial artists, and the waiters, by hearing and observing, naturally understood about matters of the martial world.
In the martial world of Xuanwu State, who didn’t know about ’Little Lord’ Yu Zhao? This man had broken through to the Dragon Gate Realm at the age of twenty-three, remained undefeated among his peers and was recognized as the top talent in Xuanwu State for the last century.
In fact, many busybodies had already crowned him as the number one prodigy of Shuntian Capital.
Not to mention, Yu Zhao came from a prestigious family, it’s no wonder the proprietor was so respectful.
Down the wide street, a young man embroidered with a maple leaf pattern on his clothes trodded alone, the sword at his waist slightly drooping.
Although the street was crowded, strangely, the young man moved straight ahead unimpeded.He seemed to be walking in another space.
"Where is my sword?"
"What happened?"
Swordsmen on the street suddenly found their swords shaking inexplicably.
Among these people, there were many powerful swordsmen who had reached the Spiritual-Passage Realm and had gained a Perfect Sword Heart, but they still couldn’t control their shaking swords, and even their Sword Hearts had begun to flutter.
It was only when the young man with a maple leaf pattern on his clothes walked away that the anomaly disappeared.
"It’s you, Li Zifeng!"
At the corner of the street, a person watched the disappearing figure with a solemn gaze.
’Unrivalled Sword Marquis’ Li Zifeng, one of the three top-tier talents in Xuanwu State, advanced into the Dragon Gate Realm at the age of twenty-four. He is praised for his talent surpassing even the Sun Sword Lord, recognized as the premier swordsmanship prodigy.
Dust billowed up the road outside the city gate.
A group of people from the Martial World came galloping on fast horses. Nearby pedestrians had no choice but to retreat. Seeing that they were about to collide with the person in front, the person at the lead on horseback shouted, "If you don’t want to die, get out of the way at once!"
The man remained unmoved.
"Move!"
This group, used to throwing their weight around, spurred their horses forward.
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
The momentum of the dozens of horses was forceful. Yet, as soon as they approached a yard within the man, they were forcefully halted. The people on horseback, like sandbags being flung, were sent screaming and tumbling away.
From beginning to end, the man in front never turned around.
"Idiots, doesn’t everyone know that among the younger generation, there is only one person who likes to walk in the middle of the road? If you run into him, it’s best to take a detour."
Watching the group on the ground howling and writhing in pain, a slim, fair-looking teenager not far away couldn’t help but sneer.
"Senior Brother Zhuo, you’re not referring to the middle-road-walking, side-people-knocking Four Seas Retribution God, are you?"
The young men and women next to the pale teenager were astonished.
"Who else would it be?"
Zhuo Feifan curled the corner of his mouth.
Every year there are many talents entering Xuanwu State from other states, but when it comes to quality, in these few years, it was obviously skyrocketing far surpassing the past.
The Four Seas Retribution God is among the very best among them.
This person emerged from obscurity, in less than a year, he successively defeated many experts in Xuanwu State, and his fame rivaled that of the three top talents.
"Hmph, this time, my only targets are Yu Zhao and his friends."
Unclenching his fist, Zhuo Feifan shifted his gaze away.
On a nearby peak lineseeing Linjiang, a woman was practising swordsmanship. Her dominating beauty, upon close observation, bore striking similarities to Ai Wenhong.
At some point, with a swing of her sword, the sword light spread out like ripples in water. Flower and grass, trees and stones within the scope of the sword light first twisted and then shattered into debris, scattering in the wind.
The true intent displayed by this sword was indeed a three-point Water True Intent!
"This is my first real fight since I left the family. I hope my opponent is strong enough to give me a good fight."
The woman sheathed her sword, looking extraordinary and heroic. Her beautiful eyes looked at the bustling boats by the banks of Linjiang, flashing with excitement.
...
As time passed, more and more heroes were flocking to Linjiang, causing the nearby cities to become unprecedentedly bustling.
Standing on the street, you could see many young men and women with outstanding temperament. There were genius disciples from the prominent sects, descendants of noble families, and also heirs to renowned experts...
After a hurried month-long journey, Shi Xiaole and Ai Wenhong finally arrived at Tianyi City near Linjiang a few days before the Immortal Meet.
"We are a bit late, I’m afraid accommodation might be a problem."
Lifting the curtain of the horse-drawn carriage, while looking at the crowd from all walks of life, Shi Xiaole said with a wry smile.
"Brother Shi, don’t worry. I’m sure someone has already arranged everything for us."
Ai Wenhong smiled.
A quarter hour later.
The two entered the Tianyi Inn, one of the top inns in Tianyi City, and took up two of the four upper-tier rooms.
"The Ai Family has indeed a vast network."
Shi Xiaole could only sigh.
The Ai Family Ai Wenhong came from is one of the first-rate martial families in Xuanwu State, comparable in power to superpowers like Spring Night Hell, or even three points stronger in terms of connections.
Many of the young people participating in the Linjiang Immortal Meet have extraordinary backgrounds. These forces would undoubtedly have booked inns long before the start of the meet.
And he only met Ai Wenhong a month ago. Yet, the Ai Family can arrange for two top-tier rooms, which is frightening to think about.
