Chapter 50: I’ve Reserved this Seat for a Distinguished Gues

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nTonight, Nan Ying was all dolled up, and she looked even more exquisitely beautiful than usual.

nHer snow-white skirt fluttered in the wind, outlining her curves. She had her hair up in a bun, showing off her long, fair-skinned neck. Her eyes were bright and clear, and her lips were pink and full.

nWhen she stood there in all her glory, the radiant lamplight seemed dimmer by comparison. Who knew how many gazes she drew? Some of the nearby men were visibly infatuated.

nWhen she saw Su Yi, Nan Ying bit her lip, a hint of darkness flickering through her gaze. “I just thought that without your cultivation, you wouldn’t be interested in a spectacle like this, but don’t overthink it. I’m definitely not saying that to make fun of you.”

nSu Yi’s expression didn’t so much as waver. It was as if he hadn’t even heard her; he couldn’t be bothered to pay her any heed.

nIn his past life, he’d detested nothing more than two-faced women like her.

n“Su Yi, it’s been a while.” Suddenly, there was a disturbance within the crowd, and a group of people walked toward them. All of them were well-dressed, with the dignified bearing of one long accustomed to power.

nThe speaker was the elder leading the group. His hair was graying, but he seemed hale and hearty, and when he opened his eyes, they seemed to crackle with electricity. He was imposing as could be.

nBut when his gaze landed on Su Yi, his expression turned somewhat?pained.

n“Martial Uncle Zhou.” Su Yi clasped his fist.

nThis was the “Bluepeak Sword Elder” Zhou Huaiqiu, the fourth-ranked elder of Blueriver Sword Manor.

nDuring Su Yi’s time as an outer sect disciple, Zhou Huaiqiu had admired and thought highly of him. He’d looked out for him quite a bit.

nAt the same time, Su Yi noticed that Ni Hao, Family Head Li Tianhan, and various other Li Family members were here too.

nZhou Huaiqiu sighed. “I’ve already heard a bit about your life in Guangling City. Still, no matter what happens, you mustn’t sink into despair. Living well comes first.”

nSu Yi’s expression went a bit strange, but he nodded.

nZhou Huaiqiu hesitated, then whispered, “Su Yi, forgive me if my words are grating to the ear, but I encourage you to leave Wen Lingzhao’s side as soon as possible. She’s already a Grandmaster’s disciple. You ought to understand the weight of this status, and you…. Well, you two simply aren’t destined to be together.”

nWhen he said this, he reached out to pat Su Yi on the shoulder comfortingly, as if afraid his words had hurt him.

n“Apprentice Brother Su, Martial Uncle is saying this for your benefit. Please don’t misunderstand,” said Nan Ying gently. “It’s just, we all know that, in your current position, remaining the nominal husband of a Grandmaster’s disciple like Wen Lingzhao will only hurt you.”

nAlthough she said this, a glint of schadenfreude flashed through her eyes.

nSu Yi ignored Nan Ying completely, looking instead at Zhou Huaiqiu. “Martial Uncle Zhou, I’ve actually been planning to annul this marriage for a long time now.”

n“I’m glad to hear it,” said Zhou Huaiqiu, seemingly gratified. “Now I can relax.”

nA hint of a jeer tugged at Nan Ying’s lips.?Is this still the proud outer sect Sword Chief I once knew?

nIt seems his year as a live-in son-in-law has worn away his pride; he’s had no choice but to lower his head in the face of cruel reality.

nNi Hao, meanwhile, just watched coldly. He paid Su Yi no heed.

nAfter all, Martial artists and commoners lived in two different worlds.

nSeeing their response, Su Yi instantly realized that they’d misunderstood.

nHe wanted to end his marriage, but that was just because he didn’t want to “wear a green hat” and not even know it!

nWhy should he care about the trouble “a Grandmaster’s disciple” might bring him?

nSu Yi shook his head, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

nLi Tianhan had been silent all this time, but he suddenly interjected, “Brother Zhou, the banquet is about to start. How about we proceed to the venue?”

nZhou Huaiqiu nodded, then turned to Su Yi. “Did they stop you here because you don’t have an invitation? If so, you can just come with us.”

nWith that, he strode forward, and the others hurriedly followed him.

nThe members of the Old Guard stepped aside, not daring to stand in their way.

nHu Quan couldn’t help but whisper, “Sir, it seems they’ve misunderstood. You?do?have an invitation, and a VIP invitation at that. City Lord Fu Shan even told the guards….”

n“Why concern ourselves with that?” Su Yi laughed and cut him off. “Let’s hurry inside.”

nWith that, he strode across the bridge, hands behind his back.

nHu Quan hurried after him. He was just a little steward, and he certainly had no invitation. He had to stay close to Su Yi.

nThe night gradually darkened.

nAt the center of the Dragon’s Gate Bridge, in the platform over the waters of the Great Azure and around the hundred-meter arena, stood numerous tables and chairs. Blazing torches illuminated the entire area.

nWhen the competition started, this was to be the center of countless spectators’ attention!

nNumerous influential figures of both Guangling and Cloudfall cities were already seated around the arena.

nOn Guangling City’s side, there was City Lord Fu Shan, the commander of the guards, Nie Beihu, and Family Head Huang Yunchong, among others.

nThe Wen Family was present too, but since Family Head Wen Changjing had left for Heaven’s Origin Academy several days ago, the main line’s second elder, Wen Changqing, was here in his stead.

nThere were numerous influential figures from Cloudfall City too, including City Lord Li Jianyu, as well as Mo Haolong, the head of the Mo Family, the city’s top clan.

nWhen Zhou Huaiqiu’s group arrived, both cities’ higher-ups rose to their feet and greeted them with a smile.

nThis scene instantly stirred up a commotion within the surrounding area.

n“Look over there! Hurry! That’s the ‘Bluepeak Sword Elder’ Zhou Huaiqiu! He’s a prominent figure at Blueriver Sword Manor!”

n“At this year’s Dragon’s Gate Competition, whoever manages to impress him will be directly admitted to the Blueriver Sword Manor!”

n“Who is that woman? She’s just so beautiful!”

n“That’s a Blueriver Sword Manor inner sect disciple. Her name is Nan Ying, and she’s like a fairy. She’s renowned for her beauty even in Cloudriver Prefecture!”

n“If, one day, I could participate in the banquet too, I’d die happy….”

n….Sails dotted the surrounding parts of the river, their lights dazzling to behold. Every last passenger watched with bated breath, their gazes full of longing.

nThe banquet was an event for the influential, a place where important people gathered.

nTo the inhabitants of both cities, participating was an enormous honor!

nAmidst the crowd’s fervent discussions, Zhou Huaiqiu, Li Tianhan, Nan Ying, Ni Hao and the others took their seats.

nSuddenly, Li Tianhan seemed to notice something. “Brother Fu, it seems almost everyone is here, but there’s still an empty seat beside you. Might I ask who it’s for?”

nWhen the other influential figures heard that, all of them looked over curiously.

nCity Lord Fu Shan was one of the Dragon’s Gate Banquet’s hosts. He was naturally right in the center of the venue, with a front-row seat to the competition. His view was excellent.

nYet there was indeed an empty seat beside him.

nFu Shan laughed. “I prepared this for a distinguished guest. As for who specifically he is, please forgive me for keeping you in suspense.”

nThe crowd was stunned. Their thoughts raced as they tried to guess just who he was referring to.

nA distinguished guest??Which distinguished guest?

nCould it be someone even more distinguished than Zhou Huaiqiu?

nHuang Yunchong and Nie Beihu glanced at each other. They could vaguely guess who that seat was for, and the thought sent waves coursing through their hearts.

nIt might look like it was just the seat next to the city lord, but its significance was far greater than that! But then, if City Lord Fu didn’t want to reveal anything, they knew better than to do it for him.

nAt the same time, numerous people gathered near the banquet venue.

nThese were the youths of the cities’ various clans and factions.

nThey weren’t qualified to sit at the banquet, so they could only stand nearby and watch.

n“Ee? Su Yi, how did you get in here?”

nWhen Su Yi and Hu Quan arrived, they were quickly recognized.

nThe speaker was none other than Wen Shaobei! He looked bewildered, as if he dared not believe that Su Yi was participating too.

nThe nearby Wen Family youths were stunned too.

nSu Yi glanced at Wen Shaobei. He almost couldn’t help but admire him; there was just something about him that made people want to hit him. It was almost like an innate talent of his.

nEarlier that day, Huang Qianjun had slapped him viciously, twice. His swelling had yet to go down, but here he was, cruising for another bruising already.

n“He’s Su Yi? Agh, a waste became the husband of a grandmaster’s disciple. It’s against the natural order of things!”

nMany nearby disciples of major sects and clans began gossiping about Su Yi in hushed tones, but Su Yi didn’t care. His gaze was calm, and he was focused on enjoying the beauty of the lamplit night sky.

nLanterns shone like stars, stretching as far as the eye could see and bobbing with the current. The light shifted with the water, the sight stunning to behold.

nWhen he saw that Su Yi wasn’t saying anything, Wen Shaobei snorted coldly, then looked away.

nTonight was the Dragon’s Gate Banquet. With so many influential people present, no one would dare act up.

nBoom! Boom! Boom! 𝙚𝙙𝙤𝒗𝒆𝒍．𝒄𝙤𝙢

nThe sound of drums reverberated through the night sky, the sound powerful and deep, spreading far and wide.

nThe commoners clustered on both sides of the river instantly grew excited. When the drum sounded, it meant that the competition was about to begin!

nThe conversation in the banquet venue stopped immediately as everyone’s eyes turned towards the Dragon’s Gate Arena.

nThe Guangling City Lord, Fu Shan, and the Cloudfall City Lord, Li Jianyu, had both taken the stage, becoming the center of attention.

nSu Yi looked over too.

nLi Jianyu wore robes embroidered with silver dragons. He was tall, and although he was getting on in years, his presence was imposing.

nAs the drums slowed to a halt, Li Jianyu’s gaze swept across the surrounding area. He said in a low voice, “Tonight’s Dragon’s Gate Competition will be different than in prior years. City Lord Fu Shan and I have discussed it, and we’ve agreed that for the next ten years, control over Spiritbamboo Island will go to whichever city the champion of tonight’s competition hails from!

nThe venue instantly burst into uproar. The people were beside themselves with shock.

nIt was clear that?they’d had?no idea, and the news came as a big surprise.

nOnce the uproar finally died down, Li Jianyu smiled and said, “This year, we’re fortunate enough to have Blueriver Sword Manor elder Zhou Huaiqiu in attendance. He can act as a witness.”

nZhou Huaiqiu rose from his seat and smiled back. “It would be my honor.”

n“Hahaha, Brother Zhou, please take a seat.” Li Jianyu let out a burst of hearty laughter, then glanced at Fu Shan. “City Lord Fu, there’s no problem with me saying that, right?”

n“No problem.” Fu Shan smiled faintly, looking calm and composed.

n“Great!” Li Jianyu waved. “In that case, there is no need to delay any longer. Let’s begin the Dragon’s Gate Competition now!”

nWith that, both he and Fu Shan withdrew, clearing the stage.

nAlmost immediately, someone streaked over from Cloudfall City’s side of the venue.

n“Who from Guangling City wishes to participate in the first match?” The speaker was a youth in silver robes, a sheathed knife at his waist.

nHe was dashing, dignified, and charismatic, and his entrance immediately drew every gaze present.

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Chapter end