Chapter 64: The Battle That Shook the City (1)
As Yun Che and Xia Yuanba walked into the main hall, they happened to encounter Murong Ye. He glanced sideways and said rudely, "What are you two doing here? Do you know what kind of banquet this is? Get out now!"
"Sikong Elder allowed us to come." Xia Yuanba suppressed his anger.
"Sikong Elder? Allowed you?" Murong Ye sneered disdainfully. "Allowed you to come and disgrace yourselves? This isn't some ordinary banquet. There will definitely be sparring matches between disciples of various sects later. What are two pieces of small fry like you doing here? Hmph, forget it. Since Sikong Elder allowed you, go on in. But behave yourselves. If you bring shame to our New Moon Mystic Palace, don't blame me, your senior brother, for being unpleasant with you."
He had been trailing after Lan Xueruo all afternoon, and though she had kept a smile on her face and her voice was soft, she never once looked him in the eye. This had filled him with pent-up frustration, and now that he ran into Yun Che and Xia Yuanba, he finally vented it.
Even with Xia Yuanba's good temper, being suddenly cursed at for no reason made him furious. But Yun Che tugged at his arm and said calmly, "Let's go inside."
Entering the main hall, they saw Sikong Han waving at them, and he directed them to their arranged seats. Their seats were in the very last row, the least noticeable spot... Still, even though the seat was inconspicuous, Xia Yuanba's size and build made him hard to ignore.
"Yun Che, Yuan Ba, if there are any sparring matches later, just watch carefully. If you can learn something, that's for the best. Both of you have only been at the Mystic Palace for a short time, so it's unlikely anyone will challenge you. Stay at the back and watch quietly." Sikong Han reminded them.
"Understood, Elder Sikong." Xia Yuanba nodded and obediently sat down.
Yun Che also nodded slowly. He glanced around and saw about thirty Mystic Palace disciples seated. As expected, these should be the most elite disciples of the Mystic Palace. Out of three thousand disciples, these thirty or so were picked—each one undoubtedly one in a hundred. Soon, Yun Che spotted Lan Xueruo. She was sitting right in the center of the first row of the disciple seats. That position didn't surprise Yun Che at all. An eighteen-year-old at the Eighth Level of the Initial Xuan Realm, and a girl at that—even among upper-tier sects, that was considered excellent talent.
Yun Che himself also attracted the attention of many Mystic Palace disciples. Those allowed to attend this banquet were all top disciples, fiercely competitive and familiar with each other. Xia Yuanba's arrival surprised them... because Xia Yuanba's profound strength was only at the Sixth Level of the Initial Xuan Realm, at the bottom of the Mystic Palace, completely unsuited for this gathering. And the person who came with him, Yun Che, was a completely unfamiliar face.
"Oh? Are you a new junior brother? I don't think I've seen you before?" A girl dressed in fiery red robes turned around from the row in front of Yun Che, blinking with curious eyes.
"Greetings, Senior Sister. My name is Yun Che. I just entered the Mystic Palace today." Yun Che nodded slightly, offering a charming smile.
The girl felt as if she'd been struck by lightning, her cheeks flushing slightly. She exclaimed softly, "Wow! You look so young, and you're already in the Initial Xuan Realm! No wonder you're allowed to attend this banquet on your very first day at the Mystic Palace."
"Of course! He's my brother-in-law! How could he not be impressive!" Xia Yuanba said proudly, as if hearing someone praise Yun Che made him happier than being praised himself.
"Huh? Brother-in-law? You're... already married?" The girl's pink lips parted, and a clear regret flickered in her eyes.
Yun Che resisted the urge to strangle Xia Yuanba and replied calmly, "Yes. Senior Sister is so beautiful, you must be married already too, right?"
"I wouldn't marry so early. Oh, by the way, my name is Ye Hongling. I'm in Class One of the Mystic Palace, seventeen years old. If you ever have any problems, I've got your back!" The girl said with a sense of righteous loyalty.
"...Thank you, Senior Sister."
Realizing he might have said something wrong, Xia Yuanba lowered his head deeply and didn't dare to speak to Yun Che for a long time.
At this moment, the protagonist of the banquet, the new master of the New Moon Mystic Palace, Qin Wuyou, finally arrived. Qin Wuyou appeared to be around sixty years old, with a calm and steady expression, clear and wise eyes, and an air of transcendent detachment. He had originally been one of the elders of the Cangfeng Mystic Palace in the imperial capital, and had now been specially appointed as the master of the New Moon Mystic Palace. His strength was unfathomable.
Qin Wuyou had actually arrived at the New Moon Mystic Palace a month ago, but today was the formal banquet celebrating his new appointment. In just one month, he had already deeply impressed all the elders and disciples and earned widespread respect. After he took his seat at the head table, the representatives of the major sects arrived one after another, as if they had coordinated.
"Hahahaha! Iron Spear Sect's Iron Zhancang, bringing my son Tie Hengjun to congratulate Master Qin on his new appointment!"
With a hearty laugh, a middle-aged man strode in with seven disciples.
"This is the current sect master of the Iron Spear Sect," Xia Yuanba whispered to Yun Che. "The person following him is his youngest son, Tie Hengjun. Although he's very young, his talent is astonishing. Rumors say that if nothing goes wrong, he'll be the top candidate to succeed as the next sect master of the Iron Spear Sect."
"Master Qin, it's good to see you well. When I happened to meet you half a month ago, I was deeply impressed by your bearing. Today, I've brought my son along especially... A small gift, not worthy of your regard."
Qin Wuyou personally descended from his seat to welcome him, accepting the gift: "Sect Master Iron, you're too polite. Your personal presence alone already gives me great face; there's no need for gifts. Your son has astonishing talent and an extraordinary demeanor; he is sure to become a dragon among men, perhaps even surpassing you, his father, hahahaha... Come, please take a seat."
"Yuan Ba, this atmosphere seems overly harmonious. I can't see any signs of conflict at all." Yun Che said, tapping his chin.
"Uh... Well, the Iron Spear Sect has always had a good reputation. Although their overall strength surpasses our Mystic Palace, their relationship with us is decent. But as for the others..."
Just as Xia Yuanba was speaking, the Yun Yang Sect arrived.
"Yun Yang Sect's Chief Elder, Yan Zizai, specially comes to congratulate Master Qin on his new appointment."
After the Yun Yang Sect, the Xuan Xin Sect, the Seven Kills Sword Pavilion, and the Feng Yun Mystic Palace also arrived one by one. Each sect brought seven or eight disciples. Qin Wuyou personally descended from his seat to welcome each one. It wasn't until the banquet was about to officially start that the Burning Heaven Gate finally arrived, late.
"Burning Heaven Gate's Sixth Elder, Fen Hanyan, congratulates Master Qin on his new appointment."
The Burning Heaven Gate—more precisely, the outer sect of the Burning Heaven Gate established in New Moon City—was led by an old man in a red robe covered in blazing red flame patterns. As he stepped into the main hall, everyone clearly felt a wave of warm air brush across their faces.
After the Burning Heaven Gate's outer sect, the Xiao Sect's branch arrived last. The leader was surprisingly a young man who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old! Behind him, he only brought a middle-aged man in his forties and six young disciples under the age of twenty.
"Junior Xiao Luocheng of the Xiao Sect pays respects to Master Qin." Entering the main hall, the youth performed a junior's salute in Qin Wuyou's direction, his expression calm and gentle, neither humble nor arrogant... But for a junior to come to pay respects, and to a master of an imperial Mystic Palace, neither humble nor arrogant was already a form of pride.
"It's Xiao Luocheng!" Xia Yuanba suddenly exclaimed softly. He immediately whispered to Yun Che, "I didn't expect him to come! On my first day in New Moon City, I heard his name several times. He's the same age as you, Brother-in-law, just sixteen, but he's already the young master of the Xiao Sect's branch, and recognized as the number one among the younger generation of New Moon City!"
"Number one?" Yun Che took a few more looks at Xiao Luocheng. He did indeed look very young, but his demeanor was quite mature, and his brows and eyes were filled with unadorned nobility and pride. The gazes of those looking at him were also filled with various emotions—admiration, praise, envy, jealousy, or self-deprecation.
"Yes, in terms of talent, he's undeniably number one! He's just sixteen, but he's already at the Tenth Level of the Initial Xuan Realm! I've heard he's not far from breaking through to the True Xuan Realm. Brother-in-law, can you believe it?"
Sixteen... Tenth Level of the Initial Xuan Realm!?
Even Yun Che's expression changed. His gaze instinctively moved to Lan Xueruo, and he saw that her pretty face was already covered with a deep seriousness.
"Hehe, Xiao Luocheng? That name thunders in my ears. I didn't expect to meet the number one of New Moon City's younger generation today. Did your father not come?" Qin Wuyou said with a genial smile.
"Master Qin flatters me. My father would have dearly wished to come personally to congratulate you on your new appointment, but unfortunately, he is unwell and could not travel, so he sent me in his stead. I hope Master Qin will not take offense." Xiao Luocheng said with a full smile, his manner gentle and refined.
Qin Wuyou was the top leader of the New Moon Mystic Palace. For his inauguration banquet, it would have been appropriate for the top leaders of each major sect to attend in person to show sufficient respect, or at least the chief elder. Among the seven major sects, the Iron Spear Sect, Seven Kills Sword Pavilion, and Feng Yun Mystic Palace were represented by their sect masters. The Xuan Xin Sect and Yun Yang Sect sent their chief elders. Although the Burning Heaven Gate's outer sect was somewhat arrogant, they at least sent a sixth elder.
But the Xiao Sect's branch was led by a junior!
Although Xiao Luocheng was polite, anyone who wasn't an idiot or blind could see that this was a blatant display of contempt.
"Hahahaha," Qin Wuyou laughed heartily, seemingly unbothered: "Young Master Xiao, what are you saying? I've heard of your reputation for many days, and meeting you today fulfills one of my wishes. I'm more than happy. Distinguished guests of the Xiao Sect, please take your seats."
With that, all the invited guests had arrived. Naturally, the Xiao Sect's branch and the Burning Heaven Gate's outer sect took the two highest seats, followed by the five major sects, and then the seat of New Moon City Lord Murong Hang. He had no complaints about this arrangement. Although the Murong family wielded great influence in New Moon City, that was only among commoners and small sects. In front of the seven major sects, even as the city lord, he had to behave humbly and not dare to offend them.
As for the invited medium-sized sects, they were all trembling with fear. They rarely had the chance to see all seven major sects gathered together, and they couldn't afford to offend a single one.