Although he regretted it, he couldn't bring himself to act against the young man's interests at this point. He suppressed his turbulent emotions deep inside, his face revealing nothing.
On the stage, the young man, seeing the crowd's emotions stirred, pursed his lips and suppressed the rising arc of his smile. He clasped his hands together, turned around, and called out to the stage:
"Master Chang, please come down for a meeting..."
At this time, having defeated many skilled opponents in front of the audience, he felt somewhat elated even though he knew deep down it wasn't genuine. To save face, he forcefully gathered his inner strength and called out loudly, which was quite extraordinary. However, his palms trembled slightly as he clasped them, revealing the so-called 'prestige', which also put considerable pressure on his cultivation.
As his voice faded, a long laugh followed:
"How can I refuse Brother Zhao's invitation?"
Everyone looked up and saw a figure leaping from the fifth floor of the inn, turning several times in mid-air before lightly landing. His face was fair, his eyes bright as stars, and a long sword hung on his back. His dashing appearance displayed a very powerful Qinggong, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Even Baili Feng secretly praised him, feeling that, martial arts aside, this Qinggong was not inferior to Wang Anfeng's. It seemed that his ranking on the Constellation Ranking List was indeed justified.
Just then, a familiar voice reached the ears of Wang Anfeng and his companions, though the surrounding martial artists showed no sign of it. They exchanged glances, knowing that Master Fu Mo had handled the matter and that people on the Constellation Ranking List had been seen. After a brief eye contact, they all turned and walked out.
Back in the Qi Zhenge Pavilion, they saw the somewhat disheveled Fu Mo and the Pavilion Master sitting together, evidently getting along well. Fu Mo, planning to get up and leave upon their return, hesitated since the conversation was still engaging, so he gestured for them to wait a bit.
He planned to leave once their current discussion was over.
Although the Pavilion Master of Qi Zhenge didn't have the Mo Family's special skills, he was a broad-minded person who, over the years, had handled numerous goods from all over and had developed unique insights into Qimen mechanisms, expressing a strong interest in befriending the Mo Family master. Even though it involved some Qi Zhenge secrets, he was completely open and exhaustive in his discussions.
The two of them exchanged ideas, often sparking many brilliant thoughts, and their conversation unexpectedly lasted until noon.
The Pavilion Master paused, looked at the sky, and said with a smile:
"I have been here for many years, and only today have I met Brother Fu, realizing there are always greater people in the world. It is already noon. Why not have a meal before we talk about leaving?"
"I also still have many issues I'd like to discuss with Brother Fu."
Though Fu Mo was a Fifth Rank cultivator, having rarely interacted with others, his nature was pure and he was easily persuaded by the Pavilion Master's accommodating manner. He agreed immediately, but as he spoke, he felt slightly embarrassed, his expression awkward.
His gaze involuntarily drifted towards Baili Feng, who rolled his eyes with a sense of helplessness.
Despite being casually informal with Fu Mo in private, Baili Feng knew he had to behave properly since outsiders were present. He then crossed his hands and bowed respectfully, saying:
"We will follow Master's arrangements."
The Pavilion Master observed this interaction, his face still wearing a congenial smile. He stood up, pointing to the North Martial Inn across the street, and said:
"Having friends come from afar is a joy."
"Having met Brother Fu today fills me with joy. Although North Martial City is barren, it also boasts many delightful flavors. Please, let's move..."
Everyone then went to the North Martial Inn. The innkeeper, familiar with the Pavilion Master, joked around with them a bit and found them a private room. Wang Anfeng, looking out the window by chance, noticed that it was directly above the same stage as before.
Tables were set up on the stage, and the inn's servant boys came out in succession, placing fine wines and dishes on the tables. From just a glance, he could see many delicacies, suggesting that the feast on the table was far from cheap; this solidified his suspicion that the person who organized the stage had ulterior motives, though he was unsure of their specific intentions.
In the center of the stage was a table where the Flying Cloud Swordsman and the young man sat opposite each other, drinking. Surrounded by robust martial artists with swords and knives, they exhibited a bit of Jianghu brio. After three rounds of drinks and slightly flushed faces, their conversation loosened up, and they discussed matters of Jianghu.
Wang Anfeng had already turned his head away but then heard the words "Yi Nanping" and took great interest, quietly listening in. He heard the Zhao-named young man dismiss Yi Nanping with disdain, describing him as a mindless killer who met a desolate end—an outcome he brought on himself.
"Merely someone with a bit of martial arts, oblivious to his own limits."
"Deserved to be killed for violating the law with martial force."
After drinking, the young man looked at the other young talents listed on the Constellation Ranking List and complimented:
"He is far inferior to Master Chang."
Chang Yongyan chuckled at the words, knowing this son of a wealthy merchant was flattering him and didn't take it seriously, yet he also felt a twinge of pride. He believed that although Yi Nanping was highly skilled in martial arts, he was just unpredictable in movement, and his actual strength was merely that of a Ninth Rank Martial Artist.
Even though he had heeded his master's teachings to remain humble during his cultivation in the mountains, once he ventured into the Jianghu and had killed several bandits and defeated many Ninth Grade Martial Artists, he gradually grew arrogant, feeling that in the vast world, if faced with any Ninth Grade Martial Artist, he certainly had the capability to fight.