Qingzhou City, Dashunzhai.
As dusk fell, the streets were bustling with people, and the lights shone brightly.
Tian Zhiwen stood at the entrance of the grand restaurant, smiling as he welcomed the young masters from various sects and families.
"Today, I'll be your host. Please, come in and make yourselves at home."
The young master of Tianhai Tower, the chief disciple of Baihe Hall, the young master of the Huang family...
Although they were all from the younger generation and didn't hold much sway in Qingzhou, they were still notable figures.
Now gathered together, not only were they here out of respect for Tian Zhiwen, but it also subtly revealed the intentions of these sects and families.
Even though General Chen had acted with restraint, the collapse of Qingfeng Mountain had left them uneasy, and they instinctively wanted to band together more closely.
"Ah!"
Tian Zhiwen suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure and quickly pushed through the crowd to greet him, flattering, "Young Master Zhao has arrived."
As he spoke, he secretly wiped the sweat from his brow.
Today, he was hosting a banquet on behalf of Big Brother Li.
According to the latter's instructions, the invitations had been sent sparingly, mostly to second and third-tier factions.
How had this esteemed guest ended up here?
"Feeling a bit restless, just taking a stroll."
Zhao Kangyun fanned himself as he leisurely entered Dashunzhai.
Seeing his slightly irritable demeanor, the others, while respectful, couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.
It was rumored that a young master from the Zhao family had recently suffered a setback at Qingfeng Mountain.
As one of the four great families and five major sects, even they could only take a walk to ease their worries.
The Demon Suppression Bureau, backed by the imperial court and the general, was becoming increasingly brazen in their actions.
If they didn't unite soon, they might be devoured to the bone.
Fortunately, the general was not currently in Qingzhou City, and there were no major generals from the Demon Suppression Bureau present.
The other officers and lieutenants couldn't stir up much trouble, so they wouldn't meet the same fate as Qingfeng Mountain—at least not for the time being.
"Why is he here?"
On the second floor, Li Xinhan had changed into a green robe to conceal his injuries.
Unfortunately, his movements were still restricted, so he could only lean back on the rosewood chair.
"Don't mind him."
Li Mujing stood quietly to the side, dressed in a long skirt.
For siblings like them, hosting a banquet was simply about eating and drinking.
They had also invited the people from the Vajra Sect to prevent them from becoming suspicious prematurely.
As for the rest, whether they sided with the noble families or the Demon Suppression Bureau, it wasn't something for two juniors to consider.
"Please enjoy yourselves. I'll go instruct the chef to prepare some lighter dishes."
After seeing to Zhao Kangyun, Tian Zhiwen found an excuse to slip away and quietly made his way to the second floor.
Entering the private room, he glanced at the Li siblings before turning his attention to the young man in the dark scholar's robe sitting in the main seat.
The man's expression was unreadable as he gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid, not taking a single sip.
Was he dissatisfied with the quality of the tea?
Tian Zhiwen immediately understood the hierarchy.
It was clear who was in charge.
But the man's face was unfamiliar.
Which faction did he belong to?
What was the purpose of hosting this banquet today? Was it dissatisfaction with the Demon Suppression Bureau's heavy-handed methods, and a desire to step forward as a leader?
"Big Brother Li, shall we start the banquet?"
"Let's wait a little longer."
Li Xinhan looked down from the balcony, then turned to the side and asked, "He's here. Should we call him up for a chat?"
Hearing this, Tian Zhiwen was slightly taken aback and also looked down.
Who could this person be, to make the man in the dark robe wait so attentively? With both the Li and Zhao families present, could it be someone from the remaining Sun or Qian families? But he hadn't been informed to send an invitation.
When he finally saw the figure at the entrance of Dashunzhai, confusion filled his eyes.
In the bustling hall below.
A slightly thin young man entered with a smile.
His head was shaved close, and he wore a wide white cloth that revealed half of his oiled, muscular torso.
In one hand, he held a silver staff, and in the other, a heavy iron chain.
"Everyone is here, and Young Master Zhao is here too. It seems I'm late. My apologies, my apologies."
"A martial artist pretending to be a monk."
Zhao Kangyun sneered, closing his fan.
"Your Vajra Sect has only been worshiping Buddha for a few decades, coincidentally starting three months before our scripture-loving prefect took office. Before that, you probably couldn't even tell a prayer bead from a pebble."
"Young Master Zhao is absolutely right."
Yuan Gang wasn't angered and simply smiled.
"Diligence makes up for shortcomings. With enough practice, even scriptures and prayer beads can be mastered."
Hearing this, the others burst into laughter.
But as Yuan Gang's gaze swept over them, most quickly fell silent.
The Vajra Sect was showing signs of resurgence.
With half a volume of the Core Condensation Body Tempering Technique, their leader had made significant progress in just a few decades, and it was said he could now hold his own against Core Condensation realm experts.
After the Bodhi Tree withered, the sect had somehow regained the ability to rapidly temper their bodies, even more so than before.
A group of body tempering martial artists comparable to the peak of the Jade Liquid realm, and another group barely reaching the Core Condensation realm—these were two entirely different concepts.
If the rumors were true, in a few hundred years, the Vajra Sect might fill the gap left by Qingfeng Mountain and rise to become a first-tier faction.
"Hmph."
Seemingly realizing this, Zhao Kangyun let out a cold laugh but didn't continue his mockery.
"I didn't mean to be late. I've been traveling around preaching and spreading goodwill. These past few days, I've visited seven or eight counties and only just managed to return to Qingzhou."
Yuan Gang looked around carefully, as if searching for someone.
Not seeing the person he expected, he forced a smile and tugged at the iron chain in his hand.
"After we've eaten and drunk our fill, I'll put on a show for everyone—the Buddha Ape Subdues the Demon—to liven things up."
With the clanking of the chain.
A tall, obese figure was dragged into Dashunzhai.
He was as large as a small mountain, wearing a blue short coat, with a massive belly that was hard to miss.
Aside from his belly, the man's bearded face was painted like a demon, with pig ears hanging from the sides of his head and a pig snout covering his nose and mouth.
He looked utterly ridiculous.
His eyes were vacant, as if he had lost his soul, devoid of any vitality.
Even as the room erupted in laughter again, the big man simply stared blankly at the ground.
This time, even Zhao Kangyun was amused.
"Where did you find such a perfect specimen? He makes a convincing pig demon."
"This is an old friend of mine. He loves playing the pig."
Yuan Gang grinned, turning back to ask, "Right?"
The big man seemed not to hear, but when the young man with the close-cropped hair yanked the chain, he nodded dumbly, his voice hoarse and dry.
"Yes..."
"What an idiot."
Tian Zhiwen frowned.
If they were old acquaintances, why not settle their grievances with a fight? Once heads rolled, all debts would be cleared.
Why humiliate him like this?
Before he could finish his thought, he felt a chill behind him, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly strange.
Li Xinhan's body stiffened, and Li Mujing bit her lip hard.
Only the young man in the dark scholar's robe remained calm.
He gently set down his teacup, his expression growing even more serene as he stepped out of the private room and descended the stairs.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, his figure quickly drew attention.
Zhao Kangyun looked up, his expression cooling.
Even he had condescended to sit downstairs with the common folk.
Who was still upstairs? What was Tian Zhiwen playing at?
Soon, he caught sight of the young man in the dark scholar's robe.
A flicker of recognition crossed his face, along with a hint of familiarity...
Shen Yi stood before the young man who called himself a monk.
He quietly observed the big man behind him, but his gaze seemed to question everyone in the hall.
His voice was calm and emotionless.
"Is this funny?"
Hearing the familiar voice, the big man instinctively looked up.
When he saw Shen Yi's face, his body trembled, and he took a step back, raising his large arm to cover his face.
He had once boasted to Shen Yi about Qingzhou and his own exploits.
In a life of little achievement, only a few acts of heroism were worth mentioning.
He was a butcher who feared no one when he lost his temper, not a pig demon chained up for ridicule.
Shen Yi, new to Qingzhou, shouldn't have to offend others for the sake of a fool playing the pig.
"..."
Yuan Gang was slightly taken aback.
Although the man before him was unfamiliar, he had come from the second floor.
Tian Zhiwen wasn't a fool, so... this man was at least on par with Zhao Kangyun, if not higher.
Thinking this, he smiled indifferently.
"If you don't like it, we won't perform. It's just a pity to spoil everyone's fun."
At these words, the others exchanged strange glances.
Zhao Kangyun flicked open his fan again.
He could see that Yuan Gang was trying to stir the pot.
But the problem was, he had laughed too, and he had a good idea of who this man was.
Zhao Kangyun slowly stood up, about to speak, when a cold voice rang in his ears.
"Did I ask you?"
As the words fell, Shen Yi casually raised his hand.
Almost instantly, Yuan Gang dropped the chain and gripped his silver staff with both hands.
A glow emanated from his skin as he mustered all his strength to block the incoming strike!
Beneath his youthful appearance, Yuan Gang was actually nearly a generation older than everyone in the room, even older than Butcher Zhang.
Though only at the early Jade Liquid realm, his physical strength rivaled that of a late Jade Liquid expert.
"You brought this on yourself, benefactor. My apologies!"
He gritted his teeth, his expression fierce.
But in the next moment, a hand with distinct knuckles landed on the staff he held.
With terrifying force, the hundred-times-tempered staff was easily snapped, and the hand continued to strike Yuan Gang's chest.
Years of body tempering had made his flesh nearly indestructible, but now it caved in with a single breath!
Boom!
(End of Chapter)