Chapter 115: A Hall Full of Drunken Flowers Entertains Three Thousand Guests

Chapter 115: All Flowers in the Hall Drown Three Thousand Guests in Drunken Splendor

Everyone was sizing up the outsiders who had burst in.

Among them, the two leaders were one tall and one short. The taller stood nine feet high, his tunic flung open to reveal knotted muscles, his biceps bulging so thick they seemed wider than an ordinary man's head. Slung across his back was an absurdly oversized broadsword, a brute whose rugged aura made him look like a slightly larger version of Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe craned his neck to steal a glance; the man did indeed seem a size larger than himself, yet that broadsword didn't look quite as grand as the Dragon-Sparrow, making its proportions appear far less ridiculous than his own... He could distinctly sense a touch of petty pride from the Dragon-Sparrow, mixed with an eager, itching intent for battle, its blade-qi almost impossible to suppress.

Damn it, just because he's built a bit larger, what is there for you to be so proud of...

The shorter man was only small relative to this hulking giant, standing well over seven feet in truth, which was quite tall compared to average folk. He, however, possessed a certain elegance; hearing Wan Dongliu's sharp interrogation, he replied with a beaming smile: "We have heard that the martial arts of the Central Plains flourish greatly. Though we came to do business, we also admire such brilliance. It is said the Young Master of the Wan family has invited the heroes of Yangzhou to gather at the Bright Moon Tower, which must be a magnificent spectacle. We yearned for it incalculably, and have come especially to meet you all. Could it be that the heroes of Yangzhou are afraid of mere merchants like us?"

Wan Dongliu sneered, "This is a private gathering for friends to drink, not a martial arts assembly! To disrupt the gathering of Wan's friends, and still hope to do business in Yangzhou!"

With those words, he abruptly drew his blade: "Lads of the Canal Gang, follow me—"

The man cut him off with a sharp laugh: "So, as we said, the Hidden Dragons of the Central Plains bear empty reputations. With so many talents from the Hidden Dragon Rank present, you actually dare not engage in one-on-one combat, planning instead to attack en masse. What face do you have to boast of your romantic elegance? Laughable, truly laughable!"

Just as Wan Dongliu was about to speak, the voice of Prefect Qian echoed from behind him: "Dongliu, what he says is not entirely wrong. To give people cause for gossip for no reason would be foolish; why not have a match? Let them know the celestial might of our Great Xia, and turn it into a fine tale instead."

Wan Dongliu furrowed his brow, while Xuan Chong, Tang Buqi, and the others all frowned as well.

A fine tale my foot. Heaven knew what level the opposition was; if some hidden master from the Heaven, Earth, or Mortal Ranks was mingled among them, were they all just going along to make fools of themselves?

Yet the man smiled and said, "We heroes of the grasslands do not play your scheming games. Hidden Dragon against Hidden Dragon; there is absolutely no deception."

Beside him, the nine-foot giant let out a fierce roar that thundered through the hall: "Batu is here! Who dares to fight me!"

A flurry of whispers broke out among the crowd.

The Book of Troubled Times enveloped the entire world, so naturally it did not rank only figures from the Central Plains. This man truly belonged to the authentic Hidden Dragon Rank—ranked ninety-ninth, the Furious Lion, Batu.

"Clang!" Tang Buqi could endure it no longer: "I shall meet you!"

He was ranked one hundred and twentieth on the Hidden Dragon Rank, and had been looking for someone higher than himself to sharpen his skills; his challenge to Zhao Changhe that day had partly been driven by this intent. Present before him was Batu, ranked ninety-ninth, an even more fitting opponent than Zhao Changhe. Moreover, that brute's appearance bore an annoying resemblance to Zhao Changhe, which only stoked his ire. If he didn't fight now, when would he!

"Swish, swish, swish!" The moment Tang Buqi took the field, he unleashed a renowned move from the Spring Water Swordplay, 'Parting Sorrows Grow Distant and Endless.' A single sword split into three, and three into infinity; within an instant, the space around Batu was speckled with points of chilling light.

The onlookers nodded slightly, all believing this would be a fierce clash between a dragon and a tiger. After all, the Hidden Dragon Rank was not a definitive ranking of strength, but merely a reference. The gap between ninety-ninth and one hundred and twentieth was actually very small, and the Tang family's Spring Water Swordplay was certainly nothing to scoff at...

Only Zhao Changhe shook his head slightly, not favoring his chances at all.

Tang Buqi's strength was decent enough, but he lacked the tempering of life-and-death bloody battles. That day, he hadn't been able to impose even a shred of pressure upon Zhao Changhe. This hulking giant opposite him, however, was clearly a different story...

Before the thought could even finish forming, a furious roar erupted as Batu drew his blade and delivered a savage, wrathful slash.

Tang Buqi's sword-shadows had already reached his throat, but that blade paid no heed to any clever trickeries. I cannot distinguish which gleam of the sword is real, but if you pierce my throat, your skull will be shattered as well!

Though Tang Buqi clearly possessed superior swordplay and had seized the absolute initiative, he was still forced into a cold sweat by this single strike, quickly withdrawing his sword and leaping desperately to the right.

Yet Batu's chop, which seemed heavy enough to weigh a thousand tons and difficult to halt, lighter than a feather transformed from a vertical cleave into a horizontal sweep, chasing straight for Tang Buqi's chest!

The one caught unable to alter his stance became Tang Buqi instead. At this moment, the only solution was to hold his sword vertically to rigidly parry this blade, but could a longsword truly block such a weapon?

With a loud "Clang," fortunately the sword in Tang Buqi's hand was somewhat of a treasured weapon of the Tang family; it bent but did not break, allowing him to perilously withdraw his weapon and fly backward in retreat.

Batu took a step forward, continuing his relentless pursuit.

"Stop!" A cold gleam shot straight for Batu's face. It was Taoist Xuan Chong, terrified that Tang Buqi might truly be cleaved in two, making an emergency intervention.

"Clang!" A dark red scimitar abruptly materialized along Xuan Chong's sword-path, strangely deflecting the longsword. Xuan Chong actually failed to withstand that bizarre dragging force, staggering two steps before regaining his footing. He turned his head in horror: "The Spirit Fox Blade! You are Chi Li, the Demon Fox!"

It was precisely the man who had used words to force everyone into one-on-one combat. At this moment, he nodded with a beaming smile: "The very same."

The venue erupted into an uproar.

Chi Li, the Demon Fox.

Ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Rank!

Moreover, he had ascended to the first rank at the age of twenty, holding it securely for two years, making him only twenty-two today!

Hidden Dragon against Hidden Dragon was fair enough, but what was the meaning of bringing out the number one of the Hidden Dragon Rank!

Amidst the collective shock, Chi Li turned his head to glance at Tang Buqi over there.

Xuan Chong's rescue of Tang Buqi had been blocked by him... yet the scene of Tang Buqi being cleaved in two by Batu had not occurred. A scar-faced man was currently shielding Tang Buqi behind him, bearing a broadsword on his back that was slightly larger than Batu's, though he hadn't drawn it at all.

Batu, however, seemed somewhat wary, and likewise did not make a move.

Was this scarred man Zhao Changhe? Having missed the moment just now, he did not know how this person had rescued Tang Buqi from Batu's blade with his bare hands, to the point that even Batu was wary...

As these thoughts flashed through Chi Li's mind, Tang Buqi, filled with both shame and anger, pointed at Batu: "You... with such power and speed, you have already reached the fifth level of the Entrance Pass. You are absolutely not at the fourth level from when you were ranked ninety-ninth! This is an unfair victory!"

Batu looked at him as if he were an idiot: "My fourth level was what the Book of Troubled Times stated eight months ago. If I hadn't made any progress in eight months, what kind of motherfucking Hidden Dragon would I be? I already think my progress is too slow, alright?"

With his strength utterly crushed and his intelligence insulted, Tang Buqi was filled with humiliation and rage, turning to leave.

Chi Li let out a soft chuckle, his eyes fixing on Taoist Xuan Chong: "Daoist, it seems the outcome of the battle for those ranked over a hundred is decided. Shall you and I continue?"

Xuan Chong's brow furrowed tightly.

He knew that he truly was no match for Chi Li.

The number one of the Hidden Dragon Rank—just these words alone were enough to stifle his peers until they could barely breathe.

Chi Li's gaze swept over Zhao Changhe; he seemed to have no desire to fight someone in the eighties, and looked back toward Wan Dongliu: "Would Young Gang Leader Wan care to step down and play a round?"

Wan Dongliu said coldly, "I am no match for the first on the Hidden Dragon Rank."

Chi Li threw his head back and laughed up to the sky: "And so I say, the Hidden Dragons of the Central Plains bear empty reputations; their romantic figures are nothing more than this! Today I have learned the truth! Batu, let us go."

The hall fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared at his laughing form with eyes spitting fire, clutching their fists tightly.

Yet amidst that silence, the sound of horse hooves galloping rapidly across the bluestone pavement seemed to draw near at high speed. Chi Li's laughter gradually died down, and he thought to himself with some astonishment: "The sound of this person's horse hooves has disrupted the effect of my laughter planting a shadow in people's hearts... From where has an Earth Rank Grandmaster come?"

The hoofbeats stopped, and a clear, crisp female voice rang out from outside the doors: "Who says the Hidden Dragons of the Central Plains bear empty reputations?"

Following the words, a figure clad in red robes strode through the entrance. Even as she crossed the threshold, her sword-qi soared into the sky.

Yet that peerless countenance caused the bright moon to lose its luster, making the flowers filling the building feel ashamed of their own reflection.

Her beautiful eyes swept past Chi Li, landing instantly upon Zhao Changhe, who offered a faint smile.

The newcomer then cupped her hands toward Wan Dongliu: "Arriving uninvited, I come to ask Young Gang Leader Wan for a cup of wine."

Wan Dongliu laughed heartily: "Drink as much as you like!"

Chi Li looked at the newcomer with a somewhat grave expression. He had not expected that the person imposing such pressure upon him would be a woman of such heroic bearing and unbelievable beauty, yet this person was not on the guest list he had obtained.

He spoke slowly, "Who might your excellency be?"

Only then did the newcomer spare him a glance, replying flatly: "Of the Divine Land of the Central Plains, Yue Hongling!"