Chongxuan Sheng hosted a grand banquet for his guests, with many attendees, but few who truly carried significant weight.
This was because he had just sent Chongxuan Zun to the Jixia Academy. Not everyone who didn't follow the news would know this immediately. And among those who did, after learning that his next opponent was Wang Yiwu, they might not necessarily have confidence in Chongxuan Sheng.
However, both Li Longchuan and Xu Xiangqian arrived. Besides them, only Gao Zhe from the Gao family of Jinghai came, and Yan Fu from the Yan family of Beijun.
Gao Zhe was a cousin of Gao Jing, who had perished in the Tianfu Secret Realm. His uncle was Gao Shaoling, the Prefect of Chiwei County. He had the typical appearance of the Gao family of Jinghai—tall, with a broad nose and wide eyes. It was hard to imagine how the beautiful and elegant Consort Jing had come to be.
Those with insight knew that Yan Fu actually had an even more impressive background. He was the legitimate grandson of the former Chancellor Yan Ping.
Although Yan Ping had been out of office for many years, he still had certain influence over the political situation. As long as this old man didn't close his eyes for good, no one would dare to underestimate the Yan family. Yan Fu's appearance was relatively gentle and serene, less aggressive. As for his true nature, without deep acquaintance, it was still impossible to judge.
As for the others, there was nothing much to say.
Those future young masters from other top noble families in Linzi were either not in the same circle or, like the Bao family, had always been at odds with the Chongxuan family.
Of course, their attendance at the banquet didn't mean they had completely taken Chongxuan Sheng's side. It was just that after Chongxuan Sheng had shown his capabilities, there was once again suspense in the contest between him and Chongxuan Zun.
Most people didn't want to offend either Chongxuan Zun or Chongxuan Sheng.
For Chongxuan Sheng, returning to Linzi for two days and turning the situation around to this extent was already achieving his goal.
Though it couldn't be said to be perfect, the banquet was nonetheless enjoyed by both host and guests.
……
"Pushing cups and changing goblets, the wine's glow fades; resting on warm jade, bidding farewell to guests."
This was a casual note from Gongsun Ye in years past, capturing the romantic atmosphere of Linzi.
Many years had passed, yet its brilliance remained undimmed.
From the first light of dawn until the night had deepened.
The guests either left or stayed for the night.
When the last guest had gone to rest, Chongxuan Sheng, who had been "wandering" at the Red Sleeve brothel for the entire day and night, suddenly sat up.
This startled the beauty who had been using her jade legs as his pillow.
"Let's go," he called out.
Following his example, Jiang Wang, who had also been resting on a pair of beautiful legs but had his mind submerged in the Five Prefectures Sea, immediately opened his eyes and got up, without a trace of drunkenness or attachment.
The two left the Red Sleeve brothel directly.
Xu Fang was a famous eccentric scholar.
His most famous deed was cursing the Treasured Merchants Association during a banquet. He trampled the reputation of this colossal association underfoot.
The label of "stench of copper" had been attached to the Treasured Merchants Association for a very long time.
Many people followed suit, deliberately covering their noses when they saw members of the Treasured Merchants Association to show how foul the smell was. This made the merchants of the association unable to hold their heads high.
At that time, Su She, the head of the Treasured Merchants Association, merely smiled at this, offering only the words, "Bustling and bustling, all for money, all for money!" without making any counterattack.
There was actually a follow-up to this incident, though it wasn't as well-known. Or rather, it was intentionally obscured.
Many people only knew that Xu Fang was an eccentric, untamed and unruly, that he had humiliated the Treasured Merchants Association, but they didn't know what price he later paid for it. They only knew that he suddenly disappeared, and except when the "stench of copper" was mentioned again, he never reappeared in Linzi's noble circles.
By now, few people remembered that the term "stench of copper" had once specifically referred to the Treasured Merchants Association.
……
Linzi was a mighty city under heaven, the pride of the people of Qi, a city of glory.
Almost all the top noble families of Qi had their operations here. It could be said that this city housed more than half of the entire State of Qi's high-ranking nobility, plus hostages from other states, merchants, traveling scholars, strategists...
Linzi accepted all of this with its highly inclusive style, thereby forming its unique temperament.
But this city was not always glorious.
Yuli District was undoubtedly one of the poorest places in all of Linzi.
"I heard that a very long time ago, this was a place where fishermen lived. It's just that over time, it gradually became corrupted into the current 'Yu' surname. But actually, there aren't many families with the surname Yu in this area," Chongxuan Sheng explained as he doubled as a guide for Jiang Wang.
Both had disguised themselves to conceal their tracks and brought no attendants. However, with Chongxuan Sheng's size, in this impoverished area, he was too conspicuous no matter what.
Jiang Wang, wrapped entirely in a black robe, asked in surprise upon hearing this, "Isn't it still far from Linhai County here? How do the fishermen make a living?"
In the entire State of Qi, only three counties bordered the sea, and Jinghai County was one of them. But in reality, only a very small portion of the coastline was there; the vast majority of the coastline was in Linhai County.
"Who knows?" Chongxuan Sheng shook his head. "Perhaps Linzi wasn't so far from the sea in the past."
Perhaps... a very long time ago, Linzi had been coastal.
Seas had turned into mulberry fields, times had changed, and those sealed histories awaited excavation. But neither of these two was the type to have too much curiosity about irrelevant matters.
Perhaps the people here originally had the surname Yu, and the so-called "Yuliqu" that Chongxuan Sheng had painstakingly researched was the corruption.
They didn't mention the possibility that those fishermen might have made their living on the Zi River, because since the founding of the State of Qi, fishing in the Zi River had been prohibited for civilians—a ban recorded in Qi's laws.
The night had grown deep.
Nightly revelry was the privilege of the rich, while the poor mostly rested at sunset. Because of hunger, cold, illness, and various other messy reasons, the long night was very difficult to endure.
However, in Yuli District, there were still some faint eyes by the roadside.
To be precise, those spots by the roadside were those people's "homes."
Subconsciously avoiding the filth on the ground, Chongxuan Sheng ignored those faint gazes.
Without strength to rely on, even the most malicious thoughts were merely a joke.
Although most of those eyes harbored the purest malice, none took action.
In their lowly days, they had also cultivated the instinct for survival. Two black-robed people who dared to come to Yuli District in the dead of night obviously weren't to be messed with.
Just like rats in the gutter, their first reaction upon seeing humans was to hide. They had their own unique perception of danger.
The feeling of boots treading on filth wasn't exactly pleasant, but Jiang Wang didn't resist to the point of walking on air.
It was just that...
"I thought a place like this wouldn't exist in the capital of Qi," Jiang Wang said.
"Linzi is full of opportunities, but not everyone is willing to open their eyes, willing to walk over, willing to seize them. If it's just pure charity, emptying the national treasury wouldn't be enough."
"It's those small states that have fewer places like this," Chongxuan Sheng replied calmly. "Because people like this have long since been eaten by fierce beasts, seven or eight out of ten."
Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, then asked, "Xu Fang would live here?"
Resources were limited, and this was a truth that didn't need Chongxuan Sheng to explain again.
But no matter what, Xu Fang was a transcendent cultivator. He shouldn't have ended up in a place like this.
Chongxuan Sheng stated without any emotional factors: "His Dao heart was shattered! The small and great celestial circuits collapsed, and the Tongtian Palace disintegrated."
The famous scholar Xu Fang certainly wouldn't live in a place like this; it was even unlikely he would pass through.
But for a cripple, living here was perfectly reasonable.
A cruel statement.
Le Wen