Chapter 206

She opened the invitation and read it, only to see the following written on it: The Liu family respectfully invites "Lady Chu, the Divine Eagle of the Iron Eagle Gang, we invite you to attend the Swordsman Grand Competition at the Drunken Immortal Inn in the Yinzhou City. On the evening of that day, there will be a meeting banquet and a swordsmanship performance... The next day, the preliminary round of the competition... ... The so-called "Yinzhou City" refers to the surrounding area of Yinjing City. He Yunxiao, who has lived in Yinjing for these years, has never heard of any such activity taking place in Yinzhou. Upon careful consideration, events like the Swordsman Grand Competition are meant for the elite children of the Jianghu. It's odd for someone like himself, a second generation of the court with a part-time role, to be aware of them. It's simply two completely different circles. Regardless of what "Yinzhou City" and the "Swordsman Grand Competition" are, what kind of name is "Chu, the Divine Eagle"? Why not call her "Chu Xiaoxiao" but "Chu, the Divine Eagle" instead? Does "Chu, the Divine Eagle" refer to Chu Chu? After dismissing a few beggars casually, He Yunxiao dared to ask once the alley was empty, "Chu Chu, is this 'Chu, the Divine Eagle' referring to you?" Chu Chu felt something was off in He Yunxiao's tone, and she said with annoyance, "Doesn't it sound good?" He Yunxiao quickly changed his tune, rubbing his hands and coaxing, "It sounds good, sounds good. Chu Chu is as beautiful as a celestial, with such beauty, any name sounds good." Chu Chu said expressionlessly, "Perfunctory." He Yunxiao chuckled and tried to change the subject, asking, "Chu Chu, what kind of event is this Swordsman Grand Competition, will Chu Fan attend?" "Chu Fan said he won't be coming home tonight." He Yunxiao was surprised, "If Chu Fan doesn't come home, why Xiaoxiao was preparing dinner so diligently?" "Practicing," Chu Chu replied concisely. He Yunxiao nodded, thinking that Xiaoxiao indeed needs more practice. He looked at the invitation in his hand and asked Chu Chu again, "What kind of people usually attend this Swordsman Grand Competition?" "I don't know," Chu Chu said indifferently, "They're just a bunch of losers defeated in a single move." He Yunxiao nodded again, about to speak, but heard Chu Chu say, "He Yunxiao, you're talking a lot today. You're bothering this deity." He Yunxiao:... "Am I?" Chu Chu didn't want to talk, so she ignored him. He Yunxiao pulled Chu Chu along for a while, thinking that if the participants of the Swordsman Grand Competition were well-known figures in the Jianghu, perhaps he could take the opportunity to promote the gold and silver bills? The more He Yunxiao thought about it, the more he felt that this plan was feasible. Although he had already arranged for the promotion of the gold and silver bills at the Spring Breeze Tower, it was clear that the participants of the Swordsman Grand Competition were a different group from the regular patrons of the Spring Breeze Tower. Moreover, the Drunken Immortal Inn was itself a restaurant, and since they hadn't eaten yet, they could just have a good meal there with Chu Chu. He Yunxiao smiled and said, "Chu Chu, how about I take you to the Drunken Immortal Inn for a meal?" He asked again, "How about it?" And again, "Chu Chu?" Chu Chu initially didn't want to talk, but He Yunxiao was too annoying, so she reluctantly replied, "As you wish." Regardless of what Chu Chu's "as you wish" meant, He Yunxiao directly pulled her into the Marquis's carriage and instructed the coachman, "To the Drunken Immortal Inn." The coachman reluctantly acknowledged and set off. In order to achieve the promotional effect, He Yunxiao even specifically went to the North Commerce Street to take a walk around, wearing the clothes and shoes from the cooperative stores and carrying various small toys from the cooperative stores. Afterward, under Chu Chu's impatient gaze, he got back in the carriage. ... The Liu family is a well-known martial arts family in the Yinzhou City. Their family has deep roots and extensive properties in Yinzhou City. They have considerable strength, not to be underestimated, but certainly not exaggerating their powers. The experts in the Liu family are countless. In the past ten years, the most famous figure was Liu Feizhan, known across the Jianghu as "Fei Cloud's Flower-Exploring Hand." He is the elder brother of Liu Feiyun, one in the sky and the other on the ground. Liu Feizhan had already reached the pinnacle of the ninth rank a few years back and is also known on the Supreme Power Ranking as a ninth rank powerhouse, even stronger than the Iron Eagle Gang's leader, Tie Peng. He belongs to the highly influential practical martial artists in the martial world. A few years ago, Liu Feizhan traveled afar to gain experience in the Jianghu, and currently, nobody knows the extent of his strength. If given the opportunity, it's not impossible for him to break through the ninth rank and reach the level of a grandmaster. With Liu Feizhan's martial prowess and the prosperity of the Drunken Immortal Inn, the Liu family's strength is growing by the day. In order to expand their influence, they even took the initiative to host the remarkably costly Swordsman Grand Competition. Although the number of participants in such a grand event is large, the expenses for each item are greater. Moreover, in the Jianghu, there's an emphasis on camaraderie and a carefree lifestyle, and the martial artists who come to participate in such events are not in the habit of paying entrance fees. As a result, the costs of the Swordsman Grand Competition are often pooled together by the local gangs and sects. However, as long as there's a budget, it will inevitably exceed the budget, and at this point, the deficit of the Swordsman Grand Competition has to be covered by the organizers themselves. Even if they lose money, the Liu family still decided to host the Swordsman Grand Competition. ... The large flag of the Liu family fluttered in the night wind. At the entrance of the main hall in the inner courtyard of the Drunken Immortal Inn, a white-clad young gentleman welcomed guests with a smiling face, holding a folding fan. The Drunken Immortal Inn wasn't a mere restaurant; it was a compound. The premises housed several buildings and engaged in various businesses, including banquets, gambling halls, animal fights, and amorous activities... The various recreational activities in the courtyard implied that even immortals who visited here would be intoxicated and wouldn't leave, thus giving the inn its name, "Drunken Immortal Inn." The white-clad young gentleman welcoming guests at the entrance was none other than the young master of the Liu family, Liu Feiyun. "Little master, I hope you've been well," a rugged-looking man with two rough tea packages in his hand greeted Liu Feiyun respectfully. Liu Feiyun may not excel in martial arts, but he had other talents. Upon seeing the gifts, he knew this person was not from a wealthy family but rather someone who was in straits. He then looked at the calloused hands of the man, realizing that he was a practitioner. Finally, he observed the man's face to see if he was familiar. No recognition. Liu Feiyun knew well that the Jianghu was vast, with countless experts he had yet to encounter at his young age. Although this man's gifts were meager, Liu Feiyun didn't dare to be disrespectful. "Oh, this friend, how should I address you?" he asked politely. The man laughed heartily, "I'm an old acquaintance of your brother. You can call me Shi Big Stick." Shi Big Stick? Shi Banzhu? The former instructor of the 200,000 Wei Jing Corps! A ninth-rank pinnacle martial arts expert known as "Wind and Cloud Staff" in the Jianghu! Shi Banzhu, a ninth-rank pinnacle expert in his early thirties, still had the potential to strive for the Grandmaster level. Considering this person was an old acquaintance of his brother and had a significant reputation in the Jianghu, Liu Feiyun dared not show any neglect. "He's Brother Shi! My brother often mentions you. Now that I see you, I realize... I realize... um... you're truly talented," Liu Feiyun exclaimed. Shi Banzhu chuckled and didn't mind. Liu Feiyun quickly said, "Please take Brother Shi to the upper seats!" After Shi Banzhu left, the next guest arrived. This was someone Liu Feiyun recognized, Liu Kaixiong, a seventh-rank martial artist. They had met a few days ago at the martial arts competition at the Spring Breeze Tower. Despite bringing expensive high-quality tea leaves, Liu Feiyun treated him entirely differently from Shi Banzhu. The Jianghu is a very realistic place, where social standing is only related to strength and wealth, appearance, and family background are all irrelevant. Strength is like the trunk of a tree; with a sturdy trunk, one can bear the leaves and fruit. Otherwise, it's just a castle in the air. Having a family background is somewhat advantageous. Although others may pretend to flatter, they won't genuinely respect you, but with a family background, at least one's life is secure. But being wealthy or attractive is truly pitiful. In the Jianghu, the weak are prey to the strong. Without strength, having resources will ultimately leave one with nothing. Chapter 207 - Enjoying a Free Meal Tl. Soothsayer.io