The third day of the second month of the lunar calendar.?Noon, the day after the Dragon’s Gate Banquet.
Su Yi finished his cultivation in the mulberry grove. Just as he returned to the Apricot Cottage, he saw Fu Shan and a group of the Old Guard waiting there for him.
“Master Su.” Fu Shan walked up with a smile and cupped his fist. “I’m here to thank you for your assistance at the Dragon’s Gate Banquet, as well as to deliver your rewards.”
With that, he waved his hand, and three guards approached. Each of them respectfully proffered a jade box.
Fu Shan smiled as he explained, “These are the prizes for the victor of the Dragon’s Gate Competition. Altogether, there’s a thousand taels of gold, ten clusters of pearls, three stalks of spiritual medicine, and one peak yellow-grade secret martial arts tome.
He paused, then continued, “I brazenly took it upon myself to convert the gold to silver notes. That will make it easier for you to carry it on your person, Master Su.
He pointed to the first jade box. “This contains eighteen silver notes. Each is worth ten thousand taels of silver.”
“The second jade box contains three stalks of spiritual medicine. They are, respectively, Jadeleaf Poria, Bloodjade Ginseng, and Blue-Streaked Frostgrass.
“And the third jade box contains the peak-level yellow-grade martial art, ‘the Flower-Plucking, Cloud-Sweeping Zen Hand.’”
When he heard this, Su Yi opened the third box and flipped through the secret tome. After skimming it, even he couldn’t help but exclaim, “This martial art is obviously only suitable for women.”
Fu Shan grimaced. “It was up to the Cloudfall City Lord, Li Jianyu, to prepare the prizes. He undoubtedly chose that technique as a deliberate insult. If you’re displeased with it, given a little time, I can offer you an alternative martial arts manual instead.”
He was obviously well aware of this martial arts tome’s nature.
Su Yi waved his offer away, not the least bit concerned. “No need. This will be fine.”
Given his standards, how could he possibly take interest in such a low-grade martial arts anyway?
“Deliver Master Su’s prizes to his room.” Fu Shan turned and ordered his guards, who immediately got to work.
Afterward, he smiled and said, “Master Su, Spiritbamboo Island belongs to Guangling City once more, and at least for now, it’s under the control of the city lord—me. I’m here today in part to invite you to visit the island.”
Su Yi was tempted; he recalled that Spiritbamboo Island had a high concentration of spiritual energy, and that “Bluejade Spirit Bamboo” grew there.
“When do we leave?” asked Su Yi.
Fu Shan immediately smiled. “This way, please. I’ve already prepared a carriage. We can leave right now.” He personally led the way.
An hour later.
The Old Guard rode warhorses as they escorted Su Yi and Fu Shan’s carriage. The carriage stopped when it reached a spot roughly thirty miles from the city, along the banks of the Great Azure.
This stretch of river bank was part of the Azurecloud Mountain Range. There were lush, ancient trees all over the place.
Upon exiting the carriage, Su Yi and Fu Shan saw an awning-covered boat ready and waiting for them. They boarded it and crossed the water, nearing the center of the river.
The island was small, more islet than island. It was only three hundred feet across. It?was covered in jagged rocks. Save for the verdant bamboo grove, the island was entirely barren; not even grass grew upon the boulders.
“Hm? Why are there already people on the island?”?From a distance, Fu Shan saw a boat moored to the side of Spiritbamboo island, and he could vaguely discern two figures walking amidst the bamboo.
His expression instantly darkened.
The attendant beside him hurriedly explained, “City Lord, they are most likely from Cloudfall City! They must have come from the other side of the river!”
“Li Jianyu, that old fart. He dared send people to Spiritbamboo Island? Does he really think I won’t dare kill them?” Fu Shan’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. Before long, their boat reached the island.
It was then that Fu Shan saw the trespassers clearly for the full time. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow in surprise.
It was a youth and an old man.
The youth wore jade-colored robes and a broad belt. His skin was clear, his features handsome, and he looked to be in high spirits.
The elder wore a small black hat, and he was clad in cloth robes. He looked unexceptional, and his back was slightly bowed as he stood a foot away from the young man.
“The peak of the Qi Accumulation Realm.” At the same time, Su Yi’s gaze landed on the youth and the black-hatted old man. At a glance, he could discern a fair bit just from their auras.
The Four Realms of the Martial Dao, Blood Circulation, Qi Accumulation, Inner Furnace, and Anāsrava.
Reaching the pinnacle of the Qi Accumulation Realm was proof that one had already refined their qi to the level of “Astral Manifestation.” Martial artists like that could walk directly on water.
On dry land, they could leap a hundred feet in a single bound. Their breath rumbled like thunder, and their vital energy outwardly revealed itself.
Only a thin line separated such martial artists from reaching the Inner Furnace Realm and becoming Grandmasters!
In Guangling City, someone like him would be a peak-level expert.
Fu Shan, for instance, was merely in the late-stage Qi Accumulation Realm. He was a full level lower than the black-hatted elder.
But before long, Su Yi looked away. A mere peak Qi Accumulation expert wasn’t worth paying attention to.
Instead, Su Yi took this time to silently evaluate Spiritbamboo Island itself.
Before long, he nodded to himself. The island was likely connected to the Great Azure’s water vein. The Azurecloud Mountain Range was nearby, so mountains and waters converged, and the essence of heaven and earth gathered here.
It was indeed a blessed land, a spiritual ground. It was a step up from the mulberry grove Su Yi had found. No wonder it gave rise to a spiritual ingredient on the level of Bluejade Spirit Bamboo!
At the same time, the jade-robed youth and the black-hatted elder noticed the commotion, and both of them looked over.
The youth smiled and called out, “Might you be City Lord Fu Shan?”
He was only eighteen, but his every movement carried an air of nobility.
And it seemed that meeting Fu Shan, the lord of an entire city, was perfectly normal for him.
“That’s me,” said Fu Shan. “Might I ask who the two of you are?”
How experienced and crafty was Fu Shan’s gaze? He could tell at a glance that these two were extraordinary. He subtly waved, indicating for his attendant to remain in the covered boat.
He and Su Yi then disembarked onto Spiritbamboo Island.
“My name is Zhang Yuanxing. I’m from the prefectural capital’s Zhang Family.” He smiled and cupped his fist. “City Lord Fu, I once heard my father say that throughout Cloudriver Prefecture’s nineteen cities, few people are worthy of attention, but that you’re one of those rare few. Meeting you now, I can see that it’s true: you are indeed extraordinary.”
The Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s Zhang Family!
Fu Shan’s pupils constricted slightly, and his expression became far more solemn. “Might I ask your honorable father’s name?”
“My master is none other than the current head of the Zhang Family,” said the elder in the black hat, speaking for the first time.
Fu Shan’s heart shook, his gaze instantly serious. “Ah, I see. I’m flattered to have received such high praise from your esteemed father.”
Zhang Yuanxing smiled faintly; it seemed he’d anticipated that Fu Shan would react like this. “City Lord Fu, you won’t blame me for coming uninvited, right?”
Fu Shan shook his head. “How could I?”
Zhang Yuanxing nodded. Then, his gaze shifted from Fu Shan to Su Yi, an admiring look on his face. “Last night, I attended the Dragon’s Gate Banquet too. Young Lord Su, I watched your match with Mo Tianling. It was spectacular! It made me gasp with amazement.”
He paused, then smiled. “But I also heard a bit about what happened to you back then, and I learned that your current situation in the Wen Family is… Well, it seems like it’s not great. If you’d like to change your predicament, I can help you.”
Inwardly, Fu Shan snickered.?A disciple of the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s Zhang Family is indeed lofty and extraordinary.
But Su Yi is someone even the Spiritjade Marchioness treats with respect, a transcendent existence!
How could he possibly need you to ‘help him out of his predicament’?
Su Yi looked up at the smiling, confident youth and said calmly, “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘those who offer unsolicited hospitality are surely hiding evil intentions’?”
A sharp light flashed through the elder’s eyes. “Speak carefully, young man. Make sure not to bring disaster upon yourself!”
But Zhang Yuanxing merely smiled and waved him away, not the least bit offended. “Uncle Xiong, no need to get angry. Young Lord Su’s straightforwardness is the very reason I admire him.”
He paused, then addressed Su Yi directly. “Young Lord Su, you needn’t overthink this. I want to help you purely because I admire your skills and attainments in the Martial Dao. It would be a waste for someone as talented as you to remain in Guangling City, no different from burying a pearl in the mud!”
Su Yi’s expression was strange; it had been a long, long time since anyone had spoken to him like this.
When he saw that Su Yi remained silent, Zhang Yuanxing assumed he was hesitating. He couldn’t help but smile confidently, “Young Lord Su, please relax. If you follow me to Cloudriver Prefecture, I guarantee I’ll give you the chance to show off your brilliance and stand out of the crowd!”
Su Yi was stunned. “From the looks of it, you…. Want me to follow you as a retainer?” 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝐞𝐥.
The man in the black hat snorted coldly, “In the prefectural capital, there are as many talented young men eager to be at our young master’s beck and call as there are carp in the river, yet those who win his favor are rare as qilin horns and phoenix feathers.”
As if suspecting Su Yi didn’t understand his meaning, the elder added, “Let’s put it like this. In Guangling City, taking first place in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet is enough to hold your head up high, but in the prefectural capital, there’s no shortage of comparably talented youths!”
Finally, the corners of his lips arched upward. “Now you ought to understand just how lucky you are to have won our young master’s admiration.”
By now, Fu Shan had a strange look in his eyes.
If not for the other party’s status, he probably couldn’t have held back his laughter.
But then, Fu Shan was well aware that neither Zhang Yuanxing nor Uncle Xiong knew of Su Yi’s true abilities.?Otherwise, they couldn’t have possibly put on such airs and lectured him like an inferior.
By now, Su Yi was at a loss for words. He didn’t even know how to respond.?Hmm, it seems that he has good intentions…. Right?
“You can take some time to think it over. I’ll leave Guangling City in three days. You can tell City Lord Fu Shan your decision then,” said Zhang Yuanxing with a personable smile, as if he disdained resorting to coercion.
Then, he turned back to Fu Shan. “Although the tier of the Bluejade Spirit Bamboo growing here is ordinary, they’re still pretty rare. I’d like to purchase two stalks. Might you be willing to part with them?”
“Whichever two strike your fancy, I’d be honored to give to you,” said Fu Shan forthrightly.
Zhang Yuanxing shook his head. “City Lord Fu Shan, as everyone in the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital knows, I, Zhang Yuanxing, have always disdained taking advantage of others. Uncle?Xiong, when we get back to the city, I’ll have to trouble you to deliver a hundred spirit stones to the city lord’s estate.”
The elder in the black hat nodded.
Before long, Zhang Yuanxing personally chose two stalks of Bluejade Bamboo. Then, he and Uncle Xiong returned their vessel and left.
Before their departure, this noble youth of the prefectural capital didn’t forget to exhort Su Yi once more.
“You’ll fly further with strong winds to carry you, and I, Zhang Yuanxing, can send you soaring into the clouds!”