Chen Mo's appearance was simple and unsophisticated, but beneath the surface, he was very two-faced. Who was good and who was bad, the inside of his heart was like a mirror. When he was sent to Azure Dragon Town, only Little Tao and a few womenfolk followed, with only a few Chen Family bodyguards. Chen Qing outwardly seemed to care for him by assigning Iron Blade to act as his bodyguard for protection, but how could Chen Mo be unaware that this was nothing more than covert surveillance.
Ever since he came to Chuan Province, this Chen Qing's family became especially nervous, as if he had come to seize power from them.
This was not strange at all. No matter who suddenly appeared stirring trouble, no one would be too happy to have their rights restricted. While Chen Mo was unable to practice martial arts, he left them to their own thoughts. There was no other way.
Across all planes of existence.
The truth would always be within the firing range of a cannon.
Without martial prowess, he could only suffer in silence. Now that Chen Mo had broken free from the shackles of qi and blood, he finally stepped onto the yellow path. Beforehand, he was already completely uninterested in Chuan Province's Chen Family estate. Swindling millions, holding authority over the life and death of the populace, so what. How could those compare to the freedom of cultivation.
If it was not for that time with the assassin in Azure Dragon Mountain clearly wanting to cripple him, Chen Mo was even disinclined to bother over being monitored. Now that things had reached this point, he would no longer sit and wait for death. The first thing to do was to subdue Iron Blade, to misdirect this pair of eyes and ears lingering by his side. He did not mind exploiting Iron Blade to give Chen Qing bits of news he would enjoy, to satisfy his vanity.
If it could be said before that Chen Mo was still wondering what evil thoughts Iron Blade was entertaining, he now no longer needed to worry.
When he gave that Grade 4 "Fish Scale" to Iron Blade and said he would allow Iron Blade to go to the Shi Family Sword Casting Shop for Casting Star upgrades at any time, Shi Cheng already promised he would do his utmost. With Chen Mo's status, spending a little money to help Iron Blade's Fish Scale broadsword reach One Star was not an issue. Help like this could never have been received under Chen Qing. Under Chen Qing, Iron Blade had been nothing more than an exploited tool, but under him, he could become Chen Mo's number one aide. Even a genius could figure out which choice to make.
After winning over Iron Blade, Chen Mo was much more at ease. His thoughts were clearer and his cultivation free of distractions, greatly speeding up. He was also gradually grasping the essence of the Bagua Chant's second technique, Dui Upper Open.These days, Chen Mo would go to the ironworks whenever he had time to watch Shi Cheng's casting and occasionally practice a couple times himself. His other task was to speed up his cultivation in preparation for Qing Wan's birthday banquet. According to what he learned from the Qing Family, this banquet's attendees were all young talents of Qing Wan's generation. In other words, a banquet for young people. The Wuyang Princess and the Little Duke of Wei would also attend.
That son of the Duke of Wei knew that Chen Mo was unable to practice martial arts and invited with what were perhaps evil intentions. However, Chen Mo did not care. He wanted to seize this banquet as a chance to give those people who despised him in the past a small gift.
The "Jasper Pavilion" was on the east side of Azure Dragon Town. It was the largest restaurant in town, and it was also the Qing Family's estate. Although the Jasper Pavilion was not as luxurious as those restaurants in Chang'an, they were very magnificent in Azure Dragon Town. The town's aristocrats and disciples liked to gather here all the time.
This time, the birthday banquet for the Qing Family's honorable daughter Qing Wan was scheduled to be in this restaurant.
Chen Mo came to the Jasper Pavilion alone. Once inside, the interior was a spacious hall. Because this was only a town, there naturally were no famous beauties for entertainment, however, there were some musicians playing erhu and guqin upon the stage.
Currently, this large restaurant was already packed to the brim by Qing Wan.
Chen Mo had only just entered when he saw those brightly dressed young men and women in the middle of boisterous conversation.
Upon seeing Chen Mo come in, everyone stopped their conversations and turned their gazes to him.
But seeing Chen Mo stroll through the main hall freely and easily, a table of men and women immediately showed mocking expressions. Chen Mo practiced the Nose Locking Art, retaining his qi and blood. Normal people were completely unable to sense the change in Chen Mo's qi and blood. In these recent two months, Chen Mo had not appeared at all. That normally iconic early rise to train in martial arts was nowhere. Everyone thought he had given up and laughed.
This young master finally was unable to persevere.
A young aristocrat was about to hurl a few mocking words when Chen Mo abruptly looked their way. His chilling gaze surprisingly carried a bit of pressure. Before that youth was able to speak, he became mute.
Sitting beside the Little Duke of Wei Li Xiaxi, who had an extraordinary bearing, was a girl in a red skirt. This girl smiled sweetly, looking around the spectacle, endlessly all smile in the crowd, sending the men over the moon. The star of this banquet was originally supposed to be Qing Wan, but the girl in the red skirt was completely the center of attention. Everyone was engrossed with fawning over her, making Qing Wan's expression a bit unsightly.
A pity that girl was like a warm flame, completely stealing away Qing Wan's brilliance.
Seeing Chen Mo come, the fury in Qing Wan's heart found something to vent upon. "Chen Mo, I thought you would not dare come."
"What wouldn't I dare?" Chen Mo leisurely replied, throwing down a present. "However, I really don't have interest in your birthday. It's obscene anyways, so much fawning, flattery, and ingratiation. It's nauseating."
All of a sudden, the Jasper Pavilion was absolutely silent.
Everyone stopped their conversations. Their mouths hung agape as they looked at Chen Mo in shock.
Where did this brat's boldness come from, to surprisingly describe Qing Wan's banquet as obscene. And those vile words of fawning and flattery were clearly implicating them.
"Hey, Chen Mo, what did you say!"
"I want you to give us an apology."
"What do you mean fawning and flattery! Hmph, this is envy, pure and bare envy."
Everyone broke into curses.
"So they aren't flattering and fawning over you. I was mistaken." Chen Mo shrugged.1
Duke of Wei Li Xiaxi smiled in embarrassment. The others apparently sensed that they had been too obsessed with the Wuyang Princess. They were somewhat embarrassed, yet some felt even more resentment towards Chen Mo.
Seeing them like this, Qing Wan somehow became a bit happier, the anger she was filled with also quietly vanishing.
"Hmph, this is the Wuyang Princess, Ting Nanyuan.2 Hmph, with your Chen Family background, of course you need not mind her." Qing Wan said.
The Wuyang Princess seemed to smile as she stared at Chen Mo. That pair of luminous eyes seemed to be saying, "So it's you."
"I never imagined that you were the Wuyang Princess." Chen Mo saw that she was none other than that girl who brought "Fateful Marriage" to the store. She was full of heroism and beauty, and she had a bit of a natural charm. Compared to Qing Wan, she had the addition of a woman's glamor. Other than that Wuyang Princess, there was no one else.
Chen Mo then found himself a seat. At this time, the Wuyang Princess quickly rose and ran over to Chen Mo, sitting beside him, making everyone who had been fawning over her fall into disbelief.
"I looked into that Lingering Impurity Dew you spoke of previously. It seems that what you said is possible." Ting Nanyuan smiled. "How do you know about it?"
"An accident. But I urge the Princess that you had best give up on that ‘Fateful Marriage.'" Chen Mo sipped his tea.
Ting Nanyuan shook her head: "No, no, this is but a gift that Young Lord Qin3 sent Me. This Lady must repair Fateful Marriage." It seemed this Young Lord Qin was the person she admired. Chen Mo did not want to meddle in her affairs.
"Will you help me?" Ting Nanyuan asked.
"You want me to help you?" Chen Mo felt this was ridiculous. Before he arrived, no doubt Li Xiaxi and that girl definitely already spoke a lot of ill about him. He could even imagine those words.
Could it be that this woman had not been listening at all.
"I have asked that shop's casting master already. Your eyesight is very incredible. I asked many casting masters, but none of them were clear about this Fateful Marriage. Only you spoke about Lingering Impurity Dew." Ting Nanyuan felt that Chen Mo definitely knew something else.
"I have said everything that needed to be said. My hands are tied about the rest." Chen Mo declined.
Ting Nanyuan smile, unconcerned: "All of the men in this place are flattering me. What a pity that Nanyuan only wishes to listen to your words."
"Not everyone will gather around you." Chen Mo ruthlessly pierced that boring sense of superiority of hers.
"Chen Mo, it would be better if you sat with me at the seat of honor." At this moment, Li Xiaxi could not bear to watch any longer. The youth's eyes had a slightly displeased glint, smiling as he interrupted Chen Mo and Ting Nanyuan's conversation.
He insincerely invited Chen Mo to sit together with him at the seat of honor. To sit at the seat of honor demonstrated that this social circle's status was not low, a kind of symbol of honor. With Chen Mo's status, he naturally could be seated there, but he was completely uninterested in this circle.
"No need, I like being alone."
"Oh, Brother Chen Mo is truly unconventional. Nanyuan, let us not bother him." Li Xiaxi said.
"Then I shall find you another time." Ting Nanyuan concluded.
Qing Wan looked at her silent little brother sitting beside her. Ever since Chen Mo entered the Jasper Pavilion, he had his head lowered like this, not even daring to meet Chen Mo's gaze. Normally, this little brother seemed most fond of causing trouble for Chen Mo. "Qing Rong, you've been particularly quiet today. Don't tell me Chen Mo terrifies you?"
"Elder Sister, you must not be fooled by Chen Mo." After he lost the snowball fight, Qing Rong was reduced to the status of a little brother in front of Chen Mo. He no longer dared to say a word to Chen Mo, for he was afraid this man would seize the chance to humiliate him.
"Could I be deceived by trash like him? Qing Rong, what strange thing you're saying." Qing Wan wrinkled her brows.
"He…Basically, Elder Sister, you must seize your cultivation, open the Three Flowers Overhead to defeat him." Qing Rong bit his lips, a bit impulsive.
Qing Wan was bright of mind, vaguely hearing her Little Brother was apparently very afraid of Chen Mo. He wanted to say something, yet for some reason, he was unable to speak.
Could it be?
The birthday party was even more boring than Chen Mo had thought. All of the people in this place had power of qi and blood. Every single person disdained to associate with Chen Mo, talking amongst themselves and treating him like air.
Chen Mo had no interest in wasting time. Seizing the chance when the banquet's atmosphere was suitable, he then said: "It seems that the warriors in Azure Dragon Town have recently increased. These can't be people that Young Lord Li of the Duke of Wei has brought over, right.
"Chen Mo, you noticed as well, huh. However, don't misunderstand me. Your Servant is here incognito with the Wuyang Princess." Li Xiaxi smiled.
"Right, why have the number of warriors increased recently."
"Can it be that our Azure Dragon Town has some festival?"
"Maybe there's some major fugitive with an arrest warrant?"
Everyone began to discuss spiritedly.
"There is no such thing as coincidence." Chen Mo laughed.
Li Xiaxi smiled silently.
"We have come for the legend of the Azure Dragon Footpath."
Wuyang Princess Ting Nanyuan brilliantly smiled, grandly blurting out the objective of this trip. The girl stealthily winked at Chen Mo, her eyes seemingly saying: We're even.
"Azure Dragon Footpath?"
Chen Mo wrinkled his brow. He had never heard of such a thing.
- To be clear, Chen Mo is addressing Li Xiaxi and his plus one. He is reminding everyone the bare minimum etiquette for a birthday party: birthday girl is the star of the show, not anyone else. ↩
- 舞陽郡主廷南苑 ↩
- 秦公子, maybe he's a prince of some sort. For now, he'll just be a Young Lord. ↩
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