Chapter 424 - 227: The Yao Family’s Scheme, the Little Hidden Dragon

Chapter 424: Chapter 227: The Yao Family’s Scheme, the Little Hidden Dragon

The fifteenth of August, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Inside and outside Jinling City was a sea of people, packed so tightly it was impossible to move.

The prosperous and wealthy Jinling Prefecture always became congested during festivals, so much so that carriages would get stuck on the main roads for hours. This Mid-Autumn Festival, however, was even more crowded than usual.

Aside from those returning to Jinling from afar for family reunions and merchants hoping to profit from the festivities, the largest contingent, surprisingly, consisted of wandering Martial Artists from every corner of the land.

The reason for this was that this year’s Minor Hidden Dragon Meet had been scheduled for the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The date for this Minor Hidden Dragon Meet was cleverly chosen, and its scale was unprecedentedly grand.

The Yao family had sent invitations to nearly every sect and noble family of note throughout the Great Li Dynasty. While not everyone would send representatives, even if just a fifth or a third of them came, it would be enough to overwhelm the arena.

The Yao family had been working tirelessly to boost the influence of the Minor Hidden Dragon Meet, aiming to further increase their sway in the martial world of the Great Li Dynasty. Ever since their power was crippled during the Upheaval of the Eight Sects, they had been trying to solidify their status by forming broad alliances and hosting grand events.

If they couldn’t produce enough top-tier Martial Dao experts, they would simply expand their network of connections, align with Grandmasters from other houses, and transition from the spotlight to the shadows. It was a classic strategy for a major clan.

Among the eight great aristocratic families, when it came to pure martial prowess, most couldn’t necessarily compare to the top sects, save for the first few at the very peak.

But when it came to worldly influence and control over the common populace, the Martial Dao sects could never hope to compare to the great families.

Today in Jinling, however, the most crowded place was not within the city walls.

On the bank of the Great River outside the city stood a famous, ancient tower. It was five stories tall and known as the Wangjiang Building.

From atop the Wangjiang Building, one could see the broad expanse of the Great River, its nine bends winding and turning as its rushing waters flowed ceaselessly eastward.

Over a thousand years, countless scholars, poets, and martial heroes had left behind their verses and legends here, making Jinling’s Wangjiang Building one of the most celebrated riverside towers in the Central Plains.

In an open clearing on the riverbank next to the Wangjiang Building, the Yao family had already constructed a massive arena. It stood half as tall as the building itself and was as vast as a military training ground—more than spacious enough for even Martial Artists of the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm to spar.

This arena, of course, had been prepared for the grand occasion.

Before dawn, the area around the arena was already swarming with spectators. They included martial practitioners from all over Jiangnan and the local gentry and celebrities of Jinling. Naturally, the common folk, peddlers, and laborers of the city also packed the grounds, nearly leaving no space for the participating sects and schools.

Tiered wooden seats had been constructed beside the arena for the participating Martial Artists to rest, and all of them were now occupied.

Gazing down from the Wangjiang Building, one could see the riverbank centered around the arena, a roiling sea of heads. The crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder, numbering not just in the thousands, but well over ten thousand.

Xie Yuan stood on an upper floor of the tower, a flicker of concern on his face as he watched the immense crowd. Fortunately, disciples of the Yao family and government officials were shouting themselves hoarse to maintain order; otherwise, a stampede seemed inevitable.

The members of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect were seated in the Wangjiang Building.

As a Major Sect whose prestige had been growing in recent years, and one specially invited by the Yao family, they naturally received special treatment.

Xie Yuan and his fellow disciples were on the third floor of the Wangjiang Building, a respectable position. The other guests on their floor were all top-tier factions from other prefectures, their status comparable to that of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect.

As for the two floors above them, he’d heard one was reserved for a few aristocratic families on good terms with the Yao family. The highest floor was for Grandmasters and other great personages like Duke Ning. Rumor had it there were other honored guests as well.

"This Minor Hidden Dragon Meet isn’t minor at all!"

Ning Zi clicked her tongue in amazement.

Qin Zhenyang nodded.

"It gets bigger every time. I’m afraid the Yao family wants to gradually turn the Jinling Minor Hidden Dragon Meet into a grand event for the entire Great Li Dynasty."

"Are they trying to challenge the Imperial Court’s ’Hidden Dragon Banquet’?"

Ning Zi asked with a smile.

"Their official story is that they are cooperating with the court to discover new talent."

Qin Zhenyang’s expression was noncommittal.

Xie Yuan listened in for a moment and nodded slightly.

Judging by the scale of it all, it was clear the Yao family’s ambitions were not small.

’But it takes strength to forge iron. If they really want to host an event of this caliber, it won’t work unless they have the power to command respect. Right now, the Yao family doesn’t even have a single Flying Dragon List Master—at least not publicly. All they can manage is a grand event for youngsters below the level of the Hidden Dragon List.’

As they chatted idly, the Wangjiang Building and the seats beside the arena filled up completely. The place was so packed that extra tables and chairs had to be brought out.

The sun gradually rose. Seeing that the appointed time had arrived, the crowd slowly fell silent.

Amidst the sound of the river’s surging waves, a man leaped from the crowd onto the high stage. He clasped his hands and bowed in all directions. It was Yao Qinglai, an external affairs elder of the Yao family.

"Everyone, you have come to Jinling today to gather here for the Minor Hidden Dragon Meet. On behalf of the Yao clan of Jinling, I welcome all of you heroes!"

"Hooray!"

Many in the audience applauded and cheered to show their support, bringing a smile to Yao Qinglai’s face.

He launched into a long, rambling opening speech, filled with tales of past martial contests at the Wangjiang Building and historical anecdotes of the Yao family entertaining guests there. On the surface, he was introducing Jinling and the famous tower, but in truth, every story was subtly about the Yao family.

Then again, the Yao family had been in Jinling for a thousand years; the history of this place was indeed inseparable from the prominent clan.

But Yao Qinglai went on for far too long. His speech was as long-winded and rambling as an old woman’s foot-binding cloth, continuing for the entire time it took an incense stick to burn without a pause. Even the first-time visitors who had initially been listening with great relish were beginning to grow bored.

"Why does this guy talk so much?"

"It feels like all he’s doing is rambling on about how great the Yao family is..."

"Well, the great families *are* powerful. In my next life, I want to be born into one of them. I’d have famous performers and top courtesans dance for me every day, and I’d have access to profound Martial Dao Cultivation Techniques. Wouldn’t that be the life?"

"Heh heh, if it’s for the women, I can’t argue with that. But if you’re talking about cultivation, you shouldn’t go to the Yao family. Haven’t you heard? Their Grandmaster lost to a cultivator at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm!"