Chapter 94: Tilan Mountain Ruins

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Tilan Mountain Ruins

"Are you a young friend from the Ascension Association?"

Before the richly dressed man even approached, he enthusiastically called out a greeting.

Huang Qingzhou paused his steps, turning around to curiously appraise the man. "Do you know me, sir?"

The richly dressed man smiled and cupped his hands. "Late last year, I accompanied my older brother to visit Steward Xu. You were standing behind Steward Xu at the time, and I had the privilege of seeing you once. I am Lv Liren. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Huang Qingzhou offered a noncommittal bow in return, seemingly uninterested in chatting further.

The Qingzhou Lv Family’s reputation throughout the Yu Kingdom was less than stellar. However, because Qingzhou bordered the Dusk Cloud Kingdom on the edge of the Yu Kingdom, the two sides frequently clashed before the Dusk Cloud Kingdom was destroyed. Hardened by constant warfare, the Lv Family boasted formidable overall strength, easily ranking in the top three among the Seven States of the Yu Kingdom. Many factions preferred to avoid tangling with them, steering clear whenever possible.

"May I ask for your name?"

Huang Qingzhou didn’t want to engage, but Lv Liren, eager to seize this chance to curry favor with the Ascension Association, shamelessly clung to him.

"Huang Qingzhou," he replied mildly, preparing to excuse himself.

Lv Liren then turned to Fang Xu beside him, cupping his hands. "Is this young friend also from the Ascension Association? How should I address you?"

Fang Xu smiled and returned the gesture. "I am Fang Xu. I just received the Ascension Association’s Immortal Sect travel pass, but I have yet to pass the assessment."

Hearing this, Lv Liren blanked for a moment before smiling again. "Fang, you are young and promising. Passing the Ascension Association’s assessment will surely be a breeze for you."

He knew Huang Qingzhou’s identity—he was Steward Xu’s Direct Disciple. Since Fang Xu could travel alongside him, he definitely possessed extraordinary potential and talent. Otherwise, an ordinary Martial Artist who merely obtained an Immortal Sect travel pass wouldn’t be qualified to have Huang Qingzhou accompany them to the Tilan Mountain ruins.

Listening to the flattery, Fang Xu only smiled without a word. He didn’t like Lv Liren’s style of doing things either. Seeing him, Fang Xu couldn’t help but recall what Old Xu’s family had suffered that day.

"Senior Brother Huang, let’s go," Fang Xu said directly, picking up the wine jar beside him.

"You two, meeting like this is a stroke of fate." Seeing them about to leave, Lv Liren seemed unwilling to give up. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I see Fang has wine in hand. Why don’t we share a drink right here?"

With that, he quickly clapped his hands, calling over two Martial Artist attendants. "Go hunt a ferocious beast and start a fire to roast some meat."

The Martial Artists bowed, their figures flashing as they darted into the woods.

Lv Liren beamed as he stepped in front of Fang Xu and Huang Qingzhou, cupping his hands again. "Would you two do me the honor?"

Huang Qingzhou sighed helplessly. "Fine."

Seeing his agreement, Lv Liren quickly ordered his other Martial Artists to lay out a luxurious carpet on the ground and arrange an assortment of premium fruits and pastries before them. It wasn’t long before the Martial Artist who had gone hunting returned, lugging the corpse of a ferocious beast. The group of Martial Artists busied themselves skinning the animal, lighting a fire, and roasting the meat.

"Fang, is this wine the Maple Brew from Fenglin Town?" Lv Liren asked with a smile, noticing that neither of the two were speaking.

"It’s just some ordinary liquor, not Maple Brew. I’m afraid Senior won’t be accustomed to the taste," Fang Xu replied.

"You must be joking. Having a chance encounter with two outstanding talents from the Ascension Association, even if we were substituting water for wine, it would still have its own unique charm. Allow me to pour for you two," Lv Liren said. He picked up the wine jar that Huang Qingzhou had previously opened, ordered someone to bring three Jade Cups, and filled each one.

Taking the lead, he raised a cup toward Fang Xu and Huang Qingzhou. "Come, you two."

Seeing this, Fang Xu picked up the wine cup in front of him and looked at Huang Qingzhou, pondering how to coax him into drinking.

"I’m not drinking it!" Huang Qingzhou flatly refused.

He had just tasted the wine, and it was worlds apart from Maple Brew. He had absolutely no desire to drink any more of it. Lv Liren looked rather embarrassed.

Noticing the awkwardness, Fang Xu quickly smiled to smooth things over. "Senior Brother has been drinking all the way up the mountain. I’m afraid the alcohol has caught up to him by now."

Given a way out, Lv Liren’s expression recovered slightly. He raised his cup to Fang Xu. "In that case, I shall toast to you."

With that, he tipped his head back and downed the wine in his cup.

As the liquor hit his tongue, Lv Liren’s face drastically changed!

It was spicy, bitter, and carried a faint hint of sourness. He had never tasted such poor-quality booze in his life! However, having already spoken so highly of the occasion, he couldn’t just spit it out.

Watching his miserable expression, Huang Qingzhou stared at him, desperately holding back his laughter.

"That’s what you get for showing off!" he thought.

Meeting Huang Qingzhou’s gaze, Lv Liren knew that he couldn’t spit the wine out no matter what. He could only bite the bullet and swallow it!

GULP.

After forcing the liquid down his throat, Lv Liren coughed violently a couple of times. "Perhaps my earlier battles injured my internal organs. Drinking right now is truly uncomfortable. Fang, how about... we hold off on this wine for now?"

Fang Xu leisurely finished the wine in his cup. Noticing in his consciousness that Lv Liren’s name had already appeared on his friend list, he gave a faint smile. "Since Senior is injured, naturally, you shouldn’t drink."

Seeing Fang Xu being so agreeable, Lv Liren was secretly delighted. He quickly gestured with his hand. "Please, enjoy the pastries and fruits, you two."

The three of them sat in a circle, snacking on the treats and fruits before moving on to the roasted meat. Throughout the meal, Huang Qingzhou maintained an aloof posture, leaving Lv Liren with no choice but to make idle conversation with Fang Xu.

This awkward picnic lasted for barely an hour before Huang Qingzhou grew impatient. He stood up and cupped his hands toward Lv Liren. "My junior brother and I are going to check out the front of the ruins. We won’t intrude any longer."

Without waiting for Lv Liren to urge them to stay, he grabbed Fang Xu and walked away.

Lv Liren stood up and offered a few words of retention, but seeing the two leave without looking back, a cold sneer crept onto his face.

At the Tilan Mountain ruins.

The ruins had been open for some time, and the number of Martial Artists gathered here from all corners of the Yu Kingdom had reached a staggering amount. In the valley before the ruins, large swathes of trees had been completely cleared out by the Martial Artists, and temporary dwellings had been erected. Numerous factions seemed to have plans for a long-term encampment.

On both sides of the path, quick-witted Martial Artists took the opportunity to set up stalls, peddling strange trinkets brought out from the ruins to passersby. Stalls selling Elixirs, magical artifacts, maps, and other items were also a common sight.

Groups of Martial Artists gathered in small clusters; whenever they spotted a lone Martial Artist, they would approach to ask if they wanted to team up for an expedition. The scene before them was bustling with extraordinary noise and activity, looking exactly like the entrance to a dungeon in some open-world game.

Biting into a plum-like fruit, Fang Xu stared at the massive archway and the misty valley beyond it. "Senior Brother Huang, is this the Tilan Mountain ruins?"

It was clearly Huang Qingzhou’s first time seeing these ruins as well, and he surveyed his surroundings with curiosity. "This mist is very peculiar. Its drifting movements seem to conceal a lethal intent!"

Fang Xu didn’t reply.

On the glowing screen deep within his sea of consciousness, numerous arrows were already flashing. The direction these arrows pointed to was undoubtedly not far inside the ruins. However, he was currently injured. Even if he knew these people might die right at the entrance of the ruins, he didn’t dare to venture in carelessly.

"I’ll go ask around for some information," Fang Xu said. Gripping his wine jar, he scanned the area and immediately walked toward a few people who appeared to be merely at the Martial Disciple realm.