Novel Full 67 Welcoming Banquet III
XIA JIALI COULD still bitterly remember the time when he tried to oppose his big brother. He was beaten to a pulp that even their father could not recognize him. Other than his sister, no one truly cared for him. Well, that was what he once thought.
After all, Xia Jieke also once saved him when he was in an event where he could die at any time. Looking at this handsome brother with a cold aura, Xia Jiali did not know what to do.
All he thought of was the Amaryllis Flare he accepted from Yang Lujia. If his big brother really wanted it, he could just give up on it. That was his hard-earned compensation for getting infuriated!
Contrary to what his mind was thinking, however, his brother never intended to snatch the thing he received at all. Instead, he interrupted his little brother who was in a trance. “Xia Jiali, are you listening to me? Can you not introduce your new friend to me?”
“Hello, I’m Cao Nima. You are?” Yang Lujia took the initiative to introduce himself while smiling. If not, the other guy could have already pissed his pants. Simply because he was terrified of this big brother of his.
“Oh?” Xia Jieke was taken aback. At least a friend of his brother wasn’t spineless. “I’m Xia Jieke, brother.” He cupped his fist at Yang Lujia and finally showed an amiable smile.
Xia Jiali was stumped and hurriedly ran away. “Brother Nima! I’ll be back in a moment! I remember I still have something to do for Big Sister Xia Hua!”
Xia Jieke almost couldn’t stifle his laugh. He would be an idiot if he could not feel the surging emotions of this little brother of his. Back when this little brother was still a child, he disciplined him like no other child and always beat him up when he did mistakes..
After all, Xia Jieke was also brought up by their dad the same way.
Only their sister wasn’t. Fortunately, she didn’t become a spoiled brat.
Yang Lujia just chuckled and met the other party’s eyes once more. “It’s an honor for someone like me to even talk to you, Brother Jieke. You’re a legend. I don’t dare be impolite with you.”
Xia Jieke laughed, seemingly pleased with Yang Lujia’s temperament. In fact, he had seen everything that transpired. It was just that, before, he was hiding in the dark. He even laughed when he saw how this Cao Nima ate so unreservedly in front of several distinguished people.
When the show was over, the others lost interest. Only Yang Lujia’s disciples and some folks from the Eastern Territory paid attention to them. Soul Demon and Runic Demon were also paying attention to them while anticipating the entrance of the City Palace Lord.
Just like that, Yang Lujia and Xia Jieke had gotten along with each other. They even ate and drank together. Although it was like an unspoken rule to not eat or drink before the banquet would start, with Xia Jieke around, no one dared to reprimand them.
‘Why can’t I see through him? Has he reached the Saint Realm? Or does he have some sort of treasure that isolates his true cultivation like that kid Cao Nima?’ Runic Demon was paying attention to everybody’s actions while casually sweeping his gaze to the crowd.
Sooner, when the table where the group was eating was almost scoured clean, a loud resonant sound from a banged gong echoed in the whole city. When the ordinary citizens heard this, they only thought it wasn’t something extraordinary. It was a normal thing in Death City. It happened every year. It would be strange if they didn’t hear that sound this time around.
“It’s finally gonna start. I’m actually starting to get hungry just by watching their group eat with relish. It must be fucking delicious since the food all contained spiritual energy!”
“Yes, I felt the same way as well. I just can’t get what my idol Xia Jieke had seen in that guy.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I even feel he was only mediocre. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say he is a mortal. Just try to probe into his cultivation.”
“Are you done talking?” Behind them, a young woman with an otherworldly bearing appeared all of a sudden. “If you continue to talk like that while the City Palace Lord was making his entrance, I will not hesitate to end your lives.”
Immediately, they zipped their lips and turned to look slightly at the one who talked. After all, who wouldn’t recognize this woman’s voice? Her overbearing voice? It could make any man in the world prepare themselves for death!
Gasping, every man in the area was awestruck by her appearance. Coupled with her body that had the shape of an inverted triangle, being her shoulders broader than her hips, her golden hanfu dress brought her beauty to another level.
The men’s jaws were almost dropped to the ground. They even wondered how this extremely beautiful woman was able to carry her big twin peaks with such a slim waist! In their minds, some lewd scenes even began to play.
Her eyes flashed at the men who were looking at her. All of them suddenly felt chills crawling up their backs. Even her brother, Xia Jiali, beside her, felt the same.
“Welcome the City Palace Lord!” a man shouted and every guard in the area all knelt. “Xia Zhiguang!”
Xia Jieke told Yang Lujia to stop to welcome his father. Hence, the former stopped willingly and told his disciples, Feng Huang, and the puppy to do the same. Facing the wide stairs, Yang Lujia’s eyes showed a spark.
‘Let’s see how strong was the man who tried to spy on me,’ Yang Lujia thought.
When Xia Zhiguang was finally within their sights, the crowd couldn’t help but gasp. No matter how old he became in terms of his age, his appearance almost never changed. He still looked like a middle-aged man who grew a beard that could still easily be shaved. His facial features were no different than any of his sons and daughter.
Even the middle-aged women in the area were stunned yet again.
Smiling while walking down a couple of steps on the stairs, Xia Zhiguang said, “I welcome everyone for tonight’s welcoming banquet. I hope you didn’t find it inconvenient because I was slightly delayed. It’s just that my daughter pestered me like never before as to which dress she would wear.”
Hearing this, Xia Hua stomped her feet and blushed. She shied away from her father and went to a table to pick a fruit. ‘Why did he have to tell that to everyone?’
Everyone laughed at this scene. The banquet was turning out harmonious.
“At last, the year-wait was over and tomorrow will be the annual event of our Da Sishen. I hope you have brought with you some promising talents. Can we have some pre-event to hype up the atmosphere a bit? It seems a little boring to just eat and drink, right?” He smiled, moving his gaze to the bunch of young men representatives of various territories. Finally, his gaze stopped at a certain young man.
“Oh? You actually joined again in this year’s competition, Shu Fan? I remember you came top 10 last year. It seems like your luck wasn’t good the previous year, huh.”
Shu Fan cupped his fist and bowed slightly at Xia Zhiguang under the gaze of others. He then sighed. “Unfortunately, I haven’t got the inheritance that I want from a God Emperor or a Saint. I just hope I’ll be lucky this year to enter the Valley of Gods again.”
Xia Zhiguang nodded approvingly. “It seems like the other participants didn’t want to show up tonight. Can we start with you, Shu Fan? You can challenge anyone from any other territory. When someone can finally defeat you, you may rest.”
Yang Lujia probed into Xia Zhiguang’s body. ‘He seems to be weak? No… this isn’t his real body!’ His eyes turned purple and saw through the City Palace Lord’s façade.
Runic Demon also did the same. It was so for the Soul Demon. However, the two of them also didn’t find out anything unusual. But the both of them felt like there was something suspicious about Xia Zhiguangs otherworldly aura.
From all the years they met Xia Zhiguang, his aura wasn’t as gentle as the wind like this one.
“Yes, City Palace Lord. It would be my honor,” Shu Fan said and went into the middle of the area. Sooner, a line began to trace its way back to where it started and eventually formed a circular shape.
Looking at the participants one by one, Shu Fan was somewhat nervous, but he didn’t take it seriously and still steeled himself. Even if Xia Jieke was his opponent, like before, he wouldn’t act so pathetic in front of everyone.
Coming from the Southern Territory, he practiced the Frost Path like City Lord Ice. Spreading his prestige by freezing the whole circular area, which even more showed his control on his path, he chose his first opponent.
“You! I feel like you’re strong! Duel with me!”
Lin Diyu, who was standing quietly beside his master and his junior brother and junior sister who was holding the puppy, was shocked when he was actually chosen.
“Troublesome,” Yang Lujia subconsciously muttered.