"Since we’ve asked Master Jiang himself to make the trip here, of course, we wouldn’t let the village chief return so soon; wouldn’t that be terribly impolite? Please, come down and join us for a gathering,"
Clear and resonant laughter drifted up from below.
The man who spoke had a face as flawless as white jade, slightly droopy brows and eyes, a nose sharp like an eagle’s hook, thick and voluptuous lips, with a mole on each corner of his mouth and a fleshy bulge between his eyebrows, exuding an aura of unprovoked authority.
"You? I’m quite curious to see what kind of monsters and demons you all are."
Jiang Dali gave faint smile and spurred his eagle to swoop down, leaping off at a height of more than twenty feet.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
His long cloak stretched out behind him like wings.
Jiang Dali’s stocky body thudded onto the ground, kicking up the earth in all directions and shattering the ambiance of the zither sound.
Inside the pavilion amongst the bamboo.
The zither player immediately pressed his palms down on the strings.
His hands were delicate and translucent, as white as those of a woman, with a purple gold ring on his middle finger. As he pressed down, the zither sound stopped, and he stood up tall and imposing, looking indifferently toward Jiang Dali, saying,
"Master Jiang, have you ever heard the name of the Joyful King?"
Upon seeing the man with a handsome, white-jade face, Jiang Dali was momentarily surprised and then burst into laughter, "The Living Buddha of the Wan Family, the Joyful King? I really didn’t expect you to be involved in such matters in the Forbidden City.
Is the dream of living as a prince in the blissful Loulan Ancient City not enough for you?
You had to leave the city and court death? Not afraid that the renowned Shen Lang will seek you out for revenge?"
"Hmph! The mere Shen Lang, what do I have to fear?"
Joyful King Chai Yuguan scoffed, his eyes piercing as he spoke in a low tone, "Master Jiang, you’re speaking rather arrogantly. I have been quite courteous to you. Today, I invited you here to sit down, have a drink, and chat, to clear up any misunderstandings from the past, yet you’re being quite aggressive."
Jiang Dali’s gaze flickered, "Misunderstanding? We have no history between us, so what misunderstanding could there be?"
"Master Jiang is indeed magnanimous. I was once ignorant and offended you; to think you’ve already forgotten my transgressions so quickly."
A figure in purple robe suddenly appeared at the scene, tall but with an effeminate temperament, and a voice as shrill as a eunuch’s, which was extremely unpleasant to hear—it was none other than the Colorful Envoy Shan Zuo Tianyin.
"Oh? Is that you, the sissy? Now I remember."
Jiang Dali glanced at Shan Zuo Tianyin and nodded, "Indeed, you’ve offended me before, but it’s not that I’ve forgotten; it’s just that there are too many petty figures like you who provoke me, I simply can’t remember all of you."
Shan Zuo Tianyin’s face flushed with anger.
Yet Jiang Dali’s attention had already shifted to a young man that Shan Zuo Tianyin was grasping in his hand.
The young man, seeing Jiang Dali, immediately widened his eyes and struggled making "mmm" noises.
He was bound hand and foot, with a cloth stuffed in his mouth preventing him from speaking, his eyes full of terror and pleading.
Shan Zuo Tianyin’s eyes flickered with a cold laugh, "Hehehe... Master Jiang, you should recognize this young man in my hand, right?
He is your long-lost brother, Cheng Shifei.
In order to apologize to you, I went to great lengths to find him for you. Now that you two brothers are finally reunited, shouldn’t you thank me?"
Jiang Dali looked calmly at Cheng Shifei, who was radiating a red aura, and nodded with a smile, "Yes, he is indeed my brother Cheng Shifei. You’ve helped me find him, and I really should thank you. If there’s a fight later, I’ll leave your bodies intact."
"Black Wind Village Chief!"
Shan Zuo Tianyin shrieked, his hand gripping Cheng Shifei’s neck tightly, "Your brother is in my hands now. Don’t be too arrogant!"
It wasn’t the first time he had taken someone hostage.
But this time, as the culprit behind the hostage-taking, he was even more nervous than the person being threatened, which was extremely frustrating.
Jiang Dali seemed utterly unconcerned, smiling indifferently, "Now tell me, using my brother to lure me here, what do you want?"
Joyful King Chai Yuguan laughed heartily, speaking frankly, "I like talking to straightforward people. Actually, Master Jiang, you should already know our purpose. If you just stay here for one day, we can have a drink, chat, and talk about the possibility of future cooperation. After one day, you can leave with your brother."
Jiang Dali frowned and nodded, "It seems you, the Joyful King, are not satisfied being a ’king’ in Martial Arts circles, but also want to be a prince in Ming Country? So that’s why you meddle in these matters? If I don’t agree, are you going to make a move against me?"
Chai Yuguan’s smile faded, "Master Jiang, I know how formidable you are. Strong individuals like Conquer the World Li Chenzhou, Zhu the Great King Zhu Xiawu have all died by your hand.
I’ve heard Yan Kuangtu also sought you out, yet he couldn’t best you."
His expression became serious, "To be honest, I really don’t want to hastily make a move against you. Having an enemy like you could be quite terrifying.
However, if you really insist on leaving, I will have to act against my wishes.
And even if you manage to escape unharmed, your brother Cheng Shifei will surely die."
Jiang Dali laughed deeply, looking at the fear-stricken Cheng Shifei who was shaking his head and cracking his neck, and walked slowly forward, "With just you, the Joyful King, even if you bring your four Envoys, you wouldn’t dare to stop me. Who else is there? Come out all at once."