These are all reputable characters from the Martial Arts world of the Southwest.
Invincible Divine Fist Shangguan Xiong from Shenquan Sect, Vice Sect Master of Mo Yuan Sect, Teng Yuxuan, Young Pavilion Master of Huanhai Pavilion, Xu Shaqing...
Pick any one of them, and they hold significant sway.
Amidst this impressive gathering, naturally, they didn’t pay much mind to two unknown youngsters, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun.
They were merely curious as to how these two juniors, unaccompanied by a mentor, ended up here inexplicably?
But it wasn’t just a simple matter of showing up here.
Although Xuanji Hut is called a hut, it has a rather spacious interior; despite the simplicity of the hall’s furnishings, they were anything but crude.
An ancestral Daoist statue stood at the forefront, with incense and candles burning continuously.
Two rows of chairs lined both sides of the hall, no fewer than twenty.
There were chairs aplenty, yet more people, with some having nowhere to sit and forced to stand inside the hall. Yet, oddly, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun were each offered a chair.
After the ’Xuanji Valley Disciples’ led Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun to their seats, the looks from the crowd around them suddenly changed.
Though there may not be overtly strange remarks, scrutiny could not be avoided.
Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun seemed quite surprised themselves.
Sitting there, they appeared somewhat on pins and needles.
However, the crowd only glanced at them momentarily before largely overlooking them.
Seating was arranged by Xuanji Valley, and if any breach of etiquette occurred, it would be Xuanji Valley’s issue. As guests, why would they concern themselves with such details?
Their discussion was more about Master Cang Ming inviting them here and his intentions.
"What mystical business is Old Master Cang Ming up to this time? We have been here in Xuanji Valley for well over half a month, yet we’ve never caught a glimpse of the old Daoist."
"Cang Ming, Cang Ming; this time the man isn’t just hiding his name, he’s keeping out of sight completely."
"I was in the middle of pursuing that Thousand Mile Feiping Guest, just about to get him, when I received the old Daoist’s invitation, hurrying here only to eat plain food daily, my mouth is almost tasting birds!"
"If you ask me, Yu Liu Sword Heart Liu Sui Feng knows better, he just arrived yesterday... huh? Why haven’t we seen him yet?"
Right as they were discussing, someone approached the entrance.
Suddenly, the hall fell silent.
The crowd that was whispering just now suddenly quieted down.
The air seemed to grow denser with gravity.
Not for any other reason than the man standing at the doorway was Yu Liu Sword Heart Liu Sui Feng himself!
With a sword in hand, he casually walked in and sat down in the top seat to the left, silent and aloof as a chilling breeze.
With his arrival, the entire hall quieted down.
It was as if everyone’s presence was subdued by this one man alone.
At that moment, Su Mo’s gaze was drawn to the door, where out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone hurrying away.
Su Mo didn’t recognize the figure or back, but... that person’s back was strapped with something.
That object, long and slender, slung diagonally, over seven feet in length...
Su Mo’s brow slightly lifted, but there was no time now for further thought, as Master Cang Ming had arrived.
The old Daoist had clearly taken the effort to ’dress up’ today, his hair meticulously groomed, and flanked by two little Taoist boys, he slowly made his way in.
He paused before the main seat and, turning around with a smile, said: "Esteemed guests, you have been at my humble dwelling for some time, yet due to pressing matters, I have been delayed. Please don’t take offense."
There’s sentiment in a meeting.
Before meeting Master Cang Ming, there were complaints of all sorts.
But now that they’ve seen him, the anger dissipated.
They all gestured with their hands, indicating no offense, merely left wondering why Master Cang Ming had gathered them all here.
"The matter is a long story."
Master Cang Ming sighed softly, "As mentioned in the invitation, the new tea was ready, and today is just the right time to invite everyone to discuss affairs over tea tasting."
After finishing his words, the Xuanji Valley Disciples immediately stepped forward and served tea to everyone.
Teng Yuxuan of the Mo Yuan Sect was a great enthusiast of tea. Seeing the tea served before him, he reached out for a cup, gently skimming the leaves on the surface, releasing a burst of fragrant aroma.
"The fine tea of Master Cang Ming, I have been looking forward to it for a long time."
He was about to drink the tea.
Suddenly, someone spoke up.
The crowd looked towards the voice, which came from one of the two youngsters who were out of place in the hall.
The speaker was Yang Xiaoyun.
Teng Yuxuan smiled and spoke, "Young friend, do you have something to say?"
He was not annoyed by Yang Xiaoyun’s interruption, displaying the demeanor of a venerable senior.
Apart from him, everyone in the room, including Master Cang Ming, turned their gaze towards Yang Xiaoyun.
However, Master Cang Ming’s eyes seemed to smile but not quite, yet he did not speak.
"...There might be some issue with this tea, it’s best not to drink it."
Yang Xiaoyun was at a loss for words at the moment; surely she could not say that the tea was too hot to drink?
Teng Yuxuan broke into hearty laughter, stopped looking at Yang Xiaoyun, and turned to Master Cang Ming: "Master’s young friends here are quite amusing, but I wonder what could be wrong with the tea?"
"Perhaps they are the ones to ask."
Master Cang Ming, wearing a smiley expression, looked at Yang Xiaoyun: "Young lady, since you say there’s something wrong with the tea, why not speak plainly?"
"Is it necessary for me to point out the problem with this tea?"
Yang Xiaoyun turned to Master Cang Ming: "You should be well aware of it."
"This truly leaves me puzzled."
Master Cang Ming shook his head gently, "Young lady, there’s no need to speak in riddles with me. Speak freely; everyone here is your senior in Jianghu, even if you misspeak, no one will blame you."
Yang Xiaoyun laughed with anger: "The people of the Youquan Sect are even more open and upright than I had imagined."
As these three words were uttered, many in the crowd suddenly changed color.
Someone spoke in a cold voice, "Young lady, in Jianghu, spoken words, like spilled water, cannot be taken back. Do you understand the meaning of irreversibility? Your words today are not just spilling water, but slinging mud at Master Cang Ming’s reputation. It’s not too late to hold your tongue now. Don’t speak nonsense and lead astray both yourself and others."
Had someone else said this, it might have carried some weight, but the speaker was none other than Divine Finger, Elder Beichen.
Yang Xiaoyun knew long ago that this person had been disguised by someone else.
She huffed coldly, "Evil demon, let’s see how long you can continue your charade. As long as no one drinks this tea today, let’s see what you can do. Master Cang Ming, let’s set aside the matter of the tea for now, and let me ask you this... are you truly Master Cang Ming?"
"The way the young lady talks is getting more and more baffling."
"Of course Master Cang Ming is Master Cang Ming, where could there be a fake?"
"Young lady, you’re not suggesting that Master Cang Ming has been impersonated by someone using a disguise, are you?"
As these words settled, they were met with a burst of laughter from the entire hall.
Yang Xiaoyun, however, paid no heed to them and spoke icily, "Youquan Sect, two parts, three flags, six orders, the Body Seizing Order specializes in disguises. It is said that even the closest of kin can sometimes fail to discern the true from the false. I wonder, dear seniors, have you heard of such a thing?"
Upon these words, the hall fell into silence.
Some couldn’t help but look towards Master Cang Ming, their eyes betraying a hint of vigilant suspicion.