The City of Scorpio was ablaze with lights as the dusk gathered.
Along Black Street, people indulged in feasting and revelry. Warriors armed with weapons came and went as curbside vendors and peddlers hawked their wares.
Along Liu Alley, a dozen Liu clan members were distributing leaflets to every pedestrian on the streets.
"Good news, good news!"
"Tie the knot with Liu Meimei, the daughter of the head of the Liu clan, through a tournament! The final winner gets the beauty!"
"Wherever you are from, whatever clan you've pledged to, and however old you are, you stand a chance of wedding this beauty! You don't have to own a house nor a horse!"
"You will become the future son-in-law of the Liu family as long as you are the strongest! Come and join even if you are 70 years old!"
…
This created a commotion in Black Street.
People were shocked!
There's no restriction on age! They would even accept a 70-year-old grandpa!
The news excited all the strongest fighters in the streets.
Those who had admired Liu Meimei's beauty and grace for a long time almost fainted in joy.
"Why did they not set any restrictions on age? They should be well aware that this city is not short of old, shameful perverts!"
"Liu Meimei is the most gorgeous girl in Black Street!"
"Please, that's an insult to her beauty! She's the fifth prettiest girl in the entire City of Scorpio, and her body is flawless!"
"Has the Liu family lost their minds? Choosing their future son-in-law through a tournament?! Moreover, how can they accept any man of any age?!"
Meanwhile, a bunch of drunk old men was clapping their hands excitedly in a tavern.
"Ha! The Liu girl! I remember her. She's an extreme beauty. You won't meet another one any time soon! Hahaha, I'm so lucky to have her as my wife!"
"Forget it, Zhang. You are 80 years old! You can't do anything with her even if you have her. She'll be wasted on you. You should give her to me!"
"Li, all you have is that big mouth of yours. Back in my golden days, people called me 'the Handsome.' Even now that I'm 67 years old, I still have strong legs and a healthy waist. I have a good appetite too. I'm the one who deserves her the most!"
"Hahahaha…"
…
The old men laughed.
They were grizzled and dirty. Their teeth had turned yellow. Many of them had already lost all their hair. Despite their age, they were annoyingly loud and noisy. After they had a good laugh, the flies on the windows of the tavern struggled and fell to the floor.
The flies had died from a concussion.
Around them, many young men were angered by their arrogance and shamelessness. But none of them dared to express their displeasure.
In fact, those old men were very powerful indeed. Countless men had died under their swords. Decades of fighting experience had given them an intimidating vibe and a pair of bloodshot eyes.
"Haish! What's wrong with the Liu family? They'll be doomed if any of those old men ended up being their son-in-law!"
People in the tavern sighed and complained quietly.
Outside Black Street, a fighter in gray hurried into the gate of the Lord Governor's Mansion. After passing through many halls and checks, he came to a pavilion.
On the ninth floor of the pavilion, the young lord of the Mansion was playing the
The messenger took a bow outside the pavilion and passed a leaflet to the white guard stationed outside the door.
The guard went up and delivered the leaflet to his lord.
The young lord glanced over the paper. Then, with a curl of his finger, the string snapped.
"Ink!" the young lord commanded.
The guard brought him ink, an ink brush, and a scroll immediately.
After some thoughts, the young lord began to write. His handwriting was beautiful. However, as soon as he had finished writing, he tore the paper apart.
The white guard kept his head low obediently. Without hesitation, he passed another scroll to his lord.
But the young lord destroyed this letter again after he was done writing…
Finally, he snapped the ink brush. As he gazed in the direction of Black Street, a faint smile flashed across his frosty face. A tint of nostalgia welled up in the depths of his eyes…
He had met her half a year ago. In an attempt to get close to her, he had staged a show for her. On their way to the Than Hsiang Temple, he saved her from a "threat" planned by himself.
However, she saw through his trick and gave him a hard slap on his face.
Her eyes were as sharp as those of tigers, and her temper as hot as pepper. The way she had hurled accusations at him had reminded him, for the first time in years, of his late elder sister.
His sister had been gone for so many years!
In contrast, the girl he had just met was young and short-tempered.
She was not a noble lady from a distinguished family. She was simply the daughter of the head of a declining clan.
Unlike other women who wouldn't hesitate to throw themselves at him, this girl dared to hit the young lord of the Lord Governor's Mansion.
From then on, there had been a space in his heart reserved just for her. He had tried to suppress his feelings and even to forget her.
As the heir to an esteemed House, he had been deprived of the freedom of choosing his own bride. Hence, he knew that he would never be allowed to fall in love with a girl from a fading family clan.
A few days ago, he had maintained his composure when the Liu house was under attack. But today, he was no longer able to remain calm when he saw the leaflet about the tournament.
"Seriously? Choosing her husband this way?"
"She… Haish, forget it. I shall do it myself!"
Having said that, he leaped out of his window like an eagle and landed gently on the ground. Soon, his figure blended in with the thickening night after a few jumps.
The white guard picked up the paper balls from the floor and scurried towards the main hall of the Mansion.
In the candle-lit room of the main hall, the lord of the Mansion read his son's letters, his eyebrows knitted together…
"Go and check on this Liu family…"
"At once, my lord!"
…
In the ancestral temple of the Liu family, the candle flames flickered in the breeze.
Liu Fan was still lying in the coffin.
He kept looking at Liu Tao. His heart was filled with astonishment.
The Spell of Trickery and Deception was truly powerful. Liu Tao had totally turned into a sly old fox. No one could decipher the true intentions hidden under that smiling facade of his.
A few Elders had confronted him about the decision to marry his daughter to the winner of the tournament, but he had remained tight-mouthed. He only said that it was a secret that should not be spilled.
Liu Meimei had got down to her knees and begged him to change his mind. But instead of listening to his daughter, he slapped Liu Meimei and ordered his men to imprison and guard her well.
"The head of the clan has indeed made up his mind!"
The entire clan was shocked.
The five Elders had fallen silent too.
Liu Fan was dumbfounded. Even he couldn't decide what Liu Tao was actually up to.
"Is he really going to sacrifice his own daughter, just to make his clan powerful again?"
"Or is he trying to achieve something else…?"
Liu Fan couldn't understand. He felt that his wisdom had failed him in the face of a spellbound Liu Tao!
At this moment, Liu Tao and the five Elders first worshiped Liu Fan, and then opened his coffin.
"Come and touch our ancestor!" Liu Tao said with a sly grin on his face.
The First Elder was taken aback by his smile; the Second Elder had stopped biting his fingers; the Third Elder no longer dared to smell his ear wax; and the Fifth and Sixth Elders were nervous too.
"I'll go first!"
The First Elder Liu Dahai volunteered since no one else moved. He put his hand on Liu Fan.
After a while, he stepped backward. His face was beaming with joy.
After touching the ancestor, he had finally understood the full set of cultivation techniques of the Three Suns Body Tempering Method. With practice and perseverance, achieving the Fish Dive State could become a reality for him.