The visitor was Nie Teng, the son of Nie Beihu.
This heroic young man had crossed paths with Su Yi at the Ju Xian Tower before.
Although he had some of the bad habits of a young man, his passion remained, and he knew the importance of repaying kindness.
Just based on this, he had gained Su Yi's recognition.
"Su Ge, my father sent me to deliver the invitation."
Entering the courtyard, Nie Teng solemnly saluted, holding a gilded invitation in his hands.
"This invitation was specially prepared by Lord Fu Shan for you, hoping that you can attend the Dragon Gate Banquet as an honored guest."
Su Yi couldn't help but feel a little surprised. After pondering for a moment, he accepted the invitation and said, "I'll accept the invitation, but whether I can attend or not will depend on whether I have the leisure at that time."
Nie Teng seemed relieved and said, "Su Ge, there's something else. Last night, the City Lord's Mansion, together with the Wen family's forces, took action to search for clues about the ghostly corpse worms throughout the city."
"Two places where the ghostly corpse worms were bred have already been found and completely eradicated."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Within three days, they should be able to investigate all the suspicious places in the city. My father asked me to tell you not to worry too much about this matter. As soon as there's news, he will come to report to you."
Su Yi was stunned as he looked at the respectful, polite, and restrained young man in front of him, and suddenly smiled, "Your father is considerate indeed. Alright, if there's nothing else, hurry back and report to your father."
Nie Teng hesitated, seeming to find it difficult to speak.
After a while, he mustered up the courage and said in a low voice, "Su Ge, my father also said that he wants me to seek advice from you and learn from you in the future. He hopes... that you can... overlook my past impolite behavior at the Ju Xian Tower."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"Poor parents in the world."
Su Yi couldn't help but sigh.
However, when he thought of his father, Su Hongli, in this lifetime, he couldn't forget the anger and hatred that had taken root in his heart.
"This obsession runs too deep, deeply rooted in my heart. It must be severed in the future, otherwise, there will be regrets in my state of mind, and it may lead to great changes."
Su Yi shook his head, dispelling distracting thoughts, and casually said, "What do you think about your father's arrangements? What's your opinion?"
Nie Beihu had indeed helped him a lot, even though it was Nie Beihu who took the initiative to approach him. But Su Yi couldn't help but feel grateful.
Moreover, if it hadn't been for Nie Beihu's cooperation yesterday, it wouldn't have been so easy to resolve the matter of Wen Jieyuan's murder.
Therefore, Su Yi was somewhat interested in testing Nie Teng's response to see if he was worth his "attention."
"I..."
Nie Tong remained silent, struggling with inner conflict.
After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want to follow my father's arrangement. I'm still young and I don't want to rely on others' power to cultivate. Even if the road ahead is rough and I have to endure hardships, I want to venture out on my own!"
His words were resolute, and his demeanor determined.
Then, he took a deep breath, his eyes bright and firm, filled with anticipation. "At least, I will follow my own heart. Even if I achieve nothing remarkable in the future, I will never regret it."
A glimmer of admiration flashed in Su Yi's eyes.
A young man should have such lofty aspirations!
Older generations might scoff at it, but they had long lost the fervor and determination that sprang from the depths of their hearts.
"The beauty is still young, and the hero is youthful. How many great heroes and giants in history were not formidable in their youth?" Su Yi sighed lightly, his gaze somewhat distant.
Seeing the spirited appearance of Nie Tong, he was reminded of his own youth in his previous life.
Back then, he wore a robe of righteousness, traveled far and wide with his sword, leaned on a bridge while riding a horse, and raised his cup to the beauty of the world.
Nie Tong was bewildered, feeling a sense of confusion.
The Su Yi before him was not much older than himself, so why did he appear so melancholic and nostalgic?
"Go back and tell your father that I admire your decision."
"For the next ten years, as long as I am in the Great Zhou Dynasty, if you encounter any problems that you can't solve, feel free to come and find me. I will lend you a hand three times."
Su Yi finished speaking, placed his hands behind his back, and turned towards his room.
In his heart, he murmured to himself, "Sparrows and hawks, regardless of rank, a cup of wine for both the commoner and the noble. You are the great roc in the clouds, but I regret that the sky is too low for you to soar."
"Today, I am a youth and I should possess the spirit of 'the sea ends where the sky meets, and I stand at the peak of the mountain.'"
Nie Tong stared blankly at Su Yi's figure as he walked into the room. After a while, he suddenly waved his hand, excitedly turned around, and headed off.
Finally, he could go and report to his father.
...
In Li Family's grand reception hall in Guangling City...
"Zhou, with you presiding over the Longmen Banquet this time, it is bound to attract great attention. After all, as someone of your status, even Lord Fu Shan, the city lord, will have to show respect," complimented Clan Chief Li Tianhan with a smile.
On the other side of the seat, Zhou Huaiqiu waved his hand casually and replied calmly, "I just happened to be there and hope to take this opportunity to witness the talent of the young warriors from Guangling City and Luoyun City. As for the Longmen Banquet, it is still up to Lord Fu Shan to decide."
Dressed in a plain robe, Zhou Huaiqiu had graying hair and a slightly aged appearance. However, his eyes carried a sharpness that was intimidating and awe-inspiring.
"Hahaha, Zhou, you are too modest. You are the elder of the Qinghe Sword Mansion's inner sect and your 'Thirteen Azure Peaks Sword' is extraordinary. It has made quite a name in the Yunhe County," laughed Li Tianhan cheerfully. "Moreover, Zhou, you are still in your prime. There will be opportunities in the future to reach the realm of a grandmaster and achieve even greater breakthroughs."
He wasn't merely flattering Zhou Huaiqiu.
Among the twelve elders of the Qinghe Sword Mansion, Zhou Huaiqiu ranked fourth. His profound and exquisite swordsmanship had earned him the reputation of "Elder Qingfeng Sword" in Yunhe County.
"The realm of a grandmaster..." Zhou Huaiqiu's eyes seemed somewhat elusive as he sighed lightly. "This realm is as difficult as reaching the sky. I have been stuck at the pinnacle of the Qi Gathering realm for nineteen years. Now, I have only touched the threshold of the grandmaster realm. I don't even know how long it will take to break through..."
Just as they were speaking, Nie Hao, dressed in a golden robe and exuding a handsome aura, along with Nan Ying, who was graceful and gentle in a white dress, walked in side by side.
"Have you seen Su Yi? How is he doing now?" Zhou Huaiqiu asked.
"Inform Master Uncle, we have seen him," replied Nan Ying with a respectful expression, giving a graceful bow. Then she sighed softly, "Su Senior Brother lost his cultivation and married into the Wen family. His status is quite precarious, which is truly heart-wrenching."
"Ah..." Zhou Huaiqiu's expression became complex, and his eyes filled with sadness. "Su Yi, this child, originally had a remarkable comprehension of swordsmanship. When he became the head disciple of the outer sect, I was convinced that his achievements would not be inferior to Nie Hao, your senior brother."
"Who would have thought that fate would envy his talent, causing his martial path to come to an end like this!"
After saying that, Zhou Huaiqiu sighed and clenched his fist in regret.
"How could that waste compare to Senior Brother Nie Hao!"
Nan Ying muttered to herself, but quickly reassured, "Senior Uncle Zhou, those things are in the past, and you don't need to worry too much about Su Senior Brother. Although he has become an ordinary person now, his life is still decent."
Zhou Huaiqiu nodded and said, "That's also why I haven't visited him. I'm afraid it would bring him sadness and make him dwell on the loss of his cultivation from years ago, causing him to be unable to move on."
Suddenly, Nie Hao spoke up and looked at Li Tianhan, asking, "Uncle Li, is Moyun Junior Brother not at home?"
Li Tianhan's gaze flickered, and he smiled, "Unfortunately, Moyun left yesterday and returned to Yunhe County."
Nie Hao nodded and said, "That makes sense. Given Moyun Junior Brother's current status and cultivation, there's no need for him to participate in the martial arts exchanges of the Longmen Banquet."
Speaking of Li Moyun, Zhou Huaiqiu couldn't help but smile and praise, "Moyun is indeed exceptional. He has outstanding aptitude and talent in martial arts. In my opinion, within a year, he will be able to attempt breaking through to the Qi Gathering realm."
"Hahaha, Zhou, you flatter me!" Li Tianhan laughed happily.
"Senior Uncle, Senior Brother Nie Hao is also exceptional, but you rarely praise him. You're too biased," Nan Ying chimed in with a playful voice, defending Nie Hao, causing Zhou Huaiqiu to laugh.
"Nie Hao, my talented nephew, is undoubtedly outstanding among his peers. There's no doubt about that," Li Tianhan continued, "However, in my opinion, Su Yi's future situation might become very unfavorable."
Zhou Huaiqiu furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Li Tianhan's eyes flickered as he replied, "From what I know, Su Yi's wife, Wen Lingzhao, is about to become an inner disciple of the Grandmaster Zhu Guqing. In addition, Wen Lingzhao's beauty is unmatched, and she has attracted many admirers in the Kaiyuan Academy. Some influential young nobles have even declared that they will completely drive Su Yi away from Wen Lingzhao in the future."
Pausing for a moment, he sighed, "In such a situation, how can Su Yi's future be any good? In my opinion, not only the Wen family but also other people might treat Su Yi even more unfavorably. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of some unpleasant things happening."
Zhou Huaiqiu's pupils narrowed, and he fell into silence.
Although he sympathized and felt compassion for Su Yi's predicament, he was unable to offer any assistance in this situation.
This made him feel a slight sense of guilt, but that was all. He couldn't possibly stand against a disciple of a grandmaster, let alone get involved in the affairs of the Wen family.
"Firstly, it would be troublesome, and secondly, reaching too far would only attract trouble," Nie Hao calmly stated.
"Don't bring up this matter," Zhou Huaiqiu waved his hand, feeling somewhat annoyed.
Li Tianhan smiled faintly and secretly thought to himself, it seems that everyone has a premonition and realizes that after Wen Lingzhao becomes an inner disciple, Su Yi, this useless person, is bound to encounter trouble in the future.
That's enough!
Next, it depends on when Li Moyun will make his move!
From that day on, Zhou Huaiqiu, Nie Hao, and Nan Ying stayed at the Li family's residence, planning to leave after attending the Longmen Banquet.
The next morning, the head of the Wen family, Wen Changjing, Wen Changtai and his wife, along with Wen Lingsnow, set off from Guangling City to the Tianyuan Academy to visit Wen Lingzhao.
Throughout the journey, except for Wen Lingsnow who had mentioned the matter to Su Yi, everyone else simply ignored him as Wen Lingzhao's husband.
Su Yi himself didn't care about their attitudes.
On the outskirts of the city, by the bank of the Great Cang River, there was a grove of mulberry trees.
When Su Yi's tall figure bathed in the gentle morning light arrived, he unexpectedly saw two people waiting there today.