Lu An didn't respond to the man but instead looked toward Lu Xuan with a questioning expression.
"This is Senior Brother Su Pei, the eldest disciple of Shenfu Pavilion," Lu Xuan quickly introduced, her tone respectful. Though Su Pei had been pursuing her, she had not accepted, yet she still held him in high regard.
Lu An's mind shifted—so this was the famous senior disciple from Shenfu Pavilion, and a member of the Su family from Yongning County. It was the Su family's advancement in the Talisman Hall that had caused Lu An to miss the assessment earlier. He harbored no ill will, understanding it was his lack of status and strength that had led to the situation.
"An honor to meet you," Lu An said, cupping his hands. He had no desire to engage in conversation with Su Pei, who would soon be his competitor. Offering a polite greeting, he proceeded to walk into the mansion.
But Su Pei had no intention of letting Lu An go easily. Knowing he lacked confidence in beating Lu An directly, he sought to create some trouble now to gain an advantage in their upcoming contest. As Lu An and his companions walked away, Su Pei's gaze landed on a slender figure.
Judging by her attire, this must be Lu An's maidservant. Perfect—he would use her to rattle Lu An's composure.
Su Pei stepped forward, reached out, and pulled Xiaoqian toward him, drawing her into his arms. But when he saw the burn scars on her face, he recoiled in horror. "Ugh, where did this ugly woman come from?"
A barely perceptible glint of coldness flashed in Xiaoqian's eyes. As she fell into Su Pei's arms, her hand lightly brushed his chest, delivering a subtle burst of energy into his body, unnoticed by anyone present.
Seeing Su Pei's outburst, Lu An's expression darkened. He reached for two talismans, preparing to act. Though Su Pei's cultivation was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, significantly higher than his own, Lu An wasn't afraid. After all, he had sparred with Ying Chang daily, and if things got tough, Ying Chang and his wife would surely back him up. Su Pei was no real threat.
Lu Xuan was equally shocked. The dignified image she had of Su Pei, the senior disciple of Shenfu Pavilion, had just crumbled before her eyes. She couldn't understand why Su Pei would provoke someone's maidservant like this.
Su Pei, equally puzzled, had only wanted to stir up trouble for Lu An. But the maid's hideous appearance had startled him so much that his plan had backfired.
At that moment, a young man emerged from the courtyard, stepping between the two sides to diffuse the tension.
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! You are all guests here; let's not make a scene and let outsiders laugh at us," he said, separating the two groups. "Today is the day our Li family confirms the Young Master. I ask for your respect. Any grudges can be settled later; I won't stop you then."
Seeing the Li family representative intervene, Lu An frowned.
Li Ziyou stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "That's my older brother, Li Zimu, who's competing with me for the position of Young Master. Brother Lu, it's best not to cause trouble today, let's let it go for now."
Lu An nodded, flicked his sleeve, and entered the mansion. The Ying couple followed him, along with Xiao Qian, who turned back to glance at Su Pei, giving him a meaningful smile. Su Pei's face darkened, but he quickly relaxed.
"Very well, since this scheme didn't work, I'll just defeat you honorably in the competition," he muttered to himself.
Soon, everyone took their seats in the viewing area. Li Zimu's supporters naturally sat on the left, while Lu An and his group sat on the right. Even though the competition hadn't started yet, the two factions were already visibly divided.
As time passed, more guests arrived. Most went to greet Li Zimu and took seats on his side, including several elders and stewards of the Li family.
"Congratulations, young friend! You're so young and already in line to be Young Master—your future is limitless!" one guest praised.
Li Zimu humbly returned the gesture, but his excitement was hard to hide. "Thank you, but the competition hasn't started yet. The outcome is still uncertain."
Despite his words, his expression showed confidence, as if victory was already his.
In contrast, Li Ziyou's side had only a few people—his close supporters, mostly brothers in arms—yet their faces looked gloomy. The disparity in connections between the two sides was too great. Even if Li Ziyou won the competition on the Four Arts of Immortal Cultivation, the final voting stage was unlikely to be in his favor.
The Li family patriarch observed the growing number of guests with satisfaction. Suddenly, his gaze fell on Lu An's group, where two unfamiliar cultivators stood out.
"Who are those two Foundation Establishment cultivators? Does anyone know them?" he asked the other elders.
No one responded; they had never seen the two before.
The patriarch was shocked. There were only a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators in Guyang County, and now two unfamiliar ones had appeared. Could they belong to a force as powerful as the Li family?
The Ying couple noticed the patriarch's gaze and nodded toward him. The patriarch quickly returned the gesture, but his mind was full of questions.
"Could they have come to support Ziyou?" he wondered. Though he had always looked down on Li Ziyou for his habit of associating with less reputable individuals, this unexpected visit by two Foundation Establishment cultivators made him reconsider.
While he pondered, a voice announced loudly, "The Great Elder of the Divine Talisman Pavilion has arrived!"
At this, the crowd fell silent—finally, a true figure of authority had arrived.
The Li family patriarch immediately stood and hurried to greet the elder. "It's an honor to have the Great Elder here; our Li family is deeply honored."
The Great Elder smiled faintly, scanning the room until his eyes landed on Li Zimu and Su Pei. "I can tell that the eldest young master of the Li family is truly exceptional—undoubtedly the right choice for the position of Young Master."
He offered his praise, then moved toward Li Zimu's side after a polite farewell to the patriarch. The Li family patriarch's heart skipped a beat—if the Great Elder was backing Li Zimu, then Li Ziyou's chances were slim indeed.
Before he could sit down, another announcement echoed, "The Pavilion Master of the Divine Talisman Pavilion has arrived!"
Bai Yao entered with his hands behind his back, walking leisurely. "Congratulations to the Li family patriarch. Once the Young Master is chosen, your family will surely rise to greater heights."
"It is an honor to have the Pavilion Master here," the Li family patriarch responded, gesturing for Bai Yao to sit on the left, where he had already directed other influential figures.
In his mind, the Young Master position was practically settled, so it was only logical to allow these prominent guests to mingle with Li Zimu. However, Bai Yao's eyes swept over the room, landing on Lu An. With a wave of his hand, he said to the patriarch, "I'll sit wherever I please. Go about your business."
With that, Bai Yao approached Lu An and struck up a conversation. The Li family patriarch was startled—was the Pavilion Master supporting Li Ziyou? Then, a realization dawned on him: it was well-known that the Pavilion Master and Great Elder didn't see eye to eye. Since the Great Elder had sided with Li Zimu, it made sense that the Pavilion Master would choose the opposite side.
Seeing Bai Yao sit on the right, several others followed suit, creating a slow but steady increase in numbers on Li Ziyou's side, though they still lagged behind Li Zimu's supporters.
The patriarch, now even more perplexed, decided to wait for the next guest's arrival. Before long, another announcement was made: "Master Gu from Juyuan Pavilion has arrived!"
A figure descended from the sky, exuding a subtle but overwhelming pressure. Even a small portion of it made the crowd feel stifled.
The Li family patriarch gasped in shock. "A Core Formation cultivator!"