Early autumn in the 12th year of Jin dynasty.
It was a hot day, with dry wind blowing.
It was bustling as ever at the city gate of Qinlingjun City.
The Wu's Selection Contest had come to an end, but the city was swept with another wave of breaking news.
The White Blademaster Lu Shaoyou had personally went to the Governor Mansion to propose a marriage.
That was far bigger an event than the Wu's Selection Contest!
Lu Shaoyou was a Level Eight fighter, one of the strongest fighters among the young generation of Jin's martial arts world, as well as the youngest deacon in Mingyi School. He was a true-blue eligible bachelor.
And he was about to propose to Governor Ma's daughter.
Never mind the dirty deals behind this political marriage, his name alone was enough to draw the attention of the whole country.
The official road to Qinlingjun City was crowded with people and carriages as always. The only difference was that the pedestrians all seemed absent-minded. Since this morning after the city gate had opened, they would take a short walk, stop for a little while, and look behind them from time to time, as if they were expecting something to happen.
Under the afternoon sun, rattling noises came from afar along the official route. A line of carriages was seen at the end of the road, moving forward slowly. Having seen this, the pedestrians stopped and stepped aside consciously. They held their heads up to look at the entourage with looks of admiration, curiosity, and envy…
It seemed as if all the emotions in the world were expressed in the eyes of these onlookers, be it positive, neutral, or negative.
"Crap! Why didn't I take a cold wash yesterday? Why didn't I'm sick and unable to get up this morning? Why am I stupid enough to want to watch the White Blademaster Lu Shaoyou go to the Governor's Mansion to propose? Why didn't I just break my leg yesterday?!"
Wang Fu was on duty today as the leader of the guards at the city gate. It made him excited and happy until this moment. It was an open secret that the White Blademaster Lu Shaoyou was about to propose personally at the Governor Mansion. Not only could he see the legendary hero in the flesh while on duty, but more importantly, he could get some handsome tips. Though he was just a guard, he was a staff at the Governor Mansion after all. With Mingyi School being as rich as it was, the White Blademaster would not pass by without tipping the guard, would he?
What was more, this would be another good tale to tell for some time while drinking with his buddies.
Not everyone was as lucky as he was. If not for his powerful backer, he would not have the opportunity to be on duty today and guard the city gate.
But he now stood at the city gate, trembling as he held a spear. He felt so cold inside that he wanted to cry.
On the straight road, a figure dressed in cyan robe was shaking a small fan in his hand as he strolled towards the city gate. Unlike the entourage led by the White Blademaster, he was walking out of the city.
It was okay if he wanted to get out of the city. Wang Fu was not going to stop him. But why the hell did he have to stand in front of the city gate?
Yeah, why was he doing that?
That very question confused not only Wang Fu, but everyone gathered at the city gate.
A man in a cyan robe with a small fan, wearing a hair bun fastened with a white jade hairpin.
He stood still in the middle of the road in front of the city gate.
Nonetheless, there was still enough room for pedestrians and even carriages, except the fact that they all had to take a little detour around him to pass.
Everyone else would choose the detour, but Wang Fu knew Lu Shaoyou and his carriages would never do so.
Neither the White Blademaster Lu Shaoyou nor Mingyi School would allow such a thing happen on such a special day. Never mind the fact that Lu Shaoyou and his entourage seeking a marriage alliance had taken up the entire route, making it impossible for anyone to stand in the middle of the road to the city gate.
"Who is it?! How dare he!"
The sight of cyan-robed man leisurely standing in the middle of the road drew everyone's immediate attention.
This man had the balls! That was the first thought that came to their heads, but of course, they were just nobodies. The ones who actually knew something got excited at this point.
Yes, how could they not be excited?
At that moment, many martial arts masters were gathered at Qinlingjun City. Most of them had made the trip here to witness this unprecedented proposal.
Some of them came with ulterior motives, but most of them were from nearby areas who came just to satisfy their curiosity and need for gossip.
Gossip was never lacking in Jianghu and naturally, there were no lacking of those who loved them.
They may not be masters of martial arts, but they were definitely masters of gossip.
On their way here, they were still thinking about the reaction of Tian Long Mystic Mountain. To their surprise, the marriage-seeking entourage has not even made it inside the city.
The countermeasure by Tian Long Mystic Mountain had arrived.
It was Wang She!
The man standing in front of the city gate was Wang She himself!
Few of the gossips had ever seen Chief Wang in the flesh.
Nevertheless, there were tons of rumors about him.
Cyan robe with a small fan; hair bun with a white jade hairpin!
That was the outfit that Wang She made popular in the Jianghu.
Of course, the man's outfit could easily be a replica. When Wang She made his name several years ago, cyan robes, small fans, and white jade hairpins were almost sold out in the Jianghu, lining the pockets of some shrewd merchants.
Even today, a few young fighters in the Jianghu still wore such outfits.
Given the circumstances, having the balls to stand with ease in the middle of the official road of Qinlingjun City, he must be Wang She.
Who else could it be?
"Good, Tian Long Taoism is being explicit this time. They must be really pissed about Mingyi School attempting to intervene in the Yunzhou business. Usually, they would make the deal in private, but now, they brought their confrontation in the public. How strange!"
"This move by Tian Long Mystic Mountain isn't too wise!"
Some old birds among the Jianghu thought to themselves.
Indeed, many would agree that it was not wise for Tian Long Taoism to do so.
Today was the day Lu Shaoyou would make his proposal. He could not afford any mistakes. If anything went wrong, he would be losing a lot of face.
In this world, what was the greatest reason for enmity?
Killing one's father.
And what hatred went the deepest?
Taking one's wife!
Should Wang She succeed in his interception, then…
Lu Shaoyou's fame in the Jianghu, gained over the past 10 years, would all be gone.
As for Tian Long Mystic Mountain, it was a different story. Why should they care whether Lu Shaoyou succeed or not?
It was simply because the girl being proposed to was the Governor's daughter, who in a sense was under the protection of Tian Long Mystic Mountain. That was why it appeared to be a sensitive subject.
However, sensitive subject was one thing.
When the news broke, Mingyi School was forced into a disadvantaged position, for there was no where for them to retreat. On the other hand, people would believe the two parties had reached an agreement in private, even if Tian Long Mystic Mountain made no outward response. That was why Tian Long Mystic Mountain had not intervened.
But now Wang She had made a high-profile appearance at the city gate of Qinlingjun City. What did it mean?
The message was that Tian Long Mystic Mountain had made a stand against Mingyi School, a completely antagonistic stance.
That was to say, the temporary truce between them was over.
The winner would either be Lu Shaoyou or Wang She. There was no third option.
They were put in a tight corner.
Wang She stood at the entrance to the city and looked at the entourage of carriages coming at him. He smiled as he waved his fan, relaxed as he completely disregarded the astonishment, eagerness, or indifference in the crowd's eyes.
I haven't felt this way for a long time. When was the last time? The night 26 years ago? Or earlier?
A smile lingered on his face yet his eyes narrowed, as if he was irritated by some unpleasant memories.
"Captain!"
A man near Wang Fu sneaked up to him and pointed at Wang She. "Captain, look! Maybe we should check it out. It's a big day. What if…"
Wang Fu smacked the guard on the face so hard that his butt kissed the ground. He said in a ferocious voice, "Do you have a death wish? Be good and stay here!"
He did not have the chance to continue yelling, as the entourage of Mingyi School had arrived at the city gate.
The horses' hoofs clattered, but the chaos faded before long.
The carriages of Mingyi School stopped.
They stopped 10 meters away from the city gate.
They were headed by three people: "Moral Fighter" Ji Zhongtang, the White Blademaster Lu Shaoyou, and Mrs Zhen.
Ji Zhongtang and Mrs Zhen had been to Qinlingjun City, so they were no strangers to the onlookers. What caught everyone's eye was the white-robed young man riding a horse in between them.
Wang She was handsome, yet his pretty face had a kind of feminine charm. Unlike him, the young man in white had bright black eyes, long eyebrows, and a prominent nose. His smile was heartwarming, but solemn.
"Oh, I was wondering who is it to come to Qinlingjun City with a large entourage early in the morning. It's you, our blessed boy! Hahaha!"
Wang She mocked him, clearly without the intention to be polite.
"Who are you? Why are you standing in our way?"
Without giving Lu Shaoyou the chance to say anything, Ji Zhongtang slashed his horse and came close to Wang She. He stared down Wang She's face, as if he wanted to kill the young man with his eyes.
"Master Ji, why bother faking your ignorance? How could you not know who am I? What a joke!" Wang She folded his fan and sneered. "You Mingyi School people are all f*cking hypocrites."
"You!"
Ji Zhongtang was on the edge of losing his temper, but he held it. "Oh, there are more thieves than I can count in this world. How could I recognize them all? Hurry up and get out of our way, or I'll make you regret it!"
"All roads lead to Rome. The official road is broad enough for you to come through. Why should it have anything to do with me?" Wang She opened his folding fan again, making a big noise as he waved it. "You Mingyi School people are so bossy!"
"Yeah, we are bossy. But that's better than you betraying your promise!" Ji Zhongtang said in a plain voice, sitting straight as he looked down from his high horse, sarcasm in his eyes.
"You're saying that you had bribed the old guys on the mountains in return for no trouble from them today?" Wang She laughed and stopped waving his fan. "But, you see. I'm not looking for trouble, neither will I stop you. You all can enter the city as you want!"
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