Jiang Qihu

After night fell over Carp Tide City, gongs and drums thundered through the streets and alleys. Lion dances chased embroidered balls, lanterns and streamers adorned every corner, and zithers and pipes played in harmony.

At the city's bustling heart stood a towering hexagonal pavilion, sharp as a sword. A lantern hung from every upturned eave, swaying in the wind and spilling crimson radiance into the night.

This was Tide Watching Pavilion, Carp Tide City's most renowned tavern. It held the Great Chu Dynasty royal monopoly on brewing and selling liquor; that Carp Tide City remained so prosperous after dark was seven parts due to Tide Watching Pavilion.

This sword-like pavilion was jokingly called a gold-devouring Demon Cave that only fools would visit. Though Azure Prefecture lay in the north, somewhat remote and impoverished, every inch of Tide Watching Pavilion was worth its weight in gold. A cup of wine or tea sold for ten or even a hundred times the price outside... yet those wealthy young masters with bulging purses kept coming, lingering until they forgot to leave.

Because in this tavern, so long as one had silver, one could buy anything one wanted.

Naturally, the prerequisite was that it complied with Great Chu law.

To accomplish such a thing,

the master behind Tide Watching Pavilion was clearly extraordinarily influential.

Tide Watching Pavilion had been cleared out in advance tonight. Though the entire building remained splendidly decorated, it seemed unusually empty, while soft zither music curled around the rafters and lingered without fading.

The attendants and maidservants all stood respectfully outside. Those arrogant young masters who usually strutted about as though they had power and influence had been politely ushered out. The anger and indignation on their faces turned at once into reverence and fear after they heard the name announced by the maidservants.

A name that made everyone keep three paces away.

Naturally, it was King Youhai.

This foreign-surnamed king of Azure Prefecture, also the master of Tide Watching Pavilion, had deliberately laid out a banquet tonight to entertain distinguished guests.

It was a "grand occasion" not seen for many years.

A crowd had gathered outside Tide Watching Pavilion... everyone wanted to know just who the distinguished guests invited by King Youhai tonight would be.

Very soon,

a carriage escorted by Black Scale Guards emerged from the end of the street. Fierce tigers were embroidered upon the scabbards of every Black Scale Guard's saber.

The crowd quickly made way, and the somewhat lively atmosphere instantly turned cold and silent.

The maidservants lowered their heads as well.

A killing chill stained the entire long street.

A tall, powerfully built young man descended slowly from the carriage in ordinary clothes. He declined the maidservants' offers to support him or lift his sleeves. At his waist hung a standard-issue saber identical to those of the Black Scale Guards, except the tiger engraved upon his blade was exceptionally vivid, lifelike enough to seem ready to leap free.

An invisible pressure, steeped in killing intent, shrouded Tide Watching Pavilion.

Soft murmurs rose from the onlooking crowd.

"Jiang Qihu..."

"He actually returned from the imperial city?"

"Who would have thought King Youhai was entertaining this killing embryo tonight..."

These noisy whispers reached the tall, powerful man's ears.

Jiang Qihu's steps paused slightly.

He looked back over his shoulder, one hand pressing against his scabbard.

With a click,

those whispering among themselves immediately fell silent.

For a moment, only the leisurely zither music and the faint sound of wind intertwined and echoed through Tide Watching Pavilion.

Expressionless, Jiang Qihu withdrew his gaze and continued forward, entering Tide Watching Pavilion.

The maidservants filed in behind him and finally shut the gates. The pavilion's flowing brilliance vanished into the long night.

Tide Watching Pavilion was brilliantly lit tonight, yet profoundly quiet.

The top floor was even more so.

When Jiang Qihu reached the highest floor, the windows stood wide open and gauze curtains fluttered in the wind.

King Youhai had already dismissed everyone else. The night wind flowed like water, and the firelight drifted like fireflies. Several familiar figures could vaguely be seen seated at the banquet.

"Brother Qihu, you finally came."

King Youhai wore luxurious robes and lounged lazily in his seat. He had already drunk half a cup of wine. Raising his wine cup now, he smiled and indicated that Jiang Qihu should sit.

"..."

Jiang Qihu took his seat at an unhurried pace, removed his saber, and laid it crosswise before the table.

Then he raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.

Looking at King Youhai in the seat of honor, he said softly, "Forgive my lateness tonight, Your Highness... the Imperial City Bureau's affairs were burdensome and required handling one by one before I could rush to Azure Prefecture."

"What are you saying?"

King Youhai gave an exclamation and waved his hand with great magnanimity, showing that he did not mind the tardiness.

With bleary, drunken eyes, he raised his cup again and asked with a smile, "Brother Qihu, how has the Little National Preceptor been lately?"

"Thank you for Your Highness's concern."

Jiang Qihu drank his second cup, lowered his eyes, and said slowly, "My teacher remains as he always has been. His Chronic Ailment is difficult to cure, and his old injuries often flare up... but in the end, there is no serious illness."

"Truly, heaven envies talent."

King Youhai shook his head, his tone full of concern. "Heaven's mandate is fixed, and those who peer into it suffer harm. Lord Chen is a pillar of Great Chu. Operating the Primal Chaos Monitor consumes an immense amount of his focus; there must not be the slightest mishap... in a few days, I shall have someone send more medicine over."

"In that case..."

Jiang Qihu filled his third cup and raised it above his head with both hands. "On my teacher's behalf, I thank Your Highness."

King Youhai took a small sip, then smiled and let the matter pass.

After draining three cups, Jiang Qihu's gaze sharpened.

He swept his eyes around the room.

Aside from King Youhai, there were two others, both women.

One sat behind a screen, her pale hands plucking a zither. Her graceful figure could vaguely be seen.

The other wore a bamboo hat and a snow-white veil over her face. She sat alone opposite him, her back against Tide Watching Pavilion's window lattice, her snow-white robes fluttering in the wind.

"Your Highness... I know this lady is Ye Qinglian, the Young Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley."

Jiang Qihu's gaze swept over the woman in the bamboo hat before he looked toward the zither player behind the screen. "And this lady is?"

At tonight's banquet in Tide Watching Pavilion,

those who could take a seat were surely of noble status.

"Chu Man."

King Youhai smiled slightly and spoke softly. "Brother Qihu, she is an excellent seedling. Like you... she is fated to take over the entire Chu Family in the future."

The woman behind the screen stopped plucking the strings.

She lifted the tea cup beside her zither and raised it slightly toward Jiang Qihu from afar, using tea in place of wine to offer her greetings.

"By Your Highness's reasoning, then calling her a young master would not be excessive."

Jiang Qihu frowned. "It is only that the name 'Chu Man' is unfamiliar to me."

"You have been away from Azure Prefecture for too long. It is normal that you have not heard of her."

King Youhai sighed softly, then smiled. "Miss Chu Man is no simple person. She has cultivated for barely ten years, yet has already entered the Grotto-Heaven realm. At this rate, before long she will enter the Yin Spirit realm. As for cultivation speed... no one from the Chu Family over the past sixty years can compare with her. Even looking across Great Chu today, I fear there are few who can rival her, no?"

"Her talent is indeed impressive."

Jiang Qihu took a sip of wine and gave a perfunctory reply, his gaze falling beyond the screen. "But the Chu Family is vast and prosperous, with talented people emerging in endless succession. Miss Chu Man is still young. Carrying the burden of the family head will be far from easy."

The Little National Preceptor had told him

that the relationship between the Chu Family and King Youhai was exceedingly delicate.

Over these years, the Chu Family had been able to gain a foothold in Azure Prefecture by relying on Chu Lin and the power of the Great Chu royal family behind him.

Thus, the position of family head would naturally be decided by Chu Lin himself.

If he said Chu Man could do it, then Chu Man could do it.

In truth, Jiang Qihu did not care in the slightest who would inherit the Chu Family headship.

Yet this woman had piqued his interest.

Ten years of cultivation, and she had advanced into Grotto-Heaven?

If King Youhai had not exaggerated, then this was indeed an extraordinarily high cultivation talent... among Great Chu's younger generation today, the only person in his memory who could surpass Chu Man

seemed to be just one.

That Prince Jiangning, Xie Sheng, known as the "True Dragon Reincarnated"!

"The Chu Family... is far inferior to the Jiang Clan."

King Youhai gave a half-smile as he sighed. "Old Master Jiang remains strong and healthy, and two extraordinary geniuses have emerged from his household. One is the deputy head of the Imperial City Bureau, and the other a sword immortal of Jade Screen Peak. If we are discussing which force possesses the deepest foundations in Azure Prefecture, I would say... none but the Jiang Clan."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat strange.

Jiang Qihu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Here it came.

The Little National Preceptor had told him

that tonight's banquet was not so simple.