Downstairs.
A group of people carrying gifts had gathered together.
Standing in the middle was a middle-aged man in a white shirt with an official air about him. He was speaking animatedly to the people surrounding him:
"Ha, you have no idea—the National Martial Arts Examination Champion this year is from our Xujiang City!"
"When the city leaders heard the news last night, they nearly fainted several times."
"I was the one who went over to deliver the medicine."
The man in the white shirt smoked as he spoke, his expression brimming with pride.
The other relatives looked envious as they listened, all of them sighing in admiration:
"Tsk, who would've thought our little Xujiang City would produce the National Martial Arts Examination Champion? Amazing!"
"I wonder where the champion lives. Otherwise, we could go over and get acquainted."
"Give it a rest. At our current level, we can't even get close to the mayor, let alone the Martial Arts Examination Champion. To have any contact, you'd need to be at Third Brother's level."
Several of the Fat Woman's relatives discussed the matter while occasionally flattering the man in the white shirt.
The man in the white shirt basked in the relatives' adulation, feeling as though he were standing on the clouds, though he still wore a modest smile.
"Let's not discuss the National Martial Arts Champion for now. He's too far removed from us. This time, Cousin-in-law's son got into a martial arts university, so let's celebrate her first."
The cousin-in-law mentioned by the man in the white shirt was the Fat Woman.
While they were talking, the Fat Woman came downstairs as well.
When she saw the gifts in the relatives' hands, her smile spread from ear to ear.
"Oh, you've already come. Why did you bring gifts?"
She hurried over and exchanged pleasantries with them for a while before preparing to head to the reserved restaurant.
But just then—
Bang!
An explosive boom like a thunderclap erupted from the sky.
The Fat Woman jolted in fright and hurriedly looked up.
The man in the white shirt and the other relatives instinctively looked toward the direction of the muffled thunder.
But before they could even fully raise their heads—
Another boom exploded.
Bang, bang!
Then came the third!
The fourth and fifth!
A succession of nine deafening booms startled awake the people across more than half of the old city district.
Everyone looked toward the sky, pointing toward the direction of the ceremonial cannons and discussing it animatedly.
"What's going on? Who's firing ceremonial cannons in broad daylight?"
"Is someone celebrating their martial arts exam results? But I remember that Xujiang City seems to have banned fireworks, right? Not to mention cannons powerful enough to shake half the sky."
The man in the white shirt furrowed his brows slightly.
He worked for the Public Security Bureau and was specifically in charge of regulating the use of fireworks and cannons.
Xujiang City had issued an order prohibiting everyone from firing ceremonial cannons.
Not to mention nine in a row. Even when the mayor's son got into a martial arts university last year, they hadn't gone this far.
What was going on?
Moreover, judging from the sound, these clearly weren't ordinary ceremonial cannons.
He had never heard ceremonial cannons like these before.
And there had been nine in succession.
Wait!
Nine!?
As the man in the white shirt frowned, he suddenly thought of something, and his eyes widened.
He abruptly turned around, grabbed the Fat Woman, and said hurriedly:
"Cousin-in-law, you said that your son is the only person around here who got into a martial arts university. Is that really true!?"
"Huh? Yeah! What's wrong?"
The Fat Woman hadn't yet come to her senses and answered instinctively. The surrounding relatives also turned to look.
"No! No! Your son isn't the only person here who got into a martial arts university!"
"There's someone else! These ceremonial cannons were fired for him. I know what they mean now!"
The man in the white shirt was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. He muttered to himself in agitation.
He didn't respond to the confused looks from the Fat Woman and the other relatives. Instead, he excitedly turned his gaze toward the road in front of the residential compound, his face filled with anticipation.
The Fat Woman and the other relatives instinctively followed his gaze and looked toward the corner.
There.
The road that had been empty moments ago.
Suddenly, an extended Hongqi L0 sedan appeared around the corner and slowly drove toward them.
Then came a second, a third...
A total of nine extended Hongqi L0 sedans followed one another in a long line, slowly trailing behind the lead car.
The surfaces of all nine cars had been polished until they were spotless, reflecting a blue sheen under the sunlight.
The national flag of Great Xia was planted at the front of every car.
Most eye-catching of all was the license plate of the lead car.
L00001.
"L00001... L00001! That license plate belongs to the Su Province Governor's official vehicle!"
"Gasp! The Su Province Governor, Cang Yulong, is here!?"
The moment the convoy appeared, the man in the white shirt's eyes went wide and fixed.
He had just remembered the meaning behind the nine ceremonial cannon blasts.
Nine Cannons Shake the Southern Sky!
Congratulations on Ascending the Dragon through the Martial Arts Exam!
This was a tribute to the National Martial Arts Examination Champion!
Now, with nine cannons appearing here, on top of the Governor arriving in person—
The meaning was obvious!
The National Martial Arts Examination Champion lived in this residential compound!?
Just then.
A driver in a black suit stepped out of the first car, walked to the passenger side, and respectfully opened the door.
Then Cang Yulong stepped out of the car. He wore a black combat uniform, stood over two meters tall, and carried an imposing presence. The muscles covering his body were exaggerated to the point of seeming unreal.
After he got out, people began stepping out of the other cars as well.
The Fat Woman didn't know who the first person was.
But she often saw the people who got out of the second and third cars on television.
They were the president of the Xujiang City Martial Arts Association and the mayor!
At that moment, the president of the Xujiang City Martial Arts Association and the mayor wore respectful expressions and followed closely behind Cang Yulong.
"Hello. Does Li Ziyu live here?"
Cang Yulong walked up to the Fat Woman and asked with a faint smile.
Though his smile was amiable, the domineering aura of a man in a position of power and the formidable blood-and-qi force of a martial artist still made the Fat Woman's legs tremble uncontrollably.
The Fat Woman had almost lost the ability to think. Only after swallowing nervously did she answer instinctively:
"H-he's... on the third floor."
Cang Yulong nodded, then led the group up the stairs toward the third floor.
Only after the group had gone upstairs did the Fat Woman come back to her senses and process what the Governor had just said. What had the Governor just said?
Li... Li Ziyu?
They had come looking for Li Ziyu?
Wasn't Li Ziyu an orphan who didn't even possess a martial artist's qualifications?
How could such a heaven-shaking figure have come looking for him?
An ominous feeling rose in the Fat Woman's heart.
"Gasp! Cousin-in-law, I remember now!
The Li Ziyu that Governor Cang Yulong mentioned just now is the candidate from Xujiang City this year—the genius who became the National Martial Arts Examination Champion!"
"The third floor... isn't that the apartment opposite your home?"
"Cousin-in-law, I never thought you'd be neighbors with the National Martial Arts Champion. You're going to soar to great heights now!"
"Don't forget your cousin when that happens!"
After everyone had left, the man in the white shirt finally dared to breathe.
His expression turned intensely excited as he looked at the Fat Woman beside him and said:
To be neighbors with the National Martial Arts Examination Champion—his cousin-in-law's luck was truly incredible!
She was going to take off straight into the clouds.
Listening to the man in the white shirt, the Fat Woman suddenly recalled everything that had happened in the past.
She suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Her vision went black, and she pitched forward, collapsing headfirst onto the ground.
"Huh? Cousin-in-law, why did you faint too?"
"Understandable. Anyone would be overwhelmed with excitement in a situation like this."
Before you continue