Tianxiang Tower stood at the very center of Qingshan Town's main street. The magnificent building rose three stories high. They say a wealthy family from Qingshan Town had joined forces with a faction from Anyuan County Town to build it.
As the biggest restaurant in Qingshan Town, Tianxiang Tower was naturally bustling, with a constant flow of people. Its patrons were either wealthy or members of the town's prominent families, along with Martial Artists—many of them disciples of Guande Martial Arts School.
There were also Martial Artists from other places who came to dine at Tianxiang Tower.
"Su Mo, Tianxiang Tower is enormous! And so grand!"
Senior Brother Yue Haofeng had brought Su Mo and the others into Tianxiang Tower and reserved a private room on the second floor. Su Mo was more or less unbothered, but beside him, Xie Baolin was stunned by the restaurant's imposing grandeur.
Especially when Xie Baolin saw those rich men in finery enter the restaurant with all sorts of alluring, graceful women in their arms, he was left staring for a long time.
The lives of the wealthy had struck this herdboy from a remote mountain village completely unprepared.
Xie Baolin was transfixed.
Back when he herded cattle in the mountain village, he hadn't thought there was anything wrong with it. But seeing how the wealthy lived, he suddenly felt that herding cattle was no good after all...
Su Mo and Senior Brother Yue Haofeng saw Xie Baolin staring blankly and assumed he wasn't used to the place. Then Senior Brother Yue Haofeng began ordering food.
Soon, the table was laden with dishes. Su Mo's mouth watered at the delicacies before him. Though he was used to eating the meat of wild beasts and Fierce Beasts, he couldn't help feeling his appetite stir—he'd never seen many of these dishes before.
If even Su Mo was impressed, Xie Baolin had never even heard of any of the dishes, let alone seen them.
"You two junior brothers, what are you waiting for? The food's here. Dig in!"
Senior Brother Yue Haofeng spoke cheerfully, urging them to get their chopsticks moving. He even had the restaurant bring over a pot of fine wine.
"Come on, junior brothers. Meat calls for wine!"
Senior Brother Yue Haofeng opened the pot of fine wine and filled the cups of his two junior brothers, Su Mo and Xie Baolin. Su Mo rarely drank, and Xie Baolin had never had a drop.
"Thank you for treating us, Senior Brother. Cheers!"
Still, all three filled their cups and drank heartily. Before long, Xie Baolin was tipsy. Su Mo rarely drank too, but he held his liquor well and didn't get drunk.
As for Senior Brother Yue Haofeng, Su Mo had thought he could handle his drink. But after just a few cups, the wine began to go to his head, and he swayed on his feet.
After Senior Brother Yue Haofeng settled the bill, Su Mo helped him and Xie Baolin as they slowly made their way out of Tianxiang Tower.
"Young Master Fang, take care! Come again soon!"
Just as Su Mo and the others left Tianxiang Tower, a group of young men emerged as well. Their leader was a man of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in fine clothes. At a glance, he was clearly the son of a wealthy family with powerful connections.
"Young Master Fang, I didn't expect to run into you here. Please, go ahead."
Su Mo and the others had been walking in front, but when they saw the group of young men—especially the one at their head, called Young Master Fang—Senior Brother Yue Haofeng seemed to sober up in an instant. He smiled and hurriedly pulled Su Mo and the others aside.
That way, Young Master Fang and his group could leave Tianxiang Tower first.
Only after they had gone did Su Mo and the others follow.
"Well, if it isn't Haofeng! Long time no see. I heard you joined the Guande Martial Arts School in town. Not bad. Your aptitude may be lacking, but at least you've got a place to practice martial arts."
The young man called Young Master Fang naturally noticed Yue Haofeng and his companions. At Yue Haofeng's deferential gesture, he gave a slight nod, apparently pleased that Yue Haofeng still knew how to behave.
Young Master Fang's name was Fang Xinwu. He was the son of a prominent family in Qingshan Town and was now a disciple of a powerful faction in Anyuan County Town.
That was why Yue Haofeng had immediately become so respectful when he saw Fang Xinwu.
Fang Xinwu's gaze swept over Su Mo and Xie Baolin behind Yue Haofeng. He gave a faint, mocking smile. Guande Martial Arts School really did accept just anyone.
In Fang Xinwu's view, the old man Yu Guande had opened the martial arts school only to make money, coming all the way from Anyuan County Town to their Qingshan Town.
Otherwise, someone Yue Haofeng's age—already twenty—wouldn't even qualify to practice martial arts in front of those major schools in Anyuan County Town.
"Of course I can't compare to you, Young Master Fang. I'll treat you to a meal sometime. These are my two junior brothers from the school."
Yue Haofeng replied, then tried to introduce Su Mo and Xie Baolin behind him.
"Forget it!"
But Fang Xinwu merely waved a hand and led the group of young men away. Clearly, he had no interest in even learning who Su Mo and the others were.
Nearly all those young men were sons of prominent families in Qingshan Town. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been qualified to move in Fang Xinwu's circle.
"Senior Brother, who was that?"
Xie Baolin asked, slurring slightly. Though drunk, he still had some of his wits about him. In particular, the group of young men had carried such a powerful presence that even tipsy Xie Baolin had sobered up.
Su Mo said nothing.
Yue Haofeng replied, "They're the future big shots of Qingshan Town. We can't afford to offend them. If you see them again, just keep your distance."
Though Yue Haofeng came from a decent family, it was nothing compared to Fang Xinwu and the others.
Aside from Fang Xinwu, Yue Haofeng had recognized several familiar faces in the group. They were all famous young talents in Qingshan Town, and all had joined major sects in Anyuan County Town.
That was why Fang Xinwu and his group hadn't once deigned to look properly at Yue Haofeng, Su Mo, or Xie Baolin.
In their eyes, Guande Martial Arts School in Qingshan Town was just a small school, not even as good as the most ordinary martial arts school in Anyuan County Town.
The masters of even the most ordinary martial arts schools in Anyuan County Town were Bone Refining Realm experts.
Many sects and Lineages were even full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, commanding terrifying experts at the Blood Changing Realm.
"Got it, Senior Brother!"
Xie Baolin nodded, but his gaze kept drifting toward Fang Xinwu and the others. So even Senior Brother Yue Haofeng, who had seemed immensely powerful to him, could only act cautiously and hold his tongue in front of these people.
Xie Baolin had been deeply shaken today.
Su Mo, meanwhile, remained quiet.
He had met Shi Mingdong, a genius from the provincial capital, and even fought him. This Young Master Fang seemed impressive, but he still fell far short of Shi Mingdong. The only difference was that he was older than Shi Mingdong and seemed to have a higher cultivation level. He had probably broken through to the Meridian Opening Realm.
Shi Mingdong was only fifteen, after all, while Young Master Fang was at least eighteen or nineteen.
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