Preaching

The Medicine Slave followed behind Ye Tong, a blank look in his cloudy eyes. Although he hadn't seen the poem Ye Tong had written, he was inwardly astonished. In the ten years he'd been with Ye Tong, he'd never once seen him write poetry.

"I'm getting more and more confused," the Medicine Slave muttered to himself, shaking his head and glancing at the passing girls.

Rainbow Phoenix Hall.

This was the hall where Jin Qiusheng was hosting Ye Tong. Inside, a small bridge crossed a flowing stream, with rock gardens and pavilions, all bathed in colorful light. Being there felt like a dream.

At the moment, Jin Qiusheng and another burly man were clinking cups and talking enthusiastically. Four young and beautiful women were serving tea and pouring wine, smiling as they accompanied them.

"Knock, knock..."

The door was knocked, and Ye Tong entered the hall with the Medicine Slave. Upon seeing the burly man opposite Jin Qiusheng, Ye Tong's expression flickered slightly. He then stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Brother Jin, I'm not late, am I?"

Jin Qiusheng and the burly man both stood up. Jin Qiusheng smiled, "Not at all, not at all. The wonderful nightlife has just begun. Brother Ye Tong, let me introduce you. This is my good friend Dongfang Xia, the most wayward member of the Dongfang family in the County City."

"Second Brother Jin, are you trying to badmouth me in front of my younger brother?" Dongfang Xia said with a smile. "Brother Ye Tong, don't listen to Second Master Jin's nonsense. I'm just too lazy to deal with family matters and spend most of my time cultivating. Speaking of being wayward, he's the one who fits the description best."

Ye Tong cupped his fists and said, "Greetings, Brother Dongfang."

Dongfang Xia smiled, "Brother Ye Tong, you're too kind. Please, have a seat. Second Master Jin has told me a lot about you. Truly, a hero emerges from the youth!"

"Brother Dongfang is too generous," Ye Tong replied with a slight smile.

The Medicine Slave turned around and silently walked to a corner of the room, squatting down and closing his eyes as if dozing, holding the Dragon Head Cane.

Among men, especially in a place like this, women were naturally indispensable. Ye Tong spoke very little, mostly listening quietly as Jin Qiusheng and Dongfang Xia discussed which girls in Piaoxiang Tower were good and which were beautiful, occasionally mentioning beauties from the County City.

"Second Uncle, I'm here." His voice arrived before he did.

As a handsome young man entered the hall, everyone inside looked towards him. Upon seeing the newcomer, Ye Tong's face showed a hint of surprise. He realized that Jin Shixue, who had previously mocked him, was indeed a disciple of the Jin family in the County City. Judging by his address to Jin Qiusheng, he was the son of the Jin family patriarch.

Jin Qiusheng smiled, "Shixue, come here, let me introduce you to a young talent."

When Jin Shixue saw Ye Tong, his expression immediately showed surprise. He asked, "What are you doing here? Could it be that the young talent my Second Uncle mentioned is you? And that you are the one being hosted today?"

"It should be," Ye Tong nodded calmly.

Jin Qiusheng looked confused, "What? You know each other?"

Ye Tong said with a half-smile, "This Jin Shixue from the Jin family seemed very disgusted to see me, a young man, visiting a brothel. He tried to find out which family I belonged to, intending to report me to my family for visiting a brothel. If not for your kind invitation today, Brother Jin, I probably would have turned around and left."

"What?" Jin Qiusheng's eyes widened, and he immediately cursed, "Jin Shixue, you scoundrel, are you so bored you have nothing better to do? You meddle in other people's business?"

"I..."

Jin Shixue had no words to express his grievance. He wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs! He had simply seen that Yun'er, a courtesan he often favored, had shown interest in the young man in front of him. He felt displeased and decided to pick a fight with Ye Tong for no reason.

Jin Qiusheng was so angry he almost wanted to hit Jin Shixue with the sole of his shoe. He thought his nephew was clever and socially adept, so he had Jin Shixue come to get acquainted with Ye Tong, hoping to create a good impression of the Jin family in Ye Tong's mind. But in the end, he had provoked Ye Tong and embarrassed the Jin family.

Ye Tong appeared very nonchalant and said with a smile, "Brother Jin, the child is just young and ignorant. A few words of admonishment should suffice."

Child? Jin Qiusheng and Dongfang Xia exchanged glances, their expressions filled with amusement.

Jin Shixue's eyes widened, staring at Ye Tong in disbelief. This scoundrel is only sixteen or seventeen years old! I'm at least five or six years older than him, and he's calling me a child right in front of my Second Uncle?

If I can stand this, I can stand anything! Jin Shixue glared at Ye Tong and shouted, "Ye, at your age, who are you trying to act tough with? If you dare to spout nonsense again, believe it or not, I'll hit you."

Ye Tong looked at him and shook his head, "As expected, you have a child's temperament. A single word from me can make you angry. Do you have any semblance of a mature man?"

"You..." Jin Shixue forcefully suppressed the anger in his chest.

Ye Tong adopted a mature demeanor and spoke in a lecturing tone, "A person's age is merely an appearance. To understand a person's true nature, one needs to look at their life experiences and their maturity. In my opinion, you are a flower in a greenhouse, living under the protection of the towering Jin family tree. If you don't experience wind and rain, how can you develop an unyielding will and grow strong?"

"I... a flower?" Jin Shixue wanted to argue.

Ye Tong raised his hand to interrupt him, "Let's take another example. Please answer my question truthfully. For instance, if an elder in your Jin family, an old man, falls in love in his twilight years and marries a beautiful young woman who has just given birth to a son, what would you call that child?"

"Uncle," Jin Shixue replied directly, though he was displeased that Ye Tong was using a family elder as an example. He wanted to prove he wasn't stupid.

Ye Tong nodded with satisfaction, "Since you understand the issue of generational hierarchy between people, then it's simple. Jin Qiusheng, Second Master Jin, is your Second Uncle, right? He calls me 'Brother Ye Tong,' and I call him 'Brother Jin.' Then, what should you call me?"

"Uncle..." As soon as Jin Shixue uttered the word, it was as if an invisible hand had choked him, and the rest of his words were stifled.

Ye Tong clapped his hands, displaying an expression of a promising student, and said with a smile, "That's right, you should call me Uncle, because my generation is the same as your Second Uncle's. Is it really that difficult for you to be called a child by someone of a higher generation?"

"You..." Jin Shixue was speechless, but the feeling of grievance in his heart intensified.

Jin Qiusheng and Dongfang Xia exchanged bewildered glances. They were truly stunned by Ye Tong's eloquent speech. This young man was practically insulting them indirectly, yet without using a single vulgar word. His tongue was truly capable of bringing the dead back to life.

Ye Tong smiled slightly, "Your silence means my words are reasonable, and your silence indicates your willingness to accept them humbly. As the saying goes, correcting mistakes leads to great improvement. Nephew Jin, as a member of the Jin family, you should not tarnish the family's reputation in the future. I have a few words for you, which I hope you will remember: do not meddle in other people's business, do not stir up trouble, and do not invite disaster."

"I..." Jin Shixue's face burned. He had always been quick-witted and eloquent, but in front of Ye Tong, he felt like he had met his match, completely unable to contend. He couldn't even utter a coherent sentence.

"Second Uncle, I, I have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave."

Jin Shixue, filled with unexpressed frustration, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He bowed to Jin Qiusheng and then walked out without looking back.

"Alas!"

Behind him, Ye Tong's sigh could be heard, "Brother Jin, this child of yours isn't cut out for it! He can't even handle a few words from me. How can he shoulder great responsibilities in the future! To live in this world, one needs a broad mind, strong resilience, and a thick skin. Only by achieving these three can one accomplish something in the future!"

Mind? Resilience? Thick skin?

This is just being devious!

Jin Qiusheng and Dongfang Xia could only offer wry smiles, while Jin Shixue, who had just reached the doorway, tripped directly over the threshold, falling in a most spectacular fashion!

Never mind what happened with Fang Yi. At this moment, the entire Piaoxiang Tower, from the virtuous and licensed courtesans to the madam and the servants, and even the patrons enjoying themselves, were all stunned by a poem.

Prelude to the Water Melody.

It unfolds imagination and thought around the bright moon, incorporating the worldly "sorrows and joys of separation and reunion" into a philosophical pursuit of the universe and life, expressing complex and contradictory thoughts and feelings, while also containing a love for life and a positive, optimistic spirit.

Emphasis on Martial Arts over Literature.

That's a lack of literary talent. If a world-shaking masterpiece were to appear, it would still cause a sensational tidal wave.

In a spacious and luxuriously decorated hall of Piaoxiang Tower, over a dozen young talents with high status in Zifu County, like stars surrounding the moon, clustered around two young men with extraordinary bearing. They led them to the main seats of the banquet hall, raising their cups and engaging in flattery.

Mu Xiaochen maintained a smile throughout, even though he didn't enjoy the scene before him. This was because the person beside him hailed from the imperial capital, and was none other than Lan Zhuoyue, the foremost martial arts genius of the Lan Family in the imperial capital.

Of the Eastern Mu Continent's eight most powerful families, the Sky Net Empire held two seats. The first was the imperial royal Mu Family, and the other was the Lan Family, with its millennia-long heritage. Mu Xiaochen knew that Lan Zhuoyue was already at the sixth level of Xiantian, and even when compared to him, he was not inferior.

Gradually, as the conversation flowed, the topic shifted to cultivation.

Mu Xiaochen asked, "Brother Lan, there are less than half a month until the assessment for the Three Sects and Two Halls. This time, the total quota for the entire Sky Net Empire is only twelve, and Zifu County has a mere four. Have you suddenly come to Zifu County to secure a spot in the Three Sects and Two Halls?"

Lan Zhuoyue shook his head and replied, "I already obtained my admission quota for the Falan Sect two years ago, so I won't be taking up a spot for the Sky Net Empire this time. The reason I haven't gone to cultivate at the Falan Sect until now is due to some special circumstances.

However, according to my agreement with the Falan Sect, I will depart with the strong cultivators of the Falan Sect once the assessment for disciples of the Three Sects and Two Halls concludes."

Mu Xiaochen was surprised, "Since it's not about the assessment, what else could be important enough for you to personally come to Zifu County?"

Lan Zhuoyue said helplessly, "It's a personal matter, and I really can't disclose it. I'll punish myself with a drink."

After he finished speaking.

He directly lifted his wine cup.

"Bang..."

The hall door was kicked open from the outside, and a thin young man rushed in. As everyone frowned in unison, he shouted, "Something big has happened!"