Everyone's gaze shifted to the Long Wind Escort Agency.
Over the past year, this force had gone from running an escort agency to entering the martial arts business, and it had been making quite a name for itself.
Inside the agency were three Body Refining Martial Artists. They had only recently switched from escort work to the martial arts world, yet had already surpassed every other force except the Chen and Lin families.
Those familiar with the circumstances also knew what had sparked this contest.
Everyone was guessing that Lu Cheng would be the first to take the stage.
At that moment, the Long Wind Escort Agency's seats were filled.
Feng Qi and two others sat together in the center of the front row, with Lu Cheng and Zhao Cheng beside them.
Hearing Shen Yi's words, Zhao Cheng stood without hesitation.
"I'll go."
Only a handful of people knew that Lu Cheng had reached Perfected Strength Refining.
With strength like his, the later he entered the contest, the better.
Ideally, Chen Heng, Lin Yuan, and the three escorts from the Martial Suppression Battalion would wear one another down, while also taking out the three representatives from the Thirteen Houses along the way.
That would put the Long Wind Escort Agency in an invincible position.
Neither Feng Qi nor Lu Cheng had any objections to this arrangement.
Lu Cheng patted Zhao Cheng and quietly advised him, "Be careful. Focus on protecting yourself."
The contest did not forbid fighting to the death. The Long Wind Escort Agency had previously refused the Chen and Lin families, forcing them to put up prize money worth fifty thousand taels of silver.
The two families could hardly be without resentment toward the agency.
Zhao Cheng nodded. "Don't worry. I've traveled far and wide for years. How