Rouge Box, Red Embroidered Blade, Presenting a Visiting Card to Invite Guests to a Hongmen Banquet!

Yet even surrounded by stars paying homage to the moon, Ji Xiu remained calm and unhurried, appearing ever more at ease and deft.

Xu Heng, the young master of the Firewood Market, whose father had secured him the position of deputy hall master in the Wind and Cloud Association, could not help sighing inwardly:

"What a natural-born noble."

"Who would have thought someone like him could emerge from the old alleyways of that backwater Fire Kiln?"

"Fortunately."

"He became acquainted with Lu Yu because I personally brought him into Fire Kiln Lu Estate. He can be considered a diehard supporter of our faction."

"That naturally cut off any possibility of Luo Xiao, Li Ye, Fang Xiao, and those other senior disciples winning him over."

At that thought, a trace of gloom crossed his brow:

"Senior disciples who open schools and teach apprentices are the public face of the sect. Naturally, they carry authority."

"On top of that, those three clawed their way up from the bottom. Relying on the fact that they joined early, they gathered a large following. With their Bone Tempering fists and feet, they have guarded the gates year-round and won the elders' favor."

"Even the three hall master seats of this Wind and Cloud Association were all taken by them."

In the past, if it had merely involved the businesses, it would have been one thing. At least with the title of "direct bloodline," no matter what happened, those outsiders could not take too much of what should have belonged to him.

But now...

With the Wind and Cloud Association established, the future of the Prefecture City was at stake. After the Three Seats had passed on a hundred years from now, who would control the Three Great Businesses of this five-hundred-li Anning County? Who would have the final say?

Of the three of them, only Lu Yu had achieved something with his fists and feet some time ago and begun Bone Tempering. Xu Heng and Wei Zhi were still at the peak of Sinew Tempering.

By all rights, the hall master positions could never fall onto their heads.

Therefore.

This banquet was partly meant as a gesture of goodwill toward Master Ji, who was riding high on the spring breeze.

At the same time, it was also a chance to drown his sorrows in drink and ease the frustration in his chest.

"Master Ji, do you have a younger full-blooded sister, perhaps two or three years younger?"

At that moment.

Wei Zhi, the legitimate daughter of Butcher Knife Wei Dingchang and one of the Three Seats of the Wind and Cloud Association, lightly raised her fine brows and abruptly changed the subject.

Ji Xiu's eyes flickered with surprise. He had no idea what this wealthy young lady meant.

"I have some Golden Swallow Rouge specially transported from Jiangyin Prefecture. Master Ji is so handsome at such a young age—your little sister surely cannot be lacking either."

With a smile in her eyes, Wei Zhi took out a sandalwood gift box patterned with gold and walked gracefully over, gently placing it before Ji Xiu.

"A young lady who is beautiful ought to paint her brows and apply her makeup."

"If she possesses both talent and beauty, and can defend herself with martial arts, then one day, perhaps some noble young hero at the Flower Banquet in the Prefecture City will use a flower hairpin to win her smile."

Ji Xiu lowered his head and looked.

The rouge was luxurious and exquisite. The material of the outer box alone was worth a great deal, certainly not the sort of goods that could be produced in this five-hundred-li Anning County.

He had originally intended to decline.

But recalling how Ji Wei had grown increasingly lovely ever since leaving that drafty house, he pondered for a moment before accepting it.

"Miss Wei Zhi seems to have made quite an effort to learn about my family. You have my thanks. I will thank my little sister on her behalf."

"If there is any small favor you need, Ji Xiu will help if he can."

Ji Xiu nodded lightly with a smile, choosing his words carefully.

Just as he was about to say something more.

A soft set of footsteps suddenly sounded.

When the curtain was lifted, the eyes of the four people inside narrowed at once.

Xu Heng was already in a foul mood. He felt that Li Ye, his father's senior disciple, had won great favor and pressed him down at every turn, leaving him constrained everywhere.

Now that someone had suddenly barged in, he rose to his feet at once, his voice icy.

"Don't you know that the third floor of Flying Swallow House has been booked in full and no outsiders are permitted to enter?"

"Which family are you from, to have so little sense of propriety?"

He had initially assumed they were merely ordinary wealthy households that did not understand the rules.

But.

When he stood and looked up, he saw that every one of them wore fitted martial attire, their blood and qi vigorous, their muscles and bones taut as though ready to burst. They clearly had become formidable.

Xu Heng frowned. His tone remained forceful, but his words changed.

"Gentlemen, we are hall masters of the Wind and Cloud Association."

"Everyone seated here comes from the Three Great Businesses. My name is Xu Heng, and my father is Purple Robe Crane. I will not pursue today's matter. Please withdraw."

"Otherwise, if matters turn ugly, no one will look good."

He tapped the table, invoked his father's name, then sat back down casually. He did not put on an overbearing front or issue forceful threats, merely turned his head and prepared to resume picking at his food.

He looked as calm as drifting clouds, as still as a windless lake.

The few men exchanged glances at his words. The leader suddenly showed a regretful expression.

It was as if he found it a pity that the young master of the Firewood Market had not immediately started a fight over their rash intrusion.

But that expression only flashed across his face for an instant. Then he chuckled.

"Young Master, you speak as though I don't know you."

"How could that be?"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tiger-and-leopard tattoo on his left arm.

Xu Heng's gaze flickered.

Immediately afterward.

The two men beside him rolled up their sleeves as well.

One bore an embroidered lion, the other an embroidered falcon.

"Lion Hall, Tiger Leopard Hall, Falcon Gang?"

In an instant, Lu Yu could no longer sit still. He sprang to his feet, and Wei Zhi rose with him, one hand gripping the slender saber at her waist, her willow brows drawn tight.

Fist, Spear, Saber, Sword; Lion, Leopard, Falcon, Hawk.

As Ji Xiu watched the atmosphere slowly congeal, he recalled the forces that had previously been mentioned in relation to the division of power among Anning County's martial experts. His eyes narrowed slightly.

These...

Were they the people said to have gathered from the various estates and mountain towns along the Five Hundred Li Mountain Road, fought their way into Anning County, and become legitimate gangs entrenched like crouching tigers and coiled dragons in the west of the city?

Judging from that fierce air about them, it was true. Whether at Fire Kiln, the Firewood Market, or the Cattle and Sheep Market, the retainers who mingled among the common folk rarely possessed such a feeling.

Men who licked blood from blade edges and street thugs.

Sometimes, a single glance was enough to tell the difference.

"Our three leaders were originally delighted to hear that a branch association of the 'school' had finally emerged in this five-hundred-li Anning County."

The young man with the tiger-and-leopard tattoo placed particular emphasis on the words "branch association."

Then, with a genial smile, he said:

"Today, the three of us happened to be drinking together when we heard that the three young masters and the legitimate young lady had been promoted to deputy hall masters and were holding a banquet here to celebrate."

"So we slapped our foreheads and thought, isn't this a coincidence?"

"Thus, we came to share in the joy, congratulate you all, and invite you to a 'banquet.'"

"May I ask whether Lord Xu and the rest of you would be willing to honor us with your presence?"

At this point, the young man cupped his fists.

"Tiger Leopard Hall, Seventh Seat, Zhang Shi Yao!"

"Lion Hall, Chen Zhao!"

"Falcon Gang, Qiu Zhen!"

"We present a Visiting Card!"

"We invite the four of you to attend the banquet!"

Having said that.

Zhang Shi Yao, the man calling himself the "Seventh Seat" of Tiger Leopard Hall, lightly pressed a red invitation embroidered with gilded patterns onto the table.

Looking closely, one could see his knucklebones curl slightly. As if piercing a stele and splitting stone, like a nail, his finger thrust straight through the bottom of the invitation and firmly pinned it to the tabletop!

A moment later, when he lifted his finger.

A clearly visible hole.

Was exposed before Ji Xiu and the other three.

Other than Ji Xiu, the faces of the other three turned ugly.

Strength came from the bones, like a heart-piercing drill!

That single finger represented more than a decade of training!

He was absolutely not a Sinew Tempering martial artist!

How was this inviting guests?

They had clearly come prepared!

Ji Xiu lowered his eyes.

According to the rumors.

The leaders of these Three Great Gangs had once said:

"When inviting people, be courteous and proper."

"The martial world is not about killing and fighting. The martial world is about human feelings and worldly dealings."

They presented you with an invitation, served tea with smiling faces; one did not strike a smiling man.

That was what they said.

But...

Nearly every year, people who had borrowed money, fallen into debt, and failed to repay on time were invited back to the halls by those smiling faces. When they came out again, they either bore Slave Status or were missing a few pounds of flesh.

Inviting guests, inviting guests—they invited you with smiling faces. But if you refused to go.

Then... you did not know how to appreciate kindness.