Night, at the Moon-Gathering Tower.
Red lanterns fluttered, and strings and flutes filled the air with pleasing music.
The glittering bustle of the front courtyard and the quiet serenity of the rear seemed like two different worlds.
Lu Changfeng knew the way well. He circled around to the concealed side entrance in the back alley, then, with a slight movement, swept soundlessly up to the third floor like a falling leaf, arriving outside the private room called the Cloud-Deep Pavilion.
He was about to push the door open when he heard voices inside.
Besides Luo Qingge's clear, melodious voice, there was another woman's voice, brisk and spirited.
Yan Mingxiao.
"...Have you read the new Azure Cloud Rankings put out by the All-Knowing Tower?"
"Not yet. I've only heard a few words about it from the stewards here."
There was a hint of languor in Luo Qingge's voice. "A ranking of Grandmaster Realm experts no older than thirty-five. That's something new. Changfeng... where did he rank?"
"You certainly care a great deal."
Yan Mingxiao chuckled. "Your beloved Lu ranked tenth. The commentary called him 'of mysterious origins, with strange and uncanny cultivation arts, illustrious battle achievements, and unfathomable potential.' Those old men at the All-Knowing Tower are certainly well informed. They even seem to have heard about his battles in Lu Prefecture and Cloud Dream."
Outside the door, Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow at this, and a name surfaced in his mind.
Xu Yuanzhi, the man behind the Monthly Appraisal.
Was the All-Knowing Tower up to some new trick again?
Yan Mingxiao continued, "This ranking has swept up quite a few of the finest talents in the world today. First is the deputy commander of the imperial Golden Scale Guards. Supposedly, he practices the Thunderclap Spear Art, a supreme art of