The bluestone plaza teemed with people. By the time noon had passed, no fewer than ten thousand had gathered at the foot of the mountain. Shorter people trapped in the middle could not even see the gates, prompting many to edge forward in secret.
Amid the crowd, Qiu Tianhe carried Little Disciple on his shoulders, inching toward the front of the plaza with Xuanyuan Tiangang and his wife.
Last time, in Yanjing's Jade Water Forest, after Qiu Tianhe had helped Ye Jingtang finish his business, Ye Jingtang had left Northern Liang in haste, gravely wounded.
After getting away, however, Qiu Tianhe had not returned with him. Instead, he had continued traveling with Gangzi and his wife, taking Little Disciple around the Northern Liang martial world.
On this journey, Qiu Tianhe intended to visit all the Four Extremities of Mountains and Rivers. He had already been to Guancheng and Cape Harbor, so his next destination was naturally Everfrozen Lake. After that, crossing the Northern Wasteland would bring him to Tianya Mountain, the Yechi Tribe's homeland.
After several months of wandering among mountains and rivers, Qiu Tianhe had actually already passed through the snowfields, but midway through his journey, he had suddenly heard that Shuofeng City was holding a Heroes' Gathering.
Traveling the martial world meant joining in the excitement wherever it arose, so Qiu Tianhe had naturally turned back. With the Northern Wasteland sparsely populated and news slow to travel, he had barely made it there that morning. By the time he arrived, people had already packed the place.
After spending ages scheming and jostling his way through the crowd, Qiu Tianhe finally reached the front. He breathed a sigh of relief and marveled:
"As expected of a Martial Saint. He holds a Heroes' Banquet, and half the Northern Liang martial