Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve.
Yun Wei and Isaac got up early and, after getting ready, met up with Qin Lushu at the Taichang Temple. The three of them headed together to the arena for the Four Swords Battle.
The arena had already been set up in the square.
Perhaps it was because the snow fell heavily last night, the area around the arena was covered with dazzling white snowdrifts, without a single footprint, making it impossible to know where to go.
"We've arrived quite early," Qin Lushu said with a smile to Yun Wei upon seeing this.
Such a crucial competition was not for a junior like him to participate in; he was merely there to join in the fun.
This young man with rosy lips and white teeth was wearing a festive red cloak today, making him look like a red plum blossom in the snow.
"Hmm, but now that the snow has stopped, it's getting a bit cold." Yun Wei glanced at the snow that was up to his calves, and finally couldn't bear to use magic to disperse it.
"Then let's go up to the stands." Qin Lushu said, and then led the two around to the other side of the arena.
I did see a shed made of wooden planks, but it was rather small.
The three of them settled down in the corner.
Because he was really bored, Qin Lushu actually started talking to Yun Wei about the rules of the competition.
The young man said, "Each match will consist of three players from each side, fighting one-on-one until the other side is completely defeated."
After listening, Yun Wei pondered and said, "Then we can't use the Tian Ji horse racing strategy."
Qin Lushu immediately became smug, "This was my idea back then, wasn't it brilliant? Actually, as long as each of our four swords has a ballast stone, we can't lose no matter what."
Hearing the other party's bold and ambitious promises, Yun Wei's alarm bells went off.
But he didn't want to spoil the other party's fun, so he just smiled and turned to look at the arena.
Just then, he saw that familiar tall figure.
Xie Mulang followed a wrinkled, white-haired old man with a blank expression as they walked in from the other side of the arena.
The old man leaned on a cane with gnarled roots that was taller than a person. He looked frail and old, but there was a bright light in his eyes.
"Ah, it's Uncle Xie!" Qin Lushu introduced, "That old man is one of the four Grand Elders of Tianji Mansion, and also the eldest uncle of Grandmaster Uncle. Grandmaster Uncle's parents passed away early, and he was raised by Uncle Xie."
Upon hearing this, Yun Wei was stunned.
He rarely heard Xie Mulang mention his family, but he never expected that the other party was also an orphan.
At that very moment, Xie Mulang also looked up at him, but instead bowed respectfully to him from afar before continuing to listen to the old man's instructions.
Qin Lushu scratched his head and muttered, "Right, I remember now, there was only the 'Daoran Sword' competition this morning, no wonder it was so quiet."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a large group of people surged into the entrance.
The leader was about thirty years old, with a handsome face, and he was holding the hand of a young girl.
Following closely behind were two much more mature men, one who looked kind and refined, dressed in a flowing robe, and the other who appeared dignified and serious.
Following them were a large retinue of servants, juniors, and martial artists who appeared to be contestants.
"Excuse me, Brother Yun, I may have to go and greet them." Qin Lushu whispered to Yun Wei, "The ones leading the way are my brother and my niece. The two behind them, the one who makes you feel like you're basking in a spring breeze is the head of the Nangong family, and the one next to him who makes you dare not even smile is from the Huo family."
Yun Wei quickly replied, "It's alright, Brother Qin, please go about your business."
He was used to living a solitary life and had never seen such a scene before; he felt his scalp tingle.
Qin Lushu walked down from the stands with an air of nonchalance and slipped into the crowd like a fish, quickly becoming one of them. Even the usually stern Huo family patriarch couldn't help but smile and greet him.
Yun Wei couldn't help but quietly ask Isaac, "Isn't it impolite of us to just sit here like this?"
Isaac thought for a moment, then said, "We haven't met them before, so it would be abrupt to suddenly go up and start a conversation. Don't worry, Yun, just sit here."
Yun Wei hesitated and said, "But..."
“It’s alright,” Isaac said with a smile, “You’re already a level seven professional, so it’s fine if you put on airs.”
Yun Wei couldn't help but stammer.
He naturally felt a fondness for the people of Bili, so much so that he wanted to leave a good impression on them, but unknowingly became flustered and at a loss.
But Isaac's words also made sense, so he sat up straight in the corner.
A large, dense crowd soon surged into the stands.
The already cramped stands suddenly became like dumplings in boiling water, bustling with joy and excitement.
Clearly, the four great families in Bili City know each other inside and out.
Their seniority and relationships were complicated and each had their own way of addressing others. Although Yun Wei tried his best not to look at them, he was getting dizzy just listening to their various titles.
For example, a young swordsman who looked somewhat like Huo Mingchan first called the Qin family head "cousin," then called the Nangong family head "teacher," but Yun Wei heard him call the Huo family head "father."
But in reality, the Qin family head should be a generation lower than the Huo family head...
Yun Wei found it hard to imagine how chaotic the generational hierarchy would become if Qin Lushu ended up with Huo Mingchan.
He tried his best not to show a strange smile, but little did he know that his expression only made him look colder to others.
What Yun Wei didn't know was that people with exceptionally outstanding looks like him and Isaac had already become the focus of attention even when sitting in a corner.
He only felt a lot of questioning gazes, but after those people whispered among themselves, the questioning gazes turned into curiosity.
This made him feel extremely uneasy.
Fortunately, the situation soon changed again.
But then another group of men in black suddenly appeared at the entrance to the arena and walked in with the same expressionless faces.
Their footsteps were light and quiet, and no one spoke.
They also had black eyes and black hair, and their appearances were not particularly outstanding, but for no apparent reason, they made the air feel heavy.
In an instant, the boiling water that had been packed around seemed to freeze, and the narrow stands fell completely silent. Everyone's attention was now focused on their opponents.
Yun Wei quietly counted; there were twelve people on the other side.
Three people stepped directly onto the ring, while the other nine stood stiffly to the side of the stands, like motionless statues.
If Yun Wei couldn't sense the life force emanating from them, he would have suspected they were made of puppets.
Soon, the people from Bili City also stepped onto the arena.
One was Xie Mulang, another was Huo Mingchan's brother, and the third was an old man with white hair and beard.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin." Qin Lushu's brother also left his seat and went up to the arena. He said a lot of polite words and reiterated the rules and the stakes.
Yun Wei listened casually.
All he saw was the little girl who had been left behind, now leaning against the back of the chair, staring at him with bright, curious eyes.
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