Chunyulin Restaurant is indeed a very grand place.
Located next to a bustling main street, the signboards and pillars used for decoration are quite extravagant.
Since He Yunxiao has come first, this group will naturally be treated as honored guests.
Without saying a word, the waiter arranged a private room for the gentlemen and thoughtfully asked if they would like some music to entertain them.
Under Fan Ziruo's kind gaze, He Yunxiao firmly rejected the waiter's unreasonable attempt to sell his wares without authorization.
We're all respectable gentlemen, who would listen to that nice little tune?
With Fan Ziruo, an unmarried woman, present, it was inappropriate for everyone to eat at the same table, so they opted for individual servings.
The hotel removed the large tables and replaced them with smaller ones. The seat of honor was naturally occupied by He Yunxiao, and to his left, just to the left of him, sat Fan Ziruo. To his right sat Chu Fan, and behind them were Tie Weiqi and Pang Ce.
Given Chu Fan's personality, he would likely decline a seat in the front row.
However, he had important business to attend to, and needed to observe the relationship between Fan Ziruo and He Yunxiao, so he did not refuse and sat on the right.
Watching Fan Ziruo and He Yunxiao chatting and laughing, Chu Fan felt increasingly uncomfortable.
These two, one a young master from a noble family and the other a lady from a respectable family, certainly seem much more well-matched than Brother He and Xiaoxiao together.
However, Chu Fan also knew that marriage was not entirely determined by "compatibility".
If two people are truly in love, their feelings are strong, and their souls are in perfect harmony, this is far more conducive to the long-term development of their relationship than any outward appearance.
However, none of these are the most important.
Most importantly, it depends on Xiaoxiao's attitude. If Xiaoxiao really likes Brother He...
Chu Fan felt that if Xiao Xiao really liked it, then he had to help his sister no matter what.
Opportunities can't be won by luck alone; you have to be proactive in seizing them.
...
The food and drinks at Chunyulin were indeed delicious, but He Yunxiao was the only one in the room who could actually eat.
Fan Ziru waited for the food and wine to be served, took a couple of bites, and seeing that Pang Ce and Tie Weiqi had no appetite, she said, "Pang Ce, you said your brother was ambushed near Zuixianju."
Beset by internal and external troubles, Pang Ce had long lost his appetite. When Fan Ziruo brought up serious matters, he quickly replied, "Exactly."
Fan Ziruo asked again, "Chief Pang, you must be a well-known expert in Yinjing City, right?"
Pang Ce said, "My brother has a ninth-rank cultivation level. In the martial arts world of Yinjing, he is enough to rank among the top ten."
Upon hearing this, He Yunxiao knew something was wrong, but after thinking about it, he understood.
When imperial power is strong, the forces of the martial arts world are weak; when imperial power is weak, the forces of the martial arts world are strong.
Most of the experts in Yinjing serve the imperial court. The majority are in the army, the palace, and the Six Doors (a powerful martial arts organization). The remaining few, the strongest warriors, are from the Jianghu (martial arts world).
There are more than a dozen martial artists in the palace, such as Yang Zhe, who are at the ninth rank. There are definitely some at the Grandmaster level as well, but no one knows whether there are any Grandmasters.
In comparison, Yin Jing's influence in the martial arts world was much weaker.
Pang Ce's brother, though only a ninth-rank martial artist and not even at his peak, was still ranked among the top ten in the martial arts world. This shows the extent to which the martial arts world was suppressed by the imperial power in Yin Jing.
He Yunxiao felt that his ninth-rank strength, which had been promoted by Chu Chu, was probably enough to rank him among the top ten in the martial arts world of Yinjing.
Fan Ziruo asked again, "Both are ninth-rank, how does Chief Tie compare to Chief Pang?"
Pang Ce said, "The Iron Gang Leader has been practicing martial arts for a long time and his cultivation has reached the peak of the ninth rank. My brother can't beat him."
"Not even a little bit of a fight back?"
"Yes. At the very least, it can injure Iron Gang Leader."
After listening to Pang Ce's words, Fan Ziruo looked at Tie Weiqi and asked, "Young Master Tie, is Pang Ce right?"
Tie Weiqi said, "That's right. As fellow ninth-rank martial artists, if one side goes all out, it will be difficult for the other to escape unscathed. My father returned from Zuixianju without a single scratch on his body, so it couldn't have been my father who did it."
Pang Ce angrily retorted, "It was a sneak attack! Of course there are no wounds!"
Upon seeing this, He Yunxiao hurriedly shouted, "Stop making noise, listen to my old... Miss Shi Ziruo."
Fan Ziruo looked at He Yunxiao, knowing that he had almost let something slip again, and chuckled to herself. Then she said seriously, "Actually, there's a question that everyone has been avoiding talking about."
"Just as Young Master Tie said, what evidence can Gang Leader Tie provide that he is 'not injured'?"
Pang Ce knew that Mr. Fan was on his side, and he was secretly pleased.
Unexpectedly, Fan Ziruo immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"And as Pang Ce said, what evidence can Gang Leader Pang provide that he's 'injured'?"
Pang Ce was about to speak and explain, but Fan Ziruo retorted.
"Even if you have provided evidence, such as witness testimonies, there is still a possibility of fabrication and lying, isn't there?"
Pang Ce then fell silent.
Tie Weiqi claimed he could provide evidence of Tie Gang Leader's return to the gang, but those were all testimonies from Iron Eagle Gang disciples, which he didn't believe at all.
Fan Ziruo said, "Gang Leader Pang is seriously injured and unconscious, so it's impossible to judge the evidence. Therefore, this matter cannot be judged from the perspective of evidence, but only from the perspective of motive. Pang Ce, think about it, if your brother is seriously injured and the Short Knife Gang falls, who will benefit the most?"
Pang Ce initially thought it was the Iron Eagle Gang, but upon closer reflection, he realized it wasn't. After his own men fought the Iron Eagle Gang, both sides were severely weakened, so they were essentially sitting back and watching the show, with the Snake Tiger Gang, who had been observing the conflict, profiting the most.
Although Fan Ziruo's words made a lot of sense, there was still one thing Pang Ce couldn't understand.
"But how do you explain the dark palm print on my brother's body? This is clearly a sign that he has been hit by the Iron Gang Leader's ultimate technique."
Fan Ziruo asked, "Can't others use this move?"
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