"Since you're new, I won't hold it against you."
"Forget it, I'll just tell you — the ones who passed by earlier were from the most powerful force here, the Luyang Pavilion."
"And when that bell rings, it means the Pavilion Master of the Luyang Pavilion is passing through."
"Everyone in the Pavilion Master's path must kneel and pay their respects, and shout out to greet the Pavilion Master."
"Otherwise, if anyone from the Luyang Pavilion catches you not doing so, you'll be executed on the spot."
"So, if you don't want to kneel, your only option is to hide — standing out in the crowd like you were just now is practically courting death, you know?" the middle-aged man said.
"So that's how it is. Thanks for the heads-up, uncle."
"Wait, wait, wait — no, no… hold on. If you don't want to kneel, you just hide. But then why do those people who are kneeling look so happy about it? That's… isn't that just asking for trouble?" Wang Qiang said with a look of utter confusion.
"I just told you, the Luyang Pavilion is the most powerful force here, and a lot of people want to join it. Once you join the Luyang Pavilion, you can throw your weight around."
"There have been cases before where someone who knelt was selected and taken directly into the Luyang Pavilion."
"Those guys are all just hoping to get into the Luyang Pavilion, that's all," the middle-aged man explained.
"Oh, I get it now. Still… still asking for trouble," Wang Qiang said with disdain.
"Excuse me, uncle — who founded this Luyang Pavilion?" Chu Feng asked curiously. The coronet on that man's head from earlier was still fresh in his mind.
After all, the Hall Master of the Dark Hall also had a coronet on his head, and the character inscribed on the Dark Hall Master's coronet was "Ying."
So Chu Feng was wondering — if the Ying character coronet came from the Ying Heavenly Clan, could the one bearing the Chu character coronet belong to the Chu Heavenly Clan?
"Heh heh, when it comes to the Pavilion Master of the Luyang Pavilion, he's truly no ordinary person — he's a member of the Chu Heavenly Clan!" the uncle said.
"The Chu Heavenly Clan?" At these words, Wang Qiang's jaw dropped, and he involuntarily turned his gaze toward Chu Feng.
On the way here, Chu Feng had already told Wang Qiang about his situation with the Chu Heavenly Clan, so Wang Qiang was well aware of the complicated relationship between Chu Feng and the Chu Heavenly Clan.
"Ugly, don't tell me you've never even heard of the Chu Heavenly Clan? They're the rulers of an Upper Realm — they govern countless Mortal Realms and Lower Realms. To people like us, the Chu Heavenly Clan aren't just people, they're gods, you understand?" the middle-aged man said to Wang Qiang.
"Oh, of course I know, how could I not know the Chu Heavenly Clan?" Wang Qiang said with a sheepish grin.
"Looking at you two young punks, acting all cocky — I wouldn't be surprised if you really didn't know about them."
"Anyway, meeting you all is fate, and I'm advising you: you can offend just about anyone, but whatever you do, don't offend the Luyang Pavilion."
"Actually, the reason the Luyang Pavilion can dominate here isn't because of some overwhelming strength — it's precisely because the Pavilion Master is a member of the Chu Heavenly Clan."
"So no faction dares to confront him head-on. Seeing that he wanted to rule this place, many factions that could have matched him simply left, and that's what allowed him to establish his dominance," the middle-aged man said.
"Uncle, I'm hungry — where's the best place to eat in this city?" Wang Qiang asked.
"Ugly, were you even listening to me at all?" Seeing that he had just gone on at length only for Wang Qiang to treat it like white noise, the middle-aged man's face turned red with anger.
"Uncle, I was listening, I swear. But I really am starving," Wang Qiang said, clutching his stomach and putting on a pitiful expression.
"Cultivators get hungry too? In my opinion, you're just being gluttonous," the uncle said with contempt.
"Heh heh, yeah, yeah, that's right." Wang Qiang didn't even bother denying it — he just nodded repeatedly with the thickest of smiles.
"If you want good food, then naturally it's the Hundred-Layer Red Sparrow Tower. The food there — now that's delicious."
"But unfortunately, the prices there are outrageous. Even I can't afford it, and two young whippersnappers like you definitely can't either," the middle-aged man said.