"Why the insults?" Yang Kai regarded him flatly.
Wuchang sneered. "He doesn't even dare come see me. If that's not cowardice, what is?"
Murong Xiaoxiao said angrily, "Senior Brother Xia is simply too pressed for time. It's not that he doesn't dare face you."
Wuchang clasped his hands behind his back. "Everyone has excuses. He's just afraid that if he came, losing to me again would be too embarrassing."
"That's not it at all!" Murong Xiaoxiao wanted to argue further, but Yang Kai raised a hand to stop her. In a peculiar tone, he said, "I've heard a thing or two about the last martial gathering. A momentary triumph or setback amounts to nothing. Before I came, Senior Brother Xia mentioned that Brother Wuchang is quite the enthusiastic fellow, and that I — his humble junior — simply must keep him company."
He hadn't actually laid eyes on Xia Sheng in ages, so naturally there had been no such instruction.
But he was representing the Qingyang Divine Palace now — there was no way he'd let someone slap him in the face. When challenged, he had to push back. Establishing the upper hand in demeanor came first; everything else could follow.
"You?" Wuchang looked Yang Kai up and down, then gave a slight nod. "Passable, I suppose. You've got some qualification at least. Let's hope you don't disappoint me too badly."
"Maybe I'll give you a surprise!" Yang Kai arched an eyebrow. *You little bastard — just you wait. If you fall into my hands, I'll make you regret it.*
"What a load of bravado!" Wuchang sneered without end.
Chen Wenhao whipped his head around and barked, "Wuchang, hold your tongue! This is Wuhua Palace — don't you dare cause a scene."
Gao Xueting added, "Enough, both of you."
Wuchang's expression soured, but he couldn't very well defy his own Elder in front of outsiders. He flicked his sleeve and turned his gaze aside. Yang Kai and his group had no interest in pressing the matter either, and the little tempest dissipated on the spot. After all, everyone knew that no one could actually throw a punch under these circumstances — all the bickering would accomplish was giving everyone else a good laugh.
Wen Zishan chuckled. "Young people are truly spirited. Not bad, not bad."
Feng Ming offered a noncommittal response, then cupped his fists. "Most of our fellow cultivators from the Southern Region have already arrived. The Palace Master is currently entertaining them. Please, the two of you." He turned and ordered Zhuang Bufan, "Xiao Fan, escort our two seniors to the guest hall."
"Yes, Elder." Zhuang Bufan acknowledged the order and gestured. "Everyone, please."
Feng Ming said, "Palace Master Wen, Sacred Lord Ma — please forgive me. I have duties to attend to and cannot keep you company any longer."
"Elder Feng is too polite. We'll speak again later." Wen Zishan smiled faintly, clasped his hands behind his back, and followed Zhuang Bufan toward the mountain summit.
Ma Qing also nodded to him and led the group from Tianwu Sacred Land in close pursuit. This time, there was no squabble over who went first.
As the group moved further away, Feng Ming suddenly glanced back, his gaze settling on Yang Kai with a slight furrow of his brow. Once no one else was around, he produced a communication compass and fed his divine sense into it — who he was contacting, no one could say.
Halfway up, the path forked into a Y-shape. On either side, disciples of Wuhua Palace stood waiting. Upon seeing the approaching group, they bowed and gestured invitingly.
Zhuang Bufan turned back and said, "Senior Palace Masters, the disciples attending the martial gathering should be directed left or right."
Their group was headed to the summit to rest — a privilege reserved for Emperor Realm cultivators alone. The disciples trailing behind naturally couldn't follow, and everyone understood this perfectly well.
Wen Zishan glanced back and made a subtle gesture. Gao Xueting immediately organized the Qingyang Divine Palace disciples and had them follow an attendant down the right-hand path. The Tianwu Sacred Land naturally took the left. The disciples from the two factions didn't get along — if they were housed together, they'd probably come to blows before the martial gathering even began tomorrow. After all, there were no Emperor Realm Elders present to keep them in line.
The remaining group continued following Wuchang upward, climbing the steps. The members of the two great powers flanked left and right, as clearly separated as oil and water.
Before long, they reached the summit. A grand palace loomed before them, radiating an imposing aura. Attendants were already waiting outside.
Zhuang Bufan led the group toward the palace. As they stepped inside, a wave of raucous noise washed over them, drawing startled looks from Yang Kai and Murong Xiaoxiao. Neither had expected such a lively scene within.
A single sweeping glance was enough to give one pause. No fewer than five or six hundred people had gathered in the great hall, the vast majority of them Emperor Realm powerhouses. Attendants moved nimbly among the crowd, and the hall was lined with table after table, each laden with fresh fruit, delicacies, and fine wine.
The hall was packed with guests, buzzing with festivity. Here and there, people milled about, raising their cups to toast one another.
In the center of the hall, a troupe of more than forty young women danced gracefully. Their attire was not revealing — rather, they radiated youthful vitality, each one quite lovely in appearance, their slender waists swaying as they moved their arms in elegant arcs. The performance drew appreciative smiles from onlookers.
Though these dancers had been arranged by Wuhua Palace to provide entertainment, the palace's standing was what it was — they wouldn't go overboard in such matters. Dressing the dancers too revealingly would only invite contempt. The current arrangement, on the other hand, befit Wuhua Palace's grandeur.
But most people's attention wasn't on the dancers at all. Here, Emperor Realm cultivators from across the Southern Region had gathered in force — Sect Masters and family patriarchs from every major faction, all assembled under one roof. This was the time for forging connections and cultivating relationships. Who had the mind to spare for dancing girls?