Chapter 11: These Two Actually Look Quite Good Together
The others were instantly drawn by her words, their gazes turning toward the doorway on instinct.
Two figures slowly walked in from the outside. The taller of the two was a familiar face, it was Lu Zhaoye. Seeing him dressed in such vibrant red attire was a rare sight, and everyone was temporarily taken aback by his uncharacteristically bold look.
However, it was the man walking beside Lu Zhaoye who truly arrested their attention.
He was half a head shorter, with a much more fragile and slender build. One could tell almost immediately that he didn't know a lick of martial arts. He wore a soft goose-yellow robe, a color rarely donned by men because of its overly lively nature, usually better suited for spirited young women. Yet on him, it didn't look out of place at all.
His exquisitely beautiful face left the room in a stunned, breathless silence. Their eyes were practically glued to him, unable to look away. At that moment, no one even noticed the ruby hairpin in his hair; all they could see was his face.
Li Xiaolian’s late wife was named Ying Xuzhou. She had been beautiful and gentle; back before the Ying family suffered their tragedy, countless suitors had practically broken down her family’s threshold to ask for her hand.
That woman had deserved every beautiful adjective this world had to offer, both her appearance and her disposition were of the absolute highest order.
Tragically, she had met with disaster, leaving behind only a grieving husband and an infant son...
Because the poor child had been forced into the world prematurely, he was different from other children. They had thought he would remain that way for the rest of his life.
But seeing Li Xiaolian's hair turning gray at the temples, they hadn't the heart to give up. They had traveled to the four corners of the earth, sparing no effort to find a cure for him.
Today... had Xuzhou shown herself from beyond the grave?
No, they all knew Ying Xuzhou was gone. The person before them was clearly a young man. But that face, so familiar yet so hard to believe, confirmed his identity.
Yun Chuan was already renowned throughout the land as the "Fallen Blossom Immortal," a figure feared and respected by all for her supernatural fan techniques. Yet, after calling out to him, her eyes welled with tears. What she saw wasn’t just Li Yuezhou; she saw her long-lost, dearest childhood friend reflected in him.
Though the others didn't let their emotions spill over as openly as she did, their intense excitement was plain to see.
Ye Jiyue’s hand shook so much he couldn't even hold his wine cup steady, spilling a few drops, drops that seemed to splash directly onto the hearts of everyone present.
Daofa, meanwhile, continuously flicked the prayer beads in his hand, but his eyes were locked onto Li Yuezhou as he muttered under his breath.
The moment Li Yuezhou walked in next to Lu Zhaoye, he noticed several people in the room alongside his father. They looked unfamiliar, though they seemed to have visited him back when he was still unresponsive.
Suddenly, a wave of timidness washed over him. Could they be my father's friends? He didn't mention this part of the plan...
I have social anxiety!
With that thought, his footsteps faltered, and he dropped half a step behind Lu Zhaoye, subconsciously hiding himself slightly behind the taller man's back.
This childlike display brought a wave of soft chuckles to the room. Wiping her tears away, Yun Chuan waved him over.
"Are you Zhou'er? Come closer, let me get a good look at you."
Li Yuezhou glanced at his father. Li Xiaolian nodded and introduced her in a gentle tone. "Zhou'er, this is Aunt Yun Chuan."
"Hello, Aunt Yun Chuan," Li Yuezhou called out obediently, stepping forward to stand right in front of her.
Now that he was actually standing before her, Yun Chuan suddenly felt a bit hesitant. Her hand reached out and then pulled back, prompting Ye Jiyue to laugh from across the room, "Look at you, why are you suddenly acting shy?"
Li Xiaolian laughed along with them. Looking up, he gestured for Lu Zhaoye to take a seat before introducing the others one by one. "Zhou'er, come greet everyone. This is Uncle Ye."
"Hello, Uncle Ye," Li Yuezhou turned and greeted Ye Jiyue politely.
Looking at the compliant Li Yuezhou, Ye Jiyue stroked his chin and suddenly smiled. "It feels like seeing that fierce girl back when she was putting on a well-behaved act."
Though Ying Xuzhou had appeared dignified and gentle to the world during her lifetime, she had actually possessed a fierce streak in private. Back then, because of a broken engagement, she had endured for years just to secretly exact her revenge. To this day, the Hall Master Wan had no idea who had spiked the tea that caused him to completely lose face at the Fengyue Brothel.
At these words, a brief silence fell over the room. Suppressing the emotions in his heart, Li Xiaolian continued the introductions. "And this is Grandmaster Daofa."
Li Yuezhou didn't quite understand what was happening, but sensing the slightly solemn atmosphere, he grew even more on his best behavior.
Once the greetings were finished, Li Xiaolian waved his hand, signaling Li Yuezhou to come closer to him.
"These three were incredibly close with your mother and me back in the day. To find a way to cure you over the years, they rarely even returned to their own homes."
Li Yuezhou understood now. Filled with gratitude, he thanked them, "Thank you, Uncles and Aunt."
Who could possibly dislike such a sweet and obedient child? Yet, looking at him always reminded them of that bright, unforgettable person from their past, so they could only suppress their emotions and change the subject.
"I heard Zhaoye took first place in the tournament?"
Seeing the conversation shift to him, Lu Zhaoye quickly stood up, cupping his hands in respect. "Yes, I did."
"Not bad. You truly have your godfather’s style from his younger days," Ye Jiyue looked at him approvingly. "Are there any areas of the Five Springs Sword Style you're struggling with?"
The martial art Lu Zhaoye currently practiced was known as the Five Springs Sword Style. Legend had it that five grandmasters had formulated it while meditating beside five famous springs across the land. Later generations combined their insights into a single style consisting of six forms, the first five corresponding to the flow of the five springs, and the final form being the culmination of them all.
"For now, I can only execute up to the second form. I've hit a bit of a bottleneck trying to break through."
Ye Jiyue narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment before saying, "It’s time for you to travel down the mountain and experience the world."
Listening with curiosity, Li Yuezhou tugged at his father's sleeve and asked softly, "Father, is Brother's style different from yours?"
Li Xiaolian understood what he meant and explained with a chuckle, "Zhaoye is more suited for the light sword, whereas your father has always used heavy swords. His natural talent lies there, so we couldn't let it go to waste."
"Brother is amazing," Li Yuezhou smiled as he looked at Lu Zhaoye, the admiration in his eyes completely plain to see.
Seeing him so lively gave Ye Jiyue a true sense of reality. This child had truly recovered his health. It was just that his frame still looked a bit frail; he wondered if the boy had any intentions of learning martial arts.
As they were chatting about family matters, the heavy toll of a bell resonated from outside. Li Xiaolian was the first to stand up. "Let's go. The time for the announcement has come."
At this, Li Yuezhou finally understood. Today, his father was not only going to formally announce the adoption of Lu Zhaoye as his foster son, but he was also going to tell everyone else that his own son, Li Yuezhou, had fully recovered.
Just as Li Yuezhou had anticipated, Li Xiaolian announced his formal adoption of Lu Zhaoye before the gathered crowd. Since this was something everyone had already expected, it didn't cause much of a stir. However, Li Xiaolian then shifted the topic and pulled Li Yuezhou out to the front.
Instantly, a hush fell over the entire assembly ground. Everyone’s eyes locked onto the young man in the goose-yellow robe. Some who had seen him in a wheelchair just a while ago grew nervous, praying that he hadn't taken any of the disparaging remarks they'd made back then to heart.
The rest of the crowd had their own calculations. Some darted their gazes back and forth between Lu Zhaoye and Li Yuezhou, while others whispered among themselves. Though their speculations varied wildly, Li Xiaolian's move today was clearly presenting two prominent young figures to the world...
What was the Alliance Leader planning? Was he setting them up to tear each other apart for the inheritance?
However, among the crowd, a small faction stood out. They looked at Lu Zhaoye in his red robes, then at Li Yuezhou. As martial artists, they possessed sharp eyesight and quickly noticed the hairpin catching the sunlight in Li Yuezhou's hair.
These two actually look quite good together.
Visually speaking, at least...
Li Yuezhou had no idea what the people below were thinking. He merely forced a stiff smile. Making someone with social anxiety face a massive sea of people like this was truly an ordeal. But this was a crucial occasion; he couldn't let his father lose face.
As if sensing the tension of the person beside him, Lu Zhaoye quietly shifted a fraction closer. Hidden by Li Yuezhou’s wide sleeve, he lightly scratched the back of the smaller man's tightly clenched hand.
Startled by the subtle gesture, Li Yuezhou felt the tension in his heart dissipate slightly. Pursing his lips, he darted a secretive glance sideways at Lu Zhaoye.
No one noticed their little interaction. After all, it was perfectly normal for the Alliance Master’s foster son and biological son to stand close together.
As the tournament rewards were handed out, Li Xiaolian finally announced the final matter of the day.
It regarded the affairs of the Zhongshan Hall.
Upon hearing his cue, Wan Renshan stepped forward. Turning to face the crowd, he offered a sincere apology and proposed a form of compensation.
At this point, the crowd forgot all about Lu Zhaoye and Li Yuezhou, staring at Wan Renshan in a bit of a daze. They were naturally deeply dissatisfied with Zhongshan Hall’s monopoly on weapons, yet they had been forced to comply in the past. Therefore, even though they could see Li Xiaolian intended to take this opportunity to take them down a peg, many people still wavered, uncertain of the outcome.
Seeing this, Li Xiaolian presented his method for handling the situation.
"Though the matter regarding the weapons did not lead to severe consequences, the fault of the Young Hall Master cannot simply be glossed over. This reflects a lack of discipline within Hall Master Wan's household."
Li Xiaolian’s voice carried to every single corner of the assembly grounds. His profoundly deep internal energy sent a tremor through many hearts. After all these years, his martial prowess showed absolutely no signs of waning...
"However, Hall Master Wan has labored tirelessly for the Central Plains martial arts world for many years; a reckless punishment would only alienate our people. Thus, this old man deems it fit to cripple three-tenths of the Young Hall Master's internal cultivation, and fine Zhongshan Hall ten renowned weapons and three crates of silver."
Wan Renshan's face contorted for a moment upon hearing the punishment, but he still slowly dropped to his knees. "I thank the Alliance Master for his leniency."
Li Xiaolian waved his hand and continued, "The ten renowned weapons will be chosen by the top ten finishers of this Alliance Tournament, in order of their ranking."
"Furthermore, demonic cult spies infiltrated our alliance last night, which I am sure you have all heard about. This was due to a lapse in vigilance on our part. In addition to the three crates of silver from Zhongshan Hall, the Martial Arts Alliance will personally contribute another two crates, to be distributed equally among all participating disciples."
These words completely ignited the crowd. They had heard rumors about the demonic cult, but since nothing had happened today, they had assumed it wasn't a major issue. To think the Martial Arts Alliance would actually offer compensation for it! The cheers of the crowd grew louder wave after wave, effectively shutting the mouths of anyone who had intended to use the demonic cult incident to stir up trouble.
No one spared a glance for the pale-faced Wan Renshan.
Li Xiaolian's gaze fell upon his face as he softly delivered the final blow: "Tomorrow, this old man shall pay a visit in person."
Wan Renshan understood. His son's three-tenths of internal cultivation had to be crippled, without exception.
But things having reached this point, he could only bow his head in submission. After all, who else but he had been among those who pushed Li Xiaolian into the position of Alliance Master in the first place?
...If you can't beat them, you can only accept defeat. Such were the laws of the Jianghu.
Primitive, yet highly effective.
---
Li Yuezhou stretched his arms and legs. He felt like his entire body had gone stiff from standing on the platform for so long under all that tension.
His quarters were very secluded, entirely cut off from the commotion outside. Ever since that series of announcements, everyone had gathered together to discuss the news, allowing him to quietly slip away. Lu Zhaoye had been left behind at the venue, as Li Xiaolian still had matters to discuss with him.
"Zhou'er."
A gentle and clear voice drifted over. Li Yuezhou turned around to see a woman dressed in a teal robe with a cream-white outer vest walking toward him, carrying something in her hands.
Her dark hair was pinned up high, leaving only two strands draped over her chest. Her updo was wrapped in a matching green cloth. Her entire aura was fresh and ethereal, looking exactly like a fairy stepping out from the woods.
"Aunt Hua."
Li Yuezhou greeted her obediently. The fact that his limbs hadn't withered away after all these years of immobility was entirely thanks to Valley Master Hua.
She was an illustrious figure in the Jianghu, though she had lived in seclusion for years, leaving her direct disciples to represent her in the outside world. Her medical expertise was unparalleled.
And her seclusion in those early years hadn't been for any other reason than for Li Yuezhou himself.
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