"Didn't you say there was going to be a member of the Immortal Association to welcome us and get us settled in before the award ceremony?" Xu Lanyi complained. "Now what are we supposed to do?"
"Er… yes, but…" Chen Wentian scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Master, that woman came here with no good intentions. We don't need her!" Zhou Ziyun said.
"Yeah! We don't need her!" Lin Qingcheng cheered.
"Sir Immortal!" A voice suddenly interrupted them.
It came from above, and the flying boats from a few moments ago had floated over and were now floating a few meters above them. There was a dashing youth at the bow, clad in glittering silks that glowed a soft powder blue. He had blue eyes and striking silver-white hair. He even wore makeup.
The only way Chen Wentian could describe this person was a dandy…
The questionable person jumped down and landed neatly in front of him.
"Greetings Immortal Blue Dragon! My name is Nanjiang Siyuan of the Nanjiang Clan, welcome to the capital!"
For a Spirit Initiate Realm person to approach an immortal on their own accord, it meant their background wasn't simple. Did this pretty boy have such a background?
Chen Wentian immediately disliked this person based on principle. Nanjiang Siyuan reminded him of the young masters and princes in the past that stole all the girls he liked. Was this situation going to become a repeat of the past, of course not!
"Well met." Chen Wentian replied curtly, "Young master Nanjiang, can I help you with anything?"
"Hahaha!" The man laughed brightly. Even his voice sounded strong and confident and totally annoying. "Sir Chen, actually, I would like to help you! You are here for the awards ceremony of the Immortal Sect Competition. Ten Thousand Flower Valley was just established but your valorous name has spread far and wide!"
Nanjiang Siyuan then clasped his hands and bowed towards his disciples, "And your disciples are equally amazing and brilliant! Their performance in the competition shocked all of us. Truly, a genius master produces genius disciples!"
He smiled widely after speaking and looked intently at the women in front of him. However, his words weren't able to elicit the responses he expected. Instead, ones like Lin Qingcheng and the twins looked puzzled while Xu Lanyi looked openly hostile.
"This… Sir Chen, may I be introduced to your disciples?"
No answer.
"Sir Chen! My Gilded Cloud Sailor may be of use to you. It is spacious and fast. The Sky District is extremely far from here but we'll be there with just a short flight. I can…"
"Excuse me." Chen Wentian finally shoved this annoying man aside with his spiritual aura.
"Sir Chen! What are you doing?" Nanjiang Siyuan asked indignantly.
"Qianyu, carriage."
"Yes, master."
With a wave of her hand, Turtle Can Fly appeared, taking up the space directly between them and the pesky young man.
Chen Wentian smiled appreciatively at her and then gestured to the others. They were all ready to leave. Nanjiang Siyuan's supposed charms had no effect on them. Perhaps if they were innocent maidens… but now it was useless.
They all filed into the small carriage, even quicker than that time during the battle with the green goblin greater demon. With everyone inside, the Turtle Can Fly lifted off rapidly with hardly any fluctuations of air and shot off towards the east.
Nanjiang Siyuan was left on the ground, awkwardly standing alone.
After Turtle Can Fly disappeared from sight, the other flying boat descended and several more young masters landed beside him. They all wore equally rich outfits of varying colors and carried themselves with the same kind of spoilt aura.
"Do not be disheartened Brother Siyuan!" The first newcomer said loudly. "Let big brother take you to the Lake District for some fun. You'll immediately forget those peasant women!"
"Zhen Tianlei, get lost! This daddy doesn't need your trash taste in women!" Nanjiang Siyuan spat, "Do you even know who those women were?"
Zhen Tianlei was slightly overweight and had a thin hairline. When he tried to look angry, it created a double chin that lost him all semblance of seriousness.
"I didn't see, I was preoccupied… It was just some trash Spirit Lord, right?"
"Hahaha! Big brother, you missed some good scenery! That trash Spirit Lord was Chen Wentian, master of Wu Qianyu and Long Yifei!" The third one said.
"What? Heroine Wu?" Zhen Tianlei shouted, "You're not lying to me?"
"Peh, If I've lied to you, then my name is not Chen Dou!"
"Ahhhhhh, I can't believe I missed them!" Zhen Tianlei howled as if he had lost a loved one.
He waved his hands and withdrew a thick scroll from his spatial bag. He unfurled it, revealing crowded and small text surrounding portraits of various women. He buried his face in it until he stopped at the one he wanted.
"Wu Qianyu, age thirty-two, the paragon of righteousness. Stories have spread across the eastern provinces of an indomitable heroine that slays demons and protects the helpless. To this day, she has not lost a single battle. In one breath, she can slaughter an entire goblin army in the thousands. Nobody knew about her but every step she has taken has shaken the cultivation world. Nobody can explain how but she is has held onto the first-place position in the Monster Fighting Competition so firmly that every betting house has closed all bets on her winning the whole thing. You can bet on her losing only if you are dumb enough!"
Zhen Tianlei took a long breath and continued reading, "Her personality kind and gentle towards those she holds dear and yet she is fierce towards her enemies. Her chosen weapon is a thin sword, most suitable for a heroine like her. Outside of the capital, she is the one with the greatest chance of ascending to the immortal realms. And currently… her status is single!"
"Waaaa!"
"I want her!"
"No, I called dibs!"
The surrounding young masters went crazy with excitement. Even the commoners around them were shocked. They didn't expect such a big shot to appear here.
"Hmph, getting excited merely over Wu Qianyu, I am ashamed to be associated with you guys." Nanjiang Siyuan said, "Why don't you use your little brains. If Wu Qianyu is here, then what does that mean? It means so was Long Yifei! She was standing right there!"
He then pointed to a path of ground fiercely as if it was sacred.
"Long Yifei!"
"Why didn't I come down!"
"You lie!"
"Quick, brother Tianlei, what does it say about the Snow Fairy?"
"… Each of you has read the entry on her countless times!" Zhen Tianlei complained.
"Come on!"
"We forgot!"
"Fine, fine… Long Yifei, age thirty-three. Birth is unknown. The Snow Fairy was picked up by Immortal Frost Diamond Murong Aiyin as a baby and raised to be the future successor of Glacier Palace. Her fame rose as quickly as her cultivation. She is a peerless beauty, simply divine, an angel descended from the endless heavens. She is publicly recognized as the most beautiful woman of the subcontinent for several generations. She has no family, no friends, but countless admirers across the land."
"It is said that whoever is able to marry her will experience nine generations of prosperity and fortune. Whoever dares to hurt her will suffer complete decimation of their entire clan. Even when her master conspired together with the Divine Blazing Mountain sect master, she managed to survive. She is the very definition of being blessed! And after joining Ten Thousand Valley…"
Zhen Tianlei suddenly choked.
"What happened after?"
"Quick, tell us!"
"Cough, cough… After joining Ten Thousand Valley, information is spotty. She managed to regain her previous ranking after dropping all the way out of the top one hundred. Many believe that this rebound was far outside of her capabilities given the time remaining in the competition. The only explanation is that her new master, Chen Wentian, heavily favored this new disciple and committed all of his resources. There are also unconfirmed reports that…"
"That what?"
"Hurry!"
"That… that… that she has already become his woman!"
"What!"
"Impossible!"
The entire town square was in an uproar. How could the most beautiful jewel of the subcontinent be taken by trashy Spirit Lord?
The young masters were all furious. Even the bystanders were offended. If it had to be anyone, it had to be someone from the capital, Eastern Sanmu Metropolis, not a peasant from the countryside!
"Quick, back to the boats, we have to chase them down and verify this!" Nanjiang Siyuan yelled.
"Chase!"
"Go!"
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