Chapter 85: Strength determines status

The moon hung on the eastern branch.

Qinghe branch, Zhang residence.

Several beautiful girls danced in the middle with silk ribbons fluttering, each revealing arms as white as lotus roots, and one could vaguely see the roots of their thighs.

"Li Tangzhu, congratulations, congratulations."

Li Rui couldn't remember how many people had toasted him.

"Just luck."

He didn't hold back and drank a cup with everyone who came.

With the host and guests so satisfied, the atmosphere was naturally heated.

Zhang Yang knew that after Li Rui became Eighth-Rank, he immediately decided to hold a banquet and called everyone from his faction over.

"Ahem, ahem, everyone listen to me for a moment."

"Brother Li is a late bloomer, and I, as his younger brother, am very happy in my heart. From now on, Brother Li is my own elder brother. How you treat me, you must treat Brother Li; otherwise, I won't agree first!"

The meaning was very clear.

Li Rui was now the number two figure in their faction.

Strength determines status.

Now that Li Rui had broken through, he was Eighth-Rank just like him; although they were currently in a superior-subordinate relationship, they would soon be on equal footing, and at worst, he would be a Great Elder.

His relationship with Li Rui was already good, and Zhang Yang wanted to win Li Rui over by all means to strengthen his faction's power.

Li Rui cupped his fists: "We are all brothers, I'm just an old man; if you don't mind, just call me Brother Li."

"Brother Li."

"Brother Li."

Almost everyone present was familiar with Li Rui, and each of them started flattering him as if their mouths were smeared with honey.

Something about being a late bloomer, an old dragon.

Something about being a contemporary Saint Jiang, seventy is not too late.

Something about being old but vigorous, white hair and youthful face.

Li Rui, of course, didn't believe a single word.

At sixty, one is at ease.

It refers to the ability to correctly view what others say after living for a long time.

He was already seventy and knew too well what was sincere and what was fake.

It was just acting.

After a dance, one by one, the beauties sat beside the guests or on their laps.

"So Zhang Yang doesn't just like listening to music."

Li Rui held a girl who looked delicate and lovely.

The difference in status could be seen from this.

Before, it was him and Wu Tu accompanying Zhang Yang; Zhang Yang was the superior and needed subordinates to provide value, doing whatever made him happy. Now it was different; it was according to Li Rui's taste.

Although Li Rui preferred younger aunts.

Late at night.

Li Rui, with a drunken air, stumbled out of the Zhang residence.

Several people had their arms around each other's shoulders.

"Brother Li, from now on, wherever you point, your younger brother will fight, no hesitation."

"That woman from the Liu family in the east of the city, forty years old and looks like eighteen, let's go take a look another day, Brother Li."

"Damn it, what do you take Brother Li for?"

Li Rui didn't speak, just listened with a smile.

They dispersed.

He staggered quite a distance.

His steps became steadier and steadier.

Looking at his face, there was no sign of being drunk at all.

Acting requires not being completely sober, but making a fool of oneself when drunk is even worse; Li Rui had long since mastered this degree perfectly.

If he were truly drunk and made a fool of himself, that would be falling into the inferior class.

"Tomorrow, the branch master should find me."

Exposing his Eighth-Rank strength was, of course, part of his plan.

Now that he was Jade Bone, the next step was Willow Sinew.

Stepping into the Willow Sinew Realm requires ten times more resources than Bronze Bone; it's hard to avoid many inconveniences with his current status.

Besides.

As his realm deepens, some things will eventually be impossible to hide.

Walking in the night in embroidered clothes isn't hiding one's clumsiness, but being stupid.

Taking the initiative to show it and being discovered by others are two completely different attributes; everything today had been thought out when Zhang Yang sent someone to his door.

The next day.

Hun Tian Yi Hall had two distinguished guests.

"Alliance Leader Tang, Branch Master Dao."

Li Rui looked at Tang Sheng with some surprise.

This Deputy Alliance Leader Tang hadn't been in a hurry to leave Qinghe after the Ghost Gui Ming Jiao affair, ostensibly saying he was guarding the branch to prevent Ghost Gui Ming Jiao monsters from taking the opportunity to do evil.

He didn't expect Deputy Alliance Leader Tang Sheng to come in person.

"Li Rui, right? I remember you."

Tang Sheng laughed.

Because Li Rui was older than him, he didn't put on the airs of a superior and was very approachable.

Hearing Dao Xiong also laughed loudly:

"Deputy Branch Master Zhang has already told me about your affairs; this is Qinghe's blessing, congratulations."

Zhou Shulin looked at the two big shots.

He swallowed his saliva.

Since the establishment of the Qinghe branch, has the Branch Master ever come to Hun Tian Yi Hall?

Not even once.

Deputy Alliance Leader Tang was even less likely.

The place is honored, truly honored.

He regretted not wiping the bookshelves of Hun Tian Yi Hall brighter today.

Tang Sheng looked at Li Rui.

Old but not decadent, spirit restrained, indeed somewhat unusual.

"This is a sign of the prosperity of our Heaven and Earth Alliance."

In ancient times, everyone believed in such things as auspicious signs.

A hunter seeing a white deer while hunting can be seen as an auspicious sign; seeing auspicious clouds when going out can also be seen as an auspicious sign.

Simply categorized, as long as it's something rare, it can mostly be counted as an auspicious sign.

Li Rui practicing martial arts at seventy and breaking through two ranks within a year is, of course, an auspicious sign among auspicious signs.

Report it to the imperial court.

That is evidence of the people's peace and the country's great governance.

Placed in the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

That is a sign that the alliance will prosper.

Not to mention that Alliance Leader Ning of the Heaven and Earth Alliance has already stepped into the Sixth Rank, visibly going to prosper; now the number of experts in the Heaven and Earth Alliance is more than double what it was before.

Long ago, they had pulled away from the other two gangs and three families.

Hearing Dao Xiong smiled.

Li Rui's breakthrough is also a merit for him.

"Hall Master Li, being a Hall Master of Hun Tian Yi Hall is really a waste; why not be a Hall Master of the Civil and Martial Arts Hall first, with your salary doubled, and when the big exam comes next year, you will definitely get a good ranking."

He could be said to be full of sincerity.

The Hall Master of the Civil and Martial Arts Hall is the person with the highest status under the Deputy Branch Master.

The oil and water are even frighteningly abundant.

Hearing Dao Xiong, of course, knew all these things; doubling the salary was already the maximum condition he could give.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance has the rules of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

Involving the Deputy Branch Master, he couldn't make the decision himself.

The sincerity could not be said to be insufficient.

Li Rui was just about to speak.

Tang Sheng said first: "Special matters should be handled specially. Brother Li is seventy and doesn't slack off, which can inspire the disciples in the alliance to practice martial arts diligently; he has the merit of being a role model. I will talk to the general headquarters about this; you can sit in the position of Deputy Branch Master first, Branch Master Dao, you should arrange it properly."

An Eighth-Rank master naturally isn't worth Tang Sheng going to such great lengths.

The key is that the timing of Li Rui's breakthrough is very good.

Now the Heaven and Earth Alliance is developing larger and larger, and it certainly can't be like before, recruiting people from outside; it still needs to cultivate its own talents in the alliance.

Otherwise, they are all halfway monks, with no loyalty to speak of.

That won't do.

Li Rui can inspire those little cubs below very well; if a seventy-year-old grandfather is striving for self-improvement, what excuse do you have not to work hard?

"Many thanks, Alliance Leader Tang."

Li Rui was happy.

In this way, the progress of making money can be greatly improved.

Time is money.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 86 =====