Chapter 33: Donglan Martial Arts Tournament

"Patriarch, you mustn't, Patriarch!"

"Grandfather, please calm your anger, Grandfather!"

The Heng family was in a state of chaos, everyone scrambling to persuade him.

Old Master Heng Xiu finally calmed down a little, but upon seeing the large gold chain hanging around the ancestor's neck, he couldn't take it anymore:

"If our ancestor hadn't come from the East Garden, this would never have been placed here. Don't pull me! I am filled with shame; I'd rather be dead and done with it!"

"You can't, Patriarch!"

"Father!"

The crowd pleaded bitterly once more.

Heng Wei looked fiercely at Heng De, whose expression was shifting uncertainly, and roared: "Second Brother! Give us an explanation! Huh?"

Heng De's face was full of conflict. He had been busy these past few days and hadn't paid attention. It seemed only his precious son could do such a thing:

"My son, my son... although his ideas are unconventional and his filial piety is commendable, this time... he has indeed gone too far!"

Heng Xiu's anger flared: "Rebellious son! Show the dignity of a father and punish that rebellious grandson today!

Only then can we gain the ancestors' forgiveness and ensure our Heng family's victory in the Donglan Martial Arts Tournament!"

"Alright... fine!" Heng De truly couldn't withstand the questioning of his father and the elders. He looked at Su Wan'er, who was trembling nearby, and asked, "Where is the Young Master?"

Su Wan'er cautiously pointed toward the Lian Hua Chi not far away.

The crowd walked over, filled with astonishment.

Arriving at the edge of the pool and looking inside, even those with thick skin were left speechless!

They saw Heng Xian, stark naked, submerged at the bottom of the pool, strangely "running" back and forth. He was swimming quite fast!

Heng Xiu, Heng Wei, and the others were dumbfounded: "What kind of behavior is this?"

Heng De was also completely bewildered. He looked at Su Wan'er: "What is the Young Master doing?"

Su Wan'er bowed: "This servant does not know. It has been several days already. Perhaps... he is exercising his body!"

"Hmph!" Heng Wei waved his sleeve heavily: "He was normal for a few days, but now he's stopped doing family business and turned back into this ghost of a person!"

Heng Ruze, who had lost twenty pounds, his cheeks looking sunken, added: "When has Heng Xian ever done a single proper thing? It's truly incomprehensible!"

"Shut your mouth! My son is better than a brat like you whose head is full of women!" Heng De scolded.

Heng Ruze waved his sleeves in resentment. You didn't say that when your son was having his eighteen-person party.

Old Master Heng Xiu scolded: "Rebellious son!"

"Understood!" Heng De had no choice but to squat down, facing the water, and say softly: "Son, what you are doing is wrong. You cannot do this..."

"Is this what you call scolding your son?" Heng Wei stomped his foot violently.

"Boom—"

The entire lotus pond began to shake.

Heng Xian indeed floated to the surface, looked at the crowd with surprise, and said: "Please have some self-respect!"

Then, like a slippery fish, he dove back down.

The crowd fell into silence. Good heavens, he's even blaming us for being lewd?!

Old Master Heng Xiu took a deep breath, his anger finally dissipated, and he regained the aura of a Patriarch:

"Put this on the boy's tab. The time is late; let us offer sacrifices to the ancestors and welcome the guests!"

The crowd suppressed their embarrassment, offered incense to the ancestor with the large gold chain, recited the sacrificial text, and left in a hurry.

Heng De lingered a few steps behind and returned to the edge of the pool: "Son!"

Heng Xian immediately surfaced, blocking himself behind a lotus leaf: "What is it?"

Heng De looked conflicted: "Are... you not going?"

"That's right! Is Xian'er not going?"

At this moment, Heng Yue Ruo arrived with a group of maidservants and Xie Lingyu, who was dressed in tight-fitting clothes.

Seeing her nephew in the water, Heng Yue Ruo didn't mind.

Xie Lingyu looked curious, tilted her head to peek behind the lotus leaf, and her face turned red in a "swoosh."

Heng Xian shifted his body further inward: "Go where?"

The three were slightly stunned. Heng De sighed: "The Donglan Martial Arts Tournament, the grand event for the younger generation of all the city's families and major powers!"

Heng Xian said cleanly and concisely: "I have already imagined countless scenes in my head.

It is entirely a place for a bunch of young men and women to act cool and show off!

A mature and steady man like me won't be going!"

The three were choked up. Kid, you're only a fifteen-year-old little boy, alright?

And such a grand ceremony was analyzed by you in a few sentences as being completely vulgar!

Heng De was not quite ready to give up: "My son... aren't you quite good with a sword? Why not go up and try? Your father would love to see you show off your might!"

Heng Xian looked serious: "My sword is for killing people. I don't use it lightly. If I use it, I'm afraid they'll all have to kneel!"

"Hehe." Heng De, Heng Yue Ruo, and the others looked awkward. Would it kill you not to brag?

Seeing that they truly couldn't persuade Heng Xian, the three stopped trying and turned to leave!

Heng Xian lay on the edge of the pool, thinking to himself that this whole business of everyone comparing themselves to each other was a bit vulgar. The phrase "Dou Zhi Li Third Tier" even appeared in his mind!

At the first quarter of the morning.

People from all the major families and powers in the city flocked to the host, the Heng Family!

In the blink of an eye, the major streets were filled with people!

At the second quarter of the morning.

Guests began to enter the Heng family gates one after another!

Heng Xiu, Heng Wei, and Heng De personally received them, along with several of the Heng family's most senior elders!

The first to enter were Master Mo and seven other alchemists from the "Pill Refining Alliance," along with the Seventh Princess and her entourage!

Next were Master Xu and seven other artifact refiners from the "Artifact Refining Alliance!"

These sixteen people would serve as the appraisers and hosts for this "Donglan Martial Arts Tournament!"

Following them were:

City Lord Ye Baili, Ye family elders, relatives, 123 participating disciples, and over 5,600 wives, misses, and others!

Then came:

Xiao family Patriarch Xiao Nantian, Xiao family elders, relatives, 151 participating disciples, wives, and misses, totaling 5,000 people!

Li family:

Patriarch Li Ruhai, Li family elders, 140 participating relatives, along with wives and misses, nearly 5,000 people.

Sun family:

Patriarch Sun Heshan brought over 4,000 people!

Heng family:

5,000 people from the main family!

Next were over ten small families like the Xue family, with numbers ranging from dozens to hundreds!

There were also some highly respected rogue cultivators, prominent marketplace owners, and traveling cultivators...

In total, there were 80,000 to 90,000 people. Looking out, it was a sea of black, all dressed in fine clothes, gold, jade, and silk,

with handsome men, beautiful women, the old, the weak, and the young everywhere!

The scene was so luxurious, grand, and magnificent that it far exceeded previous years. There were even several people who looked like princesses or nobles from unknown origins mixed in!

Once everyone was seated, the eldest master, Heng Wei, went up to the stage, his face glowing, and delivered an opening speech that lasted for half a stick of incense!

Immediately after, he handed the list of 1,213 participants under the age of 20 from all the families and powers to the sixteen masters from the "Pill Refining Alliance" and "Artifact Refining Alliance."

After a stick of incense's worth of discussion and planning, the sixteen masters quickly finalized the battle list.

People began to raise tokens beneath the ten arenas.

First round:

Arena 1: Xue Qing vs. Song Yi!

Arena 2: Peng Wan vs. Tie Xinyu!

Arena 3: Ding Cong vs. Yan Ling'er!

The twenty participants, whose cultivation levels were only at the Acquired or early Innate stage,

were trembling with excitement as they took the stage, picked up their preferred weapons from the unified weapon racks beside the arenas,

announced their family names, and began to fight.

Because the vast majority were participating for the first time, in front of nearly 100,000 people—especially with their elders, relatives,

secret crushes, and friends watching—they became incredibly nervous.

They fought back and forth, looking like a bunch of amateurs!

Basically, no one cared about this kind of scene; the entire audience was chatting and gossiping.

Some noble ladies and wives even began reciting poetry!

After a third of a stick of incense, the twenty people gradually decided their winners and losers.

Aside from the participants' immediate families, almost no one cared about these results!

Subsequently, ten pairs after ten pairs took the stage to fight!

They fought until noon.

Over twenty matches had already ended, involving more than 400 people.

There were very few exciting moments!

The sixteen appraising masters announced the win-rate rankings for each family:

City Lord's Mansion first!

Xiao family second!

Sun family, in a rare turn, third!

Li family fourth!

Heng family at the bottom of the five major families, with a record only slightly higher than the Xue family!

Discussions were happening in all directions.

The Ye and Xiao families talked and laughed with restraint, looking indifferent.

The Li and Sun families chatted and laughed, also quite composed.

Only the Heng family was collectively silent.

The family knew its own situation; to save face, other families sent their bottom-tier disciples, but the Heng family had sent their relatively decent ones!

Had the Heng family... truly declined to this extent?

In the afternoon, the "Donglan Martial Arts Tournament" continued.

The core participants from each family and power began to take the stage.

The battle situation became somewhat more intense!

(The author is being lazy as hell, despising himself)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 34 =====