Lord of the Desert

Chapter 525 Feeling Honored
The dream after a hangover is as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, as vibrant and beautiful as a rainbow.

Hong Fu opened his heavy, leaden eyelids and his first reaction upon waking was that he was extremely thirsty.

"Xiao Yao, water."

He called out the name of his personal maid, his gaze focusing on the mother-of-pearl inlay and intricate carvings on the canopy of the rosewood bed.

The embroidered brocade covering her body was smooth and slightly cool to the touch. Her hands, roughened by the punching bag and weapons, were afraid of snagging the fabric.

Sunlight streamed through the crimson gauze window, the lotus scroll pattern on the gauze shimmering; the openwork silver incense burner hanging above the tent had long since gone out, leaving only a faint trace of agarwood fragrance.

Hong Fu pressed his forehead and sat up. The brocade quilt slipped off, revealing that he had changed into a light blue silk nightgown.

"By the way, I am in Shenjing, not Jinhai. This is the residence of Lord Zhanye of Beicheng."

He recalled the incredibly lavish banquet of the previous night, the countless bottles of aged wine he had drunk, and how he had finally been helped to bed by several pretty maids who had bathed and changed his clothes...

Hong Fu's cheeks burned. He took the robe hanging in the corner of the room, changed into it, and pushed open the door with its gilded bronze feet.

Sunlight streamed in.

The sounds of wind and people suddenly became clear.

The lapis lazuli paving outside was so shiny it reflected a mirror, and the sun was already past noon, though the sky was high in the sky and the sun was setting.

"The capital city, ah, is this the life of the powerful and wealthy in the capital city?"

Hong Fu sighed deeply and looked towards the open courtyard in the distance, following the sound of fists and feet clashing.

In the center of the courtyard, a square open-air stone platform was used as a makeshift arena, where two people were sparring.

On his left was Bai Jiaci, the captain of the sixth squad of the Red Ribbon Cavalry of Xijing, and on his right was his cousin Hong She.

Both of them are now at the realm of communion between heaven and man, but Bai Jiaci’s “Martial Tribulation Divine Pattern Scripture” which he switched to cultivating last year is significantly stronger than “Flame Flow Technique”, so he has the upper hand.

Hongfu looked around along the corridor and saw that the leftover food on the table yesterday, the fruit pits that had rolled down the steps, and the gold wine pot that had been overturned in the grass had all disappeared. Even the gauze curtains that were stained with oil had been replaced with new ones.

More than twenty people were scattered in the garden. Gao Junxia and Cui Yutang were leaning against the recliner under the stone platform, with the flowerbeds around them full of precious weeping crabapple trees.

White peacocks flitted among the trees on the opposite bank of the lake, like a moving bouquet of flowers.

"I have never seen such a luxurious courtyard before. I can't even imagine how much gold and silver it must have cost to entertain us this time."

Hong Fu carried a nanmu chair and sat down next to Gao and Cui.

“I’m currently managing the Tiannan branch and have seen a lot of money, but thinking about it still makes me feel sorry for Brother Fan.”

"Mr. Fu, you're overthinking it. These things don't cost any money."

Cui Yutang laughed.

"What did Young Master Cui say?"

Hong Fu asked curiously.

“This morning at breakfast I specifically asked the second young master, and he said that the banquet venue was voluntarily lent by Zhanye Gong, and the Ye family took care of all the expenses and arrangements.”

Cui Yutang displayed Jin Hai's top-notch gossip skills.

"According to my random inquiries over the past few days, rumors have it that Lord Zhanye holds shares in many aristocratic families' businesses in the capital, and his daily lifestyle is more extravagant than that of princes and princesses. In fact, he may be even richer than the current Second Young Master."

It sounds absurd that a Star Lord who is not known for his combat prowess and lives a life of extravagance surpassing that of the royal family; however, when the group thought of the domineering power of the Destiny Master, they found it not hard to understand—it's simply a matter of silencing him with money.

On the stone platform, Bai Jiaci had entered the Yellow Pattern state, which amplified his defense. He charged forward fiercely against the raging flames, preparing to end the battle.

Just then, a man strode over from the other end of the corridor; it was Shen Hong, who looked travel-worn.

"Old Shen, where have you been? I was looking for you at lunchtime."

Gao Junxia raised his hand in greeting.

"Since Young Master Meng Gao is so concerned, I went out to check on the courtyard this morning."

Shen Hong smiled and replied, "Ever since Young Master's triumphant return to the city, the gifts received at our residence have been endless, far too many to hold. So, Young Master asked me to rent a courtyard to store them first, and then sort them out as souvenirs for everyone's return. It's quite strange, actually, today the landlord of this courtyard heard my Liangzhou accent and asked if I knew Young Master. When he realized it was Young Master renting the room, he immediately gave me a 20% discount, saying he wanted to share in the joy of the prodigy!"

He had mediocre talent and his path in martial arts was cut short long ago, but in the past two years, as his master's family rose in status, he gradually experienced the feeling of being a "seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door," and at this moment, he was truly heroic and dashing.

"How many gifts could there be in one night that you need to rent a yard to display them?"

Hong Fu hissed in surprise.

Yes, absolutely!

Cui Yutang slapped his thigh and laughed.

"During the time you were hungover, I don't know how many messengers waited outside the mansion and how many invitations were delivered. It's said that seven invitations for the three dukes and four marquises have been collected!"

"Of course, this is the top of the Prodigy Ranking, the top of our Jinhai City!"

Gao Junxia was also very excited.

Is he really at the top of the list?

Hong Fu was still a little uneasy; this was a major topic of conversation at the dinner table last night after everyone got drunk.

"Brother Shi, didn't you say that the ranking of the prodigies doesn't count towards weapons at all...?"

"This time we definitely have to calculate it!"

Gao Junxia's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“The Wuxiangling cannot be separated from its master. How can it be the same as an ordinary weapon? Besides, the Zhangwu Academy and Brother Fan are not family. When a Star Lord meets another Star Lord, they are at least half relatives. It is right to lend a hand in this ambiguous matter.”

"Even if we take a step back, regardless of whether the Second Young Master is ranked first on that yellow list, he is still the number one fighter below the Yuan Magnetic Realm. At that time, Yi She himself said that his fighting strength had surpassed the Innate Realm. Later, I specifically asked Gu Qiang Kui and Xiao Dou Di, and they both agreed. The Second Young Master was restricted from flying by the arena, but he still defeated Yi She. He is absolutely invincible within the Innate Realm, regardless of his ranking on the list!"

After listening to his brother's resolute analysis, Hong Fu was overjoyed: "Young Master Gao is right; ha, if he really tops the list, wouldn't Brother Fan dominate it for a year and a half?"

"Yes, General Lü (Master Yun) checked last night. As long as the Second Young Master reaches the top, he will have the longest reign on the list in the past forty years."

Shen Hong took over the conversation.

"Does this mean there were even longer ones forty years ago?"

Hong Fu and Gao Junxia both had slightly cold expressions.

"Have you forgotten Shi Sheng of the Xin Sheng Sect in Haizhou?"

Cui Yutang reminded him.

Upon hearing this, the two suddenly realized what was going on.

Shi Haoran started practicing martial arts at the age of thirteen, topped the list of geniuses at the age of twenty-one, dominated the list for three years, and entered the first level of Yuan Ci before turning twenty-four. He became a martial saint at the age of sixty-four.

Looking at all the martial artists in the Nine Provinces today, his cultivation speed is second only to Guan Qimai.

"Alas, Shi Sheng is a supreme martial arts master, and his talent is among the best in our clan's two-thousand-year history. It's barely acceptable that he slightly surpasses Brother Fan..."

As Hongfu stroked his chin and finished speaking, he exchanged smiles with his brothers, all feeling a sense of pride and elation.

······
At the same time, at the Hong Mansion in the south of the city.

A rich, mixed fragrance filled the study.

"I personally released Fei Lian before I left home. If nothing unexpected happens, Xijing will receive the news tonight and Jinhai will receive it tomorrow morning."

Xiao Chu leaned back in his usual spot and said.

She was dressed in men's clothing today, with her long hair tied up, making her already tall and slender figure appear even more upright.

A seat away, Tang Xingqing stood ramrod straight, silently observing the stunningly beautiful royal princess not far away.

For their own reasons, neither of the two women attended the banquet at Ye Zhan's residence last night, hence this is their first meeting.

(End of this chapter)