Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 753 Together as Like-minded People
When He Yaoyao walked to the front of the Sword Cultivation Hall and took the hand of the boy who had been staring at everyone for an hour and a half, the terrace erupted in chaos.

Of course, it wasn't just people at Shaolong's banquet who were discussing it. Although many people in the garden didn't recognize Pei Shaoxia, quite a few people actually did.

For example, the young girl and boy from Kongtong were completely mesmerized when the figure on the pool sheathed his sword, and when they came to their senses, they were so excited that they almost jumped up.

Pei Ye himself might not have remembered it all, but he had given Kong Lanting guidance, saved Guan Qianyan's life, and avenged Zhang Jingbi. After he disappeared from Shaolong Prefecture, the three young men kept asking about him.

Fortunately, Guan Qianyan and the Jade Jade Sect Leader had formed a friendship in the prefectural city, and by the end of winter, they finally learned that Pei Ye was in the capital.

Therefore, before coming to Shenjing, the three young people had always hoped to see that young hero again—if he had any difficulties in Shenjing, Kongtong could provide some assistance.

However, on their very first day in Shenjing, they learned how well Pei Shaoxia was doing in the capital.

At this point, everyone felt embarrassed to go looking for him. Kongtong's reputation was bad and its strength was weakened. Going to him might not be a good thing for Young Hero Pei. It would be better to wait for a suitable time to meet and say hello.

Of course, even if one wanted to search for it, it has indeed been unsuccessful in recent months.

When outsiders come to the capital, they always have at least a house and a place to work. By looking down from these two things, one can often find out which faction in the capital is close to them and which person they are under.

But Young Master Pei couldn't find either of those things, and he rarely even went to the Sword Cultivation Academy. It seemed that although the entire capital knew his name, he didn't actually reside there.

No one knows where he lives or where the money he spends comes from.

So when the Tianshan Sword Banquet arrived today, the three of them looked towards the Sword Cultivation Academy's banquet early in the morning. After looking for a long time without seeing him, they thought that Young Master Pei was not coming again. It wasn't until a while later that they subconsciously looked in that direction and saw Young Master Pei looking over. They were pleasantly surprised and greeted him.

Therefore, when Pei Ye walked down into the pond, the three of them watched everything with complete concentration. Later, when they heard him discussing swordsmanship and reasoning with several disciples, they felt a strange sense of pride, as if being from the same hometown as Pei Ye and knowing him earlier than these surprised people was something to be proud of.

For example, the young men and women of Xiaoyun Mountain.

They weren't familiar with the name, but everyone remembered the face with morning glow that was leaning against the window on the second floor of the Liuzhen Inn, before the third day of the third lunar month had even arrived in the capital.

At that time, he called himself Pei Ye and gave them a few pointers on Yun Lang's sword principles. No one knew who he really was until the older and handsome man who called himself Dongting Zhu Gaoyang came later.

It was only after entering Shenjing that I began to hear the legends of the two of them on the Eight Rivers.

Suddenly seeing this face here, I was almost in a daze.

But the people who recognized him best were, of course, those outside the circle of martial arts practitioners, on the second-floor pavilion bathed in the wind and sun.

The atmosphere was initially cheerful, with everyone quite interested in the graceful woman in the yellow floral dress. Her slender sword, like her, didn't look particularly formidable.

The way he was called was quite interesting. He kept his head slightly bowed, and when he stood up, he forgot to take his sword. Although his words were polite, his tone was very flat, which was rather endearing.

This is the woman whom Chairman Cui described as the current generation's top swordswoman of the five major schools of the Continuation Mountain, ranking as the third-best swordswoman.

So when she walked westward without saying a word, everyone was curious to see who her friend was. Even Chairman Li put his arm around the railing with great interest.

Then she went over and helped Pei Ye, the young hero, up.

They grabbed the boy, whom everyone had been eagerly anticipating and whose eyes had been shining with anticipation, and pulled him up by the hand.

In an instant, all eyes turned sharply to Chairman Cui in the center, but Chairman Cui did not look at them; instead, she stared forward with her clear and beautiful eyes.

The terrace fell silent as everyone watched in silence as the woman led Pei Ye, the young hero, step by step to the center. She then introduced him, saying, "This is my friend," and finally took a small step to shield herself behind Pei Ye.

The young man's clear, confident voice echoed throughout the small garden. After a long while, someone whispered, "How come she knows Young Hero Pei Ye too..."

"They seem to have a good relationship." (Observing details.)

"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" she asked inquisitively.

"This is the fifth one." He said, counting on his fingers with his head down.

"Young Master Pei Ye is a womanizer." That was the conclusion drawn.

Cui Zhaoye also fell silent for a moment, because at this moment she also felt that she hadn't seen Pei Ye for long, but suddenly so many women she didn't recognize appeared.

But then a gentle voice rang out from the side: "Young Master Pei Ye is not a lecher. He is kind-hearted and compassionate. That's why this disciple of Crane asked him for help. He always cares more about the dangers of others than his own reputation."

Everyone turned to look and saw the girl in the green dress and feather makeup. They smiled and said, "If Young Hero Pei Ye didn't rush to help those in distress and stand idly by, then he wouldn't be worthy of everyone's affection, would he?"

The crowd was already curious about and admired the new president, finding her to be exceptionally talented and capable in both speech and action. But when she spoke, they immediately remembered that Pei Ye had always been an upright and humble person, and couldn't help but feel ashamed of their overthinking.

Although some people wondered to themselves, "What kind of danger is it for her to practice swordsmanship in the pool?", these were ultimately very few voices.

"Then, Sect Leader Li, can Young Hero Pei Ye pass this sword challenge?" The girls asked, their voices a mixture of worry and a hint of anticipation.

Although no one could understand the swordplay, the previous disciples of Luwei and Shang Yunning had already participated in the pool test, and the top ten on the duck ranking list were probably the most powerful names in Shenjing. Even they had failed before this sword challenge, so it must be very difficult. Although everyone knew that Young Hero Pei Ye was also very powerful, they still lacked confidence.

But this was also the first time that Young Master Pei Ye had stood up from his desk. For the past hour or so, everyone had been watching the swordsmen compete, eagerly anticipating Young Master Pei Ye's turn to draw his sword. Now, he had finally stood up with his sword in hand.

So everyone was both nervous and expectant.

“Of course he can pass,” Li Piaoqing said with a smile. “He will definitely pass.”

"...Really?" Chairman Cui didn't say anything. Everyone was really surprised to hear such a matter-of-fact answer and was half-believing and half-doubting.

"What if I don't pass?"

"If he fails... then he's probably thinking about something else today." Li Piaoqing gazed at the figure in the distance. "If he concentrates and tries again, he'll definitely pass."

"...Sect Leader Li, why are you so familiar with Young Hero Pei Ye?"

"Fool, both Sect Leader Li and Young Hero Pei Ye are from Shaolong, they must know each other—isn't it Sect Leader Li?"

Li Piaoqing smiled and said, "Yes, like President Cui, I am a very good friend of Young Hero Pei Ye."

Cui Zhaoye was startled: "My relationship with Young Hero Pei Ye... is not as good as that with President Li." But this anxious anticipation did not last long. When Pei Ye stepped into the pool, the entire terrace fell silent.

When the young man stepped onto the water, he looked like an immortal, with his long sword hanging at his waist. Suddenly, everyone understood what Chairman Cui often said: "The most handsome man in the world is Young Master Pei when he wields a sword." They also understood why everyone had been discussing Young Master Pei Ye, who was seated at the table, while Chairman Cui had shown no desire to participate.

There probably wasn't much to see in Pei Ye's works back then.

People must have a certain kind of temperament. When he grasped the sword, it was as if he held the whole world in his hands. The young man calmly watched the rising, arrogant reflection in the water. For the next quarter of an hour, everyone learned for the first time that such a sword existed in the world.

The traces left in the minds of the previous hundred swordsmen, Luwei, Shang Yunning, and everyone else were all wiped away, and the sword light became bland and tasteless.

The boy was chatting and laughing on the shore, but once he stepped into the pond, he strolled leisurely amidst the myriad swords. No matter how sharp the sword light was, he simply raised his sword to deflect it. Bloodstains and broken hair floated in his field of vision, but they did not disturb his serious and calm eyes.

In the end, no one really understood how he won, but everyone saw the final sword strike of that gray shadow, and their entire being was instantly seized and enveloped, as if the ice marks were spreading to the deepest part of their souls.

It was a terrifying sword strike, like that of an evil god, already revealing some of its aura, but it couldn't fully display its characteristics.

Amidst the frost and snow, the boy stood still like a spring tree. He closed his eyes, and with a light yet precise gesture, everything shattered.

The impending, chilling sword strike, the grey shadow on the pond, and even the "mirror" that enveloped the entire garden, all shattered into a series of beautiful jade sounds.

The young man gracefully sheathed his sword, his face still bearing that gentle smile, as if he had done something insignificant during their conversation.

So at this moment, the terrace was very quiet, and everyone stopped thinking about Pei Ye making friends with so many girls. They all leaned on the railing.

Is it really worth mentioning that Young Master Pei Ye enjoys drinking with courtesans?
“That is Young Hero Pei Ye’s Heart Sword.” After a long while, Chairman Cui said softly.

……

……

An extra seat was added by the central pond, the water calmed down, and the murmurs in the garden finally subsided.

Although many people were still looking towards the center, the swordplay could at least continue.

There was no particular order among the Thirty-Three Sword Sects. Disciples from various sects joined the competition in a mixed manner, either invited by those at the pool or requested by those at the banquet. Each disciple's invitation had at least two golden pens, allowing them to participate in the competition twice.

This ensures that about half of the sword banquet time is reserved for the disciples of the Thirty-Three Sword Sect.

The only change was that there were more inquiries about the seven central seats afterward, as if everyone who took the stage didn't want to miss the opportunity to learn from them.

Although there was no longer the same momentum as Ning Shuhong's earlier event, everyone from the top seven seats to the smaller factions was willing to offer their opinions, creating a truly lively scene.

Almost everyone from the Sword Cultivation Academy made an appearance. Jiang Yin'er, nicknamed "Little White Dragon," was a well-known figure, and the audience cheered softly when she entered the arena.

However, the young woman did not linger. She accepted the two swordsmen's invitation to spar, and then bowed to the Seven Seats, inviting the rest of the group to a duel.

Pei Ye watched Qun Fei's expression from the side. He originally wanted to act as a mediator for his sister, but Qun Fei was very straightforward and stood up with his sword drawn.

Pei Ye even felt that she was somewhat happy.

Jiang Yin'er naturally couldn't defeat this Tianshan "Young Master," but Qun Fei's swordsmanship was very cooperative. Qun Fei gave Jiang Yin'er plenty of room to try almost everything she wanted to do. In the end, Jiang Yin'er sincerely thanked this true master of Tianshan.

Jiang Yin'er did not ask her elder brother at the table for advice, but she prepared questions for Lu Wei and Shang Yun Ning, and finally left satisfied.

As Pei Ye was a relatively unfamiliar figure, people didn't really know how to ask him for advice, and he received very few questions.

In addition, he felt that he had already made quite a splash. After all, the Tianshan Sword Banquet was half a place for various sects to compete and for swordsmen to seek fame. Being too high-profile would inevitably attract resentment. Therefore, he only echoed a few words afterward and did not speak much.

When the boys and girls from Xiaoyun Mountain went off the field, the reaction on the field seemed indifferent, so Pei Ye went off the field to practice with them.

As the sword banquet drew to a close, everyone seemed to be getting a little tired.

Today was certainly spectacular, and Tianshan's work was grand and magnificent. The only regret is that the most anticipated title has yet to materialize.

Those five seats, perched high on the stone, seemed to have grown there over several hours, almost becoming statues themselves. While this was both astonishing and admirable, their complete silence was truly disappointing.

Until another seat was taken.

No one paid much attention at the time. Kongtong was just an ordinary sect among the Thirty-Three Sword Sects. In recent years, they had lost their momentum and had fallen to the bottom.

Although the Thirty-Three Swords Sect has never changed, it has never said that it will not change its members. So over the years, Kongtong has always been wandering on a vaguely dangerous line. If Ji Zhuowu had not returned to the mountain this year and entered the top 20 of the Fu Ranking in an extraordinary way, Kongtong would probably have had almost no voice in Shenjing this year.

Therefore, Kongtong was very low-key today, and Zhang Jingbi was the first to leave the stage.

He had indeed prepared for a long time and knew that his skills were not yet proficient; his palms were secretly sweating as he stepped onto the pool surface.

For many years, he was trapped by his father's death, and his emotions were paranoid and irritable. Only in the last six months did he seem to grow out of that damp and stuffy shell and smell some fresh air.

Kongtong has no young talents left, so he had no choice but to stand on the surface of the pool. The young man had obviously become much more grounded and brave. He knew he was going to lose, but he was prepared to face it honestly.

Just like the atmosphere of the previous few hours, it was enough to be able to gather in the garden, exchange ideas and learn from each other.

He stood by the pond, waiting for someone to come down, because he didn't really know anyone and didn't know who to invite... But then the garden fell silent.

Wen Suoqu opened his eyes for the first time, his pale gaze falling on the nervous boy on the pond.

The tone was devoid of anger or any other emotion, as if it were simply reciting a clause that was none of one's business.

He said calmly, "I hereby inform you all that Yun Lang is currently forbidden from associating with Kongtong."

The entire garden fell silent. The boy was first stunned, then froze, his face gradually turning deathly pale.

(End of this chapter)