Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 778 Wedding (Part )

When the procession, complete with music and fanfare, entered the alley, the guests all went out to greet and watch.

Pei Ye and the other young men from the south got up together and went to the front yard. The wide avenue was already surrounded by people, and a long line was heading towards the main house.

Pei Ye had rarely seen a wedding ceremony before, and today he had probably witnessed the most complicated ceremony in the world. After going through several rounds of procedures, Yong Ji finally led Li Youlong down the steps.

Pei Ye gazed at Meng'er's figure for a while, and then saw her profile in a car behind.

The maid was leaning against the carriage window, gazing at her master, her chin slightly drooping, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Pei Ye gazed at her from afar for a while, and a faint smile slowly curved the corners of her lips.

In Pei Ye's memory, this silly maid was like a sparrow with broken wings, constantly trying to hop and flutter against the high palace wall. She could jump half a foot before, and later she tried her best to jump almost a foot, scraping her feathers and getting hurt. She kept chattering that she would definitely be able to jump over it one day.

However, the walls of Daming Palace were nearly two zhang high.

If you were to ask Pei Ye about his most commendable achievement in the Daming Palace, it would naturally be his direct confrontation with Yu Sicheng of the [Mercury Floating Raft]. But if you were to ask him about his proudest moments, there are only two: one is lifting up the little sparrow covered in wounds by the wall, and the other is the [Unrestrained] technique he used in front of Zhu Jing's bedchamber.

Meng'er's life or death is none of anyone's business, and whether her wish is fulfilled or not will not affect anything. Neither Yong Yu's victory nor Li Pei's victory requires her as a condition.

But Wei Qingju really left her a flower, which Li Xizhou eventually returned to her. From that moment on, Pei Ye had a strong urge to help Li Xizhou move forward.

Sending the weakest, most crippled sparrow in the world to leap over the coldest palace walls is meaningless, but he truly enjoys it.

What brings him more satisfaction than any great achievements is his accomplishments. His achievements often come from victories and killings, and he is usually not in a good mood when he is killing.

I wonder if Grandpa Yue became close friends with the late empress for the same reason back then. Maybe not, because he increasingly felt that he was much gentler and more sensitive than the old man.

He watched quietly, but Meng'er, as if sensing something, turned around and scanned the crowd blankly. But even as the carriage entered the mansion, she couldn't find the boy's face.

Once the ceremony was complete, firecrackers crackled, and the guests laughed and chatted. There probably wouldn't be such a large gathering for several years; it practically encompassed the entire capital.

"So this is what the Prince of Yan looks like. The Sixth Prince also looks cold and aloof. If these two lived together, wouldn't their home be cold and deserted?"

"You're meddling too much. Go back and continue drinking."

The aristocratic officials and courtiers, after witnessing this scene, were discussing something they didn't understand, but the matters discussed by the martial arts elites were always very clear.

As the group returned together and sat down, someone finally couldn't help but tilt their head and ask, "Master Yuan, did you see how strong this Prince Yan is?"

The person being questioned was dressed as a scholar, but his long hair hung down on both sides like seaweed. He had bronze skin and was drinking with his head down. He only raised his eyes when he was called again. His right eye was normal, but his left eye was emerald green.

His pupils weren't rough in texture, but they did have a wooden and dull quality, and many people at the table looked at him.

The man surnamed Yuan said in a low voice, "Anyway, it's better than all of you combined."

This statement was rather unpleasant to hear, but surprisingly, no one refuted it. This was because those sitting here were either disciples of the Thirty-Three Swords Sect or outstanding talents listed on the Duck Ranking, possessing exceptional vision and knowledge.

Although the prince only showed himself once, he did not conceal his power at all. Cultivators in the Northern Territory are also full of blood and energy, so their strength is easily discernible from the outside.

It is truly like a ferocious beast that has come from the ancient past.

The sheer force of the attack, the terrifying power to crush mountains and seas, the horrifying sight of bones breaking and flesh being crushed—everyone couldn't help but cast a few glances at it, some even with a scrutinizing air. But the stronger the hostility, the harder it was for those to quell that moment of fear.

"This young master is only seventeen years old. Although I guessed that he hadn't made it into the rankings because he hadn't made a move, I thought he would just be like that Shenxiao disciple, jumping from the hundreds to the top 100 or top 50 and that would be it. Who would have thought he would be so amazing... Isn't he just another Mei Jianxi?"

Do you think this young master will participate in the Feather Scale Trial?

"The only son of the Northern King, a man of noble birth, of course not. And empty fame in the martial world is of no use to him."

"It's a pity I didn't get to see him make a move. These days, the top ranks of the Feather Ranking are all swordsmen. I really want to witness the power of the cultivators from the Northern Territory."

"Brother Yuan, why don't you give us some pointers? Why are you just drinking alone in silence?"

Several acquaintances noticed that this swordsman from the South China Sea was different from usual. In the past, when he met a renowned cultivator, he was always the most talkative. But today, when he met someone like the Prince of Yan, he seemed to have suddenly lost his interest in conversation.

"...What is there to say? The Prince of Yan is very strong, as everyone can see." The man surnamed Yuan said calmly, "Let's not talk about people's strength in idle chatter. Some strangers don't like to be looked at with their eyes closed, and I naturally won't look either."

"..." The man was speechless.

Some people couldn't help but wonder: "What kind of extraordinary insight does this Brother Yuan possess?"

"Haha, my friends from Shu don't usually see the sea, but today they're seeing something new—this is the true disciple of Yuan Zhichao, the true disciple of the South Sea Abyss Court. He possesses extraordinary eyes, and he can see at a glance who is powerful and who is not."

Yuan Zhichao sighed.

On the other side, Shang Lang tilted his head curiously: "Can this person tell how powerful someone is?"

He turned his head towards Pei Ye, who was momentarily taken aback. Zhu Gaoyang, standing beside him, smiled and reminded him, "Don't you know about the South Sea Abyss Court?"

Pei Ye suddenly realized what was happening and said, "Oh."

Zhu Gaoyang nodded: "That is [Sea Eyes·Knowledge Torch]."

"I see."

Shang Lang frowned: "Hey, there are three of us talking."

Pei Ye laughed: "If you don't practice swordsmanship, you don't understand the ways of the martial world as well as I do now—Nanhai Yuanting doesn't talk about it often, but it is one of the Twelve Sword Sects."

Nanhai Yuanting is indeed one of the twelve schools among the Thirty-Three Sword Schools, ranking alongside the Five Schools of Taoism, Tianshan, and Shushan. It is mysterious and remote, being the southernmost sword school in the Tang Dynasty. It is located deep in the South China Sea, standing on islands and reefs. The Central Plains do not know much about it, and the Jianghu in the south has little contact with it.

However, there is a method that is famous throughout the martial arts world: the Yuanting Pupil Technique has a vast and ancient lineage. It is said that it can replace the strange things in the sea into the pupils to achieve miraculous effects.

【Knowledge Torch】is one of the main types, and also the one that has the most contact with the general public. It is said that it can make the pupil master extremely sensitive to the threat posed by the person entering their eyes, and the more dangerous the person is, the brighter they appear in the pupil master's eyes.

It is now clear that the Prince of Yan's heir will shine as brightly as the sun, but the original master who used to be willing to share what he saw has inexplicably fallen silent.

"Brother Yuan, let's not talk about the heir anymore. Look at Chief Zhu, hasn't he gone blind?"

Yuan Zhichao said seriously, "You are joking. You overestimate my abilities. I think the [Snow Box Sword] is no different from that of an ordinary person."

Zhu Gaoyang laughed: "If you ever provoke me in the future, I'll give you a piece of my mind."

Someone laughed: "I noticed that Brother Yuan never looks over there, so I thought he was annoyed by the light."

"Since Brother Yuan can see it all, why not rank us all? Those who disagree can challenge each other to a duel after we leave."

Yuan Zhichao immediately replied, "I will not do something so pointless."

The proposer laughed and said, "Brother Yuan, I don't know what kind of magical creature gave you that eye, but today you look at this Prince Yan's son as if you've seen a shark." Someone else said, "I think Brother Yuan looks like he's being stared at by a shark right now."

Yuan Zhichao smiled slightly and twisted his body.

Comparing rankings was obviously an interesting topic, but before it could be continued, it was interrupted by a voice that echoed throughout the garden.

The sound was like a huge curtain covering the entire garden, like the sky pressing down from above, and in an instant, all the hundreds of tables fell silent.

The twenty or thirty outstanding scholars from the south had solemn expressions. If the Prince of Yan just now was a ferocious beast between mountains and seas, now the entire mountain and sea was bowing down towards the garden.

But it was nothing more than a figure in a black imperial robe.

He walked into the garden from outside the gate, carrying a pot and a cup in his hand, and said, "I haven't been south for more than twenty years, and I, Yong, have not recognized the talents of the world."

The garden was quiet.

Yong Bei poured himself a cup, his voice dignified yet calm: "Thank you all for attending my son's wedding banquet today. Ninety percent of the invitations sent out have been withdrawn today. I am a complete stranger to you all, yet you have graced me with your presence. I offer you a toast in return, no need for you to return the favor."

After saying this, he raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

Immediately, some people—especially those at the table next to him—hurriedly stood up to pick up their drinks, but Yong Beiwei simply raised his hand and pressed everyone back into their seats.

"No need to return the courtesy," he said.

Everyone looked at this king of a different surname, who poured another cup of wine: "No high-ranking official or king has ever invited a martial arts master to his wedding. Now I have invited heroes from all over the capital, which is a great opportunity to see if I can gain a foothold in the martial arts world. I have something to say to the world."

Yongbei lowered his head slightly and raised the wine cup in his hand high in all directions: "Since the last victory in the northern expedition, in the past twenty-four years, the northern frontier has resisted the barbarians, and eighty-nine thousand people have died."

The garden was quiet.

"Forty-seven years since the sage went north, the northern frontier has been defending against the barbarians, and 1.2 million three thousand people have died."

"..."

"Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty 600 years ago, the northern frontier has been defended against the barbarians, and the number of people who have died is recorded to be about 9.76 million."

"Since the beginning of dynasties and the Northern Wilderness, over the past six thousand years, countless people have perished while resisting the Northern Wilderness, numbering in the hundreds of millions."

Yongbei raised his wine cup and looked around: "Of those who go north, four or five out of ten die, yet for six thousand years, people have gone north every day. What do you all think is the reason?"

The garden was completely silent. Everyone at the banquet stared intently at the figure. It wasn't that no elders from various sects had come recently, but at this moment, it seemed that only this person in black was present in the vast garden.

"I tell you all," Yongbei declared loudly, his voice booming like thunder, "because the Northern Frontier can give you everything you desire!"

"Martial arts! Beauties! Treasures! Fame! Power! Everything, as long as you can kill the barbarians, is yours! Fifty years ago, I made a living by killing in the Hebei Jianghu; sixty years ago, I stole people's purses on the streets of the Northwest! Twenty years later, I will lead my iron cavalry to crush the Daming Palace!"

Countless people who heard the sound felt a chill run down their spines.

Yongbei downed the wine cup he had raised in one gulp: "Now that war is about to break out in the north, I sincerely invite all those who are seeking but cannot obtain and who are frustrated and have nowhere to turn to rush to the northern frontier and fight the enemy together! This cup is offered in respect, there is no need to return the favor."

Yongbei finished his cup, poured another, raised his cup and said, "Words are no proof. I am in the capital now, and the Shenjing Martial Arts Examination is being held under the East Pond. I sincerely invite heroes from all over the world to attend. The top ten in the first class of the Martial Arts Examination will all receive military positions, titles of nobility, 100 taels of gold, ten beauties... and a hundred other rewards."

Yongbei looked at the countless men carrying knives and swords in the garden: "I have asked Your Majesty to prepare a reward for my son as the champion, namely the lord of Yucheng in Wangzhou, Longdi. I sincerely invite you gentlemen to seize it."

He raised his cup for the third time and drank it all in one gulp. This time he didn't say "no need to return the favor." A moment later, everyone in the garden stood up and raised their cups to return the favor.

Yongbei turned and left, and the garden remained silent for a long time. Many people could hear each other's heavy breathing.

Today was indeed the first time that people in the martial arts world had seen this Prince Yan, and everyone was captivated by his imposing presence overlooking the capital.

The vast and complex world of martial arts, where various sword sects vie for fame and fortune, is nothing more than a force that can be summoned with a wave of the hand in their eyes.

How many people wouldn't be captivated by such a promise?
Even if it's a true disciple of a major sect.

Most people who fight and struggle in the martial arts world seek nothing more than fame and fortune. How many can truly pursue the highest level of martial arts? Moreover, for those who have mastered martial arts, isn't a high position the ultimate goal for nine out of ten?

Real power, titles, beauties, treasures, secret weapons... each one strikes like a heavy blow to the hearts of those in the martial arts world.

After a long silence, someone chuckled and said, "We were just saying we wanted to see the imposing presence of this Prince Yan's son, and now we have the chance. Although he's not participating in the Feather Scale Trial, it turns out he has the Divine Capital Martial Arts Examination to take."

Another person asked, "Brother Jiang, would you like to join this meeting?"

"If you can't get to the top of the pack with your feathered scales, why not give it a try here?"

“If there is any change in the north, this Prince of Yan will become one of the most powerful people in the world.” He said in a low voice, “The Prince of Yan entered the capital and ascended to heaven thirty years ago. Now he looks like a mountain and a sea. I wonder what level he has reached.”

Another person raised his glass and laughed, "In any case, the people we met today have made this trip worthwhile. We've eaten and drunk for free, so why don't we share a drink to celebrate the Crown Prince's wedding and the spirit of the Northern King of the Great Tang?"

Everyone smiled and poured wine, but the quiet young man next to Zhu Gaoyang was a beat slower, and only then did he raise a wine cup with a smile.

But then Zhu Gaoyang raised his hand and pressed down on his wrist.

“My little brother here has a life-or-death feud with Yong Ji of Yongbei,” Zhu Gaoyang said with a squinting smile. “However, why don’t we have a drink with him first?”

"..."

The young man smiled sheepishly, raised his wine cup again, nodded apologetically to everyone, and then tilted his head back to drink it all.

The young man had clear features, and it was hard to forget him after just one meeting. After finishing his drink, he raised his hand to tap his bamboo hat, gave a light fist salute, and said in a clear and calm voice: "I am honored to meet you all with this cup of wine. I have some business to attend to this afternoon, so I will excuse myself from the banquet."

It was as if he had lived in the mountains for a month; the young man's temperament was so fresh and gentle that for a moment everyone almost doubted that they had misheard Zhu Gaoyang's words about "life-and-death enmity".

But the famously arrogant name "Pei Ye" corrected this misconception.

Only Yuan Zhichao remained motionless, head bowed, fiddling with his wine glass, as if lost in thought.

From the moment this young man sat down, Yuan Zhichao felt his body stiffen. A person who speaks and acts quietly and sits alone in a corner probably doesn't want his strength to be revealed, and those who can see through his secrets will probably be remembered.

But Hara Chishio really couldn't act very naturally.

Even with just a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, that direction was so blinding that his intuition kept urging him to stay away from this level of threat, forcing him to use his true energy to isolate Hai Tong.

Even including the Crown Prince Yongji whom we just saw, there was no sun as blazing as this in the entire garden.

And it seems to be getting brighter all the time.

(End of this chapter)