Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 140: The Eighteen Strongest

East of Yuchuan City, Qingbu Street.

"Waiter! Another bowl of plain noodles, less sauce and some chopped green onions!"

Xu Bozhao sat at a square wooden table in front of a roadside noodle shop. He took a large earthenware bowl with only soup base left, stacked it aside, put the chopsticks in his hand together, and spoke loudly.

There are already two bowls piled on the table.

"Alright, sir, a large bowl of plain noodles with a little soy sauce and green onions!"

Standing at the door of the store, the waiter with a rag hanging on his shoulder had a smile on his face and turned his head to shout towards the alley inside.

Xu Bozhao glanced at him, then turned his head to look at the pedestrians coming and going on the street.

Bustling and lively.

Most of the properties in the east of Yuchuan City are owned by the Jiang family, a Taoist family. There are not only neat and uniform bluestone streets, but also rows of shops along the streets, and crowds of pedestrians.

There are a lot of cars and people, and peddlers are everywhere, it’s so lively!

The sky was bright and sunny in the afternoon, and the sunlight made my skin feel a little hot.

Xu Bozhao just found a noodle shop and sat down, eating two large bowls of plain noodles in one go.

He was really hungry, but there was nothing he could do. Ever since Xu Boyang reminded him that day, he knew it was a big deal and he didn't dare to neglect it. He had been secretly visiting and inquiring day and night for the past seven or eight days. Yuchuan City was dozens of miles in radius. Today, he walked east and west and met several local tyrants in a row. He was so busy that he didn't even have breakfast in the afternoon.

It’s a pity that there is still no news about what my elder brother asked me to do.

Xu Bozhao felt annoyed whenever he thought about this matter. He lost interest for a moment, lowered his head in silence, and tapped the edge of the table with his chopsticks.

"The noodles are here! Serve slowly, be careful, they're hot!"

The waiter walked over carefully, holding a large bowl of noodle soup in both hands.

"Thank you!"

Seeing the noodles coming, Xu Bozhao's appetite was rekindled. He calmed down, took the bowl with one hand, put it on his chest, scooped two spoonfuls of vinegar from the vinegar bottle on the table, picked up the steaming noodles with chopsticks, puffed his cheeks and blew on them. Just as he was about to start eating, he suddenly heard the waiter's laughter:

"Sir, are you from Yuchuan?"

Looking up, I saw the middle-aged man in a small hat sitting on the bench next to me, looking at me with a smile.

"Yeah, a local, from a town outside the city."

The waiter in the restaurant struck up a conversation for unknown reasons, and Xu Boyang had no idea what was going on. He didn't say anything, but just responded casually. He lowered his head and picked up his chopsticks, swallowing a large spoonful of noodles wrapped in the fragrant noodle soup.

The noodles were a little hot, but just the right amount of firmness, fresh and delicious, and the taste was the same as the previous three bowls.

Xu Bozhao opened his mouth and exhaled twice, thinking that this store must be a time-honored brand, and it was right.

I found the right one after all.

There was nothing he could do. He had no telepathy and could not cultivate the path to immortality, so he could only eat all the delicacies in the world to comfort himself. Xu Bozhao had been traveling around with Zeng Shuming since he was a child, and he liked to eat these street snacks.

"I told you, if you were from one of Qingshen's outer counties, at your age and this point, you would have gone to play by the Linghuai River long ago!"

Xu Bozhao took another sip, swallowed it, and then smiled slightly:
"The Taihe Jingwu Banquet? I went there a couple of days ago. It was nice, but there were too many people. My neck got sore from reaching up, and it was so tiring. I'm not going today. There shouldn't be many people here at this hour, right? Look at all the people on the street who haven't gone either."

The waiter smiled and said:
"That's because the 'Eighteen Diyuan Top' were announced this morning, and everyone knows there's no competition this afternoon. The locals have all gone home, waiting for the 'Six Diyuan Ding' finals to begin tomorrow. Otherwise, everyone would have gone to Linghuai River during this time, so there wouldn't be many people on Qingbu Street."

"The top 18 of Diyuan have been announced?"

Xu Bozhao was a little surprised. He had been busy traveling around these days and hadn't paid any attention to the progress of the Taihe Jingwu Banquet. He just went to ask his eldest brother the day before, and he knew that he had already gone through four rounds. He didn't know what was going on next?
The eldest brother also told me that there was no need to rush to find the guest official named Mo for the time being. He had already found all the people he needed to find, and the money had been distributed. He might as well deal with it on the side, since there was nothing else to do anyway.

"That's right! I can recite all eighteen of them by heart. Sir, I'll be honest with you. This year's Taihe Jingwu Banquet has produced a dark horse whose skills surpass those of the others. It's truly amazing!"

Seeing that Xu Bozhao didn't know, the waiter suddenly became interested. He looked around, threw the rag in his hand over his shoulder, stepped on the stool, and said excitedly,

"This man's name is Xu Boyang! He's amazing!"

"Oh."

Xu Bozhao didn't expect to hear the name of his elder brother. He laughed secretly but didn't show it.

"What a powerful method?"

"It's because in the fourth round he met Kong Zhonghai, the head of Yuchuan Luolin Town, who was a favorite among the Six Ding of the Earthly Element. The battle between the two was so fierce that it darkened the sky and the earth, and even the gods in the entire Kun formation were dispersed, and yet they were still fighting."

"Really? That's pretty intense!"

Xu Bozhao was slightly moved when he heard Kong Zhonghai's name. If he hadn't heard his elder brother talk about the four rounds last night, he would have been frightened by this waiter.
"According to you, Xu Boyang is still more skilled?"

The waiter stared:

"That's right! Otherwise, why would he be called a dark horse? He risked his life to get injured and still managed to defeat Kong Zhonghai!"

"But...sigh...it looks like he's been badly injured. Many people saw the immortal officials from the Kun formation rushing to help him!"

"What? Are you hurt?"

Xu Bozhao's face changed, he put down his chopsticks, and immediately lost his appetite. He had not mentioned this matter when he contacted his elder brother last night. His heart was suddenly in suspense.
"That's impossible! Isn't this a competition? How could someone get hurt?"

The waiter looked at Xu Bozhao with a look of shock, scratched his head and said curiously:
"Why would I lie to you? You vomited blood, and so many people saw it with their own eyes!"

Xu Bozhao remained silent. He lowered his head, picked up his chopsticks, took two more bites, and asked:

"Excuse me, store owner, which eighteen people made it to the Diyuan finals?"

The waiter chuckled:
"You've come to the right person. I remember it clearly. Listen carefully, and I'll tell you everything!"

After that, he coughed, cleared his throat, and told the story in detail:
"Four members of the top four: Fang Zhinan from Yuchuan Qingxuan Town, Wen Boqing from Yuchuan Hanguang Town, Li Liuye from Cangwu Changyang Town, and Ji Xinzhu from Cangwu Baishui Town."

"The top three are Ding Xuelian from Fengqing Town, Yuchuan County; Wen Zaixian from Hanguang Town, Yuchuan County; Wang Yunchang from Qingxuan Town, Yuchuan County; and Xu Yongqing from Shangning Town, Yunfu County."

"Four people in the second place: Fei Wenyu from Dongke Town, Nanhuai, Yan Qingshang from Fuye Town, Nanhuai, Kong Zhuoli from Luolin Town, Yuchuan, and Gu Shengping from Fuxi Town, Nanhuai."

"Six people in the first group: Xu Boyang from Fengqing Town, Yuchuan; Zhao Jiuchang from Qinghui Town, Yuchuan; Zeng Shuming from Tianji Town, Yuchuan; Shen Zhaolin from Yexia Town, Yunfu; Lü Yangxian from Huangkou Town, Nanhuai; and Zhou Fuhai from Cangwu City, Cangwu."

"To be honest, we at Yuchuan are really proud of being among the top 18 in this Diyuan competition. Nine of the 18 are really amazing!"

Xu Bozhao was pleasantly surprised to hear many names Yu Chuan was familiar with. He thought to himself, "That's great! My eldest brother and my older brother both made it into the top six of the first division, and they seem to have a good chance of making the top three. I didn't expect my younger sister to take the surname Wen to compete. I guess she's afraid of criticism. They both made it into the top four of the third and fourth divisions, which is really great!"

"Unfortunately, these opponents are very strong, and the outcome is unpredictable. I don't know if they can overcome them."

When he thought of this, he blew on the bowl, took a big sip of the noodle soup, and stood up.

"Boy, how much is it?"

"Sir, are you leaving? A bowl of Yangchun noodles costs thirty sackcloths, or ninety at best!"

"Here!"

Xu Bozhao took out a hundred pieces of linen from his bag and put them upside down on the table.
"One hundred hemp, ten hemp for tea, thank you for chatting with me! Let's go!"

"Sir, please take care!"

The waiter smiled and hurried over to collect the food, nodding and bowing.

After Xu Bozhao had eaten and drunk his fill, he left the noodle shop with tiger strides. Before he could walk a street, a man suddenly rushed out from the side with great speed and grabbed him into a small alley.

Xu Bozhao was caught off guard and was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pressed against the wall. A cold voice came:

"Is it you who is asking about the Jiang family?"

Xu Bozhao's face changed drastically as he looked at the four or five people standing around him, grabbing him. He was a big and strong man with a full beard and fierce eyes.

The faces of this group of people are all unfamiliar, and they are all people I have never seen before. Look at their attire, except for the bearded man wearing a brocade robe, the others are wearing coarse linen clothes, and they are all just ordinary people.

Xu Bozhao had been making jokes in the market since he was a child. Although he could not cultivate to be an immortal without telepathy, he had been practicing martial arts since he was young and his martial arts skills were not bad. He was not a pushover. He knew the opponent's true intentions with just a glance. He snorted coldly and grabbed the opponent's hand with his backhand, prying it open bit by bit.

"If you have something to say, just say it. What do you want to do in public?"

The bearded man was surprised that Xu Bozhao showed no fear at all, but he felt pain in his hand. He didn't expect the man to have such strong wrist strength. After thinking about it, he snorted, let go of his hand, and asked coldly:

"I'm Jiang Da Kui, the head of the Jiang family's Shenlong Escort Agency. What do you think I want to do? You're asking people about this and that. The Jiang family in Yuchuan City is not something a young boy like you can inquire about."

Xu Bozhao was pleasantly surprised. He rolled his eyes and grinned:

"So it's Captain Jiang, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you. I'm Xu Mingzhao from Luolin Town. I'm new to Yuchuan and don't know the rules, so please forgive me!"

Jiang Da Kui snorted, his nose turned up to the sky:

"I see you're alone, but you have some martial arts skills. Are you looking for something to do?"

Xu Bozhao nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, yes. It's a pity that I don't follow the rules and can't find a way. When I first arrived in Yuchuan, I heard that the Jiang family was the largest family in Yuchuan. I wanted to seek refuge there, but unfortunately, I searched for several days and still couldn't find the noble ancestral hall."

Xu Bozhao is not stupid. He has been asking people to inquire about the Jiang family these days, just to find a way to get in. What a coincidence, someone actually came to his door today. It was really a pleasant surprise.

Jiang Da Kui couldn't help feeling proud when he heard Xu Bozhao's flattery.
"Of course I'm telling you. You're quite clever, so tell me, what did you do before?"

Xu Bozhao nodded and bowed: "Captain Jiang, I used to work in the escort business!"

"Oh?"

Jiang Da Kui was a little surprised and said with a smile: "Tell me in detail!"

Xu Bozhao was in charge of Fengqing Town before, and he was often by Xu Shaoliang's side. He often listened to the old man's stories and was very familiar with the escort business. He made up a story and told it.

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Da Kui laughed heartily. "So he used to be an escort for Yuanwei Escort Agency in Luolin Town. He's quite knowledgeable. Not bad!"

Then he patted his shoulder with his big hand and said, "Come with me!"

Xu Bozhao was flattered, his eyebrows were full of joy, and he bowed his hands and thanked him:
"Thank you, Captain Jiang, for the meal! Where are we... going? To the ancestral hall?"

"Let's go!"

Jiang Da Kui called his men, hugged Xu Bozhao and walked out of the alley. Looking at the street outside, he said,

"What ancestral hall are we going to? Come back to the escort agency with me! You may look smart, but you're a bit reckless. Remember this and don't ask around. There are spies everywhere in Yuchuan City. The Jiang Family Ancestral Hall is not a place for mortals like you and me to go. Be careful and you'll lose your head!"

Xu Bozhao nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing that he was well-behaved and obedient, Jiang Da Kui couldn't help but feel happy and said harshly:
"To be honest, my main family is the Huangting family on Yunxiao Mountain. The ancestor is the Huangting Yushi of the Immortal Sect, who is in charge of Yuchuan. We are not one of those small aristocratic families in remote towns like you!"

"Look at the east side of Yuchuan City. There are trading companies, escort companies, horse companies, and boat companies. Which one is not owned by our Jiang family? You have some good eyesight. You know that it's good to stay under a big tree. Follow me back to the escort company, work hard, and you will have a good life!"

Xu Bozhao took the opportunity to feign surprise and asked:

"Hearing what Brother Jiang said, the industry is really huge. Can you manage so many industries? Or is it managed by immortals?"

"What is this? This is just a mortal industry!"

Jiang Da Kui looked at his ignorant face and laughed.

"Those immortal industries will scare you to death if I tell you about them. My master's family has thousands of acres of spiritual fields, countless mineral veins, many islands on the East China Sea, and even spiritual fish!"

Xu Bozhao was surprised and said, "So many? That really is the largest family in Yuchuan! I'm afraid there are many immortals in the family. Brother Jiang, I will follow you from now on!"

"It's a lot, but unfortunately... there aren't enough people!"

Jiang Da Kui laughed dryly, his expression somewhat unnatural.
"No more, no more. We can't talk too much about the master's family!"

"I'm the one who talks too much!"

Xu Bozhao smiled awkwardly and stopped asking questions. At this moment, he suddenly remembered Xu Boyang's voice, like a spring breeze, lingering in his ears.

"Bo Zhao, you're doing great. I'll be watching you at all times, so be careful!"

Xu Bozhao suddenly heard the voice of his elder brother Xu Boyang. He pursed his lips slightly, and his heart was extremely excited. Without any doubt, he strode after Jiang Da Kui.

In the dormitory of Taihe Academy, Xu Boyang's face turned pale. He withdrew his consciousness, took out a small pill and swallowed it, secretly practicing qigong to regulate his breathing.

In the sea of ​​consciousness, the octagonal prism kept rotating, and in the mirror, many white human-shaped light spots were flashing. One of the light spots was exactly Xu Bozhao's figure when he looked closely!
To this day, after Xu Boyang's unremitting deduction and use, he has discovered that the [Demon Lord's Consciousness] of the [Hidden Demon Mirror] can quietly plant a spiritual mark in anyone's purple palace!

Xu Boyang would instantly know if there was any movement on the person who had been marked by divine consciousness!
Thanks to book friend 9233 for the monthly ticket!


(End of this chapter)