One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

"Chu Lan is my brother." Nie Lingfeng's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and firm, each word striking the silent air. "His affairs are my affairs. You want to talk to him? Fine. Talk properly, reason with him, present the facts, we're listening. But if you try to use your seniority to resort to underhanded methods, coercion, bribery, or force..."

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips: "Then we'll have to ask first whether I, Nie Lingfeng... agree."

The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, and the temperature plummeted.

The usual amiable smile on Wang Ai's face finally vanished completely. He slowly stood up, tapping his dragon-headed cane lightly on the ground.

"Thump!"

A sound, not loud but unusually deep, struck like a blow to the heart. The entire hall seemed to tremble slightly; the teacups on the table clinked, and the tea inside sloshed violently. A powerful aura, heavy as a mountain and condensed as mercury, slowly emanated from the portly old man, as if a sleeping beast had opened its eyes!

Nie Lingfeng's pupils contracted slightly—this old guy was indeed hiding his true strength! This level of cultivation, this control over "momentum," was far beyond what the younger generation like Zhang Lingyu could compare to! He was probably not far off from experts like Lu Jin!

"Young friend Nie," Wang Ai's voice became low and slow, each word carrying immense weight, "I know that you are a disciple of a reclusive master, possess exceptional talent, and have remarkable cultivation. You are the most dazzling rising star in this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. It's good for young people to have pride, but you must understand that in this world... one cannot get by simply by having the strongest fist. Some powers and some rules are far beyond your imagination."

"I know." Nie Lingfeng nodded, his tone still calm. "But I also know that many times, when reasoning fails and rules are trampled, fists... are the most direct and effective language."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Wang Ai said "fine" three times, her anger turning into a mocking laugh, the muscles on her round face twitching slightly. "Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger! Since that's the case, then we shall..."

"Bang—!!!"

Wang Ai's words were abruptly interrupted by a sudden loud noise!

The hall door was kicked open from the outside in an extremely violent manner! The two heavy wooden doors slammed against the walls on both sides, groaning in pain, and splinters of wood flew everywhere!

"Make way! Everyone make way! This is for temporary workers and managers from North China! All unauthorized personnel, please step aside!"

A voice, tinged with a roguish charm yet brimming with domineering authority, boomed from the doorway!

Xu Si, with a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his mouth, barged in first. Behind him was Xu San, with a stern face and glasses, and... Feng Baobao, holding a gleaming kitchen knife with a cold, sharp blade upside down, her face expressionless!

The skilled men Xu San brought quickly dispersed, forming a subtle standoff with the guards from the Wang and Lü families.

"Hey! Old Wang, Old Lü!" Xu Si, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the hall, exhaled a smoke ring and casually walked over to Nie Lingfeng and Zhang Chulan. He looked them up and down, "Are you two alright? Oh, this tea is quite good. Having a tea party? Why didn't you invite us brothers? That's really not very nice of you!"

Wang Ai's expression shifted several times in an instant, finally forcing a stiff smile, which looked utterly awkward: "Oh, it's the Xu family's kid. What's going on? We two old men are just looking for a chat with young Brother Chu Lan, to catch up, and your company... wants to get involved too?"

"Chatting? Catching up?" Xu San stepped forward, pushed up his glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses was sharp as a knife. "Does chatting require choosing such a secluded corner? Does it require bringing so many menacing guards? Does it require closing the doors and windows after 'inviting' people here? Mr. Wang, Mr. Lü, the way you 'chat' makes it hard for our company not to suspect your motives."

He walked up to Nie Lingfeng and Zhang Chulan, subtly shielding them behind him, and whispered, "Are you alright?"

"It's alright, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you're a lifesaver, you've come at just the right time." Nie Lingfeng shook his head, thinking to himself that if you hadn't come, he would have taken action.

Lu Ci snorted coldly, his voice like sandpaper scraping: "Xu San, Xu Si! This is none of your business! We're looking for Zhang Chulan to discuss his grandfather Zhang Huaiyi's past affairs—it's a private matter! Isn't your company overstepping its bounds?!"

"Personal matters?" Xu San remained unyielding, his tone cold and hard. "Zhang Chulan is now a full-time employee of our Na Du Tong Company, protected by company rules and regulations. His affairs, especially those involving his personal safety or potential coercion, are company matters! We have the right to inquire and intervene!"

"A company?" Wang Ai's fake smile finally crumbled, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "Xu San, Xu Si, don't think you can intimidate anyone by bringing up the name of a 'company'! Although Na Du Tong has an official background, the world of supernatural beings has its own rules! Does your Xu family really want to push things to the extreme?"

"Absolutely not, it depends on the situation." Xu Si threw his cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it out with his toe, and looked up at Wang Ai and Lü Ci. His eyes were no longer playful, only cold and businesslike. "Gentlemen, during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, on Longhu Mountain, in the territory of the Old Celestial Master, you openly 'invited' contestants to leave, which is suspected of being a threat and coercion... If this gets out and reaches the board of directors or even higher... I'm afraid it won't be good for the reputation of the Wang and Lü families, will it? And I'm afraid it won't look good for the Old Celestial Master either, will it?"

Wang Ai and Lü Ci's expressions immediately turned extremely ugly.

They weren't afraid of Xu San or Xu Si, or even the Xu family. But behind the Xu family stood the "Company," a behemoth representing the official will to manage the world of supernatural beings! What was more troublesome was that this place was indeed Longhu Mountain, Zhang Zhiwei's territory. They could exert pressure covertly, they could use underhanded tactics, but if things escalated and came to the forefront, they wouldn't gain any advantage in terms of sentiment, reason, or power; instead, they would only get themselves into trouble.

Wang Ai stared at Xu San and Xu Si for a long time, then looked at Feng Baobao behind them, who was holding a kitchen knife and had an empty look in her eyes, yet she made him feel a little uneasy. Finally, he slowly sat back down in the armchair and picked up the cup of tea that had already cooled down.

"...Alright." Wang Ai's voice returned to calm, even carrying a hint of a smile, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Since the Xu family's brat is here, then...let's call it a day."

He turned to Zhang Chulan, his gaze deep and his tone meaningful: "Chulan, think carefully about what we're saying. It concerns your grandfather, and also your own safety and future. We... are waiting for your news."

After speaking, he looked at Nie Lingfeng, his smile fading slightly: "Young friend Nie, it's good that you're young and ambitious. But too much rigidity leads to breakage, and the tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. In this world... you have to learn to assess the situation to go far."

Nie Lingfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed slightly, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Thank you for your guidance, Master Wang. I will keep it in mind. However, I would appreciate it if you could ask your grandson to prepare well for tomorrow's match, as I have a rather short temper."

"Are you... threatening me?" Wang Ai stood up and pointed at Nie Lingfeng. "This junior wouldn't dare, I'm just reminding you, senior," Nie Lingfeng replied.

"Let's go," Xu San said in a deep voice, gesturing for Nie Lingfeng and Zhang Chulan to follow.

The group quickly left the quiet yet dangerous courtyard.

Only after walking a long way and completely out of sight of the courtyard did Zhang Chulan finally exhale a long, heavy breath that he had been holding for so long. His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground, his forehead and back already soaked with cold sweat.

Nie Lingfeng reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and asking, "Are you alright?"

"N-nothing... my legs are just a little weak..." Zhang Chulan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice still a little unsteady. "Just now... the atmosphere... was terrifying... I felt like they really dared to make a move..."

Xu Si walked over and patted Zhang Chulan's shoulder hard, so hard that he winced. "Kid! You've learned your lesson now, haven't you? Those two old foxes are ruthless! Dealing with them requires a hundred precautions! Stay away from them from now on, and contact us immediately if anything happens!"

"I...I understand..." Zhang Chulan nodded with a wry smile, still feeling lingering fear.

Xu San looked at Nie Lingfeng, his expression serious: "Xiao Feng, we're so grateful for your alertness this time, sending the message in time. Otherwise, by the time we realized something was wrong and went to investigate, it would have been too late. Wang Ai and Lü Ci... are no pushovers."

"Of course." Nie Lingfeng waved his hand. "Chu Lan calls me Brother Feng, I can't just watch him get bullied."

Feng Baobao, who had been quietly following beside him, walked up to Nie Lingfeng, looked up at him with her clear but emotionless eyes, and asked earnestly, "Xiao Feng, you didn't get into a fight?"

"They didn't fight." Nie Lingfeng ruffled her hair, which felt a little stiff. "If they had really fought, I guess I'd have to wait for you to come and save me with a kitchen knife."

Upon hearing this, Feng Baobao nodded seriously and gripped the kitchen knife in her hand tightly: "Yes. If they bully you, I'll chop them up."

These words were spoken in a plain and simple manner, yet they made Xu San and Xu Si, who were standing to the side, twitch at the corners of their mouths.

Xu Si looked at the three people in front of him, suddenly grinned, and lit another cigarette: "Alright, alright, stop acting all pitiful. Go back! Those who need to rest, rest; those who need to calm down, calm down! We have a tough battle to fight tomorrow!"

"Oh, right," Xu San said, as if suddenly remembering something, looking at Nie Lingfeng with a serious expression, "Xiao Feng, your opponent in the next round is Wang Ai's grandson."

Nie Lingfeng cracked his wrist, his joints making a crisp "crack" sound, and a cold smile appeared on his face: "I know, I've seen the match schedule, otherwise why would I have left that message just now?"

"Be careful," Xu San warned in a deep voice, his eyes behind his glasses filled with worry. "That old fox Wang Ai ran into a snag with you today. Knowing his personality, he won't let this go easily. He might very well instruct Wang Bing to... kill you in tomorrow's match. The Wang family's methods have always been ruthless."

"Go all out?" Nie Lingfeng repeated the three words softly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, but the curve of his lips grew even colder. "What a coincidence, Third Brother. I was originally thinking of giving him some face out of consideration for us both being contestants. But now..."

He paused, his gaze drifting towards the distant, faintly audible roar of the arena. His voice was calm and even, yet it sent a chill down the spines of those who heard him.

"I was just thinking... about giving this young master of the Wang family a proper 'welcome' too."

The moonlight quietly climbed onto the treetops, its gentle glow spilling over the many palaces and winding mountain paths of Longhu Mountain.

Nie Lingfeng stood in the courtyard of the inn, the Snow Drinking Blade resting quietly on his lap. His fingertips brushed against the cool, jade-like blade, his eyes reflecting the cold moon and stars.

Wang Bing.

See you in the ring tomorrow.

I hope you can... hold on for a few more moves.