Huyan Li's knuckles tapped against the table. Clang! The sharp sound made the porcelain teacups tremble violently.
His sneer was as sharp as a blade, cutting through everyone's false pretenses.
"Stop lying to yourselves…"
The Young Sect Master of the Fire Leopard Sect slammed the table and rose to his feet, roaring,
"Huyan Li, are you tired of living?!"
A young man from the White Tiger Sect toyed with his wine cup, smiling faintly.
"I heard…"
"Back in the day, Brother Huyan was quite close with Li Zhexian. The two of you used to drink together, didn't you?"
Huyan Li's face remained expressionless, but his fingers around the cup turned white from strain. The wine within rippled faintly.
"And now that man's in a private room upstairs…"
"When one meets a dog they raised years ago on the street, they'll still stop to pat its head."
"But Li Zhexian didn't even spare our Brother Huyan a single glance."
Bang!
Spirit Power surged from Huyan Li's body.
A faint sound, like an elephant's trumpet, shook the air.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
The Fire Leopard Sect's Young Sect Master and the White Tiger Sect youth stepped forward in fury.
Their beastly roars shattered the dishes, splattering sauce across the table.
The diners on the first floor all stood up and backed away, cursing the burly young man whose face was dark with rage.
"In Spirit City, someone dares defend that Li Zhexian?"
"That fool's the one who's blind! I saw what happened in the Pope's Hall five years ago—there's no mistaking it!"
"They say in the small towns that Li Zhexian is righteous and carefree, loved by all. But look—he won't even spare Huyan Li a glance! So much for those pretty stories!"
"If I hadn't drunk so much tonight, I'd already be upstairs, giving that Li Zhexian a lesson myself!"
"Enough."
Hu Liena, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke coldly.
"Your elders are meeting with my teacher."
"The Grand Elders ordered me to host you."
"Do not make trouble here in Spirit City."
"Hmph!"
The two young men from the Fire Leopard Sect and White Tiger Sect sat back down, raising their cups toward Hu Liena.
"Forgive us, Holy Maiden!"
"We just couldn't stomach hearing anyone defend that bastard Li Zhexian!"
"Surely the Holy Maiden doesn't fear him, does she?"
"Gossip from the streets has sullied your good name, Holy Maiden!"
"We drink now in honor of your generosity!"
Hu Liena said nothing.
She simply leaned back lazily in her chair, neither standing nor raising her cup,
taking a quiet sip instead—her beautiful, mature face cold and unreadable.
Lies still stung, no matter how many times she heard them.
Lately, she often woke in the dead of night, drenched in sweat—
that sword's flash still burning in her mind,
the blade that severed her teacher's head.
Hu Liena knew…
that her dream of vengeance was forever beyond reach.
All she could do now was take hollow comfort from the flattery of fools.
"Hmph."
Huyan Li rose as if to leave.
But then he thought of how he'd explain himself to his grandfather.
He was a stranger in Spirit City, with nowhere to go.
He couldn't help but glance toward the private room upstairs. His fist clenched, then relaxed.
In the end, his expression dimmed, and he sat down quietly in a corner.
Huyan Li knew…
Li Zhexian must have kept a cup of wine for him.
If he pushed open that door,
Li Zhexian and the others would pound his chest with laughter,
and scold him for missing their five-year meeting.
"Brother Zhexian…"
Huyan Li sat alone, raised his cup toward the ceiling, and murmured softly,
"I hope you've been well."
As the rounds of wine passed,
the atmosphere on the first floor grew louder and wilder.
And of course, the topic that fueled the Spirit Masters' gossip was still Li Zhexian.
It was rare for them to have such a famous name to mock—
a man respected everywhere, a perfect target for their jealousy.
By belittling him over dishes and drinks,
they could pretend they were somehow greater than the one hailed as the most talented of his generation.
"Hahaha! The so-called Sword Wine, Li Zhexian—he drank a whole jug? Who allowed it? Did Chen Xin agree? Who saw it happen?"
"Li Zhexian has twin Martial Souls? Nonsense! That wine gourd of his is just decoration. Let him show us his twin Martial Souls if he dares!"
"We Spirit Masters of the Holy City should be proud! That Li Zhexian comes from some backwater town—of course he uses cheap tricks!"
...
Upstairs in the private room.
"Finished eating?"
Li Zhixian stood, cheeks flushed with drink, letting out a small hiccup before grinning.
"Yu Tianxin!"
Yu Tianxin instantly straightened his back.
"Yes, Master!"
Then, wobbling slightly, he asked,
"Didn't you say you wanted to fight me…"
"No, no, Master—I didn't mean you! I meant fight with you—against others!"
"Close enough. Your chance has come."
At those words, the always-smiling Yu Tianheng and Feng Buyu brightened instantly, and even the quiet Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up.
"The noise downstairs is giving me a headache," Li Zhexian muttered.
He picked up the wine jar, turned, and strode toward the door.
Behind him, Yu Tianxin, Feng Buyu, Yu Tianheng, and Ning Rongrong followed with faces full of excitement.
Heh.
What a joke.
They had gone through countless hardships to reach their current level—
and now a bunch of nobodies dared insult them?
To act in accordance with one's heart—that was true freedom!
Lying awake at night, regretting not having acted sooner, or wondering why he'd held back—
that was not Li Zhexian's way.
He acted by his will alone.
The elders might hold themselves above such things,
but he was no elder.
And besides—
Let these fools talk about Titled Douluo in front of him and see what happens.
He'd walked through the Slaughter City itself.
The lives in his hands already numbered in the tens of thousands.
Did they really think Li Zhexian was mild-tempered enough to let them talk unchecked?
"We're already in Spirit City…"
"If we don't make some noise… wouldn't that disappoint Bibi Dong?"
Bang!
Li Zhexian kicked open the door.
"Hahaha! You go upstairs! You go! Cut down that so-called Li Zhixian and you'll be the new number one of the young generation!"
"You think I won't? Come on, loser drinks and goes!"
The noisy first floor went silent instantly.
All eyes turned to the white-robed youth descending the stairs—
one hand holding a wine jar, swaying slightly, occasionally raising it for another deep drink.
Every Spirit Masters on the floor seemed to have their throat seized—
their bold boasts dying halfway, the wine-sparked courage draining from their faces.
"Honored guest,"
The shopkeeper walked out calmly, blocking the base of the stairs, and said in an even tone,
"This is the Sacred Banquet Pavilion, not some country tavern."
"No fighting, no shouting allowed here…"
"You're with Spirit Hall?"
Li Zhixian lifted his eyelids lazily,
his gaze brushing over the shopkeeper's Spirit Hall robe.
Zheng!
A flash of sword light cut through the air.
In the next instant, the shopkeeper and the Spirit Master who'd shouted challenges both lost their heads—
blood spraying, heads rolling across the floor.
"Bah! Screw you!"
Yu Tianxin, face flushed red, kicked the shopkeeper's severed head away.
"No fighting? No shouting? Where were you when they were shouting just now?"
Everyone on the first floor staggered backward in terror.
All their earlier disdain and arrogance vanished, leaving only fear.
Crash—crash—
A hundred people bolted toward the front doors in chaos—
But a single sword light swept across the air,
slashing down before the entrance.
A terrifying wave of killing intent exploded outward.
Even glancing at it made their eyes sting.
The crowd staggered back, trembling,
turning to look in horror—
At the white-robed youth now seated across from the pale-faced young masters of the Fire Leopard and White Tiger Sects,
gently sipping tea.
And in a calm, quiet voice, he asked—
"Did I say you could leave?"