Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The royal banquet continued to surge with chaotic and vibrant energy as the evening deepened into night. The massive crystal chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceilings of the Aurelian Spear Kingdom’s grand hall burned brightly, casting a warm and inviting glow over the thousands of gathered guests.

Servants in crisp white uniforms continuously navigated the crowded aisles, bringing out fresh platters of roasted spiritual beasts and delicate pastries. The air was thick with the scent of rich spices, expensive wine and the underlying tension of over a hundred ambitious suitors sizing each other up.

Amidst the swirling crowds of nobles and sect heirs, it quickly became apparent that Zhan Chen was one of the most popular figures in the entire room. He moved through the golden halls with effortless grace while engaging in polite conversation with both male and female cultivators alike.

A group of daughters practically formed a permanent orbit around him and refused to leave his side. He deflected their subtle advances with charming smiles and witty deflections while expertly steering the conversations to highlight the other members of his Zhan Clan delegation. Even though the Zhan Clan was known as brutes, it did not mean they weren’t smart and knew how to maneuver themselves. Their reputation as brutes was purely from the battlefield.

Li Yu stood near the edge of a large indoor fountain and watched his cousin work the room. He took a slow sip of his spirit wine and observed how Zhan Chen seamlessly introduced Zhan Feng to a group of influential martial elders, effectively building political bridges and acting as a matchmaker for their own faction.

'Chen is exactly what a true heir should represent,' Li Yu thought to himself with a deep sense of admiration. 'He possesses the strength to command respect, the charisma to navigate a room full of vipers and the wisdom to elevate his own people rather than just hoarding the spotlight for himself.'

While Li Yu admired the high level diplomacy of the orthodox sects, the glittering gold and forced politeness of the nobles made him feel slightly out of place. He missed the smaller, smoke filled taverns and the rugged inns he used to frequent during his early travels across the lower realms. Seeking a more familiar atmosphere, Li Yu wandered away from the central pavilions and navigated toward the less illuminated edges of the massive courtyard.

He eventually spotted a group of men and women who stood out like sore thumbs amidst the sea of silk and gold. They wore scarred leather armor, carried heavily used weapons and possessed an aura of survival that simply could not be faked. They were laughing loudly and drinking from their own unmarked clay jugs rather than the crystal flutes provided by the royal servers.

Li Yu recognized the distinct emblems stitched into the shoulders of their cloaks. They were members of the Freeblade Alliance.

He walked over to their table and the laughter immediately died down as the rugged mercenaries turned their sharp and evaluating eyes toward him. They took in his dark robes and the subtle but undeniable aura of a Paragon realm cultivator. They clearly assumed he was just another pampered young master coming to look down on the working class of the cultivation cosmos.

"Can we help you, Young Master?" A heavily scarred woman asked. Her hand rested casually near the hilt of a curved shortsword strapped to her thigh.

Li Yu did not answer with words, he reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a heavy token forged from dark iron as he placed it gently on the wooden table. The mercenaries leaned in and their eyes widened in surprise. They instantly recognized the jagged crest of the dark iron token as they have either worked with or for him before.

"That is Lead Envoy Ren's personal iron..." A large man with a braided beard muttered in disbelief as he looked up at Li Yu. "How did a noble get his hands on these?"

"They were given to me during the Heavenly Sword Sect's gathering," Li Yu explained with a warm smile. "I spent most of my time there drinking and sparring with your people. Ren told me that if I ever grew tired of the rigid rules in the orthodox empires, I could find a place with the Alliance. He said you take care of your own."

The heavy tension around the table vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The scarred woman let out a loud, booming laugh and kicked a spare wooden chair out from under the table.

"Any friend of Ren is a brother to us!" She declared happily. "Sit down, brother! Put away that fancy royal wine and drink something that will actually put hair on your chest."

Li Yu gladly accepted the heavy clay jug she offered and took a deep drink. The cheap and violently strong liquor burned all the way down his throat but it tasted entirely like freedom. The ice was broken and Li Yu spent the next hour comfortably chatting with the mercenaries. He asked them if they knew Ren and the others.

Several of them shared wild stories about the Lead Envoy's past bounties and Boran's reckless axe swings. It was a refreshing and grounding conversation that reminded Li Yu of his own roots. It turned out that they were roughly a part of the same generation as Ren and the others or at least were considered so within the alliance..

Eventually, the group of mercenaries decided to head out into the capital city to find a proper tavern, claiming the royal banquet was entirely too stuffy for their liking. Li Yu bid them a fond farewell and drifted back into the main sections of the grand hall. If this had been a banquet he attended with the Li Clan, he probably would have joined them but since he came with the Zhan Clan, he was more comfortable.

He found himself joining a mixed group of minor nobles and a few of the younger Zhan Clan disciples who were eagerly discussing tomorrow's tournament brackets. Li Yu listened quietly and offered a few polite nods, completely content to remain on the periphery of the conversation. Since he wasn’t taking part and just watching, there was no reason to feel up or down about being noticed.

The lively chatter of the group suddenly died down to a hushed silence as the crowd of nobles instinctively parted like the Red Sea. Princess Jinling approached the group.

She was a vision of royal elegance mixed with martial readiness. She wore a stunning dress of deep crimson silk but it was heavily layered with flexible golden chainmail that clung perfectly to her athletic frame. Her dark hair was tied back in a practical warrior's braid and her eyes were sharp, calculating and entirely focused.

She walked directly past them and stopped right in front of Li Yu.

"You are Li Yu, are you not?" Princess Jinling asked. Her voice was smooth but it carried the undeniable authority of a woman who was fourth in line for a vast empire.

"I am," Li Yu replied while offering a polite and measured bow. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Jinling."

"The honor is mine," Jinling said softly with her eyes studying his face with intense curiosity. "I have heard quite a bit about you since your ship landed. It is not every day that the son of Commander Zhan Tielan and Li Canghai grace our halls. Furthermore, I saw the way my father and Ancestor Longwei looked at you. They treat you with a level of respect that is not something they offer to just anyone."

The surrounding nobles exchanged wide eyed glances. The fact that the Princess was openly acknowledging Li Yu and the Emperor's favor was a large political statement.

"They are too kind," Li Yu deflected and was unwilling to boast about his grandfather's shadow. "I am merely a visiting guest hoping to enjoy the hospitality of your beautiful kingdom."

Jinling smiled, clearly amused by his deflection. She did not walk away like many expected. Instead, she seamlessly integrated herself into the group, though her attention remained almost fixed on Li Yu. It was abundantly clear to everyone standing nearby that she was highly interested in him but for his backing or for himself no one really knew.

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She began asking him direct questions about his past, probing into his history before he was officially revealed as belonging to the Li and Zhan clans.

"I heard a rumor that you were not raised within the grand estates of your parents," Jinling noted with her head tilted slightly. "That you walked a much rougher path before arriving here. Is that true?"

Li Yu answered her questions honestly, chatting with her nicely and treating her exactly like he would anyone else. He did not posture and he did not try to impress her with tales of grandness.

"It is true," Li Yu nodded. "I grew up in what would be considered the lower realms. I was part of a rather humble sect compared to your empire for a long time. "

Jinling's eyes widened in genuine surprise as she truly did not know anything about his past. She had spent her entire life surrounded by young masters who boasted of slaying dragons and conquering realms. It was rare to hear someone reveal such a humble background to their cultivation journey.

They spoke for quite some time as the music played in the background. Li Yu found her to be highly intelligent, easy to get along with and remarkably straightforward for a royal. After a while, Jinling's expression turned slightly competitive.

"The tournament begins tomorrow morning. All the competitors drew their bracket numbers earlier this evening while you were speaking with those mercenaries. Tell me, Li Yu, which number did you draw?"

Li Yu offered a small and somewhat apologetic smile. "I am afraid I do not have a number, Princess. I am not entering the tournament. I am simply here to watch the matches and support my family."

Jinling stopped and her polite smile faltered for a fraction of a second, revealing a genuine disappointment. She had assumed that a man with his lineage and obvious strength was here to compete for her hand. To learn that one of the more interesting people she had spoken to all night was merely a spectator was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I see," Jinling said softly as her tone dropped a degree in warmth due to her disappointment. "That is... a great shame. The arena will be poorer for your absence."

Before Li Yu could respond, a sudden gust of wind swept through the group. Young Master Su Chen of the Verdant Gale Sect stepped forward and snapped his intricate folding fan shut with a sharp crack.

"Princess Jinling," Su Chen bowed deeply and ensured his voice carried to the surrounding. "The air in this hall has grown incredibly stale. The royal gardens are said to be spectacular under the moonlight. Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you outside for some fresh air and private conversation?"

It was a blatant and highly aggressive move to isolate the Princess and establish his dominance as a frontrunner in the tournament. Jinling turned her head and looked at Su Chen. The warmth and curiosity that had been present while speaking to Li Yu vanished entirely. Her expression became a mask of cold and royal indifference.

"I appreciate the offer, Young Master Su," Jinling replied with her voice echoing with polite finality. "However, I find the air in this hall to be perfectly fine. I am currently engaged in a fascinating conversation with our guests and I have no desire to walk in the gardens tonight. Perhaps you should rest and conserve your wind for the arena tomorrow."

The surrounding nobles fell completely silent. It was a devastating and public rejection.

Su Chen's bright smile froze on his face. His knuckles turned white as he gripped his folded fan. He cared deeply about his face and public perception. To be swatted away like a bothersome fly in front of his peers was a humiliation that burned like acid. It was not something he could easily swallow.

However, he possessed enough political training to hide his immediate frustration. He offered another stiff but formal bow. "Of course, Your Highness. Forgive my intrusion."

Su Chen turned on his heel and walked away. But before he left the circle, his eyes darted around the group, locking onto every single male person the Princess had been chatting with. His gaze lingered the longest on Li Yu though. He committed the faces to memory with his heart boiling with a petty and vindictive rage.

Much later into the night, the grand banquet finally began to wind down. The crystal chandeliers dimmed slightly and the musicians packed away their instruments. The event had been a massive success for many and most people were leaving happy. The crowds thinned out as people returned to their pavilions. Countless new friendships were made and several new political alliances had been forged over cups of strong spirit wine.

Across the expansive southern courtyard, away from the main departing crowds, the atmosphere was significantly less festive.

Young Master Su Chen was pacing furiously near a row of golden statues. He had consumed an excessive amount of spirit wine to numb the sting of his public humiliation but the alcohol had only fueled his rage. He was surrounded by a few sycophants from his sect and were complaining loudly about the Princess's lack of proper judgment.

As he turned a corner near the royal armory display, Su Chen violently bumped shoulders with a young man walking in the opposite direction. The man was dressed in plain, unremarkable blue robes and he looked like a nobody. This was Mo Fan, one of the unknown dark horses of the tournament.

"Watch where you are walking, you blind peasant!" Su Chen snapped, his volatile temper finally finding a target to unleash upon. "Do you have any idea who you just touched?"

Mo Fan stopped and looked at the furious heir. His expression was incredibly calm, reflecting an unyielding Dao heart that had weathered far worse storms than a drunk noble.

"I was walking on the right side of the path," Mo Fan stated evenly. "You turned the corner blindly. I suggest you calm down, Young Master."

"Calm down?" Su Chen sneered with his wind Qi flaring wildly around his body. The air pressure in the courtyard dropped instantly as a miniature gale began to whip around his green robes. "A nameless dog dares to lecture me? Kneel and apologize for dirtying my robes or I will break your legs before the tournament even starts!"

The few remaining guests in the courtyard quickly backed away, forming a wide circle around the two men. Was there anything better than a fight breaking out to end the day’s festivities? Whispers broke out as people recognized the heir of the Verdant Gale Sect picking a fight with a relatively unknown.

Mo Fan did not kneel or back down though. He surprisingly stood his ground with his eyes hardening with intense determination. "I will not apologize for your mistake."

"Then die!" Su Chen roared.

He snapped his folding fan open and slashed it horizontally through the air. A crescent blade of highly compressed wind shot forward, tearing through the marble floorboards as it aimed directly for Mo Fan's chest. It was a lethal strike and completely ignoring the rules of the royal palace.

Mo Fan did not panic though and it seemed like he was expecting it. He stepped back and crossed his arms in a defensive posture but the wind blade was incredibly fast. It sliced through his plain blue robes and drew a long but shallow line of blood across his chest. The force of the impact pushed the dark horse back several paces.

Su Chen laughed cruelly, preparing to launch a second, devastating barrage to completely cripple the peasant who had dared to talk back. But as Su Chen raised his fan, Mo Fan lowered his arms. The young man in blue reached over with his right hand and absentmindedly rubbed the ancient ring resting on his left index finger.

'I did not want to reveal this so early,' Mo Fan thought grimly, 'but you leave me no choice.'

The moment his thumb brushed the rusted metal, a terrifying and dormant power awakened. A pulse of ancient and golden Qi erupted from the ring. It did not form a spell or a weapon; it simply manifested as a towering, phantom projection of an ancient shield that completely engulfed Mo Fan's body.

Su Chen unleashed a flurry of a dozen wind blades but they slammed into the phantom golden shield and instantly shattered into harmless breezes.

Before Su Chen could comprehend what was happening, the ancient Qi from the ring pulsed outward. A shockwave of force slammed into the Verdant Gale heir and Su Chen was lifted entirely off his feet. He flew backward through the air and crashed violently through a wooden banquet table that had not yet been cleared by the servants. He landed in a humiliating heap of shattered wood, half-eaten roasted beast meat and spilled spirit wine.

The courtyard fell into a stunned silence. The remaining nobles stared in shock because a highly favored frontrunner from a major sect had just been casually swatted away by an unknown youth in plain robes. This was before entering the arena and having his cultivation forcefully lowered. He was a full two realms higher than Mo Fan.

Mo Fan did not press the attack though. He lowered his hand, allowing the golden Qi to recede back into his rusted ring as he turned his back on the wreckage and walked quietly toward the guest pavilions, leaving a crowd of stunned witnesses behind him. Su Chen slowly pushed himself up from the ruined table and he was a mess. He was covered in gravy, wine and splinters. His immaculate green silk robes were completely ruined and he coughed up a mouthful of blood while staring at the retreating back of Mo Fan.

The humiliation of being rejected by the Princess was nothing compared to this. Su Chen trembled with a rage so strong it felt like his meridians were catching fire. He had lost immense face tonight and he swore to the heavens that he would slaughter everyone who had witnessed it when he stepped into the arena tomorrow.