Chapter 270

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Xu Jiaotong immediately understood and smiled, saying: “Lord Qin, please don’t laugh at me. Originally, my royal father was supposed to receive you personally. However, the commotion you caused in Xinji Town was simply too great. If my royal father were to go, first, the Heaven’s Way Alliance might seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Even if we didn’t suffer any losses, wouldn’t it still be a disgrace? If the Heaven’s Way Alliance were to gain morale from it, wouldn’t all your painstaking efforts in Xinji Town be for naught? Second, we also knew that you had many important matters to attend to on your journey and did not wish to disturb you. That is why my royal father entrusted me with the task of receiving you. But… I have never met you before, so I couldn’t rashly approach. This was the only plan I could come up with—it wouldn’t delay your journey while also fulfilling my royal father’s orders. If there was anything lacking in the arrangements, please accept my apologies, Lord Qin.”

Qin Shiyue burst into laughter, saying: “How could it be lacking? It was absolutely thorough! Ying Fei, and even this Ren Xiaoyao here, nearly bit their own tongues! And that fine wine of yours—it truly suits my taste! It’s even awakened my cravings.”

Xu Jiaotong, hearing this, was delighted and said: “Since Lord Qin enjoys it, my royal father still has plenty. Once we reach the city, I will prepare more for you.”

Hearing this handsome man repeatedly refer to himself as qieshen (a self-deprecating term used by women), Zhang Xiaohua got goosebumps all over and secretly thought, Could this actually be a cross-dresser? Immediately, he swept out his divine sense and glanced at Xu Jiaotong, who was riding ahead. That one look nearly made him chant See no evil, see no evil over and over. Sure enough, Xu Jiaotong had no Adam’s apple, and her chest was well-rounded—not something that mere pectoral muscles could compare to. If she wasn’t a woman, what else could she be?

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohua’s heart was immediately filled with hope—this Jianghu wasn’t entirely dominated by handsome men just yet.

As they neared Jingyue City, they still spent quite some time on horseback before truly reaching its gates. When Zhang Xiaohua finally saw it up close, he couldn’t help but be amazed. Wow! This was a city far larger than Pingyang City! Not to mention the towering city walls—just the city gate alone, behind the moat, was twice the size of Pingyang City’s. Moreover, standing on either side of the gate were two squads of soldiers, their armor gleaming brightly. This kind of imposing presence was something Pingyang City could never compare to.

Outside the moat, about fifty paces away, several rows of mounted riders stood in an orderly fashion. They varied in height and build—some tall, some short, some fat, some thin… and, of course, some handsome and some ugly. However, every single one of them bore an expression of utmost respect. As soon as they caught sight of Qin Shiyue’s full head of silver hair, the three spirited elderly men at the front immediately urged their horses forward. Once they were close, they swiftly dismounted, stepped forward, and cupped their fists in salute. “The Three Seas Flood Dragon Kings welcome Lord Qin!”

Seeing this, Qin Shiyue promptly dismounted as well, returning the salute. “I dare not accept such a title! The three Flood Dragon Kings are my seniors—I would never presume to be addressed in such a way. Please, just call me by my name.”

The red-faced elder laughed heartily and said: “If Lord Qin had come alone, without matters concerning the sect, then we might have dared to be a bit informal. However, you bear the cult leader’s decree and are here on official duty for the Divine Cult—how could this old man possibly be so reckless? It is best to conduct official matters with due formality.”

Qin Shiyue was taken aback, then chuckled: “Since the South Sea Flood Dragon King insists, I shall not refuse. I only ask for King Xu’s forgiveness—once I have some leisure time in the future, I will be sure to come and make amends.”

Zhang Xiaohua was equally surprised. So this is the South Sea Flood Dragon King? Xu Jiaotong’s father? But… they looked nothing alike! Could it be… Xu Jiaotong isn’t actually his biological daughter? His gossip-loving instincts flared up at once.

The tall and thin elder beside him spoke up as well. “If Lord Qin ever has the time, please feel free to visit us in the Eastern Sea. I, Li, will personally clear the guest hall for your welcome.”

The plump elder next to him cast him a sidelong glance and scoffed, “Stop pretending to be a scholar with all that flowery talk. ‘Clear the guest hall’, huh? What’s so exciting about you sweeping a room? If Jiaojiao were the one sweeping, that would be another story.”

The words were rather blunt, but since they were all men of the martial world, no one took offense. Xu Jiaotong’s face, however, flushed slightly. Qin Shiyue merely laughed: “Eastern Sea Flood Dragon King Li, Northern Sea Flood Dragon King Sui—I truly appreciate your kindness. If I have the opportunity, I will certainly visit in person.”

The plump Northern Sea Flood Dragon King, Sui Haifeng, clapped one thick hand onto Qin Shiyue’s shoulder and grinned. “Good! I like straightforward lads!” His excitement made him forget his earlier formalities—just moments ago, he had been addressing Qin Shiyue as ‘Lord Qin’ at every turn. Seeing the Eastern Sea Flood Dragon King’s slightly reddened face, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but think maliciously, Was that entire formal exchange earlier just a rehearsed act? At the very least, this fat old man must have practiced his lines a dozen times.

The South Sea Flood Dragon King, Xu Haiqing, quickly stepped forward and said: “Lord Qin, come this way. Allow me to introduce you to the heroes of our Seven Waters.”

Qin Shiyue smiled: “That is exactly what I hoped for. I have long admired these heroes.”

By this time, seven individuals behind the Three Flood Dragon Kings had already dismounted. Upon hearing Xu Haiqing’s words, they stepped forward one by one. Xu Haiqing introduced them in turn:

Zhou Yong, Leader of the Wei River Sect

Wang Fengyue, Leader of the Xiang River Sect

Qi Fenxin, Leader of the Jing River Sect

Qu Chang, Leader of the Han River Sect

Li Fengming, Leader of the Huai River Sect

An Xun, Leader of the Bin River Sect

Ma Yiming, Leader of the Bian River Sect.

Qin Shiyue respectfully returned the salutes one by one. He knew that while these sect leaders might not be his equals in martial arts, each of them was a hegemon in their own right, renowned throughout the martial world. Their deference was not toward him personally, but toward the Heavenly Dragon Divine Cult that stood behind him. If he failed to maintain the demeanor of a great figure, he would only invite ridicule.

This round of formalities had already taken up quite some time. At this moment, Ying Fei stepped forward from the back, cupped his hands in a salute, and said: “Ying Fei greets the Flood Dragon Kings and the sect leaders. I frequently come by to pester you all, so there’s no need for formalities.” The Northern Sea Flood Dragon King Sui once again slapped his large hand down toward Ying Fei and laughed. “Brat, last time we gambled over drinks, you played dirty! Now that I’ve caught you, you’d better not think I’ll let you off so easily.”

Ying Fei smiled bitterly. “Flood Dragon King Sui, please spare me. My drinking capacity is limited. Even if you often lose your wagers, I could never keep up with you. Wouldn’t it be better if you found another to drink with?”

The group burst into laughter. While Flood Dragon King Sui was terrible at gambling, he had an astonishing alcohol tolerance. Even the other Flood Dragon Kings and the Seven Waters sect leaders had suffered losses against him. Hearing Ying Fei bring it up again, they all felt a sense of shared suffering.

As for Zhang Xiaohua, there was no need for him to greet anyone. At a glance, he was clearly just a servant boy.

Thus, the Three Seas Flood Dragon Kings and the Seven Waters sect leaders escorted Qin Shiyue into Jingyue City at the forefront, while Xu Jiaotong, Ying Fei, and the others followed behind. Strangely, Ying Fei had Zhang Xiaohua walk alongside him, which left Xu Jiaotong somewhat puzzled. Shouldn’t a mere servant boy be following the other attendants?

As the group passed through the city gates and was about to proceed further, the sudden sound of galloping hooves rang out from behind. Though Jingyue City’s gates were indeed broad, Qin Shiyue and his entourage were not the kind of people who would move aside for others. Hearing the rapid hoofbeats, Zhang Xiaohua turned to look. It was a troop of armored soldiers, clad in iron helmets and armor, mounted on fierce black warhorses, charging straight toward the city gates.

At the forefront rode a burly and fearsome-looking man with a lion-like nose and a wide tiger-like mouth, his face covered in bristle-like stubble. Wielding a mighty Fangtian halberd in one hand, he bellowed as he rode: “Make way! Make way! Get out of this lord’s way—now!”

The sound of hooves and shouting grew closer—it seemed they had already reached the city gates. The burly man at the front saw a group of people still strolling leisurely beside the gate, showing no urgency to dodge. He immediately bellowed: “Military emergency! All idle folks, get out of my way!”

Hearing the words “military emergency,” the crowd instinctively turned back, preparing to step aside. However, the burly man suddenly spotted a familiar face among them, his expression brightening with joy. He shouted: “Jiaotong! You’ve finally returned to Jingyue City! Have you given any thought to what I told you last time?”

With that, he pulled hard on the reins, bringing his black horse to an abrupt stop right in front of Zhang Xiaohua and the others.

Seeing the ugly man dismount, followed by the soldiers behind him swiftly lining up in formation, Xu Jiaotong forcefully suppressed her anger and put on a polite smile. “Commander Murong, where are you returning from this time? What urgent military affair is it now?”

Commander Murong bared his teeth in a grin. “Military affair? Hah! I just said that to clear the road—too many people in the way.”

Xu Jiaotong’s expression remained calm. “Does Commander Murong not fear the crime of falsely reporting military affairs?”

“Who would dare accuse me? Even if they had the guts, would they actually speak ill of me? Let me tell you a little secret—our Jingyue City’s garrison commander is my Seventh Uncle-in-law. Normally, I wouldn’t share this with anyone, but since I’ve told you, you must keep it a secret for me. We must act low-key, low-key, you understand?”

Zhang Xiaohua nearly burst out laughing. This guy’s voice was loud enough to be heard across the Three Seas and Seven Waters! Not only had everyone nearby overheard, but even passersby who had nothing to do with this matter looked on with fear and quickly moved away. And this was supposed to be a secret? It was probably something he had boasted about so many times that all of Jingyue City already knew.

Xu Jiaotong furrowed her brows. “Commander Murong, if you truly wish to keep a low profile, then perhaps you shouldn’t make such a grand entrance. If you dismounted and walked into the city, that would be low-key.”

“Oh? Jiaotong, that makes sense. Alright, boys, dismount! We’ll walk into the city!” Commander Murong ordered. In perfect unison, the soldiers leaped off their horses. Murong looked at them with satisfaction, then laughed. “Let’s go, we’ll enter low-key.”

Just as he was about to lead his black horse into the city, he suddenly turned back, exclaiming: “Oh, right! Jiaotong, it almost slipped my mind! You haven’t been to Jingyue City in several months now. About what I mentioned last time—has my future father-in-law given his blessing?” By the time he finished speaking, his face even showed an awkwardly bashful expression.

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t hold it in any longer—he clutched his stomach and crouched down, trembling with suppressed laughter. This guy, this guy is just too… too disgusting!

Ying Fei noticed Zhang Xiaohua crouching and quickly stepped closer, whispering: “Ren Xiaoyao, what are you doing?”

Zhang Xiaohua discreetly pointed at the ugly man. “Old Ying, can you endure this?”

Ying Fei smirked. “I can endure it. Whether others can or not is their problem. You, on the other hand, better not try any tricks.”

Xu Jiaotong forced a stiff smile. “Commander Lu, Murong has not yet met my father. Once matters in the sect settle down, I will ask him. For now, you should return—there must be much to handle in the barracks.”

“Alright then! Jiaotong, rest assured! My career comes first, family second—I’ll be your solid backing!”

With that, Commander Murong puffed out his chest and marched proudly into Jingyue City.
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