Chapter 58: The Three Families' Martial Gathering

  "A young whippersnapper." After Liu Huayuan and the others were out of sight, the elder finally waved his sleeve and said in a stern voice.

  "Hmph, wait till next time, I'll beat him until he's picking his teeth off the ground." Gu Tai said angrily, his voice full of resentment.

  He was originally the first person in the three generations of Gu's family, but last year he lost to Gu Chen's black horse in a clan competition and had a grievance in his heart, and he was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot.

  After four months, Gu Tai had recovered from the defeat in the clan competition and had been practicing hard for several months with the goal of defeating Gu Chen in mind, his cultivation had improved a lot.

  It was originally thought that this time, the three families would gather to discuss martial arts, and he would be the core of the family. However, from the moment they set out from the Gu house, it was clear to everyone present that Gu Xian had placed all his hopes for this gathering on Gu Chen's shoulders. As for him, Gu Tai, he had already been excluded from the family's inner circle.

  What made him most resentful was that Liu Baisheng didn't put him in his eyes at all, and when he entered the living room, he didn't even glance at him. He went forward to talk to Liu Baisheng, but Liu Baisheng didn't even bother to turn around, only saying three words: You're not worthy...

  Gu Tai's breathing was rapid, the resentment in his heart like a huge wave rolling over, his eyes fixed on Gu Chen, his gaze more hateful than if he were looking at the murderer of his father. Liu Baisheng had regarded him as nothing but a weed, yet treated Gu Chen as an opponent; now that Liu Baisheng was not around, all his resentment naturally poured out onto Gu Chen's head.

  Although Gu Chen didn't give Gu Tai a glance, he could still feel the resentful gaze, and a faint smile floated at the corner of his mouth, completely ignoring Gu Tai's stare.

  ……

  Before long, the Liu family brought out fruit and tea snacks. Gu Chen and others waited in the living room for lunch to begin. At noon, amidst a joyful celebration of suona and drumming sounds, the birthday banquet officially started.

  In the city of Le Shui, all the forces that can be put on the stage basically have representatives, coming to congratulate Liu Jia Taishang Lao for his birthday. The scene is lively and extraordinary. The Liu family also set up a flowing water banquet in the north of the city, ordinary people may not be able to go to the Liu mansion, but they can also eat a big meal at the flowing water banquet.

  The entire birthday banquet was divided into three parts, the largest of which was the flowing water banquet outside the Liu Mansion. Next were the representatives of various major forces in Leshui City, and the birthday banquet was set up on the square in front of the Liu family's mansion.

  In the main hall of the Liu family, several tables of longevity banquets were also set up. The longevity banquet here was the most sumptuous. Those who could enter this main hall, except for the three major immortal families of Leshui City, were only representatives of the imperial court's official forces.

  It took a whole hour for the birthday banquet in the Liu Mansion to finally come to an end. The guests on the Liu family square began to disperse, and the servants of the Liu family quickly cleared away the tables and chairs from the square, sweeping up the debris, and soon everything was back to normal.

  Immediately afterwards, a high platform of three zhang, with length and width both over ten zhang, was set up.

  Later, the three major families in the main hall, as well as the imperial court officials and the four major powers, all arrived at the square. After the birthday banquet, the tripartite meeting on the distribution of benefits for the next 20 years in Leshui City officially began.

  The rules of the three-family martial arts gathering are simple. Each family sends four third-generation descendants, and the winner of the previous martial arts gathering sends out the first descendant to become the champion, then the other two families send out personnel one after another to challenge, the winner becomes the champion, and the loser is eliminated directly.

  Three generations of children, all four, in this way, which family's four sons are eliminated first, that is the loser, ranked third, and the remaining two families' sons continue to fight, still the winner becomes the champion, the loser is eliminated, the family with all four sons eliminated, ranked second, and the final champion, naturally is the winning side.

  The distribution of interests is quite simple, and it's not about redistributing all the interests, but rather distributing them on the basis of the original three companies' interests.

  The family living in the third house must unconditionally hand over two-tenths of their property to the family living in the first house.

  The second family must unconditionally give one-tenth of their property to the first family.

  So, the three families will fight, there is only victory or defeat, no middle ground. Even if you are in second place, you have to lose one-tenth of your family business. Only first place is a winner, second and third are losers, just the degree of loss is different.

  Three families of Wu, witnessed by the government, although the government represents the imperial court and manages the order of Xiuzhenjie on behalf of the imperial court, however, the infighting among cultivators, even if it is as powerful as the imperial court, cannot be forcibly restrained.

  So, the struggle between the forces of the masters, the government basically will not intervene, only as a witness, no matter who ultimately wins, they must cooperate with the government in the end, and the government is always the beneficiary.

  For example, the benefits of Leishui City, whether they are shared by the three families of Gu, Liu and Yun, or monopolized by one family, must be handed over to the government every year in proportion, and the government will then hand them over to the imperial court.

  The four sides of the arena were all built with stands, and the government officials, as well as the main members of the Gu, Liu, and Yun families, were all seated on the stands.

  The power of the government, although not comparable to that of the three major families, was too great behind the scenes. Naturally, they were seated in the eastern viewing platform of the arena, where four people sat: two elderly men and two middle-aged men.

  These four people were all familiar to Gu Chen. The first one on the right, a middle-aged man nearing fifty years old, was the city master of Le Shui City, named Gong Changyi, with a cultivation base at the fifth layer of Xiantian stage.

  The second person on the right is a middle-aged man in his forties, who is the City Patrol Envoy of Leishui City, named Gong Changli, and also has a cultivation base of five layers of Innate Realm.

  The third elder was the deputy city master of Leishui City, with a cultivation base at the fourth layer of Xiantian. Gu Chen didn't know much about him.

  The last one was Gu Wengxian, who was in charge of managing auctions.

  The Liu family is in the north, the Gu family is in the south, and the Yun family is in the west. The three family heads and main characters all take their seats.

  Gu Chen, Gu Tai, Gu Heng and Gu Kun also followed up to the south viewing platform, standing behind Gu Xian and others.

  Everyone sat down, and a young man from the Liu family, with his sword drawn, jumped onto the stage, made a bow to the four sides, and loudly said: "I am Liu Changsheng, representing the Liu family in the first battle. Friends of Gu and Yun families, who dares to fight me?"

  Twenty years ago, the Liu family came in first, the Gu family second, and the Yun family third.

  Apart from stipulating that the winning side must fight in the first match, there is no requirement in the rules of the three-family martial arts gathering as to which of the second and third families should take the stage first, it all depends on their own preferences, after all, both are losing sides, only the degree of failure is different.

  Three families compete, it's obvious that the first two families to take the stage are at a disadvantage compared to the last family. Regardless of who wins or loses in the previous battles between the first two families, they have all gone through a fight and their energy has been depleted. At this time, the last family to take the stage naturally has an advantage.

  Yu Changsheng's words had barely fallen when a sword flashed on the ancient family's watchtower and shot towards the arena. Immediately, Gu Tai's figure appeared in the arena, saying: "Gu Jia Gu Tai, here to teach you this young master of the Liu family."

  Gǔ Tài's resentment had been pent up for a long time, and he had been feeling stifled. Now that the three families were about to engage in battle, how could he still endure it? As soon as Liu Changsheng opened his mouth, he naturally rushed forward with urgency.

  Gu Cang Yue's lips moved, wanting to open his mouth to stop him, but it was already too late.

  Gu Xian and others saw this, all helplessly shook their heads.

  These three families of martial artists, each with four members, engage in continuous wheel battles. The strongest young masters usually appear last to avoid appearing too early and unexpectedly losing due to excessive loss of vital energy during the wheel battle.

  Like Liu Chongsheng of the Liu family and Yun Xuan of the Cloud family, they were all characters who would appear last. Among the four members of the Gu family, only Gu Tai had a cultivation base of Xiantian Stage Two. On the surface, his cultivation was the highest. Who would have thought that when the martial arts competition began, he would rush onto the stage?

  Liu Changsheng glanced at Gu Tai with a scornful smile and said, "You're the Gu family's Gu Tai, who claims to be the number one among the third generation? I've heard that you have a cultivation base of two layers in the Innate Realm, yet you were defeated by a cultivator of the first layer. You truly are an exceptional waste."

  A cultivator of the First Layer of the Innate Realm actually dares to scold him as trash? Or even top-notch trash?

  Gu Tai's face suddenly turned red with rage, and he shouted: "You little brat, you're only at the first level of Xiantian cultivation, you're a waste, a waste among wastes."

  Liu Changsheng didn't get angry, but instead smiled and said: "I'm the worst among the four of us who went to war, so I was the first to go to war. It's only natural that you're also the worst among the four people from the Gu family who went to war. Since we're both trash, let's not be polite. Trash brother, make your move..."

  "You fart, I am the first person of the three generations of the Gu family, how can you, a waste, be compared with me? Watch me fix you properly, look at my knife..."

  Gu Tai let out a loud shout of anger, suddenly pointing at Liu Changsheng with one finger. A flying knife shot out from his storage bag and instantly formed a blade aura over a foot long, slashing towards Liu Changsheng.

  Liu Changsheng chuckled and drew a circle with his hands, five golden lights flew out of the storage bag, which were five golden rings, flying towards the cut-off flying knife. Seeing these five golden rings being put on the flying knife, the blade's edge immediately dimmed, and the knife disappeared instantly.

  Gu Tai was startled in his heart, raised his hand and beckoned, the flying knife fell into his hand, it was a purely black long knife, which was indeed the Yu Jade Knife.

  That willow long life also two hands a lift, those five gold rings flew back, two sets on the right hand wrist, two sets on the left hand wrist, and one on the head down, set on the neck.

  "What's with the metal hoop?" Several people on stage exclaimed in surprise at Liu Changsheng's magical artifact.

  These five metal rings are a defensive artifact of the Liu family, a mid-grade artifact. The three families' martial arts relationship has been beneficial for twenty years, so naturally, the Gu, Yun, and Liu families all lent their mid-grade artifacts to their children participating in the martial arts gathering.

  Gu Tai's eyebrows furrowed, he hadn't expected that his opponent, who was only at the first layer of Xiantian realm, could easily block his attack. After a moment of shock, what followed was an overwhelming rage.

  The innate true energy in his body went crazy and urged him to make a move, the Jade Sword flew out of his hand once again. This time, the sword aura was even more magnificent, Gu Tai had used all his strength.

  Liu Changsheng's face was solemn, his eyes fixed on the knife halo, and with a lift of both hands, five golden rings flew out of his body. He then sheathed the Drinking Jade Knife in its scabbard, and just now the majestic knife aura was immediately dissipated by the Five Golden Ring Halos.

  Gǔ Tài controlled the innate true energy, and with great difficulty, he pulled out the Yuè Yù Dāo from the Wǔ Jīn Zhuàn Lún Huán. The sword arced through the air, its blade bursting forth, and in one swift motion, it slashed horizontally towards Liǔ Cháng Shēng's neck.

  Liu Changsheng's hands moved, and the five golden rings were like parasites attached to his bones. As soon as they approached Liu Changsheng within three zhang, the Drinking Jade Knife was again enveloped by the five golden lights, and its sword energy dissipated.

  Gu Tai was enraged, raised his hand and beckoned, the Jade Sword flew back into his grasp. Instantly, a blade aura burst forth, nearly three zhang in length. His legs kicked out, and the Pre-Heaven True Qi churned like waves, forming numerous whirlpools in mid-air that dissipated in all directions.

  At the same time, Gu Chen's body was like a cannonball, suddenly bursting out towards Liu Changsheng, his knife aura like a light curtain, slashing down at Liu Changsheng.

  Kuwait, once again erupted.