Chapter 37: The Tavern Brawl

  On the official road, Fang Li rode a bay horse at high speed. This horse was bought by him in a small town. Although it's just an ordinary breed, Fang Li still loved it very much.

  Through the ancient city gate, Fang Li slowed down and entered Yan City slowly.

  "There are still two days left before the Lunar New Year, fortunately I didn't miss it." Fang Li muttered to himself as he walked through the bustling streets, heading straight home.

  "Master is back! Master has returned!" A servant in the mansion heard the sound of horseshoes, looked up and saw that it was Fang Li, and immediately shouted loudly.

  Fang Li saw this and smiled slightly, finally returning home after all. It's been two months since I left home, and it's really nice to be back.

  Mother Ye Xiang and sister Fang Liu'er heard the servant's shout and hurried out to greet them.

  "Mother, Sixth Son." Fang Li dismounted his horse and came before the two of them.

  "It's great that you're back!" Ye Xiang was overjoyed, she knew that Fang Li had gone to the Misty Mountains for two months and had been worried sick, now her heart could finally be at ease.

  "Brother!" Fang Liu'er was also very happy and immediately threw herself into Fang Li's arms.

  Fang Li rubbed her head and found that her cultivation had already stably entered the first realm of Qi Refining, and she couldn't help but feel a little surprised. It's said that starting anything is difficult, but unexpectedly, Fang Liu'er had already made progress in just two months, and her talent was not bad either.

  It's rare to enjoy a warm family time, Fang Li didn't go out again, today he stayed at home with his mother and sister.

  The next day, Apricot Forest Tavern.

  Apricot Forest Wine House is one of the largest wine houses in Yan City, with three floors, luxurious decoration and elegance, it is a place where the young masters of the four major families like to hang out.

  Fang Li had never been here before and wasn't really interested in coming, thinking that drinking and eating were the same everywhere. However, he finally came today as someone invited him.

  "Fang, it's fine to call you my younger brother, isn't it? Although you're from a branch family, our Great Qi Nation has always believed in respecting strength. Among the young generation of the Fang family, aside from me, your cultivation is the highest. It's only natural that we get to know each other."

  The third floor of Xinglin Wine House, Fang Li sat with a sturdy man. The man had a stern face, but his cultivation was indeed not low. He was Fang Feng, known as the number one young master of the Fang family.

  Fang Li had just returned home for a short while when he received an invitation from Fang Feng, asking him to go to Xinglin Wine House to drink the next day. Although Fang Li was not familiar with this person, he had also heard of his name and learned that before becoming an Array Master, he had broken through the sixth realm of Lianqi, and was a model for all younger generations in the Fang family to learn from.

  But what impressed Fang Li the most was that after breaking through the sixth realm of Qi refining, he didn't become complacent and instead left Yan City alone to travel and train. For this reason, Fang Li did not refuse his invitation, but rather agreed to it.

  However, after chatting with him for a couple of sentences, Fang Li began to regret coming. Why? Although Fang Feng did not intentionally mock him, but just chatted normally, his words always revealed an air of "I am the first", which made Fang Li feel uncomfortable all over.

  "Fang Li, my younger brother, why are you always so silent and few words? Come on, have a drink, tomorrow is the day of the four clans' gathering. You and I are the hope for our family to wash away past shame. I'll make a toast first, wishing that Fang Li can enter the top ten in the competition." Fang Feng said with a heroic tone, not caring about Fang Li's expression, picked up a full cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

  Fang Li shook his head and smiled wryly, treating it as a sincere blessing. He also raised his wine cup and said, "Then I'll also wish that Brother Fang Feng can make it into the top three and shake up the prestige of our Fang family."

  A glass of wine down, Fang Li did not want to stay any longer. The person in front of him was polite on the surface, but arrogant deep down. Talking to him made one feel uncomfortable all over, at least he wasn't the kind of friend you could have a deep conversation with.

  The third floor of the Apricot Forest Wine House, apart from the two of them, was filled with many young and talented individuals engaged in lively discussions. At this moment, Mu Yunyan, the manager of the Mu Family Auction House, also appeared here, although Fang Li did not notice her, but she noticed Fang Li.

  "Master Fang, our young lady would like to invite you over for a drink, will you grant us the honor?"

  Just as Fang Li was about to bid farewell to Fang Feng, a man who looked like a guard walked up to him and said respectfully.

  "Is it you, miss?" Fang Li's brow furrowed slightly before he followed the guard's gaze and immediately spotted Mo Yunyan's figure. He couldn't help but chuckle: "So it was her."

  "Will Master Fang grant me an audience?" the guard asked again.

  Fang Li had intended to leave anyway, so he naturally had no reason to refuse. He glanced at Fang Feng's indifferent face and apologized: "Brother Fang Feng, it's not good to decline a friend's invitation. I'll make it up to you another day."

  "A beauty invites you, how can you be slow? Otherwise, wouldn't it make our family look down upon? Brother Li, just go." Fang Feng said generously.

  Fang Li said no more and left his seat.

  Watching Fang Li leave, a hint of disdain flashed in Fang Feng's eyes, and he muttered to himself: "With a personality that is so ordinary and unremarkable, I suppose he won't achieve much in the future either." After saying this, he continued drinking on his own.

  This time, the initiator of the invitation was Fang Li, but it was just to probe his true intentions. Now, Fang Feng already had an answer in his heart.

  "I didn't expect to run into you here." Fang Li walked over to the table where Mu Yunyan was sitting, and since there were only guards around her, he sat down without any hesitation. In front of Mu Yunyan, Fang Li felt very relaxed, as if they had been close friends for many years, but in fact, Mu Yunyan was indeed his first true friend.

  Muyunyan wore a pale pink robe, with a white gauze cloak draped over it, revealing her fair neck and clearly visible collarbone. The folds of her skirt fell like the Nine Heavens Waterfall, elegant and beautiful. Her whole person seemed to flutter in the wind like a butterfly, yet was as clear and transparent as ice and snow.

  "If I hadn't sent a servant ahead to invite him, Lord Fang might still be unaware of my presence." Murong Yunyan said with a gentle smile.

  Fang Li was taken aback, and laughed: "I didn't know beforehand that the young lady would also come here. If I had known earlier, even if the young lady hadn't sent someone to invite me, I would have still come with a humble face to ask for a cup of wine."

  "Ahah, young master is quite petty, only knows how to drink wine, but doesn't know how to treat others to wine..."

  The two chatted with each other, getting along very well, but in this large tavern, they didn't attract anyone else's attention. During this time, Mu Yunyan also gave Fang Li 500 crystal stones. Last time, Fang Li had given her eight Water and Fire Twin Swords to sell on consignment, although the selling price wasn't ideal, but she still sold them for 1,500 crystal stones, after deducting what was owed before, there were still 500 left over.

  Adding the four tickets obtained from the Yin Ghost Scattered Person last time, Fang Li now has nearly a thousand crystal stones on him, which is also a considerable fortune.

  "It seems like tomorrow is the day of the Flame City's Four Families' ***, and I wonder which family's younger generation will be stronger."

  Fang Lizheng was drinking wine when he suddenly heard several monks nearby discussing the four tribes of ****, and he couldn't help but listen seriously.

  "The strongest is naturally the Wei family, and the 'Red Powder Sword' Wei Yurou of the Wei family is a Seventh-Order Cultivator. Who can stop her? This is the only genius in our Yan City for a hundred years who broke through to the Seventh-Order Realm before the age of twenty-five."

  "It's indeed almost certain that she will take first place, but the second and third places are still worth watching."

  "As for the second and third places, I think Wang Lingtian from the Wang family and Zhou Hongfei from the Zhou family are the most likely candidates. Both of them have reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, and apart from Wei Yurou, they should be the strongest."

  "You seem to have forgotten one person, Fang Feng of the Fang family. It is said that after two years abroad, his strength has made a rapid breakthrough and reached the peak of six layers of Qi refining."

  "Sixth stage of Qi refining? It seems that the second place is his greatest hope. After two years of training outside, he must have a lot of combat experience."

  A few monks were discussing recklessly, just like casual chatter at a dinner table.

  At this time, a loud noise suddenly burst out, and someone slapped the table and stood up, shouting: "You ignorant people are talking nonsense! How can Fang's family child get second place? Joke! If that Fang Feng or whatever his name is dares to fight my second brother, he will definitely be beaten until he finds his teeth all over the ground!"

  Suddenly a voice burst out, and the Apricot Forest Wine House immediately fell silent. Those cultivators all looked towards the source of the sound, only to find that it was a spirited and heroic young girl.

  "Wang Lingqing." Fang Li also turned his head to look over, immediately recognizing the person, and couldn't help but furrow his brow. Although he had only met Wang Lingqing once before, the impression of this stubborn girl was very deep.

  Fang Li immediately reacted and seemed that Fang Feng had not left yet. It was unknown what his reaction would be if he heard Wang Lingqing's words at this time.

  Before he could finish speaking, Fang Feng had already stood up, his face dark with anger as he bellowed: "What kind of little girl are you, daring to look down on the Fang family like that?" At this moment, Fang Feng was furious. Originally, when he heard someone say that he would be able to get second place in the Four Clans' ranking, he had felt quite pleased with himself. But then, out of nowhere, this annoying little girl appeared and actually dared to look down on him.

  "Who are you?" Wang Ling's eyebrows furrowed in disdain.

  Fang Feng's anger grew even more intense, "I am Fang Feng."

  With a sudden burst of noise, the guests in the wine house immediately perked up. It wasn't because the name "Fang Feng" was particularly shocking, but rather because they were about to witness a good show. Originally, Wang Lingqing's sarcastic remarks wouldn't have been a big deal, but since Fang Feng happened to be there too, it was equivalent to being slapped in the face in public. How could he just let it go?

  "Oh, so you're that Fang Feng. Not satisfied with my evaluation of you? What do you plan to do about it?" Wang Ling sneered coldly, not feeling that his previous words were in any way inappropriate.

  Seeing Wang Lingqing's appearance, Fang Feng was so angry that his neck turned red, and he suddenly roared: "Apologize, otherwise, even if you are the young lady of the Wang family, I will not let it go." Being humiliated in public, if Fang Feng didn't make some kind of gesture, how could he still stay in Yan City?

  Wang Lingqing still had an air of not caring, and said disdainfully: "Apologize? Why should I apologize? Miss didn't say anything wrong. Even if you've reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi refining, you're absolutely no match for my second brother. Wanting me to apologize isn't impossible, but if you can defeat my second brother in a fight among the four tribes, I'll personally come to your doorstep and apologize. However, that's impossible, hahaha."

  Fang Feng's body trembled with rage, but upon hearing Wang Lingqing's words, he burst out laughing. "Good, you said that, and when the time comes, I'll definitely beat your second brother until he's defeated and humiliated. See if you still have anything to say then." It seems his second brother is Wang Lingtian, who's in for a disaster.

  "It's laughable, I've found that every single one of you Fang family members are deceiving yourselves. Two months ago, there was a Fang Li who said he could defeat me, and today another one appears saying he can defeat my second brother. If the young masters of the Fang family truly have such abilities, why couldn't they even make it into the top ten in previous matches?" Wang Ling coldly laughed and said.

  Fang Feng no longer wanted to take advantage of her, but suddenly hearing the two words "Fang Li" he was taken aback for a moment, and then, as if possessed by a ghost, pointed to the young man sitting not far away with Mu Yunyan and asked in doubt: "Are you referring to him?"

  How did it get on my head? Fang Li rubbed his temples, feeling a bit innocent, and then suddenly stood up with a cold face.