After all, for a mortal martial artist, a grand event held once every thirty years was often something they could only participate in once in their lifetime.
How many thirty-year periods did one have in a lifetime?
Seeing her agree, Tie Tu's face showed a touch of relief.
Tie Ling'er, however, was somewhat reluctant, tugging on Su Yueli's sleeve and refusing to let go.
Having spent day and night together over the past five years, Su Yueli was not only the backbone of the Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall but also the only sister with whom she could share her innermost thoughts.
“I'm only going to participate in the tournament. I'll return to Qingzhou once it's over,” Su Yueli said, patting the back of her hand.
Only then did Tie Ling'er pout and nod.
Night fell.
Beside the stone table in the inner courtyard, Tie Tu, in a rare turn of events, did not drink alcohol, but brewed a pot of strong tea instead.
“The Great Li Imperial City is nothing like our Qingzhou. It is a chaotic place where dragons and snakes mingle, and immortal and martial sects are as numerous as the hairs on a cow.”
Tie Tu's expression was solemn as he warned, “The imperial family has a deep foundation. There are quite a few martial and immortal path geniuses they've trained by plundering the resources of the world. Those great aristocratic clans have also piled up many experts using rare medicinal herbs.”
“Thirty years ago, when Old Lu and I went, we suffered from underestimating our enemies.”
“Although you are already in the Fourth Realm and your killing moves are sharp, remember not to be careless.”
Su Yueli picked up her teacup, took a sip, and kept all of these words in mind.
Since she had started practicing martial arts under Lu Chen over thirty years ago, she had never truly gone all out.
In fact, she had rarely even fought. This tournament was the perfect opportunity to see what level she had reached.
The night passed, and the next morning arrived.
As the sky was just turning bright, Su Yueli packed up and slung a simple bag over her shoulder.
The wine gourd still hung at her waist.
Tie Ling'er stood at the entrance of the martial arts hall, waving her hand. “Sister Yueli, good luck! Bring back the champion title!”
Su Yueli did not look back. She simply waved her hand with her back turned and strode into the morning streets.
The journey from Qingzhou City to the Great Li Imperial City was extremely far.
Even for a Fourth Realm martial artist, traveling day and night would take about seven days.
Walking on the official road, Su Yueli looked up at the occasional streaks of light flashing through the high clouds, unable to help but sigh in her heart.
Cultivators really had it convenient.
A journey that required mortals to cross mountains and rivers for seven or eight days would probably take an immortal flying on a sword only half a day.
This was the chasm between immortals and mortals, insurmountable.
Su Yueli was not discouraged. Withdrawing her gaze, she spent the next two days occasionally traveling with passing caravans for a stretch, and occasionally speeding along the official road alone.
On the evening of the third day, she arrived at a small city named Lingshui.
The sky, which had been fairly clear, suddenly turned gloomy.
A wild wind rose, and a dense curtain of rain instantly enveloped the entire city.
Su Yueli did not have the habit of traveling in the rain. After entering the city, she found a rather large inn nearby to take shelter.
The lobby on the first floor of the inn was packed with merchants and martial artists taking shelter from the rain, and the noise was deafening.
Su Yueli shook the water droplets off her sleeves and walked to the counter.
“Shopkeeper, a premium room, please.”
Her voice was cold and clear, cutting through the surrounding noise. The chatter in the lobby instantly quieted down.
Countless gazes gathered on her at once. A pale green dress, a high ponytail, and a stunning face untouched by the mortal world, paired with a cold, proud aura honed from years of practicing punches.
The people around stared blankly, taking in sharp breaths and whispering in low voices.
“Could this be a fairy who descended from some immortal sect?”
“Definitely an immortal! How could a mortal woman possess such an aura!”
Hearing these discussions, Su Yueli's eyelids drooped slightly, utterly speechless.
An immortal?
Were these people blind? She didn't have a single trace of spiritual energy fluctuation on her; she was purely a martial artist with robust blood qi.
The blind worship of cultivators by ordinary mortals had truly reached the point of judging solely by looks.
Ignoring their gazes, Su Yueli paid the room fee and went straight upstairs.
After putting her bag away, her stomach began to rumble.
A Fourth Realm martial artist's blood qi consumption was extremely high. Having not eaten a hot meal for two days, she was indeed hungry.
Su Yueli took some loose silver, went downstairs, left the inn, and found a restaurant next door that looked clean enough.
It was peak dining hours, and with the heavy rain outside, the restaurant was fully packed and incredibly noisy.
Su Yueli was in luck; a small table in the corner happened to be empty.
She walked over, sat down, and ordered a pound of cooked beef, a roast chicken, and two baskets of white steamed buns.
Since she had started practicing martial arts, Su Yueli felt her appetite had grown significantly, especially as her martial realm increased.
In the past, a single roast chicken or a pound of beef would have stuffed her. Now, even with both combined, she still had to eat some steamed buns to feel full.
The food was quickly served.
Su Yueli didn't care too much about her image and began to eat in large bites.
While she was eating, a young man walked into the restaurant.
The youth wore a black, waist-bound long robe and carried a long saber wrapped in cloth on his back. His hair was somewhat messy, and his shoulders were still wet with rain.
He looked around the restaurant, his brow furrowing slightly.
It was fully packed; there wasn't even a place to stand.
After scanning the room, the youth's gaze fixed on Su Yueli in the corner.
That was the only table with only one person sitting.
The youth strode over.
“Miss, there are really no empty seats left. I wonder if I could share this table with you?”
The youth clasped his hands, his tone quite polite.
Su Yueli stopped her movements and looked around.
Indeed, there was barely even standing room left.
Sharing a table didn't matter to her. She nodded without speaking and continued to tackle the beef on her plate.
The youth pulled out a bench, sat down, and called the waiter to order a few dishes.
While waiting for the food, the youth's gaze accidentally fell on the wine gourd hanging at Su Yueli's waist.
The gourd was somewhat old and polished smooth, clearly an item carried around for many years.
“Waiter, bring two more jars of your best strong liquor!”
The youth turned to shout, then looked at Su Yueli and laughed heartily. “Meeting is fate. Miss, shall we have a drink together in a bit?”
“I don't drink,” Su Yueli swallowed the food in her mouth, her tone calm. “I rarely drink.”
The youth was taken aback, pointing at the gourd at her waist. “If you don't drink, why do you carry a wine gourd with you?”
Su Yueli's gaze followed his finger.
This was originally a keepsake intended for her master, Lu Chen, but unfortunately, she hadn't made it in time.
Back at Black Wind Ridge, she had always thought about pouring a cup of wine for her master herself once he finally came to his senses.
But until his death, this gourd was never used.
“The wine in this gourd was originally intended for someone.”
Su Yueli withdrew her gaze. “But it was never given, so I just keep it with me.”
Hearing this, and seeing Su Yueli's cold expression and aloof demeanor, the youth asked no more.
The food and wine were served. The youth poured a large bowl of strong liquor and downed it in one gulp.
“Splendid!”
The youth wiped his mouth and looked at Su Yueli, introducing himself, “I am Lin Ye, from Shuozhou, heading to the Great Li Imperial City to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Looking at your attire, you seem to be a martial artist too. Are you heading to the imperial city to watch the excitement?”
Su Yueli's movement of chewing the steamed bun paused.
She looked up, a trace of surprise flashing deep in her cold eyes.
The Great Li Imperial City? The Martial Arts Tournament?
She raised an eyebrow, looking at the youth with the cloth-wrapped long saber on his back.
This person was also going to participate?
Rate on N.U.
