Chapter 208
Chapter 208: A Hundred Families Come to Pay Court
As Liang Wen spoke, he handed the wine back.
Song Zhi was so angry that his entire body went numb.
Damn you, Liang Wen. What a vicious move.
If the wine was brought inside, Liang Wen would probably refuse to say it came from the Song Family even if he were beaten to death.
But if Song Zhi dared to take it back, Liang Wen would definitely find some way to mention his name.
Song Zhi could already imagine Liang Wen delivering dishes to the banquet and casually saying, “Song Zhi came by earlier to deliver wine for the two officers. The moment I said the two officers had no time to see him, he immediately took the wine back.”
If that happened, would Song Zhi not have caused himself a disaster today?
Song Zhi gritted his teeth in fury. “I am not unwilling. This fine wine was prepared precisely for Tiger Marquis Li and Dragon General Zhang.”
Liang Wen casually handed the wine to a disciple beside him, then said to Song Zhi with dissatisfaction, “Then pay attention to your expression! Why are you gritting your teeth like that? What are you trying to do? I still think you feel this wine is not worth giving to the two officers!”
Song Zhi was so angry that he wanted to bite Liang Wen.
Was this not going too far?
The wine had already been taken for nothing, yet Liang Wen still had to scold him a few times?
But Liang Wen had not the slightest pity for Song Zhi, and it was even more impossible for him to introduce Song Zhi inside.
First, he did not have that authority. Who knew whether Tiger Marquis Li wanted to see them?
Second, what right did the Song Family have to meet Tiger Marquis Li?
When Tiger Marquis Li came to Wanren Military District and clashed with the Lu Family, they had not come to visit.
When Wanren Military District was in turmoil and needed manpower, they had not come to visit.
When Tiger Marquis Li stood up for the people of Linyuan City, killed Zong Hongsheng, and went head-to-head against Zong Hongyuan, they had not come to visit.
Now that they had seen Tiger Marquis Li’s domineering methods, and that he had gained a firm foothold and might reshuffle Linyuan City and rectify the families, they had come to visit.
Taking ten thousand steps back...
Tiger Marquis Li had been invited by the Liang Family.
Tiger Marquis Li had come out of friendship with the Liang Family, and he had even brought Dragon General Zhang from the Military Merit Bureau.
This was an enormous amount of face.
Yet the Song Family’s Patriarch had not even come. They had only sent a second-generation fellow like Song Zhi, and he wanted to meet Tiger Marquis Li?
He was dreaming.
“I... I...”
Song Zhi was so angry at Liang Wen that he could not speak.
Unexpectedly, another hearty laugh rang out from behind him.
“Oh my! I did not expect the Liang residence to be so lively today!”
Another middle-aged man in his fifties walked over with a smile.
Once he reached them, he directly cupped his hands toward Liang Wen.
“Congratulations, Brother Liang. I heard that Tiger Marquis Li and Dragon General Zhang are drinking in your residence?”
“Our Tu Family has specially come to visit!”
He looked toward Song Zhi beside him and smiled.
“Oh? Brother Song is also here to visit the two officers?”
“Then why don’t we go together?”
“Brother Liang, why are you making everyone stand at the gate? Why have you not brought us inside yet?”
The Liang Family disciples behind Liang Wen were so angry that they rolled their eyes.
Good heavens.
This one was even more brazen.
Did he think Tiger Marquis Li was some kind of mascot? Did he think he could go in and look whenever he wanted?
Liang Wen glanced at him.
“Tu Guangyuan, did you drink too much?”
“Tiger Marquis Li and Dragon General Zhang are drinking in our family residence. You think you can enter just because you say so?”
“How would Tiger Marquis Li view our Liang Family?”
“Did he come here to deal with a pack of rotten fish and stinking shrimp like you people?”
Tu Guangyuan immediately placed both hands on his hips and widened his eyes.
“Hey! Liang Wen, who are you calling rotten fish and stinking shrimp?”
“You are the rotten fish and stinking shrimp.”
Liang Wen moved closer directly.
“At least Song Zhi brought a jar of wine. What did you bring? You brought the stench of rotten fish and shrimp with you.”
“Today, I am not letting you see Tiger Marquis Li.”
“If you have the ability, go to the military district and request an audience yourself.”
“Do not come here to take advantage of my Liang Family.”
Tu Guangyuan nearly collapsed from anger.
What a petty Liang Family. He knew they were now favored before Tiger Marquis Li, but were they not being far too arrogant?
Before he could speak, Song Zhi at the side finally exploded.
“If you do not let us in, then we will not go in! I refuse to believe Tiger Marquis Li can fly away after he finishes eating!”
“I will wait right here!”
After saying that, he actually sat down in the corner.
Only then did Tu Guangyuan realize that Song Zhi had already suffered the first setback.
He was the second.
You were waiting?
Then he would wait too.
He also sat down angrily on the other side.
Just as this commotion was happening, several more waves of people actually arrived in a large, noisy crowd from behind.
They were all prominent families of Linyuan City.
From the looks of it, they had all received news that Li Mu was attending a banquet at the Liang Family and had rushed over to visit him.
The families were not stupid.
Since Li Mu had come to Linyuan City, he had shattered the Lu Family in three punches, rectified Wanren Military District, subdued Thousand Victories Military Academy, and single-handedly killed Zong Hongsheng.
With this series of moves, anyone who was not a fool could see that Li Mu was no ordinary person.
And most importantly, he hated evil as if it were a personal enemy.
As long as someone committed wrongdoing, he would strike whoever he caught.
In the past, none of the families had treated Wanren Military District well.
Now, Li Mu had gone head-to-head against Zong Hongsheng. It was said that two great Earth Rank experts and the Military Merit Bureau had stood up to support him.
Then what were they waiting for?
Waiting until the dust had completely settled? Waiting until Zong Hongyuan was brought down, and Tiger Marquis Li’s side was fully at peace before coming over?
By then, it would be too late.
So as long as a family had even a little intelligence, they had to seize this heaven-sent opportunity while Li Mu had agreed to attend the Liang Family’s banquet and was in a good mood.
They had to come and actively show goodwill and seek allegiance.
Otherwise, the future consequences would be unimaginable.
Unexpectedly, after this group arrived, Liang Wen did not even need to act.
Song Zhi and Tu Guangyuan sprang up, raised their hands high, and blocked everyone.
“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?”
“Do you not know the order of arrival? We came first!”
“Do you understand that you need to line up in order?”
At this moment, twenty to thirty people had already gathered.
Liang Wen cursed inwardly, Damn it, quite a lot of these people are dreaming.
He turned and instructed, “Go! Call out everyone inside who has nothing to do! Block these bastards to death. Do not let a single one in!”
“Understood!”
The Liang Family disciple holding the wine jar answered cheerfully and ran inside.
Before long, forty to fifty members of the Liang Family came out and formed a human wall in front of the main gate.
Meanwhile, the families outside were still arguing endlessly over the order of the line. It was complete chaos.
As they watched them argue, the Liang Family disciples crossed their arms one after another and enjoyed the show.
At the same time, pride rose in all their chests.
These people actually wanted to meet Tiger Marquis Li.
Even if they lined up here and waited, even if they truly met Tiger Marquis Li, they could bang their heads bloody and Tiger Marquis Li still might not honor them by visiting their families.
It was even more impossible for him to bring along a Junior Dragon General from the Military Merit Bureau.
The Liang residence was large enough.
The front gate was still far from the inner residence.
Therefore, the inner residence did not know what was happening at the front gate for the time being.
Liang Jianxin and Liang Yueming had already finished demonstrating a battle.
Liang Jianxin’s fighting style was thick, heavy, and steady.
Liang Yueming’s True Qi was fierce, violent, and sharp.
In the hands of the Liang Family, the long saber was simply like a divine aid. When they fought, the long saber hummed and cried wildly, as if it possessed life.
The amount of True Qi it could instantly unleash was something ordinary martial artists could not imagine.
It was similar to the Iron-Cleaving Form.
Moreover, every slash was like the Iron-Cleaving Form, yet it did not need to consume so much True Qi.
And this was only one of its traits.
During the battle, Liang Tianqiong did not forget to explain things to Li Mu and the other two.
He said that the longer the saber followed them, the more it resembled their Lifebound Weapon.
Not changing it would instead make it even more powerful.
This truly made Li Mu and Zhang Baihe’s eyes light up in amazement.
Li Mu had kept his Fire-Eyes and Golden Gaze active the entire time. Not only could he completely see through their True Qi circulation...
He also had 【Mastery of All Arts】.
After watching the two of them fight for more than ten minutes, Li Mu had already thoroughly understood the Internal Cultivation Method and all cultivation arts of both men.
Together with five hundred years of profound understanding, Li Mu had to praise the Blade-Hum Inner Force. It was indeed of the highest quality.
Moreover, it still had tremendous room for improvement.
As long as he helped them revise it, calling this cultivation art Immortal-Grade for the Liang Family would not be excessive.
It was not only Li Mu. Zhang Baihe also saw many areas that could be improved.
However, since Li Mu had not spoken, Zhang Baihe felt embarrassed to speak first.
In the end, Li Mu did not first talk about the cultivation art. Instead, he looked at Liang Tianqiong.
“Old Liang, what realm are you in now?”
Liang Tianqiong raised nine fingers.
“I entered the Profound Rank Ninth Grade more than ten years ago.”
Zhang Baihe was also at the Ninth Grade, but he had only just entered the Profound Rank Ninth Grade.
Thus, he said enviously, “Then it seems Old Liang could break through to the Earth Rank at any time.”
But Liang Tianqiong shook his head and smiled bitterly.
“Sigh... Let us not mention it. These old bones of mine probably have no hope of stepping into the Earth Rank.”
“For more than ten years, I still have not grasped even the slightest thread of thought. Instead, I have become more and more confused.”
“Perhaps this is the natural chasm of aptitude. If it cannot be crossed, then it simply cannot be crossed.”
“This old man has accepted his fate.”
“I can only place my hopes on these young people.”
As he spoke, he patted Liang Jianxin’s shoulder.
Li Mu could tell that Liang Tianqiong was truly speaking from the heart after drinking today.
Finding it difficult to advance even an inch was not something a Patriarch could casually let outsiders know.
This was truly his genuine emotion showing.
Li Mu asked, “Old Liang, I am very curious. Where is your weapon?”
Liang Tianqiong smiled. With a raise of his hand, azure light swelled, and a long saber flashing with azure radiance floated before him.
This long saber seemed to possess life, emitting a soft hum that went straight into the soul.
“This saber has followed me for a full forty years.”
Liang Tianqiong sighed with emotion.
Li Mu’s eyes were also filled with curiosity.
“Old Liang, could you let me personally feel it for a while?”
“Of course!”
Liang Tianqiong directly handed the weapon over.
Li Mu received it with both hands and carefully studied it, unable to hold back an exclamation of amazement.
He could not help standing up, leaping down from the high platform, and arriving on the open ground.
He waved the long saber and demonstrated several moves.
Liang Tianqiong and the others’ eyes lit up as they watched, because what Li Mu was using was precisely the cultivation art Liang Jianxin had used earlier.
Even without the Blade-Hum Bloodline, it was actually even more exquisite in his hands than in Liang Jianxin’s.
However, Li Mu had only just begun.
Then he stopped again.
He stroked the long saber in his hand and praised, “A fine saber!”
This made the Liang Family members terribly anxious.
There were even more subtle and exquisite points in the martial technique Li Mu had just displayed. Yet before Li Mu had unfolded them, he had stopped.
How much they hoped that Li Mu would continue demonstrating the martial art. They would certainly benefit greatly.
At this moment, Li Mu raised his head and asked Liang Tianqiong, “Old Liang! Why don’t you hold the saber, and I will also hold a saber? Let us exchange a few moves.”
If Li Mu had not demonstrated the martial art just now, Liang Tianqiong might not necessarily have agreed to this request.
Moreover, this spar was truly somewhat inexplicable.
But now...
Everyone in the Liang Family had been hooked by Li Mu. They were practically eager for him to make a move.
Hearing that Li Mu also intended to use a saber, Liang Tianqiong shouted, “Good! Today, I will risk my old bones to accompany a gentleman!”
As he spoke, Liang Tianqiong also flipped down.
The long saber in Li Mu’s hand hummed and struggled free, flying back into Liang Tianqiong’s hand.
Azure light flickered as it slanted down and pierced the ground.
Even the surrounding air was buzzing and trembling.
Li Mu also smiled and drew a long saber.
“Old Liang, to enter the Earth Rank, one must break before establishing anew.”
“I believe you should also be willing to take this risk for the Liang Family’s destiny.”
Liang Tianqiong was stunned.
“Hmm?”
Li Mu’s words were shrouded in clouds and mist, and Liang Tianqiong had not yet understood them.
But Li Mu had already moved.
He vanished into thin air.
In the next instant, he actually appeared behind Liang Tianqiong’s side.
The long saber in his hand had somehow transformed into a cudgel, and it swept across with terrifying might.