Yangzhou City had long been known as the city that never slept; its nights were a brilliant blaze of lanterns and an endless, bustling commotion. Sesshomaru and Li Xiangyi walked side by side through the prosperous streets, surrounded by the lively crowds and a cacophony of bustling sounds.
With this human walking by his side, Sesshomaru never felt annoyed or bothered by the noise. On the contrary, the Great Yokai felt a sense of calm and peace. He did not know when this feeling had first begun, but as he sensed the blade slowly taking shape within him, he thought perhaps he ought to follow Li Xiangyi and immerse himself more deeply in the affairs of the mortal world...
Thinking of Brother Sha's promise to travel with him tomorrow, Li Xiangyi tossed and turned, unable to find rest. He thought of Second Master Zhao who detested bathing, Qian Laoqi who spoke without thinking, naive Brother Li who was passionately fond of drinking with others, and Big-Head Lu who never missed a chance to grab someone's hand and take advantage of them under the guise of palmistry...
Our heroic young master Li simply could not sleep at all...
Unable to sleep, Li Xiangyi glanced through the open window at the sky outside. Although the moon was already high in the center of the sky, nevertheless... matters were best settled sooner rather than later...
He got out of bed, dressed properly, and with a swift movement of his body, he vaulted through the open window in the blink of an eye and vanished from the room...
On the following day, at the Yiyuan Restaurant, when Qian Qixing, Lu Lei, Zhao Wenhao, and Li Xi appeared before their three other companions, the rest of the group were utterly startled to see them looking so hollow-eyed and haggard, with dark circles bruised beneath their eyes...
Jiang Yunzheng snapped his folding fan shut, strutted around the four men with an exaggerated swagger, and clicked his tongue in wonder. "Second Brother Zhao, you actually took a bath and put on new clothes?" With that, he sniffed the air. "Well, there's no scent of powder or perfume. Did you lot go out thieving last night?"
Zhao Wenhao lifted his eyelids to glare fixedly at the doorway. Hearing this, he let out a dry, scornful laugh. "I didn't go thieving, but a thief came into *my* room—a thief who forced me to get up in the middle of the night and take a bath! Thank goodness it's summer, or else you lot probably wouldn't even be seeing me today!"
Qian, Lu, and Li exchanged glances, looked at Zhao Wenhao, and spoke in unison, "Li Xiangyi went to your room last night too?"
Zhao Wenhao turned back to look at the three of them. "Also? He went to you guys too?"
Qian Qixing gnashed his teeth in fury. "You can say that again! Refusing to bathe and making you clean yourself up might be one thing—you could almost call it a virtuous deed! But a grown man standing silently by my bedside, waking me up in the middle of the night just to tell me to watch my tongue today! I ask you, what kind of reason is that?!"
Li Xi wore a face of absolute woe. "Xiangyi came to warn me in the dead of night that today I'm not allowed to drink heavily, nor am I allowed to pressure anyone else into drinking..."
Having heard the complaints of the three men, Lu Lei stroked his chin in deep thought. "He told me that if I dare touch anyone's little hand to tell their fortune again today, he'll string me up from the city gates..."
At these words, everyone looked at each other in dismay. Lu Lei ventured a guess, "My brothers, what do you suppose Xiangyi is introducing to us today? Making such a solemn fuss about it..."
Jiang Yunzheng kept tapping his folding fan against his palm, his eyes flashing with brilliant insight. "Could it be... is he going to introduce us to some stunning beauty? Could it be... his future wife?"
Outside the door, Sesshomaru looked at the blushing human beside him, banishing the smile from his eyes as he raised a hand and pushed the door open...
The group turned their heads and caught sight of a face of peerless grace. The impact was too great; they foolishly stared as the handsome figure in white approached, all of them frozen in place...
With a stern and frosty expression, Li Xiangyi glared at these "good brothers." Activating his Samsara Pace, the group felt a powerful blow from behind, stumbling forward a few paces before they finally snapped back to their senses...
Li Xi watched the figure step inside—taller than him by a good head and a half—and stammered in his simple-minded confusion, "N-Not a future wife, then!"
At this declaration, the recovered group caught sight of Li Xiangyi's cold expression and the chilling sneer playing on his lips. They all took a unified step back, the looks they cast toward Young Master Li filled with boundless admiration...
Coming to his senses and seeing that his good brothers had all abandoned him to stand alone, leaving him exposed to Li Xiangyi's "benevolent" gaze, Li Xi shrank his neck and scuttled back to the safety of his friends.
Inside the room, the seven men curiously and admiringly sized up the handsome and unfamiliar man standing beside Li Xiangyi...
Sesshomaru's gaze swept over the group. When looking at unrelated humans, his eyes were always cold and profound, carrying the chilling detachment of one high above.
The men's hearts tightened. That single glance made their hair stand on end and sent a chill through their bones, instantly filling the looks they cast at Sesshomaru with wariness and fear.
Sensing that their auras were far purer than those of most humans, Sesshomaru reined in his overwhelming presence slightly. He held no great interest in these humans, but sensing Li Xiangyi's regard for them, he did not appear overly aloof. He looked at the group and gave a slight nod. "My name is Sesshomaru."
Li Xiangyi nudged his still-dazed friends, and with a collective release of tension, Sesshomaru walked over to the table and sat down.
Li Xiangyi pushed the still-nervous group to sit around the table as well before walking over to sit beside Sesshomaru, raising a hand to pour him a cup of water.
Having just experienced this man's formidable power, the group now heard him introduce himself. Out of trust for Li Xiangyi, they all relaxed. As they let out a breath of relief, they hurriedly began casting sideways glances and making frantic hand gestures at Li Xiangyi.
Unable to bear watching his brothers make fools of themselves any longer, Li Xiangyi merely cleared his throat and, with a smile, began introducing his friends to Sesshomaru from left to right. "Brother Sha, this is Zhao Wenhao, Lin Ziyu, Lin Zimeng, Qian Qixing, Lu Lei, Jiang Yunzheng, and Li Xi. Though they might look a bit lacking in the wits department, they are all good brothers of kindred spirit whom I hold in high regard!"
With that, he turned to look at his group of friends, raising an eyebrow. "My Brother Sha simply doesn't talk much. As my brothers... looking at you lot, it seems we still haven't sparred enough!"
Watching the way Sesshomaru's formidable aura softened beside him, and hearing this introduction, the men inwardly cursed up a storm, though none dared say it aloud. Yet the atmosphere completely thawed because of his words, and looking at the quiet figure sitting there, they weren't quite so terrified anymore.
Although Lu Lei hailed from the Qiyang Lu Family—considered one of the foremost martial arts clans in the jianghu—he had been dragged around on travels since childhood by his grandfather, who had become a Daoist priest, and thus mastered the art of talking to humans as humans and ghosts as ghosts. Though he was eventually found by his parents and brought back home, his personality was already set and nearly impossible to change.
Li Xiangyi had gone to warn him in the dead of night precisely because Lu Lei loved to approach any good-looking person he saw, grab their little hand, and offer to tell their fortune. No matter what, he could never break this habit. It was only thanks to Lu Lei's decent martial arts, passable looks, and ability to read the room that he hadn't long ago been sacked in a burlap sack and beaten to a pulp.
Lu Lei looked at the imposing Sesshomaru sitting across from him, then at Li Xiangyi's warning expression beside him. Big-Head Lu muttered inwardly, *This big boss could kill someone with a single glance, as if you even needed to warn me! You couldn't pay me ten lives and I still wouldn't dare lay a hand on him!*
Despite these internal complaints, Lu Lei's face broke into a most flattering smile, and his words were dripping with enthusiasm. "Xiangyi, you have it all wrong. Brother Sha's demeanor clearly embodies the true bearing of an expert!"
With that, he nudged Li Xi with his elbow, signaling him to chime in. True to form, his good brother did not disappoint, instantly catching the cue and nodding vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes! Brother Sha has the bearing of a master!"
At these words, the good brothers snapped out of their stupor and hurriedly chimed in with agreement. Seeing this atmosphere, Li Xi felt a surge of heroic boldness, slapped the table, and roared, "Brother Sha has the bearing of a true powerhouse! We must share a cup! Waiter, bring out the wine!"
At this impulsive stunt from the naive simpleton, the veins on Li Xiangyi's temples throbbed violently. The rest of the company were likewise frightened witless by this thunderous display of enthusiasm. Amidst their stupefaction, they cast murderous, condemnation-filled glares toward Big-Head Lu, the hostility in their eyes practically tangible...
Lu Lei's mouth twitched uncontrollably, and he desperately wished to slap himself across the face. He had known this simple-minded brute was all brawn and no brain—otherwise, as one of the premier disciples of the Kunlun Sect, he wouldn't have been left hanging out with their riff-raff group instead of being taken by the senior elders to socialize... Lu Lei sighed desolately in his heart. *We're doomed, completely doomed! I must have lost my mind to let this blockhead take over the conversation. If Li Xiangyi strings me up from the city wall, these malicious friends of mine will definitely mock me for the rest of my life...*
Lu Lei grabbed Li Xi by the collar, forced a sheepish grin at Li Xiangyi, and cast a pleading look at the surrounding brothers.
Qian Qixing still valued brotherhood deeply. He let out a hearty laugh, put on a facade of calm composure, and said to Sesshomaru, "Brother Sha, I... I, Qian Laoqi, am wealthy! Anyone approved by Xiangyi is approved by us! Whatever you want to eat, just order it! And the wine... the wine flows endlessly, you can pour out a whole jar for every cup you drink and it won't be a problem at all!"
Hearing this, Li Xiangyi completely lost his temper. He let out a dry, helpless laugh, feeling that whatever shred of face he had left before Brother Sha had been utterly squandered by this bunch of brothers today...
Hearing Li Xiangyi's cold chuckle, Lu Lei froze in place. *Good heavens, why did I have to sit right in the middle of them?*
Seeing the situation, Zhao Wenhao watched his nose and his heart, adopting the philosophy of *better you than me*. At least today he was a clean Second Master Zhao who had taken a bath; Li Xiangyi couldn't find any trouble with him, hehe...
Jiang Yunzheng, the smooth-talking scion of a noble family, still felt Li Xiangyi's gaze locked onto him on account of his earlier "stunning beauty" remark, and obediently sat as meek and quiet as a quail.
The brothers Lin Zimeng and Lin Ziyu shared a mutual lack of eloquence. Having lost both parents, they had long been treated as invisible, neglected figures within the Spring Rain Sect. It wasn't until they came here and befriended Li Xiangyi and the others that they had grown a bit more lively. Seeing the current situation, they hurriedly stood up to open the door. "The door is closed so the waiter can't hear us. We'll go call the waiter over to order..."
Witnessing this chaotic scene, and then glancing at the huffing, puffed-up profile of the human beside him, Sesshomaru could not help a slight smile touching the corners of his lips. The humans Li Xiangyi chose to associate with were truly interesting...
Seeing the faint smile on Brother Sha's lips, Li Xiangyi's own sneer melted away as well. *Forget it, since I've made these friends, they're friends for life. Loyalty comes first; I, Li Xiangyi, should be more magnanimous...*
With this thought, Young Master Li threw an arm around Qian Laoqi's shoulders and smiled at the two Lins. "Zimeng, Ziyu, sit back down. Today our wealthy boss Qian is playing host—I'll go with him to flag down the waiter and order!"
With that, he grabbed Li Xi by the scruff of the neck as well. With one smiling and two weeping with misery, he hooked arms with them and marched them both out together.
With these loyal brothers stepping up to bear the brunt of the storm, the remaining individuals left in the room breathed a massive sigh of relief, exchanging looks of pure liberation...
Jiang Yunzheng looked at Sesshomaru, whose demeanor had softened considerably, and gazed upon that unearthly, handsome face. Tentatively, he spoke up, "B-Brother Sha, what I said earlier carried no intent of offense."
Seeing how genuinely close their affections were with Li Xiangyi, Sesshomaru was willing to humor them slightly. He merely lifted his gaze, his eyes calm, and though his voice was cold, it lacked oppression. "It is nothing."
Sesshomaru naturally exuded an air of high nobility. Earlier, a single glance from him had been enough to make their hearts leap into their throats. Now, hearing him reply and realizing he was simply cold and proud by nature without any hostility toward them—after all, powerhouses always possessed their own temperaments—the men in the room relaxed significantly. Still, none dared to question him casually as they would a brother; they simply sat down with rare obedience, eyes fixed longingly on the doorway, waiting for Li Xiangyi and the others to return...
From then on, Sesshomaru frequently accompanied Li Xiangyi on his outings, watching them spar and exchange blows, listening to them chat about the world, and occasionally drinking a cup of wine with them. Li Xiangyi felt that Brother Sha was gradually growing more and more human warmth about him...
On the twentieth of July, with just ten days remaining until the opening of the Martial Arts Convention, the representatives of the major sects had largely all arrived. Brothels, pleasure quarters, taverns, and eateries were everywhere filled with clinking cups, reunions of old friends, and shouts of high renown.
Qi Yun also arrived in Yangzhou City on this day. Having traveled alone, he began inquiring about Li Xiangyi the moment he entered the city. Li Xiangyi's reputation had already made waves in Yangzhou, making him very easy to trace. By the time he caught up with them, it was already noon, and Li Xiangyi, Sesshomaru, and their entourage were eating small wontons at a local roadside stall.
Catching a familiar scent, Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly and glanced over. The Great Yokai recognized this human instantly, for before Qi Yun had set out to wander the jianghu, Li Mushan had taken Li Xiangyi to visit the Qi Family every year, and Sesshomaru had accompanied them.
Qi Yun looked at Li Xiangyi, whose appearance had drastically changed over the past three years, and hesitated to approach and confirm his identity. Just as Li Xiangyi turned around alongside Brother Sha, he raised his eyes and spotted Qi Yun standing nearby. His face instantly blossomed into a broad smile; dropping his bowl, he executed a swift turn of his Samsara Pace and appeared directly behind Qi Yun.
Seeing this familiar footwork, twenty-two-year-old Qi Yun broke into a brilliant, dazzling smile. He landed a punch against Li Xiangyi's chest. "You rascal, you've grown so tall I scarcely dared to recognize you! How long has it been since you left the mountain, yet you've already made such a booming reputation? I just had to ask anyone on the street to track down your group's whereabouts!"
Li Xiangyi grinned with unconcealed triumph. "Haha, I am Li Xiangyi, after all—the one determined to become a towering hero of heaven and earth!" As he spoke, he dragged Qi Yun over to sit at the wonton stall, looking toward his other brothers, who all wore puzzled expressions save for Brother Sha.
Li Xiangyi smiled by way of introduction. "Qi Yun of the Jiangnan Qi Family."
Hearing this name and seeing the heavy sword strapped to his back, Jiang Yunzheng clapped his hands together, his eyes shining brightly. He hurriedly cupped his fists in salute. "The fierce tiger descending the mountain, Young Hero Qi Yun—long, long heard of! I am Jiang Yunzheng; I'm ashamed to say I haven't made a name for myself yet!"
As soon as he stated his name, the other six instantly realized that the youth before them was the dazzling, renowned "Little Tiger Qi" of the younger generation of the jianghu—wielding a heavy sword, upholding chivalry, and carving out quite a name for himself through righteous deeds. Being youths themselves, they naturally held a deep admiration for the strong. Seeing that this newcomer was only a couple of years older than them, and was on such familiar terms with Xiangyi without carrying the oppressive, intimidating aura of Brother Sha, they enthusiastically crowded around to chatter and introduce themselves. Within a mere instant, familiarity was established.