Volume Two: Catalogue of Weapons Chapter 112: The Qi Family Banquet Welcomes a Hundred Friends

Upon hearing the name "Sacred Monarch Hall," Liu Xiaoyi’s killing intent leaked out uncontrollably. Though it lasted only for a fleeting second, those nearby still felt a frost-like chill.

Mr. Hu hurriedly smoothed things over, saying, "Ah, haha! If there is nothing else, why don’t you all come with me for a bite to eat? Our master has quite a few fine offerings in the banquet."

"Then I shall trouble you to lead the way, sir." Liu Xiaoyi’s face was as cold as water, his mind deep in thought.

Shangguan Baozi, however, bounced over and whispered, "Big Brother, I’m going to make a quick trip to the local Armory Tomb stronghold to drop off these things. I’ll come find you later!"

Liu Xiaoyi asked in surprise, "There is an Armory Tomb stronghold here in Tuqiu City?"

"Of course! This is the Great Barren Lands; there are Armory Tomb outposts everywhere. It shouldn't take long, but make sure you save me some good food!" With that, Shangguan Baozi dashed toward the other end of the long street, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Tuqiu City is vast, divided into four districts—East, South, West, and North. In the Iron Dynasty, it would be considered a top-tier city. However, because the land in the Great Barren is barren, if the city were not built on such a scale, it could not produce enough supplies to sustain its people. Ordinary houses are built of mud, while only shops along the streets use timber in their construction. Since it barely rains, trees suitable for building are hard to grow, making wood prices exorbitantly high.

The people here envy the fertile lands and the exquisite, towering architecture of the Iron Dynasty, which is the root cause of the endless wars. To this day, Tuqiu City maintains the custom of holding annual fighting tournaments, and the city’s recruitment office remains open all year round, constantly enlisting soldiers for the front lines.

As they followed Mr. Hu’s supply caravan, Liu Xiaoyi felt the unique desolation of the Great Barren. The wind blowing in his face carried fine yellow sand, and many pedestrians covered their faces with scarves or masks.

"Is this your first time in the Great Barren?" Noticing Liu Xiaoyi’s expression had softened, Mr. Hu stepped forward to strike up a conversation. Having served as the steward of the City Lord’s manor for over a decade, he had dealt with countless people and was no stranger to wandering martial artists.

The Jianghu has its own rules. Martial artists are different from generals or officials; their styles are distinct, yet they are often easier to befriend. Over the years, he had secretly cultivated a network of retainers—at least three hundred of them, all disciples from small local sects—who lived off the City Lord’s hospitality. As long as they had skills, he would provide for them. If he could win Liu Xiaoyi over, the matchmaking event at the Watching Heaven Pavilion tomorrow would surely be a success.

On the surface, the event was a martial arts competition for the Sacred Monarch Hall to find a husband for their Saintess. In reality, the Great Barren Royal Court had already plotted to force the Sacred Monarch Hall onto the battlefield. If the Saintess married the son of the Tuqiu City Lord, the scheme would succeed. However, the City Lord’s son was lacking in ability and unlikely to win. Thus, they had arranged a grand banquet, inviting various martial artists to "play along" if they encountered the young master at the Watching Heaven Pavilion, with the promise of rewards to be collected at the manor later.

Liu Xiaoyi replied, "It is indeed my first time. I know nothing of the rules of the Great Barren. Once we reach your master, Mr. Hu, I hope you will look after us."

"Tuqiu City was built by the Qi family, and it has been in our master’s hands for over thirty generations. If it weren't for the appearance of the Watching Heaven Pavilion, perhaps our master would still be content living a quiet life. Look over there—that building is the newly constructed Watching Heaven Pavilion."

On the way to the City Lord’s manor, they passed the street adjacent to the Watching Heaven Pavilion. It was already packed with people, blocked solid by curious onlookers.

The Watching Heaven Pavilion was a new structure built just recently, occupying an entire city block. It was said that an expert from the Sacred Monarch Hall had calculated it to be at the location with the most abundant spiritual energy in all of Tuqiu City. By harnessing this energy, a spiritual spring had even condensed at the northern end of the structure.

When the surrounding crowd saw the City Lord’s caravan, they moved aside to clear a path. The dark-faced man carrying the banner led the way, escorting the team behind him.

Mr. Hu gestured toward the pavilion, explaining, "The Watching Heaven Pavilion is based on the Bagua Taiji layout. The four wooden towers at the base occupy the positions of the Four Symbols, followed by the Yin-Yang towers. Finally, there is a Heavenly Lamp at the top of the Daoist Unity Tower. The task is to light the lamp and escort it all the way to the island in the center of the Spirit Lake."

Such a display could only be orchestrated by the Sacred Monarch Hall among the nearby cities. To possess such resources even after their influence in the Southern Barren was uprooted showed just how deep the pockets of these major sects truly were.

"I recall that the Sacred Monarch Hall is composed of martial artists, not Daoists. How did they calculate these positions?" Liu Xiaoyi knew the foundations of the Sacred Monarch Hall; they were not a Daoist sect.

Mr. Hu looked at him with a strange expression, appearing surprised that he knew of the Sacred Monarch Hall. "The Sacred Monarch Hall has always been famous in the Great Barren for its puppetry. But a few years ago, a guest elder arrived—a wandering Daoist who gained the Sacred Monarch’s favor. It was his idea to build the Watching Heaven Pavilion here."

Once the matter was linked to a Daoist, Liu Xiaoyi felt that things were not as simple as they seemed. Surely, they hadn't gone to such lengths just for a matchmaking event.

The Watching Heaven Pavilion, formed by six towers, had a bizarre shape. Each square tower was uniform in thickness from top to bottom, and if one looked closely, each level appeared to be suspended in mid-air. The power of the Four Symbols was constantly condensing within, and by now, one could faintly hear the roaring of the Four Symbols. Inside the carriage, Meng Qiaoqiao felt a similar call coming from the Fire Phoenix.

"Daoists have the most devious minds; one must be careful around them," Liu Xiaoyi muttered. He followed the caravan as they circled the site, examining the pavilion carefully.

The roots of Daoist sorcery lay in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams formations. What exactly was the Sacred Monarch Hall planning, and why did they need such a massive formation to cover it up? Among the spectators, there were no shortage of wandering Daoists who had caught on to a few clues; some were already hiding in the shadows, casting spells and drawing talismans, intending to get to the bottom of it.

The City Lord’s manor was not far from there. After Mr. Hu led them through a few more streets, he stopped in an open square. "Be careful! Move them to the backyard quickly—they are the stars of the show tonight!"

The servants, who had been waiting, swarmed forward to move the wine jars from the carriages into the manor. Above the massive gate were two gilded characters: "Qi Manor."

Mr. Hu pointed forward with his fan. "Gentlemen, welcome to the Qi Manor. My master is waiting for you in the central hall. Please, follow me!"

Inside and outside the gate, martial artists carrying weapons came and went. Some had come purely by reputation without an invitation, but the gatekeepers didn't stop them, greeting everyone with a smile.