northernbook Chapter 208 3 Rewards
Chapter 208 3 Rewards
Chapter 208 Three Rewards
At first, only Lin Fei and Xiang Boyue sat down at the table where Lin Fei was.
Given Xiang Boyue's fame and status, ordinary people wouldn't dare to approach him, let alone sit with him.
Until Du Zizhan and Li Liuyu arrived.
"Brother Dao, it's been a long time." Du Zizhan cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Fei.
Du Zizhan had a very good impression of Lin Fei when he was in Xijiang County. If it weren't for the letter the Du family sent to the Jade Emperor Sect, praising Lin Fei as a gentleman and a pillar of the righteous path, it's likely that Master Yongcheng wouldn't have easily let Lin Fei leave the mountain.
"Brother Du, please have a seat." Lin Fei hurriedly invited Du Zizhan to sit down upon seeing him. From the bottom of his heart, Lin Fei also had a great liking for Du Zizhan, who possessed the demeanor of a gentleman.
The two sat down, and soon Mingtong also came to Lin Fei's side, said "Senior Brother" and sat down at Lin Fei's table.
As soon as Mingtong sat down, a bald monk appeared. He was the monk sent by Leiyin Temple to observe the ceremony. Without saying a word, he sat directly opposite Lin Fei. With a stern face and unwavering eyes, he stared intently at Lin Fei, making Lin Fei extremely embarrassed.
The last person to sit down was Xue Bahuang. He held a wine jug in his left hand and a handful of fried beans in his right, and he squeezed next to Lin Fei with a grin: "Brother, squeeze in, squeeze in!"
Xue Bahuang was a rather eccentric man. He disliked those so-called righteous sects, yet he refused to associate with Qin Zhongshan and his ilk. After searching for a while and finding no one he liked, he simply squeezed next to Lin Fei.
Lin Fei glanced at Du Zizhan, who was sitting at the same table, and then at Xue Bahuang, who was a master of the evil path. He looked rather embarrassed.
Du Zizhan, however, who always hated evil, didn't say much about Xue Bahuang sitting down. Instead, Xiang Boyue spoke up, saying, "Demon Blade Wangyou, you are qualified to sit here."
Ever since witnessing Liu Buhui's meteoric rise to the Dharma Aspect realm, Xiang Boyue seemed to be filled with an intense fighting spirit from head to toe. Looking at the imposing Xiang Boyue, Xue Bahuang merely smiled and began drinking his wine, clearly having no intention of fighting him.
Lin Fei's table was arguably the most unusually grouped at the entire Heroes' Banquet. It included members from reputable sects and unorthodox sects. There were monks and Taoist priests.
However, their table already boasted the strongest lineup in the entire event—of the top ten on the popularity rankings, aside from Liu Buhui who had already broken through, four were from their table.
"Alas!" Just then, Li Liuyu, who was sitting next to Du Zizhan, suddenly stood up unsteadily, holding the wine pot in his hand. His face was flushed and his eyes were glazed: "A dappled horse, a thousand pieces of gold, call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, to dispel with you the sorrows of ages past!"
The Azure Lotus Sword Immortal used poetry as a weapon; this Li Liuyu seems to have inherited some of his ancestor's true skills.
Li Liuyu's words, like a pebble dropped into water, immediately drew attention at the heroes' banquet. Du Zizhan, sitting next to him, seemed quite embarrassed and quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Brother Liuyu..."
Li Liuyu, however, seemed to be half-drunk, completely ignoring Du Zizhan, and loudly proclaimed to himself, "Since ancient times, sages and worthies have all been lonely, only drinkers have left their names!"
After saying that, he took another big gulp of wine and then collapsed onto the table—this guy doesn't seem to be a very good drinker.
Of course, not everyone can drink and sing as freely as Li Liuyu.
Apart from Lin Fei's table, the rest of the people didn't even touch the food and wine on the table—they hadn't come to this heroes' banquet for the food and wine. Instead, they wanted to see what the royal family had prepared that Marquis Dingyuan had mentioned.
Aside from Lin Fei and his group enjoying their meal, even the monks from Leiyin Temple were eating heartily with their eyes fixed on Lin Fei. Everyone else was waiting for Marquis Dingyuan to appear.
Even Qin Zhongshan and the others were growing impatient. Qin Zhongshan tapped his fingers on the table and said to the servants beside him, "Where is your Marquis of Dingyuan? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
After bringing them to the Heroes' Banquet, Marquis Dingyuan went to meet the Emperor of Northern Han himself, and has not yet shown his face.
The palace servant was so frightened by Qin Zhongshan, this infamous and ruthless demon, that he trembled all over and dared not utter a word for a moment.
Just then, a laugh rang out: "Sorry to keep you all waiting!"
Lord Dingyuan slowly walked over from a distance, followed by a man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe who looked somewhat similar to Liu Buhui.
Lin Fei had met this man once before when he entered the palace; he was none other than Liu Xun, the current emperor of the Northern Han Kingdom, and also Liu Buhui's biological father.
Liu Xun, as the emperor of the Northern Han Kingdom, did not have any imperial airs. He smiled and said to the people present, "Most of you are not from my Northern Han Kingdom, so there is no need for formalities. Today, let's get along with each other in the manners of the martial arts world and not be bound by the rules of the court."
Upon the appearance of the Northern Han emperor, all eyes turned to Emperor Liu Xun, eager to see what he had to say.
Liu Xun then said, "The Marquis of Dingyuan has already told me about the Heroes' Gathering. On behalf of the Liu family of Northern Han, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone once again!"
Liu Xun spoke politely, but those who wanted to hear the important matters were already getting impatient.
Qin Zhongshan spoke first: "Your Majesty need not thank me. I heard from Marquis Dingyuan that Your Majesty has prepared some things. May I ask what they are?"
Marquis Dingyuan frowned, his face showing some displeasure. Emperor Liu Xun of Han, however, was truly good-tempered, showing no sign of anger. Instead, he replied, "Marquis Dingyuan is right. I have indeed prepared a small gift. Firstly, as a token of gratitude for your long journey. Secondly, I also wish to see the skills of the younger generation of masters in the land!"
Upon hearing Emperor Liu Xun's words, everyone knew that obtaining what the emperor had prepared would not be an easy task. They wondered what kind of test he had set for them.
However, the prerequisite is that what he prepares must be enough to tempt everyone. Otherwise, someone like Qin Zhongshan would definitely turn around and leave, and wouldn't waste time here.
"Marquis of Dingyuan, bring up the gifts I have prepared!" Emperor Liu Xun of Han turned to the Marquis of Dingyuan behind him and gave the order, then addressed the crowd again: "I have prepared three rewards for you all. Of course, to receive the rewards, you must first pass my test."