stjorthotic Chapter 65 The Battle for Success at Tingtao Pavilion
Chapter 65 The Battle for Success at Tingtao Pavilion
Zhang Yuan and Xiao Yang followed Li Jintang to the top floor of Tingtao Pavilion.
The moment he appeared, the eyes of the well-dressed and dignified young talents from Fengming County on the upper floor all turned to him, scrutinizing and probing him as if they were being pricked by needles.
"Brother Jintang is here!"
"Hey, who are those two people next to him?"
Whispers immediately rose from the corner.
"Silence! That shorter one, he's the one who killed the ox with his bare hands the other day, and who was at the Li family's... cough, that Zhang Qingyang!"
"The son of Zhang Zhenshan, the Commandant of the Vanguard? Is that him? He looks so young..."
"Is the other one Xiao Yang from Xiao Bancheng's family? I heard he's not very well-liked at home?"
These subtle yet clear discussions reached Zhang Yuan's ears, carrying undisguised curiosity and assessment.
His face was calm and composed, but his gaze swept across the room like a cold pool, taking in each face, whether unfamiliar or vaguely familiar.
Not far away, Wang Chengyu, representing the Wang family, and his elder brother Wang Chenglin also raised their heads.
Upon hearing the name "Zhang Qingyang," Wang Chengyu's brows furrowed imperceptibly, and his gaze instinctively turned to the window, heading towards the distant East City Wharf, his eyes slightly cold.
Wang Chenglin looked at Zhang Yuan curiously and whispered to the person next to him, "This kid has become quite famous in the city recently."
After saying that, he stepped forward and greeted Li Jintang: "Brother Jintang, I was warmly received by you when I visited the prefectural city last time, and I still remember it."
Li Jintang smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Brother Chenglin, you are too kind. We are both from the same family in Fengming County, so it is only right that we help each other."
Then, Li Jintang introduced Zhang Yuan: "This is my virtuous younger brother Qingyang. Don't underestimate him because of his young age. He is exceptional in both literature and martial arts and will surely achieve great things in the future."
Wang Chenglin nodded with a smile: "I had long heard that the Zhang family had a worthy successor, and seeing it today, I can confirm that the rumors are true."
Li Jintang spoke up: "Brother Chenglin is no outsider. Brother Qingyang has some grudges with the Black Tiger Gang. I wonder if Brother Chenglin could step in and mediate?"
A glint of light flashed in Wang Chenglin's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Wang Chengyu whispered a reminder, "Brother, it's time to sit down."
Wang Chenglin smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and turned to walk towards his seat.
Li Jintang narrowed his eyes and whispered to Zhang Yuan, "Brother Qingyang, it seems the Wang family is unwilling to reconcile. Then let them see your methods later."
Zhang Yuan nodded slightly.
Everyone took their seats.
Exquisite fruits, pastries, and fine wines were served to Zhang Yuan by the maids in a continuous stream, but he paid them no heed.
He had no interest in this empty pomp and circumstance.
The gathering was hosted by Chen Zijing, a member of the Chen family.
This person was in his early twenties and already possessed a certain composure.
He stood up, looked around, and said loudly, "I have gathered you all here today for the purpose of selecting candidates from Fengming County for the 'Qingyun Elite List' of Luyang Prefecture. This is an opportunity to showcase the strength of our county's younger generation and bring glory to our hometown."
"I hope everyone will work together to avoid unnecessary internal friction and select the truly outstanding talents who can represent our county!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the area where the scions of the four major families were located, his voice carrying an air of matter-of-fact: "According to past practice and the strength of each family, the Chen, Fang, Wang, and Li families will each occupy one spot. Does anyone have any objections?"
The room fell silent.
Zhang Yuan sat at the table, observing coldly.
He could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere in the air.
Many young people from small or medium-sized families or poor backgrounds had expressions of resentment and helplessness on their faces. Their lips moved, but in the end, no one dared to speak out in rebuttal.
The foundations and power of the four major families, like an invisible giant net, firmly shrouded this so-called "election".
Zhang Yuan understood.
This is nothing more than a formality; it's a blatant rule, and also an invisible form of oppression.
He had no urgent need for the Qingyun Ranking itself; his goal for this trip was not this empty title, but the plan for the East City Wharf.
Sure enough, a moment later, the four families seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.
Chen Zijing, representing the Chen family, Fang Jingsong of the Fang family, Li Jintang of the Li family, and Wang Chenglin of the Wang family were nominated and agreed to go to the prefectural city together to participate in the election in a few days.
"Okay!" Wang Chenglin stood up with a smile, exchanging knowing glances with Li Jintang, Fang Jingsong, and Chen Zijing.
The next moment, a powerful aura rose from the four of them almost simultaneously!
An invisible pressure suddenly descended, enveloping the entire attic!
That was an extremely pure fluctuation of innate true essence!
The four young people had already successfully condensed their innate power and stepped into the threshold of the Innate Realm!
This powerful and pure aura caused many young people who were still struggling in the Acquired Realm to change color instantly, their eyes filled with shock and awe.
Zhang Yuan also felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders.
However, the blood and qi flowing through his body accelerated slightly, spontaneously circulating to resist.
His heart remained calm and undisturbed, only gaining a deeper understanding of the profound foundations of the four great families. Indeed, they were unfathomable, but... nothing special.
He had witnessed Zheng Chaoyang's demeanor as a half-step grandmaster and knew the terror of a powerful expert in the Insight Realm. The pressure from these four people was not enough to move him.
Fang Jingsong seemed to feel the atmosphere was too heavy, so he raised his hand and skillfully pushed a glass of wine in front of him toward Li Jintang.
Li Jintang flipped his wrist and caught the glass steadily, without disturbing the contents.
He then flicked his finger, and the wine glass spun and flew toward Wang Chenglin.
With a proud smile, Wang Chenglin extended his index finger and gently touched the rim of the glass. The glass then flew steadily toward Chen Zijing as if guided by an invisible thread.
Chen Zijing then waved his sleeve, and a gentle force swept across the wine cup, which landed in a beautiful arc on the table in front of Li Jintang.
Li Jintang's lips curled up slightly, as if he thought the game was easy. He picked up the wine glass again and suddenly flicked his wrist.
The wine in the glass suddenly shot out, splitting into three condensed, arrow-like streaks in the air, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, and shot towards the faces of Fang Jingsong, Wang Chenglin, and Chen Zijing!
"Ah!" someone exclaimed.
A glint flashed in Fang Jingsong's eyes. He pointed his fingers like a knife and used a burst of energy to shatter the water arrow, splashing a few droplets onto his sleeves.
Wang Chenglin snorted coldly, pressed his palm in front of him, and a wall of air appeared. The water arrow hit it and turned into a cloud of water mist.
Chen Zijing reacted a little slower, and in his haste, he turned to the side and swung his sleeve to block, getting his sleeve wet and looking somewhat disheveled.
This exquisite water arrow splitting into three parts, demonstrating the subtle control of true energy, once again drew gasps of amazement and admiration.
Zhang Yuan watched this tacit "performance" among the scions of the four major families with a calm and unwavering heart. He felt that these fancy tricks were far less real than the swords and spears on the battlefield.
The methods displayed by the four individuals solidified their unshakeable position and also signaled that the remaining three spots would be chosen from among the remaining dozen or so people.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the attic subtly shifted, and the eyes of the dozen or so unselected young talents flickered, hinting at a desire to try their luck.
Seeing this, Li Jintang spoke up, breaking the brief silence: "Gentlemen, since there are limited remaining spots, why not follow the selection practice of the prefectural city?"
"Based on what I saw in the prefectural city, the Qingyun List assessment has always emphasized both literary and martial arts skills. Today, we can also divide the competition into two sessions: one is a 'literary contest,' which examines the students' understanding of classics, their strategies, and their vision and perspective; the other is a 'martial contest,' which tests their fist and footwork skills and their cultivation of true energy."
"Finally, we will select one more person who is both literate and martial, thus choosing three people. This will not only be fair, but also better in line with the purpose of the Qingyun List."
As soon as he said this, everyone nodded in agreement, and no one explicitly objected.
With the core positions of the four major families already decided, the remaining opportunities will naturally depend on real ability to compete for.