Zhenhua Ward, Yueyun Garden.
"What? You're saying Thousand Faces Old Ghost failed to assassinate him and was killed instead?!"
Third Miss Xiao Qing stared at the sullen-faced old woman, her expression filled with utter astonishment.
"Indeed. It happened at the hour of the Ox, roughly two shichen ago. Thousand Faces Old Ghost slipped into Qinghui Garden under the cover of night to assassinate Huang Tian, but somehow his presence was detected. After a brief clash, he died at Huang Tian's hands," the old woman said.
"Was it truly Huang Tian himself, and not an expert from the Martial Restraint Guard?"
The old woman shook her head. "Bystanders witnessed their exchange. It was indeed Huang Tian who killed Thousand Faces Old Ghost with a single palm strike. Only after that did Yu Jingcheng and the others arrive."
Xiao Qing knit her slender brows. "He is truly that formidable? Didn't earlier intelligence claim he had at most the strength of an early Fourth Rank? Why now..."
The old woman gave a helpless sigh. "Perhaps his cultivation broke through again recently. Or perhaps he never used his full strength when he thwarted the assassins from the Feihong Sect."
"Granny Weng, could you defeat him?"
The old woman froze for a moment before answering candidly, "Likely not. I do not know how he detected Thousand Faces Old Ghost. Had it been me, I certainly would not have noticed. In that regard, he is far superior to me. As for a direct clash, he likely holds an edge over me as well—at the very least, I have no confidence in swiftly killing Thousand Faces Old Ghost."
Xiao Qing pressed her lips together. "I remember you once defeated two Fourth Rank martial artists consecutively within fifteen minutes. Even with such martial prowess, you still could not best him?"
Granny Weng said with deep feeling, "He is stronger than ninety-nine percent of all Fourth Rank martial artists. By my estimate, even if a Grandmaster were to intervene personally, they could not take him down within five breaths!"
A Grandmaster! Five breaths!
Though this evaluation might not sound excessively lofty at first, in truth, throughout all of Qin Province, Fourth Rank martial artists who could withstand a Grandmaster for several breaths were exceedingly rare. They were either dazzling prodigies possessing unique, peerless techniques, or veterans who had polished their craft in the Fourth Rank for decades!
An ordinary Fourth Rank martial artist could not even endure a single strike from a Grandmaster!
Granny Weng spoke with meaningful emphasis, "His potential exceeds what we imagined. Becoming a Grandmaster is guaranteed, reaching the Second Rank will not be difficult, and even the First Rank is within his reach, Miss..."
The First Rank was within reach!
How could Xiao Qing not understand the weight of those words? Her father was merely a Second Rank, yet he was already a renowned Divine General of Qin Province, holding a position of supreme reverence.
Yet even that paled before a peak First Rank Grandmaster. Across all of Qin Province, there were only about ten First Rank Grandmasters!
In the entirety of Great Gan, counting both the imperial court and the martial world, there were merely two hundred or so First Rank Grandmasters!
Once someone stepped into the First Rank, they instantly became one of the few hundred most powerful figures in all of Great Gan!
*If I were to become the wife of a First Rank Grandmaster...*
She had to admit her heart wavered. If she could enjoy the authority and status of a First Rank Grandmaster's wife, she felt that an arranged marriage was not entirely unacceptable.
*Besides, I hear he is quite handsome and not harsh in dealing with people...*
However, she soon recalled being rejected by him earlier. That was the first time she had ever been spurned by a stranger, and remembering it now still brought a wave of acute embarrassment.
If she had to swallow her pride and approach Huang Tian despite that embarrassment, she felt increasingly conflicted and hesitant.
Seeing Third Miss's expression shifting unpredictably, Granny Weng gently prompted, "Third Miss, Miss Miaosu sent a gift to Qinghui Garden this morning."
"Miaosu?!"
Xiao Qing's expression changed. "She stayed behind for Huang Tian after all!"
Granny Weng thought to herself, *Staying for Huang Tian is true enough, but whether it is to recruit him as a son-in-law through marriage or to probe the secrets he holds is another matter...*
Xiao Qing, however, grew increasingly convinced of her own deduction. A sudden flare of anger rose within her, accompanied by a sense of betrayal.
Taking two deep breaths, she asked, "Granny Weng, if I... what should I do?"
Though she left the sentence unfinished, her meaning was unmistakable. Granny Weng said gently, "We should also send a gift to Qinghui Garden. There is no need to do anything else. In any case, we have never offended Huang Tian before, so we need only proceed as propriety demands. Then, in a few days when he has some leisure, invite him to a gathering again. He likely won't refuse then."
Xiao Qing nodded slowly.
That was true. She had never offended Huang Tian; on the contrary, it was her garden party invitation that he had turned down. There was no real grudge between them, so behaving normally was the proper course.
"Then have someone deliver a gift to Qinghui Garden."
After giving the order, Zhou Miaosu's usual serene and elegant demeanor surfaced in Xiao Qing's mind, making her grit her teeth in secret.
Naturally, Zhou Miaosu had no idea that her close friend had harbored such resentment against her; her gift was merely an initial attempt to establish contact with Huang Tian.
In fact, she was not the only one to send a gift. Across the entire commandery seat, any prominent clan with decent sources of information had sent something over. Even though they knew Huang Tian would almost certainly not accept them, propriety still demanded the gesture. Courtesy never provoked offense, but a lack of it certainly could...
Among the influential clans across the sprawling commandery seat, only the Huang Manor remained hesitant.
"Father, Fourth Brother's strength has grown even greater. Even a formidable figure like Thousand Faces Old Ghost, who roamed Qin Province and once escaped a Grandmaster's pursuit with ease, died at his hands..."
Huang Qian, looking haggard, let out a long sigh. "If we don't mend relations with him soon, our family is finished."
Huang Xunjiu slumped dejectedly in his chair. How could he not understand that truth?
Ever since the day Huang Tian captured two Fifth Rank martial artists alive and shook all quarters, the Huang Manor had faced mounting suppression from all sides. In just half a month, the clan's assets had shrunk by nearly a fifth!
That was a foundation built over a century by the Huang clan, yet so much of it had been lost in a mere fortnight, cutting Huang Xunjiu to the quick.
Now that Huang Tian's strength was even greater, the suppression targeting the Huang Manor would only arrive with fiercer intensity!
How much longer could they hold out?
"Qian'er, what do you think we should do?" Huang Xunjiu asked, his voice hoarse.
Huang Qian gritted his teeth. "Go to him in person and beg for his forgiveness!"
If they sent gifts, he would reject them, but if they went in person, he might not refuse to see them. As long as the two sides met, the prominent figures in the commandery seat would have reservations, unsure of Huang Tian's true stance. That would buy the Huang clan some breathing room.
If they could completely reconcile with Huang Tian and welcome him back into the clan, it would cause the Huang family's prestige to soar even higher!
"If he shuts the door in our faces..." Huang Xunjiu hesitated.
"Father, there is no other way! We must do this, or else we are merely waiting to die!"
"Sigh! Then I shall make the trip!"
Huang Xunjiu sighed heavily and stood up from his chair. "Have the carriage and congratulatory gifts prepared. I will go to Qinghui Garden myself!"
"Yes!"
A quarter of an hour later, a carriage with vermilion wheels rolled out from the Huang Manor and headed toward Baoqing Ward.
After some time, the carriage halted at the entrance of the alley leading to Qinghui Garden.
"Master, we can't go any farther. The lane inside is completely blocked!" the coachman reported.
Huang Xunjiu lifted the carriage curtain to take a look. Sure enough, dozens of carriages were parked along the alleyway, clogging the street so thoroughly that while pedestrians could barely squeeze through, a carriage could not pass at all.
"Just stop here..."
Huang Xunjiu drew a deep breath and stepped down from the carriage, his face grim and somber.
Chapter 100