"Hmm, he should be arriving soon." Sima Zining nodded slightly.
"Grandfather, Zi Ning, Uncles and Aunties."
A calm voice echoed in the quiet courtyard.
Everyone looked up, only to see a handsome young man in casual attire walking towards them.
"Lin Mo?"
The moment Qi Min saw Lin Mo, a sparkle flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but clench his fists. This damn guy, he put on airs in front of me yesterday, clearly knowing martial arts yet disdainful to fight me.
"The number one expert? I really want to see what qualifies you."
Qi Min thought to himself.
Wu Yun and Du Li's gaze also immediately focused on Lin Mo. Seeing his ordinary appearance, slightly delicate, is this guy Qi Min's romantic rival? Daring to claim to be Huaxia's number one warrior?
"Xiao Mo, you've finally come. I haven't seen you for a long time," Sima Aotian said warmly. "Come, sit next to me."
"Hmm."
Lin Mo sat down next to Sima Aotian, just beside Sima Zining.
Qi Min was slightly displeased, as Sima Aotian had praised him earlier but wasn't as enthusiastic with Lin Mo.
"Why are you just now arriving? We've all been waiting for you." Sima Zining said with a hint of resentment.
"I went to Jiangzhou to see a friend and got delayed on the way," Lin Mo grinned.
As for Sima Weimin, Sima Weiguo, and Zhang Lan, their gaze towards Lin Mo had shifted slightly from the previous day, but it was merely superficial. As parents, who would want their daughter to play second fiddle to anyone else?
Besides, since Sima Aotian praised Lin Mo to the skies, but none of them had witnessed it firsthand, naturally, they weren't that impressed."Lin Mo, are you Huaxia's number one expert?" Qi Min stared at Lin Mo intently and suddenly asked.
With those words spoken.
The atmosphere in the entire courtyard changed somewhat, and Sima Aotian frowned slightly.
Sima Weimin, Sima Weiguo, and Zhang Lan revealed a subtle trace of joy. They had specifically invited Qi Min today to test Lin Mo's prowess and see if he was truly deserving of Grandfather's praises.
"Grandfather speaks so highly of Lin Mo, but I wonder if he is a match for Brother Qi." Sima Qing thought to himself excitedly, watching Lin Mo and Qi Min.
Wu Yun and Du Li remained silent but were clearly aligned with Qi Min.
"Hehe, not just anyone can hold the title of Huaxia's number one expert. The title is too heavy," Wu Yun said softly.
The Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall only accepts elites, having taken in only thirty disciples so far. These individuals train intensively inside the hall for years, each possessing formidable strength, enough to become the top martial arts expert in any province.
As for the tales of those martial arts gods from the martial world, in the eyes of these Heaven's Chosen Sons, they are nothing more than a joke.
Moreover, all three were very young, harboring a strong sense of pride and self-confidence.
"To tell you the truth, I just left the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall and immediately went to the southwest to challenge Li Yang from the Southwest Li Family. His strength was too weak; I defeated him in ten moves," Qi Min said casually, with a hint of arrogance in his tone.
Li Yang, who was ranked third on the Underground Qingyun List, had once crossed paths with Lin Mo in Han Country. Back then, Li Yang's strength was nearly at the level of a Vigorous Martial God, and in these years, he had directly advanced to become an Emperor Extreme expert, yet he still lost to Qi Min.
Qi Min naturally didn't regard the so-called underground world experts from the secular world. In his view, those Qingyun List experts were merely frogs at the bottom of a well.
"Baji Wu Yihan and Wudang Zhang Yesheng have decent martial skills, but they too were defeated by my junior sister and me," Wu Yun added.
The individuals they mentioned were all renowned young experts in the martial world. Sima Weimin, Sima Weiguo, and Zhang Lan were slightly taken aback.
Lin Mo's expression remained neutral, yet a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
Wu Yihan, Zhang Yesheng, and Li Yang had all been strong contenders on the Qingyun List, yet they were defeated by the three standing before him.
What kind of place is the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall, capable of producing such formidable experts?
"So in my opinion, your title of the number one expert is just a joke," Qi Min said sharply. "Fight me, and if you win, I will stop pursuing Miss Yue."
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
Sima Zining's face also showed mild irritation.
This was a Sima family gathering, and Qi Min actually wanted to challenge Lin Mo in such a setting, and the stake involved was herself. Sima Zining was naturally displeased.
"Qi Min, this is our family gathering. If you want to fight, you may leave," Sima Zining said unceremoniously.
Qi Min ignored her, still fixated on Lin Mo, thinking that if Lin Mo had any spunk, he'd surely be provoked into accepting a fight.
Qi Min wasn't particularly enamored with Sima Zining; he just found Lin Mo's calm demeanor very off-putting.
Every strong young man has such a mentality.
"You're not my opponent, there's no need to compete," Lin Mo said flatly.
His words made Qi Min, Wu Yun, and Du Li all widen their eyes.
Arrogant!
Too arrogant!
"What did you say?"
Qi Min clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his eyes as if about to emit flames.
Wu Yun and Du Li's expressions changed dramatically. To look down on Qi Min was to look down on their Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall.
"If it's the master of the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall, I might be interested in a fight," Lin Mo added.
Their faces changed again. The master of the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall was a martial god in their hearts. This guy dared to speak so arrogantly.
Qi Min's teeth gnashed audibly, and if it wasn't the Sima family banquet, he would've taught this arrogant guy a lesson directly.
Sima Mang and Huang Mo exchanged a glance, with a hint of a smile in their eyes.
Both knew Lin Mo's true strength; perhaps only the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall master was qualified to fight Lin Mo.
"Brother Mo's mastery of arrogance is truly high," Sima Mang quietly muttered.
Sima Weimin's expression also stiffened; Qi Min was invited by him, and the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall had cooperative ties with them. Wasn't Lin Mo's statement a bit too arrogant?
Sima Weiguo wore an even less friendly expression. If Lin Mo truly had real skills, despite his displeasure, he wouldn't oppose him further. But now, without even daring to try, he just spouts grandiose words, what's the point of that?
If not for Sima Aotian being present, Sima Weiguo might have exploded on the spot.
Suddenly.
Lin Mo slightly furrowed his brow, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile: "It seems I have two old friends arriving."
Hearing Lin Mo's words, everyone turned their heads, but there was nothing behind them—where were these friends?
Lin Mo took a sip of tea, looked up, and glanced around.
Just then, two gleams of light shot swiftly like meteors from afar.