"Hmph, who do you think you are, you little brat? Back in my day, when I was out gallivanting, you weren't even born!
If you know what's good for you, get out of the way and don't delay me from enjoying the company of this beauty."
As one of the burly men finished speaking, he sidestepped Yongning and reached out towards the figure in white.
As if utterly annoyed, Murong Bai's brows furrowed tightly. His patience worn thin, he gazed icily at the vermin before him.
However, just as the burly man's hand was about to touch Murong Bai, a loud shout suddenly echoed from afar:
"Stop!"
The burly man looked towards the approaching young man in green robes and grumbled, "I must have not checked the almanac before leaving today. These people are endless.
From what godforsaken corner did this turtle egg crawl out, daring to meddle in my affairs!"
Lin Qingge didn't even spare a glance, continuing to walk briskly towards Murong Bai while coldly commanding,
"Yan Tinghao, slap him!"
"Yes!"
Yan Tinghao lunged forward with a single stride and delivered a resounding slap.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingge gently held Murong Bai's hand, which was hidden within his wide sleeve, "I say, Brother Murong, while it's true that men and women should not touch, you don't need to get so serious, do you?"
After speaking, Lin Qingge looked up and glared at the peacockly fop fanning himself and watching the spectacle, "I say, Hua Qianxiu, as the flower's guardian, are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"
"Brother Lin, it is true that I am the flower's guardian and Brother Murong is indeed beautiful. However, I believe Brother Murong does not require my protection.
Moreover, how can you say I am standing by idly?
Did I not send someone to find you?"
Lin Qingge, who was nearly amused to death by the other's twisted logic, rolled his eyes towards the heavens, "Yes, if I had arrived any later, I wouldn't have to worry about my performance reviews this month."
With that, she snatched the small paper packet clutched in Murong Bai's hand and tucked it into her own sleeve.
While Lin Qingge was lecturing Hua Jinrong, Yan Tinghao, whose intelligence was inversely proportional to his martial prowess, had already knocked the burly men to the ground.
"B-Brother, how should we handle these fellows?"
"Bury them, oh no, let them go."
Lin Qingge waved her hand magnanimously. Although Yan Tinghao felt a pang of regret, he obediently complied.
The burly men, realizing they had kicked a steel plate, quickly helped each other up and fled. Murong Bai, who had remained silent, slowly extended his palm towards Lin Qingge:
"Brother Lin, half for half upon meeting."
Looking at the sly fox before her, whose eyes were brimming with smiles and no trace of the earlier coldness, Lin Qingge couldn't help but curl her lips:
"You caused this mess yourself, and you have the nerve to ask for half?
Consider this compensation for disturbing my slumber and troubling me to come here."
Lin Qingge weighed her heavy sleeves, finally revealing one of the few smiles she had shown all day.
"Speaking of which, is the threshold for this martial arts conference that low? Are they just letting any Tom, Dick, and Harry wander in?"
"Brother Lin, you are unaware, but most people in the martial world are from humble backgrounds. Apart from those with some reputation and standing in the jianghu.
The martial world is currently divided into six major forces.
The first major force is Wolong Mountain Villa, where we are now. Under the resounding call of its master, Long Xiaotian, Wolong Mountain Villa has gathered most of the talented youths in the martial world, and Master Long himself is also the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.
The second major force is Shaolin, renowned for its hard qigong, Golden Bell Shield, and Iron Shirt techniques.
The third major force is the Tang Sect, skilled in both medicine and poison.
The fourth major force is the Jade Maiden Sect, which only accepts female disciples.
The fifth major force is the Tianji Pavilion, established by my friend, Young Master Ye.
As for the last major force, it is an organization called the Xuanming Cult.
This Xuanming Cult is extremely mysterious; their cult leader and members never appear in public, nor do they participate in such activities.
They specialize in bounty assassination missions and have almost never failed, making them a relatively detached presence in the martial world."
"As expected of the Martial World's Encyclopedia, you know so much!"
"Of course... of course not. These are all things I heard my friend mention casually."
Hua Jinrong's hand, which was fanning him, paused for a moment, and the curve of his lips stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
Seeing that the other party was still staring at him without shifting his gaze, he coughed and changed the subject, "By the way, Brother Lin, my friend sent news that the bounty on the young master has been withdrawn."
"Did the scoundrel who issued the bounty get cooled?"
Mentioning Lin Zimo, Lin Qingge's attention was immediately diverted.
"He probably didn't get 'cooled.' It is said that the place where the bounty issuer resides is inaccessible to ordinary people, so let alone succeeding, no one has even seen the bounty issuer's true appearance.
In the end, it was the Xuanming Cult that directly spread the word that anyone who dared to accept the young master's bounty would be openly at war with the Xuanming Cult, and only then did the matter subside.
As expected of Brother Lin, you know everyone under the sun, even having acquaintances in the elusive Xuanming Cult who can speak to you. Truly admirable~"
"Xuanming Cult? Acquaintances?"
Lin Qingge, who felt that the people she knew were not even a fraction of Hua Jinrong's, was completely bewildered.
At this moment, Yongning, who had grown impatient waiting, couldn't help but urge them on,
"Young Master Lin, ahead is the training ground exclusively used by Wolong Mountain Villa's chief disciples. They will be leaving in another quarter of an hour, shall we hurry and take a look?"
"Chief disciples?"
"Young Master Lin, surely you know about Wolong Mountain Villa's Four Great Beauties?"
Lin Qingge honestly shook her head.
Seeing this, Yongning looked dejected and patiently explained,
"Young Master Lin, the master of Wolong Mountain Villa, Long Xiaotian, has taken five personal disciples in total. Four of them are men, and they are exceptionally handsome men, which is why the martial world has affectionately nicknamed them 'Wolong Beauties'.
Countless women rack their brains just for a chance to catch a glimpse of them.
It's a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor, so why should I miss it?"
"So you're here to see pretty boys?"
What about Zhou Zeli from Jiugou Village?
Considering Zhou Zeli's attitude towards Xu Siyun, Lin Qingge did not voice the latter half of her thought.
But to exchange a bag of immeasurably valuable gems for a chance to see a few men who might not even look presentable, wasn't that the behavior of a lovesick idiot?
Unaware that she was being judged as foolish by Lord Lin, Yongning continued to urge everyone forward.
Since they had already come this far, partly out of curiosity and partly out of boredom, Lin Qingge decided to follow Yongning and take a look at what these so-called Wolong F4 were like.
As they approached, a chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Immediately after, the crowd parted in the middle, and a man of distinguished appearance walked towards them, or more precisely, towards Hua Jinrong.
The man first gave Hua Jinrong an enthusiastic embrace, then clasped his fists and said,
"Brother Ye, it's been a while!"