Chapter 125: When Enemies Meet Again

To set the scene, Le Hongcai and Xu Youyi had been seated in a corner at the sixth row.

Watching Lin Xiaobao walk past, both the Second and Third Elders felt a sense of relief; it was only fitting that Lin Xiaobao be relegated to the sixth row, given that even they—representing the Wind and Snow Pavilion—were relegated to the very end of the second row. Unfortunately, due to their limited status, they failed to recognize Yun Zhongtian and Qin Feng. Had they done so, the Wind and Snow Pavilion might not have fallen into such a precipitous decline, though that is a story for another time.

"Why are you two here?" Lin Xiaobao asked as he approached. Seeing an empty seat at their table, he sat down naturally.

Xu Youyi knocked back a full cup of wine, sighed, and muttered, "Sigh... don't even ask."

"Just focus on getting drunk today!" Le Hongcai, usually a lively fellow, seemed burdened by heavy thoughts.

Lin Xiaobao didn't particularly care about their moods; to him, they were merely passersby. He held no fondness for them, but no ill will either. "Is Si Mengling not with you?" He was debating whether to tell her about Lin Tian’s situation.

At this question, both men stared at him in shock. "You came to this wedding without even knowing who the bride is?"

"What are you talking about?" A sudden sense of unease rose in Lin Xiaobao’s chest.

"Our junior sister is the bride! Did you really think she wouldn't be here?" Le Hongcai’s eyes flashed with anger as he downed another cup of wine.

"How did Mengling end up with Long Xiuping?" Lin Xiaobao was genuinely curious. Having spent time in Blood Wind City, he understood that the four great families were far more powerful than the Wind and Snow Pavilion or the Flowing Cloud Sect. It seemed impossible that they would take interest in Si Mengling, a mere direct disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect.

"I don't know how it happened. Not long after we returned from Nine Peace Mountain, the Long family came to propose. You’ve seen the Long family's power—the Flowing Cloud Sect didn't dare refuse!" Xu Youyi’s voice was laced with helplessness.

"Refuse? Refuse my foot! They were practically begging to latch onto the Long family," Le Hongcai retorted bitterly.

"Junior brother, don't speak nonsense! Our elders did it for the sake of us all," Xu Youyi immediately countered.

Lin Xiaobao synthesized their words and asked, "So, this marriage is not Mengling’s own will?"

"Her will? Do you think her will carries any weight in a situation like this?" A mocking smile played on Le Hongcai’s lips—whether he was mocking Lin Xiaobao’s ignorance or his own impotence, it was hard to tell.

"Lin Xiaobao, why haven't you come to greet your sect elders?" Just as Lin Xiaobao was contemplating how to resolve the situation, the Second Elder approached with a wine cup in hand.

Seeing the Second Elder’s oily smile, a realization dawned on Lin Xiaobao. He immediately put on a timid, trembling facade. "Greetings, Second Elder!"

The Second Elder, further convinced that this boy had merely snuck into the Long family estate amidst the chaos, said, "Since you’re here, come sit at our table. With your current cultivation, you are, after all, an elder of the Wind and Snow Pavilion."

As he mentioned Lin Xiaobao’s cultivation, a flicker of deep jealousy passed through the Second Elder’s eyes. He couldn't fathom what kind of luck this brat had to go from a complete novice to the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm in just a few years—a feat that had taken him nearly a century. Looking at Lin Xiaobao and recalling Lin Tian’s monstrous speed of improvement, the Second Elder was certain they possessed some secret cultivation technique. Finding Lin Xiaobao here was a heaven-sent opportunity.

Lin Xiaobao feigned hesitation, then rose with a show of reluctance. After exchanging a few words with Le Hongcai and Xu Youyi, he followed the Second Elder.

To the Second Elder, everything seemed perfectly natural. Back at the table, he had Lin Xiaobao sit right beside him—ostensibly to honor him, but in reality, to keep him from pulling any tricks. After all, this was the Long family’s wedding; the Second Elder dared not cause a scene, and he was certain Lin Xiaobao wouldn't dare either.

"So you are Lin Xiaobao?" Seeing that the youth had reached the sixth stage of the Spirit Realm, Ao Wuchen’s eyes also flashed with envy. He had been well-informed of Lin Xiaobao’s progress, but he hadn't expected him to break through so many times in just over half a year. Had it not been for his own breakthrough to the seventh stage upon becoming the Pavilion Master and practicing the Wind and Snow Arts, his own cultivation would now be inferior to this boy's.

"Greetings, Pavilion Master," Lin Xiaobao kept his demeanor cautious.

"Is this the Lin Xiaobao from your Wind and Snow Pavilion? A hero indeed!" A man from the Flowing Cloud Sect at the table laughed. "I see great talent in you. If things don't work out at the Wind and Snow Pavilion, you are welcome to join us. We truly value talent!"

Whether by the Long family’s design or the Flowing Cloud Sect’s deliberate provocation, the elders of the Flowing Cloud Sect had been seated with the Wind and Snow Pavilion. As the bride’s side, the Flowing Cloud Sect had brought many more people, and apart from the four of them, the rest of the table consisted of Flowing Cloud Sect elders.

"Then I thank you, Elder!" Lin Xiaobao, seemingly eager to disgust the three men from his own sect, raised his cup to toast the man.

Just then, the Second Elder spoke up: "If you knew he was the one who severely wounded Lin Tian back then, I wonder if you would still care to drink with him."

Lin Xiaobao’s cup froze in mid-air. The smile on his face solidified, replaced by a surge of murderous intent. "Was it you who wounded my master?"

"So what? My Flowing Cloud Sect is superior to the Wind and Snow Pavilion, isn't it? Lin Tian was hailed as the genius of your new generation, yet he still fell by my hand." The man didn't seem to notice the killing intent in Lin Xiaobao’s eyes, or perhaps to a powerhouse like him, Lin Xiaobao was not worth fearing.

If Lin Tian hadn't been injured, he might have escaped during the great upheaval at the Wind and Snow Pavilion. Because of that injury, he had lost even that chance. In Lin Xiaobao’s heart, this man deserved to die. "Very well, very well! What is your name?"

"I am Liu Yingfeng. Knowing won't help you—you’re still too green for revenge. Go home and cultivate for another hundred years!" Liu Yingfeng clearly held no regard for Lin Xiaobao.

"It won't take a hundred years. I guarantee you won't walk out of the Long family gates today!" Lin Xiaobao glared at him, ready to strike at any moment.

Seeing this, the Second Elder quickly grabbed him. "Whatever the issue, wait until the wedding banquet is over. This is the Long family!"

"Are you afraid of the Long family?" Lin Xiaobao cast a disdainful glance at the Second Elder. "I am not. I am going to take his wretched life right now!"

No one expected Lin Xiaobao to actually dare to act, but just as he was about to erupt, the Master of Ceremonies’ booming voice echoed through the hall: "The auspicious hour has arrived! Let the wedding ceremony begin!"