I Have a Sword

Hearing the elderly man's words, Ye Guan was stunned for a moment but quickly understood that it was likely due to that lady from before. He hadn't expected that such a minor incident would result in them being thrown out of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion.

When had the Immortal Treasures Pavilion become so unreasonable?

Ye Guan didn't lose his temper. Instead, he replied seriously, "We paid to be here. How can you throw us out without any proper reason at all?

"Besides, the Immortal Treasures Pavilion has rules. All who enter are guests, and as long as guests don't cause trouble, the Immortal Treasures Pavilion will treat them with courtesy. You—"

The elderly man interrupted, "The Immortal Treasures Pavilion reserves the right to all final decisions. Do you have a problem with that?"

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

The elderly man, visibly impatient, added, "You may leave on your own, or we can help you out."

Glancing past the elderly man, Ye Guan noticed that the lady was seated by the window nearby, laughing and chatting with a young man in a luxurious robe. Noticing Ye Guan's gaze, the lady shot him a displeased look.

The elderly man, too, noticed her glance. His expression shifted, and with a wave of his hand, two guards stepped forward.

With that, he took Yang Yian's hand and headed toward the exit.

Yang Yian quickly grabbed the remaining buns from the table, hugging them to her chest. This sight caught the attention of the other diners in the restaurant, sparking a wave of mocking laughter.

Clutching the buns, she looked at Ye Guan nervously. She worried she might have embarrassed him and feared he would be upset. But just then, he picked up a lobster from his plate and then grabbed a roasted lamb leg, grinning at her. "We paid for this, so we can't leave empty-handed. Wait, you missed one bun."

At that, Yang Yian broke into a grin and hurriedly grabbed the last bun. Their actions drew another round of laughter from the crowd.

And so, with everyone watching, the two were escorted out of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion.

Upon their departure, the elderly man walked over to the lady by the window and bowed respectfully. "Lady Qin Ran."

She was Qin Ran from the Qin Clan!

The Qin Clan was among the most powerful factions in Qingzhou, second only to the Guanxuan Academy, Sword Sect, and clans like the An Clan and the Ye Clan. The Qin Clan and Tuoba Clan held significant influence just beneath these major powers.

The elderly man, named Zhao Ye, had gone out of his way to accommodate Qin Ran because the Qin Clan had a substantial deposit with the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, ensuring his status and even his potential for further advancement.

In his eyes, the Qin Clan was not just another client. They were like a benefactor to him.

Qin Ran glanced at him and smiled. "Manager Zhao, it was just a table. I didn't tell you to throw them out."

Zhao Ye smiled back. "Anyone who makes the members of the Qin Clan uncomfortable is not welcome in the Immortal Treasures Pavilion."

Qin Ran, pleased with his response, said, "You may carry on with your other duties."

Zhao Ye bowed again before stepping back, ordering his attendants to bring over a few snacks for her table.

The man in the luxurious robe sitting opposite Qin Ran said, "Third Sister, it's just a table. There was really no need to go that far."

Qin Ran frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"There are so many people in Qingzhou nowadays. We should proceed with caution and handle matters carefully. The clan leader has always reminded us to be kind to others and avoid making enemies unnecessarily.

"Remember, ill deeds often yield ill consequences. While our Qin Clan may have some influence in Qingzhou, we are barely a speck of dust in the vastness of the Guanxuan Universe."

Seeing Qin Ran's sour face, the man chuckled and waved it off. "Never mind. Those two looked like ordinary people anyway; it doesn't matter if we step on them a bit."

Qin Ran smiled at that.

***

Ye Guan and Yang Yian were sitting on the stone steps outside the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. Yang Yian was happily eating a bun, while Ye Guan was peeling a lobster.

Yang Yian remarked, "These buns aren't as tasty as Aunt Jiao's! Really, they're not as good as hers, but they're so expensive outside."

Ye Guan chuckled, "Wealthy people don't care if the food is tasty. It's all about status."

Yang Yian looked puzzled. "Status? What do you mean?"

Ye Guan explained, "It means appearance—how impressive something looks."

"Oh…" Yang Yian blinked thoughtfully.

Ye Guan handed her a piece of peeled lobster. "Here, eat this."

Yang Yian accepted it with a sweet smile. She placed the lobster inside her bun and took a big bite.

A steamed bun with a lobster? Now that's new. Ye Guan burst out laughing.

Just then, a voice called out nearby. "Brother Ye?"

Ye Guan turned to see An Mujin approaching him, accompanied by a young man dressed in a white robe.

Ye Guan stood up, smiling. "Brother An, what a coincidence!"

An Mujin returned the smile. "I'm here to bring Brother Gu for a meal…"

He then gestured to the man beside him and said, "Brother Gu Yun, this is Brother Ye Yang from our Sword Sect."

Gu Yun looked surprised. "Are you the champion of the Inner Sect Martial Contest?"

An Mujin smiled. "Yes, it's him."

Gu Yun bowed slightly. "A pleasure to meet you!"

An Mujin added, "Brother Ye, Brother Gu Yun here is the Representative of Yunzhou Guanxuan Academy's Martial Department. I met him when I was traveling for training.

"He has just arrived in Qingzhou, so I thought I'd bring him here to try the food made by the master chefs at the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. I didn't expect to run into you and Lady Yian…

"How about you join us!"

Ye Guan smiled, "We'll pass. You two go on and enjoy!"

An Mujin was taken aback.

Yang Yian suddenly chimed in, "We just got kicked out."

"Kicked out?" An Mujin's expression darkened. "Brother Ye, what happened?"

Ye Guan replied, "It's nothing serious. You and Brother Gu should enjoy yourselves. Let's get together another time."

With that, he pulled Yang Yian away.

An Mujin frowned deeply as he watched them go.

Gu Yun stared quietly at their departing figures.

***

Yang Yian turned to look at Ye Guan. "If we went in with them, Young Lord An would definitely help us slap them in the face, right?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Yes."

The An Clan!

Although he wasn't sure about the Qin Clan's power, there was no doubt that the An Clan and the Ye Clan were superior in Qingzhou.

Yang Yian seemed puzzled. "Then why did we not go in with them?"

Ye Guan ruffled her hair and said, "Because it won't solve the problem. If we went in with Brother An, they'd apologize to us because they're afraid of the An Clan. But then what?

"Nothing will change at all. Solving the problem at its root is what needs to be done. We'll come back another day for a meal."

"I understand now," Yang Yian replied, "You don't want others to put on an act for you; you want to do it yourself, right?"

Ye Guan's face darkened, and he joked, "Oh, you've figured out my plan. Now I'll have to kill you and silence you!"

Yang Yian stuck her tongue out and retorted, "I'm not scared of you!"

Ye Guan laughed heartily.

The two of them wandered around the bustling city. Every so often, a squad of Guanxuan Guards, armed with long spears, would march in formation down the street.

Qingzhou's Guanxuan Academy took public order very seriously. If something bad ended up happening in Qingzhou City, it would be a disgrace to the entire state.

The Academy dispatched some Guanxuan Guards from the Main Academy as well as swordsmen from the Sword Sect. Hence, swordsmen could occasionally be seen flying through the skies on their swords.

Ye Guan could not help but feel a little moved.

Back then, the contest wasn't as big as it was today.

There was no denying that the Guanxuan Academy had developed incredibly fast over the years. Martial culture across the various states had improved tremendously, and the number of exceptional talents and geniuses had surged.

"The Wanzhou Talent List is out!" Someone in the crowd shouted, and immediately, people began rushing towards a spot in the distance.

Yang Yian exclaimed, "Let's go check it out!"

She grabbed his arm, pulling him along.

Before long, they arrived at a city wall, where a light screen displayed hundreds of names—the top talents from each region.

Yang Yian pointed excitedly. "Look, look! It's your name!"

Following her gaze, Ye Guan spotted his alias, "Ye Yang," in the fourth row under Qingzhou's section. Above him were An Mujin, Chen Tianchen, and Ye Zhuxin.

Chen Tianchen! Ye Guan recognized that name as the Representative of Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy's Martial Department. He then looked at the Nanzhou section; the first name on there was "Ye Chen."

Ye Chen? Ye Guan smiled faintly. It seemed that the Ye Clan had truly produced an outstanding talent.

They looked for a while longer before continuing their stroll around the city.

When evening came, they flew flying back to the Sword Sect.

Once they were back in their courtyard, Ye Guan helped Yang Yian with her reading for a while before training in a cultivation room.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, hands resting lightly on his knees, Ye Guan prepared himself. Once the Wanzhou Martial Contest was over, he would head to the Main Guanxuan Academy.

The Main Academy!

Ye Guan knew that he would likely face many challenges ahead, but he was confident that he could take them all!

At dawn the next day, Ye Guan emerged from the cultivation room. When he returned to the courtyard, Yang Yian was already there, waiting for him.

Yang Yian grinned upon seeing him.

Ye Guan smiled and extended his hand toward her. "Let's go."

Yang Yian placed her hand in his, and the two took to the skies, disappearing into the horizon.

The Wanzhou Martial Contest was today!

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