158: Chapter 158 Aristocratic Families, News

Capital City, Martial Arts Plaza.

The cold wind of early winter carried a hint of chill, but it could not disperse the boiling blood here.

The area around the massive bluestone arena was already packed tightly.

The clamor of voices was deafening, the noisy waves of sound surging straight into the sky, as if to tear the heavens apart.

Jianghu travelers of all kinds gathered here,

including rough men from outside the pass carrying large sabers with faces full of fat;

swordsmen from Jiangnan wearing thin, tight-fitting clothes with sinister eyes;

and some heterodox cultivators in strange attire, covered in miscellaneous trinkets.

After all, under the imperial court's promotion, this Grand Martial Arts Tournament was an excellent opportunity to leap over the dragon gate and ascend to greatness in one step.

As long as one could stand out here, they would not only make a name for themselves but also have the chance to be noticed by the imperial court and receive promotions and titles.

For these Jianghu people who lived by the sword, opportunities to gain a stable life and wear an official uniform were rare.

The appeal of the rewards this time was naturally immense for them.

"Bang!"

A dull, loud noise interrupted the surrounding commotion.

On the arena, a man wielding a nine-ring saber was kicked in the chest by his opponent.

His massive body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily onto the hard bluestone floor, sliding several yards away and leaving a striking trail of blood.

"Good!"

"Well fought, break his bones!"

The surrounding stands instantly erupted in bursts of wild cheers and jeers.

Some people waved their fists in excitement, while others cursed loudly because they had lost their bets.

In such a lively environment, there were naturally gambling odds.

The first day of the Grand Martial Arts Tournament was a brutal preliminary selection.

The rules were extremely simple and crude: a king-of-the-hill format.

As long as one could win three consecutive matches on the stage, they would pass the preliminary selection.

This was a threshold set by the imperial court specifically to filter out those who were just trying to muddle through.

Chen Ran, wearing a crisp Six Doors uniform, stood by the outer railing.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze calmly sweeping over the arena, and he couldn't help but yawn.

Too weak.

These eager Jianghu travelers rushing onto the stage mostly only had seventh or sixth-grade cultivation.

Their Moves were full of flaws, and their Internal Energy was unstable and weak.

In his Return to Truth Realm eyes, this was simply like two three-year-olds pulling each other's hair.

He didn't even have the interest to look twice, let alone use them as experience packs.

"This is incredibly boring... Forget it, it's the first day of the preliminary selection anyway, there should be more powerful experts later."

Chen Ran muttered to himself in his heart.

Just then, a slightly effeminate voice, yet carrying a hint of arrogance, suddenly sounded not far away.

"Young Miss Lin, long time no see."

Chen Ran turned his head to look.

He saw a young man wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a fair face, slowly walking over while waving a jade-boned folding fan.

This man had a good appearance, but there was an unresolvable sinister air between his brows.

Behind him, two gray-clad guards with steady auras followed closely.

These two had bulging temples and eyes as sharp as eagles, clearly experts in internal arts.

Judging by this formation, it was clearly some Young Master from a wealthy family in the capital showing off.

Lin Wan had been staring at the arena, but upon hearing this voice, her brows immediately furrowed tightly.

A flash of undisguised disgust crossed her eyes, and with a cold face, she didn't even turn her head, having no intention of paying any attention to the other party.

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow and moved half a step to the side without changing his expression.

It looked like this person was here to find Lin Wan.

He pricked up his ears, catching the hushed discussions of several Jianghu travelers nearby.

"Who is that? So blind, daring to provoke Divine Constable Lin of the Six Doors?"

"Shh, do you not want your life? Keep it down, that is Lu Yuzhou, the direct-line Young Master of the Lu family, one of the Four Great Families in the capital!"

"Hiss... So it's him! I heard the Lu family has been making frequent Moves recently; could it be they want to get involved with the Lin family?"

Everyone dared not discuss too much; after all, if a figure of this level heard them, they would be in big trouble.

Chen Ran withdrew his attention from those people and set his gaze on the man in the distance; it turned out he was after the high-level background of the Demon Suppression Division behind Lin Wan.

The Four Great Families, the Lu family.

This was a true local power in the capital, deeply rooted with intricate connections.

Seeing that Lin Wan did not speak, Lu Yuzhou did not feel awkward.

He walked up to Lin Wan on his own, closed his folding fan with a 'snap', and wore what he considered a dashing smile on his face.

"Young Miss Lin, why must you keep people at a distance?"

"I came here this time under the orders of my family's elders."

"As long as our two families marry, a strong alliance will be of great benefit to both you and me. Young Miss Lin is a smart person and should understand the stakes involved."

Lin Wan finally turned her head and sneered.

"Young Master Lu, I have already said, I am not interested in you."

"Furthermore, I already have someone I like. Please, Young Master Lu, have some self-respect and stop bothering me."

Lu Yuzhou's expression did not change, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew even thicker.

"Young Miss Lin really knows how to joke."

"Looking across the entire capital, among the younger generation, who else is worthy of you?"

"Even if you want to make an excuse, you should find a decent one."

Lin Wan did not waste words.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed the arm of Chen Ran, who was watching the show nearby, pulling him hard toward her.

"It's him."