âThe Lord of Xingluo City?â Meng Qi was stunned. It was the first time she heard such a statement. Three Thousand World had a specific rule. There was one sect per city, and the sect located nearest to the city was responsible for protecting the ordinary people residing there. In exchange, part of the cityâs tax revenue would be paid to maintain the sectâs daily operation.
For example, Qingfeng Town at the foot of Qingfeng Valleyâs mountain, and Fentian City of Fentian Palace. Some of the ancestors of Xingluo Pavilion had also died protecting Xingluo City. They held their swords to guard the city gate and protected all the ordinary residents inside.
But this was the first time Meng Qi heard about the title âCity Lord.â She glanced at the Feng Allianceâs disciple again. The other party seemed to be talking matter-of-factly, and there was no slightest difference in his expression.
Meng Qi retracted her gaze. Feng Alliance consisted of four large clans plus one headquarter and were in charge of five cities in the Western Realm. Moreover, Western Realm was also the area where medical cultivation had the highest and strongest status.
Turned out, they were strong enough to be the city lords?
She somewhat understood why at Xue Clanâs temporary residence that day, the First Elder was not hesitant when demanding Pei Mufeng to drive out the entire eastern districtâs residents. For them, this might be just a trivial matter.
Subconsciously, Meng Qi put more distance from the two Feng Allianceâs disciples. She and Sikong Xing walked side by side on the other side of the street.
âHow long did I sleep?â Meng Qi asked.
âOne day and two nights.â Sikong Xing replied in a low voice. âOnly one day before the Medical Cultivator Conference begin.â
So tomorrow was already the first day of the conference. No wonder Xue Clan even came to seek her.
âTwo guests, please.â Meng Qiâs words earlier probably rubbed them in the wrong way, but the two Feng Allianceâs disciples had a colder attitude towards her. The disciple who spoke earlier waved his hand impatiently. âThe heads of four clans are all inside. Fellow Daoist Meng must be the first Foundation Establishment cultivator who made those four esteemed people wait for so long.â
This disciple was in the Golden Core stage, and he could see Meng Qiâs cultivation base at a glance.
âOh.â Meng Qi responded indifferently, âShould be my honor.â Without changing her expression, she walked with Sikong Xing by her side.
This must be the largest inn in Xingluo Cityâs eastern district, currently was being used exclusively by the Feng Alliance. The people guarding outside the gate were all cultivators wearing the robe with Feng Alliance emblem.
This time, the disciples brought by the Feng Alliance to Xingluo City, even the errand runners, were all of Golden Core and above. Their momentum was pretty huge.
Meng Qi, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, gathered quite an attention here. But most of them just glanced at her quickly before turning their eyes away. Many people also stared at Sikong Xing, whose face was very beautiful even among cultivators.
Sikong Xing curled her mouth and said in a low voice, âIf it wasnât for Su Junmo, I wouldnât come.â
Meng Qi smiled wordlessly.
The two disciples quickly took them to the innâs lobby. There were no other guests here. The original lobbyâs arrangementâthe tables, chairs, benches, and suchâhad been put away and replaced.
âTskâŚâ As soon as Sikong Xing stepped in, she couldnât help but chuckle, âSo luxurious! Magnificent!â She sighed softly. The lobby itself was very spacious. Now it had been re-arranged to look like a hall of a prestigious family house. All kinds of antique decorations, calligraphy, and paintings were displayed all over the place. Very impressive.
Two middle-aged men were sitting on the main seat inside the lobby, chatting. When Meng Qi and the others entered, the two men turned around with a probing gaze.
Sikong Xingâs expression didnât change in the slightest. Likewise, Meng Qi was also as usual.
âClan Head.â One of the disciples who led Meng Qi quickly glared at Sikong Xing. He hurried forwards and saluted respectfully, âThis is Meng Qi.â
The middle-aged man on the left turned his gaze at Meng Qi. His sharp eyes swept across her face.
Meng Qi also looked back. This man seemed to be in his fifties, with a long black beard and hair. Even though he no longer looked young, he was still quite handsome. He didnât have Elder Yan Mingfengâs immortal-like impression, but at first glance, Meng Qi could see that he had been sitting on the top for a long time. His whole figure was imposing with a bit of loftiness. Moreover, this middle-aged man looked fifty or sixty percent similar to Xue Chengxuan. Or, to be precise, he looked like an aged figure of Xue Chengxuan.
âXue Clan Head.â Meng Qi respected the man as an older generation and stepped forward to salute.
âYou are Meng Qi?â Xue Chengxuanâs father and current head of Xue Clan, Xue Chuan, looked at her up and down: âChengxuan has mentioned about you before.â He put away his stern look, raised his lips slightly, and smiled at Meng Qi: âChengxuan considers Young Daoist Meng as a friend of the same mind and is full of praise when mentioning you.â
âThis junior doesnât deserve the praise.â Meng Qiâs tone was flat.
âYou know that when Xingluo Pavilion proposed to hold Medical Cultivator Conference in Xingluo City this year, many older generations resolutely opposed.â Xue Chuan said. âIt was my son Chengxuan who persuaded those old men. He said that having Pavilion Master Pei enter the Starfallen Sea for ten years is more beneficial for the entire medical society, and it is worth giving up the right to hold the conference once.â He stood up, his face looked even more amiable: âEven now in Xue Clan and Feng Alliance, the opposition voices are still very strong. Since Chengxuan holds such a high opinion of you, Young Daoist Meng must be open-minded and smart. Itâs worth to exchange a friendship with you.â
Meng Qi was a bit startled. She didnât expect Xue Chengxuan to mention her to his father, the current head of Xue Clan. She thought that after their separation in Huajiang Manor, it would be difficult for them to have an intersection again.
The middle-aged man sitting next to Xue Chuan also stood up. He was shorter and also thinner than Xue Chuan. His gaze looking at Meng Qi was also very kind: âI think Young Daoist Meng has also met my son Wen He.â This person was Wen Su, the current clan head of Wen Clan, one of the four clans of Feng Alliance.
âWen Clan Head.â Meng Qi saluted again.
âYoung Daoist Meng doesnât need to be so polite.â Wen Su waved his hand and said with a smile. âThis old man also heard Chengxuan talking about Young Daoist. The youths nowadays are truly incomparable to our era. This old man is looking forward to the time when your generation surpassed us. Probably not too long in the future.â
The two Feng Allianceâs disciples who went to invite Meng Qi quietly exchanged a glance. They both saw a trace of fear in each otherâs eyes. They obviously didnât expect that the two Clan Heads, who stood at the pinnacle of Three Thousand Worldsâ medical cultivators, would be so polite to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Dense beads of sweat began to flow on their foreheads, and their backs were already drenched in sweat. When they were ordered to invite Meng Qi over, no one told them that this Foundation Establishment cultivator knew Xue Chengxuan, who was Xue Clanâs eldest young master.