Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 215 Who is the Guest and Who is the Host?
High in the sky, Lu Xingzhou sat in a wheelchair, with Shen Tang in his lap, turning the wheelchair into a romantic flying boat for the couple as they leisurely returned to their sect.

If Wu Jianchen saw this, he would never believe that the little woman nestled in her lover's arms was the same domineering enemy sect leader who had just destroyed his sect's main hall with a single sword strike.

"According to you, is coming here to make a scene really useful?" Shen Tang muttered, "I feel like this not only offends more people, but also doesn't eliminate future troubles... It would be better to just kill them."

"Oh my, my little sect leader, your killing intent is quite strong."

"...I'm older than you!"

"Okay, okay, sister."

Shen Tang pouted slightly and sighed, "I never wanted to have such a strong desire to kill... But in this world, if a sect wants to rise, it has to tread through blood and fire. I've already suffered the consequences of being soft-hearted."

Lu Xingzhou laughed and said, "Different opponents require different tactics. Even if we become powerful and influential, we can't possibly wipe out all the sects below us. We need to deal with them differently. Believe me, dealing with the Cangshan Sword Sect in this way is more appropriate than killing them."

"Um……"

"The Cangshan Sword Sect is merely a fourth-grade sect, while we are already a powerful third-grade sect. Given our connection to the Huanhua Sword Sect, Wu Jianchen doesn't need his own backing and will naturally be intimidated and hesitant towards us. We only need to intimidate him to keep him from causing trouble. Conversely, if we were to actually kill their people, we would exhaust the Huanhua Sword Sect's resources, and then our opponent might not be this mere fourth-grade sect anymore. At the same time, we would give Wu Jianchen someone to vent his anger on..."

Shen Tang interjected, "The reason we have conflicts is because bad people are involved..."

The young couple grinned in unison.

"What about the others?" Shen Tang asked. "The one that will really draw blood is the Dongjiang Gang?"

"It depends on the situation with the Dongjiang Gang... I think the Lingyun Sect is probably the one that will really draw blood."

"why?"

“Lingyun Sect and we have shed blood before, so logically they should have the deepest grudges. They should be more proactive this time. Look at Dongjiang Gang, they are trying to drag Cangshan Sword Sect into their mess, but they don’t need to drag Lingyun Sect into it… But so far they haven’t made any moves. They’re probably holding back something big. A barking dog doesn’t bite… Plus, they have Chunshan Pavilion backing them.”

"Anyway, I'm too lazy to think about it, you think about it."

"Okay, okay." Lu Xingzhou rested his head on her shoulder. "Then I want a reward."

Shen Tang turned her head and pecked him.

Lu Xingzhou gripped the steering wheel firmly.

Shen Tang jolted and struggled cautiously: "It's broad daylight outside..."

"The sky is so high up, who can see it..."

"No, that won't work either," Shen Tang said reproachfully. "What if someone else is flying by and happens to be passing by!"

Lu Xingzhou sighed and dejectedly withdrew his hand.

Shen Tang retorted playfully, "What, did Pei Chuyun not satisfy you?"

"Why are you talking about that again..."

Seeing his listless, puppy-like appearance, Shen Tang couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, I'll reward you after we finish our work today."

Lu Xingzhou blinked.

While Pei Chuyun wasn't fully satisfied, the many fancy tricks they'd learned together were actually quite useful...

Now we can only hope that the Dongjiang Gang won't cause trouble so soon... Didn't they ask Prince Jin and the Huo family for help? It takes a long time for them to travel back and forth to the capital. Let's just wait and see.

Just as I was thinking this, I could see a convoy of cars like ants on the road below the clouds, and they were about to arrive in Xiazhou.

Upon closer inspection, the convoy's flags prominently displayed the words "Dongjiang" and "Shi".

It came so quickly.

Lu Xingzhou suddenly found it amusing: "They call themselves the Dongjiang Gang, and their flags even have 'Dongjiang' on them. It seems to have some advantages. When they transport goods outside, people might think it's an official Dongjiang County convoy, which saves them a lot of trouble."

Shen Tang smiled and said, "Maybe that's part of the intention."

"If so, it means they lack confidence."

The voices of the Tianxing Sword Sect disciples came from outside the city gate: "Sect Leader Shi, our sect leader is hosting a welcome dinner for you all at Songfeng Tower."

Shi Tielong said coldly, "Shen Tang would have such good intentions? Perhaps he's trying to intimidate me?"

The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect spoke with neither servility nor arrogance: "Our sect leader said that Chief Shi fought alongside us during the Incense Burning Pavilion incident, and there is a bond between us. Now that Chief Shi has come from afar as a guest, our sect should, both morally and logically, be a good host. As for Chief Shi's concerns..."

He paused, then sneered, "Our sect leader is a celestial being, whose magnanimity is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Whether Chief Shi goes or not is up to him to decide. I have delivered my message, and I will take my leave now."

"This disciple is quite good!" Lu Xingzhou whispered in Shen Tang's ear, "Where did you find this disciple?"

Shen Tang shrank back as if tickled: "These are the original disciples of my Heavenly Sword Sect, now they are all elites. After all, they have been tempered by blood and fire, and have climbed out of the depths of despair, so they are indeed different from other disciples."

Lu Xingzhou said, "They deserve more resources."

"I know." Shen Tang turned and asked with a smile, "Don't you think my favoritism will be detrimental to the sect?"

“This is your base. Even if you favor them several times over, no one can say anything. Besides, I believe you won’t go too far.” Shen Tang smiled and said, “I’m not afraid of what others say, I’m just afraid of what you say.”

"All I can say is, Sect Master, you should go to Songfeng Tower. I'll go and invite the Prefect."

When Shi Tielong, along with his uncle Shi Zhong and a group of experts from the Canglan Sect, plus a dozen or so high-ranking elites from his own gang, rushed into Songfeng Tower, only Shen Tang was sitting quietly in the private room, drinking tea.

Seeing so many people from Shi Tielong arrive, Shen Tang was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "As expected of a big gang, quite imposing."

Shi Tielong: "..."

"Please be seated, everyone." Shen Tang gestured for them to sit.

Shi Tielong really suspected that there were 500 axemen buried nearby. Otherwise, why would Shen Tang be so calm? There were second-rank experts here, plus a group of third-rank experts. Did Shen Tang not want to die?
He introduced, "This is my uncle, Elder Shi Zhong of the Canglan Sect."

Shen Tang glanced at Shi Zhonghua's white hair and beard, and smiled slightly: "It's an honor to meet you."

They didn't even bow.

Shi Zhong could even see the disdain hidden in Shen Tang's eyes, and he was incredulous.

Are you, a third-rank official, discriminating against a second-rank official?
Shen Tang genuinely looked down on him, a second-rank cultivator, because people's appearance could reveal a lot. Generally, aging slows down after reaching the middle third rank; for example, someone in their forties might look like they're in their thirties, but they will eventually grow old. Only by breaking through to the third rank can one maintain their youthful appearance forever, which is considered to be seizing the power of heaven and earth, and therefore comes with a minor heavenly tribulation.

Most truly talented individuals should have broken through to the third rank in their prime, like Gu Zhanting, who looks to be only in his early thirties, yet is incredibly handsome. The Imperial Advisor, on the other hand, seems to maintain her youthful appearance even in her twenties; no matter how you look at her, she's just an older sister.

The man before me, Shi Zhong, had white hair and beard. Considering he had previously slowed down his aging process, he must have been much older to break through to the third rank, at least in his seventies or eighties. He was even worse off than Shi Tielong, who at least broke through to the third rank in middle age.

With such aptitude, his future prospects are very limited. Reaching the second rank is probably the limit of his life, and achieving the first rank would be quite difficult. Of course, there are exceptions, such as a few late bloomers who find the true meaning of cultivation in their later years despite the difficulties in their early cultivation. Such people are not many.

As for Shen Tang herself, she broke through to the third rank at the age of twenty-two. Before the monstrous twin stars Dugu Qingli and Pei Chuyun broke through to the third rank, Shen Tang was unprecedented and even faster than the Imperial Preceptor. Of course, she had the right to look down on those who broke through to the third rank at the age of seventy or eighty.

The real prodigy is Yuan Muyu, but unfortunately, the world doesn't know how young she was when she broke through to the third rank, making her have to wear a Yama mask to scare people. The only one who can break her record is Lu Nuonuo.

Shen Tang sat to the left of the head of the table, the seat reserved for the host. Shi Zhong, his face ashen, took the seat at the head of the table: "Sect Leader Shen..."

Shen Tang suddenly raised her hand to signal him not to sit down: "Mr. Shi, this seat is not for you."

The words Shi Zhong wanted to say were stuck in his throat, his body still half-bent over, his eyes filled with malice: "Sect Leader Shen, are you deliberately humiliating us?"

"Mr. Shi, you misunderstand. I have no interest in humiliating unrelated people. This position is indeed occupied."

Shi Tielong retorted angrily, "You're not trying to say that you invited my Dongjiang Gang and that I'm the guest of honor, are you? This is my uncle!"

"The Dongjiang Gang is indeed a guest, but I never said they were the host or guest." Shen Tang smiled slightly. "Originally, I was happy to see the Dongjiang Gang enter Xiazhou, and I wanted to bring our friendly gangs along for mutual development. So I invited important figures to come and get to know them. Who knew that Chief Shi would think so highly of me and treat me as the host or guest without saying a word..."

"You..." Shi Zhong slammed his right hand on the table: "You're deliberately looking for trouble!"

"Smack!" The right hand slammed down, but didn't touch the table.

Shen Tang thrust out his palm, blocking Shi Zhong's hand.

The two forces clashed violently, but surprisingly, they did not explode or disperse.

Shi Zhong was horrified to discover that his strength was no match for this seemingly delicate woman. The force emanating from her hands was overwhelming, pushing all the downward energy upwards. The ordinary wooden table couldn't withstand even a fraction of the energy.

Everyone was stunned as they watched Shen Tang block Shi Zhongyi's palm strike.

A third-rank official against a second-rank official—the two were evenly matched!

Just as some people were getting restless and ready to gang up on him, Lu Xingzhou's voice came from outside the door: "What's going on? Why are you all crowding around the doorway?"

Shi Tielong said coldly, "Elder Lu, is this all the sincerity you show in inviting guests? I'd like to see how you'll handle this situation when this guest and host are not even here!"

"What?" another voice came: "What do you mean by 'the host and the guest do not exist'? Am I not allowed to be the host or the guest?"

Shi Tielong looked in the direction of the sound and his face turned green.

Prefect Zhang Rongzhi.

The prefect, who had been rebuffed by everyone who invited him to a meal since taking office and was known as "upright" and "unyielding," appeared before him in such a blatant manner, declaring himself the host and guest.

Shi Tielong never imagined things would turn out this way.

Even though he was only a fourth-rank official, and among everyone present he was only comparable to Lu Xingzhou, even Shi Zhong, a second-rank official, had to acknowledge him as the guest of honor, otherwise his nephew's Dongjiang Gang would have no future in the county.

Shi Zhong and Shen Tang simultaneously withdrew their energy. This time, Shen Tang cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Prefect Zhang. Perhaps Chief Shi has misunderstood something."

Upon entering the private room, Zhang Rongzhi immediately understood the situation and sneered, "Sect Leader Shen originally asked me to mediate and have the friendly factions come up with a charter for joint development. It seems someone is already impatient to come knocking! Today they want to seize my position, will they have to give up the position of prefect to you all tomorrow? Is your Canglan Sect planning to appoint and dismiss officials?"

Shi Zhong's face turned pale and then red, and after a long while he moved away: "It was just a misunderstanding, please don't take offense, Prefect."

"Misunderstanding?" Zhang Rongzhi sneered, "Look at how Sect Leader Shen behaved. He came alone, accompanied only by an Assistant Elder. That's the proper attitude for hosting a banquet. And look at you, a bunch of gang members surrounding Songfeng Tower below, and a dozen or so third and second-rank members surrounding Sect Leader Shen in the private room. I think your Dongjiang Gang isn't here to do business, but to show off your power? Do you think the imperial court is dead, and your gang's fists call the shots?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Bonus chapter added! Still asking for monthly votes!
(End of this chapter)