Chapter 75, Banquet

Translator: StarReader

 

Evening arrived.

 

The martial artists invited to the most splendid banquet of the Wu Region began arriving at the Heaven Falcon Inn, greeted with smiles by Owner Wang as they made their way to the inn’s third floor.

 

At that moment, a corpulent, richly dressed young master, accompanied by several attendants and towing two snarling dogs, swaggered toward the Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

As the young master arrived before the inn, he looked disdainfully at the large signboard and asked his attendants, “Is this the place for the Wu Region’s first banquet of young martial heroes?”

 

“Yes, Young Master, it is!”

 

The several attendants quickly confirmed, having clearly heard that Han Shu had arranged the banquet at the Heaven Falcon Inn and that the seating would begin shortly.

 

“Young Master Wang?”

 

Owner Wang, standing at the inn’s entrance to welcome guests, saw that the young master seemed to be coming to the banquet and was immediately taken aback.

 

How had Magistrate Wang Fuhao arrived? His name wasn’t on the list of tonight’s guests!

 

Owner Wang hurried forward, intercepting Young Master Wang and attempting to dissuade him with a flattering expression, “Young Master Wang, tonight our inn is hosting a martial banquet. You, as Magistrate’s Young Master, are of noble birth, a scion of a Gusu clan, and not a martial person. Your status is not appropriate.”

 

“Insolent fool, are you blind? I am the foremost martial artist in this Gusu city, and I most enjoy associating with martial artists from all corners. On the martial scene in the Wu Region, which martial artist does not praise my prowess? Tonight’s the first banquet of Wu Region’s young martial heroes! How could I not attend it? Even Young Miss Han Shu, s-she’d recognize my martial artist status. Talk back to me again and I’ll break your legs. Get lost!”

 

Wang Fuhao glared and swatted at Owner Wang, who had approached him, and barked furiously. The thick palm struck Owner Wang, sending him reeling.

 

Several attendants pushed aside Owner Wang and several servants, ushering Wang Fuhao directly to the third floor of the Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

The martial guests inside and outside Heaven Falcon Inn were startled by this unexpected scene. It was quite something that Wang Fuhao, the notorious young master of Gusu City, had arrived uninvited. Few would have the nerve to do so.

 

Owner Wang, clutching his flushed face, felt like crying and dared not try to stop him.

 

How could someone so inconsiderate exist? The guest list for tonight’s banquet didn’t include this Gusu County’s esteemed young master. Yet, young master Wang insisted that he was a top-notch young hero of the Wu Region, barging in uninvited and demanding a place at the Wu Region’s banquet for the young elite.

 

As a small manager of an inn, he couldn’t possibly stop him!

 

Unless Young Miss Han Shu intervened, no one would dare to try to stop the esteemed young master of Gusu County’s magistrate.

 

…

 

Su Chen and Ah Chou spent the afternoon strolling around the county, and as the sky grew dark and they felt a bit hungry, they headed towards Heaven Falcon Inn for the banquet.

 

“Brother Chen, what expression do you think Owner Wang will have when he sees the two of us attending this grand banquet?”

 

Ah Chou laughed heartily.

 

“Haha, probably a bewildered look, one he’s going to carry with him for a lifetime!”

 

Su Chen smiled faintly.

 

The two young experts approached Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

The people inside Heaven Falcon Inn craned their necks, wondering if these two were just showing up to gawk or were invited guests at the evening’s banquet.

 

Owner Wang, accompanied by his assistants, waited respectfully at the entrance. As he saw the two young men approaching from afar, the layers of fat on his face began to tremble slightly.

 

They actually came!

 

He had obtained the guest list for this evening’s banquet long ago, already recognizing two familiar names.

 

Su Chen, a valued guest of the Medicine King Group.

 

Ah Chou, a valued guest of the Heaven Falcon Group.

 

When Owner Wang received the list of these twenty-plus young heroes, he was stunned and found it unbelievable.

 

He recognized both of them. He had watched these two boys grow up five or six years ago.

 

Su Chen was a fisherman’s son from Zhou Village, who used to often accompany his father to the Heaven Falcon Inn to sell fish. Later, he heard that this little fisherman had gone to mix with the Medicine King Group, and since then, he had never seen the boy again.

 

As for Ah Chou, he was more familiar. From the age of six or seven, he had been a server at the Heaven Falcon Inn, enduring countless slaps and scoldings from him. According to the inn’s old-timers, Ah Chou’s mind was clearly addled; when his blood ran hot, he joined the Heaven Falcon Group.

 

Owner Wang had always scoffed at this and didn’t think much of it.

 

Martial pursuits were not something easily achieved.

 

How many people from every dynasty and generation had rushed into the martial world, never even making a ripple, and sunk into mediocrity, fading into silence? Even some participated in group skirmishes, dying in the wilderness, eaten by starving wolves and mangy dogs.

 

Four or five years passed in a blink of an eye, and he hadn’t heard any news about these two; most likely they had not made a splash.

 

But suddenly, the names Su Chen and Ah Chou reappeared, and together, they appeared on the invitation list for this evening’s grand feast held by Wu Region’s number one young martial artist.

 

Owner Wang received this list and didn’t dare to ask the higher-ups in the Heaven Falcon Group about what was going on.

 

He didn’t believe it, taking it for sheer coincidence.

 

But now, Owner Wang truly saw these two young men appearing, full of vitality and bearing, striding towards the Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

“Oh, Sir Chou, Sir Su! I offer you both my utmost respect!”

 

Owner Wang sorted out his mixed-up emotions, quickly plastered on a smiling face, and hurried forward.

 

“Well, well, if itOwner Wang? It’s been so long. I don’t deserve such respect, especially from you. I’m happy if you don’t drive out such a poor server like myself.”

 

Ah Chou was brimming with vigor and said with a smile.

 

Owner Wang’s entire face twisted, burning with irritation.

 

He couldn’t show his obvious displeasure, though, still maintaining a humble, bowing, and flattering smile. “Sir Chou, you shouldn’t say that. You were merely stuck in this small place, growing into your true value at this inn. Now you’ve grown wings and soared to great heights, transforming into a dragon. I, a mere server, am fortunate to be your stepping stone!”

 

Ah Chou looked quite pleased, turning to Su Chen and saying, “Brother Chen, did you see that? The day I left the inn, I said I’d make Owner Wang call me Sir Chou! You heard him!”

 

“Yes, yes, of course I’d call you Sir Chou!”

 

Owner Wang’s face, already contorted from laughter, stiffened, but he dared not fail to smile along.

 

Anyone on the guest list was a possible son of leaders of the four major groups in the Wu Region, if not vice-leaders and high-ranking protectors.

 

And Ah Chou was actually qualified to attend the most elite banquet of the younger generation in the Wu Region, standing alongside these prominent heroes, and that was a complete change of fortune. He had become the new favorite of the Heaven Falcon Group, an obvious sign of soaring to great heights, with limitless potential to come.

 

He, the manager of a Heaven Falcon Inn, couldn’t afford to show even a moment of disrespect.

 

Moreover, his son was also in the Heaven Falcon Group, only working as a guard in the outer hall, far less prestigious than Ah Chou’s current prominent position.

 

He didn’t even expect his son to amount to much anymore; if he couldn’t make it in the outer hall of the Heaven Falcon Group, he would be content if he could return and take over the position of manager of the Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

Owner Wang dared not offend Ah Chou in the slightest; if Ah Chou became a high-ranking member of the Heaven Falcon Group and remembered the many grievances he suffered at the inn and felt a pang of discomfort and took it out on his son in the outer hall, he would wail and cry, regretting it to his very core.

 

“Alright, no need for idle chatter! Young Miss is hosting a grand feast at our Heaven Falcon Inn, and you must bring out the best wine and delicacies in the inn and serve them well. Don’t try to save the inn any money, and certainly don’t disgrace the Heaven Falcon Inn.”

 

Ah Chou chuckled and instructed Owner Wang.

 

He had been helping out around the inn since he was a child, never considering himself an outsider. Returning to the Heaven Falcon Inn felt as familiar and warm as coming home.

 

“Of course. They are the inn’s signature dishes and will certainly serve Young Miss and the esteemed guests well. Sir Chou, Sir Su, please go upstairs! The banquet seating on the third floor is ready, awaiting your presence.”

 

Owner Wang wiped his sweat, his face contorted in a forced smile, looking quite awkward. Those who didn’t know better would have thought Ah Chou was the inn’s grand manager, and he was merely a senior steward.

 

…

 

The main hall on the ground floor of the Heaven Falcon Inn was already packed.

 

At a table in the most secluded corner, Zhang Tieniu and his father, Butcher Zhang, were dining, engaged in casual conversation. As they glanced up and towards the inn’s entrance, they noticed something that caught their attention.

 

“Junior Brother Su Chen, and that’s Ah Chou! What’s happened to Owner Wang? He’s personally welcoming them upstairs. Could it be…are they attending this Wu Region’s first youth banquet?”

 

Zhang Tieniu witnessed a scene he would never forget, and he was dumbfounded. His mouth, filled with pig’s trotters, hung open in shock, and he didn’t even notice the red braised pig’s trotter he loved fall from his hand onto the table.

 

Butcher Zhang also observed Ah Chou and Su Chen being personally escorted to the third floor of the Heaven Falcon Inn by Owner Wang, and he was astonished for a moment. He suddenly smacked Zhang Tieniu on the back of his head. “You little rascal, you said little Su Chen was eliminated from the Medicine King Group and went to the Errand Hall, a rather unremarkable position. You’re mistaken! If you had known, you should have gotten closer to him!”

 

Butcher Zhang had long heard from Zhang Tieniu that Su Chen had been eliminated by his master and had gone to the Errand Hall and had become a rather unremarkable individual. He had always believed this to be true.

 

He never imagined seeing Su Chen attending the grand banquet hosted by Young Miss tonight.

 

How could anyone be that mistaken!

 

Zhang Tieniu and Su Chen had the same master, fellow disciples. If Zhang Tieniu had gotten closer to Su Chen a few years ago, perhaps he could have climbed higher and mixed in the martial world with greater success.

 

Butcher Zhang was about to be infuriated by Zhang Tieniu’s blockhead of a mind.

 

“Dad… I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t had much contact with him these years. Do you think they’re here to freeload? Look, Dad, they must be here to freeload!”

 

Zhang Tieniu rubbed the back of his head, tears welling up. How could he have that much foresight?

 

Slap!

 

He received another blow to the back of his head from Butcher Zhang.

 

“You call that freeloading? Why don’t you go up to the third floor to freeload then! Let’s see if the manager breaks your legs!”