123. Birthday Greetings

123. Celebrating the Birthday

As previously noted, Yunshan City serves as the essential gateway to the Monster Mountain Range. In the past, this place was nothing but a desolate, uninhabited wasteland. However, as the number of people venturing into the mountains to hunt for monster cores grew, this small border town began to bustle with life. Although it is accessible only by land, it has become a melting pot for all sorts of people from across the land.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of strife, and where there is strife, there is a hierarchy of power. The head of the most powerful faction in Yunshan City—the City Lord himself—did not receive his title from any nation. This position was earned by the Ma family, generation after generation, through blood, sweat, and sheer audacity. Thus, when the City Lord, the own brother of the Ma family patriarch, held a celebration for his sixty-fifth birthday, it was a momentous event for the residents of Yunshan City. From early morning, people of all stripes arrived in groups to offer their congratulations. Most carried heavy, generous gifts. Among them were wealthy merchants, martial artists, and cultivators, and even the "Xiantian" masters—rarely seen in the city on ordinary days—flocked to the Ma residence as if on a pilgrimage.

From the crack of dawn, the Ma family was busy receiving gifts; the mansion was swarming with people, exhausting the hosts. By the time the sun began to set, banquets had been set up both inside and outside the residence. Anyone who came to offer congratulations, no matter how humble their status, was permitted to enjoy a fine meal.

Furthermore, for those with hearty appetites who weren't satisfied at one table, the hosts allowed them to move on to a second, or even a fourth. In short, from the start of the banquet, the message was clear: eat, eat to your heart's content. This not only showed the host's generosity but also hinted at an underlying sentiment: as long as you have come to the Ma residence, feast away! Eat as much as you can.

Qi Fei and Tong He, those two shameless rascals, were now mixed in among the crowd of gluttons. Having not yet eaten dinner and finding the midday meal unpalatable, they saw the banquet spread out before them. Since the rule was that even those who didn't bring gifts could eat, Tong He, by his very nature, would never let such an opportunity slip by.

After all, the dishes that had been served at the tavern earlier were all present here, and because of the host's status, the quality was several notches higher. Under these circumstances, one naturally had to choose the best to eat, and better yet, eat for free. It was as if this old man, whether due to thousands of years of pent-up hunger or simply not having seen such a lively scene in ages, was not only stuffing himself but, once seated, would ruthlessly snatch up the best dishes and devour them. The old man’s stomach seemed to be a bottomless pit, consuming whatever came his way. Even after four consecutive rounds, he was still not satisfied and dragged Qi Fei along to join the queue once more.

Qi Fei muttered to himself, "This old man, was he a starving ghost in his past life? He told me I lacked composure, but look at him now, acting like a child!" Despite his reservations, Qi Fei had no choice but to keep him company. Although he was already full from the previous four sittings, since it was rare to see Tong He so happy, he decided to indulge him. After all, the host was an adversary; there was no need for courtesy.

The Ma family held so many banquets that even after five sittings, the two were simply treated as new guests and promptly directed to another table.

It must be said that the old man had a playful heart. Seeing Tong He’s childlike excitement, Qi Fei felt a warmth in his heart. However, Tong He’s enthusiasm could be fickle; as soon as they were directed to a table, he dragged Qi Fei over and sat brazenly in the seats of honor, ahead of everyone else. There was a rule at these banquets in Yunshan City: the most important guests sat at the front left of the table, and the secondary guests at the right. Others could sit anywhere else or at the foot of the table without much fuss. Generally, the seats of honor were reserved for the elderly or those of the highest status.

Tong He had been unaware of this rule initially, and since they were strangers, they had been relegated to the foot of the table for the first four sittings. Back then, Qi Fei didn't care, and Tong He was oblivious.

This time, however, things were different. At their table sat a middle-aged man of some status, who had been flattered by two young men during the queue, insisting he take the seat of honor. They completely ignored an elderly man who looked like a farmer, as well as the two strangers, Qi Fei and Tong He.

No one expected Tong He to recognize the importance of the seat and daringly claim it first. This unexpected situation made the "Master Li" and his two stout companions change color. Seeing Tong He sitting in the seat of honor and loudly demanding food, the two burly men burned with rage. They slammed the table and shouted, "You gluttons, do you have no concept of manners? How dare you snatch the seats of honor! Can't you see Master Li is here? Get out of the way, now! Are you tired of living? How dare you run wild in the Ma residence!"

Under normal circumstances, a person might have backed down, but Tong He was not the type to tolerate such noise. Even a few words from Qi Fei could make him irritable, let alone these strangers. His eyebrows twitched as he lifted his eyes: "Where did these two thieving birds come from, squawking in front of me? Have you lived long enough, or are you in such a hurry to report to the King of Hell?!"

The situation was clear: Tong He, who loved to stir up trouble, had run into men with short tempers.

Hearing this, the two burly men shouted, "In all of Yunshan City, aside from the elders who are invited into the inner courtyard, no one dares to act so brazenly in front of Master Li. We’ve seen it all today, you old beggar. Don't say we didn't give you a chance: are you going to scram, or do we have to throw you out?" The others stood up, glaring at Qi Fei and Tong He.

Qi Fei laughed coldly: "You two? Want to throw me out? That’s a massive joke."

Tong He chuckled softly: "Very well. I don't want to lower myself to your level. I’ll stand here and let you pull me. If you can move me even an inch, I’ll not only give up this seat to your Master Li, but I’ll serve you tea and pour your water like a grandson! But if you can't move me... humph, don't blame me for what I say."

The burly man shouted, "Old beggar, you said it yourself! Don't say we're bullying you!" He signaled his companions, and the four of them rolled up their sleeves, revealing bulging muscles, and charged toward Tong He.

"Wait!"

Qi Fei, watching from the side, noted that these men were only at the first level of the Xiantian stage, and even the so-called Master Li was only at the fifth. To have such small fry challenge Tong He was an insult to the old man. Qi Fei felt a surge of battle intent, not just because of these pawns, but because of the schemes the Ma family had orchestrated against him back at Danxia Mountain.

A smile curled on Qi Fei's lips. Seeing them move against Tong He while Master Li watched with the arrogant pride of a superior observing commoners, Qi Fei let out a cold, heavy snort.

As the men turned their attention to him, Qi Fei said leisurely, "My master just told you what would happen if you moved him, but that seems too much like a game. How could my master lower himself to fight you clowns? How about this: you try to move me first. If you can move me, you win. If not... humph!"

Master Li had paused when Qi Fei shouted, carefully observing the two men who seemed to lack any martial energy, wondering if they were perhaps experts playing a prank. He had to be careful; in this world, there were too many people who played the pig to eat the tiger, and one never knew when an seemingly harmless person might stab them in the back.