Chapter 389: The Grand Assembly

“She really can’t hold her liquor.”

Jiang Ran looked at Tang Huayi, who was smacking her lips in his arms, and couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated.

“The Gao Ge might be strong, but you only had one cup. And now you’re talking nonsense.”

Seeing her like this, Jiang Ran couldn’t very well send her back to her room.

He had no choice but to lay her on his own bed. After tucking her in, he sat down beside her.

He glanced at her occasionally, and for some reason, his thoughts drifted to that night at the Tang family’s estate.

A woman in white, playing the zither under the moon, her eyes like a field of stars when she looked up…

“Tang Shiqing…”

Jiang Ran savored the name on his lips when a gust of wind howled past.

He looked down to see Tang Huayi roll over violently. Her head was now facing the edge of the bed, one leg still on it while the other nearly kicked Jiang Ran into the air.

She ended up on her stomach, hugging the covers and snoring soundly.

Jiang Ran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

‘How old are you? How can you be such a restless sleeper?’

He tucked the covers around her again, then got up and sat down somewhere else.

He looked up at the tender moonlight and the star-filled sky outside the window and let out a soft sigh.

‘Tomorrow is the eighth!’

…

…

The eighth day of the tenth month!

Three Immortals Mountain, Sunset Plateau!

Before the sun had even risen in the east, a burst of laughter could be heard.

A figure flashed at the edge of Sunset Plateau, leaping up onto it.

He looked around and saw the area filled with tables and chairs, the air thick with the aroma of tea.

“Well, well! Nicely decorated! I thought that whelp Jiang Ran wouldn’t be able to put on a grand event like this properly. I never expected it to be so well-organized.”

As he spoke, he looked toward the side of the cliff where a massive cauldron had been set up.

A blazing fire roared beneath it, and the water inside was at a rolling boil.

He flew over to the edge of the cauldron and only then realized just how enormous it was. It could probably boil a dozen people with ease.

“Today is the tea and zither appreciation gathering. I suppose this huge pot of water is for brewing tea, then?”

The man’s eyes darted around. With a tap of his foot, he flew to the edge of the cauldron, landed steadily, and started to undo his belt.

“All you so-called masters gathering here today, serves you right for being late. Watch as I add a little something to your tea…”

He was still muttering to himself when, before he could even untie his belt, the air began to whistle with the sound of something cutting through it.

His expression changed instantly. He tapped his foot and flew into motion.

He caught a few glints of Starlight in his peripheral vision. Just as he was about to reach out and grab them, the Starlight slammed into his body.

He was instantly thrown into uncontrollable convulsions, blood spraying from his mouth as the force of the blow sent him crashing into the cliff face behind him.

When he fell back to the ground, he discovered several objects embedded in his body. He tried to pull them out but grimaced in pain.

“Are these… abacus beads?”

At this, his face drained of all color. “Could it be…”

Before he could finish, the sound of tearing air returned. When he looked up, several young men and women dressed in sapphire blue satin were standing around him.

The leader of the group took out a handkerchief, covered his nose and mouth, and shot the man a glance.

“How audacious. Young Hero Jiang is holding a tea and zither appreciation gathering here.

“All the arrangements here were entrusted to my Hundred Treasures Association. You arrived early, yet instead of waiting patiently for the gathering to begin, you intended to cause trouble.

“You’re truly courting death!”

Hearing this, the man broke out in a cold sweat. He scrambled to his knees.

“This lowly one was ignorant! I was ignorant!

“I thought that Jiang Ran was just a fledgling with no reputation to speak of. How was I to know he would entrust this matter to the Hundred Treasures Association?

“Otherwise, even if you gave this lowly one eight extra guts, I wouldn’t have dared to be so presumptuous.”

“Too late.”

The young man shook his head.

“From last night until now, more than a dozen groups of troublemakers have already shown up.

“Some came alone, others in groups of three or five.

“But by now, all of them are probably at the foot of Three Immortals Mountain, feeding the jackals and tigers.

“Men! Drag this man away, cripple his martial arts, and throw him off Sunset Plateau.

“If he’s lucky enough to survive, it’s a gift from the heavens. If he doesn’t, it means even the heavens can’t be bothered to save him. We’re simply following the will of heaven.”

“Yes, sir!”

One of the men immediately stepped forward and pressed a hand on the troublemaker’s lower abdomen. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

The next moment, two men seized him and dragged him away.

The whole process was ruthlessly efficient; it was clear this wasn’t their first time.

The man screamed continuously, begging for his life, but the group remained completely unmoved.

His screams grew fainter and fainter until they disappeared entirely.

Only then did the young leader frown slightly and sigh.

‘I can’t shake the feeling that the President made a bad deal…

‘I thought we could make a killing during this gathering… but I never expected that bastard Jiang Ran to be such a petty cheapskate.

‘He’s obviously not short on cash, but he just refuses to spend it.

‘Oh, President… you’re getting paid 1,500 silver taels to do 15,000 silver taels’ worth of worrying.’

“You shouldn’t speak so recklessly. If the President found out…”

“Nonsense. If you don’t say anything, who’s going to know?”

As he spoke, he frowned and looked around, even using his handkerchief to wave away the air.

“What’s that smell? Why does it reek of piss?”

One of his subordinates immediately pointed at the ground and said:

“That guy just now pissed his pants in fear. The trail of urine he left when he was dragged away is pretty long…”

The leader’s face went pale. WHOOSH! He leaped seven or eight zhang away and pointed from a distance.

“What are you standing around for?! Clean it up! Clean it up now! It’s filthy! So filthy!!

“What is wrong with these people? It’s just a matter of life and death. Is that any reason to lose control of your bladder?”