Chapter 392: Choosing a Master

Across Sunset Plateau, thousands of gazes instantly fixed upon the box on the back of the person before Jiang Ran.

But at that very moment, the person closest to the box was the one who couldn’t see it.

He struggled to turn his head and see the object on his back, but Jiang Ran held his head firmly in place.

Jiang Ran smiled as he looked out at the crowd.

For now, the crowd remained remarkably restrained. Although the covetous look in their eyes revealed their desire to seize the Jiaowei, no one dared make a rash move.

Slowly, their gazes shifted away from the Jiaowei.

They fell upon several key groups in the field.

One was Qifeng Manor.

Another was the Fragrance Academy.

And the last, of course, was the Hundred Treasures Association.

Qifeng Manor needed no introduction.

As the local power in Evergreen Mansion, Qifeng Manor was a reputable name in the martial world.

For some time now, Jiang Ran had been staying at Qifeng Manor.

And Qifeng Manor had helped Jiang Ran fend off several attempts to seize the Jiaowei.

This led many to speculate about Qifeng Manor’s motives.

Some believed that Jiang Ran must have struck a deal with the manor. Otherwise, there was no reason for them to protect an Assassin.

Others had heard of the connection between Jiang Ran and Xuanyuan One Slash of the Blood Saber Hall.

They thought that pressure from the Blood Saber Hall was what kept Qifeng Manor from making a move.

Still others believed Qifeng Manor had its own schemes, aiming to win Jiang Ran’s trust before making their move.

Ultimately, everyone’s opinion was colored by their own perspective and the information they possessed.

As for the Fragrance Academy, they had arrived in force.

Headmaster Liu Zongming had personally led his disciples here.

With over twenty people in their retinue, they were far from home, yet their presence was nearly as imposing as that of Qifeng Manor.

Because of this, many felt that the Fragrance Academy was determined to acquire the Jiaowei…

In contrast, the equally renowned Rain Listening Tower of Huanqiu Lake had sent only a single representative: Gu Shengyan.

Gu Shengyan’s reputation in the martial world was considerable, built when she had traveled with her master, Xiao Lianshang—also known as ‘Xiao Xiaoyu Luo’—challenging experts from various sects to temper her skills.

With just a ‘Little Bamboo Sword’ and her ‘Dawn Wind and Listening Rain’ technique, she had earned the title of the Nianhua Sword.

Among the younger generation, she was quite renowned.

The fact that she was representing the Rain Listening Tower at this gathering to appreciate tea and zithers spoke volumes of her abilities.

However, it seemed she too had been staying at Qifeng Manor recently.

What sort of interactions, if any, had she had with Jiang Ran?

But she was, after all, alone. She could hardly compare to the other factions, and so, most people paid her little mind.

In this, she was no different from Ruan Yuqing.

The Shuiyue Sword Sect might be powerful, but with only Ruan Yuqing present, what threat could she possibly pose?

The final, and most crucial, power present was the Hundred Treasures Association.

Vice President Yan Wushuang had personally led the association’s disciples to Sunset Plateau to attend.

As one of the two great Associations at the top of the martial world’s hierarchy, none of the other families, sects, or schools present dared to underestimate them.

Everyone believed that if they wanted to claim the Jiaowei today…

…the Hundred Treasures Association would be the greatest obstacle in their path.

As for the Hundred Treasures Association disciples who had appeared earlier to maintain order…

…no one paid it much mind.

Everyone knew the Hundred Treasures Association was, first and foremost, a group of merchants.

Wherever there was business to be had, the Hundred Treasures Association was sure to be found.

From their actions, it was clear that Jiang Ran had entrusted the Hundred Treasures Association with organizing this event on Sunset Plateau.

Therefore, it was only natural that the Association would not allow anyone to cause a disturbance.

But this did not conflict in the slightest with the Association’s own desire to obtain the Jiaowei.

Business was business, and their objective was their objective. If the Hundred Treasures Association couldn’t tell the two apart, they never would have built such a massive enterprise.

Besides these three major powers, a few other notable individuals in the martial world also drew attention.

‘Clumsy Zither’ Yan Wengge.

He was renowned for his mastery of music, and was often seen wandering the martial world with a zither on his back.

He was the creator of the Seven-Stringed Zither Manual, a work that demonstrated his unique insights into both music and swordsmanship.

Then there was the ‘Songstress,’ Shang Yue’Er.

This young woman had a rather tragic past. Born the daughter of an official, her family was stripped of its rank and exiled three thousand li after an elder broke the law.

Unexpectedly, tragedy struck during their journey; the escorting Officials, along with her parents and relatives, were all killed in a sudden incident.

She alone barely managed to survive the ordeal.

By a stroke of fortune, she was eventually accepted as a disciple by Fairy Zhiyue of the Carefree Palace, which was how she came to achieve her current renown.

Like Yan Wengge, she too was skilled in the musical arts, which was how she earned the title ‘Songstress.’

Among all the unaffiliated martial artists present, these two might not have been the most famous, but they were likely the most desperate to obtain the Jiaowei.

The crowd’s gaze swept over each of these key figures.

They were waiting to see who would make the first move.

After all, no one wanted to be the first bird to stick its neck out.

Anyone who hadn’t been driven away by this point had a realistic grasp of their own abilities and wasn’t about to do something so foolish.

Sure enough, just as the crowd’s eyes darted about…

Feng Xianzhi of Qifeng Manor rose to his feet:

“Young Hero Jiang, we have all come here today uninvited, taking the liberty of participating in this gathering to appreciate tea and zithers.

“We were wondering, what are the rules for this gathering? We would be grateful for Young Hero Jiang’s guidance!”