244 The Top Expert in the Land

y in chaos at this time, with Emperor Mo Jingqi looking grim as he stared suspiciously and fiercely at everyone present. He could ignore Ye Yue and the newborn Prince Liuyang being burned to death, bu...The Number One Expert in the World

244. The Number One Expert in the World

Paying another visit to the same inn, Ye Li did not show much surprise at encountering Ren Qining again. However, it further confirmed that this young master Ren was not as harmless as he appeared on the surface. His family background must also be extraordinary. Nevertheless, it would not make a strong impression on Mo Xiurao and Ye Li. To put it bluntly, no one else in the world except for the royal families of various countries had any qualifications to catch Mo Xiurao's attention. Therefore, when they encountered Ren Qining this time, Mo Xiurao still maintained his cold and distant attitude.

Ren Qining felt rather depressed about it. He was always high up on the social ladder since childhood. Additionally, his friendly and gentle appearance made people feel close to him naturally and trust him without thinking twice. How could he have imagined that there would be someone who didn't care at all If not for being too impolite, Ren Qining even wanted to ask Mo Xiurao if he had offended him somewhere.

"Young Master Ye, are you also here to participate in the martial arts conference" Ignoring Mo Xiurao's cold expression, Ren Qining laughed loudly.

His voice wasn't small, so when he said this, most of the people on the second floor turned their attention towards Mo Xiurao. Their eyes were filled with vigilance and hostility. After all, to put it bluntly, even without talking about Mo Xiurao's hidden identity or his martial arts skills. Just his handsome appearance was enough to make most men feel hostile.

Mos Xiurao raised an eyelid as if he didn't notice the hostile glances from others. With a faint smile, he said, "We just happened to pass by. My wife wanted to join in for fun. However… with Young Master Ren's identity, you should be staying at the residence of the Mu Sang family instead of here in an inn."

Upon hearing this, all hostility immediately vanished without a trace. Of course, there was indeed a handsome young master sitting next to a graceful and elegant lady. Although she couldn't match the richness of the Mu Sang family, this girl was also gentle and graceful, with a superior aura that clearly showed she came from an aristocratic family. The ladies of the Mu Sang family might not necessarily surpass her in appearance or temperament, what if their young master preferred beauty over wealth On the contrary, that blue-silked young man sitting opposite them had remarkable looks too, obviously coming from a noble background, and most importantly, he was single!

Ren Qining's eyes flickered slightly as he said with a smile, "Young Master Ye is joking. My status doesn't give me the qualification to stay at the residence of the Mu Sang family either. I'm here just like Young Master Ye for fun. May I ask if it would be inconvenient for me to sit together" Mo Xiurao didn't comment on it, so Ren Qining took his silence as an agreement and sat down opposite them.

As they drank tea, the atmosphere at the table turned cold because Mo Xiurao was reluctant to talk to Ren Qining. Ye Li raised her teacup and sipped it with a casual tone: "This martial arts conference seems rather strange this time. Isn't it that in previous conferences, the venue is chosen by the winners of the previous year Could it be that this time the experts chose the Mu Sang family as the arena" Usually, the experts would choose a remote scenic spot for such events. According to rumors, the most remarkable one even had people choosing the peak of the Northern Snow Mountain in Xi Ling; that was also the conference with the least participants in history because many couldn't even reach the top of the snow mountain.

Ren Qining smiled and said: "Does Madam know who are the four experts ranked at the top in the current martial arts world"

Ye Li nodded and replied, "I've heard a bit about them."

"To put it bluntly, these four aren't the winners of last year's competition but from two years ago. In fact, last year's martial arts conference could be said to have failed to take place at all." Ye Li was surprised and asked, "What do you mean by that"

"When the previous martial arts conference took place, Prince Ding was injured and couldn't participate; the head of the Yanwang Pavilion, Ling Guzhu, didn't attend due to Prince Ding's absence. Xi Ling Zhen Nan Kingdom had a busy schedule... So, there was only one expert in that session—Mu Qingcang. However, no challenger could defeat Mu Qingcang or even draw with him. The three-day martial arts conference ended within half a day."

Ye Lvy unobtrusively glanced at Mo Xiuyao and smiled, "There's such a thing" Ren Qining sighed and said, "Indeed If one counts carefully, the ranking of martial artists in the martial arts world hasn't changed for eighteen years. Of course, there are many rising stars who can't help but want to try their hand."

"What does this have to do with the Murong family" Ye Lvy raised an eyebrow and asked. The Murong family was a merchant clan, and had no ties whatsoever with the people in the martial arts world.

Ren Qining smiled and said, "Madam doesn't know, but it's rumored that there is a mysterious martial artist in the Murong family who used to be the top martial artist fifty years ago—Murong Xiong."

Ye Lvy openly displayed her confusion. She didn't even know many of today’s top martial artists, let alone one from fifty years ago. Mo Xiuyao clearly had some knowledge about this person and was quite interested, "Murong Xiong is still alive"

A trace of deep thought flashed across Ren Qining's eyes as he looked at Mo Xiuyao and said, "That’s what the rumors say, but no one has ever seen him. This martial arts conference was convened in Murong Xiong’s name. It is said that the current state of martial arts is declining, so Senior Elder Murong wants to see some young rising stars and maybe even take on a disciple or two. On the other hand…" Ren Qining looked at them with a pleasant smile on his face and continued, "Young Miss Murong, the sole heir of the Murong family, is seventeen years old. It’s said that Senior Elder Murong wants to choose a reliable husband for her."

"Mr. Ren really has great sources," Mo Xiuyao immediately reverted to his cold demeanor after hearing what he wanted. Ren Qining also knew that he had spoken too much and smiled without saying anything.

"How did they get here" Ye Lvy saw the people on the street below and frowned.

Mo Xiuyao looked down from where he was sitting, several of them were people they knew. Mo Jingli, Lei Tengfeng, and most importantly—Xu Qingchen.

Ren Qining naturally also spotted the few individuals standing out in the crowd and raised an eyebrow, "Madam knows them" Ye Lvy shook her head and said, "I wouldn’t say I know them. I’ve only met with Xu Qingchen a couple of times and seen Prince Shen Nanwang in Nanzhao. Mr. Ren doesn't recognize them"

These few people were definitely some of the most prominent young talents today—saying they didn't know them was simply false. Ren Qining smiled, "I've met with Prince Lei a couple of times and Prince Jingli as well, but this is my first time meeting with Xu Qingchen. He's truly an elegant gentleman. It’s no surprise to see him here; these few individuals all attended Princess Anxi’s wedding and coronation ceremony in Nanzhao and presumably came directly over for the martial arts conference. However… Prince Ding and his consort have already returned to Northwest, I wonder if they will come If Prince Ding does come, this year's martial arts conference would truly be lively."

"Xu Qingchen isn’t a martial artist," Ye Lvy said.

Ren Qining smiled and said, "This is not an official martial arts conference. With Xu Qingchen’s reputation, even if he has no fighting skills, he would still be much stronger than ordinary martial artists. However… I doubt Miss Murong will catch Xu Qingchen's eye."

Ye Lvy also agreed with Ren Qining's comment in her heart. Not to mention Xu Qingchen himself, the most Xu’s father and mother-in-law would agree to such a marriage. Although Xu family isn’t an arrogant family, but the gap between merchants like the Murong family and scholar families is too significant for them. Even if they were to marry a daughter from a poor scholarly family, they wouldn't be willing to marry someone from a merchant's family. If this merchant’s family was known for their benevolence and charity work, Xu family would have no objections. But the Murong family had amassed a vast fortune rivaling that of an entire kingdom and dominated nearly half of Westling’s commercial industry, which made them even less appealing to Xu Family. Therefore, Xu Family's criteria in selecting a wife could be compared to how strict emperors are when choosing consorts—since the emperor needs merchants' wealth, their daughters can become imperial concubines or wives, but since Xu family doesn’t need that wealth, they have no reason to marry someone from a merchant’s family. So, in a sense, Xu Family's criteria for selecting a wife is stricter than an emperor choosing consorts. Although she had been anxious about her eldest brother's marriage prospects all along, Ye Lvy truly hadn't thought about it this time.

Deep into the night, Xu Qingchen sat alone in his room at the inn sipping tea. Though he received the invitation from the Murong family too, unlike Mo Jingli and Lei Tengfeng who were staying in a specially prepared courtyard by the Murong family, Xu Qingchen chose to stay at an upscale inn within Ancheng City instead. A slight sound came from the window. Mo Xiuyao turned his head and looked out of the window with a smile, "You're truly here."

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao stood by the window, looking at Xu Qingchen who had been waiting for them with a smile. Ye Li said, "Big Brother has worked hard these days."

Xu Qingchen sipped his tea indifferently and smiled faintly, "Leye still knows that Big Brother is working hard. When running away with the王爺, he was very happy."

Ye Li looked at Xu Qingchen guiltily, speechless. Mo Xiuyao would never let his beloved wife suffer. He pulled Ye Li over and sat down opposite Xu Qingchen, saying, "Even the matter of Nan Zhao is not difficult for you. If we were afraid and didn't come, wouldn't it be even more inconvenient for you to handle" Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and poured a cup of tea each for Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. Ye Li felt slightly relieved in her heart. It seemed that Big Brother was no longer angry.

Xu Qingchen looked at Mo Xiuyao with a smile, "To say, the王爺really has something to deal with wherever he goes. Isn't this supposed to be a trip for fun Why did it end up being a martial arts conference And… this seems to be the lady of the Murong family's marriage proposal meeting. Are you sure bringing Leye here is no problem"

Mo Xiuyao gritted his teeth, wishing he could slap Xu Qingchen dead in his heart. If you don't want to sow discord, would you die But Ye Li was right there watching, so he could only smile politely and look at Xu Qingchen warmly and kindly, "Brother Qingchen misunderstands. My wife and I are just an ordinary couple here for the fun of it. As for Brother Qingchen… It's heard that the lady of Murong family has a good appearance. Brother Qingchen is not young either. He should seriously consider his marriage. After all, when one gets older... people will find you annoying. Most importantly… The lady of the Murong family is wealthy in her dowry. If Brother Qingchen marries her, it can also contribute to our western economic development"

Xu Qingchen remained calm and said calmly, "I heard that I don't like women. Perhaps this will disappoint Your Royal Highness."

Ye Li was helpless. These two people never got along when they were together. Should she be glad that her big brother didn’t know martial arts and Mo Xiuyao also had no habit of hitting those who couldn't fight Otherwise, it wouldn't just be mutual mockery between the two; it would likely turn violent upon meeting.

"Big Brother, why did you come to this" Ye Li tactfully changed the subject. Xu Qingchen looked at her with a smile and said indifferently, "The Prince of Li and the Young Master of Zhen Nan kindly invited me. I had no choice but to come." Ye Li blinked her eyes suspiciously, disbelief written all over them. Could there be anything that Xu Qingchen couldn't refuse If he didn’t want something, even if you were ten or a hundred times more enthusiastic than him, you would still be rejected in an instant.

"Big Brother, what's the problem with this martial arts conference" Ye Li asked frowning.

Xu Qingchen looked at Mo Xiuyao and said, "Does Your Royal Highness know anything about that mysterious expert of the Murong family"

Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment and said, "It’s not very mysterious. Murong Xiong is the only one in the Murong family who doesn’t do business but practices martial arts. It's said that he has never liked doing business since childhood, so he was not favored by the Murong family. But when he started to make a name for himself in the江湖at eighteen, a famous bandit sect caused trouble for the Murong family at twenty. The Western Capital imperial court also seemed to take advantage of the situation. Murong Xiong single-handedly massacred their entire household that night, leaving no survivors. Because of his ruthless acts, his reputation among martial artists was not good. Various forces still challenged the Murong family under various pretenses and were defeated by Murong Xiong. When he turned thirty, he won the title of the strongest fighter in the world and dominated for three consecutive sessions until he suddenly disappeared a year before the fourth martial arts conference. No one has seen him since then. Many people have said that he is already dead, but those who challenged the Murong family after that also died very miserably, including two out of the four top martial artists after Murong Xiong. Therefore… in recent years, few people dare to provoke the Murong family. Is this really Murong Xiong"

Xu Qingchen nodded and took out a glittering invitation letter and placed it before them. The signature was exactly ‘Murong Xiong’. Mo Xiuyao held the invitation for a long time, frowning and said, "Murong Xiong is the uncle of the current head of the Murong family. At least he should be over eighty years old. What does he want to do at this age"

"Who knows, perhaps as everyone guesses, he wants to find a suitable husband for the lady of Murong and avoid the Murong family being without successors in the future" Xu Qingchen didn’t care either; let it roll! If not for Mo Jingli and Lei Tengfeng coming here, even Chu Jing would be somewhat tempted. Xu Qingchen wouldn't have made this trip. Although the Xu Family and Ding Wang Mansion don't look down on Murong's business, if those who shouldn't get it got such a big fortune, trouble would definitely not be small.

Mo Xiuyao snorted coldly, his lips curling into a mocking smile, "Gathering all the heroes of the world for him to choose from Murong Xiong thinks too highly of his own family." Xu Qingchen smiled lightly and said, "But there are many people who eagerly follow him." In the eyes of the Xu Family, such arrogant behavior itself was inferior, naturally they wouldn’t take them seriously.

Moxiu Yao nodded and looked at Xu Qingchen earnestly, saying, "It's the same as before. I'll have to trouble Brother for this matter."

Xu Qingchen was speechless; he could tell that Moxiu Yao called him 'Brother' when he needed help or wanted a favor from him and addressed him by his name otherwise.

"Are you not going to attend" Xu Qingchen asked.

Moxiu Yao smiled, saying, "If it's just the Martial Arts Conference, I might be able to spar with Ling Tiehan. But judging from this, Ling Tiehan probably wouldn't participate in something like this either. So there is no need for me to appear. On that day, Ah Li and I will go just for fun. Just take care of everything as you see fit. Why would I not trust Brother's judgement" Xu Qingchen was thorough when he wanted to do something, leaving no room for criticism or comparison. Since Xu Qingchen had already followed him, it showed how much this matter weighed on his heart. Moxiu Yao naturally felt relieved that he didn't have to worry about anything.

Seeing the calm and unhesitant expression on Moxiu Yao's face, Xu Qingchen finally nodded in understanding. No matter how unreasonable or irresponsible Moxiu Yao was being, he could tell that he was completely serious when it came to Li. The assets of the Murong family were not something anyone could withstand easily; one had to remember that the treasuries of many countries might even be less than what the Murong family owned. What did "being as rich as a country" mean Only the Murong family qualified for such a description. Moxiu Yao was willing to reject the opportunity to get into the Murong family without hesitation just for Li, and Xu Qingchen was only too happy to fix this matter for him on account of that.

After some more discussion with Xu Qingchen, seeing that it had grown dark outside, Moxiu Yao pulled Ye Li towards the exit. Before leaving, he said, "We'll be staying at Qingsuan Inn in town; if you have anything to tell me, just send someone over." Xu Qingchen nodded and saw them off.

In an elegant room behind the inn was Ren Qi Ning standing by the window deep in thought. This courtyard was one of only three independent courtyards at Qingsuan Inn. It was a better and more expensive place than even Room A, while Ye Li and Moxiu Yao had to settle for a room as low-grade as D. For someone like Ren Qi Ning who came later on to be able to stay in such a place was indeed extraordinary.

"Did you lose track of them" Ren Qi Ning turned around, asking the middle-aged man standing at the door sternly. There wasn't an iota of his previous mild mannered appearance left; his handsome face had taken on an icy and unhappy expression. The middle-aged man outside couldn't help but shiver as he stammered, "Forgive me, sir… that Ye Young Master and Ye Lady are too skilled to follow... Our people just lost track after following them for a short time." Ren Qi Ning furrowed his brows; however, he didn't blame him. After all, the young man who called himself Ye had cultivation levels even he could not read, so it was natural that his men couldn't keep up with him. "Have you found out their identities"

The middle-aged man's face paled and said, "These two seemed to appear suddenly in that small town... Underling is powerless; I truly can't trace them back to where they came from nor find out about their background."

"Useless! Wait… They're surnamed Ye" Ren Qi Ning pondered over something. The middle-aged man cautiously asked, "Has sir thought of anything"

Ren Qi Ning spoke gravely, "I remember the Princess Consort of Dingwang is also surnamed Ye..." There weren't many people in this world who had reached such a level at that age, so he couldn't help but doubt. The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and then said, "Dingwang has white hair; moreover, these two's appearance seems to be somewhat different from Dingwang and his Princess Consort as well. Furthermore, underling learned that Dingwang and his Princess Consort have already left Li City."

A look of disappointment flashed across Ren Qi Ning's eyes. If the man and woman truly weren't Dingwang and his wife, then when did such a couple appear in the martial world What was more important was why they appeared now

"Go look again; find out their identities before the Martial Arts Conference," Ren Qi Ning instructed.

"Underling will comply." let them off, he wouldn't detain his wife's uncle, would he Of course it’s because Xu Qingze doesn’t want to come back." Concubine Liu said coolly: "Even if so, what difference does it make Xuhongyan...