Chapter 109 Playing on occasion
Nothing to say for a day.

In the evening, Tianxiang Tower in Luoyang City.

The Tianxiang Tower, which was usually crowded and noisy, was unusually quiet tonight. This was because the Northern Xian King wanted to host a banquet for General Luoyang, so the Xian King's Mansion had booked the entire restaurant early and issued a curfew, ordering no outsiders to approach.

Tonight, the huge Tianxiang Tower is empty, with only an eight-person table placed in the middle of the lobby.

At this moment, in the hall, incense was burning, tripods were lined up, jade and gold were cooked, and the table was filled with unicorn livers and phoenix marrows, mountain skins and freshwater fish. On the left side of the Eight Immortals Table stood a row of maids from the Xianwang Mansion, and on the right side stood a row of waiters from the Tianxiang Tower. The grand ceremony was rare. But there was no one at the table, waiting for the guests.

As the sky darkened, Luo Tianjin, accompanied by Luo Hongxuan, Xie Xian and a group of disciples, arrived first. A moment later, with a group of aggressive Mongolian soldiers leading the way, two horses led a luxuriously decorated carriage and slowly came.

The people riding the horses were "young prince" Wang Qingshu and "old housekeeper" Qi Tai. The person sitting in the carriage was "General Luoyang" Wang Xutong.

Behind the carriage, there were two groups of people. The leader on the left was a sturdy man with a long beard and eyes like pearls. He was the "Golden Sword Sect Master" Zhuge Xiong. Following him were Zhuge Wu and more than ten Golden Sword Sect disciples. The leader on the right was a hunchbacked old man with white hair, chicken skin, unkempt hair and sharp teeth. He was the "Iron Palm Gang Master" Zheng Tiandiao. Following him were the second in command Xu Tieya and more than a dozen Iron Palm Gang disciples.

When they arrived in front of Tianxiang Tower, more than a hundred well-trained Mongolian soldiers quickly surrounded Tianxiang Tower. Xie Xuan and Luo Hongxuan, who were standing outside the door to welcome the guests, looked at the people who came with ill intentions with a solemn look, and they couldn't help feeling uneasy.

When the carriage stopped, Wang Qingshu, Qi Tai, Zhuge Xiong, Zhuge Wu, Zheng Tiandiao, Xu Tieya and others came forward and respectfully invited Wang Xutong out of the carriage.

Wang Xutong wore a golden round iron hat and had a typical Mongolian hairstyle. A small tuft of black hair hung down in front of his forehead, and two braids were tied on each side of his ears, hanging down to his shoulders. He had a fat head and big ears, a wide body, and looked very strong. His narrow eyes exuded a faint light. Before he got off the car, he had already carefully looked at the front and back of Tianxiang Tower.

Luo Hongxuan, accompanied by Xie Xuan, stepped forward, bowed and said with a smile: "I am Luo Hongxuan from the Xianwang Mansion. I am here to welcome General Wang and the young prince on the orders of my father!"

"Luo Tianjin is really so arrogant. How dare he not come out to greet my father in person?" Wang Qingshu looked at Luo Hongxuan coldly, his tone full of disdain, and said sarcastically, "Who do you think you are? Are you worthy of welcoming my father?"

"you……"

"Shu'er, don't be rude!" Without waiting for the Xianwang Mansion disciples to refute, Wang Xutong stopped Wang Qingshu's rude remarks and said to Luo Hongxuan with a fake smile, "Please lead the way, nephew."

"General, please! Young Prince, please!" Luo Hongxuan was not angry. He turned around and led Wang Xu and his party into Tianxiang Tower.

In Tianxiang Tower, although Luo Tianjin and Wang Xutong met for the first time, they exchanged greetings like old friends, without any strangeness. As for Wang Qingshu, he looked around Tianxiang Tower with an unfriendly look, as if he was looking for something.

"When we meet those two bastards later, you must teach them a lesson for me." Wang Qingshu whispered to Zhuge Xiong and Zheng Tiandiao. He rolled his eyes at Zhuge Wu and Xu Tieya and snorted, "Don't be like them. They were scared out of their wits before they even started to fight."

Being mocked by Wang Qingshu, Xu Tieya and Zhuge Wu could only smile awkwardly. After all, they did not dare to confront the people from the Xianwang Mansion head-on at the Donghai Teahouse yesterday.

The banquet started, Luo Tianjin and Wang Xutong sat opposite each other, and Luo Hongxuan and Wang Qingshu sat beside them. Xie Xuan and Qi Tai sat on the left, and Zhuge Xiong and Zheng Tiandiao sat on the right. At this point, all the seats at the Eight Immortals Table were occupied. The rest, such as Xu Tieya, Zhuge Wu, etc., could only stand aside and wait.

"When I was still in Helin, I heard that the Northern Wise King was the leader of the chivalrous men in the Central Plains. It is a great honor to meet him today." Although Wang Xutong looked rough in appearance, his speech and behavior were polite, and it seemed that he had some Confucian knowledge in his mind.

"It's just an undeserved reputation. I'm grateful for your kindness, General." Luo Tianjin smiled faintly and raised his glass, saying respectfully, "General, this is your first time in Central Plains. This is your first glass of wine. I'd like to welcome you!"

"I have been in Luoyang for more than a month, so there is no trace of worldly affairs here. Haha..." Wang Xutong waved his hand and smiled, "But since it is Lord Luo's kindness, I will certainly not refuse it. Please!" After that, the two of them drank the wine in their glasses.

"Good wine!" Wang Xutong praised, "Although it's not as strong as the wine from our grassland, it has a unique fragrance."

"This is the Qionghua Dew that I have treasured for more than ten years. If it weren't for the General's visit, I really wouldn't be willing to take it out. Haha..." Luo Tianjin clearly had something else in his words, but he was very secretive. He filled another glass and toasted again, "The second glass of wine is because I am so happy about the General's arrival, so I want to show my hospitality as a host!"

"Eh!" Wang Xutong shook his head disapprovingly and retorted, "Lord Luo is the Northern Sage King, and I am now the General of Luoyang. This Luoyang City is yours as well as mine. You and I are both the lords of Luoyang, so what is Lord Luo's friendship as a host? I wish that from now on, we can cooperate sincerely and share prosperity."

After saying that, Wang Xutong turned his gaze to Zhuge Xiong and Zheng Tiandiao, and asked with a smile, "This king and Palace Master Luo hit it off right away, and I want to become friends with him. What do you two think?"

"Great! If General Wang and Lord Luo can become brothers of different races, it will be a beautiful story and a blessing for the people of Luoyang!" Zhuge Xiong replied.

"That's right! Actually, our two families have been trying to build bridges to make this happen these days. However, General Wang and Palace Master Luo are both great men who have been influential for thousands of years. How can we, common people, influence them?" Zheng Tiandiao said with a smile, "Today, we are willing to serve as witnesses for General Wang and Palace Master Luo during this banquet. Hehe..."

Although the words were humble, the implication was turbulent. Wang Xutong wanted to compete with Luo Tianjin for the position of Lord of Luoyang as soon as they met. Just from this one point, it was not difficult to see that this person had bad intentions.

"Haha..." Under the joint instigation of Wang Xutong, Zheng Tiandiao and Zhuge Xiong, Luo Tianjin suddenly laughed out loud and said, "I am just a commoner, how can I be qualified to be your brother? It was indeed my fault just now. Luoyang City is naturally your territory. In the future, I will obey your orders and hope to have a living under your divine protection."

"Whether I can sleep well in Luoyang City depends on the care of Lord Luo." Wang Xutong showed no emotion on his face, pretending to be confused as if he didn't know the deep meaning. He raised his glass and clinked it lightly with Luo Tianjin's, then poured the Qionghua Dew into his stomach again.

"This third cup..." "Eh!" This time, before Luo Tianjin could speak, Wang Xutong suddenly interrupted and said, "This third cup of wine should be offered by me to apologize to Palace Master Luo for the misunderstanding that happened in the East Sea Teahouse yesterday." Wang Xutong pointed casually at the dozen or so disciples of the Xianwang Palace who were waiting for orders, and asked with a smile, "But I wonder which two of these young talents are Lin Fangda and Liu Xunyi?"

"Dad, those two people are not among them." Wang Qingshu replied coldly, "I don't think they have the courage to come and see me."

"Lord Luo, this..."

"There are occasional urgent matters in the palace, so I asked them to do the work." Luo Tianjin explained calmly, "If it weren't for the emergency, I would have asked them to come here to apologize to General Wang and the young prince. But please rest assured, when they come back, I will ask them to go to the general's palace to apologize."

"It's clearly a lie..."

"Shu'er!" Wang Xutong shouted, "Since Lord Luo said they have urgent matters to attend to, then they must have urgent matters. Besides, the incident at the East Sea Tea House was your fault in the first place. Lord Luo is trying to cover up your shame. How can you not know what is good for you?"

"General, you are so righteous." Xie Xuan toasted, "I admire you!"

After saying that, Xie Xuan gently waved his hand towards the disciples of the Xianwang Mansion, and saw eight disciples carrying two heavy wooden boxes and carefully placed them in front of Wang Xutong. Xie Xuan smiled and said, "We Han people have a saying that goes, 'It is impolite not to return a favor.' Last night, the housekeeper Qi went to the Xianwang Mansion to deliver a generous gift. Today, my master has also specially prepared a return gift for the general and the young prince. It is a token of respect, but I hope you will accept it!"

Before Xie Xuan finished speaking, the two wooden boxes were opened. In an instant, countless gold and silver jewels filled the two large boxes, which were worth dozens of times more than the two boxes of gold ingots last night.

Zhuge Xiong, Zheng Tiandiao and others who were watching were stunned. Even Wang Qingshu was deeply shocked by the scene before him and swallowed subconsciously.

Wang Xutong was stunned, then turned to look at Luo Tianjin, who looked pleased, and said with a half-smile, "Isn't this return gift from Palace Master Luo too expensive?"

"I am just a warrior, I consider myself a rough man, I have never been a dilettante. The gift from the general last night was gold, so I also gave gold and silver in return. Although it is a bit vulgar, I think the general should understand my intention." Luo Tianjin smiled faintly, "What's more, compared with my admiration for the general, these gold and silver are just a drop in the ocean. The Xianwang Mansion will need the general's protection in the future, and Luo will certainly repay you handsomely."

"Hiss!" Two large boxes of gold and silver treasures are just a drop in the bucket? In the entire Luoyang City, I'm afraid only Luo Tianjin can say such a thing.

"Don't show off your wealth" is just a joke to the Northern Xian King. Not to mention Luoyang City, even in the whole Jianghu, who would dare to take over the Xian King's Mansion?
Wang Xutong stared at Luo Tianjin without blinking, and asked meaningfully, "Does Palace Master Luo want to bribe me?"

"It's just tea money, how can it be called a bribe?" Luo Tianjin said with a smile, "Could it be that the general is unwilling to give me this little favor?"

Wang Xutong kept probing, and Luo Tianjin's words were full of ulterior motives. Both of them wanted to recruit the other into their own ranks. On the other hand, Zhuge Xiong and Zheng Tiandiao became more and more fearful and uneasy.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Luo Tianjin and Wang Xutong were just playing along. It seemed like everything was calm in Tianxiang Tower, with people promoting each other. But in reality, they were fighting overtly and testing each other, and a storm was brewing.

For a moment, the whole Tianxiang Tower was filled with solemnity. The table was filled with delicious food, but not a single spoonful of it was touched.

"I feel guilty for taking Lord Luo's gift back like this." After a long silence, Wang Xutong slowly smiled and said, "But fortunately, I have prepared a gift for you. As long as Lord Luo accepts it, I will accept these two boxes. To me, these things are worthless. But to a man of the world like Lord Luo, they may be of some use."

"Oh?" Luo Tianjin asked with interest, "I wonder what the general is talking about?"

Wang Xutong smiled and picked up a wooden box without saying a word. He slowly pushed it open in public. Inside was a scroll.

"This is the 'Turning Wind and Turning Rain', which I obtained by chance. Everyone in the martial arts world highly praises it, and I believe it must be valuable to Lord Luo. Hehe..."

"hiss!"

When Wang Xutong said this, everyone present was secretly surprised. Luo Tianjin's puzzled face then showed an indescribable sense of astonishment. With a twinkling look in his eyes, he asked softly, "General, where did this thing come from?"

"To be honest, this is not the original, but a copy." Wang Xutong said with a smile, "I heard that there are more copies than this one. It is rare in Luoyang, but it is widely circulated in Jiangnan. With a little trick, it can be easily obtained. This is just a toy, not a respect. As for whether it is real or not, please judge for yourself, Lord Luo."

Luo Tianjin slowly unfolded the "Painting of Wind and Rain" with a puzzled look in his eyes. At the same time, he subconsciously muttered, "Why are there so many imitations of "Painting of Wind and Rain" everywhere all of a sudden? Could it be..."

Before Luo Tianjin finished speaking, his pupils suddenly shrank, his expression instantly became extremely embarrassed, and a hint of coldness suddenly burst out in his complicated eyes.

Because Luo Tianjin discovered that this fake copy was exactly the same as the "original" that Liu Xunyi had given him.

……

(End of this chapter)