My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!-Chapter 345 - 221: Temptation and Competition

Hua Mountain.

Chaoyang Peak.

Chang'an was only three hundred miles away from Hua Mountain. After parting with a few old friends in Chang'an, Yue Yang immediately returned to the sect.

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Inside a grand hall, he handed over the invitation Li Nuo had given him to an elder and said, "Senior Brother, this is the invitation to the Martial Arts Tournament hosted by the court. It is said that the Sanqing Sect has also sent several Grandmasters over…"

The Hua Mountain Sect Leader originally disdained the Martial Arts Tournament organized by the court.

If Martial Arts Sects grew too close to the government, they would be reviled as the hawks and dogs of the state.

But upon hearing that the Sanqing Sect had sent Grandmasters too, he immediately began to take it seriously.

The Hua Mountain Sect had three Grandmasters. According to the customs of the Martial World, having three Grandmasters entitled them to be called a first-class sect.

Even if the Sanqing Sect were divided into three parts, any branch—Taiching, Yuqing, or Shangqing—possessed the effortless strength to destroy Hua Mountain Sect if no one from the Sixth Realm intervened.

If Sanqing Sect was going and they did not, wouldn't that seem too pretentious?

They simply did not have the privilege to hold themselves above others.

After careful deliberation, Hua Mountain Sect Leader said to Yue Yang and another person, "Since the Sanqing Sect is taking this so seriously, our Hua Mountain Sect cannot afford to be negligent. Junior Brother Yue, Junior Brother Cheng, when the time comes, each of you take ten disciples down the mountain to participate in the tournament…"

Yue Yang nodded and said, "Yes."

Beside Yue Yang, a gaunt old man waved his hand and said, "Martial Arts Tournament, I'm not interested. Let Junior Brother Yue go."

Thinking it over, the Hua Mountain Sect Leader decided not to say anything more. The Sanqing Sect could afford to send several Grandmasters because they had many.

Counting himself, the Hua Mountain Sect only had three Grandmasters to begin with; sending one was already a significant gesture of sincerity.

He nodded and said, "Then let's do that."

…

Li Mansion.

Today, Lady Mother-in-law did not come to the Li Family, so Yiren did not practice her swordsmanship. Instead, she was flying kites with Ning'er on the rooftop.

It was the wife who had been practicing her cultivation much more diligently lately.

Li Nuo knew she wanted to enhance her cultivation as much as possible. There were things she cared about deeply, even though she never mentioned them out loud.

If she had not practiced the Yuqing Heart Technique, her personality might not have developed this way—it was evident from both Yiren and her mother-in-law's behavior.

In her heart, the wife actually yearned for a life like that of a normal woman.

After dinner, Li Nuo made a visit to the Ministry of Rites.

This morning, the Ministry of Rites had already received the official response from the Hua Mountain Sect.

The Hua Mountain Sect would send one Grandmaster and twenty disciples to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament.

The Grandmaster they were sending was the very Senior Yue who was familiar to Li Nuo.

Didn't that mean he had been busy for nothing?

Li Nuo hoped that all three Grandmasters of the Hua Mountain Sect, including their Sect Leader, would attend.

But unless they were willing, there was nothing Li Nuo could do to force them.

After pondering for a while, he went to a government office and said, "Chief Wang, come here, I have an important task for you…"

…

Three days later.

Hua Mountain, Chaoyang Peak.

The Hua Mountain Sect welcomed several visitors. The Hua Mountain Sect Leader was originally cultivating, but upon hearing the identities of the visitors, he abandoned a small cycle that was close to completion and hurried to meet the guests.

The guests visiting the Hua Mountain Sect were not only the Grandmasters from the Sanqing Sect but also officials from the court—there could not be the slightest hint of negligence.

He dressed in his most splendid outfit and walked into the Guest Welcoming Hall with a kindly smile, saying, "It is an honor to have such esteemed guests visit; I regret not being able to greet you from afar, I hope you will forgive me…"

Su Qing returned the greeting with a fist salute, saying, "Sect Leader Lin, it has been too long."

The Hua Mountain Sect Leader smiled and said, "It has been many years. Elder Su, you still look as distinguished as ever."

The two Grandmasters exchanged pleasantries, and soon after, Yue Yang also hurriedly arrived and said, "Having such a young friend visit our Hua Mountain Sect, why didn't you inform us in advance, so that I could have someone receive you properly…"

Li Nuo laughed and said, "Senior Yue is too kind. We came to Hua Mountain on a whim to enjoy the scenery and took the opportunity to visit your esteemed sect."

In the past, even if Li Nuo had wanted to sightsee, he would not have dared.

But now with Lady Mother-in-law present, along with the lovely Yiren, Housekeeper Wu, and Gatekeeper Huang, he was truly without fear.

This time, it was a family outing.

Hua Mountain was not far from Chang'an, and its scenery was exceptionally beautiful. As an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, accompanied by the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he brought the Grandmasters from Sanqing Sect and her two daughters to appreciate the scenery. All the expenses for the entire trip could be reimbursed by the Ministry of Revenue upon returning.

Li Nuo took a brocade box from Housekeeper Wu and handed it to Yue Yang, saying, "This is a gift for Senior Yue."

Yue Yang was slightly startled, but then quickly said, "You shouldn't have bothered with a gift, young friend; just coming here is enough... you're too kind, really..."

Li Nuo smiled and said, "This isn't actually my gift for Senior Yue; this is from the court. Every Grandmaster attending the Martial Path Tournament will receive such a gift. This is a set of imperial coronation robes. Please, Senior Yue, try them on to see if they fit..."

Yue Yang, carrying the brocade box, went down and soon came back in.

The Hua Mountain Sect Leader looked at Yue Yang, now clad in a new set of clothes, his expression slightly startled.

He had only changed his clothes, but it looked as if he had become a different person.

These robes, obviously crafted by skilled artisans using exquisite silk, were grand and majestic in design. They were embroidered with many intricate patterns using gold and silver threads.

Under the light, there seemed to be a luster flowing on his body, making him look as though he possessed the aura of an immortal, about to ascend to the heavens at any moment.

Yue Yang wore a jade crown on his head and cloud-patterned boots on his feet, garbed in these magnificent imperial robes.

At this moment, the Hua Mountain Sect Leader was struck by a strange feeling.

It was as if a Grandmaster should look exactly like this.

He silently stepped back a bit.

Compared with Junior Brother Yue, his own attire looked utterly shabby, making it unclear who was really the Hua Mountain Sect Leader.

Li Nuo looked at Yue Yang and smiled, saying, "These clothes really suit Senior Yue. It gives you quite the Grandmaster's presence..."

The imperial robes for nobles, official uniforms for officers, and the garments issued under Imperial Decree were all made by the Ministry of Rites.

The best tailors in Daxia were under the Ministry's employ; designing a set of majestic robes for a Grandmaster couldn't be simpler for them.

Yue Yang himself was particularly fond of this set of clothes.

A smile crossed his face as he said, "Please thank the court on my behalf."

Li Nuo then took out a Jade Token from his bosom, upon which the words "Master of a Generation" were engraved.

These words, personally designed by Li Nuo, were bold and magnificent, exuding a sense of weightiness just by glancing at them.

Li Nuo handed the Jade Token to Yue Yang, saying, "Senior Yue, please keep this safe. With this token, wherever you go within Daxia, you can stay at the local hostel for free. Presenting this token, you won't need to bow to officials and will be offered a seat in the court hall. If you are dissatisfied with any local officers, you can even write to the Ministry of Rites to impeach them directly..."

Yue Yang carefully accepted the token, feeling the lightweight Jade Token suddenly become much heavier.

Although Grandmasters were respected within the Martial Arts community, to be blunt, this respect was only skin-deep.

To the court, they were just commoners.

This token signified that their status was now officially recognized by the court.

Even if they claimed not to care, who among those who have become Grandmasters – having endured the hardships of the Martial Path for a lifetime – wouldn't want some privilege?

This scene not only made another Grandmaster of the Hua Mountain Sect green with envy but also filled the heart of the Hua Mountain Sect Leader with intense jealousy.

Not bowing to officials, being granted a seat in the court hall, having the power to directly impeach court officers... who truly was the leader of the Hua Mountain Sect? As Sect Leader, he realized his power was even less than that of an elder; how could he command respect from his disciples after this?

Li Nuo looked at the time and said, "Senior Masters, it's getting late, we should head back now. Sorry for the disturbance, please forgive us..."

"Of course not..."

"Please, take your time leaving..."

After personally seeing the family off from Hua Mountain and standing at the sect's entrance, Yue Yang beamed triumphantly, while the Hua Mountain Sect Leader and Sect Member Cheng fell into silence.

Sect Member Cheng, looking at the luxurious garments adorning Yue Yang, suddenly said, "Sect Leader Brother, the Martial Arts Tournament this time has even the Sanqing Sect, thousands of miles away, sending three Grandmasters. We are just a stone's throw from Chang'an and are only sending Junior Brother Yue; aren't we being a bit dismissive?"

Before the Hua Mountain Sect Leader could respond, he puffed up his chest and took the initiative, saying, "How about this: I'll go with Junior Brother Yue. That will better reflect the importance our Hua Mountain Sect places on the event and prevent any discontent from the court and the Sanqing Sect."

The Hua Mountain Sect Leader, without any hesitation, nodded and said, "Junior Brother Cheng is right. Given our location near the Capital, close to Chang'an, we should show greater regard than other sects. I shall go with you..."

The three quickly reached consensus on the matter.

To show the importance they placed on the event, including the Sect Leader, all three Grandmasters of the Hua Mountain Sect were to make an appearance.

Hundreds of miles away.

The Heng Mountain Sect.

With an invitation in hand, the Heng Mountain Sect Leader muttered, "Since the court has sent an invitation, it would be improper not to attend, but how many Grandmasters should we send..."

The Five Mountains Sword Sects were closely allied, with Heng Mountain and Hua Mountain located near each other. He planned to consult with Hua Mountain on their decision.

Moments later, he finished writing a letter, sealed it in an envelope, and handed it to a disciple, instructing, "Take this letter from me to the Hua Mountain Sect, deliver it to the Hua Mountain Sect Leader, and then bring back his reply..."

Several days later.

The Heng Mountain Sect Leader, reading the reply, exclaimed in surprise, "All three of them are going?"

This immediately made him abandon his original plan.

Originally, he only intended to send one Grandmaster, but with the Hua Mountain Sect Grandmasters all heading out, the Heng Mountain Sect, with its four Grandmasters, had to send three to avoid any gossip...