Chapter 124: Someone Wants to Challenge Liu Qingxue

"Where is Mr. Chu?"

Wei Yuansheng quickly regained his composure, suppressing the surprise in his eyes and lowering his voice as well. He knew that Chu Tian had not appeared immediately for a reason of his own. Therefore, he feigned an indifferent expression to avoid interfering with Chu Tian's plans.

"Chu Tian has already arrived at the venue, but he doesn't want to show himself just yet. Besides, Wang Jiulong is fine," Wei Qingqiu whispered to her grandfather, feeling a sense of relief herself. She had indeed broken into a cold sweat earlier when Wang Jiulong reached out to them for help. Now that she knew Chu Tian was safe and sound, she finally set her mind at ease.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuansheng glanced toward Liu Qingxue. She nodded, for she too had received the same text message confirming that Chu Tian was out of danger. However, with thousands of spectators in the arena, Chu Tian was hidden in the vast sea of people, making him truly difficult to spot. Wei Yuansheng did not intentionally look for him, fearing that his actions might draw the attention of those with malicious intent. He dismissed the thought of searching for Chu Tian and acted as if nothing were amiss, waiting for the competition to begin.

In the spectator stands, Chu Tian and his group had already taken their seats. Their spots were near the back; after all, the front-row seats had been snatched up, and even Shi Hu could not secure better ones. Yet, at ten thousand yuan per ticket, it was an exorbitant price for an ordinary person. For Shi Hu to produce five tickets at once and bring Chu Tian and Long Tianjiao into the venue was, in itself, a very generous gesture.

"Chu Tian, these tickets were hard-won by Master Shi. If it weren't for his influence, you probably wouldn't have been able to get in today."

Before Shi Hu could speak, two of his lackeys spoke up. Their intention was clear: to boast about Shi Hu's capabilities. If Chu Tian couldn't even get tickets, yet Shi Hu could easily produce five, did that not prove his prowess? They didn't say this to belittle Chu Tian, but simply to win Long Tianjiao's favor.

However, Long Tianjiao did not answer, nor did she even glance at Shi Hu. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the arena, searching for members of the Long family. At that moment, the various heads of families from the south and north of the Yangtze River began to enter.

Among them was the Long family, led by Long Jianfei. Seeing this, Long Tianjiao's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of excitement crossing her eyes.

"Do you see that group?" Shi Hu asked, puffing out his chest. "The man in the lead is a major figure from the Jinling Long family, Long Jianfei! The Long family is the premier martial arts family in Jiangnan. They rarely show themselves, so it is our honor to witness the presence of Elder Long today, thanks to this North-South Conflict. If the opportunity arises later, I can introduce you to him and have him offer you some guidance!"

Shi Hu spoke with pride, gesturing toward the Long family as if he were intimately acquainted with them. Long Tianjiao was stunned and could not help but turn to look at him.

"You are going to take us to meet the Long family?" she asked, her expression peculiar. Having returned to her family for some time, she had never heard of a person named Shi Hu. Was he truly so close to her family?

"Miss Long, although you also share the surname, you may not understand the depth of the Long family's heritage," Shi Hu boasted, clearly trying to impress her. "The Jinling Long family wields immense power, and its members are not easily seen. Without my introduction, you could never even get close to them."

Long Tianjiao remained silent. If she wanted to see the Long family, why would she need an introduction from the likes of Shi Hu? Still, she offered no rebuttal. Seeing her silence, Shi Hu assumed his bragging had completely stunned her, and he felt increasingly smug.

Just then, the two major factions below met. The representative from the Jiangnan side was naturally Long Jianfei of the Long family, while the representative from the Jiangbei side was an imposing middle-aged man.

"Who is that?" Chu Tian asked, unfamiliar with the Jiangbei factions and unable to identify the man.

"You don't even know that? You have the nerve to come watch the North-South tournament?" Shi Hu's lackeys exchanged a glance, their tone tinged with mockery.

"Forget it," Shi Hu said, waving his hand and feigning erudition. "Brother Chu is likely new to these great families; it’s only natural he wouldn't know. This is Wan Tianyu, the head of the Wan family from Jiangbei."

Chu Tian nodded. He knew Shi Hu coveted his Fifth Senior Sister, but he trusted she would never fall for such a man, so he saw no need to be petty.

Down below, Long Jianfei and Wan Tianyu had met. "Master Wan, it has been many years since we last parted ten years ago!" Long Jianfei said with a bow and a smile, greeting his counterpart warmly.

"Our battle back then ended in a draw—a lingering regret!" Wan Tianyu chuckled, a flash of fighting spirit in his eyes. Without a doubt, both had participated in the previous North-South Conflict a decade ago, and they had fought to a stalemate. The Long family was the premier martial arts family of Jiangnan, and the Wan family held the same status in Jiangbei; the disciples they produced truly represented the martial prowess of their respective provinces.

Although Long Jianfei and Wan Tianyu had fought to a draw, the other Jiangnan factions had suffered a crushing defeat. Ultimately, the North-South Conflict ten years ago ended in a victory for Jiangbei. That Wan Tianyu could not defeat Long Jianfei remained a regret and a source of deep frustration for him. Yet, seeing each other again after a decade, there was no hostility between them; instead, they appeared remarkably harmonious, which was truly puzzling.

"Are the rules for this year's North-South Conflict the same as in previous years?" Wan Tianyu asked, wanting to confirm.

"Naturally. Families may challenge one another, staking matching wagers. The winner claims the loser's stake until the loser concedes and leaves the arena," Long Jianfei replied loudly. This had been the tradition for years, and he had no objections.

"Very well. Then let us not delay; let the tournament begin," Wan Tianyu said, impatient.

The two sides returned to their seats, waiting for the first challenger to take the stage. At that moment, a young man from the Song family of Jiangnan suddenly leaped up and landed directly on the platform.

"I, representing the Song family of Tianmen, challenge Liu Qingxue of Tianmen City!"

Everyone in the arena was shocked. What was this? Why was one of their own attacking their own?