Li Chonglou hadn't even processed the situation when Xiao Qiudu arrived with three men.
To be precise, it wasn't that he brought them, because the one walking in front wasn't him.
"Kid, where are you from?"
The way these martial world figures spoke was different. An An and the others' boyfriends would first use honorifics, but as cultivators, they seemed remarkably down-to-earth.
Li Chonglou looked at the three. Xiao Qiudu stood behind the man who had spoken, accompanied by two young men in ancient robes.
Their actions also drew the attention of others, who turned to watch the spectacle. As for Mu Qi and the others, they could only leave with worried expressions.
However, Li Chonglou paid them no mind. Addressing him as "kid"? In terms of age, aside from the host, Uncle Quan, he was the oldest present. Li Chonglou couldn't be bothered, not even to be called "brother."
Seeing Li Chonglou remain silent, the man let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, a bit of temper, huh? I just don't know if your strength matches your temper. Don't be too weak."
The man chuckled and then walked away with his companions.
Was he an idiot?
Li Chonglou looked at him with utter confusion, just as Wu Long walked over.
"Huh? That Wu Long guy knows this person? Is he from the Wu family too?"
"He definitely doesn't look like he's from the Wu family. You know Wu Long; he loves befriending all sorts of strange people. Seeing a new face like this, why is it surprising?"
The surrounding people merely exchanged a few words of discussion before looking away.
They all understood the meaning behind the man's actions just now. If Li Chonglou had shown the slightest inclination to engage, they would have had a chance to witness a warm-up match before the competition!
Unfortunately, Li Chonglou's reaction was too rational, and the man realized this, leaving immediately.
As for Wu Long, no one paid him any attention either.
Li Chonglou quietly observed everyone's reactions until Wu Long whispered in his ear, "That was the eldest young master of the Ying family. Don't underestimate him. Although he's also stuck at the third level, his strength is definitely top-tier among those at the third level."
Li Chonglou asked, "The Ying family?"
Wu Long then provided information Li Chonglou didn't know.
"Yes, they are an affiliated family. Their main family is the Xiao family, so if there are any conflicts, they will naturally stand with the Xiao family."
"Affiliated family? Main family?"
Li Chonglou's brows furrowed slightly. He had been in Shangjing for so long, and no one had ever told him about these things.
Wu Long looked at Li Chonglou's expression, and a faint glint flashed in his eyes.
"Brother Li, you truly are not from that circle!"
These words only made Li Chonglou more bewildered, and he couldn't guess Wu Long's intentions for a moment.
However, the latter suddenly smiled and took the initiative to explain, "I'll tell you about this later. Let's talk about affiliated families and main families first."
Li Chonglou stared into Wu Long's eyes.
"In Huaxia, on the surface, it's still ordinary people who hold power, as Brother Li knows. But when we reach our level, it's truly us cultivators who determine the future. And due to various reasons..."
"On the surface, we maintain the status of prominent families, which are now known to the world as the Sixteen Houses, the Eight Great Families, and so on. These are the main families."
"However, the main families deal with ordinary matters and financial sources. Behind the scenes, everyone is secretly developing their cultivator forces, as that is where the true decision-making power lies. Thus, affiliated families emerged."
Wu Long suddenly chuckled, "It's just that as things have developed to this day, the status of many affiliated families has far surpassed their main families. There are few families where the main family still holds the primary position."
Li Chonglou instantly understood his meaning: "You mean your Wu family is still primarily led by its main family?"
Wu Long smiled and nodded, as if this was something to be proud of.
Li Chonglou was unaware of the specific details, but he was certain of one thing: this guy really was from the Wu family!
To be honest, he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. Before attending the banquet, Li Chonglou had been constantly thinking about whether he could find an opportunity to get acquainted with someone from the Wu family and then use that chance to understand them.
He never imagined they would come to him without him even having to search!
However, Li Chonglou remained composed and said, "I see. So, the Xiao family is led by its affiliated family, the Ying family? What is the strength of this Ying family?"
"Currently, the highest publicly acknowledged level is the seventh level. There are three stewards at the sixth level and four protectors at the fifth level."
Wu Long didn't elaborate further, but it wasn't necessary. As soon as Li Chonglou heard the first statement, his eyes narrowed.
They were truly strong!
And this was merely the Xiao family, which ranked lower. What about the top three families? What about the Wu family, which ranked first?
Just their foundation far surpassed his old home!
Li Chonglou suddenly thought of the Yu family. Since the Xiao family was this strong, he figured the Yu family's true strength would also lie in their affiliated families. It was just that he hadn't seen any trace of them back then.
Just then, Uncle Quan on stage began to proceed with the arrangements.
Li Chonglou nodded to Wu Long, "I understand. I will be careful of them."
Wu Long grinned, "But Brother Li, you don't need to worry too much. We have an unwritten rule: what happens here, stays here. Perhaps Xiao Qiudu isn't like that, but most people still adhere to it."
"After all, not everyone is a brainless brute. Making a friend is far more worthwhile than offending an enemy."
Li Chonglou looked at Wu Long with some surprise. He hadn't expected this young man to have such insight!
People often said that seasoned veterans understood diplomacy the best, but in reality, it was through experience that one understood that impulsiveness only made one a slave to emotions, rather than being their true selves.
And Wu Long, appearing to be in his early twenties at most, possessed such insight, which was truly rare!
However, their attention quickly returned to the stage.
Uncle Quan began to read out the rules, which were not complicated and were divided into three rounds.
The first round was a conventional two-into-one format. The organizers would randomly pair up combatants, and those whose names were called would step onto the stage to fight.
This would continue until the top ten were determined, who would then proceed to the second round.
The second round was a challenge round, where anyone could step onto the stage and challenge another participant.
The challenged party could either accept or refuse the challenge. If they accepted, their points would be deducted or increased depending on the outcome.
If they refused, there were two possibilities. One was that the challenger would withdraw their challenge, and both parties' points would remain unaffected. The other was that the challenger would use their own points to force a challenge.
If the latter situation occurred and the challenged party lost, they would only lose their normal points. However, if the challenger lost, in addition to their normal points, the points they had wagered would also be awarded to the opponent.
Once no one stepped up to challenge, the competition would automatically proceed to the third round.
The third round was a king-of-the-hill format. Similar to the second round, participants would step onto the stage to defend their position, but this time, others would challenge them.