All the contestants entered the Luo family's private residence.
Lin Wenshan, the patriarch of the Lin family, appeared in the center of the residence.
"I just received news that for the verbal competition, the top fifty cardholders will have the eldest daughter of the Luo family watching their final ranking matches!"
Boom...
Discussions erupted within the residence.
At the same time, Chu Tian's mind exploded, his emotions in turmoil.
Luo Luo...
Long time no see!
It seems that this verbal competition must be won within the top fifty.
However...
Only now did he realize.
He knew nothing about zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting.
How could he reach the top fifty?
He had initially come just to watch the show, but now his competitive spirit was ignited.
Chu Tian looked back at Lin Yu and asked, "Xiao Yu, what are you good at?"
Lin Yu shamelessly replied, "Me? Why would I be good at these things? I'm just here to join the fun."
Chu Tian was speechless. Looking at the bustling residence, he said, "I really don't understand why they're holding such a useless verbal competition. We're here to fight!"
"Young man, don't look down on scholars. If the Four Elegances families hear you, you'll be finished!"
A heroic-looking young man approached.
His height was average, around 1.75 meters.
He exuded a gentle, scholarly aura, yet possessed an undeniable heroism.
"Uh... you're not from the Four Elegances families, are you?" Chu Tian asked in surprise.
"If I were from the Four Elegances families, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you..."
Boom...
"Ah!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a scream came from the "chess" area.
Beside a chessboard, a burly man lay on the ground, his fate unknown.
The other man seated at the chessboard, who appeared delicate and weak, stared at the fallen man and coldly declared, "Those who insult chess deserve to die!"
At this moment, a notary nearby handed him two cards.
These were the winnings from his gamble with the burly man.
"It's Qi Shushu, someone from the Qi family!"
The onlookers murmured amongst themselves.
Chu Tian was also stunned. Someone was killed just like that?
It seemed the Four Elegances families were more than just scholars and artists.
Chu Tian thought to himself: Although he hadn't seen the so-called 'Qi Shushu' make a move, he could tell that the deceased had been killed with a single blow by some means.
The reason given was the insult to chess!
"See! The Four Elegances families, while skilled in arts and literature, also find enlightenment within them!"
"The Qin family primarily cultivates the Dao of Sound Waves, the Qi family the Dao of Formations, and the Shu family is even more remarkable, comprehending the profound meaning of the sword through calligraphy."
"As for the painters, they primarily cultivate the Dao of Sealing."
The young man beside him spoke eloquently, clearly addressing Chu Tian!
Chu Tian, though not averse to this young man's familiarity, didn't feel particularly good about him.
Mainly because, standing next to him, Chu Tian detected a faint scent of body odor.
Such a heroic-looking person, how could he have such a peculiar ailment?
Chu Tian glanced at him, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, but remained silent. He then pulled Lin Yu and prepared to leave.
"Heh heh, Brother Chu, it's only been a few days since Yi Yi was with you, and you've already found a new love? If Yi Yi knew about this, hehe..."
His voice was not loud, but it reached Chu Tian's ears clearly.
Chu Tian, who had just turned around, trembled.
He suddenly turned back to look at the man.
"Who are you... you know Luo Luo?"
Finally, he had met someone who knew Luo Luo. How could Chu Tian not be excited?
Moreover, the man somehow knew about his relationship with Luo Luo.
What was their relationship?
Though he was confident in his feelings for Luo Luo,
And especially with a man who smelled like this.
Because he knew Luo Luo, and she was a neat freak.
"Me? My surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Cheng!"
After saying this, the man gazed deeply at Chu Tian, then at the arm he was holding Lin Yu's, and finally cast a glance at Lin Yu before turning away.
He left them with a not-so-broad back.
In his eyes, Chu Tian saw a flicker of killing intent.
And this killing intent was directed at Lin Yu beside him.
"You scared me to death!" Lin Yu patted her chest.
"That person's eyes were so scary."
"Why was he looking at me like that? I didn't offend him!"
Although Chu Tian couldn't use his divine sense here, he observed with meticulous detail that the man's attitude changed abruptly when he saw Chu Tian pulling Lin Yu.
Damn it... I was just holding her sleeve, not holding hands. What's it to you?
Furthermore, even if we were holding hands, what business is it of yours?
Suddenly, he remembered the name the man had given and turned to ask Lin Yu, "What did he say his name was just now?"
"Zhang Cheng..."
"Ah... could it be that young master from the Zhang family?"
"At the iron chain bridge outside the small world, the Zhang family said he had just broken through to the Qi Condensation stage..."
When Chu Tian heard Lin Yu say 'Zhang Cheng,' he knew the man's identity.
It was him, the one who had designs on Luo Luo...
At this moment, killing intent also flashed in Chu Tian's eyes.
Lin Yu, standing beside him, felt an intensely chilling sensation emanate from him.
It made her shiver inexplicably.
Chu Tian stared at Zhang Cheng's receding back.
He turned and said to Lin Yu, "Let's take a walk around!"
Lin Yu remained silent and followed behind him.
They arrived at the "chess area" and looked around.
Many people were already engaged in matches.
Chu Tian found the area as lively as a marketplace and thought: Won't this disturb the players?
However, as he approached to watch, he noticed that around each chessboard, there were three people.
One of them was a referee from the Qi family.
The other two were the competitors.
And around these three people, there was a yellow light barrier, which was likely a formation to isolate sound.
However, people outside could clearly hear the conversations within.
At this moment, Ma Deju quietly appeared behind Chu Tian.
"Brother Tian, Brother Tian..."
Chu Tian turned around and saw the young man acting suspiciously.
"What's up?" Chu Tian asked.
He glanced at Lin Yu, pulled Chu Tian aside a few steps, and asked, "Want to get rich?"
Lin Yu, seeing his demeanor, was furious. She stomped her feet hard and followed him.
"You fatso... I just didn't recognize your stuff, and you're acting like this?"
Chu Tian understood what Ma Deju meant by getting rich.
Just as he was about to ask, Lin Yu interrupted him.
So he quickly held Lin Yu back and asked Ma Deju, "Brother Ma, what good opportunity do you have?"
Lin Yu knew Chu Tian wanted to get into the top fifty, so she held back, glared at Ma Deju, and obediently closed her mouth.
"Uh... let's team up to open a booth and scam some 'cards' for fun?"
"What? Doesn't the tournament management handle this?" Chu Tian was dumbfounded. This was allowed?
Ma Deju chuckled and said mysteriously, "You don't need to worry about that, Brother Tian. Let's talk about it first, how much money can you put in?"
When Chu Tian heard this, he realized the guy wasn't looking for a partner but a financier. It seemed he had no interest in reaching the top fifty, only in making a profit.
However, how did he know Chu Tian needed cards to enter the rankings?
Ma Deju then explained directly, "I heard about you from Brother Lin Ran. As long as you can afford it, I'll help you get this done!"
"Alright... you name your price!"
"Heh heh... this much."
Ma Deju held out one hand.
Chu Tian's expression changed. This guy was too damn greedy.
[Author's Note]
Thanks to the great Lord [Shi Le Yue] for the paid reward [Inspiration Capsule x1, Urge Update Talisman x2, Flowers x3]