Song of Adolescence

Chapter 157 Meeting of Feuding Clans

He Qu and He Cong flipped off their horses, stepped forward and clasped their fists to salute Lei Qianhu. "Fortmaster Lei, greetings."

"Well met to both of you. I wonder how old master Li’s health has been recently," Lei Qianhu said with a smile.

"The old master is in good health, but the journey here is long, so he couldn’t come personally. I hope Fortmaster Lei will not blame him," He Qu stepped forward and said.

"Not to worry. I am greatly honoured that Old Master Li sent the two of you here. So please take a seat inside," Lei Qianhu said.

He Cong looked around and said in a low voice, "Why isn’t the young Tombmaster here?"

Lei Qianhu heard him and asked, "Are you looking for someone?"

He Qu replied on behalf of his younger brother, "Oh, after the old Tombmaster bade farewell to his grandson last time, he’s been missing him, but…"

Standing to the side, Lei Tianhen overheard and was confused. "Old master Li\'s grandson… who is it?"

Lei Qianhu, who knew the details, inquired, "Did Wujie meet with old master Li Suwang?"

"Yes, they were being chased by Hidden River and escaped into Sword Heart Tomb to hide for a while," He Qu replied, but did not mention that Lei Wujie had inherited the Heart sword.

"Hidden River." Lei Qianhu frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Wujie has not returned to Lei Clan Fort yet."

"Could it be…" He Qu felt his heart tighten as he muttered to himself.

"Both of you should proceed to take your seats in the great hall. I’ve already sent our Clan disciples out to search for him a few days ago, though we haven’t heard any news yet. They must have been delayed on the road. I’m sure everything is fine," Lei Qianhu said.

The two brothers, He Qu and He Cong, exchanged a glance and although they were still worried in their hearts, they were attending a banquet after all and it wasn’t the right time and place to discuss this matter. They cupped their fists and walked into the hall. The Lei Clan disciples who came forward to receive them ushered them to the main table, and the only one who was seated at the table, Wen Liang, smiled and greeted them. “Hello to the two young heroes of Sword Heart Tomb."

"Well met? Though I don\'t know who this young hero is?" He Qu greeted in return.

"This one is Wen Liang, from the long-established Wen Clan of Lingnan," Wen Liang replied politely.

"The Wen Clan… well met well met." He Qu laughed and pulled He Cong with him to sit right across from Wen Liang. The two of them grew up in Sword Heart Tomb since they were young and didn’t know many of the ways of the martial world, but they’d still heard a few of the legends of the martial world. Among them, they also remembered several essential reminders of travelling the martial world, one of which is——

Never sit next to someone from the Wen Clan!

Wen Liang scratched his head. "Though you say well met, but your actions are too honest, aren’t you?"

Lei Qianhu was still standing at the door respectfully.

Lei Tianhen looked up at the scorching sun in the sky, and said anxiously, "If they don’t get here soon, we’ll miss the auspicious hour."

There were two parties on the guest list who have yet to arrive. Tang Clan, Snow Moon City.

"I say this Tang Clan, they’re clearly not giving Lei Clan Fort any face. I’m sure they’re not coming at all," someone in the hall whispered.

"I don’t think it’s that simple. Snow Moon City also hasn’t arrived yet, right? Maybe they’re in it together. The current head disciple of Snow Moon City was from Tang Clan. Perhaps, Tang Clan had already colluded with Snow Moon City behind our backs and were planning to count Lei Clan Fort out," someone else said.

"Then, why would the Wen Clan be here?" Someone next to him asked.

"Why don’t you look at who the Wen Clan sent? Have you ever heard of this person?" The person dismissed his companion.

However, Wen Liang heard it, and turned to look at the man with interest. "Have you never heard of me?"

The man was startled by the expression in Wen Liang’s eyes, but still said stiffly, "No."

"Of course, I have never entered the martial world, how could you have heard of me?" Wen Liang smiled, waved his long sleeves, and a red scorpion crawled onto his fingers. "Xiao-Hua, go on. Go help this brother get to know me."

"Three-tailed scorpion!" Someone exclaimed.

The three-tailed scorpion, death in one sting.

The man pointed at Wen Liang and his hands trembled. "You… you dare to kill people within Lei Clan Fort."

"Not necessarily. My Xiao-Hua is very very well-behaved. It will listen to me and follow you obediently. When you walk out of Lei Clan Fort and return to your own home, and when you’re all relaxed as you lie down and prepare to sleep, then it will bite you just once." Wen Liang smiled and looked at the man. "Then…"

"Someone’s coming!" Suddenly someone yelled, and everyone looked up hurriedly. Wen Liang also put away the red scorpion, and looked outside with interest.

A carriage had stopped at the door, and the one holding the whip was a youth no older than fourteen or fifteen years old. He stepped off the carriage and waited respectfully beside it.

Someone pulled aside the curtain of the carriage and stepped off the carriage. He was about thirty years old and was tall and slender.

"Tang Huang?" Someone recognized him.

"The master in charge of the Tang Clan\'s Outer School, Tang Huang? The Tang Clan sent someone of such high rank? Besides the few old masters, the highest ranking person in Tang Clan now should be Tang Huang?" Someone exclaimed.

"Looks like Tang Clan still wouldn’t dare to offend Lei Clan Fort."

Unexpectedly, after Tang Huang, two others also disembarked.

"These two are…" Someone asked.

"One is Tang Clan’s most proficient poison user, Tang Xuan, and the other is the successor of the Tang Clan’s “Heaven Roller” gloves, Tang Qisha. They’re both current master teachers of the Outer School," Wen Liang said quietly. "Compared to them, the Wen Clan only sent me, which is indeed a little disparaging."

The three most outstanding members of Tang Clan\'s current generation showed up at the Lei Clan Fort Heroes Banquet at the same time. For two clans which were locked in a feud, this was tantamount to giving great face to them. But after the three people got off the carriage, they simply stood to one side and didn’t come forward to greet Lei Qianhu.

"Oh? Could there be someone else still in the carriage?" Wen Liang muttered, turning the wine cup in his hand.

"Is it possible one of the three Tang Clan elders also came?" Someone whispered among the crowd.

Lei Qianhu suddenly lifted his foot and walked step by step to the carriage. But, he did not greet Tang Huang and the others. He just raised his head and looked at the carriage.

An old voice inside the carriage slowly said, "Qianhu, when I’m done with this bag of smokes, I’ll come down."

"No matter." Lei Qianhu smiled, and stood respectfully under the scorching sun, waiting quietly for as long as it took to finish a whole bag of smokes.

Finally, the curtain of the carriage was lifted again, and a tall old man in a black robe appeared in front of everyone.

In the current martial world, all under Heaven were split between Snow Moon City and Unrivaled City, while the five sword immortals roamed the martial world, followed by the emerging young heroes. However, there were still a few individuals that people like Baili Dongjun, the citymaster of Snow Moon City, or Solitary Sword Immortal Luo Qingyang, would still respectfully call Senior when meeting them.

Li Suwang of Sword Heart Tomb was one of them. The old man who stepped off the carriage was naturally considered one as well.

Tang Clan, Grandmaster Tang.

"Qianhu, you’ve waited long." With a smile, Grandmaster Tang passed the pipe in his hand to the youth who was driving the carriage.

"For Grandmaster’s arrival, it’s nothing even if I have to wait for a whole day and night," Lei Qianhu replied.

"Good. You’re much more polite than your father." Grandmaster Tang laughed out loud, and didn’t say any more. He walked right by Lei Qianhu, leading Tang Huang and the others into the inner hall.

Lei Tianhen caught himself and hurriedly announced, "Tang Clan’s Grandmaster Tang brought Tang Huang, Tang Xuan, and Tang Qisha to attend the banquet!"

Everyone who’d arrived from the Tang Clan deserved to be recognised by their full name.

"This is a true Heroes Banquet," someone said, overcome with emotion.