THERE WAS a deadly silence in the pavilion despite the composed expressions of Lu Lisong and Lu Yuntu. Stubborn as he was, Ayden steadfastly refused to return to his pavilion, forcing Grand Master Zhongyou to treat him in the presence of the others. A-Feng and A-Hui had to leave him, not without concern, as their Grand Master refused their presence. The latter finished pouring the tea and put the teapot—not the spouted pot—down before presenting his cup to Huang Yiqiang.

      “Many thanks to the clan leader of Beiming Lu for receiving me,” said Huang Yiqiang, bowing.

      The man had a stern face since Lu Yuntu’s intervention. His dress, cut at the sides and revealing the pants, was made of white and dark blue, the collar decorated with cloudy arabesques. At a glance, it was evident that the fabrics were of luxurious quality, and the sword he carried was no less richly decorated, with unique ornaments. 

      Huang Yiqiang was a handsome, well-built man with more angular features, a piercing gaze and a stern expression underlined by his thin, ever-frowning eyebrows. His dark brown hair was held back in a high ponytail and floated around his shoulders with every movement. He was a confident man, and at the moment, he was doing his best to contain his anger.

    “May the clan leader forgive my frankness, but Huang Liang feels somewhat...confused,” the cultivator continued, looking up from his cup to stare at Lu Lisong. “Young Master Lu Yuntu said that this man was one of your guests.”

      Even without insulting him directly, Huang Yiqiang did so. The clan leader Lu Lisong, Grand Master Zhongyou, the other clan elders, and Lu Yuntu were the only ones who knew about his current difficulties. They had not thought it necessary to inform all the disciples of his origins to prevent his story from becoming too widely known, but now they were facing another problem. 

      “But despite his appearance and techniques, I have never heard of him.”

      Lu Lisong sighed softly but had no time to respond.

      Ayden growled. “I’m from another country.” 

      Three pairs of eyes fixed on him.

      “I can’t go home because of... Some problems. Personal problems,” he continued, sitting up cross-legged after Grand Master Zhongyou finished bandaging him. “But I do know Guan Yi, and when he found out what was going on, he offered to help me. Grand Master Lu Lisong kindly accepted that I stay here.”

      Ayden could not possibly talk about A-Feng and A-Hui: both were only children, and given their status, they would have been in a weak position against Huang Yiqiang. Lu Lisong was a clan leader, so dragging him personally and openly was not a good idea. The honourable leader had to keep as much leeway as possible. That left only Lu Yuntu, and given his name and position, he seemed capable of standing up to Huang Yiqiang. 

      Besides that, Ayden had not entirely lied: he had indeed come from elsewhere and could not return for the moment. Lu Lisong had invited him to stay, and he knew Lu Yuntu. Even if he had only known Lu Yuntu for a few days, he still knew him. The rest was just mere details.

      “My techniques are from my father—family heirloom. I just sell my sword here and there, where I’m needed. And I don’t really want to make a name for myself, so... That’s the entire story,” he finished, shrugging his shoulders as if everything were normal.

      He admired Lu Lisong and Lu Yuntu’s coolness, who knew the truth, but when he met Guan Yi’s gaze, Ayden almost felt like laughing. The cultivator had a blank look, even though he was trying to save some face.

      “From another country, eh... Which one?” Huang Yiqiang asked, undaunted. Of course, he would not trust the redhead just like this and didn’t even bother to hide this.

      “I’d rather not say anything about that. Discretion required.”

      “And you find it very discreet to go out, then, noble stranger, given your situation?”

      By all the gods. It was this mouth of his that Ayden was going to brush! He smirked, as did Huang Yiqiang. Imperturbable, Lu Lisong sipped his tea slowly as the two young men stared at each other as if they were going to jump at each other’s throats at any moment.

      “Huang Yiqiang, this is my fault,” Lu Yuntu suddenly intervened in a calm voice.

      Huang Yiqiang immediately turned to stare at his peer, while Ayden raised an eyebrow in surprise.

      “Young Master Ayden was tormented by his problems, and in the hope of calming his mind, I suggested he go out with the younger ones to see the city,” he continued, bowing again.

      Huang Yiqiang was speechless, vacillating between shock and horror, and Lu Lisong gave his best disciple one last look before sighing softly. He offered the coup de grâce.

      “The master here has his faults, too. Perhaps I should have given a pass before this got out of hand,” the clan leader said in a calm voice, pushing something over the edge of the table towards Ayden.

      It was a jade plate, a beautiful pale green, carved with the clan emblem formed by bamboo leaves. This time Ayden could not hide his surprise as he bent down to pick it up. But the most shocked one was clearly Huang Yiqiang: with Lu Yuntu and even the clan chief openly covering the redhead’s back, the latter became untouchable. 

      Huang Yiqiang bowed to Lu Lisong, swallowing his grim humour. “Huang Liang humbly apologises to you. I did not imagine your guest’s situation to be so delicate.”

      Lu Lisong made a vague gesture with his hand as if brushing aside the now closed subject. “What are the reasons that bring the young Master of Fengtian Huang here?”

      Huang Liang bowed again before standing upright before them. If he did not like how the redhead’s subject had been closed, he did not show it and instead put on a severe expression. “I have come to personally ask Lu Yuntu to take part in this year’s Heavenly Tournament with me.”