Ayden frowned, confused, and Lu Yuntu, meeting his gaze, turned his head towards him. “The Heavenly Tournament allows all the five provinces’ cultivators to compete against each other under divine observance.”

      “This is an event of great importance for the clans to shine with their best disciples,” Huang Yiqiang added, glancing at the redhead. “But it is also a good way to strengthen ties. No worthy cultivator can ignore the Heavenly Tournament.”

      Lu Lisong nodded quietly at their words, and Ayden finally let out an impressed exclamation. Huang Yiqiang frowned. The red-haired man looked at Lu Yuntu, who had remained carefully silent at his friend’s words.

      “He said ‘to take part’ this year’. Didn’t you go the last time?”

      Huang Yiqiang’s eyes widened at the shamelessly familiar behaviour, looking as if he was about to explode.

      Lu Yuntu merely replied in a calm voice: “The last Tournament was five years ago. I wasn’t skilled enough to compete, and I was too young, immature...”

      “Nonsense,” Huang Yiqiang hissed through his teeth. “Lu Yuntu, don’t underestimate yourself like that. Not in front of me. As a friend, your elder and a cultivator, give me some credit, will you? If I had only thought that we were not worthy, I would never have asked you to take part in such an event. You know the risks, as do I.”

      Lu Yuntu fell silent, lips slightly pursed, and Ayden frowned a little more at his reaction. The other was hiding something from him, but this was neither the time nor the place to find out more. He exhaled slowly.

      “Think about it,” the redhead finally said in a low but gentle voice. “There seems to be a lot at stake, and I’m not just talking about fame or that kind of crap. He even came all the way here specifically to talk to you about it. It’s not something you can refuse out of the blue.”

      Huang Yiqiang wavered between white and red as he saw the finger pointing at him, looking like he was about to scream. Or to cough blood, most likely. Finally, he took a deep breath to keep his composure and, ignoring the redhead, turned to face Lu Yuntu and bowed. The other cultivator immediately tensed at his comrade’s overly serious attitude.

      “Guan Yi, as one friend to another, I ask you to please consider my request. I know what you think... What you fear,” he said solemnly. “But that’s the point. From one cultivator to another, I recognise your skills, your strength. I believe in you. In us.”

      For the first time, Ayden saw Lu Yuntu lose his composure. It was subtle, barely visible, but the man was tense, his lips pursed and his eyes darker. Behind the facade he was trying to impose, he seemed in agony as if what Huang Yiqiang had just asked of him was beyond his strength. Ayden squinted slightly. 

      But under his master’s attentive gaze, Lu Yuntu finally nodded. “I will think about it.” 

    Despite his control, these five words seemed to enlighten Huang Yiqiang, and he greeted Lu Yuntu with renewed vigour. Even Ayden smiled, happy to see that the other did not refuse outright. They chatted a little longer, exchanging a few courtesies and other news from one clan to another before the three younger ones finally came out. Lu Yuntu had seemed almost absent during all this time, although no one had openly pointed this out.

      Lu Lisong had invited Huang Yiqiang to stay the night at least before he set off again, and in a few steps, the three found themselves in front of the pavilion the cultivator would be occupying. Ayden had followed them with little thought, lost in his mind, and it was only when the other two stopped he emerged. His gaze met Huang Yiqiang’s. He was not fooled, and neither was Huang Yiqiang: they did not like each other, and the cultivator had kept silent only to avoid making Lu Yuntu lose face. 

      However, to the redhead’s great surprise, the other finally faced him and bowed, joining hand to hand in a proper greeting.

      “Huang Liang, courtesy name Yiqiang, of the Fengtian Huang clan, and son of the clan leader Huang Leien.”

      A small moment of hesitation passed, and as Huang Liang’s expression darkened, on the verge of yelling at him again, Ayden finally joined his hands and bowed.

      “Ayden, son of Orchar. Hopefully, the next meeting will be less piquant... Huang Liang,” he said with a smirk.

      He couldn’t resist. Ayden watched Huang Liang turn from white to red in anger and indignation with great satisfaction, his smile visibly widening.

      “You! You…! Insolent, I’m going to…!”

      The cultivator glanced at Lu Yuntu, who was unperturbed. Huang Yiqiang was still ranting, but he turned on his heels and went back to his pavilion without saying anything else. The door slammed behind him, rattling the gates. And Ayden let out a small, satisfied laugh before meeting Lu Yuntu’s eyes. 

      “It was too tempting. He’s far too touchy.”

      Lu Yuntu glanced at him impassively.

      “He deserved it.”

      He was still silent. 

      Ayden frowned, starting to lose his smile. “What?” 

      And the cultivator looked away.

      “They were three to attack me and didn’t even listen to what A-Feng and A-Hui were telling them!”

      Ayden received a new glance from Lu Yuntu. 

      “I had to shut him up at some point. He was insulting and...”

      Silence answered him.

      “Fine, maybe I exaggerated a little bit? Just a little bit.”

      Once again. 

      “... I’m sorry?”

      This time Lu Yuntu shook his head in dismay and turned away. 

      “Lu Yuntu, wait! Alright, alright, I’m sorry! The civility, I know, I know! Listen to me! I’m sorry! Come on! Don’t leave like that! Lu Yuntu! I’ll apologise to him later, is that alright? Please wait! Wait!”