Four Seas Cloud Moon

At dawn the next day, the Zhang residence was already bustling with activity. Everyone in the mansion hurried along, their faces tense yet excited as they busied themselves with various matters. All guests, without exception, were led to the spacious backyard.

The expanse of this place was beyond imagination, resembling a magnificent martial arts arena. Its scale was so grand, it rivaled even a modern gymnasium. Across the spacious, flat ground, neatly arranged rows of chairs provided seating for the visitors.

When Lu Xiaotian arrived, he was stunned by the scene before him. He gazed into the distance, only to see a crowd of people, a dense mass of people, roughly estimated to be no less than a thousand. Such a large number of people instantly made the previously empty venue bustling with activity.

In previous years, even including family members and service staff, the total number of attendees was only a few hundred, making the scene rather deserted. However, this year was completely different. While some of the nearly 1,000 seats were already occupied, a steady stream of visitors continued to arrive. These visitors were all young talents and prominent children from various sects and families. They walked in groups of three or five, chatting and laughing, each exuding a unique temperament and demeanor. Only Lu Xiaotian walked alone, calm and composed, his steps relaxed.

After some trouble, Lu Xiaotian finally found Zhang Hui. Upon seeing Lu Xiaotian, Zhang Hui greeted him warmly and took the initiative to introduce the people present. Pointing to the two people beside her father, Zhang Hui explained in detail, "The one on the left is Zhou Fanlin, and the one on the right is Qian Duoduo. Like my father, they are both vassal kings. However, in recent years, they have become self-reliant, not only arbitrarily raising taxes on the people but also purchasing large quantities of war horses. Their intentions are self-evident, and I'm sure you can guess."

Lu Xiaotian nodded after listening to it, indicating that he understood, but then he asked curiously: "What about the other person?"

Zhang Hui replied, "That man is not a vassal king!"

Lu Xiaotian asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Not a vassal king? What does this mean?"

Zhang Hui explained: "He just attended the event on behalf of Han Tai."

Lu Xiaotian continued to ask: "So where is this Han Tai? Have you ever seen him in person?"

Zhang Hui rolled her eyes at Lu Xiaotian and said, "How could I possibly know where he is? But as far as I know, Han Tai has always been a low-key person and rarely appears in public."

At that moment, Zhang Guangzheng, who had been sitting silently in his seat, suddenly stood up. Without a word, he waved his strong, powerful hands and announced loudly, "Well, now that everyone is here, this grand competition officially begins!" As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

Although this was a grand family competition held by the Zhang family, over fifty participants had arrived. However, everyone knew that only a handful of them possessed true strength. The reason so many people gathered was because they all wanted to see Zhang Hui and see who would ultimately win!

The competition began with a truly tedious spectacle. The first few bouts were uneventful, with only a few occasional cheers, while the majority of the audience whispered to each other, discussing irrelevant matters. Time passed quickly, and as the competition progressed, several individuals of real talent finally emerged. These five individuals were Zhang Jian, Zhang Chao, Zhang Peng, Zhang Ye, and another individual whose name remains unmentioned. All five had fathers who were prominent figures in the Zhang family, second only to the head of the family, Zhang Guangzheng.

The five young talents walked together to the center of the arena. They bowed respectfully to Zhang Guangzheng, then spoke in unison, "Your Highness, we are all equally matched in strength, and have been close friends since childhood, like brothers. If we continue the competition, I'm afraid it will be difficult to determine the winner, so we sincerely ask Your Highness to grant us the grace to stop the fight!"

Hearing this, Zhang Guangzheng couldn't help but silently curse the despicable tactics. Before he could respond, someone beside him suddenly stood up and said loudly, "These five children have grown up with your daughter Jiajia since childhood. They can be said to be childhood sweethearts! I wonder, Your Highness, which of these five would you choose as a good son-in-law?"

The person who spoke at this time was Zhang Guangzheng's cousin. He looked at Zhang Guangzheng anxiously, and then the other four people echoed, saying, "Your Highness, your daughter Jiajia is now thirty years old. This important matter of marriage cannot be delayed any longer. I hope you will make plans as soon as possible!"

Zhang Guangzheng's expression darkened instantly upon hearing this. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, everyone. Jiajia is still young. There's no need to rush into marriage."

As soon as he finished speaking, a hearty laugh rang out. It was Zhou Fanlin, the vassal king sitting to Zhang Guangzheng's left, who started laughing. "Hahaha, I've heard something about that. I heard that Brother Zhang's beloved daughter once said she would marry the victor in this duel! Is that true?"

Zhang Guangzheng quickly explained, "Don't take it seriously, my Lord. It was just a joke from my daughter. Don't take it seriously."

However, at this moment, Qian Duoduo interrupted, "I, your humble servant, have also heard of this matter. How can you treat it as a joke? Furthermore, your humble servant's infatuation with your beloved is evident to all. Ever since he learned of this, he has lost all appetite and is obsessed with winning this duel and taking her home. Today, my son has also ignored all attempts to dissuade me and has come to the scene. I simply cannot stop him!"

Zhou Fanlin cursed inwardly and said, "Everyone loves beauty. My eldest son, Zhou Xuanyi, has been well-read since childhood and is proficient in both civil and military strategies. Today, I, Zhou Fanlin, would like everyone to be a witness as I formally propose marriage to the Zhang family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two people jumped onto the stage. One of them was a burly man with a beard, named Qian Feihu. His strength was at the peak of the Xiantian realm, and he held the Yuwang Divine Spear in his hand. It was said that his fighting power was enough to fight against a master of the Enlightenment Realm! He first saluted Zhang Guangzheng, and then said, "I will marry Zhang Hui in this life. I hope Your Majesty will grant me your permission."