Fengyue Small World, City of Immortal Delicacies.
This was a rather enticing city, its interior almost entirely comprised of manors dedicated to various spirit-herb delicacies.
Gu Qingfeng's group headed straight for Babaozhuang.
Babaozhuang's signature Eight Treasures Feast was hailed as the number one spirit-herb delicacy in the Twin-Pole Heavenly Domain, and business was naturally extremely brisk. Especially with the grand event hosted by the Fengyue Small World about to commence, many people from major and minor secret realms across the Twin-Pole Heavenly Domain would come to join in the excitement.
The Eight Treasures Feast was expensive, averaging around a hundred thousand per person.
This figure might be terrifying for mortal immortals, but for those noble young lords from major secret realms and great clans, it was nothing.
To say they could afford to eat here every day might be a stretch, but treating themselves to an Eight Treasures Feast every few days was quite easy.
When Gu Qingfeng's group arrived at Babaozhuang, the attendants and servants hurried forward to receive them, some responsible for settling the grand carriage, others quickly leading the way.
After all, that Nine-Headed Flame Cloud Crimson Blaze Tiger Grand Carriage was simply too eye-catching and too luxurious; wherever it went, it drew attention.
Moreover, Gu Qingfeng was dressed in an outfit worth a staggering two hundred million, exuding an imposing air. Whether it was the Great Sun Radiance White Jade Robe on his body, the ten Star-Swirl Storage Rings on his fingers, or the one hundred and eight Buddhist prayer beads hanging around his neck, everything flaunted wealth and extravagance. Under the sunlight, they glittered with golden light, as garish to the eyes as could be.
The servants of Babaozhuang naturally dared not show the slightest neglect.
Along the way, whether it was the servants and attendants or the arriving guests, when they caught sight of Gu Qingfeng and the others, they pointed and whispered. Their discussions were all about the events on the Floating Sky Island. Clearly, they had recognized Gu Qingfeng as the Great Lord who had displayed such divine might on the Floating Sky Island.
The people from the Xiaoluo Secret Realm looked very uncomfortable, following behind, not even daring to lift their heads. Even Qiānlíng became somewhat reserved. "Perhaps... we should find another place," she said.
"We're already here. Why change?"
"Don't you feel everyone is staring at us?"
"What?" Gu Qingfeng laughed. "Are you feeling shy?"
"That's not what I mean. I just think... this is too high-profile. What if the Jinwu Li Clan comes looking for us..." "Little sister, set your heart at ease. This lord played a rather sinister trick on the Floating Sky Island. Before they figure out this lord's identity, they won't dare act rashly. Besides, this lord's move to intimidate the Jinwu Li Clan was precisely to buy some peace and quiet."
Qiānlíng wasn't ignorant of this reasoning.
And she also knew that Gu Qingfeng's single roar on the Floating Sky Island, which had scared four Taibai Golden Immortals to death, was enough to deter the Jinwu Li Clan from acting rashly. Yet, she always felt that Gu Qingfeng's actions were far too ostentatious, making her very uncomfortable. Being pointed at and whispered about made her feel utterly ill at ease.
"Sister Ling'er, if the Jinwu Li Clan wanted to find us, they would have come long ago. They wouldn't wait until now. I bet they're scared stiff of Little Drunkard. Don't worry about it." Unlike Qiānlíng, Qiānniǎo felt no discomfort at all.
The little girl had a carefree personality, was rather thoughtless, and her nerves were thick as ropes. Despite having followed Qiānlíng out adventuring for over a decade, her heart remained somewhat naive, like a young maiden's.
At that moment.
A shout suddenly came from behind.
"Sister Ling'er!"
Hmm?
Qiānlíng looked over and saw that the one calling her was none other than Liu Li.
"Well, well, if it isn't Little Sister Liu Li! What a coincidence," Gu Qingfeng remarked upon seeing Liu Li, teasingly.
Liu Li seemed somewhat afraid of Gu Qingfeng. She had been running towards them, but when Gu Qingfeng spoke, the little girl immediately slowed her pace, her gaze towards Gu Qingfeng filled with fear. "G-Great Lord, hello," she replied.
Ever since witnessing Gu Qingfeng's divine might firsthand, Liu Li no longer dared to call him Little Drunkard, switching to the address 'Great Lord'.
"Liu Li, are you here for the Eight Treasures Feast too?" Seeing Liu Li, Qiānniǎo was very happy. "Are you alone? Where's Brother Xuan Yun? Isn't he with you?"
"My Senior Brother is behind me." No sooner had Liu Li spoken than Young Lord Xuan Yun also walked in, accompanied by two other elegant and distinguished young noble lords.
Upon seeing Gu Qingfeng, Xuan Yun's expression also stiffened slightly, a flash of surprise in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected to encounter Gu Qingfeng again so soon. However, after the surprise, another flash of displeasure crossed his eyes, though more prominent were suspicion and wariness.
Yes.
Displeasure.
Because back on the Floating Sky Island, he had originally planned to step forward and resolve the trouble for the Xiaoluo Secret Realm. This would have allowed him to gain Qiānlíng's favor while also showcasing his prestige and face before the crowd.
Unfortunately.
All of that had been ruined by Gu Qingfeng.
In the end, not only did he fail to gain Qiānlíng's favor, but he also lost a golden opportunity to display his prestige before everyone. This made him feel utterly humiliated, and his proud self-esteem couldn't accept such a fact. After cultivating for so many years, he had never suffered such an indignity.
Given this, Xuan Yun was naturally very displeased.
However.
Displeasure aside.
On the Floating Sky Island, Gu Qingfeng had first blown a puff of spirit smoke that turned the Vajra Earth Fiend Tiger to ashes, then with a single offhand sentence had caused Li Zhengshi's Immortal Spirit to disperse, and finally, with one mighty roar, had scared four Taibai Golden Immortals to death.
Although Xuan Yun didn't know how Gu Qingfeng had done it, it was enough to fill him with wariness towards Gu Qingfeng.
After leaving the Floating Sky Island, Xuan Yun's mood had remained gloomy, feeling a smoldering anger in his heart with no outlet. Fortunately, he had met two good friends. After telling them about the incident, the three decided to come to Babaozhuang for a good drink. Yet, he never expected to encounter Gu Qingfeng again at Babaozhuang.
"Liu Li, what? Are they your friends?" asked one of the noble lords who had come with Xuan Yun.
"She's Sister Ling'er."
"Sister Ling'er?" The noble lord suddenly seemed to realize something, asking with surprise and suspicion, "You mean... she is the Miss Qiānlíng who, on the Floating Sky Island, used a single move of the Myriad Sword Art to defeat over a hundred members of the Jinwu Li Clan?"
"Yes."
"Really? What a coincidence." With that, the noble lord looked at Gu Qingfeng beside her. Taking in Gu Qingfeng's outfit worth two hundred million, so garish it hurt the eyes, the noble lord asked in surprise, "In that case, this must be the tycoon upstart... the Great Lord who displayed such divine might on the Floating Sky Island?"
Gu Qingfeng, playing with two Earth Fiend Mysterious Wonder Balls in his left hand, shaking a white jade fan with his right, and holding a purple-gold tobacco pipe in his mouth, exhaled a wisp of spirit smoke. He was neither modest nor polite. "That's right. I am the one they call the tycoon, the Great Lord."
"Heh." The two noble lords who had come with Xuan Yun seemed very curious about Gu Qingfeng, staring intently at him as if trying to see through him completely. Yet, look as they might, apart from that outfit worth two hundred million, Gu Qingfeng seemed to have no other remarkable highlights whatsoever, not even a trace to be found.
Just as the rumors said, he had no cultivation to speak of, no fortune to speak of, no bearing to speak of. He was utterly ordinary and unremarkable. If not for that outfit worth two hundred million, he'd probably be hard to find even if thrown into a crowd.