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Chapter 820: Chapter 826: Happy
On this day, the spring breeze was gentle, and the sun shone high, warmly but not scorchingly hot.
The bustling, never-ending streets were filled with all kinds of stalls, overflowing with aromatic snacks and dazzlings accessories, overwhelming the senses.
"Jiang, the market is so lively today!" The young girl Zhang Linglong said excitedly.
Jiang Fengwu smiled lightly without a word. She rarely left her home and naturally didn’t know much about the mortal markets. Compared to the Marketplace she had once visited, this place had a lot more of a common, lively, and warm atmosphere.
At the same time, she marveled at Fan Xiping’s popularity. Organizing a Chess Path exchange meeting had actually caused such a big stir.
"Linglong, we should head to Master Fan’s chess event first," Jiang Fengwu said, worried that if they arrived late, there would be no seats left.
"Don’t worry, Jiang, I had my older brother save us a spot." Zhang Linglong, who rarely got to frolic in the market, naturally wanted to have her fill of fun before leaving.
Hearing this, Jiang Fengwu could only go along with her.
"Jiang! Hurry over here!"
The girl sounded as though she had found some delightful surprise, and she called out, leaping with joy, "There are lanterns here!"
Despite it still being daylight, the stunningly beautiful lanterns still attracted many gazes, especially the one placed at the very top.
Through the sheer gauze, under the nascent moon, a group of fairies played and laughed cheerfully, their expressions and movements lifelike, captivating anyone who laid eyes on them; it was an exquisitely unparalleled work of art.
"I’ll take that lantern, how many Silver Coins?" Zhang Linglong couldn’t wait and called out.
"Fifty Silver Coins, bring the lantern down," but at the same time, another woman also named her price for the lantern depicting fairies under the moon.
"Yu Linglong! What do you mean? I saw it first."
A woman of high birth, similar to her in appearance and even name, one capricious and naïve, the other enchanting and alluring, yet the two had taken a dislike to each other since childhood.
"How nonsensical, Zhang. Just because you’ve taken a fancy to something, does that mean it should belong to you?"
Amidst the verbal skirmish, Zhang Linglong rarely won, so she had already learned her lesson; she didn’t argue with Yu Linglong, but turned to the vendor and said, "May the highest offer win, I’ll pay one hundred Silver Coins."
"One hundred and fifty Silver Coins!"
The vendor was naturally overjoyed, but knowing neither of the ladies was to be offended, he apologized with a bitter smile, "Respected misses, this lantern isn’t worth so much money."
"Why don’t the two of you discuss privately for a moment, decide which miss will buy it, and then purchase the lantern at the original price?"
As a humble vendor, all he could do was to keep himself safe.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Linglong’s eyes flickered before she suddenly let out a coquettish huff and said, "I don’t want it anymore! Let’s go!"
Surprise appeared in Yu Linglong’s eyes. Always at odds with her, why had Zhang Linglong changed her nature so suddenly today? For a moment, she too found the matter dull and stopped pursuing the purchase of the lantern.
"This..."
The vendor, watching the two proud ladies leave without a backward glance, was close to tears and filled with annoyance, wishing he had simply offended one and made the sale.
"This lantern, twenty Silver Coins, would the vendor be willing to part with it?" Having not caught up to Zhang Linglong, as Jiang Fengwu walked over, Yu Linglong suddenly reappeared, having come up with an idea, standing by without moving forward.
Zhang Linglong had seen Jiang Fengwu’s signal, and that’s why she suddenly gave up and left.
"Thank you, Jiang, for helping me buy the lantern."
They didn’t go far before reuniting.
"No problem," Jiang Fengwu didn’t inquire about the relationship between the two, saying instead, "Let’s go to the chess conference."
"All right!" Having received the lantern, feeling a step ahead of Yu Linglong, the girl was very satisfied and had lost the desire to continue strolling.
Before long, the pair arrived at the chess venue, which was already packed with people. Officials had been dispatched to prevent disorder.
Following a specially separated pathway, they quickly entered.
’Cultivators?’
Upon entering the arena, Jiang Fengwu immediately sensed the presence of fellow practitioners, because they made no effort to conceal themselves. Even though she had sealed her mana and Spiritual Soul, her vision remained intact.
’What brings them here without cause?’
Jiang Fengwu glanced over subtly.
She saw diagonally opposite her five cultivators standing to one side, among whom the one with the highest cultivation level was also a Nascent Soul; the remaining four looked like his juniors, all Golden Cores.
’What are these esteemed cultivators doing in the mundane world without any apparent reason?’
Jiang Fengwu lowered her gaze, her thoughts swirling, completely oblivious to the annoyance that surfaced in Yu Linglong’s eyes as she looked at the lantern in the girl’s hand compared to hers.
The girl stood tall and proud, her spirits high, occasionally lifting the lantern to play with it, provocatively looking towards Yu Linglong.
"Jiang, Jiang..."
It took several calls to bring Jiang Fengwu back to reality. "What are you thinking about? You’re so lost in thought. Master Fan is about to make his appearance."
"I was just thinking about how to approach the stage and seek advice from the master," Jiang Fengwu replied with a gentle smile.
Thanks to the girl’s good fortune, Jiang Fengwu’s name had also been included on the list of those who could personally consult with Fan Xiping, allowing her the chance to play a game against him.
To know, Fan Xiping wasn’t young, his energy was limited, and given his immense fame, countless people wanted to play chess with him, but there were only three to five spots available.
Being able to be on the consultation list among a large number of people showed how much effort Zhang Linglong’s family had put forth.
Indeed, Jiang Fengwu had saved the girl’s life, but the family’s contributions during this period could fully compensate for her life-saving grace.
"Jiang, you’re so good at chess, you will definitely win... and play hundreds of rounds against Master Fan!" Although the girl was naive, she was aware of the Chess Saint’s reputation and quickly corrected herself.
Jiang Fengwu chuckled and said, "I’m not that amazing."
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the crowd, as an old man with snow-white hair but a childlike face and a hale complexion, supported by two children, slowly entered the venue.
"Master Fan!"
Someone shouted, and immediately a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
From time to time, Jiang Fengwu’s gaze flickered towards those five cultivators, noting that they too seemed somewhat excited upon seeing Master Fan.
Especially the four Golden Core cultivators, who seemed barely able to restrain themselves from approaching, but were stopped by the Nascent Soul.
’Are they really here for Master Fan?’ Jiang Fengwu mused, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
’Could it be that others are trying to make breakthroughs using the same method I am?’
At this thought, Jiang Fengwu’s worry turned into excitement because if her guess was correct, then all she needed to do was to continue down this path, and she would likely achieve her goal of breaking through to Divine Transformation.
As for whether Master Fan would be invited away by them, it didn’t concern Jiang Fengwu too much.
After all, her current identity—a woman of unknown origin—did not lend her the support to frequently seek guidance from Master Fan.
