Chapter 175: The First Visitors

"I told you, this is Xingcai city...

...and those who draw their weapons towards us will suffer the same fate as the Heaven Bamboo sect!"

Hearing Viel's words, the White Bamboo sect master could not help but lower his eyebrows. Who does this little child think he is to threaten him, sect master Ma Ling of the White Bamboo sect!?

"Yo--", he was about to say something, but then he realized the last part of the golden-haired kid's words.

Suffer the same fate as the Heaven Bamboo sect…

"What… do you mean by that?", sect master Ma Ling slightly lowered his weapon, "Where is the Heaven Bamboo sect master?"

"How would I know?", Viel raised his eyebrows, "He's probably being asked questions somewhere, indisposed. I let my minions handle all the dirty work"

"This…", sect master Ma Ling had a very complicated expression on his face. He then looked towards his elders for advice, "What do we do now?"

"You can��t really believe the boy's words, can you?", one of the elders said.

"I don't know, man. He sounds very convincing", another elder pitched in.

"It doesn't matter. We're already here, we just can't leave empty-handed", the oldest elder said.

"Wait! I have an idea!"

The sect master and the elders huddled up as their loud whispers echoed through the air. Finally, after a few seconds, they all nodded at the same time. Sect master Ma Ling then returned to his previous position and waved his hand.

"If it is true that you have destroyed the Heaven Bamboo sect…", he said, "...then we will challenge you instead!"

"Sure"

"W...what?"

"We accept the challenge", Viel said without any hesitation.

Sect master Ma Ling could not help but blink his eyes a couple of times as he saw Viel's sincere expression. He didn't really think they would accept it that fast.

"Then--"

"But if you lose…"

Sect master Ma Ling was about to open his mouth, but Viel got ahead of him.

"Then you will give us all the drifters you have taken from the Heaven Bamboo sect!"

Hearing Viel's words, sect master Ma Ling squinted his eyes. So, they knew about that. Were they some kind of drifter activist group or something? Come to think about it, the people surrounding the golden-haired kid all looked like different races.

Numerous thoughts raced inside the sect master's mind. But after a few seconds, he nodded his head in agreement. He did not really care that much about the drifters. Sure, the drifter children had potential and some of them had stronger foundations, but unlike the regressing Heaven Bamboo sect, they had enough disciples for them not to worry about their numbers dwindling.

"It is settled then!", sect master Ma Ling waved his hand, "A duel between our best disciples and elders!"

"This is a city, we have no disciples", Viel blinked his eyes a couple of times as he looked sect master Ma Ling straight in the eye, "We do have an elder though"

"This…", once again, sect master Ma Ling approached his elders for advice.

"Should we just ransack them?", one of the elders said.

"I don't know man, we're not bandits", another elder pitched in.

"It doesn't matter. They already accepted our challenge, we can't leave now!", the oldest elder said.

"Wait! I have an idea!", Viel said.

"Oh, what is-- what the!?"

As the group was busy discussing what to do between them, they did not notice that Viel was already part of their circle, huddling up among them. They quickly backed away and once again summoned their weapons, pointing it towards Viel.

"I have an idea", Viel repeated his words, "We will choose who will fight on our side later. For now, why don't you tour the city"

"Inside... the city?", sect master Ma Ling furrowed his eyebrows, "You think we are going to fall for that!?"

"If you're not going inside, we can just close the gates", Viel shrugged.

"This…", sect master Ma Ling was about to go to his elders to ask for advice again, but decided not to this time around, "Fine", he said. Even if this… Xingcai city was to ambush them, they had numbers on their side. He was sure that his proud White Bamboo sect would not lose.

Besides, as far as sect master Ma Ling can see, no one was even higher than Earthen Core realm here. Even the golden-haired boy, who seemed to be their leader, was only at Earthen core realm.

And so, one by one, the members of the White Bamboo sect entered the city. As soon as they did so, Viel nodded towards Jiff.

Sect master Ma Ling noticed this and quickly put up his guard, expecting an ambush. But the only thing that ambushed them were the smiles of children.

"Follow us! Follow us!", the drifter children shouted as they dragged the disciples to the side.

"W… what's going on!?", sect master Ma Ling panicked.

"You may follow them for now while our side chooses who will represent us in the upcoming duels", Viel gestured, "We have a newly built market here, full of treasures"

"Treasures? In this dilapidated city?", sect master Ma Ling could not help but squint his eyes. He swears if this was a trap, even if this city were full of children, he would destroy it.

But as soon as they reached the so-called market, sect master Ma Ling's jaw instantly dropped. There were children selling things, and what they were selling were indeed treasures.

Treasures of the Heaven Bamboo sect.

"Wait… sect master, look at that!"

One of the elders pulled sect master Ma Ling to the side and pointed him to a stall that was in the corner.

"What is it?"

"Look! Look at that!"

"Wait… isn't that!?"

The sect master and all the elders rushed towards the stall and their eyes quickly widened as they saw the item up close.

It was the insignia of the Heaven Bamboo sect. It was a plate that one held as proof that they were the main branch. And that glorious plate is now being sold at a stall.

"H… how much is it?"

"Sect master!? You can't surely be thinking of buying it?"

"It's 2 silver coins, plus we throw in this sword if you buy it now!"

"..."

"Buy it! Buy it, quick!"

And so, the first visitors of the Xingcai city also became its first patrons. Without even knowing it, the people of the White Bamboo sect have already stayed for a week in Xingcai city. With some of them helping with the renovation and rebuilding of some of the buildings.

One disciple even set up a tavern and was selling alcohol to his fellow disciples. And without even trying it, they gained a vital piece of information-- a person from the Palace visited their sect.

Jin-ri could not help but raise her eyebrows in admiration at this weird turn of events. "Is the boy actually a genius?", she thought.

A few more days have passed, and sect master Ma Ling was currently looking at a house. "I like this one, I could maybe put a garden inside since the courtyard is large enou-- Wait a minute!"

"This is not what we came here for!"

And so finally, the duel between the White Bamboo sect and Xingcai City began.