Chapter 55: Paying Respects to Uncle

Desolate City, situated at the essential gateway leading to the high plateau, experiences only two seasons throughout the year: piercing cold and scorching heat. Ravaged by fierce yellow winds year-round, the surrounding hundreds of miles are sparsely populated and unforgivingly barren, earning it the name Desolate City.

While autumn reigned across the land, a light snow was already falling outside Desolate City. Though not heavy, the snow fell in a dense, swirling veil that enveloped six figures approaching in the distance.

"Tong Jin, look! You can already see the outline of Desolate City," the young maiden cried out joyfully, looking up and peering ahead. Half a mile away, the tall walls and structures of the city loomed indistinctly. Amidst the gauze-like snowfall, with the field of vision cast in a pristine white, the scene possessed an otherworldly serenity.

"Haha, we're finally going to make it! Yuerou, does your family really have that many delicious things?" Tong Jin asked, swallowing hard.

After more than ten full days of travel, the group of six had finally reached their destination. Along the way, they had endured food shortages and multiple attacks by ferocious beasts Tong Jin had never even seen before, not to mention the progressively bitter cold that he could scarcely withstand. His outer robe had conveniently become Meng Yuerou's indispensable cold-weather garment throughout the journey. Their address for one another had shifted from "Sister Yuerou" and "Young Hero Tong" at the beginning to first-name terms, growing increasingly intimate and drawing envious glances from Meng Man and the others.

Knowing the situation best within her own family, Meng Yuerou was the youngest of family head Meng Yu's children. She had been pampered endlessly by everyone in the Meng family since childhood. Although she was ordinarily kind and well-behaved, there was never anyone who could evoke such carefree joy in her. Even the two young men invited from the plateau to participate in the martial competition had harbored deep admiration for Yuerou since childhood, yet her heart had never wavered in the slightest, always treating them as ordinary friends.

Thinking of those two, Meng Man shook his head inwardly, hoping that with Tong Jin's arrival, they wouldn't stir up any unnecessary trouble.

As the clanging of the bronze bells hanging from the city gates grew clearer, the group walked into the city through the snow.

The city was not as bustling as Tong Jin had imagined; the streets appeared rather desolate. Strangely, however, there was an extraordinary number of inns, and every single one of them was packed to capacity, their ground floors filled to the brim with patrons eating and drinking.

Tong Jin thought to himself how strange Desolate City was, wondering if the locals all lived away from home and preferred to crowd into inns instead.

Meng Man evidently noticed the curious expression on Tong Jin's face and smiled as he explained, "Desolate City lies on the essential route leading to the west, and travelers passing through use this city as a midway resting point. This is the cold season; if you came during the scorching season, it would be lively indeed!"

Tong Jin nodded with a look of sudden realization.

Just at that moment, a shout rang out, "Well, if it isn't the young miss of the Meng family!"

Tong Jin and the others turned to look and saw three slovenly men radiating a ruffian aura, squatting before the entrance of a tavern and leering obscenely at Meng Yuerou.

Another man beside the lewd fellow laughed obscenely, "What young miss of the Meng family? By the first of next month, she'll be the lady of our Gu family! Hahaha..."

Hearing this, Meng Yuerou lowered her head and gently pulled the hood of her robe over it. Meng Man, on the other hand, clenched his teeth tightly, ultimately forcing himself to endure it before saying, "Let's go, let's head home first."

Yet Tong Jin stood motionless in his tracks, acting as if he hadn't heard Meng Man at all, his icy gaze fixed upon the three provocative men not far away.

"Where did this wild brat come from? What are you staring at? Be careful or Grandpa will dig your eyes out!" one of them snapped viciously upon seeing a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy staring at them in such a manner.

The corners of Tong Jin's lips curled upward, but this smile appeared utterly eerie to the three scoundrels. The aura emanating from the youth made the hairs all over their bodies stand on end.

"Tong Jin," a soft cry rang out, and the killing intent shrouding Tong Jin instantly vanished. Without looking back, he hurried to catch up with the others ahead.

The three men standing before the tavern tavern entrance felt as though they had just been rescued from the edge of a cliff, their hearts still pounding wildly. "Big brother, that guy was terrifying. He's definitely no ordinary youth."

The man who had first provoked them nodded with a pale face. "Let's go, we need to report this immediately."

"Miss Yuerou is back! Miss Yuerou is back!" At that moment, a gateman of the Meng residence shouted loudly and ran inward toward the manor. Before long, a crowd surged into the front courtyard, at the center of which were Meng Yuerou, Tong Jin, and the others, surrounded tightly.

As a tall figure entered the front courtyard, the crowd instinctively parted to clear a path.

"Father!" Meng Yuerou cried out with emotion, rushing toward the newcomer.

"Haha, Rou'er, Meng Man, you're back!" The newcomer wore a golden crown, his brows and eyes carrying an inherent majesty. A purple robe added a touch of overlord aura to his presence. It was none other than the head of the Meng family, Meng Yu, who approached with a hearty laugh, drawing silent praise in Tong Jin's heart.

"Father, this is Tong Jin, the helper we invited this time!" Meng Yuerou said, tugging at Meng Yu's arm.

"Oh?" Meng Yu smiled warmly, looking at Tong Jin, who returned the smile.

"Tong Jin pays his respects to Uncle Meng." With that, Tong Jin cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

The onlookers were stunned. Could this young youth help the Meng family participate in the upcoming duel? And hearing how he spoke just now, he directly addressed the family head as "uncle"? A murmur of whispers instantly arose.

Acting as though he heard nothing, Meng Yu said, "Please rise, young friend Tong!" With a motion of his hands through the air, he made a lifting gesture. Tong Jin immediately felt a gentle force securely supporting him, halting his downward-bending body.

As Tong Jin's bowing form bore this force, he thought to himself: since the family head intends to test me, I might as well play along. With that thought, his inner energy surged, his body instantly feeling light as he pressed downward once more in a bow.

Meng Yu had assumed the youth before him might be a cultivator, but youth was youth after all. Though Meng Man and the others had invited him from afar, Meng Yu harbored no wish to see the boy throw his life away carelessly. He had wanted to display this trick to let the youth realize his limitations and gracefully retreat, yet the boy was unexpectedly so audacious! Meng Yu frowned slightly. Just moments ago, he had only exerted thirty percent of his power. Now, a surging wave of energy erupted, pressing straight down upon Tong Jin. The body that had bowed all the way down remained frozen in that posture right where it stood.

"Hmph, young people just need a little setback to understand their own weight," Meng Yu thought. Yet just as the corners of his mouth began to curl upward, he suddenly felt a tremendous force erupt from beneath his own energy, forcefully pushing upward. In the next instant, Tong Jin's bowed body rose as naturally as if nothing had happened, looking with a smile at Meng Yu, who stood frozen in place.

"Audacious!" Before anyone else in the crowd could react, a slightly younger man with facial features roughly resembling Meng Yu's let out an angry shout and raised his hand to strike.

Before the others could respond, Meng Yu reached out to stop the man beside him and let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! To possess such cultivation at this tender age truly commands my admiration! Please do not take offense at my earlier test, young friend Tong!"

Tong Jin smiled magnanimously. "What are you saying, Uncle Meng? Since Yuerou and I are close friends, you are my elder. How could Tong Jin show any disrespect?"

"哦？" Meng Yu turned to look at Yuerou, who wore an expression of undisguised excitement beside him, and then laughed aloud. "Good! To be considered a close friend by my Rou'er, young friend Tong, you are the first." He looked at the handsome and poised Tong Jin before him, nodding inwardly. "Someone, prepare a banquet to receive our guests!"