Volume 1, Chapter 55: Two Tigers Cannot Share One Mountain

On the day of the banquet, the Tianlong International Hotel was once again bustling with activity.

Outside the hotel entrance, an endless stream of luxury cars arrived continuously, creating a bustling sea of people in no time.

Even though it was merely an ordinary gathering without any commercial nature, compared to the Rejuvenation Pill launch event hosted by the Li family a few months ago, the scale this time was evidently much grander.

Attired in formal wear and wearing polite yet expectant smiles, the guests exchanged pleasantries as they stepped into the venue.

Upon entering, they immediately noticed that quite a few influential big figures had already arrived.

The Li family's influence today was clearly no longer ordinary.

It could not help but evoke a sense of deep emotion in people's hearts.

As the saying goes, when a man achieves the Dao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

The Li family's achievements today could be said to be entirely the merit of Ye Tian alone.

If only our family also had an outstanding figure like Ye Tian as a partner...

...

Among the crowd, the most eye-catching figure by far was Xu Weiping.

This was not only because of his status, but even more so because of his current physical and mental state.

Ever since he underwent the acupuncture treatment by Ye Tian, his once slightly hunchbacked body, previously tormented by illness, had begun to straighten up once again, and his gait had transformed from faltering to steady and strong.

Furthermore, over the past two days, he had taken the Melting Sun Pill, which Ye Tian had meticulously refined with immense effort.

One had to admit that the efficacy of the Melting Sun Pill completely exceeded his imagination.

This was by no means a standard that ordinary medicine could possibly achieve.

Xu Weiping could already feel that the lingering chill within his body had been completely dispelled.

Every inch of his skin was immersed in a warm and cozy comfort, and his entire person felt decades younger.

The strange illness that had tormented him for many years was finally cured at last.

Naturally, gratitude toward Ye Tian overflowed in his heart.

To express his support for Ye Tian, he made the resolute decision to attend in person, participating in this business banquet that he otherwise had no interest in.

He was using his own influence to back Ye Tian up.

He was lending his prestige to support Ye Tian.

He wanted every prominent figure in Nanjiang City to know just how much importance the Xu family attached to Ye Tian.

Xu Weiping exchanged cheerful pleasantries with everyone, politely responding to each person who stepped forward to greet him.

Such patience and amiable attitude were simply unprecedented.

The numerous guests present were naturally astonished beyond measure.

The gazes they cast toward the members of the Li family carried even more unfathomable implications.

Suddenly, everyone realized that the Li family's status today was no longer a trivial matter.

...

As the representative of the younger generation of the Xu family, Xu Ziyao and her brother also attended this grand banquet together today.

Xu Ziyao was meticulously dressed today, stunning the entire audience, a stark contrast to her slightly masculine attire on ordinary days.

She had changed into a form-fitting light purple dress, resembling lavender blooming in the spring, with a graceful, elegant, and charming aura.

The hem of the dress swayed gently with her footsteps, like ripples stirred by a gentle breeze sweeping across a lake surface, perfectly highlighting her slender waist and long, straight legs.

This was the physical advantage possessed by a martial artist.

Her hair had also been styled, with slightly curled ends acting like dancing musical notes, adding a touch of gentleness and playfulness to her appearance.

Coupled with exquisite makeup, it made her naturally vivid and moving facial features even more three-dimensional and lively. Her brows and eyes exuded nimbleness and intelligence, making her look like a fairy walking out of a painting.

Looking at his granddaughter, Xu Weiping felt utterly satisfied in his heart.

One had to admit that Xu Ziyao was indeed an outstanding talent among the younger generation of the Xu family.

"Ziyao, as I chat with these old fellows, we are bound to bring up some ancient history. It would be uninteresting for you young folks to listen to, so you might as well go off and busy yourselves."

Xu Weiping began to shoo them away.

Clearly, he did not wish for Xu Ziyao to stick by his side the entire time.

Xu Ziyao instantly felt a bit shy.

Xu Weiping had long since instructed her to interact more with Ye Tian to enhance their mutual understanding and affection.

Once they grew more familiar with each other, it would be convenient for the Xu family to bring up the matter of marriage...

Xu Ziyao bit her lower lip slightly, then walked gracefully toward Ye Tian with poise.

"Ye Tian, I've recently encountered some bottlenecks in my cultivation. No matter how hard I try, it feels difficult to break through. I wonder if I might seek some pointers from you?"

A sweet smile hung on Xu Ziyao's face, her eyes filled with a hint of anticipation.

Naturally, Ye Tian could not neglect a distinguished guest of the Xu family.

"Miss Xu is too polite. Seeking pointers is out of the question; on the path of cultivation, we all learn from one another. We can exchange thoughts, and perhaps we might spark some new insights..."

The smile on Xu Ziyao's face instantly became even more radiant.

She gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and began to recount in detail every little aspect of her recent cultivation process.
After returning from Dragon Head Mountain, she had begun practicing the Kunming Fist.

However, lacking Ye Tian by her side to guide her, she naturally encountered various problems and confusions.

She poured out all these questions without reservation, describing every detail with utmost clarity.

It seemed as though she was truly focused on discussing martial arts matters.

Yet her gaze never left Ye Tian's face, as if she were simply waiting for his response.

As for what the specific content of their conversation was, it didn't seem all that important anymore, did it?

Ye Tian, on the other hand, was quite patient.

While listening to Xu Ziyao's narrative, he nodded slightly from time to time.

Then, he began to offer professional insights and suggestions using concise and clear language.

Xu Ziyao occasionally covered her mouth with a light laugh, and at other times listened attentively, her eyes sparkling with vibrant light.

...

Li Qingcheng was currently in charge of welcoming guests at the front hall.

Inadvertently seeing Ye Tian and Xu Ziyao chatting so enthusiastically, a strong sense of crisis suddenly surged within her heart.

To be precise, it should be described as intense jealousy.

She had put a tremendous amount of effort into today's banquet and had also dressed up meticulously for a long time.

As the saying goes, a woman adorns herself for the one who pleases her.

Her lavish attire was, of course, meant for Ye Tian.

Displaying the elegance and poise of a daughter of the Li family to the other guests at the banquet was merely a secondary purpose.

Now, Ye Tian and Xu Ziyao were laughing and talking, standing extremely close to each other, and the distance between them had clearly exceeded the safe boundary usually maintained between ordinary men and women...

Li Qingcheng could no longer hold back.

She was jealous.

The Li family had long since broached the topic of marriage between the two of them with Ye Tian, though Ye Tian was still stalling for time...

Still, this was by no means an excuse for Xu Ziyao to take advantage of the situation.

Ye Tian is mine!

A flash of displeasure and anger crossed Li Qingcheng's eyes.

"Hmph, this Xu Ziyao, she always acts all carefree on ordinary days..."

"Turns out she's actually a scheming green tea bitch!"

"She dares to seduce Ye Tian so blatantly..."

"Looking at her behavior, to say she has no feelings for Ye Tian is absolute nonsense."

"I can absolutely not let her succeed!"

"So what if she's the eldest granddaughter of the Xu family!"

Li Qingcheng's fighting spirit was ablaze.

She glared indignantly at Ye Tian.

"I'm over here working my fingers to the bone welcoming guests!"

"Running around busily without stopping for a single second..."

"And yet you're chatting enthusiastically with another woman!"

"How could you do this to me!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Qingcheng shoved the guest sign-in registry into the hands of her younger brother, Li Cheng, and strode rapidly toward Ye Tian.

"Brother Ye, regarding the pill business you asked me to prepare last time, I studied it carefully again after going back and came up with some new ideas and perspectives. I think they are crucial to our future development, and I'd like to discuss them with you..."

Li Qingcheng intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Xu Ziyao, her gaze carrying a hint of provocation.

Xu Ziyao instantly sensed the hostility.

She silently glanced at Li Qingcheng, having already figured things out in her mind.

So this is the rival I am about to face...

"Brother Ye, do you have a new pill business? If you encounter any difficulties, you can also ask our Xu family for help..."

Refusing to show weakness, Xu Ziyao immediately inserted herself into the conversation.

...

Ye Tian felt his head throbbing fiercely.

Naturally, he understood the intentions of both women and sensed the subtle hostility between them.

As the old saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain.

The proverb truly does not deceive.

He was in deep trouble now.
He had better pull off the role of this master balancer flawlessly!