Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 283 - 102. The banquet begins_2

Chapter 283: 102. The banquet begins_2

The craftsman, overwhelmed by the samurai’s aura, nodded and agreed meekly, not daring to make any statement. He looked helplessly at Li Aozi, hoping he would say something.

Li Aozi glanced at the samurai, having no intention of paying him any mind, and turned to leave. But the samurai deliberately stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"In such a hurry to leave? You look down on the things of Sky Ring just like that?"

Liu Weimen’s words were full of mockery, making it clear he was looking for trouble; there was no need to play along with him.

—But hearing these words, Li Aozi felt annoyed.

Li Aozi’s eyes slowly lit up with golden halos, ready to easily knock this foolish person who couldn’t see what was in front of him to the ground, when suddenly, a reprimanding voice sounded from not far away:

"Hey! Liu Weimen, do you want to shame yourself internationally?!"

Amidst the talking, a spirited military man with his hands in his pockets approached, looking at Liu Weimen with an unfriendly expression, and said coldly:

"This is the Nine Dragons Gathering, a sacred festival. Guests from around the world have come here. Do you want the People of Sky Ring to be a laughingstock?"

"Oh? Isn’t this General Jin Taixian from the Security Guard Department of the capital?"

Liu Weimen, not intimidated by the presence of a high-ranking military officer, continued to tease while reminding:

"Your job is to protect the life of Prime Minister Park, not to come out and defend the dignity of the People of Sky Ring—on the contrary, only samurai can uphold the dignity of Sky Ring."

Liu Weimen’s new assistant belonged to the Clans, and by class nature, was much higher than a mere soldier like Jin Taixian. Especially given that, after all, Jin Taixian was nothing more than a dog taking bullets for the Prime Minister. According to the unwritten rules, he should be speaking to him respectfully.

Jin Taixian’s expression was dark. He had intended to come out and mediate this pointless farce, but instead, he was mocked and humiliated, and immediately his face turned a shade of green with anger.

Pointing at the other, he shouted, "Who’s causing the trouble, can’t you tell? Don’t think that just because you’re indulged by Mr. Houjo Tokimune, you can act without restraint. This is Qiong’anjing! It’s not your place to be wild!"

"Yo, I’m curious, is it not my turn, or is it not the turn of ’us’ retainers?"

Liu Weimen’s new assistant spread his hands, immediately clashing with Jin Taixian.

The tension between the New Army faction and the Clan Group had been building up for a long time. The former, buoyed by the status boost from the Nine Dragons Gathering, was getting a bit carried away, forgetting that this country was in fact controlled by the Clan Group.

"If it wasn’t for you picking a fight with foreigners on purpose, why would I need to stop your foolish behavior?"

Jin Taixian shot back, pointing to Li Aozi:

"Everyone has seen it, this foreign friend simply picked up the weapon to look it over and critique, and then Liu Weimen, this idiot, blocked his way, not letting him leave—what are you trying to do? Are you trying to give Sky Ring an international image of being unreasonable and barbaric?"

"Only cowards care about the opinions of others," Liu Weimen said dismissively. "Moreover, the person by your side is from the Red Arrow Empire. What, are you covering for an enemy of Sky Ring Country?"

"I don’t care what personal grudges you have, this is an international event!"

"Good then, since I have disturbed the order, why don’t you arrest me? Take me away, lock me up in a dungeon—what’s the matter? General Jin, why don’t you dare to do anything?"

Liu Weimen ridiculed without end, realizing Jin Taixian’s weak nature, certain that he didn’t have the guts to apprehend a retainer of the Houjo clan.

The nation, after all, would not dare to tear its face off with the Houjo clan. Rather, it was as if the entire Sky Ring was armed by the Houjo clan. Should any issue arise with the Houjo family, the whole country would be thrown into turmoil.

It was precisely for this reason that the retainers of the Houjo family, the samurai, were virtually fearless and acted recklessly within the country.

Even if Liu Weimen had truly made some mistake, Jin Taixian wouldn’t dare to arrest him.

Liu Weimen made no effort to conceal the aura of his strength at the peak of Beta Rank, which added a touch more persuasiveness to his presence.

Sky Ring is a place that respects power; oftentimes, strength equals privilege, especially for someone like him with the dual identity of a Beta Rank Elite + Houjo Clan Retainer. Both his personal strength and the power behind him belong to the category "not to be trifled with."

Jin Taixian’s face turned red with frustration. If he really dared to arrest Liu Weimen, the latter would certainly find a way to get even sooner or later, and it wouldn’t even require the intervention of the Houjo Clan. Top-tier Beta Rank Samurai alone would ensure he’d never sleep soundly again.

Let alone making a move to arrest someone, even if he could truly win a fight, he wouldn’t dare to start one in such a setting. The consequences would be severe.

Seeing this person deflate, Li Aozi simply crossed his arms and watched emotionlessly ahead, showing no reaction whatsoever.

This was an internal power struggle among the People of Sky Ring, and he didn’t want to interfere. However, not content with humiliating Jin Taixian alone, Liu Weimen turned to Li Aozi and provocatively hooked his finger.

"Hey, Imperialist," Liu Weimen pointed at Li Aozi and then at the distant exhibition:

"I know you’re not convinced, but Liu Weimen’s new assistant is someone who cares about face. Today is the Nine Dragons Gathering, we can’t shed blood—how about making a bet with me instead?"

"Not interested."

"Don’t be so quick to reject," Liu Weimen said in a sing-song voice. "We invited you to our country as a guest, and this is how you respond?"

Li Aozi raised an eyebrow:

"What’s it to you?"

"I can see you’re good-looking; you must come from a noble family—there are countless treasures at the Nine Dragons Gathering. However, not all treasures are created equal, there are disparities even among treasures."

Liu Weimen suggested:

"We each select 10 treasures and take them to the judges to calculate their final value. If your eye proves keener, then I will admit that you haven’t insulted the craftsman of Sky Ring and I will even cover the cost for you. But if I come out ahead, you will pay for me."

Li Aozi tilted his head:

"What makes you so confident with your average abilities?"

"Are you in or not?" Liu Weimen said teasingly: "After all, to you Red Arrow People, with everyone living in big villas and driving V8 engine luxury cars, you naturally look down on us People of Sky Ring during times of scarce resources."

"Pfft—"

Li Aozi couldn’t help but laugh at this nonsensical speech.

"If you’re going to provoke, just do it—don’t dress it up so grandiosely," Li Aozi waved his hand. "Fine, then get ready to empty your shopping cart for me."

"Heh, blind confidence."

Liu Weimen felt a surge of happiness inside: He wasn’t just picking a quarrel for the sake of it. The wealth of the Red Arrow People was evident, and if he could really fleece Li Aozi good, it wouldn’t just be avenging his master, it would bring him tangible benefits. Afterwards, spreading the word that he had the Red Arrow People picking up his tab would be excellent for his reputation.

Profit and fame, every way he thought about it, he was winning big.

Moreover, he had come prepared. The Frost Plated People he had been in touch with had already provided him with a list of well-known bladesmiths. As long as he followed their advice in his selection, he was certain to come out ahead in total value.

"I’ve already won!"