It was also a snowy night, and there was also a bonfire. The bright light from the fire illuminated everyone's faces, and everyone's faces were filled with joyous and joyous smiles.
Tian Qing sat in the courtyard of his private residence, smiling as he greeted every guest who had arrived.
Today was his 100th birthday. As one of the most important military commanders in the kingdom, his birthday would naturally be filled with guests.
He had dedicated his entire life to the kingdom. Ever since he had awakened his Origin Energy at the age of fifteen, he had fought bravely on the frontlines between the kingdom and the enemy countries. He had slowly risen from a reserve soldier to a general who commanded three armies. Not only was he loved by the kingdom's citizens, but he was also highly regarded by the two emperors.
If there was a flaw in his life, it would be that during the Martial Arts Symposium that the kingdom had held seven years ago, he had been defeated by Yu Xingyang, a young expert from the Devil Country, who had used a Formless Divine Blade to defeat him in a single blow.
Of course, the outcome of that Martial Arts Symposium was also unexpected. On the kingdom's side, an ordinary soldier who called himself "Big Brother" had used the same method to defeat Yu Xingyang, leaving the title of Strongest King in the kingdom. However, the title of "Strongest Blade Under the Heavens" had been bestowed upon a peasant girl called Ding Wenhe by the king.
After the Martial Arts Symposium, that "Big Brother" and Ding Wenhe had left the kingdom's capital and disappeared without a trace.
Five years passed quickly, and the kingdom welcomed a new Martial Arts Symposium. This time, Tian Qing did not disappoint the king. He defeated many experts in one fell swoop, including Yu Xingyang from the Extraterritorial Devil Nation, and became the new strongest king.
At this point, Tian Qing's reputation had reached its peak, and he no longer had any regrets in his life of military service.
The kingdom had also been peaceful for many years, so Tian Qing began to think of retreating. He no longer participated in military affairs and asked to resign from his position as a general.
The king could understand him. An Origin Energy General who had dedicated his entire life to the kingdom would naturally spend more time with his family and enjoy the rest of his life.
Tianqing's wife was the daughter of the military supply supervisor of the kingdom. She was younger than him by a full thirty years, and he had saved her from the hands of an enemy general when he was fighting a bloody battle on the frontlines. He had no time to care about other things, and his wife had waited for him in the capital for many years, only marrying him when he returned to the city on a military mission.
After marriage, his wife gave birth to three sons. The eldest son had inherited his personality, and he had loved martial arts from a young age and was passionate about cultivation. Just like him, he had enlisted in the army at the age of ten and fought for the kingdom.
Unfortunately, his eldest son did not live past the age of twenty. During a riot, his eldest son died under the blades of the rebel army.
The second son was the complete opposite of the eldest son. He loved to travel around, recite poems, and write couplets. To a military family like Azure Sky, this was a typical example of idling around and not doing proper work. When the second son was 18 years old, he actually eloped with a peasant girl at the border and ran away to the Devil Kingdom. From then on, there was no news of him.
The fate of the first two sons was a wake-up call for Tian Qing and his wife. Their youngest son, Tian Yi, could not follow in the footsteps of his two older brothers.
His youngest son, Tian Yi, was already in his thirties and had been spoiled by his wife since he was young. Now, he was drinking himself into a stupor with his classmates and friends who had come to offer their blessings. He was also dancing around the bonfire with a group of dancers from the Royal Dance Troupe. There was no trace of the valiant and tough image of the Tian family at all. If one were to say that this was Tian Qing's son, Tian Yi, those who didn't know him would probably not believe it.
However, Tian Qing could not be bothered to care about this. There were too many guests for his hundredth birthday banquet, and there were too many people who needed to be treated with respect. First, there were his old subordinates, then there were the heroes of the various regions, and then there were the nobles and sects of the kingdom. Everyone who had come was a reputable figure.
Even his old rival, Yu Xingyang, had come all the way from the Devil Country to congratulate him.
Everyone gathered together, drinking and chatting merrily. It was truly a joyous occasion.
At this moment, the banquet in the courtyard was also halfway through. After three rounds of wine and five types of dishes, the dancers in the distant waterside pavilion were singing and dancing, celebrating the birthday banquet. A bonfire was lit on the lawn by the lake, and the fireworks bloomed in the snowy night sky, forming a colorful and gorgeous line of words, "Congratulations to Great General Tian Qing for having both good fortune and good fortune, and a long life of a hundred years."
Seeing the bright fireworks, many people cheered. Tian Qing's face was also flushed red, and it was obvious that he was very pleased.
Only one person did not cheer. His expression was always calm and indifferent. This person was Yu Xingyang. He was arranged to sit at the main table of the banquet, and it could be said that Tian Qing had given him enough face. After all, in the current Five Great Nations, there was almost no one who could beat him.
Yu Xingyang had never liked such occasions where women sang and danced. He had always been obsessed with saber techniques. The crushing defeat at the Martial Arts Symposium seven years ago had taught him a painful lesson. Every word and action of that "big brother" had left a deep impression on him, and it had also allowed him to see the new direction of his future cultivation.
All these years, he had been searching for "big brother", but it was a pity that he could not find him. Therefore, in the past two years, he had come to the Kingdom to look for Miss Ding Wenhe. Unfortunately, he still could not find her. It was as if the two of them had disappeared from the Kingdom.
Just as he was feeling bored and wanted to go out for a breather, the cheers at the entrance suddenly weakened, and were replaced by whispers with lowered heads.
Yu Xingyang could not help but be attracted by the commotion at the entrance of the manor. He turned his head and saw a group of guards staggering back, clearly unable to stop the people who had suddenly barged in.
This was Tian Qing's birthday banquet, and there were actually people outside who dared to barge in. He wondered who they were.
Yu Xingyang quickly saw clearly. At this moment, he could not help but be surprised because there were two people, a boy and a girl. They looked relatively young, about twenty years old.
The young man was not tall, and his face was still a little immature, but his complexion was very pale. He was holding a long black sickle in his hand. This kind of sickle could be seen everywhere on the market, and it could not be more common.
Behind him was a girl. The girl's facial features were regular, and her face was beautiful, but she looked very haggard.
The two of them had one thing in common. Their clothes were tattered, and the style was clearly that of a villager's. Moreover, they were covered in dirt and stains, so they must have traveled a long way to get here.
Fortunately, Tian Qing's manor was located in the suburbs with beautiful mountains and clear waters. If this was the capital, these two country bumpkins would not even be able to enter the city, let alone enter.
Everyone present looked at the boy and girl with strange gazes. Yu Xingyang was no exception, because the boy didn't say anything after he came in. He just kept making strange gestures to the girl, and the girl just nodded silently.
This was a sign language that only deaf-mutes would use, and Yu Xingyang also knew sign language. He could tell that the boy was telling the girl, "This is the place, we are here, this is Great General Tian's private residence."
However, when they really arrived at this place, the girl saw the magnificent and opulent scene in the manor, and clearly understood what kind of day it was.
The girl suddenly became afraid, and pulled the boy's sleeve, hiding behind him, as if begging, "Let's go."
The boy seemed to be comforting her, "Don't be afraid, Great General Tian has fought for the country all his life, and military orders are like mountains. He is the most clear about rewards and punishments, and will definitely uphold justice for you."
The courtyard quickly quieted down, and only the crackling of the bonfire could be heard. The light from the fire shone over, illuminating the boy's handsome face.
"Excuse me, is Great General Tian here?"
The boy's voice was a little soft, and there was a slight tremor. How could a country bumpkin experience such an occasion that only the nobles would enjoy?
How could he not have stage fright?
The one who answered him was not Tian Qing, but a boorish male voice that sounded like a clap of thunder, "Where did this little bastard come from?
Running over to Elder Ye's hundredth birthday banquet to cause trouble?
What qualifications do you have to speak to the old man? Get out! "
As the voice rang out, a figure leapt up from the banquet, brandishing a single palm into a shield.
This was clearly the effect of Origin Energy, and the attacker did not intend to be ruthless. After all, this was Tian Qing's birthday banquet, and it was enough to send the boy out.
The boy did not panic, and the sickle in his hand pulled back. There was nothing special about this pull, but Yu Xingyang's eyes immediately lit up. This was because the opponent seemed to have sent his palm to the edge of the boy's blade, and if he did not pull back in time, he would definitely hurt himself. Not only was the move ingenious, the timing of the pull back was also very accurate.
Sure enough, the attacker clearly did not expect this situation. Perhaps it was because he pulled back too quickly, or because he had drunk too much wine, but when he pulled back, his hands and feet were in a mess, and his back crashed into a table and rolled up and down. Fortunately, the person beside him caught him.
Originally, there were still people who were cheering for him, but now they could not help but laugh.
Yu Xingyang's eyes lit up even more. He actually recognized the attacker, it was Tian Qing's old subordinate, Zhan Yi, a beginner warrior. His strength was not that great, but his reputation was not small. The problem was that he was forced to retreat by a twenty-year-old origin ability user.
Who was this boy?
What was he doing here?
Yu Xingyang suddenly had a strong interest in him.
However, Tian Qing frowned. He was not angry, but was trying hard to recall. Whose family was this kid from?
Among the group of nobles in the royal family, there did not seem to be such a person.
As soon as Zhan Yi was forced to retreat, another person beside him stood up. This person was called Zhan Long, and he was also relatively young. He also wore a military uniform, and was obviously a member of the military. However, he did not dare to use force, as the strength displayed by this boy was not weak.
Although most of the people present today were Battle Elders and Battle Masters, they could not make a move against such a country bumpkin. That would be beneath their status. Moreover, if a Battle Elder made a move against an origin ability user, their reputation would be ruined. Thus, to solve the problem for the old man, it was best to let the younger generation step forward.
Zhan Long opened his mouth and said, "This little brother, today is Old Man Tian's hundredth birthday. With so many heroes gathered at this birthday banquet, it is one thing for you to barge in, and the old man did not care. However, as soon as you came in, you made a move. What is the meaning of this?
Are you deliberately causing trouble? "
Hearing this, Yu Xingyang coldly snorted in disdain. He disliked this kind of person the most. They thought they were very good at speaking, but in reality, they were just distorting right and wrong. Were their eyes on their buttocks?
It was clearly them who made the first move, forcing the other party to retaliate. Now, they were being labeled as troublemakers.
Looking at the entire kingdom, who would dare to cause trouble at Tian Qing's birthday banquet?
Even the king of the kingdom would not have the guts.
However, Yu Xingyang could not say these words. He was someone from the Extraterritorial Devil Kingdom, and his status was also a distinguished guest. Him not saying anything was the greatest support he could give to this boy.
Because he was once a poor boy, he could see that this boy had rashly barged in here and even dared to retaliate. There must be a special reason behind this.
Of course, what he was most curious about was this boy's shrewd and ruthless blade techniques.