In the hall, all the guests were seated, with the sound of music and dance all around, it was quite pleasant to listen to.
It could be seen that for this banquet, Liu Chu had put in a lot of effort. Not only did he invite many theatre troupes to perform, but he also specially invited some famous actors from out of town.
For a moment, all the guests in the hall were joyful, and it looked like a prosperous scene.
Of course, this was only on the surface.
Chen An could see it very clearly.
His observation skills were not bad, and at this moment, he carefully watched the people around and saw many things.
While the banquet was taking place in the hall, there were many people whispering in the corners.
Occasionally, some people stared at Liu Chu standing in front, their faces not looking good.
It seemed like there was a story behind this.
Chen An watched this scene with great interest, as he was quite interested in the stories behind it.
For him, this was quite a rare joy.
This trip was not in vain.
Otherwise, wouldn't he have missed out on such a lively scene?
He thought to himself.
Even with Chen An's thoughts, he couldn't have guessed that someone would cause trouble in this place.
After all, Liu Chu was a respected Duke of Liu.
Not to mention that the Fourth Princess was sitting beside him.
Offending Duke Liu was one thing, after all, he was just an empty title Duke, nothing special.
But if you offended the Fourth Princess, that would be disastrous.
The Fourth Princess, who was most favored by the Emperor, would show you what arrogance and disrespect meant.
And then, the unexpected happened.
Below, halfway through the banquet, a young man walked out from among the guests.
He looked a little drunk, with a flush on his face: "Thank you for the invitation today, Duke Liu, your hospitality is truly excellent."
"But with wine and food, how can we not have a challenge?"
"Duke Lu, you're drunk."
Someone frowned beside him and advised, but was quickly pulled back and whispered to carefully.
So quickly, no one spoke here.
It seemed that Duke Lu had some grudges with Liu Chu.
"Duke Lu, what do you want?"
Liu Chu frowned and asked.
"It's simple."
Duke Lu smiled and said, "Today, I have a new guest, said to be a descendant of the Song family, but I happened to run into him at your banquet."
"Since he has come to Duke Liu's banquet, why not let Duke Liu teach him a lesson, so that I can verify the quality of this guest?"
"I wonder how Duke Liu feels about this?"
"Not well."
Liu Chu's smile gradually faded, and at this moment, he finally couldn't be polite.
Nonsense, how could anyone be polite to someone who obviously came to cause trouble?
Chen An quietly stood aside, watching the scene in front of him with curiosity.
So someone is causing trouble?
This is getting interesting.
With the idea of watching a show no matter the consequences, he looked eagerly ahead to see how Duke Liu, as Duke of Liu, would deal with it.
However, what surprised him happened again.
Perhaps because of his strong relationship with Liu Chu, before Liu Chu had a chance to say anything, the Fourth Princess jumped out first.
"You, only bully Duke Brother because he can't practice martial arts, what kind of hero are you to pick on someone who is defenseless?" She scolded loudly, displeased.
"I have a guest who is well-known in the Imperial Academy, undefeated on the street, able to take down anyone in his path. If you're capable, let your guest come forward and test their skills!"
Liu Chu's face darkened immediately.
Honestly, he felt touched when he saw the Fourth Princess stand up for him.
But can't you keep your mouth shut?
What do you mean, can't practice martial arts and defenseless?
That's clearly an insult in this world!
It's almost like calling him useless.
As for Duke Lu in front, he couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"What a defenseless one, the Fourth Princess really has a keen eye."
He looked at Liu Chu with a mocking look in his eyes.
However, he didn't refuse the suggestion of the Fourth Princess.
"Since the Fourth Princess is interested, let your guest come forward for a try."
"But swords have no eyes. If anyone gets hurt, don't blame me, Duke Lu, for offending."
Clearly, he didn't take the Fourth Princess's guest seriously.
Few people in the entire Great Huaxia Empire didn't know the Fourth Princess's background.
She was favored by the Emperor, but her talent was mediocre and had been practicing martial arts for years without even reaching the Body Refinement Realm, destined to have limited prospects in the future.
For such a princess with limited prospects, could there be any powerful people following her?
Well, apparently there were.
When the Fourth Princess spoke, Chen An could already guess what was going to happen next.
He didn't have much time to get to know her, but he already had a good understanding of the Fourth Princess's character.
When it came to causing trouble, she was definitely good at it. Not a few days went by without her causing some commotion, which always left people feeling surprised.
With this character, it was fortunate that she was the Emperor's daughter; otherwise, she would have suffered long ago.
Chen An shook his head silently and walked over, under the surprised gazes of the onlookers.
"I am Chen Changan, please teach me, Duke Lu."
He bowed and spoke calmly.
Liu Chu was surprised by Chen An's appearance as well. Even the people around him, including himself, thought Chen An was a literary talent, as his reputation for poetry and writing preceded him, and he wouldn't be associated with martial artists.
It was all about preconceived ideas.
But since Chen An had taken the initiative to come forward, Liu Chu was somewhat relieved.
Although the Fourth Princess liked to make trouble, she wasn't stupid.
If she had her guest stand out, it should be because the guest was truly capable.
But he wondered what exactly that capability was.
He thought to himself.
As Chen An walked out, Duke Lu didn't pay much attention, but simply said, "General Song."
With that, a sound came from the corner.
A tall man walked out from the corner, taking steps slowly, and approached Duke Lu.
This was a burly man, dressed in armor, with an ordinary appearance but with a sense of inexplicable coercion, an aura that made people feel intimidated.
Although his physique was not as strong as the guy next to the Fourth Princess, he still had a powerful presence that made people frown.
He walked up and slowly drew out his weapon, a pure black long knife.
The knife emitted a dazzling light, with a radiant blade that made people's faces change.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Liu Chu's body suddenly straightened, and he took a breath.
How is this possible?
Internal Qi Great Success, what kind of cultivation was this?
In the Great Huaxia Empire, the top experts were naturally the many courtiers in the palace and the founding Dukes with remarkable achievements.
These people in the Internal Qi Realm were the backbone of the Great Huaxia Empire, the essence of the surrounding forces.
And below the Internal Qi Realm, those who had achieved Internal Qi Great Success were equally respected. If they were to be sent to the military, they would at least be a leader of a thousand soldiers.
How could such a character be recruited by Duke Lu like this and become his guest?
He couldn't imagine it at all.
"You..."
The Fourth Princess also changed her expression.
She was a bit rude, but not stupid.
The reason she dared to let Chen An come forward, instead of Liu Chu, was probably because she was certain that Duke Lu didn't have any impressive talents by his side.
Generally speaking, someone like Duke Lu would have followers with at most the cultivation level of the Body Refinement Realm.
Even the most powerful followers among the Fourth Princess's previous followers were only at the Body Refinement Great Success level.
And that was given to her by the Emperor himself.
Because she understood this, she dared to let Chen An step in and help Liu Chu out, while also showing off a bit.
But who would have thought that instead of just watching, when he acted, it was a trump card.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Was the other side blind? How could they follow such a useless Duke?
Wouldn't it be better to follow her, the princess?
"If the Fourth Princess regrets it, it's not too late to stop now."
Duke Lu looked at Chen An's appearance and shook his head.
Just by looking at him, he obviously couldn't fight him. Even if he won, he wouldn't be able to show his strength.
So, it was better to be accommodating and let the Fourth Princess back down.
After all, she was also a princess. If possible, he didn't want to offend her.
Listening to this, the Fourth Princess wanted to nod and agree subconsciously, but felt embarrassed.
After all, she was the one who had to defend someone, and if she backed down now, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
In the midst of her dilemma, Chen An spoke up.
"No need."
Chen An smiled and looked at the man in front of him, speaking calmly, "Although I may not be very talented, I am willing to try the strength of this general."
As he finished speaking, he also drew his weapon.
The long knife appeared in his hand, emitting a glowing light of Internal Qi, capturing the attention of everyone present.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
This was extraordinary.
It was rare to see such high-level Internal Qi Great Success on a regular basis, and now it seemed to be as common as cabbage, overflowing like it was free.
It was unimaginable.
Compared to the Song General beside Duke Lu, Chen An's identity was even more astonishing.
After all, he looked very young.
To have such a level of cultivation at his age, he probably had a good chance of reaching the Internal Qi Realm in the future. He was definitely one of the top talents.
Such a top talent should have already been famous everywhere, so why was he not known to the public and instead appeared by the Fourth Princess's side?
Perhaps he was a gift from the Emperor?
Various thoughts flashed through everyone's minds.
But Chen An didn't care about all that and just looked at the man in front of him, smiling, "Please."
It was impossible to let it go.
He chose to be by the Fourth Princess's side just to find opportunities like this to elevate his reputation easily.
Now that the opportunity had come, would he give it up?
Impossible.
He had decided on this battle!
In the hall, all the guests were seated, with the sound of music and dance all around, it was quite pleasant to listen to.
It could be seen that for this banquet, Liu Chu had put in a lot of effort. Not only did he invite many theatre troupes to perform, but he also specially invited some famous actors from out of town.
For a moment, all the guests in the hall were joyful, and it looked like a prosperous scene.
Of course, this was only on the surface.
Chen An could see it very clearly.
His observation skills were not bad, and at this moment, he carefully watched the people around and saw many things.
While the banquet was taking place in the hall, there were many people whispering in the corners.
Occasionally, some people stared at Liu Chu standing in front, their faces not looking good.
It seemed like there was a story behind this.
Chen An watched this scene with great interest, as he was quite interested in the stories behind it.
For him, this was quite a rare joy.
This trip was not in vain.
Otherwise, wouldn't he have missed out on such a lively scene?
He thought to himself.
Even with Chen An's thoughts, he couldn't have guessed that someone would cause trouble in this place.
After all, Liu Chu was a respected Duke of Liu.
Not to mention that the Fourth Princess was sitting beside him.
Offending Duke Liu was one thing, after all, he was just an empty title Duke, nothing special.
But if you offended the Fourth Princess, that would be disastrous.
The Fourth Princess, who was most favored by the Emperor, would show you what arrogance and disrespect meant.
And then, the unexpected happened.
Below, halfway through the banquet, a young man walked out from among the guests.
He looked a little drunk, with a flush on his face: "Thank you for the invitation today, Duke Liu, your hospitality is truly excellent."
"But with wine and food, how can we not have a challenge?"
"Duke Lu, you're drunk."
Someone frowned beside him and advised, but was quickly pulled back and whispered to carefully.
So quickly, no one spoke here.
It seemed that Duke Lu had some grudges with Liu Chu.
"Duke Lu, what do you want?"
Liu Chu frowned and asked.
"It's simple."
Duke Lu smiled and said, "Today, I have a new guest, said to be a descendant of the Song family, but I happened to run into him at your banquet."
"Since he has come to Duke Liu's banquet, why not let Duke Liu teach him a lesson, so that I can verify the quality of this guest?"
"I wonder how Duke Liu feels about this?"
"Not well."
Liu Chu's smile gradually faded, and at this moment, he finally couldn't be polite.
Nonsense, how could anyone be polite to someone who obviously came to cause trouble?
Chen An quietly stood aside, watching the scene in front of him with curiosity.
So someone is causing trouble?
This is getting interesting.
With the idea of watching a show no matter the consequences, he looked eagerly ahead to see how Duke Liu, as Duke of Liu, would deal with it.
However, what surprised him happened again.
Perhaps because of his strong relationship with Liu Chu, before Liu Chu had a chance to say anything, the Fourth Princess jumped out first.
"You, only bully Duke Brother because he can't practice martial arts, what kind of hero are you to pick on someone who is defenseless?" She scolded loudly, displeased.
"I have a guest who is well-known in the Imperial Academy, undefeated on the street, able to take down anyone in his path. If you're capable, let your guest come forward and test their skills!"
Liu Chu's face darkened immediately.
Honestly, he felt touched when he saw the Fourth Princess stand up for him.
But can't you keep your mouth shut?
What do you mean, can't practice martial arts and defenseless?
That's clearly an insult in this world!
It's almost like calling him useless.
As for Duke Lu in front, he couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"What a defenseless one, the Fourth Princess really has a keen eye."
He looked at Liu Chu with a mocking look in his eyes.
However, he didn't refuse the suggestion of the Fourth Princess.
"Since the Fourth Princess is interested, let your guest come forward for a try."
"But swords have no eyes. If anyone gets hurt, don't blame me, Duke Lu, for offending."
Clearly, he didn't take the Fourth Princess's guest seriously.
Few people in the entire Great Huaxia Empire didn't know the Fourth Princess's background.
She was favored by the Emperor, but her talent was mediocre and had been practicing martial arts for years without even reaching the Body Refinement Realm, destined to have limited prospects in the future.
For such a princess with limited prospects, could there be any powerful people following her?
Well, apparently there were.
When the Fourth Princess spoke, Chen An could already guess what was going to happen next.
He didn't have much time to get to know her, but he already had a good understanding of the Fourth Princess's character.
When it came to causing trouble, she was definitely good at it. Not a few days went by without her causing some commotion, which always left people feeling surprised.
With this character, it was fortunate that she was the Emperor's daughter; otherwise, she would have suffered long ago.
Chen An shook his head silently and walked over, under the surprised gazes of the onlookers.
"I am Chen Changan, please teach me, Duke Lu."
He bowed and spoke calmly.
Liu Chu was surprised by Chen An's appearance as well. Even the people around him, including himself, thought Chen An was a literary talent, as his reputation for poetry and writing preceded him, and he wouldn't be associated with martial artists.
It was all about preconceived ideas.
But since Chen An had taken the initiative to come forward, Liu Chu was somewhat relieved.
Although the Fourth Princess liked to make trouble, she wasn't stupid.
If she had her guest stand out, it should be because the guest was truly capable.
But he wondered what exactly that capability was.
He thought to himself.
As Chen An walked out, Duke Lu didn't pay much attention, but simply said, "General Song."
With that, a sound came from the corner.
A tall man walked out from the corner, taking steps slowly, and approached Duke Lu.
This was a burly man, dressed in armor, with an ordinary appearance but with a sense of inexplicable coercion, an aura that made people feel intimidated.
Although his physique was not as strong as the guy next to the Fourth Princess, he still had a powerful presence that made people frown.
He walked up and slowly drew out his weapon, a pure black long knife.
The knife emitted a dazzling light, with a radiant blade that made people's faces change.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Liu Chu's body suddenly straightened, and he took a breath.
How is this possible?
Internal Qi Great Success, what kind of cultivation was this?
In the Great Huaxia Empire, the top experts were naturally the many courtiers in the palace and the founding Dukes with remarkable achievements.
These people in the Internal Qi Realm were the backbone of the Great Huaxia Empire, the essence of the surrounding forces.
And below the Internal Qi Realm, those who had achieved Internal Qi Great Success were equally respected. If they were to be sent to the military, they would at least be a leader of a thousand soldiers.
How could such a character be recruited by Duke Lu like this and become his guest?
He couldn't imagine it at all.
"You..."
The Fourth Princess also changed her expression.
She was a bit rude, but not stupid.
The reason she dared to let Chen An come forward, instead of Liu Chu, was probably because she was certain that Duke Lu didn't have any impressive talents by his side.
Generally speaking, someone like Duke Lu would have followers with at most the cultivation level of the Body Refinement Realm.
Even the most powerful followers among the Fourth Princess's previous followers were only at the Body Refinement Great Success level.
And that was given to her by the Emperor himself.
Because she understood this, she dared to let Chen An step in and help Liu Chu out, while also showing off a bit.
But who would have thought that instead of just watching, when he acted, it was a trump card.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Was the other side blind? How could they follow such a useless Duke?
Wouldn't it be better to follow her, the princess?
"If the Fourth Princess regrets it, it's not too late to stop now."
Duke Lu looked at Chen An's appearance and shook his head.
Just by looking at him, he obviously couldn't fight him. Even if he won, he wouldn't be able to show his strength.
So, it was better to be accommodating and let the Fourth Princess back down.
After all, she was also a princess. If possible, he didn't want to offend her.
Listening to this, the Fourth Princess wanted to nod and agree subconsciously, but felt embarrassed.
After all, she was the one who had to defend someone, and if she backed down now, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
In the midst of her dilemma, Chen An spoke up.
"No need."
Chen An smiled and looked at the man in front of him, speaking calmly, "Although I may not be very talented, I am willing to try the strength of this general."
As he finished speaking, he also drew his weapon.
The long knife appeared in his hand, emitting a glowing light of Internal Qi, capturing the attention of everyone present.
Internal Qi Great Success!
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
This was extraordinary.
It was rare to see such high-level Internal Qi Great Success on a regular basis, and now it seemed to be as common as cabbage, overflowing like it was free.
It was unimaginable.
Compared to the Song General beside Duke Lu, Chen An's identity was even more astonishing.
After all, he looked very young.
To have such a level of cultivation at his age, he probably had a good chance of reaching the Internal Qi Realm in the future. He was definitely one of the top talents.
Such a top talent should have already been famous everywhere, so why was he not known to the public and instead appeared by the Fourth Princess's side?
Perhaps he was a gift from the Emperor?
Various thoughts flashed through everyone's minds.
But Chen An didn't care about all that and just looked at the man in front of him, smiling, "Please."
It was impossible to let it go.
He chose to be by the Fourth Princess's side just to find opportunities like this to elevate his reputation easily.
Now that the opportunity had come, would he give it up?
Impossible.
He had decided on this battle!
