For a family like the Li family of Stone Gate, they naturally had their own mansion in Linzi—the City-Crushing Marquis Manor.
The Li family's City-Crushing Marquis title was hereditary and inalienable, a real fief granted in Stone Gate.
Of course, it wasn't the entire commandery that was granted, only three cities' worth of territory. But over the years, when people spoke of Stone Gate, they only knew the Li family.
Given the Li family's prestige in Stone Gate, saying the entire Stone Gate commandery was surnamed Li wouldn't be an exaggeration.
The "City-Crushing" in City-Crushing Marquis naturally commemorated the ancestor of the Li family's feat of destroying a city with ten arrows during the Jiang dynasty's restoration.
Over the years, the Li family had produced many talented individuals. At their peak, they had three marquises in one household, with honors filling the manor!
But the only title that could be passed down hereditarily and inalienably was this City-Crushing Marquis title.
Like the currently ascendant Chongxuan family, with their hereditarily inalienable Count of Bowang title, plus Chongxuan Zhuliang's Marquis Dingyuan title, they also had two marquises in one household. But in a thousand years, the only one that would likely survive was the hereditarily inalienable Count of Bowang title—unless Chongxuan Zhuliang could achieve unprecedented merit and secure another hereditary marquisate for the Chongxuan family.
Speaking of the City-Crushing Marquis, anyone well-versed in history couldn't help but think of the "Nine-Return Marquis." To commemorate the ancestor of the Zhang family's merit of fighting nine battles and returning nine times during the restoration, dying of exhaustion, Emperor Wu of Qi, Jiang Wujiu, posthumously granted him the title of Nine-Return Marquis and allowed the Zhang family descendants to inherit it hereditarily and inalienably.
The Zhang family of Fengxian had once been glorious for a time.
Unfortunately, later they first took the wrong side in the succession struggle, which led to their "hereditary" status being stripped and their title downgraded to Count. After that, a general surrendered in the face of battle, and the entire Zhang family fell from grace.
Now, the Li family of Stone Gate remained powerful, while the Zhang family of Fengxian was nearly extinct, which was quite lamentable.
The only blood heir of the Zhang family, Zhang Yong, was showing his promise. He had joined the eleventh prince Jiang Wuqi's camp, presumably seeking the merit of following the sovereign to restore his family's prominence, which attracted the attention of many older figures.
Emperor Wu of Qi, Jiang Wujiu, was a figure who must be given heavy emphasis in the history of the Jiang dynasty.
When the Jiang dynasty lost its throne, he was a hostage living abroad. When the domestic rebellion forces had effectively seized the throne and began rewarding merit with titles, he keenly judged that "although the rebels are numerous, their hearts are all divided!"
Then he personally went to borrow troops, scraping together thirty thousand soldiers, and directly counter-attacked the country.
After thirty-seven battles, big and small, he didn't lose a single one, successfully completing the restoration.
Thirty-seven battles to restore the state.
Such a legendary experience, as the world evaluated, was said to be more difficult than founding the country.
It was under his rule that the State of Qi established its position as a hegemon and remained powerful to this day.
The current ruler of Qi named all his children with the character "Wu" from Jiang Wujiu's name, which subtly revealed his ambition, not without thoughts of comparing himself to Emperor Wu.
But all this aside.
The City-Crushing Marquis Manor was located on Changhua Avenue, a gathering place for top-tier noble families.
The Li family was a military family for generations, and there was a martial arena within their manor.
Paved with bricks and inscribed with array patterns, ordinary combat at the Soaring Dragon Realm level couldn't damage it at all.
Li Longchuan had obtained the Hill Mountain Bow. If he wanted to test its string, how could he test it in midair? He naturally had to find a strong opponent of equal level. Fortunately, he didn't need to look far—Xu Xiangqian was right there.
Not to mention how Jiang Wang's eyes were opened when entering the City-Crushing Marquis Manor.
Just say that when they arrived at the martial arena, seeing Li Longchuan eager to try, Xu Xiangqian immediately shrank back.
Only then did he remember the earlier matter of deliberately sending people from the Red Sleeve Dance to invite Li Longchuan, which resulted in Li Longchuan getting a scolding. Although it wasn't a big deal, if they fought, he would inevitably be retaliated against.
Although Li Longchuan might not do such a thing, Xu Xiangqian judged others by himself... he probably would!
So he said: "Since you're testing a famous bow's string, I don't have a famous weapon to accompany me—truly inappropriate! Let Brother Jiang test it with you, and he can match with a famous sword!"
After saying this, he deliberately looked at Jiang Wang and said: "My hands are empty too, brother. Ask that fatty if he wants to be friends with me!"
"With Brother Xu's charm, he surely wants to!" Jiang Wang said with a straight face.
Xu Xiangqian happily wiped his forehead: "Then I'll wait for the news!"
Li Longchuan knew Xu Xiangqian's abilities, but he didn't know much about Jiang Wang. In the Heavenly Secret Realm, he might have shown his hand, but no one could remember it.
Additionally, in Yangdi, Chongxuan Sheng and Jiang Wang had made their names with a single battle, which showed their abilities were extraordinary. But after all, hearsay isn't proof, and he couldn't be sure. If they fought casually and he lost control, he was afraid of hurting the feelings from the bow-giving earlier.
Now, seeing Xu Xiangqian say this, he looked at Jiang Wang questioningly.
After bantering with Xu Xiangqian, Jiang Wang simply smiled and strode into the martial arena.
He wasn't the type to be coy—if you want to test a string, then test with a sword!
Those who entered the Heavenly Secret Realm back then were all powerhouses in the Sky Connecting Realm from various places.
And only six people successfully obtained divine abilities. They could be considered the strongest in the Sky Connecting Realm.
Of course, now Wang Yiwu had broken the limits and was undoubtedly the strongest in the Sky Connecting Realm in all of history, a level above everyone else.
For the rest of them, they had now successively pushed open the Heaven and Earth Gate, seen another world, and inevitably had the itch to verify each other.
Jiang Wang was so straightforward that Li Longchuan was also pleased.
Seeing the person step into the martial arena, with a long sword at his waist, still in its sheath, yet its sharpness was already showing. He immediately picked up the newly obtained Hill Mountain Bow and said earnestly: "Please allow me to first get acquainted with it!"
Then he sat directly on the ground, holding the Hill Mountain Bow with both hands, closing his eyes without speaking.
He was exploring the bow with the Li family of Stone Gate's unique archery technique.
This wasn't rudeness, but respect.
Jiang Wang also sat cross-legged directly, placing the sword horizontally across his knees, and simply said: "Please do."
Then he closed his eyes, nurturing his spirit.
He and Chongxuan Sheng had rushed from Yangdi's Rizhao County all the way to Linzi, just to make an impression at the Four Seas Trade Alliance. They had only rested briefly at the inn, and indeed, they weren't in perfect condition in all aspects.
From any perspective, Li Longchuan was undoubtedly the most outstanding among the noble scions in Linzi.
Jiang Wang also wanted to know where he, in his peak state, stood in this three-hundred-li hegemon's great city.
...
While Li Longchuan and Jiang Wang didn't start fighting immediately, instead one nurturing his bow and the other his spirit—this was certainly the greatest respect for each other.
However, Xu Xiangqian, waiting outside for a good show, was bored enough to yawn.
But the yawn was only halfway done when he swallowed it back.
"The Old Matriarch!"
At the edge of the martial arena, two people had arrived at some point.
One of them had appearance and temperament that were both top-notch, truly a national beauty. But she was very cold, very proud, her eyes looked, but seemed to look down on everything, extremely arrogant.
Li Fengyao, Li Longchuan's sister, Xu Xiangqian naturally recognized her.
But what really made his heart pound was the old lady she was supporting.
Don't let the old lady's white hair like frost and kindly appearance fool you.
According to Li Longchuan, that dragon-headed cane could beat people so fast it was dizzying, with fierce momentum!
That person was the Li family's Old Matriarch, the current City-Crushing Marquis's biological mother, Li Longchuan's own paternal grandmother!
For her grandson's friend, the Old Matriarch wasn't neglectful, just saying warmly: "High-Forehead need not stand on ceremony. This old lady is here to broaden her horizons. To see whether that Red Sleeve Dance has loosened my grandson's bowstring."
Since the Old Matriarch wanted to watch the battle, Xu Xiangqian had no choice but to smile obsequiously and remain silent.
The Li Old Matriarch calling him "High-Forehead" was a term of endearment, so he naturally wouldn't dare show dissatisfaction, nor would he possibly talk back.
Moreover, hearing the old lady's second half of the sentence with hidden killing intent, although his face was frozen in a smile, sweat was already pouring down his unusually high forehead.
Le Wen