Amidst the chaos, the day of the Cultural Gathering finally arrived.
At this time, all major inns in Ling’an City were already full, not only with the scholars participating in the gathering but also with bystanders here to enjoy the spectacle.
So, even before the sky brightened, the area before the specially constructed Cultural Gathering Pavilion was already crowded with people.
The fake Xu Ling’an, also known as Shi Chang, truly went to great lengths to amplify the prestige of this gathering.
This Pavilion was specially built for the Cultural Gathering, and its grandeur needs no further mention. Crucially, its location is quite prominent, situated on a vacant lot beside the City Lord’s Mansion.
The main structure is a towering building a hundred meters tall, opulent and luxurious to the extreme, with several large Water Mirrors hanging in the plaza out front.
When the gathering begins, these Water Mirrors will be operated by special personnel to broadcast the Gathering events live.
At this moment, the vast plaza was packed with onlookers.
The crowd was bustling and animated, all discussing matters about this Cultural Gathering.
"Tsk tsk, it’s been a long time since our Ling’an Domain held such a grand event. I heard even Yun Lingxuan from the Central Province has been invited this time!"
"It’s more than that. Didn’t you see the Wen Sheng plaque floating in the sky? Even the Qisi Poetry Society sent a top scholar, which shows how high the standards of this gathering are!"
"I never would have thought that our remote province would host such a high-standard gathering. We have the old City Lord to thank for that. Although the Young City Lord is a bit of a wastrel, the old City Lord is not confused at all when it es to important matters!"
Upon hearing this, someone next to them sneered, "Alright, who doesn’t know what this Cultural Gathering is really about? The old City Lord just wants to bolster his son’s reputation. The so-called gathering is just for show!"
"Probably not, with the scholars from Qisi Poetry Society overseeing it, not even the old City Lord can play tricks behind the scenes!"
"Heh, just wait and see. Anyway, I don’t believe the old City Lord would go to such great lengths just for a Cultural Gathering!"
Conversations varied, with all sorts of discussions taking place.
And at this moment, the Water Mirrors hanging in the plaza began to emit a faint glow.
As soon as this glow appeared, the place immediately quieted down.
Everyone knew this indicated that the Cultural Gathering was about to start.
Indeed.
The once blurry light quickly became clear, revealing the scene inside the Cultural Gathering Pavilion.
The venue was already set up, and the first to enter were the scholars eligible to participate.
Scholars from all over Ling’an Domain streamed in, each with a face full of vigor and spirit.
Because no matter what, today’s event was a chance for them to shine.
Even if they didn’t win any high ranks in the gathering, at least they’ve shown themselves in front of so many people, which was the biggest motivation for these vanity-filled scholars.
At least at this moment, knowing that Water Mirrors were live broadcasting their every move, they all tried their best to present their best sides.
Each one’s manners and behavior were courteous and elegant, fully displaying the scholarly sophistication.
After all, no one knew who might be watching from the Water Mirrors. If one performed well, they might catch the eye of some lady.
Amidst this atmosphere full of pretense, a few people quietly entered the venue.
Zhuo Benzheng, witnessing such a large scene for the first time, couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.
Beside him, Qie Weilan, disguised as a man and wearing a large scholar’s hat covering most of her face, seemed to notice his tension and gently squeezed his hand.
Zhuo Benzheng turned his head to see Qie Weilan give him a slight smile.
Somehow, upon seeing the bright smile on Qie Weilan’s face, Zhuo Benzheng felt reassured, his previous tension and panic vanishing, as he resolutely headed towards a corner of the venue.
Before today, he wasn’t sure whether he should attend this Cultural Gathering.
After all, he had already offended Xu Gaotian.
And in Ling’an City, offending anyone was possible, but not this young master of privilege and wealth.
Furthermore, Qie Weilan had even attempted an assassination on him.
Given the circumstances, their wisest choice should have been to leave this city as soon as possible rather than attending any gathering.
That’s what the most prudent among their group of four, Yao Yachao, initially thought as well.
But soon, all four changed their minds.
Because Xue An said something that awakened them.
"Do you think you can rest easy once you escape Ling’an City? As long as you remain within the Ling’an Domain, it’s impossible to escape Xu Gaotian’s grasp!"
"Currently, with the suppression of the Wen Sheng plaque in Ling’an City, he dares not act too presumptively. But if you dare leave, do you believe that as soon as you set foot outside, someone will e after you?"
These words made Zhuo Benzheng and the others’ expressions turn a bit sullen.
"Then, Young Master Xue, what’s your opinion?"
Back then, Xue An merely smiled and said something simple.
"Sometimes if a problem is very thorny and unsolvable, then just directly resolve the person causing the problem!"
After these few words of persuasion, the four finally decided to participate in the gathering.
As for Qie Weilan, she was too worried about her newly found love, so she disguised and came along.
In her heart, she also had a desire to see how Xue An intended to deal with the Xu Gaotian father and son, who caused all the trouble.
After entering, the five of them sat quietly in a corner of the venue, attracting no attention.
But someone within the venue took notice of them.
Hiding in another corner was the actor Wu Jun, whose face was stern as he watched Zhuo Benzheng’s group in the opposite corner.
"There’s something odd about these people!"
Duan Muguang nodded, "I noticed too. The person by the leading man’s side is dressed as a man but seems to be a woman!"
"That’s not what I meant!" Wu Jun shook his head.
"The gathering doesn’t prohibit women from participating, so she doesn’t need to disguise herself as a man. Moreover, she’s wearing a hat that covers most of her face, showing she doesn’t want to be recognized!"
"You mean... these people have ulterior motives too?" Duan Muguang hesitated.
"I don’t know, but there’s something off about their demeanor. We should keep a close eye on them to prevent any obstruction to our operations. After all..."
Pausing, Wu Jun’s face showed a determined expression, "We only have one chance, so we must ensure there are no mistakes!"
"Understood!" Duan Muguang responded solemnly.
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