Chapter One Hundred and Six: The Four Young Lords

Even as Yanhong finished offering her apologies, the man in the dark green long-roam sitting directly opposite, beside the young gentleman in the white Buddhist robe, wore a visibly displeased expression.

"Hall Master Yan, my time is extremely precious. Do you really expect to brush this off with a mere 'bear with me'? Bear with me, bear with me—is that something you can afford to ask of me?"

The man in the dark green robe spoke in a harsh, unyielding tone, showing not the slightest bit of courtesy to Yanhong, despite this being her own territory. By the looks of it, he had no intention of forgiving her for being late.

Yanhong, however, seemed to have anticipated this scene all along. Her expression remained completely unchanged by the green-robed man's words, and a smile still lingered on her face as she looked at the four men seated in the main hall.

"Young Master Hua, the only reason this humble woman arrived late was because I went to invite a crucial figure. I imagine all four of you young masters will be interested."

Yanhong said, addressing the young gentleman in the dark green robe.

"I wonder who possesses such an inflated ego that it caused Hall Master Yan to risk offending the four of us." The dark green-robed man was clearly somewhat angered, glaring intently at Yanhong.

Li Zisheng's initial assessment of this green-robed man was that he was somewhat overbearing, yet this assertiveness was entirely groundless—a worthless, arrogant conceit. He was, after all, mere mortal clay.

"Gentlemen, the person I am introducing is of vital importance to this upcoming operation."

With those words, Yanhong directly directed everyone's gaze toward Li Zisheng.

Naturally, the four men cast their attention upon Li Zisheng, who, in their eyes, was nothing more than a child.

"Hall Master Yan, do you take the four of us for fools? What great use could a child possibly be?" The other three remained silent, leaving the green-robed man to voice his objections once again.

He stared at Li Zisheng, his eyes filled with mockery. For someone of his social standing and status, it was quite normal to look down upon others.

Thus, Li Zisheng remained completely unbothered, paying no mind whatsoever to the man's disdainful attitude.

Seeing Li Zisheng remain entirely unfazed, the green-robed man grew deeply displeased, a flash of anger seeming to burn directly across his face.

Yet he evidently restrained himself from acting out too violently, realizing that since Li Zisheng could behave in such a manner, he must have some backing; otherwise, such confidence would be impossible. Consequently, he shifted his gaze back to Yanhong.

***

Yanhong, a remarkably perceptive woman, caught the man's gaze and immediately stepped in to ease the tension.

"Come, come, gentlemen, let this humble woman make introductions." With that, she pointed a finger at Li Zisheng.

"Honorable guests, this young gentleman is named Li Zisheng. He is a descendant of Grand Preceptor Zhang. With the assistance of Young Master Li on this journey, our efforts will yield twice the result with half the work."

Upon hearing the title "Grand Preceptor Zhang," the expressions of all four men shifted slightly. Even so, they still did not deign to look directly at Li Zisheng. It was merely the name of Grand Preceptor Zhang that had managed to elicit such a reaction.

"Hmph, Grand Preceptor Zhang has countless relatives. Who knows which branch of wild upstarts this is, trying to masquerade as some important personage here?"

Yanhong had anticipated this reaction, and so had Li Zisheng. If the mere name of a relative to Grand Preceptor Zhang were enough to cow these powerful local gentry, it would truly be a wonder.

"You gentlemen may not know this, but Young Master Li is not only a relative of Grand Preceptor Zhang, but also holds the office of Imperial Censor for the Twenty-Two Circuits of Guannei."

When Yanhong calmly announced his title as the Censor of the Twenty-Two Circuits, all four men stood up abruptly. Their faces now bore varying degrees of shock. While Grand Preceptor Zhang wielded immense power, and having distant relatives was common enough, to be granted the position of Censor for the Twenty-Two Circuits of Guannei at such a young age—regardless of the actual authority attached—was a title alone sufficient to send shockwaves throughout Guannei.

Therefore, the expressions of the four men shifted repeatedly.

Li Zisheng remained silent, maintaining his composure as if the focus of the room had nothing to do with him at all.

"Young Master Li, allow me to introduce these four gentlemen to you. They are the four most renowned investigative experts in Guannei. First, the gentleman in the moon-white Buddhist robe is Zhou Ziqing, the third young master of the Zhou family."

The young man in the moon-white robe seemed disinclined to speak much. He simply offered Li Zisheng a scholar's bow and said nothing further, though his gesture clearly indicated that he now regarded Li Zisheng as an equal.

Yanhong then pointed her hand toward the man in the dark green robe.

"Young Master Li, this is the eldest young master of the Hua family, Hua Qingtang."

Hua Qingtang's attitude underwent a complete reversal. His expression shifted instantly from simmering rage to unexpected gentleness, and he likewise returned a scholar's bow to Li Zisheng.

"Young Master Li, you are truly a youth of extraordinary talent." It was impossible to discern whether Hua Qingtang was pleased or angry from his tone, but the hostility had vanished entirely.

***

Yanhong gestured next toward the man seated on the right near the door—the one who had remained utterly silent ever since Li Zisheng had entered.

"Young Master Li, this gentleman is Liu Changling, the eldest young master of the Liu family."

Liu Changling did not utter a word. He merely glanced briefly at Li Zisheng, forgoing even a scholar's bow. Li Zisheng, however, politely returned a scholar's greeting anyway.

The final introduction was reserved for the man who appeared to hold the highest status among the four.

"And this, Young Master Li, is the second young master of the Zhang family, Zhang Huatong. He is also the commander of this expedition." Yanhong explicitly highlighted this single title: Commander.

The weight of the word "commander" was extraordinary. Leaving aside the other young masters, the mere fact that Yanhong—representing the White Tiger Hall of the Samadhi House—was willing to submit to the command of this Second Young Master Zhang in the upcoming operation spoke volumes about his formidable capability.

Second Young Master Zhang appeared even steadier and more reserved than Liu Changling. He merely cast a faint glance at Li Zisheng and looked away without another word.

"Young Master Li, what function do you intend to serve on this journey? If you are relying solely on the title of Censor of the Twenty-Two Circuits, we will not take you seriously."

The one speaking now was Zhang Huatong, whom Yanhong had designated as the commander. His words were brutally direct.

Yet Li Zisheng felt not the slightest bit of embarrassment upon hearing this; his expression remained serene.

It was only natural. Every single one of these four men hailed from wealthy and influential gentry. To expect them to simply accept some unknown figure brought along by Yanhong as an equal partner without question would have been sheer absurdity.

"Naturally, it is for the Yishan Stone Inscriptions."

Li Zisheng had no intention of hiding his knowledge of the Yishan Stone Inscriptions. After all, this was the crucial factor that had drawn him into the affair in the first place. If he wished to uncover the root cause of these events, he had to find the Yishan Stone Inscriptions and locate the Eye Beyond the Heavens.