Chapter 80

The return journey was unobstructed, and even the royal family of the Qian Shan Empire, who the Su family had been wary of, did not appear. Although they encountered multiple desert bandit groups along the way, the strongest of these groups was led by a quasi-internal force realm leader. For the group, it was like a game, and they passed through with almost no effort. Moreover, they did not need to search for the bandits' tribes or anything, so their progress was naturally very fast.

Five days before the ship set sail back to the eastern Blue Sea, the group returned to the largest port in the western Blue Sea, Saran. At dusk, they booked rooms in the most luxurious hotel in Saran. Then, with the two elders of the Su family as hosts, they invited Hao Qi, Zhang Heng, and Lan Ling'er to a banquet.

Since the Su family was hosting the dinner, it was certainly not going to be meager. After all, the Su family was wealthy, powerful, and well-connected. Five internal force realm individuals were present, a lineup that would scare anyone. Even the mayor of Saran Port was alarmed, and he was also an internal force realm individual. His physique and appearance were typical of the desert people, but he was now dressed in the gentleman's attire of the eastern Blue Sea, wearing leather shoes and smoking, showing that he had fully adapted to the cultural influence of the eastern Blue Sea, essentially becoming a human of the eastern Blue Sea culture.

When this person entered, he exuded a strong presence. The large banquet hall was originally reserved by the Su family, but he walked in with two or three dozen officials, laughing loudly as he entered. He continued to laugh and said, "I heard there was a banquet here, but you didn't invite me? I hope you don't mind my sudden intrusion, my intrusion... I am indeed being intrusive."

This person was still laughing, but as soon as he entered the banquet hall and saw six internal force realm individuals turn to look at him, the heavy pressure immediately fell upon him. His heart raced, and he immediately stopped laughing, bowing with his fists clasped, standing there neither humbly nor arrogantly. However, he was extremely angry with the intelligence department of the port, which had reported that the Su family from the northern Blue Sea was hosting a banquet for internal force realm individuals, but did not mention that the Su family had brought five internal force realm individuals, and the person they were inviting was also an internal force realm individual. Although there was only one, this was completely different from the two internal force realm individuals he had expected. There were actually six internal force realm individuals in this small banquet hall. Was this a setup to ambush and kill him?

The people in the banquet hall had just sat down, and the chefs had not yet served the dishes. Hao Qi and the others were not bothered, just looking curiously at the intruder, but the two elders of the Su family were furious. One of them immediately gave a cold snort without saying a word, and the face of the person who had entered turned somewhat ashen.

This person was accompanied by a large number of government officials or tribal guards. One of the officials shouted, "Everyone, this is the mayor of Saran Port, Mr. Bi Qiwén. Why don't you quickly..."

Ordinary people could not tell if someone was an internal force realm individual, so this official was not concerned. However, before he could finish speaking, Bi Qiwén, standing in front of him, turned and struck him with a palm, hitting his head from above. The immense force did not dissipate, and the palm crushed the man's head into his chest, without a drop of blood spilling out. This showed that Bi Qiwén's strength was extraordinary, indeed a powerful internal force realm individual.

After delivering this palm, Bi Qiwén directly said, "Everyone, leave the banquet hall. Also, throw this trash out." He did not care about the officials' and guards' panic, turning around and bowing to the group, but did not say a word.

The two elders of the Su family exchanged glances, both seeing caution in each other's eyes. The force, speed, and accuracy of that palm demonstrated the strength of the mayor of Saran, who must be a seasoned internal force realm individual. That single palm had reached the pinnacle of skill, not to mention the accumulated internal force over the years. It seemed that to become the mayor of the largest port city in the western Blue Sea and to maintain his position in this lawless area, Bi Qiwén was indeed a strong individual.

Since he was a strong individual, he deserved the treatment of a strong individual, which was the consensus of almost all internal force realm individuals. One of the Su family elders stood up, bowing and returning the gesture, saying, "Mayor Bi Qiwén, it's an honor to meet you. Please take a seat."

Bi Qiwén's heart relaxed, confirming that these people were not hostile towards him. The internal force realm banquet was probably not a plot against him, so he immediately said, "I am intruding." He sat down first, neither humbly nor arrogantly, and drank a cup of wine from the table, then toasted the group.

At this point, Bi Qiwén said, "This visit was indeed sudden, but being able to meet all of you is not a waste of my time. If you need anything in Saran, please come to the mayor's office. I will do my best to assist you. I have some matters to attend to in the city, so I must take my leave." He bowed again, leaving in a polite and reasonable manner, without any awkwardness.

This incident was just a small matter before the banquet. After Bi Qiwén left, one of the Su family elders sighed and said, "What a fine man. Indeed, only a fine man can become the mayor in this chaotic western Blue Sea."

Another of Su Shiyun's cousins also sighed and said, "There are so many heroes in this world. Brother Hao is a hero, and Bi Qiwén is a hero among the common people. We were truly shortsighted before."

Everyone understood that Bi Qiwén was the mayor of Saran Port, an internal force realm individual. Otherwise, he could not have maintained the prosperity of Saran City. This was the western Blue Sea, a wild desert area. Those who could establish a city here were all seasoned internal force realm individuals, with a certain character, way of dealing with people, and means. Only a hero could achieve this.

When Bi Qiwén laughed and came in, it was just to make a strong impression. After all, Saran was his city. The five Su family members who came to Saran were planning to explore ruins, and their actions were secret, so they did not register their martial group in Saran. Moreover, the Su family was not a martial group, so there was no need to register.

However, the Su family was a famous and noble family in the northern Blue Sea. When they bought supplies to enter the desert in Saran City and then returned from the desert to Saran City, their presence had already been noticed by the intelligence department. They just could not tell if there were any internal force realm individuals. As for Hao Qi, he was the leader of a martial group and had registered in Saran City before. So when the Su family invited Hao Qi to the banquet, the intelligence personnel passed the message to the mayor's office.

In Bi Qiwén's mind, those who could invite internal force realm individuals were likely internal force realm individuals themselves. The Su family's internal force realm individuals and Hao Qi had been in the desert for over a month, and it was unknown who they had contacted. So he decided to come to the banquet to gauge the situation and see if they were hostile towards him, so he could take precautions. However, when he arrived at the banquet, he realized he had underestimated the situation. There were not two internal force realm individuals, but six.

However, Bi Qiwén was also a hero. Seeing this, he did not exaggerate or show weakness, but remained composed, displaying the demeanor of a strong internal force realm individual. After confirming that the Su family and Hao Qi were not hostile, he subtly apologized and left, leaving a good impression.

But this was just a side note. After Bi Qiwén left, the Su family members exchanged a few words, and then the chefs served the dishes, and the banquet officially began. After it started, the two Su family elders exchanged glances and toasted Hao Qi. Hao Qi, not fearing the challenge, drank each cup. Then one of the Su family elders said, "Young Hero Hao Qi, these two cups of wine are to thank you for your assistance in the ruins. If it weren't for your efforts, our Su family group would have been wiped out in the ruins. This favor will be remembered by our Su family."

After drinking the wine, Hao Qi smiled and said, "You are too kind. I just happened to be there, and Su Shiyun had previously done me a favor. To repay her, this was what I should do. There's no need for such formalities."

The Su family members nodded slightly, but Su Shiyun's eyes showed a hint of sadness. She understood the meaning behind Hao Qi's words. The past was over, and what remained was just a sense of friendship. In fact, Hao Qi had no particular affection for the Su family, but he did have some affection for her. However, their paths were different, and they would likely become strangers in the future. So Hao Qi's words were actually a way of distancing himself.

However, the other members of the Su family did not feel this way. They had seen the affection between Su Shiyun and Hao Qi. During Hao Qi's recovery in the Su Tuka tribe, Su Shiyun had taken care of him every day. In the Su family's eyes, the future could either see Hao Qi joining the Su family, which was unlikely, or settling in the northern Blue Sea, which was more probable. Although Su Shiyun would marry into another family, they would still support each other. With Hao Qi's talent and the great opportunity he had to learn martial arts from an internal force realm individual, he might even reach the internal force realm, making him a valuable ally to the Su family.

Therefore, at the banquet, the Su family members frequently showed goodwill to Hao Qi. Even the two cousins who had initially been indifferent or slightly hostile to Hao Qi frequently toasted him, making the atmosphere very lively. During the banquet, the Su family elders even invited Hao Qi to visit the Su family in two years, which would be the time of Su Shiyun's coming-of-age ceremony. In the northern Blue Sea, martial women had their coming-of-age ceremony at the age of twenty-two. Hao Qi was noncommittal, neither agreeing nor refusing.

After the banquet, the Su family members bid farewell and left, with only Su Shiyun accompanying Hao Qi, Zhang Heng, and Lan Ling'er to their hotel. On the way, Lan Ling'er deliberately pulled Zhang Heng away, leaving Hao Qi and Su Shiyun walking alone on the night street. Both were silent for a long time before Hao Qi said, "You are returning to the northern Blue Sea? Are you going back to the Blue Shadow Republic to continue your studies?"

Su Shiyun was silent for a moment before answering, "Although we did not get what we wanted, the harvest this time was actually quite substantial. The metals we obtained are materials for divine weapons. Bringing them back to the family will greatly increase our family's strength, whether we store them or forge them immediately. They can even be exchanged for rare treasures, so their value is significant. I need to accompany them back to the family first. After that, I will likely return to the Blue Shadow Republic to continue my studies. After all, internal force realm is one thing, but knowledge is another. To manage a large family with thousands of members, including the main and branch families, the food and expenses, martial practice, land production, and technological progress, all require learning. So I still need to return to the Blue Shadow Republic to finish my university studies."

"Then... when are you leaving?" Hao Qi asked.

Su Shiyun lowered her head and said, "Tomorrow. Our ship belongs to the Su family and can only navigate the coastal waters. We have already prepared the supplies. Since we are back, it's not advisable to delay. We will leave Saran tomorrow."

"Is that so? It's time to part ways..."

Hao Qi sighed, turning to look at Su Shiyun. After a while, he smiled and raised his hand in a bow, saying, "Then, I wish you a safe journey... until we meet again."

Su Shiyun sighed inwardly but did not show it on her face. She looked directly at Hao Qi, raising her hand in a bow, saying, "I wish you success in your martial arts... take care, until we meet again."

The two smiled at each other, and Su Shiyun turned and left. Hao Qi stood still, silently watching Su Shiyun's figure turn the corner and disappear...