Martial Arts Overlord

Inside Wind Howl City, Luo Feng walked along the street with a gloomy expression. He had just planned to find Bing Ruolan and the others, only to remember that although they had agreed to meet in Wind Howl City, they had forgotten to specify the exact location. Wind Howl City sprawled for over a hundred miles. Trying to find someone there was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Hu Caiyun walked alongside Luo Feng. Seeing his deeply furrowed brows, she suggested, "Luo Feng, why don't you come with me to see my brother first? Our Hu Family has many connections in Wind Howl City; my brother can definitely help you find your friends."

Luo Feng thought for a moment. He didn't have any other options right now, so he nodded. "Alright."

Upon hearing this, Hu Caiyun's face broke into a smile. Taking Luo Feng's arm, she cheerfully led the way. "Then let's go to the Pleased Tavern first. They serve a well-known Wind Howl City specialty, Ice and Fire Glazed Duck!"

"Alright," Luo Feng agreed.

The Yang brothers, Yang Wen and Yang Tao, trailed behind them.

Liu Feihong walked at the very back. Watching Hu Caiyun and Luo Feng laughing and joking together, he felt his heart twitch, and his expression turned exceedingly grim. In the past, Hu Caiyun had always been quite friendly towards him. But ever since they returned to Wind Howl City, Hu Caiyun hadn't even given him a single proper look. It's all because of this kid! Thinking he can compete with me for Junior Sister Caiyun? No chance in hell! Liu Feihong glared coldly at Luo Feng's back, a malicious glint flickering deep in his eyes as he plotted how to deal with him.

「A quarter of an hour later」

The group arrived at the Pleased Tavern.

"Honored guests, would you prefer a private room or to dine in the main hall on the first floor?" a waiter inquired courteously, noticing their extraordinary air and immediately coming forward with a beaming smile.

Hu Caiyun dropped a piece of silver into the waiter's hand, saying, "We'd like a private room."

The waiter accepted the silver, his heart filled with awe. Someone who could casually tip ten taels of silver must be incredibly wealthy. This group surely had a significant background. His smile grew even brighter. The waiter motioned with his arm, leading the way. "Lucky for you, we have just one private room left. This way, please."

This tavern was very busy; both upstairs and downstairs were packed with people. The group followed the waiter upstairs and entered an elegantly decorated private room.

"We'll have the Ice and Fire Glazed Duck, Sweet and Sour Golden Thread Fish, Flying Phoenix Eight Treasure Soup..." As soon as Hu Caiyun entered the room, she reeled off a string of dishes like beans tumbling from a bamboo tube.

Listening nearby, Luo Feng shook his head with a wry smile. As expected of a young lady from one of the Big Six Families. He had never even heard of many of the dishes she'd listed.

The waiter, however, was overjoyed. These dishes were all delicacies, each one incredibly expensive. He would also earn a significant commission from them! After they finished ordering, the waiter carefully brought in a pot of tea.

"Respected guests, this is our tavern's special Misty Black Tea. It can rejuvenate your Yuan Qi and eliminate fatigue. Please, enjoy."

Once the waiter left, Luo Feng turned to Hu Caiyun and chuckled, "You certainly know your food."

Hu Caiyun's pretty face blushed slightly as she smiled. "Luo Feng, the first generation of our Hu Family started out as a tavern owner. The saying, 'Food is paramount,' has always been our family motto."

"Food is paramount, that's interesting." Luo Feng nodded, a touch of admiration for the Hu Family stirring in his heart. Even as a Martial Artist, one could not live without food. The phrase 'food is paramount' seems simple, but it aligns with the Heavenly Dao. After comprehending the Grand Momentum, Luo Feng had developed the habit of noticing extraordinary things in even the most subtle details.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP…

Just as they were waiting for their food, a clutter of numerous footsteps suddenly echoed from the stairwell.

"Young Master Gu, all the private rooms on the second floor are full. There are still seats available on the first floor…" The waiter's voice, sounding utterly terrified, came from outside their private room.

"The first-floor hall? Open your dog eyes wider! This is Young Master Gu! You actually want him to eat on the first floor with those sweaty, uncouth ruffians? I think you're itching for a beating!" Four figures appeared at the top of the stairs. A squinty-eyed Martial Artist among them bellowed at the waiter.

"I… I wouldn't dare…" The waiter's face turned pale, and he hurriedly said, "Young Master Gu, why don't you wait a little longer? There's a table of guests who are about to finish their meal." He was in a real bind. Everyone who could use a private room on the second floor was significant, but this Young Master Gu was particularly so. He was the young master of the Gu Family, one of the three major families in Wind Howl City, their wealth second only to the Big Six Families.

"Wait? Hell no! Vacate a private room for me right now! Or else, I'll make sure you leave with broken bones!" the Martial Artist beside Young Master Gu barked, his face filled with malevolence.

"Yes... yes..." The waiter dared not argue further and simply complied.

"Young Master, these people are just lowlife scum! They won't respect you unless you teach them a lesson!" the squinty-eyed Martial Artist flattered the well-dressed young man beside him. The young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, simply nodded.

By this time, the Shopkeeper, having heard the commotion, had also come upstairs. Upon understanding the situation, his expression turned rather unsightly. Driving guests away would harm the tavern's reputation, but the Gu Family was not to be offended either.

Thinking for a moment, the Shopkeeper lowered his voice and asked the waiter, "Who are the guests in the private rooms upstairs?"

"There's the Zhao Family Head, the Dean of Hedao School, the eldest young master of the Hongyan Trading Company..." the waiter replied, trying to recall.

"Enough about the big shots in the city! Are there any outsiders who look like they don't have much backing?" the Shopkeeper, evidently more adept at handling such situations, asked directly.

The waiter nodded. "A few young Martial Artists arrived earlier; they don't seem to be from the city. However, they were quite extravagant, ordering rare dishes, so they must have some background."

The Shopkeeper paused. He had seen this group earlier; they indeed possessed an extraordinary air, but he couldn't afford to consider that at this moment. "That's them! They haven't been served their dishes yet. Ask them to move to the main hall on the first floor, and tell them their bill will be discounted by twenty percent!"

The waiter, who had a good impression of the group, hesitated. "But..."

"No 'buts'! If we offend the Gu Family, we'll have to close down today! Go quickly!" the Shopkeeper said impatiently.

The waiter could only nod and hurried to the private room where Luo Feng and his party were.

"Why hasn't the food arrived yet?" Hu Caiyun was getting impatient. Seeing the waiter enter empty-handed, her pretty face immediately showed her displeasure.

The waiter hesitated for a moment before saying, "Esteemed guests, we hope you wouldn't mind moving to the first floor to dine. As for today's bill, we can offer a twenty percent discount."

"Move to the first floor?" Yang Wen, though from a minor clan, frowned at the suggestion. "Is this how your tavern treats its customers when you're open for business?"

"Well..." The waiter stammered, inwardly cursing Gu Yufeng to hell and back. If Gu Yufeng hadn't shown up, none of this trouble would have occurred!

"Shopkeeper, you're here!" Just as the waiter was lost for words, he saw the Shopkeeper approaching and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The Shopkeeper nodded and, turning to Luo Feng's group with an apologetic smile, said, "Esteemed guests, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. This private room was actually reserved. Could we trouble you to move to the first floor? Your meal today will be discounted by twenty percent."

SLAM!

Hu Caiyun's temper flared. She slammed her hand on the table and stared coldly at the Shopkeeper. "Are you trying to evict us?"

The Shopkeeper, worried Gu Yufeng would grow impatient, steeled himself and replied, "Yes."

"You!" Hu Caiyun's face turned pale with rage. Given her status, no one had ever dared to treat her this way.

Luo Feng held Hu Caiyun back and turned his gaze to the Shopkeeper. "Young Master Gu outside is a guest, but aren't we guests as well? We're not going anywhere today." With his strong Soul Power, Luo Feng had clearly heard the conversation outside and understood the situation.

Hearing his words, the others also immediately understood what was going on. Yang Wen said coldly, "Shopkeeper, the seats are a small matter, but our dignity is not. If we leave today, people will think we're afraid of him. You may leave!"

The Shopkeeper frowned. He hadn't expected things to become so tricky. But since matters had reached this point, he could only offend one party. "Everyone," he said, "I advise you to leave. The young master outside is not someone you can afford to provoke."

"I'd like to see who in this Wind Howl City we can't afford to provoke!" Hu Caiyun snorted coldly, her pretty face frosty. She had invited Luo Feng for a meal today and never expected something like this to happen. Her mood was utterly ruined.

"Well..." Looking at Hu Caiyun's unyielding stance, the Shopkeeper felt an immense headache coming on. The people he'd encountered today were one more arrogant than the next, leaving him completely at a loss.

"Humph! Such arrogant words!" Just then, a cold shout rang out, and four figures strode into the private room.

Gu Yufeng had led his men in. They had grown impatient waiting outside and decided to come and drive the occupants out themselves, happening to overhear Hu Caiyun's remark.

The squinty-eyed Martial Artist following Gu Yufeng stared at Hu Caiyun and sneered, "A wretched girl like you dares to speak so presumptuously in front of our Young Master! You must be tired of living!"

"How dare you insult Junior Sister Caiyun!"

"You're courting death!"

The brothers Yang Tao and Yang Wen angrily stood up.

The squinty-eyed Martial Artist scanned their group of five. Apart from one at the middle stage of the Seventh Level Essence Storage Realm, the others were only at the initial stage. There was one young man whose cultivation he couldn't discern, but given his age, his strength couldn't be much. Thus, he sneered contemptuously. "I doubt you're qualified to say that!"

Luo Feng was also sizing up the newcomers. Hearing the taunt, he placed his teacup down and said coolly, "That remains to be seen."

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense.

"This is Gu Yufeng, the young master of the Gu Family in Wind Howl City..." Liu Feihong sized up Gu Yufeng, a cold glint in his eyes. He suddenly shot Luo Feng a sidelong glance, then with a sneer, he abruptly stood up, pointed at Gu Yufeng, and bellowed, "You curs! Get the hell out of here! Let me tell you, this is Luo Feng from the Purple Sun School's Hidden Dragon List! Don't bring humiliation upon yourselves!"

Gu Yufeng was the young master of the influential Gu Family and a renowned genius in his own right, his cultivation already at the peak of the Seventh Level of the Essence Storage Realm! Liu Feihong's intention was simple: he wanted to use Gu Yufeng to teach Luo Feng a lesson!