Chapter 116: Virgin

"It seems that the Ye family will announce a new martial arts co-construction project in collaboration with the Jiepeng medical exchange delegation," Tan Qingying said. "I've heard about this project before. The Jiepeng people initially wanted to collaborate with the city government, but after some discussions, the city government rejected the cooperation. I didn't expect them to collaborate with the Ye family instead."

Li Xiaofei curiously asked, "Isn't the Ye family afraid of being criticized by the public for cooperating with the Jiepeng people?"

Tan Qingying replied, "The Ye family would do anything as long as there's enough profit."

Li Xiaofei nodded in agreement and replied, "True. During the Anti-Japanese War five hundred years ago, many people didn't hesitate to become traitors for their own benefit."

The two of them chatted and laughed in a corner booth. But it was impossible not to attract attention after the earlier commotion. A person of Tan Qingying's status, the city leader's daughter, naturally drew attention wherever she went.

People continuously came over to greet them. Li Xiaofei didn't mind, but Tan Qingying was getting impatient. She just wanted some peace and quiet to spend time with Li Xiaofei, yet people kept buzzing around them like flies.

After handling several groups of people, she couldn't hold back her temper any longer. Tan Qingying finally lost her patience when another young man approached their booth.

She looked up and coldly snapped, "I told you not to bother me anymore. Get lost!"

The young man was startled, and a look of displeasure appeared on his handsome face. He frowned, ignored Tan Qingying, and looked directly at Li Xiaofei.

"Hello, Li Xiaofei," the young man said. "Let's get acquainted. My name is Gu Haochen."

Li Xiaofei's heart skipped a beat. He had heard that name before in a video program by Little White Dragon in the Waves Shen Yan after the first round of the league. It had featured the top dark horses. The name of the one ranked third on the list was Little Sword Immortal Gu Haochen.

Li Xiaofei stood up and asked, "Hello, what can I do for you?"

The slender boy in front of him looked a few years younger than him. He stood at about 1.73 meters tall, with slightly curly black short hair forming long, dense bangs over his forehead. He had large eyes, and his delicate nose and lips gave him a somewhat feminine appearance. However, his Adam's apple and flat chest confirmed he was a boy.

In person, he appeared even more delicate than in the video, but his gaze was as sharp and piercing as a longsword.

"I wanted to see the top dark horse for myself," Gu Haochen said, carefully observing Li Xiaofei.

His eyes grew brighter and filled with a barely restrained eagerness for a challenge.

Li Xiaofei chuckled inwardly.

This guy is definitely a martial arts fanatic.

As a fellow martial arts enthusiast, Li Xiaofei recognized that kind of energy immediately. It was the urge to fight a stronger opponent without any hesitation. It was a burning impulse that felt like gasoline igniting an engine.

"Want to exchange contact information?" Li Xiaofei suggested.

Gu Haochen was taken aback for a moment, but smiled. "Sure."

They both took out their light cores and exchanged contact information.

"This isn't the right occasion, otherwise I'd really want to have a proper fight with you," Gu Haochen said with a sigh of regret. He added, "Since you're at Red Flag High School and dedicated to the Great Xia martial lineage, I have a piece of advice for you."

"Oh?" Li Xiaofei said. "Please, go ahead."

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Gu Haochen glanced at Tan Qingying, then turned back to Li Xiaofei with a sincere expression, "The Great Xia martial lineage demands the utmost in one’s physical condition. Many advanced techniques and martial skills require a pure Yang body to cultivate. So, I hope you will keep yourself pure."

Li Xiaofei and Tan Qingying were both stunned. After saying his piece, Gu Haochen turned and left, leaving the pair staring at each other. By the time they realized what had happened, the Little Sword Immortal was already gone.

"What does he mean by that?" Tan Qingying asked through gritted teeth. "Is he advising you to break up with me?"

Li Xiaofei couldn't help but laugh. Gu Haochen was a tough character.

"He was probably retaliating for your earlier attitude," Li Xiaofei said. "Don't worry, I've finally made an interesting friend like you. I'm not going to listen to his nonsense."

A waiter approached them with seat numbers, reminding them that the banquet would begin in five minutes and that it was time to enter the venue.

They took their seat numbers and entered the banquet hall. The event was held in a large, luxurious banquet hall that could accommodate over a thousand people.

"It seems I'm benefiting from your presence," Li Xiaofei remarked, noticing that his seat was next to Tan Qingying's, at the third table in the first row, just ten steps away from the charity auction stage. It was the best spot for viewing.

The first and second tables in the front row to the left had the true power players of the base city, including the nameplate of City Leader Tan Zhenwei. However, these bigwigs were set to make a grand entrance later and had not yet arrived.

Li Xiaofei's table had ten seats, which quickly filled up. All the attendees were high school students from powerful families, who were clearly hoping to catch the eye of Inspector Li Zhoumin.

Two girls stood out the most. One had a slender figure with an elegant appearance, while the other had a fuller figure with a baby face. Their striking looks weren't the only reasons they were noticeable; it was also their attire.

They wore traditional kimonos and wooden clogs. Even Li Xiaofei, from five hundred years ago, was familiar with this attire. These two girls were clearly from Jiepeng.

"Nice to meet you all. Please take care of us," the two girls said, bowing.

"Arigato," they added.

Some responded enthusiastically, while others nodded lightly.

Li Xiaofei calmly observed the two Jiepeng girls. These two had been closely trailing him in the ranking points leaderboard. Tsukiha Yaiba, in particular, was incredibly strong.

After the first round of the league, Tsukiha Yaiba was ranked second on both the official leaderboard and Little White Dragon in the Waves’ dark horse list. She had gained a lot of recent attention.

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Li-kun," Tsukiha Yaiba said after sitting down. Her eyes immediately locked onto Li Xiaofei, and she smiled faintly. "I've heard a lot about you."

Her words instantly made Li Xiaofei the center of attention at the table.