Chapter 9: Seeking Revenge in the Streets

Forget it!

"Flower Viewing Banquet? Regardless of how it is, it would not hurt to take a look."

Zhou Yan's expression was peculiar: "I wonder what the intention of the Wuwei Wangfu is? It seems they want to arrange marriages for their children. But why have they summoned us as well?"

Upon seeing this, Ying Chong could not help but raise the corners of his lips slightly. Among his several guards, all of whom excelled in the art of ground fighting, there were no more than twenty individuals in the entire capital who could surpass them in the skill of rolling on the ground.

In such circumstances, it is imperative to compel his attendance

At this moment, Ying Chong was already too preoccupied to pay attention to these matters. He saw a massive spear had already crashed into the building, directly aimed at Ying Chong, its imposing momentum far surpassing that of Ying Fei by at least tenfold.

At this moment, Xue Pinggui recalled something: "That's right, Ying Chong, I heard recently that the heir of the Lord of Linhuai has made a statement, saying that this time when you come out, he will definitely break your legs. It would be best to be cautious these days and bring more guards with you"

Ying Fu and Ying De both leaped out at this moment. They, along with Ying Ru and Ying Yi, were all equipped with the Seven Star Ink Armor "Mantis" crafted by the Heavenly Craft Ink Workshop, and at the ends of their arms were two exceptionally exaggerated, gleaming large sabers.

After asking this question, Xue Pinggui realized that Ying Chong, who was beside him, had already vanished without a trace. When he turned his gaze, he saw that Ying Chong had jumped out of the building and was heading directly towards Lin Donglai, which left him astonished

Xue Pinggui only took a glance and felt reassured. He thought to himself that the Ying family was indeed a true family of generals. The guards of the son of the Duke of Linhuai were not lacking in skill, and their black armor was acceptable, but their actual combat ability was far inferior to that of Zhang Yi and Ying Fu and Ying De.

However, individuals of their background, like the four of them, are unlikely to marry any good wives and will only become the subjects of disdainful ridicule by those noblewomen

At this moment, this ink armor 'Spirit Guard' can also transform into the shape of a sword and shield for use

Ying Chong raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and glanced downwards, only to see a gigantic shadow of a humanoid figure, approximately two zhang tall, suddenly strike with a punch at the second floor of the 'Qingyun Building'. The immense force instantly shattered several pillars and beams of the building, causing it to sway violently, which led to the guests inside screaming in panic and fleeing in terror

Zhou Yan and Xue Pinggui also laughed, but when it came to the words 'proposing marriage', Xue Pinggui recalled something: 'By the way, a few days ago, the Wang family of Wuwei sent out invitations, inviting the young masters and young ladies of various noble families to come for a banquet and enjoy the flowers. Did you receive it?'

It was none of his business, and Ying Chong did not pay much attention to it. He only took note of the fact that the person who had achieved enlightenment while sitting was the same day he was struck unconscious by a falling star from the heavens.

If Ying Chong were to marry a woman of commoner origin, it would undoubtedly bring shame to the Ying family and invite scorn from others. At this moment, the Ying family is striving desperately to elevate itself to the ranks of the foremost noble families among the Seven States. To act in such a manner would be nothing short of a grave transgression.

Upon this reflection, Zhou Yan felt a sudden sense of boredom, and even the two courtesans sitting beside him could no longer arouse the slightest interest in him. He also lost the desire to cast even a glance at the Shixiu Palace.

No matter how one looks at it, the four of them are unworthy of the Ye family's status. It is truly puzzling what the Wuwei Wangfu is thinking.

His future wife is destined to be a woman from a distinguished family. This is not only due to the perception of social status but also because of the family's reputation

However, there are hardly a few individuals in the court and among the officials who truly regard the Empress Dowager's family with any significance

The invitation from the Wuwei Wangfu was also received by Ying Chong, yet he was completely indifferent: "Such matters cannot be avoided by any of us. It is merely a matter of showing up, making a fool of oneself, and being laughed at for a few moments."

After Ying Chong finished scolding, he shot a fierce glare at Xue Pinggui, for his brother truly had a mouth like a crow. He felt immensely relieved that when he had come out earlier, he had brought both the people and the ink armor with him. Otherwise, this time, he would have suffered a great loss.

Xue Pinggui's situation has improved somewhat, but the improvement is limited. Only those who are truly destined for great futures may have the opportunity to be chosen from what is left behind.

It is unclear what Ying Chong is thinking; as a guard, the four members of the ink armor are all skilled in offense but lack defensive capabilities. At this moment, two 'mantises' crashed out of the building together, producing two consecutive thunderous sounds. They rolled together with the other two similarly robust ink armors on the street.

According to his knowledge, apart from Miss Ye Si, the Wuwei Wangfu is certainly going to marry into the royal family. However, there are still several other children who are about to come of age and remain unmarried.

Ying Chong smiled lightly, showing no concern. The Lin family of Linhuai is the maternal family of the current Empress Dowager. On that day, Lin Chengcai, the Lin Guozhang who competed with him for favor, is the second brother of the Empress Dowager. However, due to his lack of ability, it is instead the Empress Dowager's third brother, Lin Chenggong, who was granted the title of Duke of Linhuai. His son, Lin Donglai, was born to Lin Chenggong in his later years, which is why the Lin family holds him in high regard.

Ying Chong was somewhat dumbfounded; that scoundrel Lin Donglai actually dared to use the forbidden item, the ink armor, less than ten miles from the imperial palace! Even if this guy's aunt is the current Empress Dowager, it is still rather audacious of him

Soon, two bright flashes of blade light appeared, resembling silver discs, swirling and unfolding on the ground, forcing their opponents into a state of utter disarray as they continuously retreated and dodged. Not only could they no longer stand firm, but their bodies were also instantly riddled with countless cuts.

This hybrid!

Only the four of them have always been notorious, and their prospects are bleak. It should be noted that among those thirty-six families, the Ye family ranks twenty-second, placing it in the middle tier, which is not something that the second-rate families like the Ying, Zhou, and Xue can compare to

Ying Fu and Ying De, both of whom had been with him since childhood and were accustomed to fighting, at this moment did not require Ying Chong's assistance. They had already released the ink armor from their respective boxes, and in an instant, all the component armors had covered their bodies. With their two zhang tall steel frames, they directly shattered the rooftop, which triggered a series of gasps, interspersed with the furious roar of the innkeeper: "Are you all out of your minds? Do you know whose property this Light Cloud Tower is?"

The Divine Grade Ink Armor has three stages of transformation. The first stage is the 'Unsealed Weapon Body' state, which mostly takes the form of weapons, providing almost no protection, yet possessing extraordinary offensive power. There are also forms resembling armor, which can offer protection while enhancing the user's strength. The second stage is the 'Half Body' state, which, in addition to weapons, features armor covering half of the arms, similar to ordinary iron armor, but capable of providing several times the strength of the Ink Armor's owner. The third stage is the 'Full Body' state, which is the most powerful state after the complete release of the Divine Grade Ink Armor, capable of providing protection while enhancing the user's strength.

It is said that there are no noble families without cold doors, and no lowly ranks without gentry. Families of high status intermarry, using this as a bond, intertwining their power and influence.

Zhang Yi's Nine Star Ink Armor, known as 'Spirit Guard', has not yet reached the divine tier. However, a year ago, Ying Chong spared no expense, spending 100,000 taels of silver to hire a master armor refiner to modify this armor, enabling it to possess some characteristics and combat power of divine tier ink armor while still being at the Nine Star level.

Zhou Yan heard this and let out a light snort, his expression quite unpleasant at that moment. He disliked such occasions the most, feeling as if he were being selected and scrutinized like livestock, and moreover, he was the smallest and most unattractive among them.

The four then continued to discuss the recent anecdotes and interesting events in the capital, mentioning the Southern Wu ruler Fu Chai's recent victory over the State of Chu, the journey of the Mozi grandmaster heading west, and the ascension of the national master of the Baiyun Temple outside the city, who attained enlightenment.

Zhang Yi was exceptionally strong and had extensive experience in combat, thanks to Ying Chong. At this moment, he merely tilted his shield and deflected the massive spear, preventing it from reaching Ying Chong and also sparing his few companions nearby from harm. Suddenly, Zhang Yi slid forward, leaping out of the building, and struck down with his blade, like a flash of lightning. Taking advantage of the spear's momentary inability to retract, he slashed at the chest of the two-zhang armored man, instantly creating a massive wound that nearly cut through the thick, tempered steel armor.

Received, I have it at home as well

Zhang Yi has also opened his 'Juyuan Box', but instead of armor, a sword and a shield appeared in his hands, blocking in front of Ying Fei

How did Ying Chong think to bring them out, but received the news in advance

He is used to being imposing outside, how can he endure such humiliation? Yet, he must still endure and accept it.

It is the Seven Star Ink Armor

The owner of the Qiyun Building, which can be constructed as a seven-story building near the palace, undoubtedly has an extraordinary background

As soon as Ying Chong's voice fell, a thunderous sound erupted from below, and wood chips flew everywhere. An angry roar followed: "Ying Chong, you bastard, you finally dare to show yourself today? If you dare to provoke our Lin family, I will not hesitate to ruin you!"

In this dynasty, in order to prevent the usurpation of power by external relatives, it has been customary throughout the ages to marry women from low-ranking families. Before the Empress Dowager entered the palace, the Lin family was merely a small fourth-rank noble family. Although several members of the Lin family hold important positions, and Lin Chenggong has even been granted the title of Marquis of Linhuai, this marquisate still lacks even a single decent divine-grade ink armor, fundamentally lacking the basis for hereditary succession. The continuation of the title depends solely on the will of the emperor. Moreover, although several members of the Lin family hold important positions, and Lin Chenggong has even been granted the title of Marquis of Linhuai, this marquisate still lacks even a single decent divine-grade ink armor, fundamentally lacking the basis for hereditary succession. The continuation of the title depends solely on the will of the emperor.

In contemporary nations, all employ the Nine-Rank System for selecting officials, with aristocratic families and the imperial family jointly governing the world. The opinions of the local communities and the authority over the ranking of individuals are all held in the hands of the powerful aristocratic families.

An Xiboying felt guilty towards him; normally, he could indulge in anything, but when it came to marriage, he had no say in the matter