Chapter 31: Tian Nan Summit Meeting (1/2)
Early dawn the next day.
When the sun broke through the clouds and shone its light on the Tian Nan City’s general assembly, the entire scene came alive.
The end of the year banquet, was finally about to begin!
This was the brilliant celebration collaboration of the army, the government, and the commercial world. It was a time where the big families competed over natural resources, a press conference for business people announcing new products or business strategies, a platform for the government announcing achievements and new policies, and most of all, it was a dance floor when the youths could display their abilities.
All in all, it was entertaining and lively. For the citizens, not a single one could turn their attention away from the festivities.
The drums and cries filled the air.
Fresh flowers filled the sky.
Countless people began cheering and shouting and whooping as one by one, the big named families began appearing on stage.
A group of mercenaries wearing shiny new gray armor were the most eye-grabbing, with the long swords hanging by their sides. They were each seated on top of their own cyan wolf, each wolf as big and uniform as they were intimidating. The wolf flag flapped in the air, filling the atmosphere with a chill.
“Wolf Fang Mercenary!”
“The Ye clan is here!”
As the person leading the troop was a forty or fifty year old broadly muscled man, clad in a black brocade gown, and hanging on his shoulders, a dark gold cloak. His two eyebrows were bushy and thick, giving people a sense that he seemed angry and intimidating all the time. This person was Ye Xiong, the master of Tian Nan’s Ye clan.
“The Du clan is here as well!”
“Master Du Zhen Tian!”
A few hundred warriors clad in red entered the scene. Du clan was also one of the big name families in Tian Nan City, theirs was the domain of manufacturing army weapons. They had the power and the riches. The younger generations were talented and came in hordes. They were not one to be belittled.
The clan master Du Zhen Tian was a fifty or sixty year old man. He had been navigating Tian Nan City for decades, cultivating the Du clan from a tiny family into a first-rate clan. This was no small matter!
“General Xiong Bing!”
“Nan Guan Yi City Mayor!”
“Alchemist Guild’s Li Chang Yun!”
“Talisman Guild’s Zhang Li Qing!”
“...”
Each person who appeared seemed more powerful than the next!
The cheers of thousands of people didn’t seem to stop, and to say the atmosphere was lively was an understatement.
Suddenly, Meng Qing Wu brought the people from the trading company on stage. Other than Meng Qing Wu, there were only two or three people. They looked positively shabby next to the vigorous clans. The juxtaposition was so ludicrously obvious that people began to snidely comment.
“Hahaha, South Cloud Commerce also attended the Summit Meeting?”
“The trading company isn’t even sure about its future, did she come to the summit meeting to embarrass herself?”
“Yeah, the South Cloud Pharmacy is about to go under, South Cloud talismans are about to stop production… it’s a miracle that she was allowed to join the trading company itself!”
“...”
A business center that was already unsustainable, that had already descended the ranks of second or third-rate products, that was so poor it almost had to start selling themselves… it was only a matter of time before they had to close up shop.
And they dared attend this grand meeting? It was practically asking to be humiliated!
After the various activities and ceremonies...
The summit meeting was officially about to begin!
As in previous years, the first activity was the Summit Meeting Big Competition!
In a world where instability and violence were the norm, strength was always the most valued asset.
The only factor of whether a clan could survive and thrive, was based entirely on its sufficient and independent ability to take challenges in stride. This kind of competition was to excite the young ones, and acted as a stage for those with abilities raring to be discovered.
Of course, it wasn’t as if one could make a living on reputation. Talent didn’t always have to be put on such prominent display. Every clan rushed to join each year, as if it were their lifeline in the ocean. This was definitely not for the entertainment of the citizens of Tian Nan City. This had a special meaning, and of course, it was the re-partitioning of natural resources.
Tian Nan City was surrounded by an abundance of ownerless forests, ore mines, and efficacious fields.
That which no one claims, is sure to attract the competing ownership of people.
Around a decade ago, in the competition for land, Tian Nan City had been thrown into anarchy. Each big clan participated in open clash and conflict, while smaller families backstabbed and connived. No one was willing to back off, and they didn’t want others to profit. Tens of wars of small and grand scales ensued, resulting in many dead and injured. As the dead bodies piled up, no one benefitted, since the natural resources remained untouched and uncultivated.
People finally realized that competing as such was no less dignifying as eunuchs competing for top place in a brothel. Even if they managed to snatch it, there was no meaning to it, and that only peace begat wealth.
So, what then?
The Summit Meeting’s Big Competition!
Was this not a fair way to re-partition natural resources?
Once a year, everyone had a chance, whether a big clan or a small family. Whoever failed this year, could look forward to the next. It didn’t matter how small the family was, as long as there were one or two youths who had the lucky fortune to become one of those who possessed admirable strength.
Even though the youth being constantly injured during the race was normal, it was better than all-out war raging among all the clans.
In order to circumvent bloodshed, for the youth to have a platform, and for everyone to recognize the latest talents, why not? And so, with the government’s personal notarized acknowledgment, the clans signed a secret deal, making the Summit Meeting’s Big Competition as the platform for re-partitioning of natural resources.
This tradition had been upheld for ten or so years.
Chu Tian was completely oblivious to the secret deals being had.
For Chu Tian, the Summit Meeting was an adrenaline rush, an experience of life… as well as a revenge upon Xue Hen!
Under the guidance of a white haired little old man, Chu Tian and 200 other youth came to a little wooden hut.
Chu Tian had just retrieved his own nameplate when a nettlesome voice drifted into his ear. “Ha, even the lowest of lowlifes are joining the Big Competition... this is really bringing down the quality of it.”
Chu Tian didn’t have to look to see who had spoken. “Well, if some cuckolds from the Ye clan can join, the quality must not be very high to begin with.”
“I know… how can you pretend to be so secure and comfortable?” Ye Han’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of a threat. “You should know your place. Ye clan can kill you without even batting an eyelash.”
Actually, what I want to know is, why are you acting so stuck up?
Chu Tian shrugged his shoulders. “Rotten life, if you want it, take it.”
“Huh, I changed my mind.” Ye Han put on a cruel smile. “I will do it in front of all of the citizens of the Tian Nan. I will tear your bones from your body one by one. It is only through this way that I will let everyone understand, this is the price to pay for offending the Ye clan. I will let everyone understand, that this is the conclusion of you, Chu Tian.”
Chu Tian laughed. “Is that so?”
Ye Han swivelled around to announce to a group of youths behind him. “Listen up! This guy is mine. Anyone who dares beat him in the elimination round, I will personally make sure he’ll regret it.”
Two hundred or so youths received this news with alarm.
How arrogant!
Absolutely tyrannical!
He actually announced to all present that others couldn’t beat Chu Tian.
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you a chance,” Chu Tian said, as if he was disengaged from the entire matter. “If you’re done, shoo.”
Contemptible!