Chapter 1821
More guests were arriving at the great hall. Andrew and Zachary did not draw attention to themselves and simply found a quiet corner to stand in.
Those who came later were seated according to rank and status, with the powerful and renowned taking seats in the front rows on both sides of the hall. The small fry naturally stood in the back.
People in the martial world loved this kind of unspoken hierarchy. It was how they showed rank and status.
Zachary pointed toward a stocky man with a round belly who looked like he was in his third trimester. “Captain, that’s Riker Lamar, the leader of the Hidden Dragons.”
Andrew looked over and saw Riker sitting squarely in his seat. He was short and broad, with an oddly oversized head that made him look almost cartoonish.
Though he looked comical, his slightly closed eyes occasionally flashed with sharp light. Anyone could tell he was a ruthless expert who had mastered internal martial arts.
Zachary pointed toward another guest and grinned. “And over there, Captain… See that delicate–looking pretty boy? That handsome guy isn’t simple at all! He’s the young president of Onyx Serpents! He’s Rowan Maddock, known as the Vicious Serpent, though I don’t know why this pretty boy has such a feminine name when he’s clearly got the goods!”
Andrew shot him a look. “Did you forget to clean your eyes this morning? That so–called ‘pretty boy‘ is a woman in disguise. Since she’s female, having a feminine name is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”
Zachary blinked. “Wait, what? Rowan’s a woman? She’s cross–dressing? How can you tell?”
Andrew smirked. “Years ago, I treated her for something… So yeah, I’ve known about it for a while. She loves playing dress–up to keep people guessing. Classic bait–and–switch.”
Zachary snorted. “So, Captain, you’ve… touched her? I heard she was born with some sort of winter’s essence: skin cold like snow, untouched by mortal blemish. People say her whole body’s icy cold, even her inside. Sleeping next to her would supposedly feel like resting against a slab of cool marble, guaranteeing the best sleep of your life.”
He added, “And if you actually managed to, well, go further they say you could draw out her feminine energy to boost your masculine energy and skyrocket your cultivation.”
Andrew gave him a deadpan stare. “I’ve never heard of that nonsense. All that dual–cultivation stuff isn’t that simple, no matter what fantasy novel you read. Where are you even getting these ridiculous ideas?”
Zachary scratched his head and grinned foolishly. “Everyone around Goldridge knows about it! I’ve been here a few times, and all the martial artists here covet Rowan! She’s got that whole androgynous look, hard to tell if she’s male or female, and her innate winter’s essence body makes her seem like the perfect partner for cultivating power.”
Andrew shook his head as he listened, gazing from the back toward the first row at the white–robed Rowan holding a fan, face smiling, looking very dashing.
Anyone who wasn’t blind could tell she was cross–dressing as a man. In terms of looks, she indeed had an aloof beauty, with a temperament somewhat similar to Chantelle’s in different ways.
However, Chantelle’s naturally frigid temperament kept people at a distance. Meanwhile, Rowan had more ethereal charm, giving people the illusion that she could be admired from afar but not approached intimately.
Sitting beside Rowan was an elderly man with white hair but a youthful face.
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Chapter 1821
+25 BONUS
Zachary introduced him as Gabriel Ackermann, leader of Crimson Alliance, nicknamed “Lightning Sword“.
Most of the expected people had arrived, and the great hall was becoming slightly noisy. Even at this point, the core figure, Jerome, this top–tier big shot, had yet to make an appearance.
Zachary muttered, “Strange, could Mr. Thornton have been delayed by something today?”
