"Name?"
"Ian Song."
"Age?"
"Twenty."
"Cultivation level?"
"Postnatal Great Perfection."
After a simple registration, the Drew Estate's steward handed Ian Song a wooden number plate with a number on it. "Young Master Song, this is your number card. Please keep it safe; you'll need it for the tournament tomorrow."
"Thank you." Ian accepted the number card and glanced at it. It read 320, which meant he was the 320th contestant in the martial tournament for marriage.
Miss Irene Drew sure is popular—so many people have signed up.
"Someone, please escort Young Master Song to his room to rest," the steward called out again.
Soon, a house servant came forward and said politely, "Young Master Song, please follow me."
"Thank you."
Ian Song nodded and put the number card away.
A short while later, the servant led Ian Song to a guest room, unlocked the door with a key, and reminded him, "Young Master Song, you'll be staying here for now. Meals will be delivered to you. Please don't wander the compound unless necessary, so you don't disturb the ladies of the house."
"Thanks for the reminder. I'll keep that in mind," Ian Song nodded.
"Then I'll take my leave," the servant said, bowing before departing.
Ian Song pushed open the door and walked into the guest room.
The room was clean and bright enough, furnished only with a wooden bed, a wooden table, and a wooden chair.
After a quick look around, Ian Song opened the two wooden windows to air out the room.
Adopting a 'go with the flow' mindset, Ian Song didn't bother exploring the Drew Estate. Instead, he took out a novel from his Storage Ring and started reading at his leisure.
"What refined taste you have, my friend. I am Liam Lee. Pleased to meet you."
Suddenly, a tall, handsome young man in a white robe, exuding an easygoing elegance, appeared at Ian Song's door.
"I'm Ian Song. Pleased to meet you, Brother Lee." Ian put down his book and stood to return the greeting.
"So it's Brother Song. Forgive me for dropping by unannounced."
"You're too polite, Brother Lee. Please, come in." Ian Song said with a smile, quietly putting the novel back into his Storage Ring—it used a script quite different from this world's writing.
After a bit of small talk, the two started chatting freely. Before long, their conversation drifted to the star of the martial tournament for marriage.
Liam Lee asked, "Brother Song, have you ever met Miss Irene Drew?"
Ian Song shook his head. "No, I've only heard about her. They say she's as beautiful as a flower, almost like a fairy descended to earth. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people here for the tournament!"
"Exactly!" Liam Lee clapped his hands. "Miss Drew truly is stunning—if I could marry such a woman, I'd die happy."
Hearing this, Ian Song teased, "Brother Lee, truly a man who'd die beneath the peony, and remain a romantic even as a ghost."
Liam Lee was taken aback, then asked, "Brother Song, that's quite fitting. Where does that saying come from?"
It's from The Peony Pavilion. The story tells of Du Liniang dreaming of a scholar who asks her to compose a poem with a willow branch, and later embraces her by the peony pavilion, where they share a night of passion.
Realizing that The Peony Pavilion didn't exist in this world, Ian Song briefly recounted the story.
After hearing the story, Liam Lee couldn't help showing a bit of admiration. "Brother Song, your learning runs deep. I can't compare."
The two chatted for over an hour more before Liam Lee finally took his leave.
"That Liam Lee is quite the character," Ian Song thought to himself. He could tell Liam was an Innate First Layer expert—a true master—yet treated him, a mere Postnatal Great Perfection, with such courtesy. That was rare.
As evening fell, a servant from the Drew Estate did indeed deliver dinner.
To his surprise, the food was no worse than what you'd get at Heaven Fragrance Pavilion.
After dinner, Ian Song took a stroll outside the guest room before returning.
But not long after he got back, Liam Lee came by again to chat, this time carrying a bottle of wine—who knew where he'd gotten it.
After chatting for a while, Ian Song suddenly changed the subject: "Brother Lee, I heard that Old Master Drew was once a disciple of an Immortal Sect. Do you think Immortal Sects really exist in this world?"
Liam Lee looked surprised at Ian Song's question. "Brother Song, you mean you don't know Immortal Sects exist in this world?"
"I truly don't. If you know, Brother Lee, please enlighten me." Ian Song said earnestly.
Liam Lee nodded and spoke slowly: "I don't know much myself—most of it is hearsay. In our Tang Dynasty, the most powerful Immortal Sect is the Jade Heaven Sect, which also serves as the dynasty's official protector. Besides it, there are dozens of other sects, but even combined, they can't match Jade Heaven's strength.
But Immortal Sects are extremely strict in choosing disciples. It's said that Jade Heaven Sect opens its doors every ten years to recruit new outer disciples—only those under twenty who have reached at least Innate Third Layer are eligible.
Other smaller Immortal Sects aren't quite as strict, but even they only accept martial artists under twenty who have reached the Innate realm as disciples.
"Brother Lee, do you know how strong the top immortals of Jade Heaven Sect are?" Ian Song asked.
Liam Lee gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Brother Song, you give me too much credit. I'm just a humble martial artist—how could I know? But I've heard that Jade Heaven Sect's elders are all Golden Core Realm experts, said to be able to destroy a city like North River with a wave of their hand."
"If the elders are Golden Core experts, then the sect master must be a Nascent Soul expert," Ian Song thought to himself, then thanked Liam Lee. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Lee."
"It's getting late—let's have another drink." Liam Lee raised his cup.
"Alright."
After seeing Liam Lee off, Ian Song fell into deep thought. The Immortal Sects in this world were far stronger than those on Azureblue Star—there, even Foundation Establishment was enough to be sect master, while here, Golden Core was merely elder-level.
The gap was on a whole different level.
But that was only to be expected—the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this world was simply too rich.
At the same time, he wondered whether he should join an Immortal Sect—doing so would give him a detailed understanding of the cultivation forces in this world.
But since he already had cultivation, Jade Heaven Sect probably wouldn't accept a wandering cultivator like him. If he wanted to join, he'd have to look for a smaller sect.
The night passed in the blink of an eye.
The next morning, a servant arrived and personally led Ian Song to the Drew Family's martial arena.
Ten arenas had already been set up in the center of the martial field.
Hundreds of tables and chairs lined either side of the arenas, each set with tea and pastries.
"Young Master Song, feel free to pick any seat. The tournament won't start for a while yet," the servant reminded.
"Thank you!" Ian Song replied, then walked over and sat at an empty table.