At eleven in the morning, the entrance of the Jixiang Hotel in the city center was adorned with colorful flags and vibrant floral arrangements, as if welcoming a distinguished guest.
Soon, several black, extended limousines slowly pulled up to the hotel entrance.
Stepping out first was Li Bingqing from the Li family of Kyoto, followed closely by a middle-aged man nearing fifty.
The man exuded a calm presence, dressed in an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit, with a long, ancient-looking box slung over his back.
He stroked his mustache as he walked behind Li Bingqing, casually glancing at the hotel before him, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
This was Li Mu, the honored retainer of the Li family.
While the Li family had several honored retainers, Li Mu was their strongest fighter. Li Bingqing had gone to great lengths to secure his assistance this time.
The sole purpose was to decisively defeat Song Qiao and Ye Zhiwei during the upcoming banquet.
Li Mu had already reached the Inner Strength realm, often referred to as the Innate realm by ordinary people.
He was also a master of a divine spear technique, possessing formidable strength with virtually no rivals within the Li family.
As Li Bingqing alighted from her car and gave instructions to her subordinates, a white sedan, trailing the motorcade, also slowly stopped in front of the hotel.
A young woman in a brown leather coat emerged, a backpack slung over her shoulders, projecting an air of spirited competence.
She too had been specially invited by Li Bingqing.
"Sister Bingqing, who exactly are you planning to deal with this time? You even managed to invite Li Mu?"
"And inviting me as well? Who is this person that you need such a grand display to confront?"
Li Bingqing paused briefly. The thought of Song Qiao brought a flash of anger to her delicate, oval face.
"You'll know when he arrives," she replied.
The person Li Bingqing had also invited was Guo Ning, a member of the Guo family from Kyoto.
She had specifically brought Guo Ning from Kyoto because she was also a master of Inner Strength.
Regardless of whether Zhou Yuan was truly Song Qiao's doing, with two Innate masters on the scene, they were sure to apprehend the target.
At this moment, Li Mu, standing behind Li Bingqing, couldn't help but size up Guo Ning. Seeing that she was just a young girl, he couldn't help but feel a touch of arrogance.
However, as the Li family's most powerful retainer, he had the right to be arrogant.
"Miss Guo Ning, at such a young age, do you truly possess the ability to assist Miss Li?"
"If you're just here to make up the numbers, it would be better not to cause trouble by entering."
His words were laced with arrogance. Li Mu, attending on behalf of his young lady today, naturally did not want his contribution to be diluted by others.
Seeing the tension brewing between them, Li Bingqing quickly intervened.
"Mr. Li, please rest assured. Miss Guo Ning is also a master of spear techniques. Her master is one of the Ten Great Ancient Martial Arts Masters of China, Guo Zhong."
"Therefore, Miss Guo Ning's strength is considerable."
As a master of ancient martial arts, Guo Ning possessed her own pride. Li Mu's condescending attitude irked her.
The next moment, she withdrew a long, narrow case from her backpack.
The case bore a resemblance to the long box Li Mu carried, but lacked its ancient aura.
Guo Ning casually opened it, revealing a disassembled silver spear. With a few simple twists, she assembled the spear.
With a single-handed flourish, she executed a spear twirl, and the entire silver spear seemed to transform into a silver dragon under the sun, emitting a faint hum!
Immediately after, the silver spear, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, pierced into a stone pillar at the hotel entrance, emitting a crisp clang!
The butt of the spear trembled slightly. Li Mu's gaze sharpened as he followed the spear.
Impaled on the tip of the silver spear was a black fly!
The black fly, which had been buzzing freely in the air, was transfixed by the sharp spear tip. Such marksmanship was truly astonishing.
Both Li Mu and Li Bingqing were taken aback.
Guo Ning's skill was extraordinary. Li Mu recalled the scene just now, a sense of shock washing over him. Despite her youth, her spear-wielding prowess might even surpass his own.
However, he only used his long spear as a convenient weapon, whereas Guo Ning seemed to be a dedicated spear practitioner.
Just as he was contemplating whether to swallow his pride and apologize, a round of applause suddenly echoed from within the hotel.
Mo Ling, leading a group of over a dozen people, slowly emerged from the hotel. Seeing the scene, she began to clap.
"Master Guo Zhong, as one of China's Ten Great Ancient Martial Arts Masters, his spear technique is said to be inherited from the Spear Immortal Guo Ziyi of the mid-Tang Dynasty, and is exceptionally profound, deeply receiving the true teachings of the Spear Immortal."
Her words were spoken slowly, filled with admiration and praise.
"Seeing this now, it is indeed extraordinary that Master Guo Zhong has produced such a disciple."
Guo Ning retracted her silver spear and looked towards the entrance. She saw that although the speaker was a woman, she carried herself with an air of authority.
Following Mo Ling's praise, the people around her bowed in respect, displaying great deference.
Even the subordinates behind Li Bingqing bowed, and Li Mu himself inclined his head.
How magnificent!
Guo Ning was filled with admiration. A woman like Mo Ling was a natural leader, exuding immense charisma. This inspired a sense of awe in her.
While her martial arts were formidable, her master always told her she lacked presence, like a little girl.
Although she often said she *was* a girl, today she finally understood what kind of woman her master wanted her to become.
Only by possessing such presence might she be able to master her master's overbearing spear techniques.
Mo Ling, descending the stairs, soon reached the assembled group. She cast a polite smile at Guo Ning and Li Mu before turning her attention to Li Bingqing.
"Alright, in fact, we don't need such a grand display this time. The purpose of meeting Song Qiao is primarily for negotiation. If conflict can be avoided, let's try to avoid it as much as possible."