“Nice work!” Billy grinned slightly and inquired, “How’s the situation?”
“Commander, from early morning until now, approximately thirty waves of people and horses have entered Blade Town.” Wally Hammond responded.
“The number in each wave varies, ranging from a dozen to dozens. Most of them seem to be here to congratulate Blade Lord.”
“Any shady characters?” Casey inquired.
“Yes,” Wally Hammond nodded. “There are two waves that caught our attention. They don’t seem like congratulatory guests. We kept our distance to avoid detection.”
“But based on their aura, you can tell they’ve got some decent skills.”
“The leaders of these two waves, in particular, seem to be at the War God-Emperor level or higher in the later stages, judging by their demeanor.”
“As expected,” Billy nodded knowingly. “Where are they now?”
“Twenty minutes ago, they went up the mountain,” Wally Hammond pointed to a nearby peak. “I dispatched some brothers to tail them.”
“Alright,” Billy nodded again. “Keep the town brothers on high alert, continue patrolling, and if they spot anything suspicious, don’t act recklessly. Just keep an eye on them.”
“Understood!” Wally Hammond acknowledged loudly.
After a brief discussion, Azure Dragon approached.
“Boss!” Azure Dragon greeted Billy, Casey, and Stout.
“How long have you been here?” Stout inquired.
“Not long,” Azure Dragon answered. “I just arrived a little while ago and took a casual stroll around town.”
Then, he turned to Billy. “Boss, should we head up the mountain? I just spoke with Ian, and the banquet will kick off in a little over an hour.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Billy agreed, leading the group westward.
Blade Sect’s mountain stood in the western suburbs of Blade Town, reaching an elevation of three to four thousand meters. The sect’s main courtyard, situated at the mountain’s peak, was vast, covering an area two to three times larger than Purple Light Sect.
As Billy and the others made their way, the main courtyard of Blade Sect was already adorned with lights and filled with activity. Today marked Blade Lord’s 80th birthday celebration, a feast not only for the sect members to revel but also an opportunity to connect with influential families and sects.
Around 5 PM, guests trickled into the main courtyard. Clive Blade, Blade Sect’s second elder, led a welcoming committee at the entrance.
Meanwhile, Ian Blade sat on his room’s sofa, lost in thought. He wasn’t fond of crowds, and with concerns on his mind, social events were even less appealing.
Footsteps approached, and Clive Blade entered with a group, including a middle-aged man, an elderly gentleman, and a young woman. The older man had thick eyebrows and a welcoming smile, while the woman exuded grace and pride. And there were four retinues in Daoist robes following them.
“Ian, Uncle Homer and Miss Salazar have arrived,” Clive Blade announced, smiling at Ian.
Ian looked surprised, standing to greet them. “Hello, Uncle Homer!”
Unexpected visitors, indeed.
The Salazar family was a typical ancient martial arts clan with considerable influence in the southwestern region. Although their overall strength was slightly inferior to Blade Sect, they could still be considered a top force in the world of ancient martial arts. The patriarch of the Salazar family and Blade Lord had been friends for decades, making the Salazar family and Blade Sect close associates. The interaction between the two had been quite frequent.
However, ever since the patriarch of the Salazar family passed away a few years ago due to some unfortunate circumstances, it seemed that the Salazar family had intentionally distanced itself from Blade Sect. In recent years, their proactive engagement with Blade Sect had significantly decreased since the patriarch of the Salazar family passed away.
According to Ian Blade, the Salazar family seemed to have allied with one of the super forces in the world of ancient martial arts. In the last couple of years, the family’s strength had experienced a considerable boost.
“After a few years, Ian has become quite the young man. Almost didn’t recognize you!” Uncle Homer, named Homer Salazar, remarked with a smile.
“Uncle Homer, you’re too kind.” Ian responded with a smile.
“Look at Miss Salazar too. A few years, and she’s grown into a graceful young lady.” Clive Blade added.
“Haha, indeed!” Homer Salazar laughed and introduced his daughter, Pandora Salazar.
“Ian, do you still remember Pandora? When you two were kids, you used to play together all the time. Back then, she would follow you around all day, calling you Brother Ian.”
“Dad!” Pandora Salazar frowned as she stopped her father. And she turned to look at Ian with a faint smile. “Mr Blade, long time no see!”
“Miss Salazar, hello!” Ian replied with a smile.
“Homer, have a seat and let’s chat!” Clive Blade invited.
“Haha, sure!” Homer Salazar led his daughter to the sofa, while the elderly man and his attendants remained near the door.
“Ian, I heard you’re Deputy Commander at Special Patrol Squadron in the capital?” Homer Salazar inquired.
“Yes,” Ian nodded, pouring tea.
“Truly Blade Lord’s grandson, a bright future ahead!” Homer Salazar praised.
“You flatter me, Uncle Homer. It’s just a job.” Replied Ian.
“Ian is being modest. This job is not something anyone can handle,” continued Homer Salazar with a smile. “Although there are quite a few martial geniuses in the ancient martial arts world, not many can serve in a special bureau like Special Patrol Squadron, especially when you’re already a junior minister.”
“In time, you might reach the position of a senior minister. Truly a crucial figure in our nation!” Homer added, laughing.
“Homer, don’t praise Ian too much. We don’t know how long he can hold that position. He might get kicked back here at any time.” Joked Clive Blade with a smile.
“Haha, I have high hopes for Ian!” Homer Salazar responded.
“Mr Ian Blade, I heard that you have reached the mid to late stage of War Emperor?” At this point, Pandora Salazar looked at Ian and asked.
“Well, it is.” Ian responded after a slight pause.
Mid to late stage of War Emperor was his cultivation level before he went to the capital. Now, he had already reached the level of War God-Emperor, and even completed a breakthrough from War Emperor to War God-Emperor within a few months. Thinking about it, Ian Blade found it unbelievable. In just a few months, he had almost broken through a major realm, from War Emperor to War God-Emperor! This was the benefit of following Billy. Otherwise, if he had stayed in Blade Sect, reaching the mid to late stage of War Emperor would have been quite good.
“It’s not bad. You can now compare with some ordinary geniuses in the ancient martial arts world.” Pandora Salazar said with a somewhat ambiguous smile.