Chapter 4410 — Facing the Ambush
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
As Wei Zhao surveyed the dazzling array of escort-agency banners from every faction across the plaza and listened to Qi Wenmo's commentary at his ear, he could not help but feel a secret shock. Though this grand gathering of the Southern Continent's escort agencies was hosted in name by the Five Great Agencies, the number of agencies truly taking part was no fewer than thirty-two!
In other words, virtually every escort agency in every sea of the Southern Continent had appeared on the scene. The name of the Southern Continent Escort Gathering was indeed no empty boast.
This grand gathering had but one ultimate purpose: to determine the five strongest escort agencies. Thirty-two agencies from across the field would compete for a mere five places—one need hardly imagine how fierce the difficulty would be.
Previously, Wei Zhao's mind had been fixed solely on Wu Baoliang, and he had not taken this Southern Continent Escort Gathering too seriously. But now, seeing it thus, it seemed that if the Sky-Holding Escort Agency wished to keep its place among the top five, that would likely be no easy matter either.
In the center of the plaza, a raised platform had been hastily erected. It was not large—only five seats upon it—yet every man in those seats sat bolt upright in solemn dignity. Though their faces betrayed nothing, the sheer presence of these five was enough to overawe the entire assembly; the bearing of true masters was on full display.
And among them, Qi Wenmo's father, Qi Mingyuan, was prominently seated. Needless to say, this was the panel of judges formed by the Five Great Agencies.
"My thanks to you all for your support. I am Hai Wuliang, chief escort of the Four Seas Escort Agency, speaking on behalf of the Five Great Agencies. I salute the heroes and gallants gathered here!" The burly giant seated at the central place of honor among the five suddenly rose and cupped his hands. His voice was like a great bell, rolling forth like thunderclaps, and it actually drowned out the clamor of so many people across the whole plaza. The assembly fell silent in its wake.
Every gaze was drawn involuntarily to this chief escort of the Four Seas Escort Agency, while the escorts of the thirty-two agencies began one and all to rub their palms and flex their fists, eager for the trial, awaiting the formal contests to come.
This was their finest stage for display. The Southern Continent Escort Gathering was not merely a contest to decide the Five Great Agencies; it was also the highest arena for competition among escorts themselves. To them, the importance of this gathering was as the imperial examinations of old to scholars—it bore directly upon their future prospects.
If one could perform brilliantly at this assembly, then even if one had been utterly unknown before, one's worth would surely soar afterward. It was even entirely possible to become a figure of much attention and, in one stroke, rise into the upper ranks of an agency.
"On behalf of the Five Great Agencies, I declare the thirty-seventh Southern Continent Escort Gathering formally open!" Hai Wuliang was plainly a man who disdained idle chatter. With him speaking, there was no tedious exchange of pleasantries at all—without another word he went straight to the point and got down to business.
The whole assembly erupted in a heaven-shaking cheer, thoroughly appreciating Hai Wuliang's crisp, no-nonsense style. To put it bluntly, apart from the escorts of these thirty-two agencies, everyone else crammed in here had come purely to watch the escorts of the great agencies batter one another to death—to see the fierce spectacle of blade drawing blood, not to listen to the drivel of so-called great men.
Had Hai Wuliang begun with a half-hour address, one suspects most of the crowd would have slipped away, and even the escorts of these agencies would have started nodding off.