On the main road, two figures on horseback galloped through the rain. When they saw the mansion just beside the road, one of them couldn’t help but exclaim, "Hey! How come there’s a mansion here? Let’s go in and take shelter from the rain."

"We didn’t see any houses here the last time we passed by; maybe we should forget it. I’m worried there might be a problem."

"What problem could there be? The rain is pouring so hard, we can’t continue on. Listen to me, I’ll decide. Let’s go take shelter from the rain."

The other person had no choice but to follow his companion into the mansion.

None of this escaped Qin Yuesheng’s ears. With a handful of melon seeds in his left hand, he quietly watched as the two entered from the main hall’s entrance.

The two were already soaked in the rain, their black clothes clinging tightly to their bodies. With two sheaths hanging from their waists, it was obvious they were martial artists.

As the two entered the hall and discovered someone was already there, they were startled. Seeing the golden-furred fierce tiger lying at Qin Yuesheng’s feet, their expressions changed drastically, clearly showing their apprehension.

"This... young hero, we are disciples of the Five Methods Sect. We passed by here and came in for shelter from the rain without notifying you from outside. We hope the young hero will forgive us," one of them immediately said to Qin Yuesheng with a fist salute, showing great respect.

Noticing three weapons, including a saber and a sword, on the small table beside Qin Yuesheng, they realized he was a martial artist, too. Along with a fierce exotic beast tiger following him, he was certainly no ordinary person.

Such a person, if a good relationship can be established, should be pursued; if not, enmity should be avoided to prevent unnecessary troubles and misfortune.

"It’s fine, just find a place to sit," Qin Yuesheng said calmly.

Another man glanced around the room and couldn’t help but ask, "Why would a young hero think of building a mansion in this deserted area? If any danger arises, there might be no one to call for help."

Qin Yuesheng smiled, "I’m not staying here frequently, so it doesn’t matter."

The two found chairs to sit down on, and the room fell into silence, the only sound being the rainwater cascading from the eaves and hitting the stone steps outside.

Before long, more voices came from outside, and three graceful women wearing conical hats and white dresses trotted into the room. Their elegant movements lacked any trace of awkwardness, adding a unique charm.

Seeing people inside, the leading woman coyly spoke, "Which one of you is the owner? We sisters are just passing by, and did not mean to intrude. We only wish to seek shelter from the rain."

Her voice was charmingly soft, sweet as honey to men’s ears, and her speech gentle and demure, clearly a southern dialect.

Qin Yuesheng said, "No problem, ladies, please have a seat."

The three women thanked him one by one and found a spot to sit unobtrusively together.

Strangely, the main road was unusually bustling today. Within half an hour, several groups came in one after another, quickly filling up the hall.

This piqued Qin Yuesheng’s curiosity. All these people carried weapons and were clearly from the Jianghu. Could there be no hidden reason for so many Jianghu people gathering here unexpectedly?

However, once everyone sat down, they all remained silent, waiting for the rain to stop. Though curious, Qin Yuesheng refrained from asking more due to the atmosphere.

This extremely quiet atmosphere didn’t last long before it was finally broken.

"This road leads straight north. You’ll encounter two paths, one toward Yangzhou Prefecture and another toward Broken Sword Peak. Are you all heading to the Elysium Gathering?" A one-eyed old man holding an iron staff suddenly asked.

His question made everyone look at him: "Old sir, you too?"

Everyone then glanced at each other, surprised to find they had the same purpose.

Qin Yuesheng took a peach to nibble on, intending to observe the unfolding events.

What is the Elysium Gathering? Why do these Jianghu people want to participate?

"I am Wang Ken, a disciple of the Five Methods Sect, and this is my junior brother Liu Cong," the man from the Five Methods Sect who first entered the hall introduced himself.

With his introduction, others naturally followed by identifying themselves.

"I am Zeng Ning, a disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect."

"An Wen, disciple of the Changsong Sect."

"Han Dongji, disciple of the Yuan Fist Sect."

...

Qin Yuesheng nodded secretly. These individuals were from Jiangnan sects. Although not as famous as the Sword and Saber Sect or Thunder Fist Sect, they were still second or third-tier.

The one-eyed old man was a six-bowl disciple of the Begging Sect, named Jia Zhuangxian. This sect consisted of beggars who ranked by how many bowls they carried, from one to ten. As a six-bowl disciple, he held a significant position.

"The Taicang Sect from Broken Sword Peak emerged suddenly, with many experts taking away quite a few of our disciples. They are forcing us to attend their so-called Elysium Gathering to retrieve them," Jia Zhuangxian surveyed the room, "Could it be the same for all of you?"

His words struck a chord with everyone present, and they all nodded in agreement, "Exactly, the Taicang Sect is simply going too far. Once we get to Broken Sword Peak, we must teach them a lesson."