Upon Feng Yue’s return, Feng Ming and Jiang Wang were already deep in their cups, the atmosphere warm and the conversation flowing freely.

Of course, given the brief acquaintance, Feng Ming couldn’t truly bare his heart to Jiang Wang. His cordiality was superficial, a mere facade, though there was undoubtedly a hint of drowning his sorrows in wine.

“Brother Yu, let me tell you. These blasted Marquises, they…” Feng Ming draped himself over Jiang Wang’s shoulder, occasionally letting slip a few unguarded words.

“Cough!” Feng Yue cleared his throat, halting the young master’s tirade.

Feng Ming, clearly accustomed to his father’s control, immediately retracted his arm and straightened his posture. Perhaps to alleviate the awkwardness, he introduced his father, “This is Brother Yu from Songhai, a friend I just made.”

Feng Yue nodded, acknowledging the introduction with a brief gesture.

“Come,” he said. “Follow me inside.”

Feng Yue and his son had come to represent Qingyun Pavilion in an attempt to mend fences with the Weining Marquis Mansion. They naturally couldn’t just warm the seats outside and then depart.

He had just concluded negotiations with Steward Jiao, the details of which, including the benefits promised, remained unknown. However, Steward Jiao had clearly softened his stance.

At the very least, they were now permitted to enter the inner courtyard.

“I’m not going,” Feng Ming muttered, a knot of anger still in his chest. “It’s fine out here!”

But Feng Yue had already turned and was walking away, leaving only the curt command, “Don’t dawdle.”

He was indeed a stern father, showing no trace of indulgence towards his son.

Feng Ming, feeling a bit exposed in front of his “new friend,” considered staying put, but the weight of his father’s past authority held him back.

Jiang Wang, with a show of understanding, said, “Brother Feng, since the Marquis Mansion has acknowledged their oversight and invited you in, it is a gesture of apology. Their previous actions were indeed improper, but you possess great talent and youthful ambition, with aspirations that reach far. Why dwell on such trivial matters with them?”

Feng Ming hesitated for a moment, then, using Jiang Wang’s words as an excuse, said, “Brother Yu is right. After all, there is a friendship between our fathers’ generations, I shouldn’t be too headstrong.”

With that, he rose to follow in Feng Yue’s footsteps. After a few steps, he paused, as if struck by a sudden thought. He turned back and waved to Jiang Wang, “Brother, you come along too!”

Perhaps he wished to put on a show in front of his new acquaintance, or perhaps he felt that Yu Songhai, this younger brother, was quite perceptive and deserved to see the world.

In any case, Young Master Feng Ming extended a hand of friendship at that moment.

Heaven bore witness, with Feng Yue present, Jiang Wang had not dared to casually employ his unorthodox divine power. He had not anticipated this turn of events at all. His original intention was simply to gain a familiar face with Feng Ming, and then find an opportunity to contact him later in Wenxi County town.

The decline of the Xiyun Sword Sect, with its isolated inheritance, made it difficult to thrive locally. They had been forced to relocate to Wenxi County, where they had previously resided for a time, and by chance, they had met an acquaintance within the Weining Marquis Mansion… This narrative, Jiang Wang had already carefully crafted.

But fate had arranged for a much more convenient development.

Jiang Wang, of course, wished to follow, yet he shook his head and said, “The Marquis Mansion has only invited you inside. What right do I have to follow? Wouldn’t that put Brother Feng in a difficult position?”

Had he simply refused, Feng Ming might not have pressed the matter.

But by mentioning the Marquis Mansion and expressing concern about causing him difficulty, Jiang Ming felt compelled to show him the “world.”

“What difficulty? Does my Qingyun Pavilion not even possess this much face?” Feng Ming retorted, clearly displeased. “If you trust in your brother’s strength, then just come!”

“This…” Jiang Wang rose, a look of hesitation on his face. Upon seeing that Feng Yue, who was walking ahead, showed no reaction, he followed suit. “Very well then, Brother Feng and I have a kinship that feels like old friends. I shall not fear giving offense. Wherever Brother Feng goes, I shall follow!”

Feng Yue, indeed, did not object.

Firstly, those who attended the Weining Marquis Mansion’s birthday banquet, regardless of their background, were generally from reputable origins.

Secondly, although he was strict with his son, he did not wish to repeatedly lose face.

Furthermore, bringing one extra person into the inner courtyard for the banquet was a trivial matter, truly harmless. It could simply be seen as bringing an attendant.

Lastly, Jiang Wang’s earlier “advice” to Feng Ming, which both showed respect to Feng Ming and allowed his father to overhear, was something Feng Yue highly approved of. Compared to the followers his son had in Wenxi County, this one was far superior. And looking ahead, if he performed well, allowing his son to take back a follower was not entirely out of the question.

Jiang Wang dutifully walked behind Feng Ming, following the Feng family father and son through the archway, along a long corridor, and into another courtyard within the Weining Marquis Mansion.

Compared to the outer courtyard, this place was indeed far more magnificent.

Firstly, the outer courtyard was illuminated by hanging lanterns, which in an ordinary family, would certainly be considered a sign of wealth. But compared to the inner courtyard, it paled in comparison.

In this inner courtyard, the sky itself seemed like a curtain, with stars and moon hanging low, as if one could reach out and pluck them.

Upon closer inspection, the stars and moon, and the entire dome of the night sky, were all man-made, not real.

The materials used to fashion the stars and moon were unknown, but they illuminated the entire courtyard with a soft light, extremely gentle, and not at all dazzling.

Not to mention the tables laden with dishes that were called out by name, and the graceful maidservants who constantly came and went with trays of food. A single dish of delicacies was often only tasted a few times before being replaced.

The Yong Country had just lost a new war, losing land and people, and the country lord Han Xu was currently reforming the government, a critical moment. Yet the Weining Marquis still lived such an extravagant life…

The cost of such a birthday banquet could absolutely not be measured in gold and silver. It was even uncertain whether it could be fully accounted for by super ordinary world’s ten thousand yuan stones.

Of course, the birthday gifts received by the Weining Marquis Jiao Wu were enough to offset the expenditure, with plenty left over.

Jiang Wang himself, having presented a gift worth thirty Dao Yuan stones, was able to secure a seat in the outer courtyard. The value of the gift boxes sent by Qingyun Pavilion was beyond mention. Even among the many guests, Qingyun Pavilion was still not the most generous.

From this, one could also see the prestige of Weining Marquis Jiao Wu within the Yong Country. A strong individual of the God Lin realm cultivated until death without retreating, and at three hundred years old, was still in his peak period. Those with a desire to cling to the Weining Marquis Mansion still had over a hundred years to serve.

It is worth noting that Feng Ming’s intention of showing off in front of his newly acquainted younger brother fell flat. For even though Feng Yue had used benefits to “convince” Steward Jiao and enter the inner courtyard, they still did not receive much attention.

They were arranged at a seat in the furthest corner of the entire large courtyard, still by the door.

Jiang Wang followed them, merely moving from one door side to another.

This left Feng Ming feeling quite embarrassed. For a while, he did not wish to speak much, and only sullenly drank several cups of wine consecutively.

Feng Yue, on the other hand, wore a smile and greeted the several people at their table, but the other party, clearly aware of the Weining Marquis’s attitude towards Qingyun Pavilion, all appeared very cold.

Jiang Wang honestly accompanied Feng Ming in drinking wine, deciding not to court trouble at this time.

However, as he occasionally lifted the pot to pour wine for Feng Ming, his gaze would also sweep across the courtyard.

This courtyard was vast, its magnificence goes without saying.

At the head of the large table in the center of the courtyard sat an old man, presumably the Weining Marquis Jiao Wu. Contrary to expectations, this person was not tall and robust, his figure was even somewhat thin, but sitting there, he possessed an inherent presence that no one could ignore.

Seated beside him, surprisingly, was Mo Jingyu. The black iron mask still covered his face, and when he drank wine, an opening would naturally “flow” open, the seemingly steel material moving back and forth like water, appearing very magical.

A character like Mo Jingyu, no matter where he was, would be treated as an honored guest.

Even the Weining Marquis, standing at the highest level in the Yong Country, chatted and laughed with him, their conversation seemingly very pleasant.

That mysterious person with Zhang Linchuan’s face had said that one’s gaze also held weight.

Jiang Wang was always a person who learned from his experiences.

Thus, he only cast this one glance, then withdrew his gaze, clinking cups with Feng Ming and tilting his head back to drain the wine.

Today.

Mo Jingyu, was not an unreachable figure.