After a long silence, Nan Xunran met Qi Yan's burning gaze and softly parted her lips, "Okay."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yan immediately straightened up and shouted excitedly, "Yes, Master!"
He took a few quick steps forward, blinked, and asked, "Don't we need Slave Mark or anything?"
Then, he cupped his hands around his heart, his face showing a mixture of surprise and emotion, and said, "Do you trust me that much?!"
Nan Xunran said calmly, "I don't believe it."
Qi Yan: "..."
Nan Xunran raised his hand and waved, a Slave Mark pierced through the void, instantly merging into Qi Yan's Sea of Consciousness like a stream of light, and then disappeared.
Qi Yan subconsciously touched his forehead, but felt nothing unusual.
Just then, Jiang Ruxi's voice came from outside the hall, breaking the silence inside.
"Master, an elder of the Cheng Clan requests an audience."
Nan Xunran's voice echoed softly in the hall, "Enter."
As soon as the words were spoken, the palace doors slowly opened with a loud rumble.
Ning Shi and the other man consciously stood to one side, their expressions solemn.
An elder of the Cheng Clan stepped steadily into the hall from outside. He bowed slightly and respectfully said, "Divine Son Xunran."
Nan Xunran raised her eyes, her gaze deep and unfathomable. "What is it?"
The elder of the Cheng Clan straightened up, looked up, and said, "Our young master's birthday banquet is in two days, and we have come to invite you to attend."
As he spoke, he nervously peered at Nan Xunran's expression, secretly thinking: other prodigies would agree very easily, but he was afraid that this one would refuse.
If this person doesn't attend, the other prominent families may not be able to either.
Nan Xunran smiled slightly, "Alright, I will go."
The elders of the Cheng Clan breathed a sigh of relief, and a relieved smile appeared on their faces.
He bowed again, "Then I shall take my leave."
Nan Xunran replied, "Mm."
Once the Cheng Clan elders had disappeared from sight, Nan Xunran uttered a single word. "Gather."
As soon as the words were spoken, the space around them distorted slightly.
Immediately afterwards, Long stepped out from the void and appeared before everyone, respectfully saying, "My lord."
Qi Yan, standing to the side, widened his eyes and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "There's more."
Ning Shi crossed his arms, glanced at Qi Yan, and said, "What you've seen so far is only a small fraction."
At this moment, Qi Yan's attention was drawn to Long's face, and he let out a soft "Eh."
Then, he examined Long closely and exclaimed in surprise, "He looks somewhat like our lord!"
Ning Shi explained, "He is the master's substitute."
Qi Yan looked impressed and sighed softly, "That's really impressive."
On the other side, Nan Xunran's gaze quietly fell on Long.
His tone was calm, yet carried an irresistible authority. "Attend the Cheng Clan banquet in two days. You will go in my place."
Without hesitation, Long replied in a deep voice, "Yes."
Nan Xunran called out again, "Alkaid."
A beam of light flashed by, and Alkaid emerged from the void, his figure as light as a swallow, landing gracefully.
He bowed slightly and replied, "Yes, Master."
Nan Xunran said in a cold, emotionless voice, "If we are discovered, kill everyone at the banquet."
Alkaid solemn, and he immediately replied, "Yes."
Then, he turned his head and his gaze met Long's.
His lips moved slightly, and although no sound came out, it was clear from the shape of his mouth that he was saying, "This is your last chance, Master."
His gaze became incredibly serious, and he nodded firmly.
"Rest assured, my lord, there will be no more mistakes."
His right hand involuntarily clenched into a fist, and his words, delivered with conviction, echoed throughout the hall.
Birthday banquet
He stood nestled among the group, seemingly calm and collected, but his back was subtly straightened as he tried to maintain a semblance of composure.
He was secretly alarmed. "How could this be? All of them have come!"
He glanced sideways slightly, quickly scanning everyone around him.
Jin Jinyu, Shangguan Xieyue, and Wei Yan all gathered around.
All eyes at the banquet were on this, even the host cast a curious glance at it.
Jin Jinyu and the others lingered on him for a few seconds, their gazes complex and unreadable.
Immediately afterwards, they subtly shifted their gaze away and moved to the side without leaving a trace.
Seeing this, everyone turned their attention away, and the banquet returned to its noisy state.
Wei Yan waved her hand slightly, and one person immediately stepped forward.
She covered her lips with her hand and whispered some instructions.
A sudden tightness gripped his heart, realizing he had already given himself away.
But he wasn't entirely surprised.
After all, Megrez had said that these people were all the Lord's men and were extremely familiar with the Lord, so they could detect any slight abnormality.
Shangguan Xieyue exuded a low-pressure aura, her face tense.
After being gently touched by Shangguan Xique, she barely managed to restrain herself and refrain from speaking.
Jin Jinyu casually poked at the spiritual food in front of him, completely ignoring him as if he didn't exist.