Toast

Luo Jiuxiao, with his daughter Luo Hongyan, appeared at the doorway and walked in. Both father and daughter possessed extraordinary bearing, clearly outstanding individuals. Luo Jiuxiao wore a slight smile, while Luo Hongyan's expression was calm and serene, possessing a tranquil beauty.

The numerous retainers in the room stood up one after another, paying their respects to the City Lord and his daughter.

"Greetings, City Lord!"

"Greetings, City Lord!"

The loud voices of the group echoed through the banquet hall.

Luo Jiuxiao raised his small mustache and laughed heartily, "You've all been waiting, everyone. We're all family here, so don't stand on ceremony. Sit down and continue eating and drinking. It feels like it's been a long time since we've all gathered together. Let's have a good time today, and not go home until we're drunk!"

As he spoke, Luo Jiuxiao's gaze swept across the room, taking in the situation, and he noticed Fan Lang sitting in the first seat among the retainers, his expression changing slightly.

What an ostentatious kid. He just became a retainer and already pushed Jin Duanshan down. The City Lord's Mansion has found a treasure this time, recruiting a fierce general. I just don't know if they can win his heart.

Luo Jiuxiao brushed aside his thoughts, not commenting on the change in seating arrangements.

Actually, Luo Jiuxiao wasn't particularly surprised by this. He was well-informed and had heard some news about Fan Lang from various sources, knowing that he was no ordinary person.

Luo Jiuxiao led his daughter to the head of the table, and they both sat down. The other retainers also took their seats, and the Retainer Banquet officially began.

"Thanks to everyone's strong support, Wind Cloud City has been peaceful. As the City Lord, I'd like to propose a toast to everyone. I'll have to continue relying on you all in the future." Luo Jiuxiao raised a Large Golden Goblet and toasted the people around him, drinking it all in one gulp.

The retainers raised their glasses in response, drinking heartily, and the aroma of wine filled the air.

Even Luo Hongyan raised her glass and took a small sip.

Luo Hongyan, with her personality, actually didn't like attending these kinds of occasions at all. She was dragged here by her father, with the aim of winning people's hearts, so that the retainers would be loyal to the Luo family, not just Luo Jiuxiao alone.

Luo Hongyan was uninterested, and throughout the banquet, she kept her head down, eating slowly and meticulously, not even looking directly at the retainers below, let alone noticing Fan Lang's existence.

But Fan Lang couldn't ignore Luo Hongyan.

In fact, the two were sitting very close, only about two meters apart. Looking at her up close, Luo Hongyan's features were truly exquisite, worthy of being called a femme fatale.

Fan Lang was moved by the desire to flirt with her. He filled his wine glass, raised it, and stood up. In full view of everyone, he walked to the opposite side of Luo Hongyan.

"I am Fan Lang, and I would like to propose a toast to Miss Luo, wishing Miss Luo to become more and more beautiful." Fan Lang said, raising his glass.

Luo Hongyan raised her head upon hearing this and looked at Fan Lang across from her, finding him unfamiliar. For a moment, she was a little at a loss. Everyone knew that she didn't like drinking, and any sensible retainer shouldn't come to toast her.

"I have a shallow capacity for alcohol and cannot drink much," Luo Hongyan said coldly, refusing outright.

"Hongyan," Luo Jiuxiao spoke up from the side, "He is offering you a toast with good intentions, how can you waste his kindness? That would be too impolite. Listen to your father, pick up your glass and drink with him."

Luo Hongyan was greatly surprised, not expecting her father to force her to drink this glass of wine. She turned to look at her father, giving him a questioning look.

"Listen to me," Luo Jiuxiao said with a smile.

These simple words carried a weight that could not be refused.

Luo Hongyan had no choice but to reluctantly raise her glass, lift her wide sleeve to cover her face, and tilt her head slightly, her jade neck rising and falling, returning Fan Lang's toast.

This glass of wine proved that the identities of the two could be on equal footing, no longer as disparate as before!

Fan Lang knew very well that this glass of wine was Luo Jiuxiao giving him face, showing his goodwill towards him.

The facts proved that only power could earn respect.

After drinking a cup of wine, Luo Hongyan's cheeks flushed slightly, adding to her beauty.

"Miss Luo, please enjoy," Fan Lang said with a slight smile, returning to his original position with the empty wine glass. He only took a small sip this time, as he couldn't keep pestering Luo Hongyan in front of everyone.

The banquet continued.

Apart from Fan Lang, no one else went to propose a toast to Luo Hongyan, as no one wanted to embarrass themselves.

The banquet lasted a long time, and it wasn't until the afternoon that it ended, and everyone left one after another.

Luo Hongyan walked side by side with her father, reaching an empty corridor. She opened her heart and complained with a pout, "Dad, why did you force me to drink just now? Is it really necessary for me to condescend to drink with a mere retainer?"

"I wouldn't force you to drink even if Jin Duanshan proposed a toast, but Fan Lang is different. You had to drink that cup of wine. I value him very much and want to win him over so that he can be used by me," Luo Jiuxiao said seriously.

"Is he that important?"

"He is a one-in-a-million genius who can learn the four-star Combat Skills Heaven and Earth Seal in a day, and can defeat two Mystic Spirits in the Mystic General realm. He is simply a prodigy!"

"If he is such a prodigy, why haven't I heard of his name before?"

"You don't have any impression of him at all? I heard that he stopped you before and expressed his love to you, but you ignored him."

"I really don't have much of an impression of him... Now that you mention it, I remember something. Some time ago, someone did say some annoying things to me, and it seems to have been him."

Luo Hongyan had never taken Fan Lang seriously before, and it was only after her father's reminder that she recalled some memories.

Under the flowers, in the moonlight, a young man who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

She just didn't expect that this young man had now reached the point where he could be treated with special regard by the Wind Cloud City Lord.

As the saying goes, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, and Fan Lang didn't even need thirty years to have such an earth-shattering transformation.

"Daughter, you could ignore him before, but you should keep him in mind from now on. Remember, his name is Fan Lang. If he expresses his love to you again, remember to handle it smoothly, and don't break his heart," Luo Jiuxiao instructed.

"Fan Lang..." Luo Hongyan repeated the name, as if it were engraved in her heart.

From now on, she could no longer ignore this name.

On the other hand, several retainers caught up with Jin Duanshan and asked him about his well-being.

"Brother Jin, that kid Fan Lang took your seat. Why didn't you deal with him just now?"

"That's right! What right does he have to sit there?"

Jin Duanshan was annoyed by the questions and waved his hand, "Get the hell out of here. If you're not convinced, go deal with him yourselves. Why are you nagging me? Don't mention Fan Lang, even that woman next to him could kill a few of you!"

These meddlesome guys were scolded and became dejected.

They had the guts to instigate Jin Duanshan, but they didn't have the guts to find trouble with Fan Lang, because they could see that Jin Duanshan seemed to be a little afraid of Fan Lang.

This kind of fear wouldn't be groundless.

As soon as the Retainer Banquet ended, Fan Lang took his follower, the Butcher Girl, to the Underground Arena. Half a day was enough for him to level up twice!