A Toast Beneath Stars and Moon

Recommendation Tickets, please.

Zhu Yanfeng and Ding Bingyuan ranked among the family's core "Zhaowu Nine Elders," both renowned high-level or peak Soul Douluo, yet in Old Shi's mouth they sounded like two ordinary juniors being mentioned in passing.

From his tone, he was quite familiar with the two of them, but there was no way Xia Yun would not know that. That was what made it strange.

Chen Xiaojun could not help asking, "You're quite familiar with those elders?"

Old Shi merely took a casual sip of wine. "Naturally, I know them. But Young Master,"

His heavy eyes turned toward Chen Xiaojun. "You need not dig into my background. All you need to know is that I'm nothing more than an old bag of bones in the family, with one foot in the grave."

Since he had put it that way, though Chen Xiaojun's curiosity had not lessened, he knew it was inappropriate to press further, so he said with relief, "You're too modest. Anyone who can sit in your position is already one of the family's pillars holding up the sky."

Old Shi nodded indifferently and returned to the topic. "So, Young Master, what matter had you worrying enough to drink alone beneath the moon?"

Chen Xiaojun considered briefly, then gave Old Shi a concise account of the quota allocation and the competitive pressure among the regions that had been discussed earlier in the Council Hall.

Old Shi listened quietly. His aged fingers rubbed the rim of his wine cup, and only after a moment did he slowly speak. "So it's a matter of where each faction's backside sits, and the seat has already been fixed."

Chen Xiaojun smiled wryly. "Yes. This move by the Imperial Ministry of Education rather feels like forcing a duck onto a perch."