Flourishing Flowers Banquet (1)

Perhaps Eldest Miss Xia Youran had been a little too eager to reach a verbal agreement with Bai Ye. The very next day after leaving the place where Bai Ye and Ling Xi were staying, she came calling again.

To be honest, Bai Ye did not particularly like people who were overly enthusiastic, especially when that enthusiasm carried such a strong ulterior motive.

"Sorry, sorry, you misunderstood. I'm not here to see you this time."

Xia Youran keenly noticed the change in Bai Ye's expression and hurriedly shook the invitation in her hand. "I'm delivering a letter for someone else."

Delivering a letter?

"Whose letter?"

Bai Ye asked in confusion. He did not seem to know anyone in Flourishing Flowers Town.

"Ha ha." Xia Youran appropriately shifted her gaze away, avoiding Bai Ye's probing eyes. Her expression was somewhat awkward. "Well, the Town Head asked me to give you this invitation."

The Town Head? The Town Head of Flourishing Flowers Town?

Bai Ye frowned slightly. He had kept this trip secret from many people, so how had this Town Head learned that he was here?

With that thought, he stared at the woman before him, his Gilded Gold eyes full of scrutiny.

Under his gaze, Xia Youran felt immense pressure. Her shoulders slumped, and she sat down weakly across from Bai Ye, raising both hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, I admit it. I accidentally let it slip. Your reputation has become quite well-known across the Bei Cang Continent lately. When the Town Head heard you were here, he prepared a Flourishing Flowers Banquet Invitation to invite you over. You know our family has been competing for the Flower Honey supply rights in Flourishing Flowers Town recently, so I had no choice but to take this assignment."

Xia Youran pressed her palms together toward Bai Ye.

"Young Master Bai Ye, please save me. If you don't come with me, that uncle in charge of this deal at my family will kill me."

Heh. Bai Ye would like to see how a manager planned to kill his own Eldest Miss. That would surely be an interesting sight.

But the Flourishing Flowers Banquet?

"I accept." Bai Ye nodded. Spiritual energy surged in his hand, and the invitation instantly flew from between Xia Youran's fingers into his hand.

"If you... Huh? You accepted?"

Xia Youran raised her head, her eyes full of disbelief.

Just a moment ago, this man had looked like he was ready to kill her if she failed to give him an explanation. Xia Youran had already prepared to pay a heavy price, yet he had agreed so easily?

Bai Ye did not answer her. Instead, he opened the invitation in his hand.

It truly was worthy of the wealthiest town in Flower Honey. Even the words on the invitation were inlaid with gold. The signature bearing the three characters "Bai Ye" was crafted from fine jadeite. This simple invitation alone was already worth a considerable sum.

The contents were roughly what Xia Youran had described: the time, the location, the name of the banquet, and the name of the host. It was a perfectly standard invitation.

Bai Ye closed the invitation and nodded to Xia Youran. "I was already planning to ask the Town Head about a few things. This invitation came at just the right time. I'll attend."

"Whew, that's good." Xia Youran let out a relieved breath. It seemed she would be able to extort a few more things from Uncle Pang this time.

However, considering that this might be Bai Ye's first time in Flourishing Flowers Town, she did not leave immediately. "The Flourishing Flowers Banquet is really just a gathering. Though Flourishing Flowers Town is famous for trade, its own strength does not stand out much in the Bei Cang Continent. So every year at this time, during the Flourishing Flowers Festival, the town invites notable young talents from various sects to hold a banquet. That is the Flourishing Flowers Banquet."

"Still, the banquet itself does not carry much prestige. Every year after the invitations are sent out, only some second-rate young talents come. If it weren't for the young masters of our three great merchant guilds coming here for the trade this time, the guests they could invite would probably be no different from previous years."

This was also why the three great merchant guilds had coincidentally sent their young masters to take part in the trade. It was a gesture of goodwill toward Flourishing Flowers Town, intended to gain an edge for their respective guilds during the transaction.

But perhaps none of the three great merchant guilds had expected all three to think of the same idea and send out their young masters at the same time. They were remarkably in sync.

Then one merchant guild's young master had a brain lapse and got himself seriously injured before the trade, leaving him unable to come. That put his guild at a disadvantage during the negotiations, so it was no wonder his half-sister had called him a useless fool all the way here.

"Prestige? It's fine. I don't care about that."

Bai Ye's voice was calm.

The prestige of a banquet depended on the guests who attended it.

And as long as Bai Ye attended, the words "high prestige" would already be represented.

Xia Youran paused, then shook her head with a self-mocking smile.

Indeed, among the younger generation, whose reputation could surpass the man before her? Even if Demon Xing Tian came, he could likely only match him evenly.

But that meant Liu Ying the fly would probably be unhappy. He had long planned to become the brightest star at this Flourishing Flowers Banquet. Once Bai Ye arrived, the brilliance of his bright moon would likely become mere firefly light used to highlight another.

Just thinking about it made her happy. As long as that fly Liu Ying suffered a setback, Xia Youran would feel as refreshed as if she were standing in a cold breeze on a scorching summer day.

"Then I'll see you tonight."

Xia Youran stood up, waved to Bai Ye with a sweet smile on her pretty face, then strode out of his room on her long legs.

Bai Ye looked at the invitation resting on the table and shrugged.

He would deal with tonight's matter tonight. For now, it was more comfortable to return to his room and spend some time with Elder Sister.

After leaving the inn, Xia Youran raised her hand and looked at the index and middle fingers of her right hand. Her eyes narrowed, and her expression turned much more solemn.

Those were the two fingers that had held the invitation just now, yet before she could even react, Bai Ye had used spiritual energy to snatch it away.

It was only a tiny detail, but that detail revealed the gap in their strength.

Bai Ye was stronger than her, and not by just a little.

It seemed that during the time since leaving Suppression Dragon City, Demon Xing Tian was not the only one who had continued moving forward. This foremost prodigy of the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy had not remained stagnant either.

What about her?

Without realizing it, she seemed to have been left far behind by the two of them.

"Whew... This time, I really have to risk my life to conquer that ruin."

Back in the room, Bai Ye sat beside Ling Xi, casually picked up a book from the bed, and began reading.

When Ling Xi saw him enter, she put down the book in her hands, narrowed her eyes, and stared intently at him, as if examining something.

Bai Ye noticed her gaze and looked over at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Something's off about you." Ling Xi narrowed her eyes. "Very off."

"???"

Bai Ye lowered his head to inspect his clothes, then picked up a mirror from the side and looked at his own face.

What was off?

Wasn't everything normal?

Ling Xi reached out and pushed down the mirror in his hand. Then she slid off the bed and sat beside him, studying him seriously. "You know I'm not talking about that. You usually hate this sort of invitation most, yet this time you accepted it without even thinking. Something is very wrong."

As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes again. "Tell me, are you hiding something from me?"

"How could I hide anything from you, Elder Sister? You're overthinking it."

Bai Ye turned his head away, but Ling Xi swiftly reached out with both hands and cupped his face, preventing him from looking elsewhere.

His eyes were shifting, and the index finger of his right hand was fidgeting.

He was feeling guilty.

Ling Xi quickly reached that conclusion.

To outsiders, Bai Ye might seem fairly good at concealing himself. But before Ling Xi, whether he was lying was practically obvious at a glance.

He was far too easy to read.

"Stare~"

Ling Xi's beautiful black-and-white eyes met Bai Ye's Gilded Gold pupils.

After a moment, Ling Xi looked away.

"You can't tell me yet?"

Normally, there were almost no secrets between them. Bai Ye had never deliberately hidden anything from her, and she likewise told Bai Ye everything.

Given Bai Ye's current behavior, the only possibility was that he could not tell her for the time being.

"More or less." Bai Ye smiled. "I'll be able to tell you in a few days."

"Tch." Ling Xi could not help clicking her tongue.

She should not have asked. Now that she had, she could only sit here wondering by herself. It was a little torturous.

Her two Jade Hands, which had been cupping Bai Ye's face, shifted position and directly pinched his handsome cheeks.

That was the only way she could vent the dissatisfaction in her heart.

Bai Ye obediently let her pinch his face, with no intention of dodging or resisting.

As she pinched him, his thoughts had already drifted far away. Come to think of it, he had decided on that plan before leaving the Northern Azure Spiritual Academy.

Ling Xi might not know that coming to Flourishing Flowers Town had not been decided by her. Long ago, when Bai Ye first learned of such a place, he had already been plotting it.

Just two more days. Once the moment came when a Hundred Flowers Bloom, everything would be ready.

The Flourishing Flowers Banquet.

The banquet was held at the Town Head Manor in Flourishing Flowers Town. Taking advantage of the Flourishing Flowers Festival celebrations and the lively atmosphere, they invited some of the younger generation's talents to a feast, which also served as a display of Flourishing Flowers Town's strength.

After all, the Great Thousand World was a world where strength reigned supreme. Temporary wealth was nothing but an illusion; without sufficient strength, everything was merely a bubble.

Every Town Head of Flourishing Flowers Town had understood this clearly.

Flourishing Flowers Town was a prized morsel. It controlled more than half of the Flower Honey supply in the Bei Cang Continent. That figure sounded impressive, but in the eyes of powerful forces, it was merely a juicy piece of meat.

If Flower Honey production did not require special techniques and vast manpower, and if there were not three merchant guilds in the Bei Cang Continent, Flourishing Flowers Town might not have held its current status.

But one must remain vigilant in times of peace. If the town continued indulging in this false prosperity, its eventual fate would certainly not be good.

Thus, to prevent that from happening, every generation of Town Heads in Flourishing Flowers Town had put corresponding measures in place. The Flourishing Flowers Banquet was one of the more common measures.

It was not simply a banquet. More than that, it was a way for Flourishing Flowers Town to win over and invest in young talents, forging bonds of goodwill.

Flourishing Flowers Town invested considerable resources into the Flourishing Flowers Banquet. The Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures displayed at the banquet would be given to selected young talents through special means.

Some of those young talents would remember that goodwill and, after growing stronger in the future, offer Flourishing Flowers Town assistance within their capabilities.

In this way, the purpose of the Flourishing Flowers Banquet would be achieved.

In fact, throughout its history, Flourishing Flowers Town had survived many crises with the help of former young talents with whom it had forged such goodwill.

That was why every generation of Town Heads in Flourishing Flowers Town placed particular importance on this event.

And that was also why the three great merchant guilds had catered to its preferences by sending their young masters to participate in the trade.

So one should not underestimate a banquet that seemed to lack much prestige. The meaning behind it was enough to influence the development of an entire town.

Bai Ye sat in a carriage belonging to the Nine Summers Merchant Guild, listening to Xia Youran's endless explanation as he turned another page of his book.

He had borrowed the book from Ling Xi because he was bored.

Ling Xi sat beside him, holding a book of her own. Neither of them spoke, leaving Xia Youran's voice as the only sound echoing continuously through the carriage, which held just three people.

Only after explaining the significance of the Flourishing Flowers Banquet did Xia Youran realize that the two people before her seemed to have ignored her.

She helplessly patted her forehead. "So, do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand. It's about forging goodwill."

Bai Ye closed his book and looked at her. "It's not as though I came here with no desires at all."

"I don't think you understand at all." Xia Youran sighed helplessly. "What I mean is that some very precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures will appear at the Flourishing Flowers Banquet. With your strength and reputation, you will definitely gain something. So don't treat this banquet lightly, or you'll lose out."

"I see." Bai Ye nodded. "Understood."

Tch.

Did someone who understood look this indifferent?

Her good intentions had been wasted. Everything she had said for so long had been for nothing.

Forget it, he could just treat it as a formality. If Bai Ye did not care, that meant one less competitor for her.

Perhaps because the guests invited to this Flourishing Flowers Banquet were of higher quality, the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures on display were also extraordinary. There were even several items that made her, the Eldest Miss of the Nine Summers Merchant Guild, somewhat envious.

Flourishing Flowers Town truly lived up to its reputation for extravagant wealth.

Crossing her long, slender legs, Xia Youran leaned against the wall of the carriage and drew aside the curtain beside her.

The scenery outside had gradually become more prosperous. The carriage rolled over an exquisite stone bridge, startling the koi playing nearby. Layer after layer of ripples spread across the clear pond, while the sleeping water lilies seemed to awaken at that moment, stretching into graceful curves beneath the moonlight like the first lazy stretch after waking.

Xia Youran's attention was drawn by the sight, and her expression gradually softened.

This was the most beautiful place in all of Flourishing Flowers Town, its very center: the Town Head Manor.

The moment the carriage crossed that stone bridge, it came to a stop. It remained in place without moving forward.

Xia Youran turned her head, seeming to have already heard the bustling sounds and lively scene outside.

She looked at Bai Ye before her, her red lips parting slightly.

She spoke a single sentence.

"Young Master Ying, welcome to the Flourishing Flowers Banquet."

Well, it seemed that line had not been spoken by her...