The Banquet • Part Two

The banquet was in full swing, but Zhu Yufeng felt it had nothing to do with him. He was still reflecting on his actions during the Tenth Herrscher incident.

Just then, Kevin's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Maple."

Zhu Yufeng looked over at the sound and saw Kevin, Su, and Kosma dressed in formal attire. Speaking of which, Pardo and Disaster seem to be getting along quite well lately. Kosma, you should at least show some concern for your childhood sweetheart.

Kevin looked Zhu Yufeng up and down and said, "This is... Lilith's recommendation?"

Sue, standing beside him, had her hands in her pockets, ready to gag Kevin with a handkerchief at any moment.

Zhu Yufeng nodded.

Kevin smiled slightly. He knew it. After all, Lilith had told May that their leader never cared about clothing and always needed her help. So when he saw Zhu Yufeng, he immediately thought that this was probably Lilith's arrangement.

Kosma looked at Zhu Yufeng without saying a word.

(As expected of that woman, she's absolutely flawless... But you always follow Feng's instructions too much, and you never care about whether Feng is right or wrong. Feng... can't go down that path again like last time.)

Noticing that Kosma was staring at him, Zhu Yufeng looked at Kosma with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Kosma, there's a ball coming up. You and Disaster will be dancing, right?"

Kosma stiffened, his gaze becoming somewhat unfocused. "... This, I... I probably won't..."

(Why are we talking about Disaster...? I've been so busy with training these past few days that I forgot about it... Besides, I can't dance...)

Kevin glanced at Kosma and said, "She seems to have been waiting for your invitation."

Neither of them is giving him any peace of mind. No, Feng's situation is special; he really can't go to Lilith yet, but Kosma, you're just...

Kosma: "!"

Shao's cheeks flushed red, and even her voice lost its previous maturity. "Kevin, what are you saying... I... she... cough cough, Feng, have you found a dance partner?"

That was an awkward attempt to change the subject.

Zhu Yufeng thought to himself, but seeing that Kosma was about to explode, he didn't ask any more questions. He then took over the conversation and said, "It's Elysia."

After finishing pinching Ling's face, Elysia heard Zhu Yufeng's reply, and her cheeks flushed slightly again.

Maple... he admitted it without even realizing it.

When Alicia saw Kevin arrive, Elysia was practically developing PTSD. Every time he appeared, he inevitably mentioned Lilith, and he was always right...

Everything Kevin said this time was exactly what she expected, but she couldn't help feeling a little discouraged. At least for now, Feng had no intention of going to find Lilith, although she didn't know why...

"Elysia?" Kevin looked at Elysia, and after calculating that he was no match for the current Elysia, he decided not to express his opinion for the time being. Besides, Feng had already admitted that Elysia was his dance partner, so he didn't need to say anything more.

He knew about Elysia's feelings for Zhu Yufeng, after all, he had attended that the Final Banquet, but he still felt that Lilith and Zhu Yufeng were a mismatch.

Kevin still doesn't understand why he was beaten up by Elysia when he attended the Final Banquet; he just thinks Elysia wanted to see who was stronger between him and her.

Seeing that Kevin finally stopped talking, Sue quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and the handkerchief she was holding in her pocket loosened.

It's so hard for him to ensure Kevin's safety.

"I know a little bit about dancing too," a thought inexplicably crossed Sakura's mind.

Quickly, the banquet drew to a close amidst casual conversation, which was just the beginning of the dance.

The ball was entirely voluntary, and for Hen, there was no need for him to attend. He only stayed to check the situation. Most of the older warriors had already left, leaving time for the younger ones.

"Hmm? Vincent? I thought you weren't interested in these things anymore." Hen noticed that the blond-haired girl next to him didn't seem to be leaving.

"After all, I'm past my 20s now," Vincent said with a smile. "It's just that I'm a little more interested in the stories of the younger generation now."

Hen's eyes flickered, and he hooked one arm around Vincent's neck, whispering, "Elysia and Maple?"

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to care about these things, Hen."

"After all, they are both very outstanding juniors," Hen said with a smile.

"Yes, they are all outstanding." Vincent looked towards the center of the venue. "The beautiful relationship between young girls always makes an old man like me, who is almost thirty, envious."

Vincent may look light, but he and Hen are warriors of the same generation.

Hen's smile faded slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Shouldn't you be getting over that by now?"

Vincent smiled faintly, "No need to worry, I'm used to it. After all, Aisha... surely wouldn't want me to stay depressed like this."

He continued, "Speaking of which, it was Elysia, this junior who always brings light to others, who helped me out of my predicament. As her senior, all I can do is wish her well. Oh, by the way, I didn't have time to send my congratulatory gift when your daughter Griseo was born. I'll make it up to her later."

"Then I'll look forward to it a little? Speaking of which, Elysia has always been a child." Hen's eyes were filled with gentle smiles. "Maple is the same. Although he may still be stuck in the past and hasn't gotten over it, as long as Elysia is by his side, he will get over it sooner or later."

The music started playing.

Kevin walked over to May and extended his hand to his lover. He had already told May before the party started that although May didn't think she could dance, Kevin could, and he said that May just needed to follow his steps slowly, and he would slow down.

Having experienced the previous incident, Kevin cherishes every moment he can spend embracing Mei even more.

That's why he unusually insisted on having Mei dance with him.

"It's really amazing..." Zhu Yufeng looked at the two of them, feeling deeply moved. If Fan Mei had survived, Kevin wouldn't have become as obsessed as he was in the main storyline.

Speaking of which, why didn't I let Mei be reborn with her memories intact? Was it really only Thirteen Flame-Chasers and myself who were reborn? What exactly is the reason for this rebirth?

Elysia glanced at Zhu Yufeng, took a few steps forward to the center edge of the hall, and then extended her hand to him. "Well then, it's our time now~"

"Mm." Zhu Yufeng nodded, reached out and took Elysia's hand, and the two walked hand in hand into the center of the venue.

Kosma stood at the edge of the venue, not even daring to glance at Disaster beside him.

(Um... why hasn't Disaster left yet? Would it be inappropriate for me to leave now? But the two of us are just standing here... should I say something? Or should I just stay silent?)

Even Pardo couldn't bear to watch anymore. So this is what you're like, Amo. Let's have a moment of silence for Sister Daisy.

At least Brother Yu Feng wouldn't just stand there doing nothing—he'd probably just leave...

She walked over and shoved Kosma toward Disaster: "Amo, didn't you say you wanted to dance with Sister Daisy?"

Kosma: "???"

When did he say that?

Before he could even speak, Disaster had already grabbed his hand. "Oh my, I never expected you Amo, to have this idea."

Kosma hurriedly tried to explain, "No, I..."

Disaster wouldn't give him a chance to finish speaking, pulling Kosma towards the center of the venue, while giving Pardo an encouraging look.

Pardo watched Disaster and Kosma leave, then turned her gaze to Zhu Yufeng and Elysia, who were dancing. It has to be said that the two of them were almost the focus of the entire ball; they were a perfect match.

"It seems like a lot of people are watching us. Are you nervous, Maple?" Elysia said with a soft laugh.

"Well, a little... I'm not used to being watched by so many people..." Zhu Yufeng replied.

"Hmm, shy Feng is cute too~"

"Stop talking... I'm afraid I'll misstep the beat..."

As soon as the song ended and Zhu Yufeng breathed a sigh of relief, Elysia said with a smile, "Then I'll be leaving for now~"

Zhu Yufeng: "?"

Before he could react, Pardo timidly stepped forward from behind and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yu Feng, can we dance together next?"

Zhu Yufeng was taken aback. So this is what Elysia meant? He thought Elysia would mind, since he knew that Pardo had been practicing dancing with Disaster these past few days.

Just to extend an invitation requires immense courage.

Although Zhu Yufeng felt that this courage was misplaced, he would never betray it. He extended his hand to Pardo and said, "Yes, sir."

He grasped Pardo's hand and could even feel her trembling slightly. He chuckled softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm not some man-eating monster."

"Hmm..." Pardo calmed down a little.

Elysia casually picked up a bunch of grapes and watched Zhu Yufeng and Pardo dance with a smile. She wasn't worried about it, after all, Feng's first dance partner was her.

Compared to all of this... she still thought Lilith was more terrifying. Maybe she should find some time to bury Kevin? Elysia's thoughts wandered aimlessly, filled with ideas she would never actually act on.

"That girl has a lot of courage," Vincent commented.

"Yes, that's just how young people are. How can they turn back without experiencing a few setbacks?" Hen nodded.

The second song ended quickly, Zhu Yufeng praised, "You danced very well, Pardo."

"No, there were a few times I almost missed the beat, and I had to rely on Brother Yu Feng to correct me." Pardo a little embarrassed.

"As Scholar, you're already very good," Zhu Yufeng said with a smile, while glancing out of the corner of his eye and noticing that other girls seemed to be coming over to invite him.

He thought to himself, "I should refuse."

Suddenly, all the lights in the venue went out.

Hen Vincent tensed immediately. While the young soldiers were at a loss, Vincent spoke first, "Stay calm! This might just be a power outage!"

In the darkness, Zhu Yufeng remained calm. He already knew who was behind this... Then, it seemed as if someone pulled him and moved him in a certain direction.

The lights came on again, focusing on the very center of the venue.

"Welcome... to the dance of the greatest Magician of the 2nd century and the most dazzling new star of the Fire Moth!"

"It is indeed Vill-V ..." Zhu Yufeng looked at Vill-V holding his hand with a headache. He was wondering why he had only seen Vill-V once after arriving at the venue. At that time, he felt that Vill-V might be trying to cause trouble. Fortunately, at least she did not knock him out and lock him in a dark room.

What else could he do? He could only join her in waving to the audience.

The third piece begins.

Vincent relaxed his tense body and smiled helplessly, "It seems that our rising star is more popular than we expected. Even that crazy... Magician is so fond of him."

Hen once again doubted whether Zhu Yufeng had saved the world in his past life.

"I knew you would cooperate with me, Yu Feng," Vill-V said with a smile.

"Evil ..." Zhu Yufeng said the name of this personality, "As long as it's not too outrageous, I will cooperate with you."

"Oh? It seems you know something." Vill-V's eyebrows curved into a smile. To outsiders, she was just smiling, but only a closer look would reveal the eeriness behind her smile.

"You put eavesdropping and tracking devices in my badge and the weapon I received, didn't you?"

"Hmm~ You don't mind?" Vill-V tilted her head.

Zhu Yufeng smiled lightly, "Mind? What good would it do if I minded? Besides, I have nothing to hide. What would it matter if you let me go?" Even if he dismantles it, Evil will still try to monitor him from other places in various ways. Rather than that, it's better to let him have his way.

Vill-V's smile returned to normal, and she said softly, "That's why I can't live without you..."

After the three songs were over, although she still had enough stamina, Zhu Yufeng didn't plan to dance anymore. She wasn't physically tired, but mentally exhausted.

He looked towards Kosma's direction, but Kosma was nowhere to be seen. Disaster was talking to Pardo, while Elysia was teasing Mobius as usual, leaving Mobius looking frustrated but helpless.

Just as he was about to leave, Sakura came to his side and whispered, "Maple, after the ball, can we take a walk together for a while?"

Could he refuse? He couldn't, and he wouldn't.

He simply asked, "Where's the bell?"

"I've already taken her back to her hometown."

No wonder I haven't seen Sakura since the ball started.

Since Xin Ying had already spoken, he could only stay in the venue and wait for the ball to end and everyone to leave.

After the event ended, Zhu Yufeng told Elysia that he and Sakura had left. Although Elysia was a little bothered, she didn't want to follow him and decided to ask again the next day.

The two arrived at the courtyard outside the venue, bathed in moonlight. This stirred up Zhu Yufeng's memories; the day Lilith confessed to him was also like this...

Lilith ... I hope she's doing well now. No, she says she doesn't like living this kind of life at all. Sigh...

Sakura seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally extending her hand to Zhu Yufeng: "Feng, can I... dance a song with you?" Then she quickly explained, "I... still don't like the feeling of being watched by a lot of people."

"Ah, no problem... Of course, that's fine."