Longevity Banquet

The Wen Family.

When Su Yi returned, he saw carriages and horses streaming like a river outside the Wen Family estate, servants thick as clouds, the whole place bustling with extraordinary liveliness.

Today was Old Madam's eightieth birthday, and the Wen Family had begun making preparations several days ago.

Not only would many clansmen from the Wen Family's branch lines take part, but many powers and important figures on friendly terms with the Wen Family would also come to offer birthday congratulations.

News of this had long since spread throughout Guangling City, drawing attention from all sides.

Su Yi did not take it seriously at all.

As an unvalued Son-in-law, whether he attended or not, he was doomed to have no one care.

"Brother-in-law!"

Su Yi had just returned when he saw a graceful, pretty figure standing there, waving at him, her delicate, bright little face full of smiles.

Wen Lingxue was a young girl in the bloom of sixteen, pure and radiant.

"Why are you standing here?"

A smile appeared on Su Yi's face.

"To wait for you, of course."

Wen Lingxue stepped forward and affectionately linked her arm through Su Yi's, saying in a crisp voice, "Brother-in-law, my mother said just now that when you came back, you should also go attend the Longevity Banquet."

"Me?"

Su Yi was startled.

Wen Lingxue explained, "My mother said it was my grandmother's order."

Su Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Wen Lingxue's grandmother was the Wen Family's Old Madam, Liang Wenbi, an old lady whose status in the Wen Family was transcendent; even the clan leader, Wen Changjing, did not dare defy her orders.

Back then, his marriage to Wen Lingzhao had been decided personally by Liang Wenbi. No matter how Wen Lingzhao's parents and the other clansmen objected, it had all been to no avail!

"Let's go."

Su Yi nodded.

After awakening the memories of his previous life, he had also thought of finding an opportunity to meet the Wen Family's Old Madam and ask about certain matters from back then.

Within the Wen Family's rows upon rows of residences, it was even more lively, with an endless stream of guests arriving to offer birthday congratulations.

In Guangling City, the Wen Family was one of the Three Great Clans, and its foundations could also be considered quite respectable. The current clan leader was Wen Changjing, and he had two younger brothers, Wen Changqing and Wen Changtai.

In addition, the Wen Family had some other collateral branches. After many years of spreading branches and scattering leaves, the Wen Family now had more than a thousand clansmen in total.

Today, many clansmen had gathered and guests had assembled; the scene was naturally far from ordinary.

In the area where the Clan Hall was located, sumptuous banquet tables had already been laid out.

"Lingxue is here."

When Su Yi and Wen Lingxue arrived, outside the Clan Hall, many young men and women waiting there all greeted Wen Lingxue one after another.

These were all members of the Wen Family's younger generation, and many were around the same age as Wen Lingxue.

Only, no matter who saw Su Yi, they all frowned, then acted as if they had not seen him.

A brocade-clad youth even said unhappily, "Su Yi, what status do you have? There is no place for you here. Leave at once, and don't spoil our mood!"

Wen Shaobei.

A talented figure among the Wen Family's younger generation.

However, he came from a branch line of the Wen Family, and his status was not equal to a main-line Wen Family descendant like Wen Lingxue.

As soon as Wen Shaobei spoke, the others all laughed and echoed him.

During this year in the Wen Family, Su Yi, as a Son-in-law, had always been looked down on by the Wen Family members. They all regarded him as a cripple, and even the servants dared to mock him with cold sneers and hot sarcasm.

Wen Lingxue said angrily, "Wen Shaobei, listen carefully. It was Grandmother who told my brother-in-law to attend the Longevity Banquet! If you drive my brother-in-law away now, could it be that you intend to go against Grandmother?"

"This..." Wen Shaobei was immediately rendered speechless.

The others were also stunned for a moment and all closed their mouths. Old Madam's orders were something they simply did not dare defy.

Wen Shaobei put on a carefree air and said, "We'll chat among ourselves. Just treat this fellow as if he doesn't exist."

From that moment on, these members of the Wen Family's younger generation clearly formed a small circle, isolating Su Yi outside it, neither asking nor caring nor paying him any heed, turning a blind eye to him.

Even Wen Lingxue, who was standing together with Su Yi, was given the cold shoulder.

Su Yi naturally would not care about any of this. He called Wen Lingxue to one side and said softly, "Lingxue, after the Longevity Banquet ends, come to my courtyard. I have something to give you."

"Ah? What is it?"

Wen Lingxue was curious.

Su Yi smiled and said, "You'll know when the time comes."

Just as he said this, a cry rang out—

"Cousin Jueyuan is here!"

Wen Shaobei and the young men and women all turned their gazes over.

Even some of the guests and elders in the nearby area had their eyes narrow.

They saw a White Robe Youth walking over from afar, with sword-like brows and starry eyes. He was dignified and handsome, his appearance quite outstanding.

"Wen Jueyuan, the most outstanding young talent of the Wen Family's current generation!"

Someone sighed with emotion.

"So it's Cousin Jueyuan."

A look of admiration appeared on Wen Lingxue's pretty face as well.

Wen Jueyuan was the son of the clan leader, Wen Changjing. At nine, he had entered Pine Cloud Sword Mansion to cultivate. At thirteen, he became an Outer Sect Disciple of Green River Sword Mansion. In just four years, he was selected in one leap to become a Green River Sword Mansion Inner Disciple.

His cultivation had already reached the fourth level of the Blood Moving Realm, "Flesh Bones"!

Such Martial Dao accomplishments, even placed in Guangling City, were enough to make some major figures sigh that they fell short!

Among the younger generation of the Wen Family, Wen Jueyuan was clearly a leader-like existence.

"Today is Grandmother's great birthday. All of you had better behave well. Don't let outsiders see our Wen Family as a joke."

After Wen Jueyuan walked over, his gaze swept over Wen Lingxue, Wen Shaobei, and the others, and he gave them a gentle reminder.

As for Su Yi, he was likewise ignored by him.

"Yes."

Everyone hurriedly agreed.

Wen Jueyuan nodded and said nothing more, heading straight into the Clan Hall to take a seat.

At this Longevity Banquet, only elders in high positions or the top figures of the younger generation were qualified to be seated inside the Clan Hall!

People like Wen Lingxue and Wen Shaobei were, for now, still not qualified.

This made the gazes they cast toward Wen Jueyuan inevitably carry a trace of envy. When would they be able to reach this step too?

"If Elder Sister were here, she definitely could as well."

Wen Lingxue said with some regret.

No one refuted those words.

The current Wen Lingzhao was a disciple of Heavenly Origin Academy!

This status alone was enough for her to sit on equal footing with the major figures of the clan.

"As far as I know, this Longevity Banquet is far from ordinary, and is extremely important to our Wen Family."

Suddenly, a young woman beside Wen Shaobei spoke softly.

"I also heard my father say that in recent years, all sorts of rumors unfavorable to our Wen Family have been spreading throughout Guangling City, saying that within ten years, our Wen Family will surely be removed from the ranks of Guangling's Three Great Clans."

Another youth pondered, then said, "And this Longevity Banquet is being held precisely to resolve this matter. The more major figures who attend today's Longevity Banquet, the more advantageous it will be for our Wen Family. Those criticisms and rumors in the city will also collapse without needing to be attacked."

Wen Shaobei said, "Then that'll depend on Uncle and Second Uncle's ability. As for Third Uncle, hehe..."

He glanced at Wen Lingxue not far away and did not continue.

In the Wen Family's main branch, Wen Changjing, as clan leader, held great authority and had the widest network of connections. Among the guests he associated with were no shortage of nobles and famous figures.

Wen Changqing was the Second Elder of the Wen Family's main branch, coordinating and managing the various businesses under the Wen Family. He likewise possessed extremely deep connections.

Only Wen Changtai, though he was the Third Elder of the main branch, had a simple, honest, and mediocre temperament. Added to his ordinary cultivation, he had almost no social dealings, and his position in the Wen Family was not high either.

If he were not Wen Changjing and Wen Changqing's younger brother, he would probably be looked down on even more.

Although Wen Shaobei had not continued speaking, how could Wen Lingxue fail to hear the meaning beyond the strings?

Her pretty face darkened. This fellow had mocked Su Yi earlier, and now he was bringing up her father, Wen Changtai. How could she not be angry?

Yet, of all things, she had no way to refute him.

She herself knew clearly that her father... was indeed a little too mediocre...

Thinking of this, Wen Lingxue felt only a stifled breath clogging her chest, and her mood also sank.

A large hand gently patted her shoulder. Immediately after, Su Yi's voice sounded by her ear:

"Lingxue, in this life, it's inevitable that we'll encounter cold eyes and ridicule. If your strength is inferior, there's no harm in enduring. But if you have the ability to strike back and still blindly endure and retreat, you'll only feed the other person's arrogance."

After pondering briefly, Wen Lingxue took a deep breath and said, "Brother-in-law, I understand."

Once she finished speaking.

She stepped up in front of Wen Shaobei and said coldly, "Apologize."

The young girl's expression was clear and cold, her tone like ice, leaving Wen Shaobei and the others, who had been conversing in low voices, all stunned.

"Lingxue, what do you mean by this? Everyone was just chatting idly. How exactly did I offend you?"

Wen Shaobei frowned.

At this moment, Wen Lingxue seemed incomparably forceful. Her clear eyes stared at Wen Shaobei like lightning as she enunciated each word:

"If you don't apologize, I'll tell Uncle and the others every single word you just said. I'd like to see whether they'll let you off!"

"I..."

Wen Shaobei's expression shifted between dark and light.

Everyone beside him shut their mouths, not daring to get involved.

No matter what, Wen Lingxue was a clanswoman of the main line!

Her father was the Third Elder of the main line, the clan leader Wen Changjing's own younger brother. In terms of status alone, branch clansmen like them simply could not compare.

And Wen Lingxue's elder sister, Wen Lingzhao, was now a disciple of Heavenly Origin Academy, someone even the clan leader and the others valued immensely!

Under these circumstances, if Wen Lingxue exposed the matter, there was no need to even think about it—the one who suffered would definitely be Wen Shaobei.

"I'll say it one more time. Apologize!"

Seeing Wen Shaobei's expression keep changing while he remained silent for a long time, Wen Lingxue's face grew colder and colder. Though the girl was only sixteen, once she became angry, she actually gave off an enormous pressure.

Wen Shaobei lowered his head with difficulty, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "I... was wrong..."

An indescribable delight immediately surged up in Wen Lingxue's heart, but her mouth remained cold as she said, "Louder. I didn't hear you."

Wen Shaobei looked as if he had been utterly crushed, his expression dejected, his voice bitter. "Lingxue, I was wrong. I hope you won't take it to heart."

Looking at the others again, all of them were silent as cicadas in winter.

Taking all of this in, Su Yi could not help nodding to himself.

People all had to grow.

P.S. I discovered that there are a lot of girls leaving messages in the cameo thread. It feels like I've got so much prestige...