Just as the crowd murmured in low voices, each harboring different thoughts, the side door of the banquet hall opened, and a steady set of footsteps approached.
The hall immediately fell silent, and everyone turned toward the entrance.
Yunlin Prefecture Lord Bian Zhengze strode inside.
He appeared to be around fifty, with refined features and a brocade robe. A gentle smile rested on his face as his gaze swept across the gathered crowd, and he gave a slight nod.
Yet everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the person beside him.
That man wore a black tight-fitting outfit and a regulation longsaber at his waist. He stood as straight as a pine, utterly unlike the martial air carried by the disciples of the various sects present.
"Jingwu Guard Commander Zhao Lin!"
Chen Qing's gaze sharpened as he immediately recognized the man.
When the four sects had formed their alliance, he had seen Zhao Lin from afar once, and the impression had stayed with him.
He instinctively looked toward Nie Shanshan beside him, a trace of inquiry in his eyes.
Had there been precedents of Jingwu Guard higher-ups personally attending the Prefecture Lord's banquets?
Nie Shanshan understood his meaning and immediately sent him a voice transmission. "At the previous few small gatherings, this Commander Zhao... had never attended."
Chen Qing's heart stirred. He faintly sensed that this banquet was likely not merely about fostering goodwill.
The relationship between the Jingwu Guard and local sects had always been delicate. Zhao Lin's appearance today surely carried a deeper meaning.
"Greetings, Prefecture Lord! Greetings, Commander Zhao!"
Whatever they might have been thinking, everyone in the hall rose to their feet and clasped their fists in salute.
"Young talents, there is no need for such formality. Sit, sit."
Bian Zhengze smiled warmly and pressed his palm