Over the next two days, Chen Qing's little courtyard lost its usual tranquility.
Quite a few Inner Sect disciples, and even some stewards, came calling.
Most of them came from prominent families or were attached to certain factions.
Their purpose was nothing more than to test Chen Qing's attitude and sound him out. Secondly, they wanted to make themselves familiar faces and forge a good connection, paving the way for any future dealings.
Chen Qing saw through such social niceties perfectly well.
By nature, he disliked bustle and had even less desire to be drawn into the tangled whirlpool of factional struggles too early.
Thus, he mostly received them politely, exchanged a few brief pleasantries, then sent them away one by one on the grounds that he needed to consolidate his cultivation. He was neither overly warm nor lacking in courtesy.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yu's standing on Xuwang Mountain also rose with the tide.
Everyone knew he was Chen Qing's "lackey." Many small groups on Xuwang Mountain knew they could not easily approach the reclusive Chen Qing directly, so they turned to Zhu Yu instead, currying favor and inviting him into their circles.
Faced with these olive branches, Zhu Yu kept an exceptionally clear head.
He knew full well that everything he had was tied to Chen Qing. If he tried to play both sides now, he might instead earn Chen Qing's displeasure.
Therefore, he politely declined every invitation from the other small circles.
What made him truly feel the change was what happened at the Myriad Phenomena Hall.
When he went as usual to look over the sect missions, intending to take on a few jobs to earn Contribution Points, a Steward Ruan who had usually treated him coldly actually took the initiative to recommend a long-term assignment guarding one