He really came!
In the deathly stillness, everyone turned around in unison.
He looked like any old man one might see on the streets: short and thin, white-haired, with a kindly smile, dressed in a rather refined set of cloth clothes. All he lacked was a birdcage in his hand.
He was utterly out of place in the gold and jade splendor of the banquet hall.
Yet this very short, skinny old man had plunged the entire venue into silence. No one knew how many people instinctively rose and lowered their heads, trying to welcome him.
It had been too long.
The authority he had built over the years, and the blood he had spilled, had left them afraid to raise their heads and look directly at that face. The moment they caught the scent of fear, they instinctively wanted to kneel and display their obedience.
But when they sensed the cold gazes coming from the other side, they froze where they stood.
Like straws swaying back and forth between two raging winds, they were drenched in sweat and caught in a dilemma.
"What's wrong, Shuo? Why do you look so awful?"
Ling Liu looked at one of the adopted sons he had once thought most highly of, his smile warm as ever. "On such a fine day, you wouldn't blame an old man like me for showing up uninvited, would you?"
"Oh, Elder Ling, what are you saying? Welcome, welcome!"
Ling Shuo slapped his forehead and barked, "What the hell is the master of ceremonies doing? Why is Elder Ling still standing at the door? Anyone who didn't know better would think I had no manners—Reversing Heavenly Dipper, isn't it?"
As he spoke, he gestured inside. "Please, hurry in! Seat our honored guest!"
Unfortunately, Ling Liu did not move.