Zhu Suijie was a down-and-out young master, but he always carried himself with impeccable poise. Resources were hard for the lower-rung Wu Clan to come by. Even ordinary Profound Yellow Pills were a decent haul for them. He'd handed out quite a few along the way and received plenty of respectful greetings in return.
Before long, a deep, melodious chime rang out. The several thousand members of the Wu Clan in attendance took their places around a platform formed from a massive, dark stone. More than a dozen people stood atop it. After receiving a reminder from Huang Mei, Xu Yi hurriedly leaped onto the platform. At its center stood a dark copper furnace, its Law Patterns gleaming.
All Xu Yi had to do was light the furnace. Then, once a few elders had finished speaking, the Jade Pool Gathering would officially begin. But the moment he stepped onto the platform, everyone there looked at him in confusion. Xu Yi took out his source token, lit it up, and clasped his hands in apology. "I've been a little under the weather lately. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The red-robed elder at the center spoke warmly. "Young friend, do take care of yourself. In past years, we've always troubled you to light the flame, and we've imposed on you far too much. We won't trouble you this year. We've invited a young friend from the Lie family to light it instead. If you're interested, you're welcome to watch with us."
In an instant, Xu Yi's face flushed scarlet. He himself didn't think much of it, but now that the performance had begun, he had to play his part to the hilt. Lighting the Bright Flame was a privilege reserved for Zhu Suijie, and a mark of his dignity. To replace him without