The moment they entered the grand formation, the scene changed. It turned out the formation had been concealing what lay beyond. The entire area around Sunny Rain Pavilion was packed with all sorts of lavish entourages. Some were tending to golden dragons of terrifying size, while others were feeding Sky Horses with coats of a single, pure color. It was an imposing assembly.
Xu Yi was curious. Yuwen Tuo explained that today was the Hairpin Gathering hosted by his old man, attended by talented young people of the new generation. "To be honest, I'm surprised too. The old man has never liked going to all this trouble. What's gotten into him today?"
Still, the Hairpin Gathering was an elegant affair, and without the distinguished Empty Guest, it hardly deserved the name.
Xu Yi ignored Yuwen Tuo's bragging. "Where's Director Yu? I need to see her. Take me to her."
Yuwen Tuo broke into a sweat. "Listen to yourself. You make it sound like I'm close with Sister Zixuan. If it weren't for today's grand gathering, I wouldn't even be able to get into Sunny Rain Pavilion. So asking me to find her is really asking the wrong person."
Xu Yi couldn't be bothered to listen to him ingratiate himself. "If you're no use to me, then get out of the way. I'll find her myself."
Yuwen Tuo had gotten nowhere and sheepishly withdrew. Xu Yi headed into Sunny Rain Pavilion. He had just stepped onto the Green Willow Bridge over the lotus pond when he saw that several pavilions lining the bridge were crowded with people. Every one of them had an extraordinary bearing and wore fine clothes; at a glance, most clearly came from powerful, aristocratic families.
Xu Yi swept his gaze around, but didn't spot Director Yu. Just