The heavy mahogany doors slowly swung shut, sealing away the silence of the side hall and the suffocating pressure of Imperial Power.
Gu Yuejin straightened his cuffs and returned to the banquet hall, his expression unchanged.
The hall was still filled with music and dancing, as if nothing had happened.
But the moment he appeared, he keenly sensed countless gazes settling on him, seemingly casual yet unmistakable.
Scrutiny, wariness, curiosity, and even a hint of hostility that was difficult to detect.
In this Asura Field of intertwined powers, the Crown Prince Xu Tianran's summoning a new face alone was enough to send ripples across a calm lake, like a pebble tossed into its waters.
"Brother Gu Yue!"
Meng Hongchen, who had been anxiously watching the entrance, visibly relaxed when she spotted the familiar figure.
Lifting her skirt, she hurried over and asked in a lowered voice:
"How did it go? His Highness the Crown Prince didn't give you a hard time, did he?"
Seeing the genuine concern in the Girl's eyes, Gu Yuejin felt a little warmth in his heart and gently shook his head.
"Don't worry. He just gave me a few routine words of encouragement and chatted with me about the development of Soul Tools."
He glossed over the details, saying nothing of the tempting offer and the traps lurking within it.
Meng Hongchen sensed that things probably weren't so simple, but seeing that Gu Yuejin didn't wish to say more, she obediently refrained from asking. She simply linked her arm with his, as if naturally declaring her claim to him before everyone around them.
But just as one wished for calm, trouble was always brewing.
Gu Yuejin had only just returned to the little group gathered around the Hongchen siblings and Huo Yuhao, and hadn't even had