The Qin Clan Banquet Begins; Receiving Gifts Until My Hands Go Numb

As time passed, the invitations for the tenth birthday banquet of the Qin Clan's Ninth Young Master finally spread throughout the Heavens.

Even those not born into Imperial Clans now understood the weight of this banquet—

This was the Qin Clan, one of the "Ten Heads and Three Heavens" under the Heavenly Emperor, and it marked the first formal public appearance of that Qilin Child who possessed the Longevity Immortal Body.

Undercurrents surged across the various continents:

There were Royal Clan princesses who burned incense and bathed for three months, all to perfect their performance of the Song of the Rainbow Dress Breaking Formation.

There were Alchemy Grandmasters who exhausted half a lifetime of savings to refine a furnace of Nine-Turn Profound Spirit Pills as a congratulatory gift.

And there was no shortage of First-Class Clans who hastily altered their genealogies, the ink barely dry, just to force a connection to the Qin Clan...

The reason was simple—

If one could catch the eye of that young master, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, ascending to the heavens in a single bound.

At the same time, the position of his primary wife represented a union between families.

Everyone wanted this opportunity.

As the morning light began to glimmer, the Wangchuan Pavilion was already adorned with star-patterned silk.

When Li Qingluan stepped into the inner chamber holding a jade comb, she happened upon a scene of chaos between Qin Wangchuan and his servant.

"Young Master! How are you supposed to wear these clothes?"

"I can do it myself."

"That won't do! You have a noble body..."

"Let me." She stepped forward softly, efficiently unfolding the cumbersome garments and gesturing for Qin Wangchuan to put them on. Her gaze inadvertently fell upon the half-eaten snack on the table nearby, and a hint of doting helplessness rippled through her glazed eyes:

"You are quite leisurely; everyone outside is running themselves ragged for your banquet."

Qin Wangchuan shrugged at her words: "It only looks that way."

Before the words had even faded, his hair was suddenly tugged—not too hard, but firmly.

Li Qingluan had moved behind him at some point, and the cool jade comb was now caught in a knot in his hair.

"Don't move." As her fingertips brushed against the youth's delicate collarbone, Ye Jianwei stepped back with tacit understanding.

She was merely a servant, while Miss Li was the legitimate daughter of the Li Clan, possessing a status just as noble; she dared not harbor the slightest dissatisfaction.

Amidst the soft sound of the comb teeth parting the morning mist, a very faint sigh suddenly mingled: "...Your hair has grown longer than it was last year."

"Has it?" Qin Wangchuan touched the ends of his hair. "I hadn't noticed."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Li Qingluan.

The bronze mirror reflected their overlapping figures.

Her movements as she tied up her hair were as sharp as if she were wielding a sword; the dark gold ribbon wove through her locks like a swimming dragon, yet she suddenly softened her touch when it came time to tie the knot.

"You've been visiting quite frequently this past year. Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to me?" Qin Wangchuan raised an eyebrow, asking half-jokingly.

Ever since she returned from the lower realm last time, Li Qingluan had come to visit from time to time.

To his surprise, the elders of his family not only didn't stop her, but even granted her the special privilege of entering and exiting Wangchuan Pavilion at will.

While he was not averse to romance, he only ever viewed the person before him as a good friend.

"How could that be?" Li Qingluan covered her brows and chuckled softly. Her glass-like eyes narrowed slightly, the upward curve of their corners resembling a crescent moon, carrying a hint of playfulness.

Her fingertips rested lightly against her lips as she feigned surprise. "You are still young; how could you have such thoughts?"

"Besides, I've long heard that the elders of the Qin Clan have arranged a fiancée for you. I wonder who could be so lucky."

Her voice was soft and gentle, tinged with a hint of regret.

Yet, she deliberately drew out the final syllable, like a feather brushing against his ear.

After a year of spending time together, she had accepted it, even if it was an arrangement made by the family.

The person before her was the husband she, Li Qingluan, had chosen.

"I was overthinking it?"

Qin Wangchuan hadn't believed it at first, but seeing her expression, it didn't seem like she was faking it.

"All right."

Li Qingluan stepped back half a pace and suddenly produced a white jade box from her sleeve. "A congratulatory gift."

Seeing the young man raise an eyebrow and move to open it, she immediately reached out to steady his hand, her jaw tightening as she added:

"The inner banquet is about to begin. You should hurry over."

Qin Wangchuan looked up and caught a faint flush creeping up the tips of her ears.

On the way, he opened the white jade box. Inside, a Concentric Knot lay quietly.

With red silk cords and gold thread, the tail end was tied in a crooked, uneven knot—it was clearly handmade.

"How thoughtful."

He let out a low chuckle, his fingertips brushing over the texture of the knot, and casually tied it to his waist.

Stepping out of Wangchuan Pavilion, the carriage was already waiting.

The Qin Clan's internal banquet was held at Star Meteor Pavilion, with the external banquet to follow afterward.

When Qin Wangchuan entered the venue at the first chime of the seventh hour, several clan elders looked toward him simultaneously, their gazes filled with hope.

The Old Ancestor and the Wood Ancestor had also personally made an appearance, a rare sight even within the Qin Clan.

"Ninth Brother." Eldest Brother Qin Wudao was the first to step forward. As his sleeves billowed, a pitch-black flying sword wreathed in Chaos Aura tore through the air and embedded itself at Qin Wangchuan's feet. "A gift for you."

The expressions of the elders shifted—this sword actually carried the aura of the primordial chaos from the dawn of creation?

But that was not what surprised them most.

"Eldest Brother, did you really have..." Qin Zhaoer looked at the flying sword slanted in front of her with an ugly expression, but she was silenced the next moment as Second Brother Qin Xuanji covered her mouth.

"Don't say anything bad today." He then looked at the crowd with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, sorry. You all know Eldest Brother's old habit."

"Old habit?" Qin Wudao looked at the few stick figures in front of him with a strange expression.

He blinked and leaned in closer. Had he mistaken the people again?

And why were you the one apologizing? Who is the older brother here, anyway?

This time, Second Brother Qin Xuanji's face looked a bit more normal, though it was hard to tell if it was his true face.

He walked up slowly and tied a pendant to Qin Wangchuan's waist, saying, "I found this in an ancient ruin. It can conceal one's aura, but remember, this thing is useless against a Great Emperor."

"Thank you, Second Brother."

However, looking at the item, Qin Wangchuan felt a bit suspicious. "Second Brother, shouldn't you be keeping something like this as a treasure? Are you really willing to give it to me?"

It wasn't that Qin Xuanji was stingy, but giving away something that fit his style so perfectly didn't seem right.

However, he understood the next moment.

Qin Xuanji pulled open his collar, revealing several identical pendants hanging inside.

You really are something, Second Brother.

"Wait!" Qin Zhaoer had sharp eyes. Just as the Second Brother was gifting the pendant, she caught a glimpse of the Concentric Knot at Qin Wangchuan's waist, and her voice suddenly spiked. "Where did this lousy rope come from?!"

"Which woman gave it to you?"

Seeing everyone looking at her with strange expressions, she suddenly lost her confidence.

"Hmph!" Her goose-yellow skirt swept past like a whirlwind. Qin Zhaoer tossed a brocade box at Qin Wangchuan and turned to run, only to be grabbed by the back of her collar and dragged back by him.

He opened the brocade box with one hand, revealing a pair of Shark Pearl Earrings resting inside.

She stood with her hands on her hips, a playful expression on her face. "I searched for a long time to find these. Put them on and let your sister see."

"They suit you so well~"

It was clearly a prank by Qin Zhaoer.

Qin Wangchuan chuckled. He didn't get angry at the child; instead, he took the earrings and fastened them onto her ears.

He flicked the dangling earrings with his finger, stepped back half a pace to inspect them, and smiled faintly.

"Very beautiful."

Instantly, the crowd burst into laughter.

The sharp-eyed seniors nodded in satisfaction.

With just a few words, he defused the situation. This boy not only possesses heaven-defying talent and strength, but he is also impeccable in every other regard.

"You! You!!" Qin Zhaoer pointed at Qin Wangchuan with one hand while touching her earlobe with the other, her cheeks flushed red as she struggled to form a complete sentence for a long while.

"Hahaha, since you've all finished giving your gifts, then take a punch from me as a congratulatory present!"

The bare-chested strong man suddenly threw a punch, the force of which made the formations of the Star Meteor Pavilion flicker unsteadily.

Qin Wangchuan was just about to defend himself when he saw his fourth brother suddenly brake, opening his palm to reveal what was inside.

A token.