Alliance Matters

As Yun Shan led the representatives of the Misty Cloud Sect into the venue at an unhurried pace, the nobles and major powers of the Jia Ma Empire had all taken their seats.

Following Xiao Zhan's instructions, someone raised a hand to signal the attendants to begin the banquet. In an instant, the sounds of toasting and clinking cups rose one after another throughout Xiao Manor's courtyard.

Amber liquor shimmered in crystal cups, its clear radiance mingling with the fragrance of the sumptuous dishes spread across the tables. The soft strains of wind and string instruments drifted through the air, blending with the guests' hearty laughter beneath the resplendent palace lanterns.

At their seats, imperial nobles and leaders of various factions raised their cups in mutual toasts, exchanging nothing but courteous pleasantries. Members of the Xiao Family moved between the tables, warmly pouring wine and serving food, weaving the joy of their family's revival into every greeting.

Moonlight poured down over the vermilion pillars and gold-and-red silk ribbons, staining the boisterous courtyard scene with an even fiercer, more vivid glow.

Yet although the guests traded toasts, their gazes kept darting around the courtyard, faint curiosity impossible to conceal between their brows.

After all, this banquet had been arranged for Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan, the two outstanding geniuses of the Xiao Family, upon their return home. Since the protagonists had yet to appear, even those nobles and sect members accustomed to grand occasions could not help wondering what the Xiao Family was planning.

Fortunately, the wait did not last long.

Only a short while after the banquet began, the space in the center of the hall suddenly quivered. Visible ripples of space spread outward like rings on water.

This subtle disturbance instantly alarmed everyone present. The crisp clinking of cups