Who Is the Guest at the Vast Sky Banquet

East Street, Jinghua Pavilion.

This building is a rare nine-story structure, the tallest in the Outer City.

Even in the Inner City, only two high-rises can compare to it.

The nine-story eaves of this tallest building in the Outer City spread out like the wings of a Kunpeng, its green bricks and dark tiles exuding the weight of a century of history.

Noble families from the Inner City often come here to host guests.

This is simply because the Kuotian Chamber on the top floor is renowned for the saying: "Leaning on the railing, one can overlook the entire city; raising a cup, one can invite the stars and moon."

The plaque itself was inscribed by the former magistrate, and ordinary people do not even have the qualifications to set foot on the top floor.

At this moment, the Kuotian Chamber is brilliantly lit, with gilded lamps making the entire room glow.

The long sandalwood table is filled with distinguished guests, all of whom are descendants of the four great families of Kuoshan County: the Qin, Ning, Shen, and Yuan families.

"Brother Qin is truly generous!"

Yuan Qi shakes his ivory folding fan, his gaze sweeping over the carved beams and painted pillars as he clicks his tongue in wonder.

"This Kuotian Chamber is worth a thousand gold and is hard to book; only Brother Qin has the influence to make the Green Garment Sect willingly vacate it."

"Brother Yuan, you flatter me."

Ning Yuan raises an eyebrow, teasing:

"With your Yuan family's All-Hearing underground secret chamber, dug over ten layers deep and hiding all the turbulence of Kuoshan, why would you envy this nine-story building?"

"Ning Yuan!"

Yuan Qi retorts, unconvinced:

"Brother Ning, you'd like to book the Kuotian Chamber, but do you have the connections? Your family only deals in furs and hides; do you even understand such refined tastes?

It's only by basking in Brother Qin's light that we can catch a glimpse of this 'overlooking heaven and earth' scenery."

"Alright, enough bickering."

Qin Yuwei raises a hand to stop them, a gentle smile playing on his lips:

"My sister's incident a few days ago dampened everyone's spirits, so today I am using this Kuotian Chamber to offer my apologies.

The Outer City mansions are dull, and it just so happened that the Green Garment Sect vacated the venue, so I invited everyone for a small gathering."

Shen Lian, sitting to the side, laughs, his gaze drifting toward Qin Yurong with a hint of familiarity in his tone:

"Who doesn't know that the young sect leader of the Green Garment Sect, one of the Four Sects and Seven Gangs, admires Brother Qin?

To her, this Kuotian Chamber is nothing more than a trivial object she could give away on a whim!"

"Young Master Shen, watch your words."

Qin Yuhui knits her willow-leaf brows, her tone carrying a young girl's haughtiness:

"Why would my brother need to trouble others for his affairs?

It is simply that Jinghua Pavilion remembers the Qin Family's past patronage and offered it voluntarily; stop spouting nonsense here."

The smile on Shen Lian's face stiffens; he is impatient but dares not lash out, so he can only shut his mouth sheepishly.

He turns to look at Qin Yurong, his tone suddenly becoming concerned:

"Sister Yurong, have you been well these days?

After the incident at Chunhua Restaurant that day, I haven't been able to eat or sleep, always worried that the villain Wang Teng might have harmed you, damaged your spirit, or tainted your reputation..."

"Young Master Shen, you worry too much."

Qin Yurong interrupts coldly, her tone distant:

"Wang Teng didn't get within a step of me that day; our family's guest elder already cut him down in the restaurant, so there is no need for you to concern yourself."

Shen Lian is choked into silence and hurriedly gives his sister, Shen Jie, a look.

Shen Jie immediately smooths things over with a gentle smile:

"Don't blame her, Sister Yurong; my brother is just too worried about you.

After all, Wang Teng acted recklessly, and if there had been any mishap, it would have been detrimental to your reputation, which is why he asked a few extra questions."

"Yes, exactly!"

Shen Lian quickly chimes in:

"It was my lack of consideration; please forgive me, Sister Yurong."

These words sound like concern, but they actually imply that the incident that day affected her chastity. The fingers of Qin Yurong, who is holding a teacup, pause slightly, finding the words grating.

"Sister Shen, that is biased."

Yuan Yue, the young lady of the Yuan family, takes up the conversation with a forthright tone:

"It was merely Wang Teng acting like a thug, so why bring up reputation?

Besides, the young hero Yang, the Jade-Faced Tiger, acted righteously, and that Wang Teng didn't even last three moves under his hand!"

The Yuan family is famous for being well-informed, and as soon as Yuan Yue says this, the whole room is shocked.

"Is that so?"

Ning Yuan looked at Qin Yuwei, his tone full of admiration:

"Congratulations to Brother Qin for adding another fierce warrior to your ranks!

To reach the Body Tempering realm at twenty and make the Top Hundred Ranking—with such talent, if polished well, his future will be limitless!"

"Reaching Body Tempering at twenty is truly rare in the Outer City."

Yuan Qi also nodded in agreement:

"The Qin Family's eye for talent is truly well-deserved."

Qin Yurong listened to everyone's praise, a trace of joy flitting through her heart.

Qin Yuwei smiled:

"Guest Elder Yang is indeed young and promising, with infinite potential.

With his aptitude, breaking through to Tendon Changing and Bone Forging in the future is merely a matter of time."

Seeing everyone praising Yang Ning, who came from a "peasant" background, Shen Lian felt indignant.

However, he feigned indifference on the surface, lightly swirling his wine glass as he said:

"Brother Qin's hospitality toward the talented is certainly a virtue.

But he is only ninety-seventh on the Top Hundred Ranking, the tail end of the lower list; which of us here hasn't been on it?

It is merely a matter of luck and catching a favorable wind.

People from the Outer City, after all, have limited foundations."

"That is an unpleasant thing to say, Young Master Shen."

Qin Yuhui immediately retorted:

"Who hasn't been on it?

I wonder when Young Master Shen passed the five stages of Foundation Establishment to achieve Body Tempering?

Was it at the age of twenty? Why have I never heard of it?"

Shen Lian was rendered speechless; arguing with a young girl would only lower his standing if word got out, so he had to swallow his anger.

"Alright, alright, let us not damage our harmony."

Shen Jie quickly changed the subject, casting her gaze toward Qin Yuwei:

"Brother Qin, why haven't we started the banquet yet? We have long been eager to taste the Kuotian Feast of the Kuotian Chamber."

Qin Yuwei smiled, his gaze shifting toward the door:

"No rush, there is still one important guest who has yet to arrive."

"Oh? Who could it be that makes Brother Qin wait like this?"

Yuan Qi asked curiously.

"You all saw him at Chunhua Restaurant a few days ago."

"It is none other than the East Street Patrol Commander, Lord Gong Tian."

"It is actually Gong Tian!"

Ning Yuan exclaimed in surprise:

"The 'Bright Jade Hand' Gong Tian, ranked fifty-second on the upper list?

I thought that day was just a chance encounter; I never expected Brother Qin to have such a private friendship with him!

I hear this man is as proud as a crane, possesses formidable martial arts, and has an aloof temperament; ordinary people cannot even catch his eye."

Everyone's faces revealed shock.

The Top Hundred Ranking is divided into an upper and lower volume.

The lower volume records experts in the Body Tempering and Tendon Changing realms.

The upper volume requires one to be at least a Hidden Force master, with the top fifty occupied by Organ Refining experts.

For Gong Tian to be ranked fifty-second on the upper list, he is already one of the top experts in Kuishan County, and his reputation as an overlord of the Outer City is no exaggeration.

"No wonder the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out in one fell swoop the other day; Lord Gong took action personally. So Brother Qin shares such a friendship with this lord."

Yuan Laoqi suddenly realized:

"To be able to make Lord Gong move with thunderous rage—this friendship is truly enviable."

Those below were also whispering, as everyone had clearly heard the news, but Shen Lian's expression was vaguely unsightly.

Although the Blood Ape Gang was not very capable, it was still one of the "Four Sects and Seven Gangs."

Even though it was newly established a few years ago and its strength was at the bottom, the gang still had Bone Forging and Tendon Changing experts.

Its leader, Wang Han, was ranked on the upper list of the Top Hundred Ranking, and Chen Qi was also a veteran expert.

Yet it was wiped out in a single stroke by this expert, which speaks volumes of his capability.

Qin Yuwei took in everyone's reactions and smiled faintly:

"It was merely a matter of having some personal friendship with Patrol Commander Gong and happening to be there at the right time.

I was quite surprised myself when I returned to the city and heard of this affair.

Since I was hosting a banquet today, I thought I would invite Patrol Commander Gong to join us, and also allow you all to make his acquaintance."

The group offered their thanks one after another.

Although they were scions of the four great families within Kuishan County, they were not like the three from the Qin Family and mostly lingered in the Outer City.

An expert with real power like Gong Tian, who was also a person of potential likely to advance further, was not someone they could easily befriend on a normal day.

Ning Yuan said excitedly:

"I heard that Lord Gong has long since reached the perfection of Bone Forging and may soon break through to the Organ Refining realm.

Once he is transferred to the Inner City to serve as a Ward Patrol Commander or even a higher position, he will be a true big shot."

Shen Lian forced a smile:

"That would naturally be impressive.

It is just a pity that if Lord Gong is promoted to the Inner City, those of us who toil in the Outer City will likely no longer be able to count on him."

Yuan Qi shook his head and cast a meaningful glance at Shen Lian:

"Shen Lian, your information is lagging behind.

I heard that when Lord Gong wiped out the Blood Ape Gang, a young officer under his command performed brilliantly. Not only did he kill the deputy leader, Ghost Abacus Chen Qi, with his fists, but he also assisted in severely wounding the leader, Wang Han, during the siege, and ultimately beheaded him with his own hands!

In my opinion, even if Lord Gong is promoted in the future, it seems someone has already taken up the mantle of the East Street Patrol."

The smile on Shen Lian's face became increasingly strained, and his fingertips tightened in secret.

Just as the group was in the midst of a heated discussion, an announcement came from outside the door:

"Lord Gong Tian of the East Street Patrol Bureau has arrived—"

Everyone at the table rose to welcome him.

Gong Tian, dressed in black martial attire, stepped inside, his posture as upright as a pine, resembling a lone crane in the dark of night.

And following behind him was another tall, upright figure.

That man was wearing the formal uniform of a Patrol Chief, the ink-colored official robes accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

The callowness of the past had long since faded; his expression was calm, and his brows carried a sense of composure born from long experience.

It was none other than Yang Ning, who had arrived with him!

Qin Yurong's heart skipped a beat, and she called out in pleasant surprise:

"Yang... Guest Elder Yang?"