Elegant Banquet Invitation

Feng Xiu shook his head and didn't dwell on it further.

Mostly, this feeling was too strange—a pure maiden falling for a good-for-nothing like me?

No, he wasn't useless anymore.

With Feng Shouzhuo's current strength, backed by the Feng Clan's resources, given time, he might very well achieve Blood Burning.

Feng Xiu sighed. "Let's leave it at that for now." Then he gave further orders.

"Xiao Han, Shouzhuo is in your hands. Ten days—within ten days, I want to see him at Body Refining peak, grand perfection, half-step Blood Burning!"

"If it doesn't kill him, train him until he's dead!"

With Zhou Gang's blood and qi foundation, training in martial arts would yield twice the results with half the effort; otherwise, it would be a waste of talent!

As for whether he could endure the hardship of martial training, that was his own problem.

Han Che nodded and withdrew at the command.

He couldn't help but feel some emotion—the Feng brothers were each more monstrous than the last. Feng Shouzhuo had, for no reason at all, been given a starting point that ordinary people could hardly dream of.

If word got out, it would drive countless martial artists mad with envy. After all, Body Refining was already a respectable level in the jianghu.

Then, Feng Xiu turned to Uncle Zheng and asked, "Uncle Zheng, any news on the person I asked you to find?"

"Reporting to the eldest young master, the person has arrived." Uncle Zheng nodded.

"After much trouble and asking around, this old servant finally managed to bring in a songstress from Qing Province who can perform the Record of Spirit Flowers. She has some reputation in Qing Province and sings in the old Taizhou style—clear and proper."

"Uncle Zheng has worked hard." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Feng Xiu's mouth.

Back when Feng Shouzhuo was still lost in his foolish mutterings, Feng Xiu had someone record his sleep talk.

But since he was dreaming of meeting Su Wantang, the words he spoke were naturally blunt confessions of love.

Feng Xiu had glanced at it once and nearly died of secondhand embarrassment.

If written out, it would have been nothing short of a pornographic novel.

After killing the strange fish-man, the Feng Clan's decision-makers unanimously decided to seek out Daoist Yellow Dragon again, to see if they could pry any information from him.

Unfortunately, Daoist Yellow Dragon had left too quickly, and they couldn't find him at all—even the Yellow Flower Temple had vanished without a trace.

Thus, Taizhou, the Record of Spirit Flowers, and the North Ridge Sect were the only leads left.

"The eldest young master is too kind." Uncle Zheng waved his hand and sighed again. "But Taizhou is too far, and Cloud Province is remote. Those who can sing this tune are already rare."

"That songstress spent nearly half a month on the road and only arrived in Green Rock yesterday."

Feng Xiu nodded. Cloud Province was located in the southwest, bordering Qing Province to the south and Jin Province and You Province to the north.

Taizhou was east of You Province, separated by a great distance. An ordinary merchant caravan would take two or three months to make the trip.

Finding someone like this was indeed no easy feat.

"Where is she?"

"At the Brocade Cloud Pavilion in the south of the city," Uncle Zheng said. "The Brocade Cloud Pavilion is the largest theater in the city and won't draw attention. The eldest young master can go anytime."

Feng Xiu glanced out the window. "Let's go now."

A moment later.

The carriage rumbled along the bluestone-paved streets of Green Rock City.

It didn't travel long before stopping in front of a three-story building in the southern part of the city. Above the door hung a plaque with three gilded characters: Brocade Cloud Pavilion.

Several carriages were parked at the entrance, their ornate carvings clearly marking them as belonging to wealthy households.

Feng Xiu stepped down and looked up. The Brocade Cloud Pavilion had soaring eaves and interlocking brackets, with crimson lanterns hanging between vermilion pillars. Even in broad daylight, it exuded an air of wealth and romance.

The two walked inside.

Immediately, a servant boy came forward. Uncle Zheng handed him a name card.

The boy glanced down, his expression turning serious, and quickly bowed to lead the way.

They passed through the front hall and climbed the stairs. At the landing, a young man approached from the opposite direction.

The man was around twenty, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with a jade belt at his waist, his face as fair as jade. When he saw Feng Xiu, his expression flickered with slight surprise, as if he hadn't expected to see him here.

"Brother Wu, what a coincidence." Feng Xiu paused mid-step and clasped his hands with a smile.

This man was Wu Xuan, the third son of the Wu Clan. The Wu Clan was an old-established family in Green Rock City, running most of the city's pleasure quarters, with the Fragrant Flower Tower being one of their properties.

Seeing it was Feng Xiu, Wu Xuan revealed a warm smile. "Brother Feng, long time no see. I heard that at the Sweet Dew Grand Festival, you invited an immortal to bring down heavy rain, truly a blessing to the people. I, your humble brother, am full of admiration."

"Brother Wu flatters me. That was all Daoist Yellow Dragon's doing; I was just running errands."

After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Xuan's gaze shifted slightly, and his tone carried a hint of deliberation.

"Brother Feng, I heard the other day that the Zhou Family Escort Team caused a scene at the Fragrant Flower Tower. I've been meaning to find a chance to ask—has the Fragrant Flower Tower somehow offended the Feng Clan?"

"Brother Wu, forgive me. It's a long story. My worthless younger brother was bewitched by a pure maiden."

Uncle Zhou was also protective of his own, taking people to search for her. Only afterward did we learn that the woman had long since fled, causing trouble for Brother Wu. Another day, I will surely visit to apologize in person."

Wu Xuan quickly waved his hand. "Brother Feng speaks too gravely. That kind of place is a mix of all sorts, so incidents are normal. Since the woman ran off, let it be. It's just..." He paused, then added mildly, "Chief Escort Zhou made quite a commotion that day. He broke a few tables and chairs and injured a couple of servants. I, your humble brother, can bear this small loss, but I fear the rumors outside won't sound good—saying that our two families are at odds over a misunderstanding."

Feng Xiu was inwardly surprised, instantly grasping what he was driving at. He straightened his expression. "Brother Wu, rest assured. The Feng Clan will bear all the losses. I'll have someone deliver compensation shortly."

Wu Xuan smiled and clasped his hands. "Brother Feng is indeed straightforward." With that, he pulled an exquisitely crafted invitation from his sleeve. Feng Xiu looked down and saw the four large characters "Heyang Elegant Banquet" leap into his eyes. "Since it's just a misunderstanding, clearing it up is enough. Brother Feng, we'll meet again at the banquet another day. Then this humble brother will take his leave."

Feng Xiu took the invitation and nodded slightly. "Brother Wu is too courteous."

Wu Xuan made a full show of courtesy, and after a few more words, he descended the stairs and left.

"What a pity he's not the Wu Clan's eldest son. Otherwise, with his ability, he might well have been able to lead the family." Feng Xiu watched his retreating figure, sighing inwardly, and couldn't help shaking his head.

Not all great families were as simple in structure as the Feng Clan. Feng Ao was strong and robust, overseeing the clan's overall strategy, with Feng Xiu as his heir to assist. On top of that, Feng Shouzhuo posed no threat to Feng Xiu's position. There were no multiple wives or concubines, no seven or eight branches vying for power. Generally speaking, Feng Shouzhuo should have been like Wu Xuan, handling some of the clan's external affairs. But a man who didn't even know how many harvests the farms yielded or how many acres of land there were—expecting him to manage business was simply unrealistic.

After a moment's pause in thought, Feng Xiu continued walking upstairs.

Earlier, Zhou Gang and Feng Ao's joint investigation had ruled out the Wu Clan as being in the know. In terms of raw strength, the Wu Clan didn't fear the Feng Clan, but Feng Ao had been making a lot of noise lately, and the Feng Clan's reputation was rising. Pointlessly antagonizing a rapidly ascending great family was not a wise move. The Wu Clan had even privately sent Feng Xiu a few inner appreciation vouchers.

Inside the elegant chamber.

A stick of aloeswood incense burned, its blue smoke curling upward.

Feng Xiu took his seat and looked through the beaded curtain at the pavilion ahead—one table, one stool, one glass lamp. Behind the curtain sat a woman in a yellow dress.

Withdrawing his gaze, Feng Xiu signaled for preparations to begin. Uncle Zheng acknowledged and walked toward the woman.

Then Feng Xiu picked up the invitation Wu Xuan had sent.

Opening it, he gave it a brief scan. The wording was earnest and sincere. The entire message was simply asking Feng Xiu to attend the Heyang Elegant Banquet in seven days.

Young Master Heyang was the son of a noble from the previous dynasty. He made friends like Mengchang, was humble and well-read, and could be considered a banner figure in the "family world." With the Wu Clan hosting a banquet under his name, there was no need to guess—the guests would basically be the younger generation from all the major families in the city.