The table was very quiet.
The liquor in the ice cups seemed to flow with cold flames, blurring everyone's expressions by a shade.
The theft of the Great Void Magatama was no great matter, because the identities of Great Void Pavilion members were all registered with the Great Void Dao Lord. But how should this be brought up now?
Xie Ai looked at Jiang Wang. Jiang Wang looked at Xie Ai.
Time seemed to have frozen.
"I need to explain something to you." Jiang Wang said calmly, "Today was only my third time meeting Nalan Longzhi. The first was on the Lost Realm battlefield, the second at the Dragon Palace. In those two previous meetings, we did not even exchange a word. I had no idea why he came to the Snow Kingdom, much less that he intended to steal from you. Jiang has hated petty thieves and sneaks all his life. If I catch him next time—"
"Esteemed guest?" A waiter from the Immortal Inquiry Tower approached, holding a small box. "A guest asked me to deliver this to you at this time."
Neither Jiang Wang nor Xie Ai spoke. Both had recognized what was inside the box.
In the waiter's field of vision, Xie Ai did not exist. He saw only this upright young man in a green robe, his hair bound beneath a jade crown, a white jade pendant hanging at his waist, sitting properly there alone... yet two cups of wine sat before him. The man was warily watching the space ahead, but there was nothing there at all.
Fine-looking fellow, dressed well too—why did he seem to have something wrong with his head?
Muttering to himself, the waiter set down the box, then hurried away in three strides that became two.
Jiang Wang casually opened