After hearing the message Tao Cheng'an had relayed, Shen Mu's expression instantly turned grim.
If he'd still harbored a sliver of hope yesterday, Shen Hong's invitation today had made his intentions clear as day: this was a Hongmen banquet.
"It seems my second uncle means to make sure I never come back."
A cold smile rose in Shen Mu's heart.
He vaguely remembered that when his parents were still alive, they'd once taken him to Shen Ming's birthday banquet.
It had been a day of goose-feather snow, and he'd trudged through the drifts to Shen Hong's residence.
Now it was only the beginning of autumn. Shen Ming's actual birthday was still some time away...
Shen Hong's sudden visit made his intentions obvious.
"Brother Tao, please pass a message to my second uncle for me. Tell him I'm busy cultivating and truly can't spare the time. I hope he'll understand."
Shen Mu smiled at Tao Cheng'an.
"Brother Shen, it's your cousin's birthday banquet, after all. If you can't even spare a little time for that, it really won't look good."
Tao Cheng'an furrowed his brow and tried to persuade him.
If he hadn't taken five taels of silver from Shen Hong for running this errand, why would he have come all this way himself? Of course he had to speak up for Shen Hong.
Shen Mu glanced at Tao Cheng'an and smiled. "Brother Tao, it's not that I don't want to go. It's just that I've felt these past few days that I'm on the verge of mastering the Army-Breaking Saber Technique, so I don't want to waste a single moment."
"Mastering the Army-Breaking Saber Technique?"
Tao Cheng'an's expression changed. "Brother Shen, you're a real freak! You've been at Emerald Cloud Valley for less than half a year, and you've already