The same thing happened again and again. A full hour passed, yet not one of the young women brought by the dozen or so powerful families had managed to earn Chen Fan's approval.
The atmosphere grew increasingly delicate.
The nobles exchanged glances, embarrassment and unwillingness showing on their faces.
The girls they had brought were carefully chosen talents from their clans. Some were even direct descendants, with Innate Soul Power of at least level five. So why, in the eyes of this young sect master, were they no more valuable than cabbages by the roadside?
Did he really only have eyes for the kind of genius spoken of in legends?
But seeing the two Titled Douluo standing behind Chen Fan, they could only suppress their discontent.
Compared with these nobles, though, some of the minor nobodies watched with a vicarious delight.
"These are all nobles of our Star Luo Empire. If even their noble daughters can't catch his eye, I wonder if anyone at all can."
"I'd say the odds are slim. I heard this young sect master of the Seven Kill Sect wouldn't even look twice at the imperial family's eldest princess!"
In the hall.
Chen Fan's gaze suddenly paused.
His eyes settled on a seat some distance from the main table. The woman there was unlike the others. She hadn't dressed herself up to look dazzling; she wore only a simple, elegant blue-green gown and sat quietly beside a middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman had a dignified face and was clearly the mistress of some household. She was speaking softly to the young woman.
The young woman's head was slightly bowed, and the outline of her profile was bathed in a soft glow by the afternoon sun.
Chen Fan's gaze lingered for a moment, then he raised an eyebrow.
Chen Xin followed his gaze and paused. "That's..."
"Someone from the Zhu Family."
At some point, Xu Wensu had opened his eyes. His voice was very low. "She's from the Zhu Family of the Nether Dukedom. Her name is Zhu Qingxue."
"If nothing goes wrong within the Zhu Family, the next head of the Zhu Family—and heir to the title of Duke of Nether—will be Zhu Qingxue's younger brother."
"She might even... become the next Star Luo Empress!"
Chen Fan nodded without saying anything. He simply looked away and continued surveying the hall.
A little under half an hour later, more than a dozen powerful families had presented their young women, one after another, but still none had satisfied Chen Fan.
"Phew..."
Chen Fan leaned back, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed in disappointment.
He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Then he looked around at the assembled nobles and spoke casually. "Everyone."
The moment he spoke, the entire hall fell silent. Every gaze turned toward him.
"Thank you all for honoring us with your presence today."
Chen Fan set down his teacup, his tone flat. "Unfortunately, it seems none of the candidates so far have fully met the requirements."
A suppressed stir swept through the hall.
The nobles wore all kinds of expressions: disappointment, unwillingness, and even resentment that they didn't dare voice.
"Sect Master, this..."
The elderly marquis who had spoken earlier couldn't help asking, "May I ask what your requirements are, exactly?"
Chen Fan waved a hand, cutting him off. "The requirements are the requirements. There's no specific list of rules. If I think someone is suitable, then she is."
The old marquis opened his mouth, but in the end could only shut it again in frustration.
However.
Just then, as Chen Fan's gaze casually swept over a figure opposite the main table, it suddenly paused.
The figure sat across from the main table, dressed in a vermilion phoenix robe, her hair piled high and her makeup flawless. It was none other than Star Luo Empress Zhu Qingque.
No one knew when she had arrived. She had brought no attendants and was sitting quietly at the edge of the crowd, a cup of untouched tea on the table before her, her gaze calmly fixed ahead.
Ever since Dai Renfeng and Zhu Buchun had died, the Star Luo Imperial Family's prestige had plummeted. In theory, they should have kept their distance from the Seven Kill Sect's gathering, afraid of drawing attention.
But unexpectedly—
The Star Luo Imperial Family had sent someone?
And not just anyone. The empress, Zhu Qingque, had actually come in person?
Chen Fan's gaze lingered on her for two seconds.
Those two seconds passed quickly, but to Dai Li, disguised among the crowd in plain clothes, they seemed to stretch endlessly.
Dai Li had come today, too.
But just as Chen Fan had suspected, the Dai Family's prestige had now plummeted. Afraid the Seven Kill Sect would notice him, Dai Li had kept an extremely low profile.
He had even put on rough clothes and a human-skin mask. Among all the powerful nobles present, not a single person had recognized him.
And Dai Li had come for one simple reason.
He had wanted to see with his own eyes whom Chen Fan would choose, so he could work out how to respond afterward.
But when he saw Chen Fan's gaze linger on his empress, his heart clenched.
Fortunately, Chen Fan only looked at her for a moment before turning away. He didn't say anything.
Only then did Dai Li quietly let out a breath, though cold sweat had already soaked his back.
The banquet continued for about another half hour, but no one else appeared who could satisfy Chen Fan.
At last.
Chen Fan rose to his feet. "Everyone, please enjoy the banquet. We've kept you waiting long enough."
With that, he turned and left the estate with Chen Xin and Xu Wensu, leaving the nobles exchanging glances. In the end, they silently took their seats and joined the banquet.
Dai Li didn't dare linger, either. Almost as soon as Chen Fan left, he hurried back to the imperial palace.
"Phew..."
He dismissed all the palace servants and sat alone in the imperial study. Not a single lamp was lit. Sunk in darkness, he let out a long breath, his face twisted with turmoil.
Earlier.
Chen Fan's gaze on Zhu Qingque had lodged in his heart like a thorn, impossible to pull out.
Of course, he knew that look might not have meant anything. But the problem was...
The Star Luo Imperial Family had no room left to gamble!
The two ancestors who had guarded the Dai Family were gone. The entire Star Luo Imperial Family didn't have a single Titled Douluo left.
Meanwhile, the Seven Kill Sect had Chen Jianjun, who had slain Dai Renfeng with two sword strikes; Chen Fan, who could casually create a level ninety-three Titled Douluo; and Xu Wensu and Chen Xin. Just counting the Titled Douluo openly on display, they had three.
Worse still, the scene that night when Chen Jianjun had drawn his sword had already become Dai Li's nightmare.
Whenever night fell and all was quiet, the scene replayed in his mind again and again.
He was afraid.
He was afraid that one day, when Chen Fan was in a bad mood, he would pin some trumped-up charge on him and drag him down from the throne.
Just as Dai Li had once tried to frame Chen Fan, Chen Fan could pay him back in kind.
He was even more afraid that the Xu Family would seize the chance to rise.
Xu Wensu was already a Titled Douluo. If Chen Fan wanted to support the Xu Family and replace the Dai Family, it would be as easy as turning over his hand, with the Star Luo Imperial Family's forces so depleted.
"Besides!"
"I refuse to believe I was the only one who noticed just now..."
"There must, there must be someone else who saw it!"