Stars Surrounding the Moon

That afternoon.

News that Miss Yunxi of the Drunken Moon Tower was hosting a banquet for the martial exam's talented candidates spread like wildfire.

For a time, everyone in the Prefectural City turned their attention toward the Drunken Moon Tower.

This concerned the selection of the next generation of direct disciples and inner disciples.

Many merchant guilds and families had also weighed the pros and cons in advance, sending people to show their support and make connections.

Thus.

By nightfall.

The Drunken Moon Tower was packed to the doors, bustling with activity as the sons of dignitaries and nobles from every household arrived in droves. The occasion was of the highest caliber.

Inside the first-floor hall.

Numerous guests sat around the circular stage in small groups, drinking and chatting merrily.

In the private rooms on the second floor, many powerful figures sipped wine with beauties in their arms, quietly watching how the situation below unfolded.

"This time, I'd wager that Ruan Tianjing will definitely claim a direct disciple position!"

"That's stating the obvious. By now, isn't there anyone in or around the Prefectural City who hasn't heard Ruan Tianjing's name?"

"Exactly! Heavenly-grade bones are truly astonishing! Another Tantai Xiasang!"

"Haha, speaking of Tantai Xiasang makes me laugh. I heard she used her recommendation quota as the chief senior disciple to personally recommend a menial named Mo Chen. And this menial, instead of diligently training and preparing for the exam after arriving in the Prefectural City, actually started a restaurant business!"

"I heard about that too. They say that menial is quite skilled at business. Could Tantai Xiasang have specially hired him as a shopkeeper?"

"Impossible! Why would Tantai Xiasang give her recommendation quota to a shopkeeper?"

"Haha, true enough! That menial really is an oddball!"

The few geniuses participating in this martial exam had not yet arrived.

Yet they had already become the center of everyone's discussions.

Especially Ruan Tianjing and Mo Chen.

The two formed a stark contrast and became the subject of everyone's gossip.

Naturally, one was a peerless genius praised by all, while the other was a merchant menial ridiculed by all.

Just then.

A servant outside called out loudly, "An honored guest has arrived! Young Master Situ is here~~"

The entire hall immediately fell silent. Then, with a rumble, half the guests rose to greet him outside.

"Greetings, Young Master Situ!"

A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a formal hair crown stepped down from an eight-bearer sedan chair.

Seeing everyone welcome him, he clasped his hands in greeting and laughed heartily as he returned their salutes again and again.

"What virtues or abilities does Situ Xin possess to deserve such a welcome from everyone? Please, no need to stand on ceremony!"

"Young Master Situ, please!"

The crowd eagerly made conversation and entered together.

However, they had barely stepped through the doors.

Before they could even take their seats.

The servant outside called out loudly once more, "An honored guest has arrived! Young Master Ruan Tianjing is here~~"

Boom!

In an instant, nearly every guest on both the first and second floors of the Drunken Moon Tower rushed outside.

"Quick! Ruan Tianjing is here!"

"Oh my god! Young Master Ruan has finally emerged from seclusion!"

"I haven't been able to deliver my calling card before. Today, I must be the first to hand it over!"

With Ruan Tianjing's arrival, the Drunken Moon Tower was unusually almost completely empty.

Even the girls playing music could not help stopping, standing up on tiptoe and craning their necks to look.

The crowd that had been warmly gathered around Situ Xin instantly turned away and left, leaving him completely ignored.

Standing in the hall, Situ Xin looked at the empty room, then turned to look at Ruan Tianjing outside, surrounded by stars like the moon.

Situ Xin's mouth twitched, his cheeks stiffened, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

"Damn it! What rotten luck!"

At that moment.

Suddenly.

A huge hand like a palm-leaf fan landed on Situ Xin's shoulder.

"Brother Situ, how have you been!"

A deep, hearty laugh rang out. Situ Xin turned around in astonishment and looked at the giant behind him, who stood a full two and a half meters tall.

"You... Hu Shiqi?!"

The giant nodded. "In the flesh!"

"When did you get here?"

Situ Xin's face was full of disbelief.

He remembered not seeing this fellow when he entered earlier, nor had he heard the servant announce the man's name.

So how had he suddenly appeared behind him?

The burly, towering little giant Hu Shiqi shook his head and sighed.

"I fucking arrived right before or after Ruan Tianjing, but even though I'm this damn huge, those people were blind as bats and just didn't see me..."

Situ Xin's eyes abruptly widened. Then he clutched his stomach with a puff and burst into helpless laughter.

"Ahahahaha! You've got it even worse than me!"

At least the servant had announced him before he entered.

He had also received welcomes and flattery from all the various factions.

Yet Hu Shiqi's arrival had been so quiet, so utterly unnoticed.

The key was that his build was utterly unlike that of ordinary people. Standing among a crowd, he should have stood out like a crane among chickens.

But under Ruan Tianjing's shadow, this little giant had actually become a complete nobody?!

With that comparison, Situ Xin felt vastly better. He could not help laughing so hard he doubled over, completely unable to stop.

"Hahahaha, that's too funny. You really are miserable..."

Hu Shiqi could not take it anymore. He punched Situ Xin's shoulder and laughed as he cursed, "You bastard, quit laughing. The pot calling the kettle black—aren't you ashamed? Come on, come on, we two unlucky brothers should go have a few drinks!"

As he spoke, he dragged Situ Xin off to find seats.

"Haha, let's go!"

Still laughing, Situ Xin readily agreed. He and Hu Shiqi found seats and drank as they chatted.

After a while.

The crowd parted, and a youth dressed in crimson robes and wearing a purple-gold crown entered the hall amid everyone's support.

Seeing Situ Xin and Hu Shiqi, he approached with a smile and clasped his hands. "Brother Situ, Brother Hu!"

Situ Xin and Hu Shiqi gave two grunts, reluctantly rising to return the salute. "Brother Ruan!"

Ruan Tianjing did not mind. Smiling, he said, "I've only just arrived. How about I sit at the same table as you two elder brothers?"

Situ Xin and Hu Shiqi had just been about to refuse, but when they saw countless eyes in the hall watching them, they could only smile bitterly and nod in agreement.

Ruan Tianjing smiled faintly and sat down opposite them, casually picking up the wine jug and pouring himself a cup.

"Two elder brothers, has Mo Chen arrived?"

Situ Xin and Hu Shiqi shook their heads at the same time. "We haven't seen him."

"Oh? He hasn't arrived yet?" Ruan Tianjing raised a brow.

In truth, Mo Chen was the person he most wanted to see tonight.

As soon as he emerged from seclusion, he had heard that Tantai Xiasang had recommended Mo Chen for the examination in her capacity as the chief senior disciple.

Therefore, he was extremely curious about this menial whom Senior Sister Tantai Xiasang valued so highly.

He wanted to know exactly what talent the man possessed that was worthy of a personal recommendation from the Martial Suppression Academy's Senior Sister.

"Have either of you seen that Mo Chen?"

Unwilling to give up, Ruan Tianjing asked again.

Situ Xin and Hu Shiqi still shook their heads. "Never seen him!"

However, Situ Xin had a thought at that moment. "But I heard some rumors. It seems he opened a restaurant in the Prefectural City these past few days. They say business is quite good—extremely booming!"

Hu Shiqi said, "I heard that too. All the people from my hometown who came for the martial exam recommended that I try his set meals."

Ruan Tianjing nodded. "In that case, this Mo Chen is rather interesting..."

In truth, he felt somewhat disdainful and contemptuous inside.

A lowly menial, and he thinks he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as us?

"An honored guest has arrived! Young Master Mo is here~~"

The servant's loud cry came from outside.

All the guests turned their heads in unison, their expressions a colorful mix.