Fang Han, Ye Fan, and Tu Jiao walked shoulder to shoulder through the front courtyard and soon reached the Inner Court.
The vast Inner Court blazed with light, bright as day. Dozens of banquet tables stood in neat rows across the spacious courtyard, and half were already filled with guests.
More guests arrived one after another, taking seats at the remaining empty tables.
The three continued inward together. Wherever they passed, the voices at the tables on either side fell silent.
Every guest's gaze followed them, finally settling on Fang Han, who led the way.
At the head of the Inner Court stood the chief banquet table, with the finest position and setting.
Ye Fan smiled at Fang Han and gestured toward it. "Brother Fang Han, please sit."
The table fell quiet.
After all, those who could share the chief table with this year's top scorer in the Martial Examination were among Azure Cloud City's wealthy and powerful. Each held a special position.
They came from the City Lord's Manor, the Three Great Families of the Inner City, or the ranks of other Inner City martial hall masters and foremost direct disciples.
And now a martial hall disciple from the Outer City had joined them.
"What's Senior Brother Ye trying to say?"
"What else could he mean? That's a senior brother's bearing. Don't you get it? That's what you call vision!"
"Even so, isn't he giving Fang Han too much credit?"
Murmurs rose around them, mostly from the Inner-Court Direct Disciples of Stellar Gathering Martial Hall.
These disciples were close to Ye Fan and usually got along well with him.
That made his attitude toward Fang Han all the harder for them to understand.
Fang Han's expression did not change. He lifted the hem of his robe and sat down.