News that the Dark Guild's night raid had been repelled and the Abyssal Troll slain in battle spread throughout Glory City in less than half a day.
The City Lord's Mansion immediately ordered a lavish Victory Banquet, inviting the direct descendants of the three great families and every family large and small, both to reward merit and to reassure the city's people.
By the time Shen Fei followed Shen Hong into the mansion, the banquet had already been laid out in the front courtyard.
Long tables lined both corridors, piled high with food and wine. Members of the various families gathered in small clusters, their conversations mingling with the clinking of cups in a din that left people's ears throbbing.
The moment Shen Hong entered, several family heads surrounded him and escorted him toward the seats of honor amid polite greetings. Shen Yue followed behind, craning his neck and looking everywhere for someone to strike up a conversation with and make his presence felt.
Shen Fei stayed out of that bustle. He turned toward the most out-of-the-way table and found a corner seat against the wall.
Several plates of cold appetizers sat on the table. He picked up his chopsticks and ate at a leisurely pace. No one paid attention to an unfavored eldest legitimate son like him anyway, which suited him just fine-he could enjoy some peace.
He had been sitting for less than fifteen minutes when the chair beside him was pulled out. A faint herbal fragrance drifted over. Shen Fei turned and saw Xiao Ning'er sit down with a cup of fruit wine in her hand.
She wore a plain-colored long dress that day, her hair simply pinned up. Amid the splendid robes and glittering jewels of the banquet, she looked particularly fresh and unadorned.
"Why are you hiding here alone?" Xiao Ning'er set down her cup and picked up a bite of greens with her chopsticks, keeping her voice low. "I thought you'd be socializing beside Uncle Shen."
"Too noisy. Not interesting." Shen Fei chewed on a peanut, his tone flat. "Besides, with Shen Yue holding up the stage out front, there's no need for me to step into the spotlight."
Xiao Ning'er smiled without answering. She had slipped away from the front too. The head of the Winged Dragon Family had dragged her around to socialize with the ladies of the various families, and all their chatter about marriage arrangements and cultivation had given her a headache. When she spotted Shen Fei in the corner, she took the opportunity to join him.
They ate quietly for a while before Xiao Ning'er suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Ye Han is coming back today. He's the city lord's adopted son. He's been away training for several years, and apparently he made it back just in time for the Victory Banquet."
Shen Fei's chopsticks paused.
Ye Han.
The name rang a faint bell. In his previous life, he had spent a full year in the City Guard before the city fell, yet he had never seen this man.
He had heard a few scattered remarks from veteran soldiers: the city lord had adopted a son years ago, an exceptionally gifted boy who had left to train in his teens. There had been no word of him afterward, and some said he had died deep in the Dark Forest.
Whatever the truth, when the Demon Beast siege was at its most dangerous and every pair of hands was desperately needed, this man had never appeared from beginning to end.
"Really?" Shen Fei responded without betraying anything. "I haven't heard much about him."
"He left early, so it's only natural you haven't heard of him," Xiao Ning'er explained. "They say he's very talented, and the city lord specifically groomed him as his successor. Now that he's back, he'll probably start taking over affairs at the City Lord's Mansion."
Shen Fei said nothing, merely lifting his cup for a sip. Successor? He was nowhere to be seen when the city fell in my previous life, and now that the storm has passed, he's back to pluck the peaches? He sneered inwardly but kept it to himself.
Just then, a commotion suddenly rose near the entrance. The noisy banquet quieted somewhat as everyone looked toward the doors. Shen Fei followed their gazes and saw Ye Zong enter alongside a young man.
The man was tall, dressed in dark red fitted martial attire with a white cloak draped over it. His features were sharp, and he walked with his back perfectly straight, every movement revealing a deliberately polished bearing.
A faint smile rested on his face as he nodded to the people looking his way, judging every gesture to perfection.
This had to be Ye Han.
"Look, that's Ye Han!" The young family members at the neighboring tables began whispering. "I heard he reached gold peak while training away from home. So young, and already his future is boundless."
"Of course. The city lord trained him personally. He's sure to be the next city lord. Just look at that bearing-how could an ordinary person compare?"
"I heard he and Miss Ziyun grew up together. Now that he's back, they'll probably settle their marriage too, won't they? A talented man and a beautiful woman-truly a match made in heaven."
The murmurs buzzed with flattery. Shen Fei leaned against his chair and studied Ye Han from afar, his brows drawing together slightly.
Something about this man made him deeply uncomfortable. The smile on his face looked painted on, and as his gaze swept across the gathering, it carried a condescending scrutiny. He looked nothing like a wanderer returning after a long absence, but rather a man inspecting his own territory.
Ye Han followed Ye Zong to the seats of honor and exchanged a few pleasantries. Then his gaze shifted to Ye Ziyun nearby. His smile softened a little, and he walked straight toward her.
The people around them tactfully cleared a path, all waiting to watch this long-awaited reunion unfold.
"Little sister Ziyun." Ye Han stood before Ye Ziyun, his voice gentle. "I brought you a special gift from my travels. I hope you like it."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, displaying a luminous white jade bracelet on his palm. A faint blue glow shimmered from it beneath the lights; one glance was enough to tell it was no ordinary treasure.
Gasps of admiration immediately rose around them. "An Ice Jade Bracelet! It's actually made from millennium cold jade! Wasn't the art of crafting these lost long ago?"
"They say it's an enormous help in cultivation. It can nourish the soul sea and prevent cultivation from going astray. For a spiritualist with an ice or snow attribute, it's an absolute treasure!" "Young Master Ye Han is so generous. He really does treat Miss Ziyun differently."
Yet there was little joy on Ye Ziyun's face. Instead, she retreated half a step, her tone somewhat distant. "Brother Ye Han, I can't accept such an expensive gift."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a hand reached over from the side and brazenly took the Ice Jade Bracelet.
Nie Li had sidled over at some point. He hefted the bracelet in his hand, beaming. "Oh my, such an expensive gift! You really shouldn't have. I'll accept it on Ziyun's behalf. Thank you, Brother Ye Han!"
The entire gathering fell silent for several seconds.
No one had expected someone to suddenly pop up, much less dare to take the gift Ye Han was offering.
Ye Han's smile stiffened too. His eyes cooled as he looked Nie Li up and down, his tone revealing neither pleasure nor anger. "And who might this be?"
"This is my friend, Nie Li," Ye Ziyun quickly said, reaching to retrieve the bracelet. "Nie Li, what are you doing? Give it back to him."
"Friend?" Ye Han repeated the word, his gaze lingering on Nie Li for several seconds with undisguised scrutiny.
Of course he had heard Nie Li's name. This commoner boy had been the talk of the city lately, supposedly attracting considerable attention through unorthodox methods and growing quite close to Ye Ziyun.
He had never taken such an insignificant figure seriously, but now that the boy had embarrassed him in public, things were different.
In the corner, Shen Fei saw the entire scene clearly. He leaned toward Xiao Ning'er's ear and lowered his voice. "See? What did I tell you? This Ye Han doesn't look like a good man."
Xiao Ning'er turned toward him in surprise. "Just because of this one incident? Isn't that a little hasty? He only just returned. We don't know him."
"It's not just this." Shen Fei lifted his chin, signaling her to look at Ye Han amid the crowd. "Take a close look at his eyes.
"When he looks at Miss Ziyun, there isn't a trace of joy at seeing her again after so long. There's only calculation. He chose to give her this bracelet in front of so many people not to celebrate her achievements, but to put on a show for every family here."
"He wants everyone to think he and Ye Ziyun are a couple, that the future head of the Wind Snow Family belongs to him, and that the city lord's position will naturally be his too.
"What he's wanted all along was never a little sister. It was the reins of power over Glory City."
After hearing him out, Xiao Ning'er frowned and looked back toward the gathering.
Ye Han had already recovered his gentle smile and was exchanging pleasantries with Nie Li. But a closer look revealed that the curve of his lips and his tone of voice were as precise as if rehearsed countless times, without a shred of genuine feeling.
"One more thing," Shen Fei added, his tone as casual as idle conversation. "When he came through the doors, he looked over the family heads first, not the city lord.
"A normal adopted son who's been away for years would instinctively show affection when he saw his adoptive father. But him? He took inventory of his future subordinates first."
Xiao Ning'er thought back over what he had described. It did seem to have happened that way.
After entering, Ye Han had first nodded to the young members of the surrounding families, only paying his respects to Ye Zong once he reached the seats of honor. Throughout it all, he had carried himself with the composure of a superior, lacking only the warmth between father and son.
"You notice far too much," Xiao Ning'er said quietly, though she already believed most of it. She had never much liked people who seemed perfect in every respect. With Shen Fei pointing it out, the more she watched Ye Han, the more false his affection seemed.
"It's not that I'm observant. His act is just too deliberate." Shen Fei withdrew his gaze and picked up his chopsticks to continue eating. "Just wait. This is only the beginning. Nie Li isn't a lamp that burns little oil, and Ye Han is no easy customer either. The real excitement at this banquet is still to come."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the atmosphere in the gathering changed again. Ye Han gave Nie Li a seemingly cordial pat on the shoulder, but his words carried a barb. "I've long heard that young Brother Nie Li possesses extraordinary talent, understanding the art of formation arrays at such a young age.
"But young people should still be a little steadier. Only by avoiding the constant pursuit of clever shortcuts can you travel far along your path."
Nie Li smiled and slipped away from his hand, casually tucking the Ice Jade Bracelet into his robe with an innocent expression. "You're right, Brother Ye Han. But whether it was clever shortcuts or genuine ability, as long as it killed the Abyssal Troll last night and protected the City Lord's Mansion, that's enough.
"Still better than some people who spend years training away from home and can't make it back when it matters, wouldn't you say?"
The moment those words left his mouth, sharp intakes of breath rose all around them.
Everyone could hear that Nie Li was slapping Ye Han in the face. Put kindly, he had been away training. Put bluntly, he had been absent when trouble struck the city, then returned to pluck the fruit once it was safe. What kind of accomplishment was that?
At last, Ye Han's expression darkened.
Before you continue