The Banquet Ends

"Young Master Shen Fei, I have to say, your footing is unsteady, and your fundamentals are terrible."

Chu Yuan, who was also at the banquet, instinctively shrank back.

Those words applied to him, too.

With a spectacle to watch, everyone's eyes converged on Shen Fei and Nie Li.

Even if Nie Li had only just advanced to Silver rank, Shen Fei had long since reached three-star Silver rank.

Yet Shen Fei had not even managed to react to Nie Li's kick. That was downright terrifying.

Watching his son get sent flying with a single kick, Shen Hong slammed his fist against the table. He hated Nie Li, but he was even more displeased with Shen Fei.

"Nie Li! Great kick!"

At the sound of that extraordinarily seductive voice, Nie Li shuddered. Hearing it through the Sky Screen was more than enough. He really did not want to hear it here, too.

Sure enough, Huyan Lanruo, beautifully dressed and sporting short pink hair, charged straight toward Nie Li without a care that she was wearing a skirt.

"Nie Li, thank you! Thank you for risking your life to save me on the Sky Screen! Otherwise, your big sister here would have died in the jaws of that Azure-Armed Giant Ape!"

Without even looking, Huyan Lanruo threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around the person before her, squeezing them tightly against herself.

Only after pouring out a stream of thanks did she finally notice something was wrong.

Why was this so soft?

Was Nie Li's body this soft?

And were his chest muscles this big?

Wasn't his hair a little too long, too?

He even smelled lovely-almost more fragrant than she did.

She opened her eyes and looked.

Girl, who are you?

Xiao Ning'er could not help feeling several dark lines descend over her forehead.

She had known this woman was shameless, but she had never imagined she could be shameless to this extent.

She just rushed up and hugged someone without even looking? And she was wearing a skirt, for goodness' sake!

As for Nie Li, he had spotted trouble coming long ago and darted straight behind Ye Ziyun.

Thus, without even looking, Huyan Lanruo had hugged Xiao Ning'er, who had been standing right beside Nie Li all along.

From the head of the banquet table, Ye Zong looked toward Huyan Xiong.

I can understand, more or less, that your daughter is getting older and you can't marry her off. But I never expected her to disregard her image to this extent!

Nie Li is my son-in-law now, you know?

Huyan Xiong covered his face. Her personality was exactly like her mother's.

The young scions of the surrounding families were outdoing one another in envy and jealousy. From the looks of things, Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning'er were already determined to stick to Nie Li and never leave.

Who would have thought even Huyan Lanruo would throw herself into his arms!

Watching from the sidelines, Ye Han's face twitched even more. When Huyan Lanruo was little, she had admired him and had even confessed her feelings to him.

She had not seemed anything like this back then.

At last, Shen Fei recovered his breath from Nie Li's kick.

What a monstrous humiliation! An utterly monstrous humiliation!

Watching Shen Fei stagger to his feet again, Nie Li began loosening up his right foot. His intention was obvious: he was going to kick him again.

"Enough! You dare humiliate a young master of the Sacred Family's direct line like this? Is this the sort of person the Heavenly Marks Family raises?"

Shen Hong finally stepped forward.

Nie Li looked coldly at Shen Hong. "Patriarch Shen, the only reason I've merely kicked him once is that you haven't betrayed Glory City in this lifetime of mine yet. I still haven't forgotten how your defection from Glory City caused the western wall to fall, allowing hordes of Wind Snow Demon Beasts to drive straight in."

Nie Li's words made Shen Hong clench his hand beneath the table. They also prompted members of many families to turn furious gazes on the Sacred Family. Now, the Sacred Family had become the target of every arrow.

Shen Hong truly hated that someone like Nie Li, who had lived a second life, had suddenly appeared. Still, he was somewhat relieved. From what Nie Li had said, the Sacred Family had merely fled at the crucial moment out of fear for their lives. Their secret collusion with the Dark Guild had not been exposed.

That made sense. Nie Li had only become so formidable after Glory City's destruction. By then, the Sacred Family had already entered the Black Prison World with the Dark Guild.

Shen Hong could not help exhaling before putting on a smile. "Young Brother Nie Li, our Sacred Family is one of Glory City's three foremost families, and we have rendered distinguished service to the city. I don't understand why the Sacred Family fled without a fight in your previous life, but I, Shen Hong, am willing to swear in my capacity as patriarch of the Sacred Family that when the beast tide arrives, the Sacred Family will be the first to charge onto the walls!"

Shen Hong's words rang out with conviction, his expression solemn and sincere.

An oath? Who couldn't swear an oath?

Nie Li raised an eyebrow. If I didn't know your Sacred Family's true nature, I might almost have believed you.

He smiled. "Very well, Patriarch Shen. But an oath alone isn't enough. May I make one more request?"

"Please, Young Brother Nie Li, ask whatever you wish."

"Good. The City Defense Army stationed at Glory City's western wall will be taken over by the Wind Snow Family."

All the family patriarchs voiced their agreement with this request.

Once this was done, the Sacred Family would no longer be able to flee without a fight. After all, their escape route would be sealed.

Shen Hong's expression darkened, but for the sake of the beast tide coming in just over half a month and the Sacred Family's rise, he agreed.

It was only a small loss. He could swallow it.

Nie Li smiled. "Rest assured, Patriarch Shen Hong, this is merely a precaution. Since you've sworn an oath, naturally, I should make a gesture as well."

Director Yang Xin of the Alchemist Association made the decision on the spot, substantially increasing the Sacred Family's allotment of cultivation pills.

Shen Hong was reasonably satisfied. After all, he craved those cultivation pills desperately. But because the Sacred Family's defection had previously been exposed, the allotment they could purchase was pitifully small, falling short of even twenty other families. Yet they dared not offend the Alchemist Association, so they could only swallow their shattered teeth along with their grievances.

Ye Zong secretly gave Nie Li a thumbs-up.

With this little back-and-forth, the Wind Snow Family could completely take over the City Defense Army at the western wall, previously controlled by the Sacred Family, for nothing more than a few cultivation pills.

He did not believe for a moment that someone with Nie Li's personality would simply hand over pills that aided cultivation.

If he did not add a little something extra, he would not be the Nie Li that Ye Zong knew.

And Nie Li had been an old hand with centuries of experience in his previous life. His expression betrayed nothing whatsoever, as though he truly believed Shen Hong's oath.

Watching Nie Li speak confidently with the various family patriarchs without losing his composure, Ye Han felt the fury in his heart burn even hotter.

Having spent so long with his adoptive father, Ye Zong, he could tell from Ye Zong's expression that the position of City Lord was no longer within his reach.

What kind of joke was this?

The position of City Lord had to be his, and his alone!

If he failed to become City Lord, his standing within the Wind Snow Family would become extremely awkward, even with both Ye Zong and Ye Ming backing him!

And Nie Li absolutely could not be allowed to keep growing.

A genius was only a genius once he had grown into his potential. Before that, there was every chance he could be strangled in the cradle.