On August 18, sunlight spilled over Pingkang Ward in eastern Chang'an City, bathing it in golden splendor.
This was a favorite gathering place of high officials and nobles, blessed with an excellent location and a rare air of elegance.
Chen Cong's Duke's Mansion stood in this ward where bustle mingled with tranquility. The stone lions before its gates were imposing and solemn, guarding the noble residence.
Two or three hundred meters away, a breeze brushed through the Moon-Gazing Tower, bringing a hint of coolness.
Xue Chuxin stood at the edge of the tower, her limpid eyes gazing out over the bustling street.
Her figure was graceful, her sleeves fluttering gently in the wind. Parting her red lips, she asked softly, her voice like a lingering spring breeze, "Which top-tier family is this now?"
Beside her, Xue Churan toyed with a jade ring and replied mildly, "The sixteenth."
"The families from Soul Fighting City have already been announced. Besides them, the Medical Alliance's Begonia Ye Family, the Fragrant Medicine Zhong Family, the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron Xiao Family, the Overlord Spear Xiang Family, and the Beichen Ling Family have all arrived."
"What a lively scene."
At this, Xue Chuxin smiled lightly, her smile as warm and radiant as the rising sun. "Lively indeed. More than half of the continent's Twenty-Four Eminent Families are here. I imagine the great sects will be next. This so-called Eightieth Birthday celebration is quite the grand gathering."
Xue Churan set down the jade ring and looked into the distance, her gaze deep. "That's hardly surprising. The great families forge friendships through marriage, and their relationships are tangled and intricate. Naturally, they wouldn't miss a gathering like this."
Her eyes shifted as she said softly, "The powers of Chang'an City and the Southern Five Commanderies, great and small, all