On the vanished floor, in the Heavenly Palace.
Inside the jade pavilion, palace maids in blue elegantly played zithers and sang, their voices like celestial music lingering in the mist.
The twenty-odd military officers Li Changfeng had brought sat at three square tables, each attended by an exceptionally beautiful palace maid standing behind him.
At the main table, Xu Ke, who looked like a wealthy older woman, smiled at Li Changfeng. "Hehe, Chief Li, it's been a while. You look quite a bit stronger."
Li Changfeng found the sight of her irritating and only replied vaguely, "Not at all... I can't compare with that husband of yours, my big brother."
"Hah, why bring up that bastard...!" Xu Ke sneered.
Beside him, a military officer in a cloth robe lowered his voice to ask, "Chief Li, should I... bring it up again? Pan Lianrong still hasn't given us a definite answer."
Dressed like a scholar, Li Changfeng looked courteous and refined. "Very well."
At that, the cloth-robed officer turned toward the busy Pan Lianrong and called out with a smile, "Chief Pan! There are no outsiders here, so I'll be frank. We have to finish handing over the supplies today, no matter what. I hear... that bald Ksitigarbha from the Chaos Faction is bringing three Sixth Grades and over forty Fifth Grades to invade our Craftsman Prefecture's three cities. War could break out at any moment. We can't do without solid logistical support."
Although Pan Lianrong was also a division chief, she put on no airs at all, bustling about making arrangements and serving everyone just like the other maids.
Hearing his call, she turned lightly, her robes fluttering. "Lord Xing Ming, ultimately, we're all family. Since Chief Li has come in person today, I couldn't possibly let you leave empty-handed.