Royal Banquet

Enjoying the royal treatment, Ling Feng was in a wonderful mood.

Standing on the steps, Ling Feng surveyed the crowd and asked calmly, "Which of you is in charge?"

A woman with an elegant bearing stepped forward and bowed slightly to Ling Feng. Her kimono gave her a pleasing appearance.

"Lord Ling Feng, my name is Delia. What are your instructions?"

Ling Feng looked Delia up and down, his eyes full of interest.

Sensing his gaze, Delia blushed slightly and grew uneasy.

Wasn't the new master supposed to be a child of seven or eight?

Then why did he look at me like a grown man, as though he wanted to devour me?

"Heh, Delia, you seem rather worried."

Ling Feng could easily tell what Delia was thinking, and he smiled teasingly.

Although she was attractive and had a fine figure, he estimated that she was around thirty. Those who entered the service of royalty and nobility did not marry and remained virgins, but Ling Feng had no mother complex and had no such intentions whatsoever.

He had only looked her over because she was pleasant to look at. Nothing more.

At Ling Feng's question, Delia quickly lowered her head and repeatedly denied it.

"All right, it's nothing. We've only just met, and there's still a lot we don't know about each other. We'll understand each other better with time."

Ling Feng smiled faintly.

Since she was now his servant, Ling Feng couldn't be bothered to make things difficult for her.

Hearing this, Delia breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly thanked him.

At the same time, her puzzlement only deepened. Was he really just a child?

His behavior and speech were exactly those of a mature man with wisdom and experience.

In this brief exchange alone, Delia had developed a keen interest in Ling Feng.

It seemed that many interesting things would happen between them in the days ahead.

"Lord Ling Feng, do you have any other instructions?"

Not forgetting her duties, Delia spoke up.

Ling Feng thought for a moment, then said, "Since this is my new home, and you've put up decorations and made so many preparations, I imagine it's caused quite a stir in Konoha. I saw quite a few people gathered outside the gate when I arrived."

"Yes. Many people have been guessing who owns this residence, but unfortunately, they've all guessed wrong."

Delia felt that her new master enjoyed chatting, so she continued the conversation.

"Heh, never mind the people who have nothing to do with us. Have someone prepare some invitations. I want my friends to come to my housewarming banquet!"

Ling Feng didn't want such a magnificent residence to go to waste.

Since I've moved, there's nothing wrong with throwing a housewarming banquet, right?

Yuguang covers all my daily food and drink anyway. Why pass up a free meal?

And it'll be a perfect chance to let Konoha know that I, Ling Feng, am somebody now!

Ling Feng could build up his strength slowly, but prestige wasn't so easy to earn, especially the kind that cost money. Here it was being handed to him for free-all he had to do was sit back, eat, and drink. Ordinary people could only envy him.

Soon, the invitations were sent out-over a hundred of them.

Originally, Ling Feng had only wanted to invite his former classmates over, but when he saw that the residence could accommodate thirty to fifty tables, the three or four tables his classmates would fill seemed far too paltry.

Even with more space between the tables, there was still room for fifteen or twenty, so he decided to invite a few more people he barely knew.

They're the ones doing the talking, but won't all their praise come back to me?

And so, word spread that Ling Feng was holding a grand banquet at his new residence.

For a time, people in the village even considered receiving an invitation a mark of honor, and the event became the village's biggest headline.

In his study, Ling Feng was reading some magazines from this world with interest.

They didn't have many pages, but their contents were rich and informative. They included plenty of obscure facts that the anime had never introduced or explained, giving Ling Feng a good way to pass the time.

The banquet was scheduled for two days later, so Ling Feng gave himself those two days to rest and unwind.

Whoosh!

A figure appeared outside the study.

Unfazed, Ling Feng said calmly, "Minato-sensei, the front gate may be a little far from here, but having someone announce you wouldn't take that much time, would it?"

There was a noticeable pause outside the door before his visitor came in anyway.

"Ling Feng, your sensory abilities are getting stronger and stronger."

Minato Namikaze scratched his head as he spoke, looking a little embarrassed.

Ling Feng put down his magazine and smiled faintly. "You simply made too much noise, Minato-sensei. The floor outside is made of wooden planks, not stone."

Seeing Ling Feng's calm, unruffled expression, Minato Namikaze grew uneasy.

Why was this child's rate of improvement becoming more and more terrifying?

Even with my strength, he's making me doubt myself!

At this rate, who will be able to keep him in check?

"Minato-sensei, what are you thinking about?"

Ling Feng waved a hand in front of Minato Namikaze's face.

After Ling Feng joined the ANBU, Minato Namikaze had become his leader, so Ling Feng addressed him as his teacher. It also made their relationship feel less distant.

Coming to his senses, Minato Namikaze smiled awkwardly, then said, "Ling Feng, you shouldn't be making such a spectacle of this. Your actions have already drawn close attention from the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan. That probably isn't a good thing for you."

Ling Feng merely smiled faintly at his words. "Really? I actually think it's rather good. The Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan have always stood as rival powers, keeping each other in check. Whenever friction arises between them, Lord Third gets a terrible headache because he doesn't know which side to favor."

"But things are different now. With my arrival, those two clans will understand that Konoha has never lacked strength among its younger generation. Perhaps Lord Third would prefer to see a situation like this."

Minato Namikaze was deeply startled by his words.

"Ling Feng, don't tell me you're planning to..."

Seeing Minato Namikaze's astonished expression, Ling Feng couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"Minato-sensei, why are you so nervous? Look how badly I've frightened you. I was only joking. You know I'm just an orphan without any family or connections. I only have such a large residence because Lord Yuguang bestowed it on me. I'm all alone-where would I get the money?"

Ling Feng knew that his words would make Minato Namikaze think he intended to build a faction of his own, which was why Minato was so alarmed. But Ling Feng simply enjoyed seeing them startled by his every word and action.

Ling Feng wanted them to understand that, although he was only a child, he was certainly not someone to provoke lightly!

"So that's what you meant. You really gave me a fright, Ling Feng. But I'm serious. This sort of behavior will displease the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan. Don't dismiss what I'm saying. Someone you don't expect might show up this time to cause trouble for you."

Minato Namikaze looked at Ling Feng and spoke with a solemn expression.