"Has our family friend not arrived yet?" Jiang Yiner glanced back. Attendants threaded through the grand banquet, and dancing girls came and went.
"Perhaps he's already here, and we simply haven't spotted him." Cui Zhaoye craned her head. "There's no hurry. You'll see him when he takes the floor."
Jiang Yiner fell silent for a moment, then asked with lingering hesitation, "Miss Cui, what sort of person... is he? I've only heard a little from my master and Mistress Xu. They said he's very good with a sword and has received guidance from the Glaze Sword Master... will I recognize him?"
"Haha, don't worry. He positively dazzles. The moment you see him, you're sure to recognize him." Cui Zhaoye laughed, a certain inexplicable pride in her voice. "As for what sort of person he is... well, he calls himself the 'Dragon of the Hidden Abyss.'"
"..."
Chu Shuiting stopped at the fifth step and staggered back, a helpless smile on his face, while exclamations of wonder rose around the floor.
There were more than swordsmen here to begin with. Grand Artifact Masters and Grand Master Craftsmen, those pinnacles of the crafting arts, might be choosing guests who caught their fancy, while noble sons and daughters, celebrities and dignitaries were also watching these names. Proving here that you surpassed others could sometimes be worth more than winning some championship before millions.
Already, several voices were mentioning "Shushan."
"I heard there's apparently a prize for defeating Senior He?" Jiang Yiner suddenly lowered her head and asked softly.
The girl had still not sat down-or perhaps, with her sword on her back, sitting had never been a posture she had prepared for.
"Ah, yes." Cui Zhaoye looked up with a smile. "They said tonight that anyone who can break the Little Sword Immortal's