This was the first time Huo Yuhao had plotted to do something bad, to cause trouble.
He was very nervous.
He felt terribly guilty.
All he could do was keep telling himself that ruining an evil man like Dai Lingfeng was a good deed.
Letting a bad man like Dai Lingfeng get away scot-free would be the greatest sin.
"That's right, this is the imperial palace."
"Xiao Wu, make sure you eat plenty."
Ma Xiaotao took Huo Yuhao's hand warmly.
Huo Yuhao had stayed in the same room as her last night, and she had changed him into a fresh set of clothes.
Clothes made the man, just as a saddle made the horse.
Though Huo Yuhao was still thin, the change of clothes made him look like a different person from yesterday.
Even people who knew him fairly well might not have recognized him.
"All right. Thank you, Sister Xiaotao."
Huo Yuhao followed close behind Ma Xiaotao, looking around.
At the engagement banquet,
the eldest son, Dai Yueheng, was in charge of welcoming the guests.
Dai Yueheng had a sunny appearance and polite manners, and he received the guests with great tact.
When Huo Yuhao saw him, he thought to himself that this was probably the hateful eldest brother he had never met.
Sure enough, he looked extraordinary and heroic, with much of Dai Hao's bearing.
He couldn't help letting out a sigh.
Even the eldest brother he had never met was so attentive to Dai Lingfeng. This whole family really was close.
Unfortunately,
there was no place in this family for him and his mother.
"Xiaotao, you're here! This way, please."
As soon as Dai Yueheng saw Ma Xiaotao, he came up to greet her warmly.
Partly, he wanted to be a good host.
On the other hand,
he had designs on Ma Xiaotao.
If he could take a woman as powerful and gifted as Ma Xiaotao into his bed, she would be a great help to him.
"Xiaotao, who is this?"
Dai Yueheng spotted Huo Yuhao and asked in passing.
Years of malnutrition had left Huo Yuhao small and thin, looking no more than four or five years old.
So Dai Yueheng wondered how Ma Xiaotao had come to have a child with her after only one night apart.
"He's a relative's child. I brought him along to see a bit of the world. That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
Ma Xiaotao put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, speaking as though she were informing him of her decision.
"No problem, no problem."
Dai Yueheng waved his hands repeatedly and readily agreed.
In principle, this sort of thing wasn't allowed.
But he happened to be looking for a way to win Ma Xiaotao's favor, so this was a heaven-sent opportunity.
Dai Yueheng had never even met Huo Yuhao, let alone recognized him.
Just like that,
Huo Yuhao was allowed inside.
Even so, he tucked himself a little farther behind Ma Xiaotao.
Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng might not recognize him, but he could never fool the duchess and Dai Huabin.
He had to be more careful!
He had to keep as low a profile as possible until the crucial moment of the engagement banquet, or all his efforts would come to nothing.
"Sister Xiaotao, my stomach hurts. I need to use the bathroom."
"Could you take me to the bathroom first?"
Huo Yuhao planned to find a bathroom and lie low, hiding there until the crucial moment before delivering a decisive blow!
"The bathroom?"
"Sure, I'll take you to ask someone."
Ma Xiaotao didn't think much of it and immediately took Huo Yuhao to look for a bathroom.
Dai Yueheng watched the two walk away, a little puzzled.
Strange. Does Ma Xiaotao have relatives in Star Luo City?
Forget it...
Dai Yueheng shook his head and thought no more of it.
He was busy today.
He still had quite a few important guests to receive and had no time to spare for Ma Xiaotao.
Between a woman he wasn't sure he could win over
and his younger brother's engagement banquet,
Dai Yueheng knew which mattered more.
"Brother Dai, today is your younger brother's big day. I'm a little short of money, so this modest gift is all I could manage."
Just then, Yao Haoxuan and the others came over to register their gift money.
Dai Yueheng turned around and promptly put the little incident with Huo Yuhao out of his mind.
"If you're short of money, then scram!"
"What are you here for? Begging for food?"
"Elder Mu, it is an honor for the two children that you and the teachers of Shrek have graced my younger sister's engagement banquet with your presence and come to offer them your blessings."
Xu Jiawei and Dai Hao were receiving the Shrek teachers, led by Mu En.
Guests of this stature were naturally not for Dai Yueheng to receive. They had to come in person.
"No need to talk about gracing anyone with my presence. Both children are the future of the continent. While these old bones of mine are still above ground, I've come to lend my support. Whatever little I can do will help."
Mu En spoke with a smile.
The Star Luo Imperial Family and the White Tiger Lineage had made quite a display this time. How long had it been since the Douluo Continent was this lively?
Everything was flourishing and growing more prosperous by the day.
He couldn't wait to meet Dai Lingfeng.
It was just that...
Everything else was fine, but why was his Xuan Zi here too?
And that ill-mannered embarrassment had already started eating.
There was a wretched drunkard beside him, too...
"Go and call Xuan Zi over here."
As Mu En attended to Xu Jiawei, he transmitted the instruction to Gong Changlong.
This was too embarrassing.
He really had to give Xuan Zi a proper lesson.
The hosts hadn't even started the feast, yet he had picked up his chopsticks without permission and was eating with gusto. He had no manners at all.
"Elder Xuan is here?"
Gong Changlong was baffled, but he immediately began looking for him.
Mu En certainly wouldn't fool him.
So, hard as it was to believe, Xuan Zi really was here.
"Hm?"
When he saw Xuan Zi stuffing his face, his expression darkened as well.
Wasn't Elder Xuan being far too ill-mannered?
His disgraceful behavior made everyone from Shrek look bad.
"Elder Xuan?"
"Why are you here?"
"Forget it, I won't ask. Elder Mu wants to see you. Please hurry over."
Gong Changlong hurried to Xuan Zi's side and tried to pull him over to Mu En.
But Xuan Zi didn't even lift his backside.
"I can't go."
"Have my junior martial uncle come over in a bit."
Xuan Zi gave a bitter laugh.
He wanted to leave too,
but Tang Hao was right beside him. If Mu En and Tang Hao hadn't come to an understanding, how would he dare leave?
"This..."
Gong Changlong had no choice but to go back and relay his exact words to Mu En.
"Oh? He can't come? He wants me to fetch him?"
Mu En narrowed his eyes, finally noticing that the wretched drunkard beside Xuan Zi was no ordinary man.
On the surface, he was dead drunk, but his presence was powerful and restrained, unfathomably deep.
Even Mu En couldn't see through him.
All he knew was that Tang Hao's cultivation had to be above his own.
A rank 99 Limit Douluo!
Mu En immediately understood. Xuan Zi was being held by that man!
He was waiting for Mu En to ransom him.
"Heh."
Mu En laughed in anger.
At such a grand occasion, Xuan Zi had been detained and expected him to go ransom him...
Shrek couldn't afford to suffer such humiliation!
"Leave him be."
Mu En gave a cold snort.
It was time that damned Xuan Zi learned his lesson.
He acted recklessly and haphazardly, without regard for the consequences. Today, Mu En would leave Xuan Zi hanging and teach that bastard a lesson.
"Leave him be?"
Gong Changlong shrank back and didn't dare say another word.
"Leave him be."
Mu En turned his head and waved a hand, signaling for everyone from Shrek to leave Xuan Zi alone.
The expectation in Xuan Zi's eyes turned to bewilderment,
and finally to despair.
Were they really going to leave him here?
"Stop looking. They really aren't going to bother with you."
"Just sit there for now."
Tang Hao curled his lip and sat up, feeling somewhat bored.
The bad news:
the extortion had failed. Shrek didn't give a damn about Xuan Zi.
The good news:
Tang Wutong had finally arrived.
He had to take Tang Wutong over and introduce her to Dai Lingfeng.
From now on, this book will update at midnight.