Night Banquet

The structure of the "Nine Heavens and Ten Earths" in the mortal cultivation world has only truly taken shape in the past five centuries. If there was a dividing line, it would begin with the loss of the Demon Suppressing Tower of the Shu Mountain Sect.

Since the Shu Mountain Sect lost its sacred artifact and strongest reliance, its status gradually declined, leaving the position of the foremost immortal sect in the mortal realm vacant.

At that time, two powerful contenders emerged: one was the Supreme Sect of Penglai overseas, and the other was the Celestial Star Divine Sect, an entity independent of the Three Teachings. At its peak, the Celestial Star Divine Sect was even considered a fourth major force. It possessed unique celestial star arts, both righteous and evil, with a multitude of branches.

Both factions, in their struggle for supremacy, launched ambitious recruitment drives, each hoping to bolster their strength and overshadow the other in a short time.

In truth, while those with cultivation aptitude are rare, they are not so scarce as to be unattainable. The reason the great sects remained modest in size was mainly due to resource limitations—recruiting more disciples without sufficient resources to train them was meaningless.

Initially, the recruitment war was evenly matched, but as time dragged on, the weaknesses of the Celestial Star Divine Sect became apparent. The Supreme Sect of Penglai, deeply rooted overseas, had abundant reserves of spiritual treasures and resources, so the strain was minimal.

The Celestial Star Divine Sect, however, lacked such wealth in cultivation resources. Within less than a century, fierce internal competition erupted. Moreover, its various inheritances were inherently distinct, lacking cohesion, and the sect leader of that generation did not wield absolute authority.

Thus, the colossal Celestial Star Divine Sect disintegrated from within, without any external intervention.

One only needs to look at the sects born from its dissolution to imagine how formidable it once was: the Pavilion of the Pivot Star, now one of the Nine Heavens and holding a special position; the Heavenly King Sect, also now among the Nine Heavens; the Sea King Sect, counted among the Ten Earths; and the Nether King Sect, now the leader of the demonic path, which only fell to darkness after the Celestial Star Divine Sect split.

Beyond these major sects, smaller scattered lineages also emerged, both righteous and evil.

For instance, the Chang Geng Sect, which made some ripples in earlier years... the Ying Huo Sect, which nearly plunged the world into chaos... and several secretive lineages more closely aligned with the demonic path: Seven Kill, Breaking Army, Greedy Wolf...

Some of these inheritances are still active in the cultivation world, while others have faded into the river of history, yet who knows when they might stir up waves once more.

...

“Welcome, esteemed guests from South Gate City, your presence graces my humble manor with glory! If there is anything unsatisfactory about today’s banquet, please do not hesitate to let me know so I may improve,” the manor lord Li said, standing atop a raised platform, smiling broadly as he addressed the elegantly dressed guests.

Today’s banquet was a preliminary event before Xue Lingxue’s performance tour in South Gate City, attended exclusively by the city’s elite—wealthy and noble alike. The spacious hall was arranged with more than a dozen tables, each seating only a few guests, leaving ample room for mingling and toasting once the festivities began.

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Once such a grand feast begins, regardless of its original purpose, it quickly becomes a revelry of social connections and exchanges.

Chu Liang and Lin Bei glanced around in puzzlement.

They were seated closest to the stage, essentially in the place of honor, with Xue Lingxue’s name boldly displayed among them. Though she would not spend much time at this table, its significance was unmistakable.

Beside them sat the city’s most prominent officials; though the two did not know their names, the deference shown by others revealed their status.

If it were for the sake of Shu Mountain’s reputation, such seating arrangements would make perfect sense. The issue was that neither could truly represent Shu Mountain anymore—their task from the sect was already completed. They were mere young men hoping to catch a performance, so how had they ended up at the center of attention?

Chu Liang quietly asked steward Cui, “Why have we been seated so close to the front? Isn’t it a bit embarrassing?”

“But this was Miss Xue’s request,” steward Cui replied with a smile. “I hadn’t planned to seat you here, but since Miss Xue insisted, I couldn’t refuse.”

Chu Liang was puzzled, but it was too late to change, so he settled in.

While Chu Liang was asking, Lin Bei had already begun drinking with two middle-aged men beside him. “Uncle Zhang, what’s your position? Garrison General? Wow, you command the city’s entire military force, impressive!”

“Old Chen, you’re... the chief city official? So, who outranks whom—the chief official or the garrison general?”

“Hey, hey, who am I? I’m Lin Bei...”

Chu Liang smiled wryly—Lin Bei’s social skills were truly formidable. Unless he was leashed, he could strike up a conversation with anyone in the blink of an eye.

Just then, a voice called out from outside the door, “The young lord of Ding Mountain Marquis has arrived—”

Everyone’s attention turned to see a radiant, dashing youth enter, followed by a tall, thin man dressed in black, evidently a bodyguard, carrying a long case.

Naturally, this youth was the young marquis. Chu Liang had wanted to ask him about Liu Xiaoyu’s sister. His seat was at the place of honor, not far from Chu Liang.

Yet, upon seeing him, Chu Liang did not immediately approach, but kept a cautious eye on the black-clad man.

The tall man handed the long case to a banquet attendant, then sat at a table further back. An attendant then cried out, “The young marquis presents Miss Xue with the ancient sandalwood Swallow Lute!”

“Ah—” The crowd stirred in excitement. The Swallow Lute was one of the legendary instruments, thought lost for many years. Who would have expected the Ding Mountain Marquis estate to recover it, and then gift such a priceless treasure to Xue Lingxue?

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As a musician specializing in the art of the lute, Xue Lingxue’s joy at receiving this instrument was easy to imagine.

But Chu Liang’s gaze was fixed not on the lute, but on the black-clad man. The moment he appeared, Chu Liang sensed the Crimson Slaying Sword quivering.

That man was shrouded in resentment!

Though the Crimson Slaying Sword was eager for action, Chu Liang could not simply leap up and strike. The situation was different from before—this man had a legitimate public identity, and even if he was a villain, evidence was needed before acting. Otherwise, killing someone without cause would make him the villain.

Moreover, Chu Liang was unsure if he could defeat him.

Despite the sword’s powerful augmentation, Chu Liang’s own cultivation was limited. He estimated that, with its enhancement, his strength would reach the peak of the fifth realm or early sixth realm.

Yet the black-clad man’s aura was deep and unfathomable, impossible to sense. If he was a sixth realm expert, Chu Liang would not be able to match him, even with the Crimson Slaying Sword.

The man held Chu Liang’s attention.

At this moment, one of the female musicians from the Southern Melody Pavilion who accompanied Xue Lingxue stepped onto the stage and announced, “Thank you all for coming to support us today. Senior Sister Xue is preparing backstage. Before the official performance tour in a few days, she will perform a piece to warm up tonight.”

A burst of applause followed.

The musician continued, “However, Senior Sister Xue’s performance tonight requires an assistant. She wishes to select one from among you—would anyone be willing?”

Cries of “willing!” immediately echoed from the audience.

At this point, Manor Lord Li spoke, “Since the young marquis has just presented the Swallow Lute, why not let Miss Xue play it? Let us hear the legendary instrument’s sound!”

The musician hesitated, looking to the side—she could not make the decision for Xue Lingxue.

At that moment,

Xue Lingxue ascended the stage, dressed in a simple azure gown, her expression serene. She first offered a cool smile to the young marquis below, and said, “Of course, I am most grateful to the young marquis for finding this lost heirloom lute... Now, I invite Chu Liang of the Shu Mountain Sect to assist me in tonight’s performance.”

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