Chapter 528 - 310: Negotiations Break Down
Chapter 528: Chapter 310: Negotiations Break Down
At the banquet, Xu Yang might not have been the most handsome, but he was undoubtedly the youngest.
With his pristine features and a complexion as flawless as jade, he exuded a vibrant, youthful energy.
Xiao Ya looked at his clean, handsome face and delicate skin, her gaze sweeping him up and down. A wave of delight washed over her; she always favored this kind of youthful young man.
For these geniuses, this banquet was an opportunity to expand their networks. However, for women from prominent noble families like her, it was a chance to choose a man after their own hearts.
If both parties found each other agreeable, not only could she recruit a genius from the Lingyun List for her family, but she could also marry a satisfactory husband.
While the geniuses on the Lingyun List were all young, youth did not necessarily equate to good looks.
"Xiao Ya?" Xu Yang thought. His lips curled into a playful smile. He cupped his hands and said, "I am Xu Yang."
The smile on Xiao Ya’s face instantly froze. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock. "Are you the Xu Yang ranked ninety-eighth on the Lingyun List?"
Xu Yang nodded. "Exactly!"
"Excuse me!"
Xiao Ya cursed her bad luck inwardly. She had finally found someone she fancied, only to discover he was the very Xu Yang who was at odds with Huo Xiaochen.
Since Xu Yang was at odds with Huo Xiaochen, it naturally meant he was at odds with the Xiao family.
As Xiao Ya walked away, Sun Tao couldn’t help but chuckle from the side.
Xu Yang, however, frowned to himself. He wondered how the Kong family would resolve the grudge between him and Huo Xiaochen if they were to recruit him. The presence of a Xiao family young lady at the Kong family’s banquet meant the relationship between the two families had to be quite good.
Furthermore, Xiao Ya had turned and left without hesitation upon hearing his name. Did this mean a reconciliation between him and Huo Xiaochen was impossible?
"Miss Ye Qiuling has arrived!" an announcing voice suddenly rang out from outside.
The women present mostly showed no reaction, but almost all the men turned their gazes toward the entrance. A few even stood up and walked over to welcome her.
Xu Yang and Sun Tao also looked up. They saw Ye Qiuling, exuding an ethereal temperament, stepping inside. Her gaze swept over them, a flash of annoyance disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
She cursed them inwardly for abandoning her to come to the Kong family first. Wouldn’t this just tell everyone that she didn’t get along with her two junior brothers?
After all, the public persona she had always cultivated was one of kindheartedness, amiability, and generosity. If she couldn’t even get along with her fellow sect members, who would still believe she was a kindhearted person?
"Miss Ye, I didn’t expect you to come too!"
"Miss Ye, please, come sit over here."
Several men with profound auras surrounded her. Some were geniuses from the Lingyun List, while others were young masters from prominent noble families in Yunzhou City.
Many of the women glared viciously at Ye Qiuling, muttering curses of "vixen" under their breath.
Her features were truly exquisite, and her temperament was even more otherworldly. Looking around the venue, even though it was filled with beautiful women, no one could compare to her.
"No wonder she could receive an invitation despite not being a genius on the Lingyun List," Sun Tao sighed.
Compared to the two Lingyun List geniuses—him and Xu Yang—Ye Qiuling was far more popular.
"Brother Xu, if your Dragon Ascension fails, would you consider working for my family? Don’t worry, we will help you communicate with the Purple Sun Sect."
Another person approached to speak with Xu Yang. The man introduced himself as Fang Xu, the seventy-third ranked genius on the Lingyun List and a member of the Fang family in Yunzhou City.
However, his words were far from pleasant; he was asking Xu Yang to serve the Fang family after failing his Dragon Ascension.
Clearly, he was certain that Xu Yang would not be able to achieve a Secondary Dragon Ascension. Once Xu Yang failed, Huo Xiaochen would no longer bother with him, making the Fang family bold enough to take Xu Yang under their wing.
"Not interested," Xu Yang replied expressionlessly.
"My Fang family only dares to take you because we have a good relationship with the Xiao family. Besides us, how many families in Yunzhou City would dare to want you?" Fang Xu sneered coldly, then stood up and left.
As the crowd grew, two more people sat down at Xu Yang’s table. It was a man and a woman who had arrived together, seemingly from the same sect.
The man had a very average appearance, but the woman was quite extraordinary. Both her looks and figure were top-tier. Her temperament was only slightly inferior to Ye Qiuling’s; instead of Ye Qiuling’s untouchable, ethereal aura, she possessed a quiet and gentle demeanor.
"I am Zhang Jun!"
"I am Liu Rumei!"
The two introduced themselves. Zhang Jun was ranked ninety-fifth on the Lingyun List, while Liu Rumei was ranked sixtieth. Both of their rankings surpassed those of Xu Yang and Sun Tao. They were indeed from the same sect, both disciples of the Luoxia Sect.
"I am Xu Yang!"
"I am Sun Tao!"
Xu Yang and Sun Tao also stated their names. They cupped their hands politely without showing any other emotions, chatting casually with the newcomers.
Soon, their table was no longer quiet.
Given Xu Yang’s reputation, no women came to talk to him. Since Sun Tao and Zhang Jun both looked very ordinary, no women sought them out either. But Liu Rumei’s beauty, second only to Ye Qiuling’s, attracted a group of men to strike up conversations. Some simply sat down at their table.
Liu Rumei was just as quiet as her temperament suggested. If others didn’t speak to her, she wouldn’t say a single extra word. Of course, when others took the initiative to speak to her, she was never impolite and would always respond.
Li Yunzhou arrived. He shot Xu Yang a faint glance before sitting at another table.
Li Chuyang also arrived. As Li Lingdu’s son, he was extremely popular, and many people immediately swarmed around him.
"Lin Jingyu has arrived!"
"Huo Xiaochen has arrived!"
Suddenly, the announcer called out two shocking names. The banquet hall instantly erupted into a commotion as the crowd broke into an uproar.
Lin Jingyu!
Huo Xiaochen!
The Kong family had actually managed to invite these two geniuses, who were second only to Spirit Bone Celestial Prides. As expected of a Thousand-Year-Old Noble Family, their prestige was truly immense.
"I’m afraid Lin Jingyu is the true protagonist of this banquet!" Sun Tao sent a voice transmission.
Huo Xiaochen had already been recruited by the Xiao family, but Lin Jingyu remained unaligned. The Kong family most likely wanted to recruit him.
Everyone at the banquet stood up. Regardless of whether they had any prior relationship with the two, they all went over to welcome the geniuses.
Xu Yang and Sun Tao did not move. Since they were at odds with Huo Xiaochen, it was naturally impossible for them to greet him. In the past, they could still exchange a few words with Lin Jingyu, who frequently visited the Purple Sun Sect’s residence with disciples from the Yellow Maple Valley. However, ever since Lin Jingyu shot up to eleventh place on the Lingyun List, it was as if they now belonged to two different worlds.
He noticed that Liu Rumei and Zhang Jun were also sitting calmly at the table, showing no intention of standing up.
Kong Yu, his face beaming with a bright smile, personally led Lin Jingyu and Huo Xiaochen inside and guided them to the main table.
With the arrival of these two, the banquet officially began.
A large number of Kong family servants streamed in, clearing away the fruits and tea, before serving dish after dish of rare delicacies.
Xu Yang admitted that he was indeed from a small place. Not only had he never seen many of these dishes, but he hadn’t even heard of them. Some even emanated faint Spiritual Qi. Although the energy wasn’t as intense as that of Spirit Medicine, the presence of Spiritual Qi alone made it obvious they were anything but ordinary.
During the gathering of the Purple Sun Sect’s Dragon Ascending Geniuses at the Wind Listening Pavilion, Zhang Jingyuan had only been willing to bestow one jug of Spirit Wine. Yet here, three jugs were served at every table.
As everyone filled their glasses, Kong Cheng picked up his wine cup, stood up, and said, "Thank you all for attending my Kong family’s banquet. I, Kong, would like to offer a toast to everyone here. If there are any shortcomings in our hospitality, please forgive me."
"Fourth Young Master Kong is too polite!"
"It is our honor to visit the Kong family."
The crowd stood up one after another, offering polite replies.
"I’ll drink first as a sign of respect." With that, Kong Cheng tilted his head back and downed the wine in one gulp.
No one spoke. Having been eager to taste the Spirit Wine in their cups, they followed suit and drained their glasses.
"Please, enjoy the food and make yourselves at home." Kong Cheng gestured for everyone to sit down before taking his own seat.
The guests sat down and began to eat and drink freely.
"Miss Liu, you must try this Mandarin Duck Five-Treasure Stew. It’s a secret imperial recipe that you won’t find anywhere else. Only the chefs of my Kong family can prepare this dish.
"And this White-Feathered Chicken Stewed with Horned Pomfret. We use a ten-year-old hen that has been fed with rare medicinal herbs year-round, stewed for several hours with the treasured Horned Pomfret and various herbs. It has beauty-nourishing properties and is an absolute favorite among the noblewomen of Yunzhou City."
Xu Yang’s table became a stage for the noble young masters who had come for Liu Rumei to relentlessly shower her with attention. One person in particular, who was also a young master of the Kong family, pestered Liu Rumei endlessly, constantly serving her food. Of course, he didn’t entirely lose his manners, as he also urged Xu Yang and the others to eat and drink.
When he had introduced himself earlier, he said his name was Kong Jie. The Kong family had assigned a host to accompany the guests at every table.
Xu Yang found the experience eye-opening. The value of the feast on this table was immeasurable. Even a Bone Marrow Cleansing Martial Artist would experience a significant leap in Cultivation after eating it. Unfortunately, for someone with his Celestial Essence, the effects were negligible. Still, the taste was undeniably spectacular.
The meal concluded after almost an hour. Having imbibed the Spirit Wine, everyone’s face was glowing with vitality.
A group of Kong family servants entered, clearing away the bowls and chopsticks before serving a fresh round of fruits and tea.
"Everyone is free to mingle, make friends, or exchange insights on the Martial Dao," Kong Cheng stood up and announced, making the atmosphere of the banquet grow lively once more.
Many people left their seats to introduce themselves to Huo Xiaochen or Lin Jingyu, while others approached Kong Cheng.
"Xu Yang, please step aside with me for a chat," Kong Jie suddenly whispered into his ear.
"Alright."
Xu Yang nodded, rising to leave with Kong Jie. Anyone who noticed this scene understood that the Kong family was likely going to recruit him, and they couldn’t help but reveal looks of envy.
Not far away, Li Yunzhou’s expression shifted slightly. If Xu Yang became a member of the Kong family, he wouldn’t dare cripple him even if given ten times the courage. He would have no choice but to forgo Fang Xinghai’s promised rewards.
Sitting together, Li Chuyang and Ye Qiuling exchanged looks of disbelief, watching with jealousy as Xu Yang and Kong Jie walked away.
Xu Yang followed Kong Jie through a series of twists and turns until they reached a side hall, where he saw a middle-aged man. The man wore a large crimson robe. He had a burly, muscular build and a dignified appearance, looking every bit like someone who had long held a position of high authority.
"Brother Xu, this is the Tenth Elder of my Kong family, Kong Shuyuan!"
Kong Jie cupped his hands. "Greetings, Tenth Elder."
Xu Yang also cupped his hands. "Junior Xu Yang greets Senior."
Kong Shuyuan nodded, his expression betraying neither joy nor anger. He casually pointed to a stool opposite him. "Fellow Xu, please have a seat."
Kong Jie stood behind Kong Shuyuan. Xu Yang cupped his hands again and sat down. A servant entered from outside, poured a cup of tea for Xu Yang, and then retreated.
"Does Fellow Xu know the conditions required to obtain the assistance of my Kong family?" Kong Shuyuan asked calmly.
Xu Yang shook his head. "This junior is unaware. I ask Senior to enlighten me."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Kong Shuyuan’s mouth as he said, "Marry into the Kong family as a live-in son-in-law, or simply become a husband to one of our daughters. But as far as I know, Fellow Xu has already rejected the recruitment offers of multiple families for this exact reason."