vstars Chapter 48 No Feast is Good
Chapter 48 No Feast is Good
But Shen Qing knew that her feelings about coming here today were completely different from those of Manager Liu and the others.
Manager Liu came to the banquet; he came to be "displayed."
As more and more guests entered the courtyard, the congratulations for Zhisheng grew louder and louder.
The smiles on the faces of the Huang family members grew brighter and brighter, all of which were sending him a signal: the family that had coveted Qingyun Mountain for 130 years now had a Foundation Establishment Ancestor who had returned alive from the battlefield of Chuzhou.
And this patriarch was being thrust into the public eye by his son in an almost ostentatious manner.
The feeling was subtle. No one said a single impolite word to him, no one gave him a hard time, and even Huang Wenyuan's introduction to the table was extremely polite and considerate.
But the more this happened, the more a chill ran down Shen Qing's spine.
The congratulations and toasts around him were reminding him of something.
Your opponent has already revealed his strength, and you haven't even seen what his ancestor looked like.
At noon, three chimes rang out in the main hall.
Huang Dehou strode to the center of the courtyard, clasped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "My father has returned safely from Chuzhou and arrived home today. I am deeply grateful to all my relatives and friends for gracing this banquet!"
He bowed deeply, and all the guests in the courtyard rose to return the bow and offer their congratulations.
Huang Dehou straightened up and stepped aside to make way for the main hall: "Please, Father, take your seat!"
The main hall doors slowly opened, and a robust old man walked steadily out of the hall.
His hair and beard were all white, but his face was ruddy. His eyes flashed with a sharp light as they opened and closed. His aura was deep and profound, and every step he took carried an invisible sense of pressure.
The noisy voices in the courtyard fell silent at that moment, and even the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen stopped.
Everyone felt a deep-seated pressure, like a tiger strutting into a sheepfold. The tiger didn't make any move, but the sheep held their breath.
At this moment, Shen Qing also unconsciously straightened his back. It wasn't that he hadn't seen Foundation Establishment cultivators before; Fu Shan Dao Ren, Mo Wentian, and Zhao Yuanlang were all Foundation Establishment cultivators.
But the old man in front of him gave him a feeling that was different from any of the previous ones.
This is not a difference in realm, but a difference in aura.
The Taoist priest of Fushan was gentle, Mo Wentian was sharp, Zhao Yuanlang was calm, but Huang Yuanji's aura carried a faint bloody smell.
Of course, not the kind of sharp, steely edge that only comes from being tempered by life and death.
That's the kind of aura only a cultivator who has crawled out of a pile of corpses possesses.
Foundation Building Stage 3, Striving for Hegemony in Chu Province.
Shen Qing silently recited in his heart, and for the first time truly understood their significance.
Huang Yuanji stood under the corridor in front of the main hall, his gaze slowly sweeping over the guests in the courtyard.
He didn't spend much time on anyone, but with each sweep of his gaze, he exuded a sense of oppression.
Huang Yuanji's gaze lingered on Shen Qing for a moment before shifting away.
Huang Yuanji spoke, his voice loud and steady, "I have been away for three years. Today I return and am very pleased to see that the Huang family members are all in their proper places and performing their duties."
He paused for a moment, then added, "I also want to thank all the villagers for their help to the Huang family over the years."
The words were brief and the tone was flat, as if they were just casual remarks.
But all the guests in the courtyard stood up in unison, and a chorus of compliments such as "Welcome, sir!" and "Sir, you have made great contributions!" rose and fell.
Huang Yuanji nodded and took his seat in the main seat.
As the banquet began, servants filed out carrying dishes, and meat and wine were laid out on each table in a continuous stream.
The sounds of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts gradually rose, and the lively atmosphere in the courtyard returned to its previous hustle and bustle.
Huang Yuanji sat in the main seat, with a pot of wine and several small dishes in front of him. He neither drank nor touched his chopsticks, only occasionally nodding to those who came to offer him a toast.
Huang Dehou stayed by his father's side, while Huang Wenyuan moved between the tables, greeting the guests.
Shen Qing sat in the corner, eating his food quietly. The other shopkeepers at the same table had already gone to the main table to offer toasts, leaving him alone.
Shen Qing picked up a piece of braised pork and chewed it slowly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the head of the table.
He noticed that Huang Yuanji hadn't touched his wine glass, and that Huang Dehou would whisper a few words in his father's ear every now and then.
Halfway through the banquet, an unexpected person walked up to Shen Qing.
Huang Dehou.
He held a glass of wine, a smile on his face, followed by an elderly man with white hair and beard.
It was Huang Yuanji, who had just been sitting in the main seat. Shen Qing put down his chopsticks, stood up, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Huang Dehou stopped in front of him, holding a wine cup, his tone somewhat comforting, "Sect Leader Shen, when my father was in Chuzhou, he had the opportunity to meet your sect's former sect leader several times. Today, upon returning, he heard that Sect Leader Shen was also present at the banquet, so he came here specifically to see him."
Huang Yuanji stood beside Huang Dehou, his gaze fixed on Shen Qing, and slowly said, "Sect Leader Shen, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down."
He sat down opposite Shen Qing and casually poured himself a cup of tea.
"Brother Fushan is a good person."
He said this without looking at Shen Qing, his gaze fixed on the rising steam from the cup. "After we entered Chuzhou together, Brother Fushan was assigned to the Foundation Establishment Left Camp, while I was assigned to the Foundation Establishment Right Camp."
"Regarding the specifics of the struggle for supremacy in Chuzhou, Sect Master Shen may not know the reasons behind it. Today, I will tell you about it. The Heavenly God Sect and the Imperial Sword Sect discovered a secret realm at the border between Chuzhou and Shuzhou."
"This secret realm can only accommodate Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. The Heavenly God Sect wanted to monopolize it, while the Imperial Sword Sect was naturally unwilling to give it up, so the two sides started fighting."
He paused, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
"The Heavenly God Sect was reluctant to use its own inner disciples to fill the ranks, so it issued a conscription order, requiring all registered Foundation Establishment cultivators within Chu Prefecture to enlist."
"Those who refuse to enlist within the territory of Chuzhou will be removed from their sect's register and have their sect's land deeds revoked. Brother Fushan answered the call not because he wanted to compete for any opportunity, but because he was afraid that if he didn't go, the Qingyun Sect would be lost."
Shen Qing didn't speak, but the hands resting on her knees were slowly tightening.
Huang Yuanji put down his teacup and continued, "As for the death of Brother Fushan, I know a little about it. That day, the Left Battalion was ordered to attack a stronghold of the Imperial Sword Sect in Shuzhou."
"But little did they know that the stronghold was equipped with a three-layered sword formation. Brother Fushan and a dozen other fellow Daoists were assigned to the vanguard camp, and the vanguard camp's mission was to tear a hole in the sword formation."
"But when the outer sword formation was broken by a third, those bastards from the Imperial Sword Sect triggered a counter-attack formation, and none of the first batch of people who broke the formation escaped. The entire vanguard battalion where Brother Fushan was stationed perished."
Huang Yuanji was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The entire vanguard camp consists of Foundation Establishment cultivators from lower sects or small families like us. Not a single member of the Heavenly God Sect has been harmed."
Huang Yuanji raised his eyes to look at Shen Qing. In his aged eyes there was no arrogance, no pity, only a calmness that came from having experienced life and death. "People like us are just cannon fodder for the Heavenly God Sect."
Shen Qing didn't reply. He lowered his eyes and after a long while asked, "Senior Huang, did my master leave any remains?"
Huang Yuanji shook his head: "The Heavenly God Sect does not have the custom of collecting corpses. However, the Heavenly God Sect has erected a monument to heroes in the northern border of Chuzhou, so Brother Fushan's name should probably be engraved on it."
"Thank you for informing me, Elder Huang," Shen Qing said softly.
Huang Yuanji nodded and didn't say anything more.
Huang Dehou stood beside his father, a faint smile always on his lips. He raised his wine cup to Shen Qing and said, "Sect Leader Shen, please."
Then, as she helped her father get up and leave, the banquet continued, with toasts being exchanged and laughter filling the air.