Lin Xiao’s gaze followed the sound, and a group of figures slowly approached through the crowd’s attention.
At the centre was an elder in a red robe, with thick brows, deep-set eyes, a broad face, and sharply defined features. His hair was white, yet he exuded a robust, vigorous air.
As the red-robed elder walked, he emitted no aura, yet carried an innate authority, like a king suppressing all directions, with an inviolable dignity.
This was none other than the Feng family’s Grand Elder, the central figure of his seventieth birthday celebration, Feng Yuntian.
Feng Yuntian’s face bore a faint smile, and he nodded politely to those around him, appearing exceedingly courteous.
However, no one felt that this smiling Feng Yuntian was approachable.
Most people in the Lanlan Empire were unaware of the mysterious, powerful figure behind Feng Yuntian. Thus, they regarded him as the one controlling the entire empire, elevating him to an extraordinary status.
Many even hoped Feng Yuntian would conquer the two great empires, believing this would make the Lanlan Empire stronger, caring little about who ruled as royalty.
By Feng Yuntian’s side was a woman who seemed eternally in her twenties. A seven-flower ink jade hairpin adorned her hair, with dark, slightly brown tresses cascading over her full chest.
Her skin was fair as snow, her features delicate as a painting, her exquisite face like a rare bloom, breathtakingly beautiful. Her slender waist and curvaceous figure moved gracefully, exuding an air of serene elegance, tinged with a sacred, untouchable majesty that deterred any irreverence.
As she approached, her clear blue eyes shimmered with a captivating charm.
Her noble and elegant beauty was stunning, shaking the mortal world.
Lin Xiao’s gaze fixed deeply on this woman, emotions surging within him.
“Hmph, what’s so special about her, just someone you’ve slept with, right?” Hu Yue muttered under her breath, barely audible.
“What?” Ling Hu, standing nearby, caught the sound and asked in surprise.
Others might not have heard clearly, but Lin Xiao understood, knowing the full context.
Of course, Hu Yue knew as well.
Facing Hu Yue, Lin Xiao felt a tinge of embarrassment. Since being trapped in the Xuanyu battlefield, what Hu Yue had done for him, and her brush with death, had changed his feelings toward her, no longer as detached as before.
“Nothing,” Hu Yue said, clearly displeased.
“Lin Xiao, you wouldn’t…” Ling Hu began, his imagination running wild.
Lin Xiao shot him a fierce glare, silencing him instantly.
At that moment, Feng Youyu’s gaze suddenly turned toward Lin Xiao, lingering briefly.
“She didn’t notice, did she?” Lin Xiao’s heart raced with tension.
Fortunately, Feng Youyu’s gaze soon shifted away.
Lin Xiao sighed, thinking he’d overreacted. With his current strength and high-grade concealment powder, how could Feng Youyu possibly see through him?
“Strange, why did I see a trace of coldness in her eyes?” Lin Xiao wondered silently, sensing a subtle change in Feng Youyu’s gaze compared to three years ago.
“I hope it’s just my imagination,” Lin Xiao shook his head inwardly.
Soon, the two reached the front, where a long, oval, prestigious wooden table stood upright, flanked by two rows of distinguished chairs.
The table could seat twenty to thirty people.
Its side faced the arena, allowing both sides to view it, clearly intentional.
The two stood before the head table, not sitting immediately, but facing the crowd, looking ahead.
Feng Yuntian maintained his faint smile, while Feng Youyu’s expression remained calm, her eyes filled with indifference.
“The Empress Dowager Meng Xi of the royal family has arrived!”
At that moment, a ceremonial voice rang out, drawing all eyes outward.
A group approached the crowd, led by an elderly woman, hunched with age, her face wrinkled, her eyes nearly obscured by creases.
Yet, despite her frail appearance, she radiated a certain vitality.
Beside her was a woman of stunning beauty, dressed in a flowing blue gown, her hair styled in a princess bun. Her refined features were elegant and radiant, her steps exuding an innate noble authority.
Next to her stood a man in his early thirties, his presence striking, exuding a vibrant energy. His handsome face carried a mature charm, and his every step radiated refined elegance.
Beside him was a dazzling woman, her beauty no less than Meng Ying’s.
“Princess Meng Ying, truly one of the capital’s four great beauties, unmatched in appearance!”
“A woman as talented and beautiful as Princess Meng Ying, who could possibly be worthy of her?”
“That’s Prince Meng Sheng and Zhou Ruoyi beside her, one of the capital’s new five great gentlemen and one of the four great beauties. Who would’ve thought they’d end up together?”
“The royal family and the Zhou family’s alliance brought them together. But it’s been said across the city that Zhou Ruoyi has long admired Prince Meng Sheng. Their union, a perfect match of talent and beauty, is quite the tale.”
As the royal entourage entered, whispers spread. Beauty, no matter where, always drew attention.
Especially among the young men present, their gazes were filled with admiration. Meng Ying was an unattainable figure.
Meng Sheng and Zhou Ruoyi, already married, were also well-known, though their union shifted much of the attention from Zhou Ruoyi to Meng Ying.
“Meng Sheng and Zhou Ruoyi are married?” Lin Xiao was slightly surprised by the scene.
He hadn’t expected them to end up together, though Zhou Ruoyi, once so proud, now seemed much more subdued.
It appeared that marriage to Meng Sheng and the royal family had changed her considerably.
As Meng Ying and Empress Dowager Meng Xi entered, their gazes briefly swept over Lin Xiao and his companions before moving forward.
“The Empress Dowager grows younger with age,” Feng Yuntian said with a warm smile as the group reached the table.
“I’m managing, still holding on for a while,” Empress Dowager Meng Xi replied coolly, “Congratulations, Elder Feng.”
It was clear to all that the royal family harboured resentment toward the Feng family.
This was understandable. For such a grand royal family to be controlled by the Feng family was something no one would accept willingly, though they kept up appearances.
Of course, no one dared voice such thoughts openly.
“Thank you, Empress Dowager, for gracing us with your presence. Please, take a seat!” Feng Yuntian showed no displeasure, his face still beaming as he ushered Empress Dowager Meng Xi to the rightmost of the two central seats.
He then led Meng Ying, Meng Sheng, and Zhou Ruoyi to the right side of the long table, to the prestigious seats.
This table was clearly reserved for the capital’s elite.
Beside it, other royal family members took their seats.
This group included several Martial King experts, not here merely for the banquet, but as guards for Empress Dowager Meng Xi and Meng Ying, representing the royal family’s most elite forces.
