The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 637: The Banquet!

Soon after, several more people disembarked from the following carriages. Most of them were young faces, some with scholarly and weak appearances, while the others had the appearance of fierce warriors and exuded malevolent qi.

From the same carriage as the Eleventh Prince stepped out a stunning woman dressed in purple. Her figure was graceful and her curves well-defined, but her entire being emitted an aura of coldness that chilled to the bone. Just a glance at her would make one feel as if their very soul was about to freeze.

This woman's status was evidently quite prestigious, as all the guards from the Tianyang Empire treated her with the utmost respect, not daring to show the slightest neglect.

She walked gently toward the Eleventh Prince and placed her jade-like hand on his shoulder. With that, the raging flames around the prince were gathered and suppressed into his dantian.

In the next moment, the scorching heat and icy coldness surrounding the Eleventh Prince and the woman in purple dissipated without a trace.

"So, it turns out that the Eleventh Prince needs this woman's help to control the wild fire within him!" Liu Hongzhang narrowed his eyes. Although he was a proponent of peace and often disagreed with Wen Tingguang, he had earned Yue Zhonglian's trust because of his unwavering loyalty to the Cangqiong Sect and the Tianbai Empire.

Being adaptable was certainly a skill, and Liu Hongzhang was a perfect example of that.

"The Eleventh Prince has had a long journey, Elder Liu. Please arrange for a quiet place for him to rest," the woman in purple spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of seductive power. Even someone as strong as Liu Hongzhang felt slightly unsettled by it.

"Yes! Yes!" Liu Hongzhang quickly nodded, immediately ordering someone to prepare accommodations for the Eleventh Prince.

The Eleventh Prince had seemingly spent the entire journey cultivating inside the carriage, which puzzled many.

After settling the prince and the woman in purple, Liu Hongzhang led Xiahou Lie and the other envoys from the Tianyang Empire to the main hall to discuss matters related to entering the palace and returning Nangong Yin.

By this time, Wen Tingguang had arrived with his men, and they gathered in the hall to begin their discussions.

Yue Tengfeng, as the son of the Cangqiong Sect's leader, naturally sat as an equal to Xiahou Lie in the main seats.

The others took their places on both sides of the hall, and the talks were about to begin when a young man from the Tianyang Empire, about twenty years old, glanced disdainfully at Ling Feng. He sneered and said, "What's this? The great Tianbai Empire is supposedly one of the four major empires in the Dongling Region, and they allow someone as mediocre as him to sit in this gathering?"

"Hah! The Tianbai Empire must truly be running out of people."

"Hahaha, how ridiculous!"

The young elites of the Tianyang Empire burst into mocking laughter. These were warriors who had opened at least fifty meridian gates, and they had come with the intent of suppressing the younger generation of the Tianbai Empire to elevate the reputation of the Tianyang Empire.

Unfortunately for Ling Feng, he had become their first target.

As Yue Tengfeng and Wen Tingguang's faces darkened, Xiahou Lie laughed heartily, saying, "Ah, young people, they can be fiery at times. But they're not entirely wrong. Certain irrelevant individuals shouldn't be at such important gatherings."

As he spoke, Xiahou Lie shot a glance at Ling Feng, clearly holding a grudge from their earlier encounter at the city gates.

"He's not just some irrelevant person," Yue Tengfeng smirked, narrowing his eyes. "General Xiahou, rather than debating who's relevant and who's not, wouldn't it be better to focus on the matter of returning Prince Nangong Yin to your kingdom?"

"Hehe, my Tianyang Empire's Prince Jingwang... you wouldn't dare to keep him!" Xiahou Lie sneered. "So, have you brought him?"

"It's late today. We've arranged a banquet in honor of the envoys. After your audience with the emperor tomorrow, we will return Prince Nangong Yin," Liu Hongzhang said with a sycophantic smile.

"Oh? A banquet?" Xiahou Lie narrowed his eyes. "Interesting! Very well, after we meet your emperor tomorrow, we'll take the prince back."

"Haha, finally a chance to relax!" Said the young man who had mocked Ling Feng earlier, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "If it's a banquet, the noble ladies of your empire will be attending, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Liu Hongzhang quickly nodded. The envoys from the Tianyang Empire had arrived, and the noble families of the Tianbai Empire were certainly aware of it.

The Tianyang Empire was powerful and wealthy, and there were frequent trade exchanges between the two empires. The unique resources of both nations were highly sought after, making this an opportunity for lucrative profits.

If anyone could curry favor with the envoys, they might be granted special trade privileges such as access to low-tax trade routes in the Lieyang Cavalry Battalion's territory. Such opportunities were incredibly profitable.

The banquet was sponsored by the heads of the noble families, with Liu Hongzhang merely acting as the facilitator.

"Haha, this should be fun!" The young man from the Tianyang Empire rubbed his hands together eagerly. Judging by his lecherous expression, it was clear his mind was full of inappropriate thoughts.

"Good, then it's settled. Rest for now, and when the banquet begins, I'll send someone to call for you," Liu Hongzhang said, his face full of smiles. He had received plenty of bribes from the noble families and had, in a way, profited nicely from his role as the go-between for the Tianyang envoys.

...

Night fell.

The residence was lively, with guests coming and going, creating a bustling scene.

Many of the empire's prominent families sent their young heirs to the banquet, hoping they could form connections with the nobles from the Tianyang Empire.

Of course, this gathering also attracted many young masters from the empire's noble families who attended not just to network with the envoys, but also to build alliances through marriages to strengthen their family standings.

Ling Feng had little interest in such events. His only thought was to resolve the matter with Nangong Yin the next day, pass the blame onto the demon clan, and stay out of the political dealings.

State affairs were the responsibility of people like Wen Tingguang, and Ling Feng was just here to clean up the mess. Other than that, it had little to do with him.

At that moment, Ling Feng sat in a secluded corner of the hall, idly eating some pastries. His mind was busy rehearsing various scenarios for the next day.

Tuoba Yan, still disguised as a man, stood coldly by his side. Usually, unless Ling Feng spoke to her first, she wouldn't say a word.

Just then, a striking figure appeared at the entrance of the hall, immediately drawing the attention of many guests.

"Wow, what a beauty!"

"She's stunning! Whose young lady is she? I don't think I've seen her before!"

"So beautiful! Miss, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Ling Feng looked in the direction of the commotion, and when he saw the face of this "beauty," he was momentarily stunned.

Why is she here!?