Chapter 580: Dragons and Tigers Gather

The noisy banquet hall seemed to quiet down a fraction. Sensing something off, I frowned and looked up.

Surrounded by admirers, Jiang Chen, the master of Century New Garden, walked toward me under everyone's gaze.

"Since you're already here, why not come up to the private room?" Jiang Chen wore a professional smile, though a flash of resentment flickered through his eyes.

"I'm just a vulgar man, hardly worthy of your private room." I washed down a mouthful of eight-treasure crispy duck with a gulp of red wine, then stood up and stepped right up to Jiang Chen. "Move aside. You're blocking my way."

Anger churned in Jiang Chen's eyes, but he forced it down. "There are distinguished guests upstairs. Don't keep them waiting."

I brushed past him, picked up the ginger and scallion baked Australian lobster from the table, and set it on my plate. "First time I've seen a lobster one and a half chi long. Great name for the dish, too—Nobility of the Dragon Gate."

Returning to my seat, I dug right in without a hint of stage fright. This banquet was a welcome feast for those reclusive sects, so they had hired only the finest chefs.

"Tastes pretty good."

Hearing my assessment, Jiang Chen forced a strained smile. "Gao Jian, stop being so childish. The distinguished guests upstairs are asking for you. Head up now, and no one has to be embarrassed."

"For the grand young master of Jiangjin Real Estate to be unable to summon the owner of a street-side adult shop—yeah, that really is a bit embarrassing," I said, swallowing a mouthful of lobster meat without bothering to look up. "But what does your embarrassment have to do with me?"

Truth be told, after wiping out the Three Yin Sect, the Jiang family no longer posed much of a threat in my eyes.

To everyone else, Jiang Chen was an enviable catch—tall, rich, and handsome—but to me, he was nothing more than a slightly better-looking good-for-nothing.

The Jiang family and the Huang Family had jointly funded and hosted this banquet for the sole purpose of currying favor with those reclusive sects.

I could understand the Huang Family's behavior, but seeing the Jiang family—who had been backed by the Three Yin Sect—acting so obsequiously still left me somewhat speechless.

Their so-called future helmsman, the young master of the Jiang family, was just tossed out here like a waiter to deliver messages and fetch guests? Was this still the high-and-mighty Jiang family?

Strength determines one's horizons. Once those horizons broaden, many things start to look insignificant—like Jiang Chen standing right in front of me.

"Gao Jian, embarrassing me is nothing, but if you anger those immortal Daoist masters, the consequences will be severe."

Looking at Jiang Chen's stern face, I burst out laughing. "Everyone envies your glamorous facade, but who knew you were nothing more than a pack of ungrateful wolves that can never be tamed? Your last master just met with disaster, and you're already scrambling to find yourselves a new one. The Jiang family really loves being kept on a leash, doesn't it?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Jiang Chen's voice spiked to a shrill pitch, as if I had struck a nerve.

Brimming with rage and finally pushed past his limit, he was just about to snap at me when a young man in a black Daoist robe with gold embroidery on the collar rested a hand on his shoulder. "Brother Jiang, stay calm. Do not give in to anger."

He looked to be only in his early twenties, yet he spoke with a seasoned air.

"Brother Wei, why did you come out? You've traveled from afar as our guest—forgive my poor hospitality." The fury in Jiang Chen's eyes vanished at once, replaced by an ingratiating smile.

"I only came out for a look. I wanted to see for myself just what kind of man the rumored husband of the Ghost Mother actually is." The Daoist priest in the gold-trimmed robe glanced me over. "What a pity. The reality falls short of the reputation. I clearly expected too much."

He smiled with breezy aloofness, putting on an air that said I was nothing special. Yet that very demeanor perfectly matched the crowd's fantasy of a Daoist Celestial Master, prompting them to whisper among themselves and nod in quiet approval.

There was only one exception in the entire hall, and that was me.

Casually tossing my half-eaten lobster back onto my plate, I stood up. "Little Daoist, did you just say you wanted to meet the Ghost Mother's husband?"

"That's right, though I'm quite disappointed now that I have." Disdain flickered across the young Daoist's face. He was probably the type to judge people by their appearances. I couldn't care less about someone like him, and instead started pondering what he had just said.

'These sect disciples seem to have gotten one thing wrong. Wang Yu really is the Ghost Mother's child, sure enough, but I'm not Wang Yu's father. Who knows where that kid's bastard dad ran off to.' Wang Yu was autistic and couldn't communicate, while the Ghost Mother was unmatched in this world—even if I were lent ten times my courage, I wouldn't dare ask her who her husband was. Through a series of coincidences, nobody knew who Wang Yu's biological father actually was.

'Lu Chen was a survivor of the siege at Xinhu High School, so he must be the one who spread the word. Now everyone thinks Wang Yu is my child and the Ghost Mother is my wife. If I use this misunderstanding right, it might just work wonders.'

Seeing me standing dazedly beside the table, the young Daoist assumed I was getting ready to follow him upstairs—after all, anyone could tell he was one of the distinguished guests of honor at today's banquet. "At least you know what's good for you. I won't hold your earlier rudeness against you."

He turned and walked a few steps before realizing something was off. The people around him seemed to be staring at him. "Now what?"

"Is this your attitude when inviting someone?" Wearing a smile, I walked over to another spot, grabbed a piece of salted-egg-yolk king crab, and dug in heartily. "The ancients really had it right when they said that impoverished mountains and malignant waters produce stubborn people. Who knows what backwater ditch this guy crawled out of, not even having the most basic manners."

Many people in the banquet hall were watching this unfold, and upon hearing my words, most of them silently wiped the sweat from their brows.

Frozen in place, the young Daoist was so livid he couldn't even gather his wits.

"Impoverished mountains and malignant waters produce stubborn people?! Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, by the Three Pure Patriarchs above, how dare this son of a bitch insult us ascetic cultivators like that?!"

"And you have the nerve to talk about manners? Your mouth is stuffed so full you can barely speak clearly, yet you have the gall to accuse me of having no manners?! Where is your upbringing? Have you no shame?!"

The young Daoist's fingers trembled with rage. After years of ascetic cultivation, this was likely his first time coming down the mountain. Having grown used to the deferential attitude of the Huang Family and the Jiang family, running into a complete one-eighty with me had given him a jarring sense of whiplash.

"You—step right out here!" Before the young Daoist had even finished speaking, someone else emerged from the private room in the distance.

"Gao Jian!"

The voice was familiar. Seeing who it was, I felt a bit resigned. I picked up a napkin to wipe my mouth and got ready to head upstairs.

"I knew that foul temper of yours would have you butting heads with them. Hurry up and come upstairs." The newcomer was none other than Leng Qingxuan. Acting all mysterious, he deliberately lowered his voice and added, "Daoist Master Chen Jiuge of Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple is here, too. I sounded him out for you—he's a decent guy and should be willing to help."

"Don't worry yourself over my business." I knew far better than Leng Qingxuan what kind of person Chen Jiuge really was. Knowing a person's face does not mean knowing their heart, and that saying described this exact situation.

I got up and walked side by side with Leng Qingxuan toward the private room, while the young Daoist and Jiang Chen trailed behind us with dark expressions.

To the observant eyes in the hall, this scene was quite telling. People pointed and murmured in my direction, every trace of contempt gone from their gazes.

We made our way through the crowd and arrived at the private room.

A waiter pushed open the door. Unlike the clamor outside, the private room felt more like a poetry gathering hosted by ancient literati, complete with soft, soothing music and a faint scent of sandalwood drifting through the air. It was a scene of learned scholars laughing and chatting, free of uncultured commoners—everyone seated inside carried the poised air of true refinement.

Just as I stepped through the door, the classical music in the private room came to a halt, and one gaze after another—some sharp, some gentle, some indifferent—swept over me.

"Come, this way please." Huang Lan, Huang Boyuan's eldest daughter, was also in the room. She led me to a seat near the door and had me sit beside her.

The classical music started up again, and the people in the room resumed their conversations. I didn't know why Huang Boyuan had called me here, and with people from Miaozhen temple present, I didn't dare use my Judging Eye openly, instead observing the room out of the corner of my eye.

"Gao Jian, you really are an important man—it took three people going out there just to invite you in." Huang Lan flashed me a covert smile. When a career woman like her occasionally showed such a girlish smile, its charm was honestly quite lethal. "Everyone here today is from the Daoist sects. Don't mistake them for street charlatans; these people all have real skills."

"Your Huang Family is one of the hosts, so tell me about their backgrounds." Knowing both yourself and your enemy is the only way to fight a hundred battles without defeat. Looking at Huang Lan's alluring lips, I shifted slightly away from her. "There are fifteen people in this room besides me. Leaving out you, your father, Jiang Chen, and Jiang Detao, there are eleven others. From the main seat down, they're divided into six groups by the style of their Daoist robes—three seated on the north side, and three on the south. Introduce them to me in that order."

I rattled all that off in a single breath. When I finished, surprise flickered in Huang Lan's beautiful eyes. "Your powers of observation are impressive. You really are a professional."

She gave a soft chuckle and began explaining. "Seated on the north side are the Upper Three Sects. The elderly man in the middle wearing a cyan Daoist robe is the leader of this sect alliance, the junior martial brother of the Qingcheng Daozheng—Daoist Master Xu Yan. Standing behind him is Qingcheng's youngest inner disciple, Xu Wugui. They say the boy's talent is astonishing. He's no more than seventeen and doesn't even have a Daoist title yet, but his mastery of Daoist arts has already reached a profound level."

"The blue-robed Daoist to Daoist Master Xu Yan's left is the Maoshan Yin Master Leng Qingxuan, and the Brocade-Robed Daoist Priest to his right is Celestial Master Profound Truth, Lu Chen. All three sects are prestigious orthodox lineages in Huaxia and belong to the Upper Three Sects."

"The six people seated on the south side all have impressive backgrounds as well. On the left, the four cultivators wearing black Daoist robes with gold patterns embroidered on the collars and cuffs come from the Quanzhen Jinshan Sect. Their names are Wei Wenming, Wei Liangming, Wei Gongming, and Wei Jianming. All four of them are orphans adopted by the Jinshan sect leader. They grew up together from a young age and are exceptionally close. Their names are also taken from the Golden Mountain Sect's core heart-cultivation precept: 'Gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and humble; magnanimous, benevolent, compassionate, virtuous, and forbearing.'"

I nodded slightly and cast another glance at the young Daoist. He was Wei Jianming, the youngest of the four.

"Seated in the middle on the south side is Lu Jingxiu, the mountain guardian of the Lingbao Sect. He addresses Daoist Master Xu Yan as a peer. He's usually a man of few words, but his seniority is very high."

"Speaking of which, the most mysterious of them all is this last one." Huang Lan discreetly pointed in that direction. "This Daoist master comes from Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple and is recognized as the foremost disciple of his generation. Strangely enough, he has no Daoist title. All I know is that everyone calls him Chen Jiuge..."