Chapter Ninety-Six: Want to Be Friends?

The steward came running all the way, calling out in haste as he entered the main hall.

Today, the estate was hosting honored guests from nearby sects. Two cultivators from the Li family and one from the City Lord’s Residence, all at the Nascent Soul stage, were seated at the head table, dining with Grand Matriarch Feng.

But with the steward bursting in so abruptly, everyone’s attention in the hall turned at once.

The guests from the Li family and the City Lord’s Residence frowned as well, clearly displeased.

Grand Matriarch Feng was also displeased at the sight. She barked, “Feng An, what are you shouting for? Everyone here is an honored guest. What sort of behavior is this!”

Feng An was startled too, but he quickly suppressed his excitement and said at once, “Grand Ancestress, I have something important to report. Please spare me a moment.”

At that, Grand Matriarch Feng’s brows knit slightly. Feng An was only a minor steward of the Feng family, yet for him to act so out of character in a place like this, the matter must indeed be important.

Thinking this, her expression softened a little. She turned to the two from the Li family and the people from the City Lord’s Residence and said apologetically, “The estate seems to have some matter that requires my attention. If there is any discourtesy, I ask that you forgive me.”

Though the Li family cultivators and the City Lord’s people were also curious, this was the Feng family’s private affair and had nothing to do with them. They smiled and said, “No trouble at all. Since Fellow Daoist Feng has matters to attend to, please go ahead. We are quite content to rest here for a while.”

“Indeed, no problem. Please take care of your business first, Senior Feng.”

“Yes, yes, we are not troubled.”

The other guests at the banquet also joined in with similar words of agreement.

“Very well. I shall take my leave for now and offer my apologies to everyone later.” Grand Matriarch Feng addressed the crowd, then left the main hall with Steward Feng An.

Her face remained dark the entire way, and she said nothing as she led Feng An into a nearby side hall.

Today had truly been a day of misfortune. First, her most beloved eldest grandson had been injured in soul sense right at the Feng family’s gates and was now recovering at home. And now her steward had come barging in to interrupt the honored guests’ banquet and celebration. If he could not give a proper explanation later, she would break his legs!

Feng An followed the grand ancestor into the side hall with a tense expression. At this moment, he was both afraid and thrilled. If the Vital Spring Water could move the grand ancestor, then he would certainly be richly rewarded. He might truly rise to the heavens in a single step.

“Speak. What is it?” Grand Matriarch Feng entered the side hall but did not sit. Instead, she stood with her back to the steward and said coldly.

“Grand Ancestress, please have a look at this.” Feng An stopped teasing and handed over Chen Xiang’s Vital Spring Water.

“What is this?” Grand Matriarch Feng glanced at the bottle in Feng An’s hand with suspicion, but she did not immediately take it.

After living seven hundred years, she had long since become a cunning old fox. She would not be led around by anyone’s suspense.

Seeing this, Feng An dared not delay any further and said directly, “Grand Ancestress, this was brought by a rogue cultivator who just came in. It is Vital Spring Water. I have already checked it, and it truly is Vital Spring Water!”

“What? Vital Spring Water?” Grand Matriarch Feng said in great excitement at those four words. Without further hesitation, she snatched the jade bottle, opened it, and took a sniff.

Before long, she sealed the bottle again, and the life force within no longer leaked out. Her face flushed with excitement as she said, “It really is Vital Spring Water, and the quality is extremely high! Good, good, good!”

She said “good” three times in a row, making clear just how delighted she was.

“Feng An, you have done well. From this moment on, you are the chief steward of the Feng family!” The ancestor reined in her excitement, but the smile on her face remained as she spoke to Feng An.

“Yes, thank you, Grand Ancestress!” Feng An bowed deeply, thrilled.

“Mm. Where is the rogue cultivator you mentioned?” Grand Matriarch Feng asked again.

“He is at the gate. I was in such a hurry to report to you that I had him wait there,” Feng An said quickly.

“Good. Go and bring him here at once. He is a honored guest of my Feng family. Bring him to the main hall!” Grand Matriarch Feng said with a smile.

“Yes, I’ll go right away!” Feng An replied, then hurried back toward the gate.

After Feng An left, Grand Matriarch Feng took up the jade bottle and examined it carefully, her eyes gleaming with bright light as she murmured, “Vital Spring Water? This is clearly a diluted form of something far more precious than Vital Spring Water. With this in hand, if I drink even a sip when my lifespan is nearly exhausted, I will surely gain another hundred years, perhaps even several hundred!”

Chen Xiang, who had become the object of her attention, remained entirely unaware as he waited at the gate. He had great confidence in the thing he had brought out. Of course, if it did not work, there was nothing to be done; he would simply force his way in. After all, he had more than a hundred methods for entering the Feng estate. It would only be a little troublesome.

Feng An came rushing to the gate and, seeing Chen Xiang standing there with a faint smile on his face, hurried forward.

“Fellow Daoist Chu, I’ve kept you waiting. Please come at once. The grand ancestor has said to bring you to the main hall,” he said politely.

“Mm.” Chen Xiang nodded and followed Feng An into the Feng estate.

He found this turn of events unsurprising in the slightest.

The Feng estate was quite large, more like a palace than a residence. Though they were not permitted to use red bricks or green tiles, the buildings still had a magnificence that was beyond compare.

Even within the estate, no one walked; all moved by flight or on swords. It was not long before Feng An had brought Chen Xiang to the main hall.

Grand Matriarch Feng had already returned to the hall and was chatting with the guests.

Chen Xiang’s arrival drew everyone’s attention, though they only sized him up with curiosity and did not say much.

Seeing Feng An bring someone in, Grand Matriarch Feng smiled and nodded to the two of them.

She had already arranged a seat for him, at the same table as the person who had earlier claimed to be from the Thousand Leaves Sect. Since he had been added midway through the banquet, it was only natural that he aroused everyone’s curiosity.

But once they saw that he was merely an unfamiliar youth, they quickly lost interest.

Under the guidance of a maidservant, Chen Xiang sat down. Beside him was a cultivator who looked to be about his age, and the moment he sat down, that young man began striking up conversation.

“Fellow Daoist, this one is Hu Tiehua of the Clear Flame Gate. May I ask how I should address you?” the young cultivator said with a clasped-fist salute, his manner gentle and friendly, without the slightest fault.

Yet Chen Xiang stared at him wide-eyed. “What did you say your name was? Hu Tiehua?”

“What is it, Fellow Daoist? My name is indeed Hu Tiehua!” the young man said.

“Uh... all right then. Brother Tiehua, I am the dashing Chu Liuxiang,” Chen Xiang said, composing himself and returning the salute to Hu Tiehua.

But in his heart, he was nearly laughing himself to death. Of all things, he had actually run into Hu Tiehua in the cultivation world. Should he make this friend or not?

The young man thought to himself, Is there something wrong with my name? But outwardly, he still cupped his fists and said, “Ah, so it is Brother Chu. A pleasure, a pleasure.”

“Brother Tiehua, shall we be friends?” Chen Xiang asked again.