Chapter 3991 — Everyone Presents Their Gifts

Upon reaching the ground floor, just as Xu Lingchong had said, the great hall of Huayang Residence was now packed with distinguished guests. Though every one of them deliberately reined in their aura, Wei Zhao could still sense that not a single person present was of common stock.

The grand figures entitled to seats of honor in particular each sat with a stillness like a bottomless abyss, as though they were gods and sages. Before them, Wei Zhao could feel only one thing: the awe of one gazing up at an impossibly high mountain.

Among these grand figures, there were quite a few faces Wei Zhao had seen before—Elder Xu Yuanzheng of the Third Elder of Chongtian Pavilion, Elder Zhao Hongbo of the Fourth Elder of Qingyun Pavilion, the bald elder who guarded the Rear Mountain Hall, and even Gongyang Jun, with whom he had crossed paths before.

Wei Zhao even spotted an old acquaintance among them: Hong Zhong of the Hong Clan Merchant Guild.

This was rather beyond Wei Zhao's expectations, though on second thought it made perfect sense. As the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's plenipotentiary agent on North Island, Hong Zhong would naturally be on close terms with the upper echelons of the Sandie Pavilion.

What was more, in both status and standing he was in no way inferior to the pavilion's elders, so he was certainly entitled to occupy a seat of honor.

Still, though Wei Zhao counted him as an acquaintance, that acquaintance had been made under the identity of Lin Er. Now that Wei Zhao appeared in his true form, Hong Zhong might not recognize him at all.

The moment Shangguan Lan'er appeared, the eyes of everyone in the hall—who had been exchanging pleasantries among themselves—instantly converged on the star of today's birthday banquet. Every face wore a smile, and in every gaze there was more than a trace of dazzled admiration.

As the guest of honor, Shangguan Lan'er's attire today was in fact no different from any other day. She had made no special effort with her dress, nor any special adornment. Yet even so, her innate beauty could not be concealed; bathed in the dreamlike atmosphere the hall had deliberately conjured, she seemed a fairy descended to the mortal world, dazzling the eye and dizzying the senses.

But even as the crowd's eyes fixed on Shangguan Lan'er, no few of them also noticed Wei Zhao descending behind her, and after a moment's blank astonishment they fell into whispers.

As for Wei Zhao, a complete stranger, apart from old acquaintances like Xu Lingchong and Nantian Guan, those present knew nothing whatsoever about him. Seeing him suddenly appear at the young miss's side, they naturally spun every kind of conjecture, murmuring among themselves in private.

At this moment, Shangguan Tianxia, seated in the central seat of honor, beckoned to Shangguan Lan'er with a manner half indulgent, half reproachful: "Little Lan'er, aren't you going to come greet all your grandpas, uncles, and elders? Making so many seniors wait on you alone—you've certainly got quite the face today."

"Little junior brother, find yourself a seat first—I'll come find you in a bit!" Shangguan Lan'er turned her head and whispered to Wei Zhao, then, with the little curly-furred bear in tow, went skipping over.

Watching this from afar, Xu Lingchong was once again boiling with fury. With the preconceptions he had already formed, every little gesture between Shangguan Lan'er and Wei Zhao now seemed to him a secret flirtation, and it was beyond all bearing.

"And here this young master thought the little wench was pure and lovely, holy and inviolable—who'd have guessed she was such a shameless slut with such peculiar tastes. What a damn blind fool I've been!" Xu Lingchong spat viciously on the ground, and a bold plan quietly took shape in his mind.

Whatever the considerations, he could not let Shangguan Lan'er slip from his grasp—absolutely not. For that, he would resort to any means, even at the cost of a little risk!

At this moment the hall was a picture of harmonious delight. Among the many grand figures present, even those bound by irreconcilable feuds could not betray the slightest sign of it now; at least in public view, they had to force a smile for the time being. After all, they could not afford to slight the face of a top-tier titan like Shangguan Tianxia.

A birthday banquet, besides gathering so many grand figures under one roof to exchange pleasantries and cultivate connections, had by long custom another indispensable highlight—and today, under Xu Lingchong's arrangement, was no exception: the presentation of gifts to Shangguan Lan'er, the star of the banquet.

Following the order of rank, strength, and seniority among them, everyone in the hall presented their birthday gifts to Shangguan Lan'er in turn. This was not merely an expression of goodwill but also a prime opportunity to display one's own influence.

Inevitably, the birthday banquet would in the end more or less degenerate into a grand contest of one-upmanship. Whoever produced the rarer, more precious gift demonstrated greater influence, and would naturally command higher standing in the eyes of the grand figures thereafter. As for the somewhat shabbier, more ordinary gifts—those simply could not be shown at all; even if shown, they could only bring disgrace.

And this time, through Xu Lingchong's deliberate arrangement, everyone was required not only to present their gifts before all present, but three appraisal experts had even been specially hired from the major merchant guilds to comment on each gift one by one in public—under the fine name of a birthday appreciation gala.

As a result, the atmosphere of rivalry on the scene was far thicker than in years past. After hearing Xu Lingchong's announcement, the expressions on people's faces—some delighted, some dismayed—were truly a splendid spectacle.

With North Island's top-tier grand figures all gathered in one hall, such an opportunity was rare indeed. Everyone wanted to shine on such an occasion and leave a deep impression on the great ones, and no one wanted to lose face at such a time. Once branded stingy and miserly, one would have no end of grief.

Had they known in advance that such a segment was coming, every person present would doubtless have spared no effort to present the finest rare treasures they possessed. To leave a good impression in the hearts of so many titans, no expense would have been too great.

Unfortunately, when Xu Lingchong sent out the invitations, he had tampered with the process and treated people differently. Those on close terms with the Xu family received a reminder along with their invitation, while those whose relations with the Xu family were ordinary or even hostile remained entirely in the dark.

They were even deliberately misled into believing that this birthday banquet was merely a formality, that there was no need to trouble themselves preparing any valuable gifts.

Thus, those who had been tipped off could shine and bask in the spotlight, while those deliberately misled were now truly in for a tragedy, left to await their transformation into the laughingstock of the hall in anxious torment.

Everything proceeded within Xu Lingchong's control. Members of the Xu family faction all won thunderous applause, while those who opposed the Xu family could only grit their teeth and endure the contemptuous stares of the whole hall. (To be continued) R752