Chapter 3992 — Given in Private

"Chong'er, you did well today. When the Xu family is handed into your keeping in the future, your grandfather will be able to set his mind a little more at ease." Amid the presentation of gifts, Xu Yuanzheng deliberately rose and walked to one side, nodding approvingly at his own legitimate grandson.

In his eyes, Xu Lingchong's little machinations were still rather green, but so long as the boy possessed such awareness, he was not too far from being able to shoulder the Xu family's future.

"Thank you for your praise, Grandfather. Your grandson will redouble his efforts and safeguard the future of our Xu family." Xu Lingchong was instantly elated by the praise.

Taking over the Xu family—that had been his long-cherished wish all along. To win his grandfather Xu Yuanzheng's approval today proved that he had taken another great stride toward that goal.

Xu Yuanzheng chuckled with the contentment of old age and offered his guidance: "Still, Chong'er, you must keep one thing firmly in mind—schemes and calculations are but minor arts. To grasp great matters, seizing hold of the key person is the true way; otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain."

With that, the old man pursed his lips and gestured into the distance, toward Shangguan Lan'er, who was at that moment nestled intimately at Shangguan Tianxia's side.

Xu Lingchong nodded in understanding and clenched his fist with profound meaning: "Grandfather, rest assured. She will never escape your grandson's grasp—never!"

"If you have such confidence, so much the better. Do not disappoint your grandfather." Xu Yuanzheng patted his shoulder and turned back to the seat of honor.

Xu Lingchong drew a long, deep breath. When he looked again toward Shangguan Lan'er in the distance, his gaze held a shade of cold, grim ruthlessness that others could scarcely detect.

If, before today, Shangguan Lan'er had held a place in his heart akin to a heavenly being, then after what had just happened, that heavenly being had swiftly been demoted to a wanton woman whom any man might have—and if one were dealing merely with such a wanton, there was naturally no need for excessive courtesy.

By now, the gift presentation was drawing to a close. Beside him, Kang Jingming spoke with eager anticipation: "Young Master Xu, may I bring out my gift now?"

Xu Lingchong gave a slight nod. This was a plan he and Kang Jingming had agreed upon beforehand, and he stepped forward in person to make the introduction: "Elders, relatives, and friends all—the next to present a birthday gift to Junior Sister Lan'er is a new steward from our Yingxin Pavilion, Kang Jingming!"

With the eyes of every grandee in the hall fixed upon him, Kang Jingming hastily straightened his back and, feigning composure, slowly opened the wooden box in his hands, within which a pill had been carefully laid out.

The crowd could not help but murmur among themselves. That a newcomer from Yingxin Pavilion should appear here was itself no small piece of news—and all the more so since this newcomer had produced a rather fine gift: a top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pill!

"Upon learning that he had the honor of attending Junior Sister Lan'er's birthday banquet, this Junior Brother Kang, under my own assistance and supervision, spent ten days and ten nights before finally refining this top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pill with his own hands, as his birthday gift to Junior Sister Lan'er," Xu Lingchong said smoothly, personally lending Kang Jingming prestige.

At these words, the way the crowd looked at Kang Jingming grew markedly more respectful.

A mere newcomer of Yingxin Pavilion would naturally never have caught their discerning eyes—but if this newcomer were an alchemist, and one able to refine a top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pill with his own hands, then his value was immense indeed!

After all, even in the Pill Hall, where alchemists gathered in numbers, those capable of refining a Foundation Establishment Golden Pill were not many, and those who could produce top-grade quality were fewer still.

Judged from this angle alone, this newcomer alchemist named Kang Jingming could almost by this very fact rank directly among the elite alchemists!

Even Wei Zhao, who knew Kang Jingming inside and out, could not help but be rather surprised. If Xu Lingchong's words were all true, then he had indeed underestimated this fellow before. With his present cultivation of only the early Foundation Establishment stage, to refine a top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pill at least showed that the man had no small talent in the way of alchemy.

Everyone present was a person of no small consequence, and this feeling of being admired by the whole assembly left Kang Jingming floating on clouds, secretly delighted beyond all restraint.

Still, he at least remembered the instructions Xu Lingchong had given him beforehand, and stepped forward at once, bowing: "Young Master Xu flatters me. As a newcomer of Chongtian Pavilion, doing my humble part for Miss Shangguan is merely my duty—I hardly deserve such praise."

This speech Kang Jingming delivered with admirable modesty and propriety, and the grandees present voiced their approval one after another, privately thinking that with a little cultivation this lad might well accomplish something in the years to come.

Having gathered his fill of the spotlight, Kang Jingming suddenly shifted the subject and turned toward where Wei Zhao stood: "Fellow newcomer Lin, of the Yingxin Pavilion newcomers, only you and I came today. It is a rare chance to attend Miss Shangguan's birthday banquet—you ought to show a little sincerity as well. I know you have always made astonishing moves, so you must not lose face for our Yingxin Pavilion today. If you have a gift, why not bring it out and let us all feast our eyes?"

Everyone present was a shrewd soul, and the intent behind Kang Jingming's words was plain to them at a glance. They promptly put on expressions of eager anticipation—none of it concerned them, after all, and whoever was disgraced or shamed was no affair of theirs.

Yet Wei Zhao merely shook his head faintly: "My apologies. As for my gift, I already gave it to Miss Shangguan in private earlier."

Kang Jingming was slightly taken aback, but beside him Xu Lingchong gave a light laugh: "Given to Junior Sister Lan'er in private? Everyone here presents their gifts together—why must you, a mere newcomer, make yourself a special case? I hear you are an alchemist like Junior Brother Kang. What gift exactly did you give? Why not bring it out and let everyone compare—after all, competition is what drives improvement!"

Xu Lingchong's high-sounding words at once cornered Wei Zhao where he could not decline, and the eyes of the whole assembly shifted accordingly to Shangguan Lan'er.

Shangguan Lan'er thought to herself that this was bad. Because of the interruption by the little curly bear earlier, she had not yet opened the gift inside the spirit jade box to look at it.

Even so, she could guess that given Wei Zhao's meager circumstances as a newcomer of Qingyun Pavilion, it was basically impossible for him to have given anything better than a top-grade Foundation Establishment Golden Pill. If she agreed to this just like that, her little junior brother would be outdone by that loathsome man's underling.

Her mind racing, Shangguan Lan'er was just about to think up an excuse to decline when the little curly bear simply pulled out the spirit jade box it had snatched into its paws and, without a word, opened it in front of the entire assembly.