Zhou Changqing returned the gesture with a faint smile. "You are too kind, Old Master. How could the Nalan Clan have been discourteous? And there is no need to punish your servants. They do not know me, so how can they be blamed?"
"If anyone has been rude," he continued, "it is I, for seeking a quiet corner instead of first offering you my congratulations."
"Nonsense. Your presence at this banquet is an honor to the Nalan Clan..."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries and sharing a toast, Nalan Jie smiled and led Nalan Su away.
Having grown wise and cunning with age, Nalan Jie knew better than to be shortsighted and try to forge a close bond with the master so soon after meeting him. Such an approach would only be an annoyance and was beneath his station. Now that they were acquainted, they could foster the relationship over time. Familiarity would come with future interactions. Why rush things?
Once the Nalan patriarch and his son had departed, a steady stream of other distinguished guests approached to offer toasts and introduce themselves, all eager to make the acquaintance of Master Zhou Changqing. In an instant, his quiet corner had become the focal point of the entire banquet.
...
In the area where the core members of the younger generation were gathered.
"Huh? Why is Old Master Nalan being so polite to that pretty boy? He even offered him a toast!"
"Who?"
"That guy who's been getting so close to Lady Ya Fei."
"You're right! Yanran, look."
A young man who had been chatting amiably glanced over, his eyes widening in a mixture of confusion and shock. The other young men and women around him paused, following his gaze to witness the scene of Nalan Jie and Zhou Changqing conversing and toasting one another. They were all taken aback.
A petite and lovely girl with a cute face nudged the elegant young woman beside her. "Yanran," she whispered.
The elegant woman wore a pale green dress and had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her features were exquisite, and her bearing carried a faint trace of pride. She was none other than the jewel of the Nalan Clan and the Young Sect Leader of the Cloud Mist Sect, Nalan Yanran.
Seeing her own grandfather act so deferentially toward a young man her age, Nalan Yanran could not help but frown. A seed of curiosity was planted in her heart. The other youths around her felt the same. One thing, however, was certain: this young man's status was anything but ordinary.
The face of the young man who had once pursued Ya Fei and was intensely jealous of Zhou Changqing contorted, a look of apprehension creeping into his eyes. He had been plotting to teach that pretty boy a lesson after the banquet, but now, it seemed he would have to reconsider. At the very least, he needed to investigate the man's background first.
Seeing Nalan Yanran's silence, the petite girl suggested sweetly, "Yanran, why don't you go ask your grandfather who that young man is? I'm so curious."
"Since the little princess has spoken, I suppose I'll go ask." Nalan Yanran did not refuse and prepared to leave.
But another young man in fine clothes spoke up. "Yanran, is that really necessary? The boy came with Ya Fei, so he's probably someone from the Mittel Clan. The Old Master is likely just showing him some courtesy for the Mittel Clan's sake, especially with Clan Head Tengshan right there."
As he spoke, a keen observer would have noticed a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. That pretty boy was so popular with the ladies; what if Yanran got involved with him...
Nalan Yanran turned to frown at the richly dressed youth, her voice laced with displeasure. "Liu Ling, what are you trying to say? That my Nalan Clan is inferior to the Mittel Clan?"
Her grandfather was the Lionheart Marshal, a Dou King. Why would he need to show deference to the Mittel Clan by toasting some youth? Tengshan didn't command that much respect.
Liu Ling's eyes widened in panic. He immediately raised his hands to defend himself. "Yanran, that's not what I meant..."
Nalan Yanran ignored him and walked toward where her grandfather was, leaving Liu Ling standing there, mouth agape, the rest of his words dying in his throat.
The little princess on the side watched Liu Ling's predicament, her large, bright eyes curving into crescents as she suppressed a smile. She clearly found it amusing but held back her laughter out of consideration for his status.
Her gaze then shifted back to Zhou Changqing, who was now chatting cheerfully with Tengshan, a look of anticipation in her eyes. She knew that brute from the Mu Clan had returned. Perhaps there would be a good show tonight.
...
Nalan Jie had just dismissed a servant he had been giving instructions to when he saw his granddaughter approaching. He glanced around before asking, "Yanran, what are you doing over here? Has young friend Yan Xiao arrived?"
"Not yet. He probably isn't coming. Based on his behavior lately, he clearly dislikes these noisy occasions," Nalan Yanran replied, shaking her head as she reached her grandfather's side.
Nalan Jie sighed with a hint of disappointment. "You, you need to learn to be more proactive. Just because you're the Young Sect Leader doesn't mean you can hold yourself above everyone else."
"Young friend Yan Xiao already has a reserved personality. If you keep acting as you always have, you'll only drive him further away," he chided. "With his potential, his future is limitless. If someone else manages to win him over, it will be a tremendous loss for the Nalan Clan."
"I haven't been doing that!" Nalan Yanran's brows shot up, her tone tinged with anger. "I've been perfectly friendly, but that Yan Xiao won't even give me the time of day! Are you asking your granddaughter to grovel and pander to someone else?"
Seeing this, Nalan Jie knew he could not press the matter further. He had witnessed Yan Xiao's cold attitude toward Nalan Yanran recently.
"Alright. If it's not about young friend Yan Xiao, then did you come over here for something else?"
At his words, Nalan Yanran pulled herself from the frustration caused by Yan Xiao's recent coldness and remembered her purpose. Her expression filled with curiosity as she asked, "Grandfather, I saw you go over to Clan Head Tengshan's side just now and offer a toast to a young man?"
"Who is he? What is his status that you would deign to be so courteous? The Mittel Clan shouldn't command that much respect, should they?"
"Ah, so it was about that." A glint flashed in Nalan Jie's eyes as he recalled Zhou Changqing. He let out a thoughtful sigh. "That old fox Tengshan doesn't have the clout to make your grandfather show him face. I toasted that young man simply because he deserves it."
"Yanran, you must remember his face. You are never to offend him, do you understand?"
Hearing her grandfather's words and seeing his serious expression only deepened Nalan Yanran's curiosity about the young man's identity.
"Grandfather, you still haven't told me who he is."
"Do you remember the Xuan Rank auction the Mittel Clan held some time ago?"
"Of course, I was there for that auction... Wait, Grandfather, why are you suddenly bringing this up? Could it be..."
"You're not slow, are you? That's right. This young man is the very Master Weaponsmith who has been the talk of the town lately. The high-grade Tier 3 magical sword in your possession, as well as the so-called Tier 5 Spirit-Gathering Armament that was recently auctioned off, were both his creations."
"And his name is Zhou Changqing. When you see him in the future, you must not be impolite. Do not address him by his name; you must call him Master."
"His status and standing are likely no less than that of Pill-King Gu He. Such a person is one we must never offend, even if we cannot befriend him."
"That Master Weaponsmith is a teenager?"
Though Nalan Yanran had already suspected it, having her guess confirmed still caused her beautiful eyes to widen and her lips to part in shock.
A short while later, Nalan Yanran was still in a daze, even after returning to the area where the younger generation was gathered.
And through her, the name Zhou Changqing and his identity as a Master Weaponsmith spread like wildfire through the circle of young nobles.
A wave of shock washed over them as they all turned to look at the young man who was now conversing so casually with the head of the Mittel Clan. The expressions of Liu Ling and a few other young men were particularly ugly, a mixture of disbelief, fear, and apprehension. The reason was simple: their group had said quite a few unpleasant things about the young man just moments before.
The youth who had been most vocal in calling Zhou Changqing a "pretty boy" felt his legs go weak. A dreadful warmth spread through his loins, and his eyes filled with sheer terror.
However, just as a collective silence fell over the younger generation and the elders schemed for ways to connect with Zhou Changqing, a man in green robes who looked to be in his mid-twenties strode into the hall.
The man scanned the hall, a sneer playing on his lips. His gaze finally landed on Zhou Changqing and Ya Fei, who had since left Tengshan's side and found a secluded corner to themselves.
When he saw how close they were standing and the bewitching smile on Ya Fei's face as they spoke, the man's eyes turned cold. A ferocious, tiger-like viciousness surged across his young face.
He took a large stride toward them, his pace quickening until he was in a full sprint. He radiated a palpable killing intent, forcing everyone in his path to instinctively step aside. At the same time, the man channeled his power into his right hand, and a verdant Dou Qi rapidly enveloped his fist.
When he was less than twenty meters from the pair, he raised his fist and launched a savage attack, striking out at Zhou Changqing