Excuse me... where does the trillion-dollar guest sit

“Ah...Ah-choo!”

Jiang Che suddenly sneezed violently. “Who’s bad-mouthing me?”

His gaze then fell on Yu Wan'er, who was nestled in his arms. “Was it you?”

“......”

You’re seriously blaming me for this?

Under normal circumstances, she might’ve fired back with some choice words, but right now, she was utterly exhausted. It was better not to provoke him. She simply shot him a glare before curling up to sleep.

Undeterred, Jiang Che pulled her even tighter into his embrace.

---

Jiang Yunhuang worked fast. In just two days, he had arranged an extravagant celebration banquet for Jiang Che’s academic success.

While it wasn’t as over-the-top as 888 tables, he still managed to set up 99 tables—far more lavish than most weddings.

With ten guests per table, that meant 990 people, and factoring in additional attendees… damn, over a thousand guests!

“My grandpa’s competitiveness is really something else…”

Jiang Che was floored when he heard the news.

Jiang Yunhuang had been burning up the phone lines, summoning old friends he hadn’t seen in decades. Some had even passed away, so their descendants showed up in their place.

Naturally, Yu Wan'er and the other girls were present too, seated together at a large banquet table.

The sheer number of guests was staggering. A nearly thousand-person feast was a rare spectacle, filling the Jiang Family Manor to capacity.

Thankfully, the Jiang family had plenty of servants to keep things running smoothly—otherwise, it would’ve descended into chaos.

Those in attendance were either elite figures from Ancient Martial Arts Sects or high-ranking dignitaries.

In such a setting, even if Jiang Che wanted to slack off… there was no chance.

---

“Ruoxu, you should learn more from your elder cousin when it comes to academics.”

Jiang Yunhuang shot a disapproving glare at his own grandson.

Jiang Ruoxu narrowed his eyes at Jiang Che, resentment burning in his gaze. He was supposed to be the prodigy, the center of attention—yet his cousin had stolen all the limelight.

Back then, I lost to you when I was at the mid-stage of Transform Force and you were at the late-stage. But now, I’ve reached half-step Grandmaster. How will you handle this?

Care to test me?

No matter how talented Jiang Ruoxu was, he was still just a hot-headed 15-year-old with zero patience for subtlety.

Jiang Che smirked. This kid’s gotten stronger?

But in the next instant, he raised his hand and “lightly” patted Jiang Ruoxu’s shoulder—with enough force to nearly knock the boy sideways.

A slap to humble the arrogant.

“You—!”

Jiang Ruoxu glared at Jiang Che, fury blazing in his eyes.

Damn it, I let my guard down! How did this late-stage Transform Force scrub catch me off guard?!

“Little bro, I heard you only scored 192 on your high school entrance exam, right?”

Jiang Che deliberately spoke loudly, even amplifying his voice with internal energy so half the banquet could hear.

All eyes turned toward them. Jiang Ruoxu froze, utterly humiliated.

Public execution!

He was so embarrassed he could’ve dug a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.

“Wait, seriously? Jiang Yunhuang’s grandson only scored 192?”

“No way. I heard the exam’s total score is 660 in the capital. 192 is lower than my blood pressure!”

“Still, gotta admit, Jiang Ruoxu’s martial talent is insane. Reaching half-step Grandmaster at his age? The Jiang family’s got brains and brawn—what a combo.”

“That kid’s definitely surpassing Jiang Yunhuang. Another future Grandmaster of Heavenly Force in the making!”

At first, Jiang Ruoxu’s face was beet-red, but as the crowd shifted to praising his martial prowess, his lips curled into a smirk.

Whack!

A sharp smack echoed—not on his face, but on his head. (No need to publicly shame him and risk pushing him over the edge.)

“How many times do I have to tell you? Stop smirking!”

“You—” Jiang Ruoxu clenched his fists, trembling with rage, but he forced himself to hold back.

Nearby, Jiang Yunhuang’s eyes lit up as he sensed something.

Wait… my grandson’s already reached the Grandmaster realm?

And mid-stage at that? How is he progressing so fast?!

Then it hit him—Jiang Che had that mysteriously godlike martial arts mentor.

Ah, that explains it.

With a teacher like that, rapid advancement wasn’t so surprising.

---

The guest list was extensive, including nearly every prominent Ancient Martial Arts family.

Even the Chen family showed up.

Chen Tiansheng and Chen Hao strutted around, soaking up the attention.

“Ah, Grandmaster Chen! What an honor! I heard your daughter and Young Master Jiang…”

“Oh, no, no. My Ningshuang is merely one of Young Master Jiang’s followers.” Chen Tiansheng feigned modesty, but pride oozed from his tone.

His own cultivation might’ve plateaued at early-stage Grandmaster, but even veteran Grandmasters now addressed him with respect.

Chen Hao was loving it too—top-tier heirs were suddenly cozying up to him.

“Young Master Jiang’s loyalty is unmatched. Even though he’s my brother-in-law, I still call him Big Bro Jiang!”

Once he’d accepted reality, Chen Hao embraced the role wholeheartedly. Sometimes he marveled: Just how big can a backer get?

Meanwhile, Chen Ningshuang blushed furiously, her face nearly dripping with embarrassment.

She’d never imagined things would turn out like this. After angering Jiang Che, she’d feared the worst—that she’d doomed the entire Chen Family Village and resigned herself to sacrifice.

But now? The whole village—herself included—had grown addicted to Jiang Che’s favor.

Her father and the others craved his influence… while she craved his phy—ahem—his presence.

---

Once all the guests had arrived, the banquet officially began.

Jiang Yunhuang couldn’t wait to show off, his face glowing with pride.

After all, Jiang Che was the nation’s top scholar—a perfect-score champion, no less. That kind of prestige rivalled his own status as the world’s top martial arts authority.

Then came the classic “roll call” segment:

The [X] family presents a priceless Hetian jade worth hundreds of millions as tribute…

The [Y] sect offers a millennia-old herb of incalculable value…

As Jiang Che listened, a sudden unease prickled at him.

Crap, why does this feel so familiar?

But he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen this before.

Just then—a voice dripping with arrogance cut through the crowd from the back.

【Excuse me... where is Shangli Qianyi seated?】