Gu Chengyin looked at this scene of extreme luxury and painstaking effort.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly that these great noble families truly knew how to conduct themselves in such matters.
During the day, he and Cui Shifan had been at each other's throats, yet by nightfall, they had laid out such a grand display. It was no wonder these families could endure for a thousand years.
Faced with this overwhelming show of respect and sincerity, anyone with a slightly weaker will or a heavier sense of vanity would probably swear their undying loyalty on the spot.
This preemptive strike of awe was played beautifully.
Gu Chengyin waved his hands repeatedly, speaking with great modesty:
"What are you saying, Young Master Cui! Your noble estate's pavilions and terraces are magnificent, and the artistic conception of its landscapes is profound and tranquil. This Marquis has truly had his eyes opened today."
"However, I am but a minor Marquis, granted this title only by the misplaced favor of Her Highness. How could I possibly deserve such grand hospitality from your noble family?"
Hearing this, the smile on Cui Ziting's face grew a bit more intimate. With a swish, he snapped open his folding fan, fanning himself gently as he disagreed, "Marquis Gu, you can't say that. You are no minor Marquis."
"You are the Marquis of Equal Standing, specially titled by Her Highness's own decree! Just how heavy is the weight of the words 'Equal Standing'?"
"Let me ask, in today's Divine Capital, who among the younger generation enjoys such profound favor and has such a boundless future as you?"
Cui Ziting leaned in a bit closer, lowering his voice. "Even that treasured only daughter of the Shangguan family doesn't have the same level of favor and trust before Her Highness as you do."
These words seemed like a compliment, but they hid a sharp edge.
On the surface, he was elevating Gu Chengyin's status, but in reality, he was sowing discord.
Furthermore, when Cui Ziting mentioned Shangguan Yunying, his tone was slightly off, giving the impression that he cared deeply about her.
Gu Chengyin's mind stirred, but on the surface, he acted as if he didn't grasp the hidden meaning. He shook his head and said, "Young Master Cui flatters me too much. Chief Yunying is Her Highness's right-hand woman and has been by her side for years. How could I compare? You absolutely must not say such things again."
As they spoke, a burst of crisp, pleasant laughter suddenly came from the corner of the corridor ahead, sounding like pearls dropping onto a jade plate or the cheerful chirping of spring birds.
A group of young women, dressed in gorgeous, multicolored dresses, were walking toward the main hall, chatting and smiling enchantingly.
Most of them were between the ages of fifteen and twenty, each with a beautiful face and exquisite makeup.
Their hairpins swayed and their skirts fluttered. As they walked, they brought with them bursts of fragrant breezes, like a moving, beautiful landscape.
This group of girls had clearly noticed Gu Chengyin and Cui Ziting approaching. Their laughter and chatter quieted down slightly, and many curious gazes were cast toward Gu Chengyin, an unfamiliar face.
Especially his handsome face and tall, straight posture; against the backdrop of the Cui estate's ornate lanterns and the flock of beautiful girls, he stood out exceptionally.
Seeing this, Cui Ziting vaguely pointed his folding fan at the group of girls and gave Gu Chengyin a knowing smile:
"Look, Marquis Gu. Those are the noble daughters of various families invited to tonight's banquet."
"They are all unmarried descendants of prestigious families. They have studied poetry, literature, and etiquette since childhood, and are proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You could say they possess perfect virtue, appearance, speech, and needlework—true models of great families."
Cui Ziting paused, leaning in even closer until he was almost whispering. "Marquis Gu is young and promising, right at the age for romance."
"Among these noble ladies, there are quite a few who admire the Marquis's elegance."
"If Marquis Gu takes a fancy to any of them, or finds one pleasing to the eye, just tell me."
He blinked, his tone flirtatious. "Although I am untalented, I can still handle such a trivial matter. I guarantee you will get your wish tonight."
As if feeling his hint wasn't enough, Cui Ziting added, "Of course, with your current status and position..."
"...even if you take a liking to several of them, it would be perfectly natural."
These noble daughters, from Cui Ziting's mouth, were no different from a piece of fine porcelain or a bolt of premium silk.
Beneath the glamorous exterior of the great noble families, this objectification and instrumentalization of individuals was treated as a matter of course.
Gu Chengyin didn't look at the noble ladies again; he merely cast a faint glance at Cui Ziting.
This glance was calm and placid, yet it made Cui Ziting's heart skip a beat right as he was getting excited, leaving him momentarily unable to continue his sentence.
Then, Gu Chengyin broke into a smile, naturally changing the subject: "I appreciate Young Master Cui's kind intentions."
"However, the primary purpose of attending tonight's banquet is to pay my respects to Elder Cui and listen to his teachings in person."
"I wonder where Elder Cui is at this moment? It is only right that I greet him first, otherwise, it would be a breach of etiquette."
"The Marquis is right; it was my negligence."
Cui Ziting quickly smiled, resuming his posture of leading the way. "My father is currently chatting with a few uncles in the flower hall. Marquis Gu, please come this way."
The two continued forward, leaving the cheerful laughter of the noble daughters behind them.
Inside the Cui estate's flower hall, the lights were brilliantly illuminated, as bright as day.
This hall was one of the main reception halls of the Cui family. It was spacious and grand, exuding the profound heritage and taste of a great noble family from every corner.
The floor was covered with a thick velvet carpet that made footsteps silent, and the four walls were hung with masterful calligraphy and paintings of lofty artistic conception.
On the massive curio shelves, elegant antiques such as ancient jades, porcelains, and bronzes were displayed, glowing with a serene luster under the lights.
In the center of the hall, several vermilion pillars, thick enough to require a person's full embrace, supported the high domed ceiling. The beams were painted with elegant orchid patterns.
At this moment, quite a few people had already gathered in the hall.
Right in the middle sat a large, carved red sandalwood round table capable of seating over twenty people. The dishes had not yet been served, but exquisite cups, plates, bowls, and chopsticks were already set out.
Cui Shifan was not sitting in the seat of honor. Instead, he was sitting on a yellow rosewood horseshoe-back armchair near the window with three or four elders of similar age, conversing in low voices.
On the other side, seven or eight young masters dressed in luxurious brocade garments were gathered in front of the curio shelves, admiring the antiques.
When Cui Ziting led Gu Chengyin across the threshold of the flower hall, he deliberately raised his voice, shouting with an almost declarative enthusiasm: "Father! Come look and see which distinguished guest has arrived!"
This call was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the low murmurs within the flower hall.
All eyes immediately shot over, focusing entirely on Gu Chengyin.
Standing at the center of all these converging gazes, Gu Chengyin looked completely at ease. His steps were steady, and he wore a proper smile on his face, appearing neither awkward nor showing the slightest bit of arrogance.
Cui Shifan's reaction was extremely fast.
Almost the instant Gu Chengyin stepped into the hall, this Grand Secretary of the Cabinet had already stood up from his armchair.
He took the initiative to leave his seat and welcome him. This single step gave Gu Chengyin an immense amount of face and showed a posture of treating worthy men with courtesy.
"Hahaha!"
Cui Shifan let out a hearty laugh, his face beaming with an enthusiastic smile. He walked over in just a few steps, his tone as affectionate as if he were addressing his own nephew. "If it isn't the rising star of our Divine Capital, the Marquis of Equal Standing, personally titled by Her Highness!"
"I was just talking about you with a few old friends, saying that Marquis Gu is young and promising, and certainly a punctual man."
"And sure enough, here you are! Please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you from afar!"
The smile on Gu Chengyin's face also bloomed at this instant, looking incomparably radiant and sincere.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
