Chapter 116

He looked at Xuan Yuan Qingya, let out a heavy sigh, and said, “All right, don’t be mad anymore. I don’t even know why you two started fighting in the first place. It’s completely baffling!”

Lin Tian shook his head slightly, glared at Xuan Yuan Qingya, and said in a low voice, “What did I tell you before? Why are you still being so unreasonable?”

Ever since that time in his room, when he scolded her in a stern tone and she didn’t resist, showing a hint of submission, Lin Tian had found himself instinctively adopting a harsher attitude toward her whenever they met again.

He didn’t have any real issue with Xuan Yuan Qingya. It was just that, right now, he was walking on thin ice. When it came to these leading ladies, he preferred to keep things as simple as possible—no unnecessary complications.

…

Sure enough, the moment she heard his slightly harsh voice, her cheeks flushed and her expression softened into obedience.

She looked at Lin Tian, her eyes filled with reliance and joy.

“Lin Tian, don’t be angry. I just couldn’t hold back. Bai Bing’er is so annoying!”

“Ah, forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. There’ll probably be a lot of people at the banquet. I don’t want to draw attention, so don’t cause any trouble for me, got it?”

“Mm!”

Xuan Yuan Qingya nodded obediently, her elegant brows curving gently.

Lin Tian had long grown accustomed to this side of her—completely different from her original character—and couldn’t be bothered to correct her anymore.

He shook his head as he prepared to enter the banquet hall.

Who would have thought that Xuan Yuan Qingya would immediately follow him, like a little wife trailing her husband, the moment he moved?

Lin Tian was completely dumbfounded!

Sister, aren’t you supposed to be greeting the guests? There are still people arriving. Why are you coming inside with me?

Besides…

Even if Lin Tian walked into the banquet hall with Shang Chan, Zhao Mengmeng, or Bai Bing’er—the heroines who only had beauty as an asset—it would draw a lot of attention.

But if he entered with Xuan Yuan Qingya, the eldest daughter of the host family, wouldn’t he instantly become the center of attention?

If that happened, everyone would probably hear about Lin Tian in an instant.

Just imagining that scenario made his scalp tingle!

He stopped in his tracks, glared at Xuan Yuan Qingya, and said in a forceful but suppressed tone,

“Xuan Yuan Qingya! What are you doing? Go back! Wait until I go in, then you can follow me.”

Startled, Xuan Yuan Qingya looked like a frightened little rabbit.

She looked at Lin Tian timidly, pouting her lips as she softly asked, “Oh… I understand. Lin Tian, where will you go after you go in?”

Lin Tian rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Why had this woman suddenly turned into such a clingy little demoness?

“I…I’ll just find a corner to sit in, okay? And you are not allowed to come looking for me!”

Xuan Yuan Qingya nodded obediently.

“Mm, I understand…”

Then, she turned around and went back to the entrance to greet guests.

Lin Tian let out a slight sigh and stepped into the banquet hall.

Inside, the hall was bustling with people. Among the attendees were the heads of major families, including Meng Youqian of the Meng clan, Zhao Dongyun of the Zhao clan, and Li Siyi of the Lis, as well as Dragon Lord Shang Yan, Elder Lei, and several other elders of the Xuan Yuan family.

The banquet hall was set up with tables that seated six people each, and the seating order was strictly regulated. The first three tables at the front were the main seats, while the tables in the middle and at the back were secondary.

Although there weren’t any strict rules about who sat with whom, if your status and position weren’t high enough, you wouldn’t get a seat at the main tables.

Lin Tian glanced around. Only the family heads, such as Meng Youqian and Zhao Dongyun, were seated at the three main tables, along with Xuan Yuan Xing, Elder Lei, Shang Yan, and a few others.

Zhao Mengmeng, Shang Chan, Bai Bing’er, and Meng Xiaoling occupied the table closest to the main seats.

Seeing this setup, which looked no different from a wedding or funeral banquet in the countryside, Lin Tian was stunned.

He had imagined a long table with dozens of seats on each side, similar to those seen at grand Western banquets.

But now? It looked exactly like a wedding feast with dozens of round tables!

This setup actually made it easier for Lin Tian to keep a low profile. After glancing at a few familiar faces, he quietly picked a table and sat down.

He didn’t choose an empty table, but rather one with a single young man seated at it.

The young man had a square, honest-looking face, a firm expression, and bulging muscles—he clearly trained regularly.

Though short in stature, his body radiated raw strength.

Lin Tian grinned and said, “Brother, is this seat taken?”

The young man gave a simple, honest smile and replied, “No one. No one. Sit down!”

After being involved with so many heroines, Lin Tian found it refreshing to chat with a guy like this for a change.

As soon as he sat down, a servant approached and tidied up the table for him. The servant placed a napkin and poured a drink that looked like grape juice before respectfully stepping back to stand quietly.

There were two attendants serving at each table.

Lin Tian thanked the servant and turned to the honest-looking man beside him.

“Brother, what’s your name?”

The muscular young man grinned and said cheerfully, “My name’s Lü Xin, but everyone calls me San Jin because I can eat San Jin of rice in one sitting!”

Lü Xin had small eyes, thick brows, and a square, solid face that gave him a rugged, almost military-like presence.

Though he didn’t speak loudly, his voice was full of strength and always sounded like he was shouting.

The moment Lin Tian heard the name “Lü Xin,” his eyes narrowed sharply.

Lü Xin? Isn’t he the same ‘Desperate San Jin’ who becomes Jiang Yifeng’s biggest helper in the later chapters? What’s this guy doing here?!

The original story describes this young man, Lü Xin, in great detail because he later becomes Jiang Yifeng’s most trusted right-hand man and number one general!

Lü Xin had mastered every military combat technique and was born with immense strength. In terms of sheer combat power, he could even go toe-to-toe with Jiang Yifeng after he had unlocked most of the “Heavenly Medical Sacred Body.”

He was a man who could rely on pure physical strength to clash with supernatural powers head-on!

But according to the timeline, shouldn’t he still be in the army? Later, when he retired, his mother fell gravely ill. It was Jiang Yifeng who helped save her life, which is what made this powerhouse pledge his loyalty.

Could Lü Xin be connected to the Xuan Yuan family? Or maybe…

Lin Tian’s gaze suddenly snapped toward the elderly man with gray temples seated at the main table.

Elder Lei? Damn! Don’t tell me this is Lei Ming!

He was the commander of the Zilan Military District. In just a few months, he would be promoted to Supreme Commander of the entire Zilan Military Region.

He held what could be considered the most powerful military force in all of Huaxia in his hands!

In the original story, Lei Ming was the key figure who opened the door for Jiang Yifeng to enter the upper echelons of Huaxia’s power circle.

Previously, neither Xuan Yuan Qingya nor Xuan Yuan Xing had mentioned Lei Ming, so Lin Tian had never considered this influential figure. But now, after suddenly seeing Lu Xin, everything clicked.

Wasn’t he a soldier in the Zilan Military District before he retired?

Hiss… So why are Lei Ming and Lü Xin showing up at this point in time? I vaguely remember the original story mentioning that Xuan Yuan Xing’s Star Group had military backing. It looks like that backing is Lei Ming and the Zilan Military District.

So, does that mean that Jiang Yifeng’s connection with Lei Ming, as well as his gain of the powerful ally, Lü Xin, was all thanks to Xuan Yuan Qingya?

But now that Jiang Yifeng has been driven away, how will he meet Lei Ming and Lü Xin? Could the opportunities prepared for Jiang Yifeng in the Xuan Yuan family’s castle include not only

Xuan Yuan Chen, but also Lei Ming and Lü Xin?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Tian’s mind.

In the end, he confirmed it: Lü Xin and Lei Ming were opportunities that the world had prepared for Jiang Yifeng.

However, now that Jiang Yifeng had been exposed by Xuan Yuan Qingya and had failed to obtain Xuan Yuan Chen’s opportunity, there was no way he could get close to Lei Ming and Lü Xin.

If I remember correctly, Jiang Yifeng met Lei Ming because of his medical skills, right? This old man has had a chronic illness for over a decade. Hiss—wait! Don’t tell me this world is about to make Lei Ming’s condition flare up now?

If that happens and Jiang Yifeng is already gone, there won’t be anyone to save him!

Unless…another drop of Spirit Essence appeared…

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Lin Tian sank deeper into contemplation.

Meanwhile, Lü Xin, being a soldier, wasn’t much of a talker. Since Lin Tian didn’t say anything more, Lü Xin simply sat upright on his chair with his eyes fixed on the main table, not moving an inch.

His mission was to protect Lei Ming—nothing else mattered.

At that moment, Xuan Yuan Qingya finally entered the banquet hall, dressed in a stunning gown.

In that instant, all eyes turned toward her—the woman destined to be the evening’s brightest star.

Lin Tian also snapped back to his senses and looked at her, meeting her eyes—eyes filled with joy and dependence—as they locked onto his!

Lin Tian’s mouth twitched violently.

[Damn it, Xuan Yuan Qingya! Don’t cause trouble for me! Didn’t you just promise to behave?!]

He cursed inwardly, but his expression remained emotionless.

After everything he’d been through, Lin Tian had long since mastered the art of maintaining a calm facade.

Even if Xuan Yuan Qingya walked straight toward him, he could act as if they were complete strangers.

It was all thanks to the harsh lessons of life!