Chapter Thirty-Two: Luoyang, No Place to Return (Please Add to Favorites!)

"Wu Yue, do your best. You’re not young anymore, it’s time to make a name for yourself. We’ll be waiting for you at Mount Li," said Yu Fu with the air of an elder.

At the gates of Luoyang, they were bidding farewell. On the city walls, a wanted notice still hung. The portrait on it, even if Wu Yue didn’t change his appearance, bore only a passing resemblance.

He left behind his temporary residence token; the armored guards ignored the information upon it. The three parted ways. The plump fellow laughed loudly and somewhat inexplicably, but Wu Yue understood: Take care of yourself.

Yu Fu whispered, "Go easy. I’ll call the master," before skipping away. The plump one followed suit, Yu Fu looked back several times.

Wu Yue waved as well.

A gentle summer rain began to fall. Summer was always a season of many rains.

"Wu Gongzi, now that your companions have left, shall we return to the palace?" A eunuch stood not far behind him.

"Very well," answered Wu Yue.

The two proceeded directly to the imperial palace, their pace seemingly measured, yet astonishingly swift. In a short while, they arrived. The palace’s architecture was grand and imposing, but nothing more; for refinement, it paled compared to the world-class sanatorium Wu Yue had once stayed in.

The eunuch led Wu Yue into a hall. Upon opening the door, he found more than a dozen people already inside. As the door opened, all eyes turned toward him.

"This is the one we’ve been waiting for? Quite the entrance," came a voice, soft and effeminate.

The eunuch glanced at the speaker and replied, "You came early, the time hadn’t arrived." Wu Yue was surprised—he hadn’t expected the taciturn eunuch to speak up on his behalf.

The effeminate young man, hearing this, looked displeased but remained silent. Wu Yue, not one to be tactless, apologized, "Thank you for your patience."

"Take a seat then," said the person at the head of the room. Wu Yue chose a spot at random and sat down, surveying the surroundings. The eunuch had vanished. Including himself, there were fourteen people in the room: two middle-aged men in purple official robes seated at the head.

The rest were young men and women. The effeminate speaker sat diagonally across from Wu Yue, glaring at him with open hostility. Beside him sat a burly man, dressed plainly but exuding the air of a soldier. His gaze, too, was unfriendly.

The middle-aged man cleared his throat and spoke, "I am Chen Ruifeng, in charge of the royal delegation for this Jade Bowl Banquet. I trust you all can guess the purpose for which you’ve been summoned."

No one spoke. Chen Ruifeng continued, "A few days ago, Lord Zhou discovered the Longevity Garden is about to open—news that cannot be contained. This year’s Jade Bowl Banquet will be exceptionally perilous. Not only will the Five Surnames and Three Gates give their all, but even hidden sects will emerge from seclusion, and the lure of the Longevity Garden will drive mid-tier families and sects mad. Your task is to ensure the right people remain at the banquet. Based on your contributions, two will be chosen to enter the Longevity Garden alongside the royal family. Of course, if you make it into the top twenty at the Jade Bowl Banquet, not only will you enter the Longevity Garden, but the royal family will spare no effort to recruit you."

Top twenty? Wu Yue sighed inwardly. It sounded easy, but the rules made it clear how difficult it would be. Previously, the Jade Bowl Banquet was largely an exchange of Dao techniques, debates, both literary and martial, with little competition. But now, with the Longevity Garden tied in, rivalry would be magnified. The top twenty—those whom none among the young can defeat. The enemies wouldn’t be just one or two, but many. You needed to win over many proud, ambitious young contenders.

The others understood this as well, so aside from a few, most didn’t pay much heed to the rest of Chen’s words.

"How will our contributions be judged? How will fairness be maintained?" someone suddenly asked—a question many pondered.

Another middle-aged man, who had been silent, spoke calmly, "My judgment is always fair." The simple statement carried undeniable authority.

"That is all. I wish you success. The royal family will not neglect those who serve. Three days from now, before the Jade Bowl Banquet begins, I will await you here," Chen Ruifeng said with a smile. With that, the two officials departed, and the others soon followed. The effeminate youth gave Wu Yue a hostile look, while the burly soldier made no effort to hide murderous intent. Wu Yue found it baffling—he did not fear them, but disliked such pointless enmity.

The guests left in small groups.

Wu Yue remained, left behind by necessity.

A young woman entered, dressed in pale yellow palace robes, sword in hand, glaring fiercely at him.

Seeing the only familiar face in this strange city, Wu Yue felt a surge of joy. He smiled gently, "Does Princess Jinping require something?"

The smile’s impact was immense—Wu Yue himself was unaware. His striking looks, combined with a natural touch of transcendence from his cultivation, caused Princess Jinping to freeze for a moment. In that instant, the murderous air around Li Suizhu faded, and her cheeks flushed.

But the moment passed. Li Suizhu recovered and demanded angrily, "I heard from Wang Banban that you sent your friends away? Are you afraid the royal family will harm them? Or do you not trust me, Li Suizhu?" She sounded aggrieved; after all, it was her efforts that led to the invitation to Mount Li. You came, even killed a princess—yet despite such a calamity, things ended peacefully. Li Suizhu believed she deserved much credit. But now, with the Jade Bowl Banquet drawing crowds, he sent his friends away! It was the final straw; Li Suizhu felt her young heart wounded.

Wu Yue was stunned, thinking she had come for revenge. Yet, he found himself at a loss for words, unsure how to explain. He could only shift the topic, "I must thank you for your introduction, Princess Jinping."

Li Suizhu snorted in response.

Wu Yue continued, "Then I shall take my leave. If you wish to avenge Princess Youping, I fear it’s impossible. First, the crime of killing a princess has already been pardoned. Second, you wouldn’t be able to defeat me."

Swish! Li Suizhu drew her sword and thrust at him. Wu Yue did not dodge. The tip stopped at his chest.

"Why didn’t you move?" Li Suizhu asked, puzzled.

Wu Yue smiled, "I stand here unmoving—your skills aren’t enough to pierce me."

Li Suizhu considered and realized he was right, but the truth only enraged her further. Her sword, withdrawn and thrust again, missed its mark.

"Hahaha. If you want to avenge Princess Youping, you’ll have to wait a few years," Wu Yue said, already gone, leaving Li Suizhu fuming. "Who wants to avenge that wretch!"

Wu Yue walked out of the palace, feeling utterly relieved. Inside, wherever he went, he always sensed being watched.

The rain continued, gentle and persistent.

Wu Yue strode and paused, raising his gaze to the sky.

He suddenly realized—within this vast city of Luoyang, he had nowhere to call home.