The receptionists were busy hosting the endless stream of guests. People coming and going—it seemed today’s event was quite a grand affair.
Room 428, Fourth Floor.
Yanzhu wore a classic white ancient-style garment, its intricate patterns winding across the fabric. Every gesture he made exuded a casual, effortless elegance. He gestured toward a massive viewing platform below. "Tell me we aren't supposed to be down there."
Gaoshu gave an awkward nod.
Yanzhu covered his face, sighing helplessly. "I can think of only one word for this." After a moment of hesitation, he finally said it: "Monkey-watching."
Gaoshu forced a smile; he had to admit he agreed with Yanzhu’s assessment.
The entire banquet hall was circular, with the center left open so that every floor could look down, providing a completely unobstructed view.
Room 219, Second Floor.
In the dim private box, two men in black were talking animatedly.
"Master, it’s about to start."
"Mhm. Be respectful toward Master Luo." Wenzhou clasped his hands together, putting on a respectful air.
"And if that person doesn't know what's good for them...?"
"Then it will be up to Master Luo to have a word with them. After all, I am a very reasonable person." But the form that discussion would take would no longer be up to her.
"Understood."
Room 507, Fifth Floor.
Xingluo sensed the surge of vitality and human energy, squinting his eyes. It seemed tonight was not going to be peaceful.
Xing Yi looked around in high spirits. "Wow, this is the kind of turnout Master Luo commands. So many people! Boss, if you were the one up there, I bet you’d draw an even bigger crowd."
"Xing Yi, notify Bai Weiyi. Tonight, someone might be trying to snatch our target." Xingluo hoped the unease in his heart was just unfounded worry. He sighed softly.
Xing Yi made an "OK" gesture. "Don't worry, I’m all set." He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Room 614, Sixth Floor.
Sheng Xiuhan sat on the sofa, playing with a wine glass, leaning back languidly with his legs crossed elegantly. The interplay of dim light made the man appear even more mysterious. He watched Jiang Yinhuai, who had been standing by the floor-to-ceiling window the entire time. "Pfft, worried?"
Jiang Yinhuai pulled back his gaze and sat on the sofa. "No."
Sheng Xiuhan smiled without a word. *Liar.* It was written all over his face. Who could he possibly be worried about?
This was Master Luo’s first public appearance. Everyone present was likely here for the Tianyan Art in her possession. It had been decades; no one expected the Tianyan Art to still have a successor. The only question was whether she held a fragmented scroll or the complete text.
If it were the complete text, the whole place might go up in flames today.
Just look at these six floors; out of these nearly a thousand people, who didn't have ulterior motives?
Luomingjing was dressed in black, topped with a black conical hat that revealed nothing but her silhouette. As she spoke, the hat shifted, adding to the air of mystery.
A clear, resonant voice rang out: "Welcome, everyone! Since you have come from afar, today I shall lead you to perceive a world you have never seen before!"
Silence fell all around, yet Yanzhu could sense that almost everyone was standing at their windows, watching—or perhaps, staring intently—at Luomingjing.
Yanzhu said in a low voice, "What exactly is Luomingjing here to perform today?" The scale of the event was too large, and almost everyone present was from within the circle. As for those guarding the outside... those were people from the circle, too!
Would ordinary things require such a massive display? Where there is no profit, there is no interest. Luomingjing, the Luo family—what kind of secret collection could they possibly have?
Gaoshu scratched his head, confused as to why Yanzhu had suddenly grown angry. "She didn't tell me. She just asked me to come see a performance. What's wrong, Yanzhu?"
Yanzhu squinted. "What has she been researching lately?" This was a sign that she was looking for trouble; he had known her for over a dozen years, he knew her well.
"Isn't it just that ancestral Tianyan Art of hers?"
Tianyan Art. That isn't...
"Oh ho! Tianyan Art. This girl actually dares to bring it out," Yaojiu suddenly spoke up inside Yanzhu's Consciousness Sea. Yaojiu loved a good spectacle and was never afraid of things getting out of hand.
"What do you mean, Yaojiu?"
Yaojiu was more surprised that Yanzhu didn't know than it was about the art itself. It instantly grew interested.
"You don't know? Sigh, I suppose I’ll reluctantly enlighten you."
Yanzhu was speechless; the cat was acting foolish again. "If you have something to say, say it. If not, shut up."
"In simple terms, Tianyan Art is a technique that can foresee fortune and misfortune, deduce the movement of stars, and predict the unknown. In ancient times, it was used for rituals. I don't know exactly how they use it now, but I heard that the holder of the Tianyan Art in the Hidden Realm ran into some trouble and vanished decades ago. The technique has been considered lost for decades. People in the Hidden Realm would kill for this stuff. It's a real treasure."
Yaojiu hadn't expected someone here to actually dare to bring it out, and a young girl at that. Her aura wasn't even that of a powerful expert; she wasn't even as strong as Yanzhu.
*So everyone is eyeing the Tianyan Art in Luomingjing's hands,* Yanzhu thought. *Luomingjing, what exactly are you trying to do?*
Gaoshu felt Yanzhu’s unease. In the past, whenever he felt like this, a major incident was bound to follow. Gaoshu decided to slip out; the atmosphere in the private box was suffocating.
A star chart rose, twelve constellations surged, and the Tianyan Art began.
Mist stalled, and auspicious signs emerged.
Most of the audience sighed in wonder, stunned to be witnessing the Tianyan Art with their own eyes.
*Bang!* Gaoshu pushed the door open. The soundproofing was excellent, so no one else had noticed the abnormality.
"Yanzhu, we have to find a way to stop Mingjing! These people are all here for her Tianyan Art. They’re just waiting to see if she actually knows the complete technique." Gaoshu rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window and saw that Luomingjing had already started. "What if some lunatics show up? Wouldn't she be... damn it!"
Gaoshu gritted his teeth. *She didn't even tell me. Mingjing, you’re done for.* Gaoshu really hadn't expected that by playing along, he would overhear the group's secrets.
*Neither of them lets anyone rest easy.*
Yaojiu stayed in Yanzhu’s Consciousness Sea, wagging its eight large tails. It was curious to see what Yanzhu would do.
*Under the watchful eyes of all these people, how will you get her out of here, Yanzhu?*
Yanzhu formed a seal with one hand, a faint glow appearing, and transmitted his voice to Luomingjing. They had previously exchanged dharma seals, which allowed for secret long-distance communication.
Luomingjing, currently in the middle of casting, suddenly heard Yanzhu’s voice and nearly stumbled, caught between surprise and panic.
"Luomingjing! Do you know what you’re doing? Stop now, come up here, and we’ll leave together." A hint of anger laced Yanzhu’s voice.
*Yanzhu is going to be angry. What should I do?*
The crowd then saw the star chart shatter, the flowing light dissipating.
A cool, ethereal voice echoed through the room.
Of course she knew why everyone had come. *Sigh, but this is the only way to make it work.*
*It must have been Gaoshu who brought Yanzhu here,* Luomingjing thought. *Tsk, Yanzhu just woke up, I shouldn't make him angry.*
Seeing the situation, Yanzhu cooperated by creating a small "accident." Eight wind blades silently materialized from all directions and struck Luomingjing.
Everyone saw the blades, and several struck Master Luo squarely. The crowd’s hearts skipped a beat.
*Who did that?*
In full view of everyone, Luomingjing’s hands could be seen trembling.
"It seems the intentions of the guests here aren't very good," Luomingjing said, looking at the shattered star chart with a cold sneer. "If that is the case, then I will not keep you any longer. I shall not hold you all back! Humph. Flowers in the mist—what you see is not what it seems!"
In an instant, Luomingjing vanished before their eyes like a reflection in a mirror or a bubble in the water.