SWNOVELXO Chapter 60: Hongmen Banquet
"Alright," Tang Yuehua said, placing the comb on the vanity and looking at Tang San, whom she had meticulously dressed, in the mirror.
"Little birthday star, it's your turn to make an appearance. Don't keep the guests waiting too long."
In front of the vanity, Tang San looked at his radiant self in the mirror, a confident smile on his face.
"Yes, the guests have waited long enough. It's time for the main event to begin!"
...
In the banquet hall.
The dignitaries sat with those they knew, engaging in hushed conversations.
Until, at a certain moment, the sound of footsteps approached.
"Welcome, everyone, to my birthday celebration. Your presence brings honor to the Tang Sect."
His voice preceded him.
All eyes in the hall turned towards the entrance, eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary Tang Sect Master.
A nine-year-old boy walked at the forefront of five figures, dressed in a festive red robe, his long black hair tied back with a red ribbon.
To his left walked Tang Yuehua, the mistress of Moon Xuan, and Titan, the patriarch of the Strength Clan. To his right walked Lou Gao, the Divine Craftsman, and Bai He, the patriarch of the Agility Clan.
Tang San's appearance successfully stirred a wave of whispers among the assembled dignitaries.
"Is this Madam Yue's nephew? He has a good bearing, but his appearance is rather ordinary."
"Ordinary appearance isn't a big deal. For an arranged marriage, status and power are what truly matter."
"Marquis Ye, if I recall, you have a daughter who is exceptionally beautiful. She's still unmarried. What do you think of this Tang Sect Master?"
"..."
The topics of discussion among the dignitaries were almost exclusively related to marriage alliances.
It wasn't hard to understand why, given that Tang San's attire made him look exactly like a groom at his own wedding.
From a corner, Lin Rong watched the scene unfold and thought:
"Tang San shouldn't make such a mistake. Could it be that this fellow genuinely intends to pursue an arranged marriage?"
"It's not impossible. An arranged marriage would be all benefit and no harm for Tang San."
"Without the childhood sweetheart bond between Xiao Wu and Tang San from the original story, Tang San, with his personality, wouldn't be moved by women."
"No love, only utilization. I wonder who will ultimately be the one to marry Tang San?"
Beside Tang San, Bai He had been searching for someone since entering the banquet hall.
"Where is she? Where is she?" Bai He scanned the room and finally spotted Lin Rong sitting in a corner of the hall.
"Found her!"
Bai He narrowed his eyes, his hands clenched tightly within his sleeves, seething with hatred.
In the corner, Lin Rong noticed Bai He's gaze but made no move, as he couldn't be bothered to argue with someone who was already as good as dead.
With the little birthday star's grand entrance, the birthday celebration quickly commenced.
However, the vast majority of the guests were there for the Hidden Weapons, a fact Tang San was well aware of.
Thus, after the time it took for one incense stick to burn.
The birthday celebration concluded, leading into the main event of the day—the Hidden Weapons exhibition.
Various types of hidden weapons were presented by Tang Sect disciples onto a large, square table:
Silent Sleeve Arrows, Hidden Shot, Foot-Stomping Crossbow, Back-Mounted Flower Crossbow, Zhuge Crossbow...
Lin Rong glanced at these hidden weapons once and then looked away.
He had expected Tang San to bring out something truly remarkable for such a grand banquet.
"I was overthinking it. With Tang San's personality, there's no way he'd reveal his true strength to outsiders."
Each hidden weapon displayed on the table had a Tang Sect disciple demonstrating its usage and power in turn, eliciting gasps of amazement from many guests.
Although these dignitaries were all Spirit Masters, they had been pampered for generations and neglected their cultivation of Soul Power, resulting in generally low Soul Power levels.
After witnessing the power of the hidden weapons firsthand, they felt both apprehension and desire towards these weapons that could threaten their lives.
This was precisely the scene Tang San was happy to witness.
He intended to use these dignitaries to make the Tang Sect's name known as a first step.
After the hidden weapons demonstration.
Tang San announced that the Tang Sect would be selling ten sets of hidden weapons today. Guests could freely bid, and the ten highest bidders would receive these sets.
"Hunger marketing?"
Lin Rong shook his head, thinking:
"Impossible, Tang San wouldn't understand such things. He probably just doesn't want too many hidden weapons to fall into the hands of outsiders."
Time passed quickly.
A fierce bidding war ensued.
Ultimately, two of the ten sets of Hidden Weapons fell into the hands of the royal family.
Prince Xue Xing secured one set, and Xue Qinghe obtained the other.
Lin Rong surmised that Qian Renxue was likely already planning to find skilled artisans to reverse-engineer the designs for the Hidden Weapons, enabling mass production.
She didn't consider that if it were that easy, would the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still be cooperating so willingly with Tang San?
After the auction of the Hidden Weapons, the banquet had essentially concluded.
In just a short while, seventy percent of the distinguished guests had departed.
A little later, after the three members of the royal family left, only Lin Rong, Ning Fengzhi, and Dugu Bo remained among the guests.
The atmosphere at this point was somewhat peculiar.
Ning Fengzhi, who had stayed behind, originally intended to discuss business with Tang San. However, he suddenly recalled something that Bone Douluo Gu Rong had quietly told him after entering the banquet hall.
With that, Ning Fengzhi cast a meaningful glance at the old butler, Yu Yuan, then rose and said to Tang San:
"Sect Master Tang, Fengzhi suddenly remembers some urgent matters that require my attention. Let's arrange another time to discuss things in detail another day."
After speaking, Ning Fengzhi left the banquet hall with Ning Rongrong and Gu Rong.
At this point, besides Tang San and his group, the only outsiders remaining in the banquet hall were Lin Rong, the old butler, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan.
Tang San was quite pleased with the current situation.
He could tell at a glance that Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, the grandfather and granddaughter, were suffering from a potent poison, and he had a way to resolve it.
This life-saving favor, coupled with his mastery of poison arts, gave Tang San the confidence to win over Dugu Bo.
Simultaneously, Tang San had also learned from Bai He that the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng was in Lin Rong's possession.
Previously, during the gathering of the Single Attribute Four Great Clans, Bai He had subtly inquired about the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng from Yang Wudi.
The result was that Lin Rong had not produced the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng for Yang Wudi to refine medicine.
Therefore, the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng was likely still intact and stored by Lin Rong.
Recalling the records of the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, Tang San couldn't help but feel excited.
A peerless immortal product that only existed in legends in his previous life actually existed in this world.
Perhaps, even the legendary Three Great Treasure Basins of the world actually existed in this world, hidden in unknown places, waiting for people to discover them.
The Tang Sect had only been established for a short time, and to maintain its reputation.
Tang San, in his benevolence, did not intend to forcibly seize it but planned to buy back the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng for one million Gold Soul Coins.
He believed that faced with the pressure of three Soul Douluos, Lin Rong would make the right choice.
"Sect Master Tang, this tea has gone cold. Aren't you going to replace it?"
Lin Rong saw Tang San standing there, lost in his own fantasies, and spoke up to break the silent atmosphere.
New Chapter Release Time Adjustment!
Originally, one chapter was released at 00:05 and another at 06:00.
Starting today, both chapters will be unified and released at 10:00 AM.
This will allow me more time to revise areas that are not written well.
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