Just one day, and that was all it took for this matter to swell into a storm that swept across Tian Xiang City.
At first, every influential family had dismissed the 'Aristocratic Hall' as nothing but a nuisance, a preposterous ploy to pander to the rich while trampling upon the poor.
"Who dares to make such rules?"
A lot of whispers filled the streets, and some even cursed under their breath, offended that such arrogance dared to rear its head in their city.
But soon, like a sudden shift of the wind, public opinion turned upside down.
Those who received the invitation sighed in relief as if they had escaped a calamity. Though some still disagreed in principle, their faces betrayed their joy. Their homes lit up like festivals, and even their servants puffed out their chests.
Meanwhile, those who didn't receive an invitation festered in gloom and indignation.
"Why not me? My family's worth exceeds a million! What reason could there be? Do they look down on me?"
Such voices spread like wildfire, their bitterness seeping into tea houses and banquet halls.
Many who could not reconcile with the insult stopped whispering behind closed doors and instead criticized openly, their words dripping with humiliation. But even as they shouted in protest, their hearts burned with envy. While they seethed, the recipients of the invitation began to take pride in what once made them anxious.
"Look at me!" A silver-bearded elder cackled in the marketplace, patting the card tucked proudly into his robe.
"Grandfather is an aristocrat now! Do you understand? Aristocrat!" He tugged at his grandson's sleeve, making sure everyone nearby heard his voice.
"Tsk, tsk," Another man snorted, puffing out his chest like a peacock. "Do you see this seal? Even the Prince's Mansion, the Jun Family, and the Tang Family acknowledge me! Tell me, are you richer than me? Do you have more power? Then where is your invitation?"
The crowd around them exchanged glances, and some were there with forced smiles, others with faces as green as sour plums.
Status! Status!
The proof of one's standing was now absurdly simple: either one had an invitation or one did not. And those who didn't were nothing but commoners, stripped of all illusions.
In a matter of days, this single card became the very symbol of nobility. A trend unlike any other swept across the city. Men dressed in pure-white gowns, tucking their invitations into their collars like rare treasures. They strutted down the streets with their heads held high, chests thrust forward, their eyes glimmering with smug delight.
It was no longer wealth or ancestry that mattered. It was that one slip of paper.
Those who lacked it racked their brains, some growing so desperate they sought out fortune-tellers and bribed officials, hoping for some hidden path to obtain it. Others simmered in silence, their eyes widening whenever they encountered someone they once considered an equal, only to see that gleaming invitation card waved in their face.
"Ah… Brother Li," One man said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile as his rival flashed the card beneath his nose. "Congratulations… truly…"
"En, en, no need to be envious." Brother Li smirked, tucking it back into his collar with exaggerated care. "Not everyone can be chosen. Perhaps… next time?"
The man's face twitched, but he dared not retort. To do so would only expose his jealousy further.
Then came those who had never shown their faces outside before, who suddenly became the most restless of all. The instant the card reached their hands, they left their homes as though the walls were suffocating them. They called on friends, acquaintances, even distant relatives, knocking on door after door in a single day.
"Ho ho! Have you seen this?" One particularly shameless fellow cried as he barged into his neighbor's courtyard for the third time that week. "I've been invited! Aristocratic Hall, you know! Aristocratic Hall!"
He shoved the card into the man's face so close that the ink's fragrance still lingered. "Look, look, the seal is genuine! Ha ha ha!"
His neighbor's expression soured as he turned his face away, his lips pressed tightly shut. Behind him, his wife muttered curses under her breath.
Yet, as excessive as this seemed, it was nothing compared to some others. There were those who stopped carriages in the streets, halting strangers just to flaunt the card.
Some even pinned it to their hats so that every passerby would have no choice but to see it, and compared to them, the shameless door-knockers seemed almost refined.
And thus, within a single day, the entire city was consumed by this madness.
The invitation had ceased to be a mere piece of paper.
It had become a display of glory and pride. It was the very definition of who stood above and who was left below.
This single invitation had stirred Tian Xiang City like a stone thrown into still water. The ripples were spreading wider, deeper, and faster than anyone had imagined.
Even its creator, the Young Master of the Jun Family, had not anticipated such a result.
Things had escalated so absurdly that people actually braved the gates of the Jun residence to seek out Jun Wu Yi himself. Some came with lavish gifts and whispered flattery. Others, bolder still, offered astronomical sums of silver for a single invitation card.
Jun Wu Yi had truly been left at a loss. Should he laugh or cry? His expression, on more than one occasion, twisted into something between amusement and exasperation. Matters became even worse when people of high standing went so far as to beg him for his favor. The whole affair had gotten completely out of hand.
But perhaps this was inevitable. The world had always been governed by strict hierarchies, whether visible or hidden.
Yet, never before had such distinctions been laid out as brazenly as with the Aristocratic Hall.
Man has but one life.
Who does not crave status?
Who does not wish to stand taller than his peers?
Now, an opportunity to appear 'above others' had landed right into their laps.
How could the noble circles of Tian Xiang resist?
They scrambled as if chasing after a phoenix feather, clutched at it as if it were the very key to immortality. Was it really so different from the vanity of two married women comparing rings, each of the same gold, yet one forever trying to prove hers shone brighter?
So who could truly blame the nobles of Tian Xiang for this commotion?
Moreover, the Aristocratic Hall had chosen to open its doors directly across from the Magnificent Jewel Hall, the pride of Tian Xiang's commerce. The sheer audacity of the move had already piqued the interest of every prominent family. That bold placement alone was a declaration: We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest of the city.
A business that had not yet auctioned a single item had already set the upper circles ablaze with curiosity and unease. It was, without question, the first incident of its kind in Tian Xiang City.
And then came the dawn.
The first golden rays broke over the eastern horizon, bathing the city in a soft glow. The heavy doors of the Aristocratic Hall creaked open in silence, yet that sound rolled across the street like a thunderclap.
Two squads of security guards marched out in perfect formation, their steps sharp, their presence imposing. They lined up on either side of the grand entrance, their expressions unflinching as they greeted the gathering crowd. Their mere bearing was enough to cow the restless murmurs into hushed awe.
Those who entered were greeted by a sight that stunned them into silence.
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