People looked on in amazement as the members of the Divine Family made their way into the banquet hall, led by Chen Zhenlong. The group consisted of him, his two wives, his firstborn, Chen Li Jiang, the princess of the Divine Family, Chen Linlin and her three friends, and Xue Hui. Following behind them were the elders of the Divine Family.
Together, they walked to the head table to greet the City Lord's family and wish Ye Zeyang a happy birthday.
As they did, members of the different families began talking among themselves. They discussed the recent attacks and the significant role the Divine Family had played in stopping them.
The recent incident had made the public aware of the true extent of the Divine Family's overall strength.
People were shocked beyond belief when word spread that the Divine Family had four Legend-rank experts among their ranks.
For a long time, the public had been under the impression that Glory City only had two Legend-rank experts: Lord Ye Mo and the mysterious expert from the Divine Family.
So it came as a great surprise when everyone discovered that there were three more Legend-rank experts hidden within the walls of the Divine Family. Two of them were even children who had not yet reached adulthood.
'My God, fourteen-year-old Legend-rank experts. How crazy is that?' everyone exclaimed.
Ye Zong's expression brightened as he cheerfully welcomed the members of the Divine Family.
"Brother Zhenlong, I'm glad you and your family came. For a moment, I thought you had forgotten my son's birthday," Ye Zong remarked with a laugh, clasping Chen Zhenlong's hand.
"How could I? Zeyang is my godson. How could I have the nerve to miss his sixth birthday? We were just a little late because of some important matters..." Chen Zhenlong leaned toward Ye Zong's ear and lowered his voice before continuing, "...the ladies took quite a bit more time to prepare."
Ye Zong laughed heartily, fully understanding how Chen Zhenlong felt. After all, he himself had both a wife and a concubine, so he was no stranger to such situations.
"Woah, Lady Linlin and Young Master Xue Hui, they look so cool!" a sound of amazement escaped Ye Zeyang's lips as he stared in awe at the two new Legend-rank experts of Glory City.
His words attracted the attention of the nearby people. His eyes widened, and he quickly cupped his mouth with both hands, looking extremely embarrassed as he realized he had blurted out his thoughts.
Chen Linlin's lips curved into a charming smile. With a spring in her step, she walked over to the little boy, finding amusement in his flustered expression.
"Hello there, little Zeyang. Your sister and I are friends. She has told me so many things about you. Is it true that you also prefer gauntlets as your weapon? If that's the case, then we're quite similar. I also use gauntlets as my weapon."
Ye Zeyang's eyes became as round as saucers, his mouth hanging open. Never had he expected to find such a similarity with Chen Linlin.
The realization filled him with excitement. His previous timidness vanished as he eagerly fired off question after question about martial arts and fist techniques.
Chen Linlin giggled as she answered every question the boy threw at her.
"Really? You only threw one punch to defeat the Abyss Demon?"
"Yup. I defeated it with a single punch," Chen Linlin boasted proudly.
"Woah, that's awesome! I wish I could also defeat a demon beast as strong as the Abyss Demon with a single punch like you did, Lady Linlin," the boy exclaimed in admiration.
"Oh, you surely will someday, as long as you don't neglect your training and always fight with the determination to protect others. Becoming a powerful Demon Spiritualist should be within your reach."
As she spoke, Chen Linlin took out an item from her interspatial ring and handed it to the boy.
Ye Zeyang's eyes glimmered with astonishment as he reached out to accept the gift.
"This is my Golden Scale Gauntlet, the one I used to defeat the Abyss Demon. I'm passing it on to you so you'll have your own gauntlet. It's a Legend-rank weapon, so it can adjust itself to fit its wearer perfectly."
Chen Linlin slid the gauntlet onto Ye Zeyang's arm. Just as she had said, the Golden Scale Gauntlet emitted a soft golden glow before shrinking to fit the boy's arm perfectly.
"Woah!" Ye Zeyang repeatedly opened and closed his gauntlet-clad hand, producing soft clinking sounds. "Can I really have this? This is a Legend-rank weapon. Even my father doesn't have one. Are you sure you're giving this to me, Lady Linlin?" Ye Zeyang asked uncertainly. He was a smart child who knew things most kids his age shouldn't, and he certainly understood just how valuable a Legend-rank weapon was.
"Of course you can keep it. I already have a new pair of gauntlets. Hui-Hui gave them to me."
"Hui... Hui?" he repeated.
"Yup, Hui-Hui. He's my betrothed and my best friend. He's also good friends with your big sister. There he is."
As she explained, Chen Linlin pointed toward Xue Hui, who was chatting with Ye Zong and Chen Zhenlong.
Ye Zeyang's expression turned starstruck. He had heard many great things about Xue Hui even before the attack, and he knew that Xue Hui had been responsible for saving both him and his mother's lives.
Ye Zeyang had wanted to meet him for a long time so he could personally thank him for the great favor Xue Hui had bestowed upon them.
But every attempt had been futile. Xue Hui was an elusive man, constantly traveling in pursuit of cultivation, making him difficult for others to meet.
Realizing he finally had the opportunity to thank him, Ye Zeyang jumped down from his chair, his small feet landing on the floor with a soft thud.
Taking a shaky breath, Ye Zeyang slowly walked forward, his eyes fixed on the man whose strength was comparable to his grandfather's.
"I'm telling you, Brother Zong, if we're going to expand our city, we should start to the south. The land beyond the wall there is pretty safe an-"
Chen Zhenlong abruptly paused, confusing Ye Zong and Xue Hui. Following his gaze, they saw a small boy standing a few feet away from them. He looked extremely nervous as he stared in their direction.
Seeing this, Ye Zong smiled warmly at his son.
"Yang'er, what are you doing just standing there? Come, come. I've been meaning to introduce you to our benefactor."
Nodding, Ye Zeyang walked over to his father's side, his eyes still fixed on the young man before him.
"Xue Hui, this is Zeyang. You met him once when he was still very little. He's already grown quite a bit since then."
Xue Hui looked at the boy, the corner of his lips curling upward. He noticed that Chen Linlin had already given him her present, as the Golden Scale Gauntlet was now wrapped around the boy's arm.
"Mhm. I can't believe it's been seven years since then. Time really does fly by. Hello there, little Yang. I doubt you remember me, but I hope you've enjoyed your day so far."
Ye Zeyang was unable to reply, completely dazed.
Ye Zong even had to nudge his son to snap him out of his awe.
"Eh... um... yes... I'm having a great time... Oh, ah! Zeyang greets the benefactor. Zeyang is eternally grateful for saving me and my mother's lives. If it weren't for the benefactor's kindness, Zeyang wouldn't be here today."
Clasping his hands together, the boy kowtowed, expressing his sincerest gratitude.
Xue Hui smiled at the sight as he gently patted the boy's head.
"Enough with the 'benefactor' stuff. Just call me Big Brother Hui or something similar, Little Zang. And helping you and your mother was simply my duty as a physician. There's no need to take it so much to heart."
He then took out a small box from his garden and handed it to Ye Zeyang.
"Inside this box are various precious elixirs, including a bottle of Wood-type Crimson Soul Breaker Elixir. Not only that, it also contains a demon spirit crystal capable of reaching Legend rank. Make sure not to use any Demon Spirit Strengthening Pills when you integrate with it, alright?"
Ye Zeyang reached out and accepted the gift, his heart pounding loudly. He couldn't believe how many precious presents he had received from everyone.
"I... thank... uhm... Big Brother Hui, for this present. I'll make sure to put your gift to good use."
Xue Hui nodded at the boy, taking a liking to the young child.
As time passed, more and more people arrived. Among them were the members of the Winged Dragon Family.
As they entered, Xiao Ning'er wasted no time searching for Xue Hui before hurrying to his side. She looked distressed, something he immediately noticed.
"Ning'er, is everything alright? Is something troubling you?" he asked with concern as he reached for her hand.
"Uhm... not exactly. It's just that I saw the members of the Sacred Family heading this way. I don't know how to feel about it," she answered honestly.
Understanding the reason for her unease, Xue Hui gently squeezed her hand and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Ning'er. It's only the Sacred Family. How could they possibly cause you any trouble while I'm by your side? Don't mind them too much. Leave everything to me. After today, the entire Sacred Family will no longer be our problem."
His words eased the worries in her heart.
As they finished talking, the atmosphere inside the banquet hall grew uncomfortably tense. Led by the imposing figure of Shen Hong, the Sacred Family entered the banquet hall.
End of Chapter 103
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