NOVPUB"When did you buy me candied hawthorn sticks," Wenren Ya looked at Xu Zimei in surprise.
She quickly said, "You clearly stole my candied hawthorn sticks."
"Stop it," Xu Zimei scolded as he looked at Wenren Ya.
"Is it because Brother Su didn’t buy more for you?
You can’t eat too much of that stuff, it’s bad for your teeth.
If you really want some, wait until after Grandfather’s grand birthday celebration is over, Brother Su will take you to buy some tomorrow."
After Xu Zimei finished speaking, he didn’t give Wenren Ya a chance to retort and raised his head to smile at Wenren Yao.
"Uncle, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.
Brother Su is looking for me for something else!"
"Go ahead," Wenren Yao nodded slightly.
Xu Zimei left the problematic spot with some embarrassment.
Although it wasn’t a big deal, taking a child’s candied hawthorn sticks to eat did seem somewhat bullying when spoken aloud.
"Daddy, he’s lying," Wenren Ya said, on the verge of crying again.
"Don’t cry, today is Grandfather’s grand birthday," Wenren Yao held his daughter in his arms.
He comforted her with a smile, "Didn’t your cousin say he will take you to buy some tomorrow?"
The little girl unwillingly snorted softly, muttering, "Who wants to be his cousin."
...
It wasn’t long after daybreak, and guests had already started to line up outside the gate of the Wenren family home.
Wenren Yao and Wenren Zhao were greeting guests at the entrance.
Meanwhile, Grandfather Wenren Jingshi and Uncle Wenren Teng were in the inner hall.
A dozen or so younger family members were standing by, well-behaved.
In the spacious courtyard, several dozens of tables made from Enlightenment Wood were set up.
Enlightenment Wood was a type of wood that could strengthen comprehension, showing that the Wenren family had spared no efforts for this grand birthday celebration.
Various freshly made dishes were placed on these tables.
These weren’t dishes made from ordinary ingredients.
Among them were Southern Flower Sauce, Purple Peony Soup, Red-Braised Meat of Black Flame Dragon Beast, and Cold-Dressed Salad of Jiuyou Ice Lion...
In short, there were Mysterious Medicines, which were very valuable in the outside world, and meat from exotic beasts that ordinary people would not see in their lifetimes.
These varieties of dishes were now just so displayed on the Enlightenment Wood tables.
The Mysterious Medicines here were all above the Chen Tier, with the lowest also being the Chen Tier.
...
"Yao brother, Zhao brother, it’s been a long time."
At the gate of the Wenren Residence, as more and more people arrived to offer birthday greetings, a queue had begun to form.
Everyone greeted each other.
"Bufan brother, since we parted at Heavenly Bird Mountain, it’s been several years, right?"
Wenren Zhao replied with a smile.
After Wenren Zhao accepted the birthday gifts and exchanged greetings, a distant family member would lead the person into the Wenren Residence.
At many people’s grand birthdays, the contents of the birthday gifts would be read aloud by servants.
However, the Wenren family clearly preferred to be more low-key; they did not announce the contents of the gifts but simply reported the names of the guests one by one.
After all, those present today were all prominent figures, and there was no need to compete in this regard.
Not everyone was qualified to come here to offer birthday greetings.
"Sect Master Zhuo Bufan and his disciples have come to offer birthday greetings, wishing Senior Wenren a longevity that matches heaven’s span!"
"Prince Ji Changyu of the Phoenix Perching Imperial Dynasty with his son have come to offer birthday greetings, wishing Senior Wenren an enduring immortal journey and immortal longevity."
...
As more and more people arrived, the Wenren Residence became even more lively and harmonious as everyone mingled and chatted.
Wenren Jingshi sat in the highest seat, with people occasionally approaching to greet him.
As everyone was chatting, another loud shout came from outside.
"King Anding, Yue Yunfei, along with his son, has come to extend congratulations to Senior Wenren..."
Following this shout, nearly all attention was drawn to it.
Xu Zimei also looked towards the entrance, quite curious about King Anding.
"The face of the Wenren Family is really something, I didn’t expect even King Anding to come.
Ever since the Evil God Cult was exterminated, King Anding has remained hidden from the world."
The surrounding guests were all abuzz with conversation.
"What’s so strange about that? King Anding’s ability to eradicate the Evil God Cult,
wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the Wenren Family. He alone couldn’t have been a match for the Evil God Cult."
Amidst the noisy discussions, a middle-aged man accompanied by a young man entered from the direction of the entrance.
This middle-aged man had an extraordinary demeanor, dressed in a gray-white robe, with a somewhat sallow complexion.
Half of his long hair on the top of his head was black and the other half white.
The intertwined black and white hair was neatly tied into a bun at the back of his head.
He had a beard, not too long, giving off the impression of a scholarly teacher.
Extremely refined and amiable.
When this middle-aged man came in front of Wenren Jingshi, he slightly bent over and said,
"I have seen Senior Wenren. I will never forget the kindness of Heavenly Crane Mountain all those years ago."
Wenren Jingshi smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It was no big deal. You were much better than those useless sons of mine.
Out of your generation, you were the one I had the most faith in."
King Anding bowed slightly, expressed his thanks, and then took a seat to the side.
Perhaps feeling Xu Zimei’s gaze, King Anding turned his head and exchanged a distant look with him.
His scholarly manner made it hard to imagine him as the War God who had almost slaughtered the Evil God Cult years ago.
As more and more people arrived, it wasn’t just forces from within the Phoenix Perching Empire.
Even some powers from other empires had sent representatives.
Even the old master of the Wan Family had brought a congratulatory gift.
Guests continuously arrived, and as the final announcement was made, everyone perked up.
"The Sovereign of the Phoenix Perching Dynasty, Ji Yunzhou, along with the empress from the Tianshang Clan and three princes, has come to extend congratulations on Senior Wenren’s grand birthday."
With this announcement, those who had arrived were already amongst the most respected in the group.
The name of Ji Yunzhou, the Sovereign of the Phoenix Perching Dynasty, was truly renowned throughout the Northern Continent.
Suddenly, five figures entered under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Leading them were two people.
The man wore a yellow robe embroidered with several eight-clawed golden dragons.
He had an extraordinary bearing, with deep-set eyes that seemed to contain the Circulation Stars in motion.
Unlike King Anding’s scholarly air, this man’s presence carried a strong sense of dominance.
As if he embodied the spirit of those who follow me shall prosper, and those who oppose me shall perish.
The woman to his right wore a long, red silk dress, dignified and luxurious, with light makeup on her face, exuding the demeanor of a motherly figure to the entire world.
These two were none other than the current Sovereign and Empress of the Phoenix Perching Dynasty.
Following behind were three young men of remarkable demeanor, truly the three princes.
The three princes were not as particular about their clothing but inherently carried the imperial composure.
Distinct from others, they too were in the Emperor Pulse Realm, clearly top-tier Talented Disciples.
The entire empire knew that the Imperial Dynasty was in a delicate relationship with the two major families.
The Imperial Dynasty wanted to completely rule over the empire, but the biggest obstacle was the two major families.
Yet between the three, there had never been an outright confrontation.
