Chapter 1301: Banquet

Chapter 1301: The Banquet

"What did you say?" Inside the lakeside pavilion, the blind man turned in surprise. "They're here already??"

"Yes," a police officer replied truthfully. "After you gave the order, our people have been monitoring the surroundings. The moment they appeared, we noticed them... As per your instructions, we've already sent someone to invite them over."

"They?"

"There are three of them."

"Three people..." The blind man frowned slightly, pacing in the lakeside pavilion, deep in thought.

A month ago, he had predicted that a "General Star" with the power to counter world-ending destruction would arrive in the South Sea territory around this time. However, he knew little about the specific details of this General Star, only that they seemed very young...

"How old are they?"

"Not old, they all look under twenty. It's just that..."

"Just what?"

"It's just that only one of them, a young man in a Tang suit, looks extraordinary. The other two look rather shabby, like attendants to the young man in the Tang suit."

"Oh..." The blind man mused thoughtfully.

"Sir, should we invite them into the lakeside pavilion?"

The blind man was momentarily speechless, as if he couldn't believe someone would ask such a foolish question. He said sternly, "Although the South Sea Lord and Old Ancestor Pu temporarily repelled the Disaster, they are both gravely injured and need to go into seclusion to recover. Right now, our South Sea territory is short on personnel... This General Star is someone who can slay world-ending beings in the future. We must host them well and persuade them to stay in our South Sea territory."

"Yes! I'll bring them over right away!"

"Also, prepare a table with good wine and dishes, featuring specialties from our South Sea territory."

"Huh?" The police officer was stunned. "Set... set it here? Isn't this Lord South Sea's personal sanctuary... Does he... know about this?" Ever since Lord South Sea awakened, this lakeside pavilion had been his exclusive space. Besides the blind man, no one else could enter or exit it, let alone set up a banquet here.

"He's at the bottom of this lake. What do you think?"

"Uh... I'll get right to it."

"...Also, bring out those few treasured ritual artifacts, and a few boxes of gold. Although a General Star capable of slaying world-ending beings likely won't care about worldly wealth, it's always good to make a grand gesture."

The police officer had barely left for a moment when he rushed back.

"What now?" the blind man asked impatiently.

"Sir, Ye Mu has arrived."

A flicker of surprise crossed the blind man's face. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Tell him to wait outside for a bit... No, never mind. Let him come in now. We'll just add another chair to the banquet table later." Since Lord South Sea had agreed to let the Integration Faction enter the South Sea territory, interactions would be inevitable in the future. Moreover, Teacher Ye was Lord South Sea's teacher, and Lord South Sea was his own superior, so he couldn't afford to be impolite.

"Yes, sir!"

The vehicle slowly pulled to a stop in front of the South Sea Government's main gate. As several police officers jogged forward to open the car door, a figure in a Tang suit slowly stepped out. He first pushed up the small round sunglasses on his nose, then calmly surveyed his surroundings: "Hmm... It hasn't changed much, even after being away for so long..."

"Oh? You're from the South Sea?" The police officer responsible for reception's ears perked up, and he immediately pressed further.

"I lived here for a while before. The climate is nice, and the double-skin milk still tastes quite authentic," Sun Bumian said, casually closing the car door.

"What a coincidence! So, you could say you're half a South Sea native now, hahaha..." The police officer chuckled apologetically, then quietly leaned over to another officer and whispered something. The latter immediately ran towards the lakeside pavilion.

The General Star having lived in the South Sea for a long time was undoubtedly excellent news. It meant he would have a stronger sense of belonging to the South Sea territory. The person in the lakeside pavilion needed to be informed immediately to facilitate the upcoming reception and negotiation.

After Sun Bumian exited, two more disheveled beggars crawled out from another car door, one after the other. After they scrambled out, the leather on the back seats was stained black, causing the surrounding police officers' mouths to twitch.

"Whoa! Impressive!" Jian Changsheng exclaimed, looking up at the magnificent government gate.

"Please come this way, gentlemen," a police officer said, leading the three as they walked side by side into the building.

"As expected of Red Heart... he thrives wherever he goes," Jian Changsheng commented, looking back at the special vehicle that had transported them. It was clear that, after wandering for more than half a year, he was genuinely pleased with their current treatment.

He even silently decided that when he fought Chen Ling later, he would go easy on him, so he wouldn't lose too badly.

"If he can get Lord Tianshu to clear a path for us, it's only natural he can handle Lord South Sea too. It's not surprising," Sun Bumian replied calmly.

Just outside the territory, they had heard that those people were sent by Lord South Sea specifically to invite them. At first, they found it strange... After all, they didn't know Lord South Sea at all and hadn't done anything that would warrant a special invitation from him. But upon reflection, Chen Ling had already entered the South Sea territory a step ahead of them, which made perfect sense.

There seemed to be a peculiar relationship between Chen Ling and the Nine Lords. In the Tianshu territory, he could get Lu Xun to clear a path for them with a single word. So, it wasn't surprising that they would receive preferential treatment after encountering the revived Lord South Sea...

Only this reason could explain why Lord South Sea had sent people specifically to pick them up.

This was a welcome banquet specially prepared for them by Chen Ling and Lord South Sea!

After being "rats on the street" in various territories for so long, they had finally turned their fortunes around in the South Sea territory. No longer would they need to hide; instead, they could sit down and eat at the same table as Lord South Sea! At this thought, Jian Changsheng and the other two involuntarily straightened their backs!

"Red Heart still thinks of us," Sun Bumian mused.

Jian Changsheng's mouth curved into a smile, nodding repeatedly. "Indeed... I wouldn't have guessed he was so thoughtful."

Jiang Xiaohua suddenly asked in a muffled voice, "But how did he know there were three of us?"

Sun Bumian and Jian Changsheng both froze. "That's right..."

Sun Bumian patted the officer's shoulder. "Brother, how did you know there were three of us?"

The officer smiled. "Actually, we didn't know either. Sir merely instructed us to pick people up at the edge of the territory. We always thought only one person would come... We didn't expect three."

"Sir instructed?" Hearing these two words, Sun Bumian and Jian Changsheng exchanged a glance and nodded slightly... It all added up, everything made sense.

As they spoke, the three had already passed through the long corridor across the lake. A stone pavilion appeared in their sight. Amidst clusters of vibrant flowers, a meticulously carved round table was set, laden with a variety of dishes. Seeing the three approach, a blind man rose with a smile and bowed to them. "Our three distinguished guests have finally arrived... Please take a seat?"