Chapter 462: Welcoming Banquet

"Sixth Junior Brother, come, let your master toast you!"

Under the starry night sky, the house of Third Senior Brother Wen Renyou was bustling with activity. A vibrant red banner hung by the entrance, with several boldly calligraphed characters proclaiming:

"A Warm Welcome to Sixth Junior Brother, the Sales Champion, Returning Victorious!"

In the hot kitchen, spatulas were almost smoking from constant use. Third Senior Brother Wen Renyou, usually quite frugal, had uncharacteristically prepared twelve dishes today, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat all accounted for.

In the dining room, the young master, his cheeks flushed from drinking, slammed his empty glass onto the table. Embracing Chen Ling's shoulders, his smile resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Sixth Junior Brother... your master truly didn't misjudge you. Two hundred and thirty million is enough to cover our Twilight Society's expenses for six or seven years! You are the top sales champion of our Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts, and the very lifeblood of all members of the Twilight Society!"

"Come! Your master will toast you again! I'll down this first; you can drink at your leisure!"

With that, the young master directly grabbed the wine bottle and gulped it down, seemingly overjoyed.

Across the dining table, First Senior Brother held a rice bowl overflowing with chicken, duck, and fish, with not a single grain of rice visible, gazing at Chen Ling with satisfaction and emotion. Second Senior Sister, holding a stack of ledgers, found her originally furrowed brows relaxing more and more with each calculation, an unconscious smile curving her lips. Fourth Senior Brother patted the Harlequin, who was devouring food from a bucket, telling him to eat less and save more dishes for their junior brother...

For the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts, money was merely a worldly possession, but for the Twilight Society, its existence was indispensable.

Two hundred and thirty million supported the entire Twilight Society's working capital, cured Third Senior Brother's stinginess, allowed the master to heartily drink while embracing Chen Ling, piled up the meat in First Senior Brother's bowl, unknotted Second Senior Sister's brows, and even made the Harlequin, who only knew how to devour food noisily, hesitate for a few seconds before leaving half a piece of braised pork for himself...

At this moment, Chen Ling finally realized that the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts wasn't as detached from the mundane world as he thought; with money, many things could change.

"Master, this is all my duty," Chen Ling said earnestly.

"Hahahaha, with you, Sixth Junior Brother, it's truly the good fortune of the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts!" The master, seemingly drunk, said with a chuckle as he held Chen Ling's shoulder, "Although your strength is still a bit lacking now, your master believes that one day... you will become the pillar of the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts."

"Don't worry, Master, I will work hard."

"No matter what happens in the future, you must not forget your senior brothers and sisters, understand? You need to know... they are among the few people in this world who genuinely care about you."

The master's gaze swept over the lively group at the table, and a hint of sadness suddenly appeared in his hazy eyes.

"If even you forget them... then they will truly vanish."

Chen Ling froze in place.

He was about to ask his master what he meant, but the latter slumped dazedly onto the table, as if completely drunk.

That night, First Senior Brother Ning Ruyu personally carried their master back.

Chen Ling didn't know where the master lived; he only knew that Ning Ruyu carried him deep into the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts, his figure disappearing into the evening breeze and under the night sky, vanishing from Chen Ling's perception, and only returned more than an hour later.

"How long has it been since our Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts was this lively?"

On the prairie, swept by the evening breeze, Harlequin and Luan Mei were the last to leave. They watched the master's receding figure, being carried away by Ning Ruyu while mumbling drunkenly, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Too long," Luan Mei shook her head. "I can't even remember."

"Before, our activities mostly consisted of watching movies and plays... But compared to repeatedly immersing ourselves in illusory stories, this kind of life feels more... how should I put it, more real."

"I understand what you mean. In this ancient repository, reality is more precious than anything else."

Luan Mei nodded slightly.

The two stood for a long time in the evening breeze, both looking at Chen Ling's room, adorned with colorful flags. After an unknown period, Harlequin yawned and waved his hand, saying:

"Get some rest... Tomorrow, I still need to tutor our junior brother in practicing the fundamental arcane arts."

"Hmm, good night."

The welcome dinner for Chen Ling finally concluded. Third Senior Brother Wen Renyou washed the dishes, carefully took down the banner from the doorway, meticulously folded it, and placed it inside his wardrobe.

By the time all this was done, it was late at night.

*Click*—

As the light in Wen Renyou's room went out, the last glow on the prairie faded into darkness.

Most of the other senior brothers and sisters had already retired, but Chen Ling lay on the familiar bed, watching the twinkling stars above, unable to fall asleep.

His master's words kept echoing in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that the meaning hidden within them was far more complex than he imagined...

To be honest, during his time in the bustling capital, he had attended luxurious banquets with lavish meals every day. Yet, even all those combined couldn't compare to the deliciousness of this meal at Third Senior Brother's home. It wasn't that Wen Renyou's cooking surpassed all the famous chefs in the capital, but rather that only here could Chen Ling truly relax.

Humble home-cooked meals always tasted better than the extravagant banquets and social gatherings outside.

Perhaps it was due to the constant mental tension from his role as an envoy in the capital, but it wasn't long before weariness swept over him like a tide. Chen Ling's eyes slowly closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Chen Ling resumed his daily life in the Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts.

Among the Four Fundamental Arcane Arts, Chen Ling had already mastered the "Performance" skill's Cloud Step before his departure. On his second day back in the repository, he mastered the "Recitation" skill's True Word, much to Wen Renyou's astonishment.

The "phrases" Chen Ling occasionally used in the bustling capital, which incorporated power into sound, were a rudimentary form of the True Word. Therefore, mastering it quickly within half a day didn't seem difficult to Chen Ling.

"Junior Brother, starting today, I will teach you the 'Singing' arcane art."

Harlequin stood in the courtyard, his expression uncharacteristically serious.

Chen Ling blinked. "Weren't the things you taught before already arcane arts?"

"No, those were just the most basic vocalizations and techniques before you could master the arcane art itself."

Harlequin took out a piece of paper from his pocket, seemingly covered in writing, and handed it to Chen Ling. "This," he said, "is the true 'Singing' arcane art, and it's also the most important of our Ancient Repository of Thespian Arts' Four Fundamental Arcane Arts."

Chen Ling took the paper, opened it, and after seeing its contents, he spoke with surprise:

"This is... the Requiem?"