Because of the appearance of the hundred-year monkey wine and the fifty percent Yuan Iron, Ye Gu's birthday banquet had become a true double celebration.
Everyone knew that Ye Gu had already reached the peak of the upper celestial realm. With the help of the monkey wine, there was no doubt it would assist him in reaching a breakthrough.
As for the fifty percent Yuan Iron, it symbolized a new rise in the Ye Family's status.
After three jars of wine, Ye Gu's face was red with intoxication, and he was just about to pour himself another drink when a servant came up and whispered something in his ear. His joyful expression immediately vanished, replaced by a dignified and serious look.
"Ye elder brother, why didn't you tell your younger brother it was your birthday today?" The main doors flung open as the Song Family's head, Song Mo Shi, walked in with several of his sons swaggering behind.
Why is he here?
The guests who were exchanging toasts froze in shock.
Everyone knew that the Ye Family and the Song Family were archrivals, competing for the mining rights at Seven Star Mountain.
Ye Gu and Song Mo Shi were both at the peak of the upper celestial realm, but their personalities couldn't be more different. Ye Gu was hot-tempered but upright and honest, while Song Mo Shi was stingy, sinister, and generally a despicable man. If the mayor of Autumn Maple Town hadn't intervened, the two might've killed each other by now.
"Song brother, you're a busy man. How could I bother you over something as minor as a birthday feast?" Ye Gu's tone was neutral. Even though he disliked the man, he still had to act hospitable since a guest was a guest.
Following their father's lead, the Ye Family sons stepped forward cautiously and stood by Ye Gu's side.
Still seated beside her mother, Ling Yue wasn't unfamiliar with Song Mo Shi and his reputation. According to the forge workers, even the incident involving fake Yuan Iron was orchestrated by this sinister, sneaky man.
In her eyes, Song Mo Shi was a few years younger than her grandfather, yet he was overweight with beady, triangle-shaped eyes that made him look like a sneaky rat.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn't seem like someone to get close to.
As she was thinking this, Ling Yue's eyebrow twitched. She sensed a disturbing gaze fixated on her.
While Ye Gu and Song Mo Shi exchanged polite but fake pleasantries, Ling Yue's discomfort was growing.
The source of her unease was a pale-skinned young man with a frail, thin build dressed in luxurious clothes—clearly not someone who practiced Yuan energy.
What made it worse was that this unfamiliar man was staring at her and her mother with a chilling, greedy gaze.
"Mother, is that man part of the Song Family?" Ling Yue tugged on her mother's sleeve, her instincts warning her that something was wrong.
"Seems like he's a 'house guest' of the Song Family. What a lecherous man." Ye Huangyu only needed one glance to recognize the lust in his eyes. Subconsciously, she moved to shield Ling Yue behind her.
Both the Ye and Song families were local powerhouses in Autumn Maple Town, so it wasn't uncommon for them to host martialists or scholars as guests. But for someone to stand that close to Song Mo Shi, his background had to be unusual.
House guest?
Ling Yue couldn't explain it, but she felt a strong sense of danger coming from the man—one even greater than from Song Mo Shi himself.
What a stunning pair of beauties. Who would've thought such flowers would bloom in this worn-down town?
This "Master Lian," who was treated with great respect even by Song Mo Shi, had immediately taken notice of Ling Yue and her mother the moment he walked in.
The mother was like a refined orchid, and the daughter young and delicate—exactly to Master Lian's taste.
Once I get rid of that old Ye Gu, I'll make Song Mo Shi hand over these two to me.
As he made this vow, Master Lian swallowed hard and finally looked away.
"Ye elder brother, I arrived in such a hurry I didn't bring a proper gift. Here, please accept this small token instead." A flicker of something unreadable passed through Song Mo Shi's eyes as he signaled for someone to bring over a gift box.
Ye Gu accepted it and examined the box closely, but found nothing unusual at first glance.
Standing behind Song Mo Shi, Master Lian let out a quiet, sinister snicker.
Just as Ye Gu was about to open the box, Ling Yue's cauldron began to tremble.
"This feeling…" Ling Yue's heart suddenly went on high alert.
There's no mistake—this is a fluctuation of spirit force! Someone in the Song Family is using spirit force! She quickly realized the danger.
The force was coming from the gift box… Ling Yue quickly locked her focus onto it.
With her limited skill in spirit force, all she could sense was an intense cold aura from inside.
A concealed weapon! Grandfather is in danger!
Realizing the threat was one thing—reacting in time was another. Ye Gu had already opened the box.
A chilling metallic glint shot out.
Swoosh!!!
Ling Yue summoned every bit of her spirit force to alter the dagger's path, just enough to divert it.
Because of this barely noticeable deflection, the dagger missed Ye Gu's eye and instead whizzed past his ear, embedding itself deep into the stage behind.
"Ahhh!!!"
The performing troupe screamed in panic.
One of the stage's support beams split apart, the dagger firmly lodged in the wood.
Failure!
Both Song Mo Shi and Master Lian looked furious and stunned.
What just happened?
"Song Mo Shi! What is the meaning of this?!" Ye Gu was drenched in cold sweat, shaken by the sudden attempt on his life.
The gift box actually contained an assassin's weapon. If not for a slight shift in its trajectory, he would've been struck directly in the eye.
"Ye elder brother, please calm down. It was just a harmless joke from your brother. With your strength, how could a mere dagger pose any threat?" Song Mo Shi forced a smile, though his face was twitching with suppressed anger.
"Scram! The Ye Family doesn't welcome you." Ye Gu could no longer contain his fury. The birthday celebration had been completely ruined.
"In that case, I'll take my leave." Song Mo Shi clasped his hands mockingly and left with his entourage.
"Father, we're just going to let this go?" The sons of the Ye Family exchanged bitter, angry glances.
"The mountain hunt is coming soon. We'll settle the score then." Ye Gu, seething with anger, stormed off to his room without even seeing the guests out.
Ling Yue, her hands greasy and soaked with sweat, finally relaxed.
Once the guests had left and the mess was cleaned, the various Ye households returned to their rooms, leaving the courtyard silent under the midday sun.
Later that night, just past midnight, a shadowy figure quietly crept into the courtyard under the cover of darkness.
The figure crouched by the still-damaged stage, moving around as if searching for something.
"There it is!" After finding what it came for, the figure silently slipped away without a sound, vanishing into the night as though it had never been there.