The Banquet

Vic arranged a carriage to carry Lee and Tang back the Guesthouse. Before Lee left, he asked Vic the information about Luzac.

"It's close to Cactus, just a day's journey to get there," Vic said. "Many monks choose to cultivate there because Jia-yeh Temple is right there." 

"Jia-yeh Temple?"

"Yes, Danny built Jia-yeh Temple, and he was the first abbot of this temple," Vic explained. "I think you should know Danny right?"

"Sure," Tang replied.

"I remember the current abbot is Horace. Those monks are difficult to get along with. We rarely interact with them," Vic shook his head. 

Lee and Tang expressed their gratitude to Vic, then got into the carriage and hurried to the Guesthouse.

Tang was about to speak, but was stopped by Lee, who silently pointed at the coachman outside and then closed his eyes. Tang had no conversation along the way, filled with thoughts in his mind.

When they returned to their room in the Guesthouse, Tang immediately closed the door and asked, "General, I am confused now. Even Locke doesn't know if Danny left Buddhist relics. How can the king order you to find it?" 

"I don't know," Lee replied, and his face was gloomy. In fact, he'd been resentful towards Young since he was assassinated, and now it reached its peak. He almost died and lost so many loyal guards who shared life and death with him in the Big Desert. If all of this was just for the elusive Buddhist relics, those guards' deaths would be meaningless.

"Don't trust Locke too much," Lee continued, "He even listened to that old lady. Let's go to Luzac tomorrow and see the situation." 

"General, if Locke says there's no Buddhist relics, we can complete our mission and report back," Tang suggested, "We can't take any more risks."

"All the guards have died. It is too frustrating to return empty-handed," Lee said slowly.

"I know, but the Commander wants you to come back safely. If you die here, everything will be in vain. The Commander might even be criticized for the incompetence of his subordinates," Tang persuaded. 

"So we should figure out the situation. If the Buddhist relics is real, it's best to bring it back and not lose face for Windyce," Lee always had his reason.

Seeing Lee was firm, Tang sighed in resignation.

"Rest first. We need careful consideration about it. Don't forget we have a banquet to attend tonight," Lee said.

That reminded Tang of the beautiful Kelly, which made him forget all the unhappiness. 

"Tonight, I need to look handsome," Tang thought.

At dusk, a very delicate-looking man knocked on Lee's door. This is the coachman Kelly sent to pick them up. Tang immediately felt a sense of crisis; If even the coachman looked so handsome, would he still have an opportunity in front of Kelly? 

"Don't worry," Lee encouraged, "You never had an opportunity to begin with." 

Tang glared at Lee angrily.

"Lies don't hurt you; the truth does," Lee continued.

"..." Tang was in silence. He chose to ignore Lee's words.

The coachman brought them two dinner outfits, one large and one small. Tang put on the larger one and was surprised to discover that it fit him perfectly.

"Kelly holds me in her heart," Tang laughed and said. 

It was Lee's turn to be speechless.

The guild hall was not very distant to the Guesthouse. Lee felt like they arrived in no time at all. When getting off from the carriage, Lee could not help but marvel at the luxuriousness of the guild hall. In his impression, even the palace of the Falling-Moon Kingdom didn't have this grandeur. 

The guild hall was a massive stone structure. The arched porch rose high into the sky, carved with black-scaled snakes and other intricate patterns. The exterior walls of the guild hall were embellished with ornate cornices and finely carved stone sculptures, showcasing the skill of craftsmen and symbolizing wealth of the guild.

Lee saw many well-dressed gentlemen and elegant ladies stepping down from carriages and entering the guild hall. It seemed tonight's banquet would have many important figures. Lee and Tang walked in with the crowd. 

Entering the hall, Lee was greeted by spectacular decoration in every corner. High above, enormous branched chandeliers illuminated the space, casting soft light on magnificent murals and velvet curtains. Inside the hall, exquisite wooden tables and chairs, carved with gold motifs, displayed silver tableware and crystal goblets. People stood in the hall chatting and mingling, accompanied by the light laughter of ladies and the clinking of goblets. 

Lee and Tang found a less crowded place to sit down, looking around. They hadn't spotted Kelly yet. 

Lee noticed that there were several portraits on the walls, which were arranged in a row from left to right. He saw that the person in the last portrait on the right was Kelly. What surprised him was that he discovered the old lady he had seen in the palace among the portraits, separated by three other individuals from Kelly.

In this hall, Lee and Tang recognized nobody, so they started dealing with the fruits and desserts on the table. Seeing they eat so messily, no one was willing to come forward and chat.

"Lee!" 

Lee heard a familiar voice, and he turned around, seeing the elegant Steven was walking towards them. 

Steven was very handsome and glamorous. Tonight he dressed in a finely tailored doublet and breeches. The dark velvet of his doublet was adorned with intricate gold embroidery, and a white lace collar framed his neck. His polished leather boots gleamed under the soft glow of the chandeliers. His hair was neatly styled, falling in loose waves that complemented his clear features. With a confident stride, he drew appreciative glances from all around.

"See, I told you, he's treating this place like a brothel. Look at him, he's dressed like a whore," Todd remarked, and he had somehow sat down next to Tang.

Tang agreed, and he gave Todd a thumbs-up. In fact, he was afraid that Kelly would be dazzled by Steven's looks. He had to admit Steven gave him a bit of pressure.

Steven just saw Todd and his footsteps paused for a moment. He was reluctant to encounter the sharp-tongued old man who always had the upper hand in their arguments. But he had no choice but to go ahead anyway. 

"Hi, Steven, how's it going?" Lee greeted.

"Very good. Sometimes I feel like I was born for banquets, haha." Steven laughed, and attracted the attention of many young ladies.

"I really don't know if I should be happy or sad for Quinn," Todd said.

"Do you see Kelly? I just arrived, my father lectured me at home for half a day," Steven ignored Todd's verbal attack.

"No, we don't," Lee replied, "There are too many people, and I got dizzy just looking around."

"How did you offend Locke and Francesca? Why was I kicked out as soon as I walked in today?" Todd questioned.

"What?" Lee said.

"Don't listen to him talking nonsense," Steven finally found a chance to fight back, "He's just asking for trouble himself. I heard from Quinn he asked if Locke has found a new candidate for king."

Tang gave Todd a thumbs-up again. 

"I did this for the Falling-Moon Kingdom. If we don't choose a new king soon, the kingdom will fall apart," Todd said firmly and solemnly. 

This made Lee feel that Todd was a great person who dedicated himself tirelessly to the kingdom. He couldn't help but think that he had underestimated Todd, who deserved his respect.

"Don't listen to him," Kelly's voice echoed from a distance, "He aims to crown a new king to gain merit and favor."

"You're slandering me!" Todd countered.

Tang finally saw Kelly, who he had been thinking about all the time. Kelly dressed in black, looking even more mysterious and alluring.

Standing beside Kelly was Paul, still as quiet and cold as ever, while everyone gestured towards them. 

They wanted to come over, but someone approached to chat, stopping them in their tracks.

Lee remembered something and pointed to the portraits on the walls, asking Steven, "Who are these portraits of?"

"These are the guild masters since its establishment," Steven explained. Seeing Lee look at the portrait of Francesca, Steven continued, "Francesca is the seventeenth master of the guild, and you should have seen her in the palace."

"The Regent seems to respect her a lot," Lee said.

"Of course," Todd interrupted, "Francesca is the old king's sister and my aunt."

"Old king?" Tang questioned.

"Yes, the old king passed the throne to his grandson, Knight," Andrew said.

Andrew was dressed in regular clothes instead of his armor. As he approached, everyone felt a palpable tension in the air. The guy exuded a heavy aura, and Lee even even saw a trace of Windyce's shadow on him.

"What are you here for?" Todd asked.

"Do I need to report to you where I go, Todd? Keep your mouth shut." Andrew's words were quite authoritative, and Todd surprisingly didn't speak again. Andrew snorted coldly and then sat next to Lee.

"Attention, everyone!" Kelly's sweet voice echoed through the entire hall, and everyone quieted down. "Welcome. Today, we are fortunate to have our former guild master, Francesca, with us." 

Under her guidance, people saw an elderly lady being assisted as she walked from the rear chamber into the hall. She then sat in the chair reserved specifically for the guild master.

"That's truly reckless," Todd muttered.