On the 12th of April, Yulan Calendar Year 10009, the engagement day of the imperial capital's rising star, Wotton, and Nina, had arrived. This pair of young lovers were no ordinary couple: one was the brother of a peak Saint-level powerhouse, the other the daughter of the Empire's Emperor. Such an engagement ceremony guaranteed a massive turnout.
Nobles throughout the imperial capital who received invitations felt a surge of pride. Many ordinary nobles weren't even eligible for an invitation. After all, if they invited everyone, the Baron's residence couldn't possibly hold them all.
Today, the Baron's residence was brimming with festive cheer. Outside, carriages crowded the Fushi Road, almost blocking more than half of it. The servants and guards of the attending nobles weren't allowed inside the compound; they had to wait outside. The sheer number of these attendants numbered in the thousands.
It was a sea of people!
Look at those carriages, each one more luxurious than the last. The noble ladies and young misses were dressed beautifully, each trying to outshine the other. An engagement banquet at a Baron's residence was undoubtedly one of the most elite gatherings in the noble society. Those who made it here were all people of significant status.
"Brother, I still feel a bit uncomfortable in this outfit," Wotton said. He had been in his room for quite a while, more nervous today than ever before.
Lin Lei smiled. "Relax, Wotton, you look great. Have some confidence!"
Wotton took a deep breath.
"Come on, let's go to the main hall to greet the guests," Lin Lei urged with a laugh. "You can't leave Grandpa Xili out there greeting everyone by himself. For instance, when His Majesty arrives, it would be unseemly if you didn't greet him personally, wouldn't it?"
Lin Lei and Wotton entered the main hall through a side door, and both drew a sharp breath. Heavens, the crowd was enormous. And this was only a portion of the nobles; many important figures hadn't arrived yet.
"The capital is the capital; there are far more nobles here than in Fenn City," Lin Lei remarked with a sigh.
Years ago, when Lin Lei attended Alice and Kalan's engagement, the guests paled in comparison to those at Wotton's ceremony today. Moreover, the status of the guests was incomparably higher. The nobility of a kingdom naturally couldn't match that of an empire.
The moment Lin Lei and Wotton entered the main hall, they became its focal point. Wotton's tall, imposing figure was impossible to ignore, and many greeted him warmly.
"Wotton, over here," the butler, Xili, immediately called out.
Wotton hurried to the hall's entrance to personally welcome each arriving guest. Lin Lei, meanwhile, casually strolled through the hall with a wine glass in hand, occasionally clinking glasses with a guest here and there.
The attending nobles were very self-aware and didn't bother Lin Lei by crowding around him. Instead, they simply raised their glasses from a distance.
However...
Several noble young ladies were intently focused on Lin Lei. They all knew he was currently unmarried—a man in his twenties who was also a peak Saint-level powerhouse. Where else could one find such a catch?
"A headache," Lin Lei muttered to himself, noticing three rather forward young ladies making a beeline for him from different parts of the hall. He pretended not to see them.
Just as they were about a meter away...
"Whoosh~~" A gentle yet firm gust of wind swept over the young ladies, preventing them from getting any closer to Lin Lei.
With that, Lin Lei simply smiled faintly, raised his glass, and headed for a corner of the hall to sit down.
"Master Lin Lei just now?" One of the blond, blue-eyed beauties exclaimed excitedly. "What was that magical technique?"
The other two ladies were equally puzzled.
Their ignorance didn't matter; it didn't diminish Lin Lei's standing in their eyes. If anything, it made him seem even more mysterious and powerful. In truth, Lin Lei had simply made a basic use of the wind element.
"At the dueling arena that day, did you see Master Lin Lei's Dragon Blood Warrior transformation? So wild! It got me so excited!"
"It's thrilling! I'm into that type. The boys at the academy are all so soft and spineless, lacking any real backbone."
Lin Lei's hearing was exceptionally sharp. Catching snippets of the noble ladies' conversation, he felt a moment of speechlessness. His Dragon Blood Warrior transformation was considered wild? It had backbone?
"His Majesty arrives—"
The herald's voice at the front courtyard entrance suddenly rose in volume, clearly amplified by Battle Qi. It was so loud that even the guests inside the main hall could hear it perfectly.
Instantly, the hall fell silent. All eyes turned towards the entrance. Outside, many more nobles milled about, as the sheer number of guests today meant the hall alone couldn't accommodate everyone.
"King Qiao'an is here?" Lin Lei also stood and walked out of the hall.
"My Lord," Gatez, dressed in his uniform, greeted Lin Lei with a nod.
Today, the Buck brothers were also clad in smart, matching uniforms, patrolling the premises. These five brothers, with their burly, bear-like physiques, commanded fear and respect simply by walking through the Baron's grounds. Every noble secretly sighed in awe—truly worthy of the Dragon Blood Warrior family; even their guards were formidable.
King Qiao'an was as dazzling as ever. He held the Queen's hand as he approached, flanked by several royal guards.
"Wotton." King Qiao'an spotted Wotton first. Looking at the imposing and handsome young man, he nodded approvingly. "Good, very good."
It was only then that Lin Lei stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please rest inside," Lin Lei smiled.
"Certainly. This Emperor has much to discuss with Master Lin Lei," King Qiao'an replied warmly. The two then entered the reception room. The other nobles and ministers stood aside, wisely offering only words of flattery.
Nobles from across the imperial capital continued to arrive in succession, but Lin Lei did not rise to greet each one. The visiting nobles considered this perfectly normal. Why would a Saint-level powerhouse welcome them personally? Preposterous!
"Head of the Dawson Trading Company arrives—"
The herald's voice soared once more. The head of the Dawson Trading Company, one of the continent's three great trading consortiums, might not have had Saint-level experts within its ranks, but its economic power was unquestionable.
Even Emperor Qiao'an stood up, turning to Lin Lei. "This Monroe Dawson is a good friend of mine."
Lin Lei also rose to his feet.
Yeru would undoubtedly be accompanying his father, Monroe Dawson, so naturally, Lin Lei went to welcome them.
"Haha..." Monroe Dawson, his large belly straining against his clothes, strode in. Yeru followed behind his father. Seeing King Qiao'an, Monroe gave a slight bow. "Monroe greets the great King Qiao'an."