In the Tiangui Kingdom, the name Ye Chonglou was something of a totem. From the oldest eighty-year-olds down to the youngest children, there was not a single person who did not know it.
He held no prestigious government post, nor did he command any tangled network of factions and influence.
To put it more bluntly, he was simply an old man who had no interest in worldly contention — a idle wanderer content to watch the flowers bloom and wither, a hermit hidden in plain sight within the bustling world.
Yet whenever this name was mentioned, from the King down to the commonest peasant, every single person would straighten with reverence.
Because this name, to the Tiangui Kingdom, was a monument. A totem.
The current princes of the Tiangui Kingdom naturally had to address Ye Chonglou as "Teacher."
And the reigning King — himself a prince of the previous generation — likewise had to call Ye Chonglou "Teacher."
The generation before that, and the generation before that…
For at least five generations of the Ye royal line, every one of them had to address Ye Chonglou as "Teacher."
It could be said that as Grand Tutor, Ye Chonglou had educated the Ye royal family's children generation after generation. No one knew exactly how many generations that amounted to, nor did anyone know precisely how old Ye Chonglou actually was.
Generation after generation of inheritance, year after year of accumulation — this had forged the position Ye Chonglou held today. Even though he had no interest in worldly competition, no one was qualified to compete with him.
Ye Chonglou had no particular hobbies. He had only one habit: celebrating his birthday once a year.
For this habit of his, the royal family of the Tiangui Kingdom had specifically built the Grand Tutor's Villa.
This Grand Tutor's Villa was opened only once a year — solely to host Grand Tutor Ye's birthday banquet.
Jiang Chen, after all, was not a native of the Tiangui Kingdom and had no direct understanding of Grand Tutor Ye. When he saw Fourth Prince Ye Rong and the others making such elaborate preparations, he was mildly surprised.
"Brother Jiang Chen, you're here! Come, let me make some introductions." Ye Rong spotted Jiang Chen and greeted him warmly. "Tian Shao, you two are old acquaintances — he'll be coming along with me to pay respects to Grand Tutor Ye as well."
Ye Rong then pointed to a refined-looking young man beside him and introduced him: "Ling Qianli, a core disciple of the Qianlan Southern Palace. At the next Treasure Tree Sect selection, he's a strong candidate to enter the Treasure Tree Sect — a genuine young genius."
"Qianli, this is Jiang Chen, the one I told you about before. You're about the same age, so you can exchange ideas and get to know each other."
Ling Qianli's expression was indifferent. He glanced at Jiang Chen and gave a slight nod.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen immediately understood that Ling Qianli was likely an arrogant person by nature. He simply smiled casually and offered a polite greeting: "I've long admired your reputation."
In normal social situations, most people would politely return the courtesy. But Ling Qianli merely gave a faint smile: "You've only been here from the Eastern Kingdom for about a month, and this is the first time we've met. What exactly have you long admired about me?"
Jiang Chen was struck speechless for a moment. He had assumed Ling Qianli was just the quiet, reserved type — someone naturally aloof who didn't care much for small talk. He hadn't expected the man to be so sharp-tongued, with what seemed like a hint of hostility.
"The Qianlan Southern Palace is famously renowned, so naturally I've long held it in high regard." Since this fellow couldn't even bother with basic courtesy, Jiang Chen had no interest in exchanging pleasantries.
Ye Rong hadn't expected Ling Qianli to be so suddenly pointed either. He laughed and said, "Qianli, you don't know Jiang Chen well yet. Spend more time with him, and you'll find that Brother Jiang Chen is absolutely worth knowing."
"Jiang Chen, Qianli is just like that. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside. Once you get to know him, you'll understand." Ye Rong smoothed things over.
Tian Shao also chimed in with a laugh: "Right, right. Birds of a feather flock together. People of one kind stick with their own. Qianli, Chen Shao — I'm a bit older than both of you, and I'm still pretty good at reading people. I can guarantee that once you spend some time together, you'll definitely become good friends."
Ling Qianli gave a faint, noncommittal smile.
Jiang Chen shrugged slightly and said nothing. He was not the type who felt compelled to befriend someone, and he certainly never wasted his warmth on someone else's cold shoulder.
"All right, it's about time. Let's head out."
It was clear that Ye Rong had put considerable thought into his preparations for paying respects to Grand Tutor Ye this time. His outfit was neither flashy nor lacking in the dignity expected of a royal family member — perfectly appropriate.
Along the way, Ye Rong was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with Jiang Chen and the others.
"Brother Jiang, our Tiangui Kingdom has many grand events. For instance, the Wish Tower temple fair, the Treasure Tree Sect selection. And Grand Tutor Ye's birthday banquet is one of them too."
Having shared hardship together the last time, Tian Shao had grown quite fond of Jiang Chen. Truthfully, at least half the credit for his promotion to Deputy Commander this time belonged to Jiang Chen.
So along the way, Tian Shao explained things to Jiang Chen as well.
"Grand Tutor Ye himself is indifferent to fame and fortune. The reason he insists on celebrating his birthday every year is actually to use the banquet as an opportunity to observe the younger generation of the Tiangui Kingdom. So everyone who receives an invitation is a young talent of the kingdom under the age of thirty. Of course, each invitee may bring a few companions along. Guests have no age restrictions."
"This kind of opportunity is extremely rare. Any young person of standing in the Tiangui Kingdom considers it an honor to receive Grand Tutor Ye's invitation."
"Brother Jiang, don't feel nervous about something like this. Grand Tutor Ye has a transcendent mindset — his way of evaluating people and things is quite unique. Background, status — those things are nothing but passing clouds to him. In his eyes, there's no essential difference between a prince and a commoner."
A senior master standing at the pinnacle of an entire kingdom would naturally hold no overtly partisan stance. On this point, Jiang Chen had no doubt.
"I suspect that this time, the First Prince will bring along very deliberately chosen companions. Jiang Chen, you should be mentally prepared for that."