Lex resisted the urge to facepalm. It was a good thing he had incredible practice controlling himself, or he might have really done something to expose himself at that moment.

"Wait, how long have you had this identity?" one of the Dao Lords asked. "Surely you must have intercepted the real, intended target right before this meeting to replace them. There's no way you could have replaced someone for so long without anyone noticing."

Wu Kong looked at the one speaking and chuckled. He knew why this particular guy was giving him a way out. Some centuries ago, he had revealed a few embarrassing details to him, and did not want to believe that he had revealed them to Wu Kong. Ah, delusion, it is the best medicine right up until death.

"Naturally," Wu Kong answered. "I was worried that someone would object to my presence, so I made contingencies. Look, I haven't stolen anything valuable, and have returned everything. How about we end this witch hunt and move on?"

While Wu Kong was trying to resolve the situation, Lex had a feeling it would no longer be so simple. It seemed that some Dao Lords had been thoroughly offended, and they would hold onto this grudge. The worst part was… Wu Kong was the one stealing, but the grudge was against him. How was that fair?

Well, fairness hardly mattered anymore. Although Lex had not wanted to do this just yet, he mentally submitted the slug slime material to his Pay-to-Play feature, beginning to charge the Butter Knife.

He wasn't sure if one material would be enough to charge it, so he was ready to submit more. Although a Demi-Dao Lord level attack would not be enough to keep him safe in this crowd, he had to take every measure he could to protect himself.

"Dear guests, now that everyone is here, and has presented their flowers, then you are free to roam and chat among friends as you wish," said the Innkeeper, diverting the flow of the conversation. "Since the purpose of this party was to provide a safe space to conduct your meetings, you can rest assured that complete privacy will be given to anyone who rents a room. If you feel like you need to take extra precautions, you can rent the Chamber of Secrets to have your meetings. Of course, it will only be private from those outside the room, not within it, as such I strongly recommend that you take care."

Yes, now that all the guests were here, there was no point in congregating everyone in place. Instead, it would be better if they broke off into whatever parties they wanted and held their meetings. That way, the pressure on him to maintain the peace would drop drastically.

"I would also like to let everyone know that the duration of the tea party is fixed to 240 hours, and that it started from the moment the keys became active," the Innkeeper said, finishing up.

Upon hearing his words, and realizing that there was nothing else planned, many of the guests were disappointed. Most, though, simply breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed.

Considering the guests around him, if the Innkeeper still had other plans, it would be difficult for them to avoid getting involved. That sounded both like a blessing and a curse.

Despite its simple wooden appearance, Lex had made sure to add all the available features of the Inn to the tavern, such as the Chamber of Secrets, Meditation room, Training room, and so on.

The Governor, before leaving, approached the Innkeeper.

"Thank you, Innkeeper, for arranging this," he said sincerely despite the great fear in his heart. "This is beyond anything I had imagined. The chances of our meeting being spied upon, with the protection of the Primordial Queens realm, are next to none. Not only is this an excellent chance to network, but we can make thorough preparations in case the war is diverted our way."

The Innkeeper nodded.

"It is my pleasure to be able to host you and your guests at my humble tavern. I hope you will be able to get everything you need out of this party for it is unlikely I will be able to host another one like this any time soon," he said, with a hint of reluctance in his voice, as if he regretted not being able to continue hosting them.

"It is more than enough," the Governor responded, aware that such things could not be casually wished for. Technically speaking, if he wanted total security, he could have had this meeting inside the main realm controlled by the Henali, but even that was not equivalent to what the Innkeeper had achieved.

This was like having the ruler of their race oversee the meeting personally, but such a thing was not difficult - it was impossible! No matter what his identity was, he could not request the supreme ruler of their race to bring in a bunch of random Dao Lords to his residence!

"Although it is not my place to interfere in your matters, if you wish, I can include the Midnight Inn within any defense pacts I create," the Governor said, finally saying the real thing he wanted to mention.

This was a massive opportunity for Lex - and it was also a huge trap. If he was really as powerful as he appeared, then he did not need protection. If he was slightly less powerful than he seemed, he would need protection, but joining the pact might reveal such a thing.

If he was drastically weaker than he appeared to be, then joining the pact may be the same as a death sentence! The pact would probably require him to also offer aid to others if they were in trouble which would be equal to putting himself in harm's way.

Of course, the whole point of the pact was to act as deterrence, but there were too many negatives and risks for Lex to join, despite the perceived security it offered.

"A very generous offer," the Innkeeper said. "However, I think it may not be appropriate."

The Governor nodded, as if he already expected as much.

"In that case, at least allow me to repay you properly. Before the party concludes, I will have a private gathering of select individuals to share something… that will definitely interest you. Please, I would be honored if you attend that gathering as well. Do not worry, joining the meeting does not bind you to any agreement, nor are you required to participate in anything."

The Innkeeper looked at the Governor curiously, and then nodded. That seemed fine.

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