Chapter 566: Chapter 348: Showing Goodwill

"Greetings, Senior Brothers," Xu Yang said with a smile, cupping his hands in salute.

He naturally remembered Yuan Chengji and Lü Fengxing’s ugly behavior. However, he wasn’t about to openly fall out with them and put them on guard. To him, if a situation couldn’t be resolved with immediate action, there was absolutely no point in flapping his lips just to feel good for a moment.

Furthermore, these two had been coasting through the Celestial Strategy Academy for years. No matter how poor their talent was, they had to at least have Celestial Essence Second Level Cultivation by now. Even if he wanted to tear away all pretenses, he and Sun Tao likely wouldn’t be their match at the moment.

These were disciples of the Celestial Strategy Academy, not some artificial Celestial Essence Second Layer propped up by elixirs like Fang Xinghai.

Sun Tao’s reaction was much more blunt. He merely gave a perfunctory salute without a hint of a smile. He utterly despised these two ungrateful wretches. Having already been screwed over by Li Qiang, he was deeply disgusted by so-called fellow disciples who only came running to curry favor when they realized you could be of use to them.

"You’re too polite, Junior Brothers. If you encounter any trouble in the Celestial Strategy Academy from now on, you can always come to us. We’ve been around the Academy for a few more years, so we have some connections," Lü Fengxing said with a laugh, completely oblivious to the revulsion on Sun Tao’s face.

Xu Yang cupped his hands again. "Thank you, Senior Brothers. However, Senior Brother Sun and I have matters to attend to, so we won’t disturb you any further."

Given Sun Tao’s reaction and Xu Yang’s polite dismissal, if these two had any tact and didn’t want to completely ruin the relationship, they shouldn’t keep pestering them. Xu Yang was no fool. He knew that they hadn’t approached them just to exchange pleasantries and reacquaint themselves; they definitely had ulterior motives.

However, Xu Yang soon realized he had overestimated them. The duo lacked any self-awareness, or perhaps they genuinely believed that he and Sun Tao had already forgotten their previous snobbery.

"Don’t be in such a rush, Junior Brothers. We’ve arranged a banquet with Senior Brother Han Yingjie to welcome all of you juniors. Once Junior Sister Ye Qiuling, Junior Brother Li Chuyang, and Junior Brother Jiang Fan arrive, we’ll head to the tavern together," Yuan Chengji said, reaching out to block Xu Yang’s path.

Sun Tao frowned slightly.

Xu Yang finally realized that their scheming ran deeper than he thought. Their targets weren’t just him and Sun Tao; they also wanted to latch onto Li Chuyang, Jiang Fan, and even Ye Qiuling. Although Ye Qiuling’s talent was mediocre, she was acquainted with many geniuses, making her a prime target for networking.

"Did they agree to attend the banquet?" Xu Yang asked curiously.

Jiang Fan and Ye Qiuling were hard to predict, but given Li Chuyang’s personality, there was a high probability he would completely ignore people like Yuan Chengji. Even if the banquet was hosted by Han Yingjie, his name held no weight with Li Chuyang.

"Why would they refuse a welcoming banquet hosted by their senior brothers?" Lü Fengxing laughed.

In other words, they hadn’t actually agreed yet.

Turning his head, Xu Yang noticed Li Chuyang, Jiang Fan, and the others walking over from a distance. Deciding to stay, he was no longer in a hurry to leave.

Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji also spotted them and immediately hurried over with wide smiles. "Greetings, Junior Brother Li and Junior Brother Jiang. Senior Brother Han Yingjie has arranged a celebratory welcoming banquet for you at the tavern. Please, come with us to catch up."

The two immediately name-dropped Han Yingjie. As a Middle Level Student of the Celestial Strategy Academy who had entered as a genius on the Lingyun List, Han Yingjie’s reputation commanded much more respect than theirs.

Li Chuyang raised an eyebrow and said expressionlessly, "Han Yingjie? Never heard of him."

With that, he sidestepped Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji and strode away with his two maids. He gave them zero face and even threw in a sarcastic remark for good measure.

As a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, it was impossible for him not to know who Han Yingjie was. Besides, when Xu Yang wiped out the Song Family, Han Yingjie had sent people over, causing quite a stir. Li Chuyang ignored Han Yingjie entirely because the latter had deliberately avoided Yue Zhong and Bai Shaoling when they needed help. He wasn’t trying to vent on behalf of the Purple Sun Sect; rather, he saw no point in associating with such ungrateful scum.

When there were benefits, a person like that would suck up to you. When there weren’t, they’d kick you aside or even stab you in the back. Li Chuyang was no fool. Naturally, he wouldn’t befriend someone like that.

"Junior Brother Li, Senior Brother Han Yingjie has invited a few big shots to accompany you. It’s not appropriate for you to act like this, is it?" Yuan Chengji called out.

Li Chuyang stopped in his tracks and turned back. "Tell me, who are these ’big shots’ that I, Li Chuyang, can’t afford to offend?"

At those words, Yuan Chengji was instantly rendered speechless.

The people Han Yingjie invited obviously weren’t true big shots. True big shots had no need to cozy up to Li Chuyang; it would be the other way around. They were only "big shots" in the eyes of nobodies like Yuan Chengji.

As Li Chuyang left with a cold snort, Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji turned their expectant gazes to Jiang Fan.

"Can I afford to offend those big shots?" Jiang Fan said with a chuckle. Saying so, he led Jiang Yan and the spear-wielding woman in long strides toward Xu Yang and Sun Tao. "Brother Sun, Brother Xu, going to get something to eat? Let’s go together."

"Sure!" The two nodded.

Yuan Chengji’s expression turned ugly. He warned, "Xu Yang, Sun Tao, this is Senior Brother Han Yingjie’s banquet, and we even have senior brothers from the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List attending. Are you truly going to reject their hospitality?"

Xu Yang and Sun Tao didn’t bother replying. They simply walked away with Jiang Fan’s group.

Watching this scene unfold, Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji’s faces flushed with anger and regret. Who would have thought that their casual snobbery back then would result in such severe consequences now?

"Senior Brother Lü, what should we do? Are we still waiting for Ye Qiuling?" Yuan Chengji asked through gritted teeth.

They had failed to suck up to Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan, but they never expected that Xu Yang and Sun Tao—two guys with absolutely no backing—would refuse to give them and Han Yingjie any face either. If word got out that even disciples from their own sect refused to give them face, they would be laughed out of town.

"Wait my ass. That Ye Qiuling has no real skill; she was just an extra addition. Since none of these guys are going, what’s the point of inviting her? Let’s head back." Lü Fengxing, his face livid, turned and stomped away.

Meanwhile, inside a private room at a tavern in the Celestial Strategy Academy, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Han Yingjie sat at the head of the table. Next to him was his guest, Lu Ren. As a fellow disciple from the Purple Sun Sect, Lu Ren had long since established a rapport with Han Yingjie and his circle. Although Lu Ren’s cultivation talent was average, his Weapon Forging Talent was so outstanding that the Celestial Strategy Academy had made an exception to recruit him. His future prospects were boundless.

"Brother Lu, I heard that you, Xu Yang, and Sun Tao trained at the same Martial Arts Hall back in Qingyuan County. You entered the Purple Sun Sect together and then came to the Celestial Strategy Academy. You must have a great relationship with them. In a bit, you have to introduce us to your two junior brothers," said the man sitting next to Lu Ren.

His name was Liu Yuanqing, a figure on the Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List. Ranked eighty-third, he was one of the heavyweights in Han Yingjie’s faction. Even Han Yingjie’s status was slightly lower than his. One shouldn’t consider a rank of eighty-three to be low. The Celestial Strategy Wind and Cloud List was a unified ranking for all disciples in the Academy. Anyone who could secure a spot on it was an undeniable genius.

Lu Ren struggled to maintain his smile as he replied, "Definitely."

He had absolutely zero relationship with Sun Tao and Xu Yang. Internally, he could only pray that the terrifying Xu Yang wouldn’t embarrass him when he arrived.

"Brother Han, shouldn’t we go downstairs to welcome the Young Master Marquis and Young Master Li?" Liu Yuanqing suddenly asked, turning to Han Yingjie.

No matter how incredible Xu Yang and Sun Tao’s talents were, they hadn’t fully developed yet. The ones Liu Yuanqing truly valued were Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan. One was a future Marquis, and the other was Li Lingdu’s son. Both possessed formidable backgrounds, vast networks, and excellent talent. They were exactly the type of people who could aid him right now.

Han Yingjie put on airs, replying, "I am their senior brother, after all. How could I go out of my way to greet them personally?"

"That’s true," Liu Yuanqing chuckled. Although they wanted to curry favor, they couldn’t lower their status to do so, otherwise they would lose all their leverage in the relationship.

Lu Ren furrowed his brow. "Senior Brother Han, you invited both Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan. Weren’t you aware that the two of them are at odds?"

Han Yingjie laughed. "I know, but that’s a trivial matter. With me—their senior brother—present, they wouldn’t dare disrespect me by arguing to my face. I’ll smooth things over and turn their hostility into friendship. Then, us martial brothers can join forces and achieve great things."

Lu Ren mocked inwardly, "As if your name holds any weight!"

That madman Li Chuyang dared to cause a scene right in front of the Purple Sun Sect’s Elders. Only Zhang Jingyuan could keep him in check. Han Yingjie and Li Chuyang had never even met. Why would Li Chuyang show any respect to a total stranger? Moreover, the feud between Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan wasn’t a simple personal grudge; it involved the powerful factions backing them. If even Zhang Jingyuan couldn’t resolve it, who did Han Yingjie think he was?

BAM!

Right at that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji, who had been sent to fetch the guests, walked in.

Han Yingjie and Liu Yuanqing’s faces lit up with joy. They eagerly looked behind the two men, only to find absolutely no one there.

"Where is everyone?" Han Yingjie frowned.

Yuan Chengji glanced at Han Yingjie, hesitating to speak.

"They all said they were busy," Lü Fengxing answered. He hid the truth of the matter to preserve his and Han Yingjie’s dignity.

If he actually repeated Li Chuyang’s words—"Never heard of him"—everyone would lose face. Furthermore, they knew the real reason they had been rejected. Being ungrateful wasn’t exactly glorious; if it got out, their reputations would be ruined.

"Very well. Refusing to give me, their senior brother, even a shred of respect, despite the welcoming banquet I prepared," Han Yingjie said, his face livid.

He had booked a private room and even invited important guests to keep them company, yet he hadn’t managed to bring a single person over. His dignity was utterly shattered.

"Xu Yang and Sun Tao were busy too?"

It was one thing for Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan to refuse him—they had the background and the talent to disregard his authority. But how dare Xu Yang and Sun Tao, two lowly peasants, refuse to give him face? So what if their talent was good? The Celestial Strategy Academy had no shortage of talented geniuses who died before they could fully mature.

"Yes!" Lü Fengxing nodded.

"What arrogance! We waited here for so long, and they actually dare to use being busy as an excuse not to come. What do they take us for? Brother Han, the disciples from your Purple Sun Sect are far too insolent."

Having been dismissed like this for the first time, Liu Yuanqing flew into a rage. "It’s one thing not to show me any respect, but they didn’t even show you, their senior brother, any face."

"Please calm down, Brother Liu. I think they might genuinely have other matters to attend to. I’ll ask them when I have the time..." Lu Ren said with a frown.

Xu Yang, Li Chuyang, and Jiang Fan might refuse Han Yingjie’s invitation, but given Sun Tao’s personality, it was absolutely impossible for him to turn down a fellow disciple’s goodwill. Either they were truly busy, or something had happened between Han Yingjie and the group that Lu Ren didn’t know about.

"They simply look down on us. What other matters could they have? From now on, I, Han Yingjie, want nothing to do with them," Han Yingjie interrupted.

In his heart, he knew exactly what was going on. He was well aware that this was the result of him deliberately avoiding Bai Shaoling and Yue Zhong. He interrupted out of fear that if Lu Ren went asking around, others would learn of his ungrateful actions.

He also hadn’t anticipated that Xu Yang and Sun Tao—the duo he had previously looked down upon—would manage to break Huo Xiaochen and Lin Jingyu’s combined assault, ultimately turning the tables and killing Lin Jingyu. Even less did he expect Sun Tao to achieve such a high ranking on the Lingyun List. If he had known, he wouldn’t have made his avoidance so obvious back then. Even if he hadn’t wanted to help, he should have at least met with Yue Zhong and Bai Shaoling and pretended to assist in the search.

Nor did he expect these two to be so tactless. He had actively extended an olive branch, yet they still chose to embarrass him.

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