Chapter 63: Main Hall
As soon as Yun Che said this, Xia Yuanba's mouth fell wide open, his eyes nearly popping out in shock. Murong Ye narrowed his eyes, and his gaze toward Yun Che instantly turned icy and scornful, even letting out a faint sneer. But Lan Xueruo didn't get angry in the slightest. Instead, she smiled charmingly and said, "What an interesting little junior brother. Looks like the days ahead won't be so dull anymore. Well then, Senior Sister won't keep chatting with you now. I have a banquet to attend this evening—it might even turn into a fierce battle—so we need to head to the Medicine Hall first to prepare some pills we might need later. See you later!"
"Goodbye, Senior Sister."
Lan Xueruo gave Yun Che a playful wink with her left eye, then smiled and left, taking with her a fading wisp of faint, fragrant breeze. Although Yun Che's words had been somewhat flippant, they clearly hadn't offended Lan Xueruo. Instead, they deepened her impression of him, ensuring she wouldn't forget him the moment she turned away.
Yun Che turned his head slightly, his eyes fixed on her graceful, swaying figure as she walked away, making no effort to hide his appreciation... A face that could topple empires, a noble and extraordinary temperament, yet without a trace of arrogance—instead, so gentle and heartwarming. She was truly a girl hard for any man to resist... However, her identity was certainly no simple matter either.
An unfriendly hand slapped down on Yun Che's shoulder. He turned back to see Murong Ye staring at him coldly, and immediately smiled slightly. "Senior Brother Murong, any advice for me? By the way, aren't you going with Senior Sister Xueruo?"
Lan Xueruo had already walked quite far without calling for Murong Ye to join her. It seemed she hadn't even noticed he wasn't with her... Their relationship, Yun Che realized, was completely different from what he had initially assumed. It was probably just Murong Ye's one-sided infatuation.
Murong Ye squinted his eyes, a look of arrogant contempt curling his lips into a cold smile. His gaze was like that of someone looking down on a lowly commoner. "You're called Yun Che, right? Little Junior Brother Yun, I don't know what means you used to sneak into our class, but as your senior brother, there are a few things I need to remind you. Since you've joined this class, you'd better learn well what you should and shouldn't do, so you don't end up suffering and then blame me for not warning you. Also, remember this clearly: stay far away from Lan Xueruo—the farther, the better. If I ever see you talking to her like that again, I have plenty of ways to make you get the hell out of New Moon Mystic Palace. Hmph."
With that, he cast a sinister glare at Yun Che and Xia Yuanba, then strode quickly in the direction Lan Xueruo had gone. He knew Xia Yuanba's background—just the son of a merchant from a remote small town. So this brother-in-law of his was bound to be some unimportant nobody, and he had no qualms about lecturing him.
Yun Che glanced sideways, giving Murong Ye's back a faint, cold look, and sneered, "That guy's eyes are practically on top of his head. She went to the Medicine Hall to get pills for the evening banquet—should we go too? A new disciple at the Mystic Palace can pick up a supply of pills right away at the Medicine Hall. It's once a month."
"...Don't call me brother-in-law."
"Uh, sorry, I'll be sure to remember. So, Brother-in-Law, should we head to our quarters first or go to the Medicine Hall?"
"! #$%^..."
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Yun Che followed Xia Yuanba to the Medicine Hall and collected a batch of pills. True to his expectations, they were just the lowest-grade Return Xuan Pills and Unblock Xuan Pills, their quality around four to five tenths at best. Such low-level supplementary pills were far inferior to those of the major sects—no wonder the overall strength of New Moon Mystic Palace never seemed to improve.
Sikong Han had arranged for Yun Che’s lodging to be next to Xia Yuanba's. The room was small but elegantly furnished, with most of the basics provided. It was much better than Yun Che had anticipated. After wandering outside for half a year, he finally had a place to rest and sleep, and he felt a surge of emotion.
Lying down on the small bed, Yun Che quickly fell asleep. He had slept in the wild for the past six months, never staying at a single inn, and hadn't enjoyed the feeling of sleeping in a real bed for half a year. This nap was exceptionally comfortable and peaceful, lasting from noon until evening, when he was woken by Xia Yuanba's knocking at the door.
"Brother-in-Law, are you awake yet? The banquet's about to start—should we still go?"
Knowing full well what might happen at the banquet, Xia Yuanba didn't really want Yun Che to participate, afraid that if he were challenged, he might be deliberately injured.
Yun Che opened his eyes and quickly got up from the bed. "Of course we're going! Wait for me—I'll be right there!"
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At the very center of New Moon Mystic Palace lay a sparse grove of verdant bamboo, and within that grove stood a hall that exuded an air of solemnity. It was the largest and most luxurious building in the entire Mystic Palace, straightforwardly named the "Main Hall." Major affairs of the Palace were generally conducted here. This banquet for the new Palace Master's installation was also being held in this Main Hall.
When Yun Che and Xia Yuanba stepped into the Main Hall, there was less than half a quarter of an hour until the scheduled start of the banquet. Yet fewer than one-fifth of the seats were occupied, and most of those present were members of the Mystic Palace itself. It was clear that the invited sects weren't unable to arrive earlier; rather, they all prided themselves on their status and were unwilling to come early.
At the same time, it was also a sign of contempt for New Moon Mystic Palace.
[1. Don't forget Saturday evening at 19:00, YY channel 49554. 2. After building up for a long time, the mode of Xiao Che pretending to be awesome is about to start! 3. They even censor the two characters 'back-ground'—totally unbearable!!]