Chapter 3128: Dinner
Barely a step down, Xu Huo said nothing, indicating that he wanted to rest for a while and asked them to call him when the meal was served.
Uncle Seven and Sensen left with calm expressions.
However, the peace didn't last long. A luxurious medium-sized aircraft flew directly into the airspace above the Field Estate, attempting to force a landing.
Quite a few members of the Field family appeared this time, including some players responsible for the estate's security. They seemed to try to maintain the defensive barrier, but after just two seconds, the entire estate's barrier was completely disabled. The aircraft hovered just a few inches above the ground, and a flamboyantly dressed middle-aged man stepped down, speaking in a loud voice: "I heard your family is throwing a big banquet today, so I came to join the fun. Oh, why are you all crowding around? You're not going to deny me a drink, are you? I came all this way specially."
This time, it was still Uncle Seven who stepped forward. With a forced smile, he exchanged a few pleasantries before inviting the man into the estate.
The middle-aged man never stopped talking along the way, waving his jewel-laden hands and shouting, "Don't you have other guests? Bring them out to meet me! We're all old acquaintances. Don't hide things—share the good stuff!"
Uncle Seven seemed quite annoyed by his vulgarity, interrupting him: "The head of the family is waiting inside. You can discuss it with him."
The middle-aged man looked disappointed, then said, "It has been a long time since I've seen the old man. I'll go pay my respects."
In fact, there were more people near the estate besides this middle-aged man, but the others didn't dare to barge in like he did and could only wait outside.
Without a doubt, these people were all after Xu Huo. Too many people from the District Government and the Field family had seen Xu Huo, and with some players having left earlier, news of someone evolving at the battle site would inevitably spread. Poaching talent was nothing shameful.
This was just a minor episode. Before the evening banquet, Sensen came by again, subtly hinting that the middle-aged man was not easy to get along with, then left. It seemed like he had come specifically to inform them, though it was unclear whether it was out of genuine goodwill or if the Field family had orchestrated it.
As the red glow of the evening sunset gradually dimmed, the banquet began.
Brilliant light shone through the windows of the main building, illuminating the sprinkler devices carved with the Field family crest on the lawn. Streams of water sprayed from the devices, reflecting the light, as if enveloping the entire castle in a dreamlike halo.
Noise poured out from the building. Without even entering, just by listening, one could imagine the lively scene of clinking glasses and bustling chatter inside. Those chaotic and mixed sounds seemed to converge into some kind of synchronized tone, perfectly blending together, as if emanating from the throat of some colossal beast. Behind its penetrating power lay the danger and threat brought by strength and authority.
Even Li De, who looked down on the Field family, couldn't help but compose himself and brace for what was to come when he reached the door. The others were also somewhat tense—a family that had produced a peerless genius like Carmen Field, a player family that had stood tall in the game for a hundred years—what would their true face be like?
The Field family's players pushed open the doors. The moment the clamor paused, the aroma of wine swept over them. The Field clan members scattered throughout the banquet hall turned their heads in unison, their gazes converging on the dozen or so people at the entrance. They had different faces but shared the same expressions and eyes—a veneer of cold detachment and polite courtesy, beneath which lay an attitude of scrutiny and condescension, as if Xu Huo and the others were nothing more than roadside flowers and grass, worth only a single glance.
As powerful and formidable players, Li De and the others were usually met with hostility from equals or admiration from the weak. Rarely had they been scrutinized so rudely. Calling them flowers and grass was even polite; they felt that the Field family's old and young looked at them no differently than they would look at ants.
This was an innate arrogance, a difference in mindset that the gap in strength could never completely erase.
The air seemed to freeze.
Xu Huo walked at the front. As the guest of honor today, he naturally received the most attention. Likewise, his gaze swept over everyone in the banquet hall. Then he stepped forward, took a glass of wine from a server, raised it slightly toward the people in the hall, smiled, and said:
"Continue."
The tension was broken. The Field family members returned to their noble and humble demeanor. Sensen led Xu Huo and the others to meet the head of the Field family. The old man didn't seem as stern as he had during the day; instead, he spoke to Xu Huo and the others quite amiably, asking if they were comfortable in the estate, if they had any dietary restrictions, and inviting them to taste the wine he had brewed himself.
He behaved exactly like an elder treating his juniors.
This banquet had been held specifically for Xu Huo, yet few Field family members came forward to converse with him. They seemed more like they were just going through the motions, memorizing Xu Huo's face. Throughout the entire process, hardly anyone paid them any covert attention, as if the focus they had shown at the door had exhausted all their interest in Xu Huo and his group.
Soon it was time for the main meal. Twenty long tables were set up in the banquet hall. Every member of the Field family stood by the tables according to their age and family rank. Li De and the others were assigned to a table on the side, while Xu Huo was "honored" with a seat at the main table, positioned below the head of the Field family.
"A long-awaited gathering—both a family reunion and a welcome for our guests." The old man raised his glass, looked around at everyone, and said, "Drink up!"
The people in the banquet hall moved in perfect unison, as if they weren't drinking wine but performing some kind of ritual. Only after the old man sat down did they quietly take their seats.
The dinner officially began. The aroma of food overpowered the scent of wine, rich enough to be intoxicating.
Throughout the entire banquet, apart from Xu Huo's group, there were no other outsiders. The middle-aged man who had come earlier was also absent.
Xu Huo swirled his wine glass. There were many rumors about the Field family, but seeing these people in person, he found the reality quite different from the stories.
Unlike the Vilna family he had encountered before, the Field family was clearly more cohesive, and their confidence in their strength likely came from more than just a single super player. This also explained why the Field family remained glorious even after Carmen Field's death—they had more depth than the rumors suggested and held even greater cards.
If that was the case, it also made sense why the Field family hadn't fully supported Carmen Field in that battle. If they could only rely on Carmen, they would have had to bet everything to keep up. Conversely, if Carmen was just one of their cards, giving him up was understandable.
For a family like this, a Xu Huo who hadn't yet fully grown was clearly not enough to catch their eye.