A ripple of space distorted the void.
Su Yu materialized deep beneath the sea.
The big fur ball had actually teleported him straight out!
"Such mastery over rules… terrifying!"
Su Yu was inwardly shaken. Teleporting someone out from an enclosed realm was something ordinary experts could never pull off.
Of course, the big fur ball was an extraordinary powerhouse in the first place.
Outside the Ancient God Devourer Realm, there was actually a passageway leading directly to the Human Realm. However, it had been opened once before, so the Human Realm likely had forces stationed there now to guard it. Furthermore, without the big fur ball, forcing it open was exceedingly difficult.
Last time, Su Yu had managed to open it by borrowing the little fur ball's power.
This time, Su Yu chose not to take that route.
There was no need!
This time, the human race had formally invited him back for a visit. Sneaking in served no purpose.
"I certainly feel much more at ease now!"
Su Yu was indeed far more reassured. Although the mother ball did not seem terribly reliable, an unreliable Dao Integrator was still a Dao Integrator.
Su Yu looked up toward where the Ancient God Devourer Realm had vanished. His thoughts lingered on what he had just learned; the big fur ball's remarks had revealed quite a bit.
King Wen and the Time Master were not the same person. The Heaven Hunting Ranking and the Time Record were not one and the same entity.
Then why could he see the Warden of Heaven after obtaining the "Record" character fragment?
Yet Wan Tiansheng could not, even with the Tombstone of Civilizations in his possession.
*Is it because of the golden album in my head? Can it act as the Heaven Hunting Ranking's daddy?*
*The little fur ball thought the fragment smelled tasty but didn't really want to eat it—could that be because the thing isn't as good as the golden album?*
*Does that mean this fragment is genuine?*
At this moment, Su Yu found it hard to judge truth from falsehood.
If it was genuine, then his ability to see the Warden of Heaven had truly been a stroke of pure luck.
Speaking of the Warden of Heaven, Su Yu recalled something: last time, the warden had mentioned convening an elders' meeting in ten days… The time seemed just about up.
With a slight stir in his heart, Su Yu swiftly dove into the ocean depths, found a secluded spot, and took out the "Record" character fragment. He quickly sank his willpower into it. *Today seems to be the day. Is the Warden of Heaven holding his meeting?*
……
Hunting Heaven Pavilion Great Hall.
To be an elder of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion, one had to be at least at the seventh stage of the Sun Moon Realm. Experts of that caliber were top-tier powerhouses, the kind who had a shot at attaining the Dao at any moment.
Presently, scattered across the vast hall, over forty Faceless Elders had assembled.
Quite a crowd!
Almost every Invincible controlled ten elders. Going by the ratio of ten elders per Invincible, the Hunting Heaven Pavilion should have had ninety elders.
However, many had perished last time, and after several rounds of upheaval, only these remained.
Not only that, but several elders had yet to return.
For instance, Su Yu occupied the seat of Xuanjia, while Kongkong held the seat of Huangjia.
Above the hall, the South Pavilion Master sat off to the side, facing several quasi-Invincible law-enforcement elders across from him. At the very front sat the only person not wearing a mask—the scholar.
The Warden of Heaven was quietly reading a book, seemingly waiting.
Waiting for the elders to finish gathering.
After an unknown amount of time, the scholar slowly lifted his gaze and said softly, "Has everyone arrived?"
The South Pavilion Master rose and bowed. "Reporting to the Pavilion Master: sixty-four elders were expected, forty-eight have arrived. Another sixteen elders cannot be reached or notified. None of them responded to the broadcast transmission! We do not know whether their unique identities prevent them from leaving, or if… they have already defected!"
A whole group had failed to show up!
People like Su Yu, for instance, would never come even if they received the message. What was more, Su Yu had left his Xuanjia mask sitting back in the ancient city without checking it, so he had never received the summons in the first place.
"Forty-eight…"
The scholar murmured. Soon, he looked at the forty-eight individuals before him and said in a gentle voice, "All of you are the finest elite of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion. Recently, our pavilion has suffered unrest. Several human powerhouses were unwilling to stand with me. I bear them no grudge.
"I called everyone here today simply to say: if you are unwilling… please depart.
"Among those present, there ought to still be humans."
The Warden of Heaven chuckled faintly. "The other sixteen elders who failed to appear shall… no longer be elders of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion! For those here today who belong to the human race, if you leave now of your own accord, I will not pursue past matters.
"Otherwise… you cannot hide from me. If you do not leave now, it will be too late!"
The Warden of Heaven looked at the crowd. The elders showed a slight ripple of restlessness.
A Faceless Elder said in a deep voice, "Pavilion Master, the Hunting Heaven Pavilion's creed has always been to look to the future without prying into the past. Does the Pavilion Master intend to scrutinize every one of our identities?"
The speaker was not necessarily human.
However, the organizational structure of the Hunting Heaven Pavilion meant that dragons and snakes mingled indiscriminately within its ranks.
If everyone's true identity were unmasked, the myriad realms would probably be dumbfounded.
Perhaps many notorious bandits pursued across the heavens were hiding right among them.
The scholar smiled. "I would not do that. However… as for whether someone is human, I have my own method of distinguishing them. Rest assured, I am only checking for humans. The rest of you need not worry."
The speaker fell silent.
The Warden of Heaven cast his gaze across the gathering and sighed. "Still unrepentant? Some of you think staying behind might allow you to play a great role, but you overestimate yourselves."
With a wave of his hand, strands of invisible aura circled around the crowd.
These auras seemed alive.
They drifted swiftly back and forth, and after a brief moment, they halted before four Faceless Elders.
At that moment, all four elders shuddered slightly.
The scholar remarked casually, "Sigh, as I said, distinguishing whether someone is human is simple enough, hardly difficult! Why force my hand?"
Before the scholar could make a move, the South Pavilion Master vanished. In the blink of an eye, the four elders surged in revolt, only to be suppressed instantly. For a seventh-stage Eternity expert, subduing Sun Moon cultivators was trivial!
"The rest of you may return. Afterward, you may each requisition some resources as reimbursement for your travel expenses this time."
The scholar smiled. "Rest assured, everyone, whatever you desire, the Hunting Heaven Pavilion has it. Though a slight hiccup has occurred, everything will soon return to peace!"
"We obey your command!"
The group of elders offered no further words and departed rapidly.
They had joined the Hunting Heaven Pavilion precisely because of its immense might.
As long as the scholar lived, this ancient marquis remained a peerless powerhouse. Even if other Invincibles died, it would hardly shake the foundation. Unless the scholar perished one day, the Hunting Heaven Pavilion would remain a towering giant of a tree!
Meanwhile, the scholar glanced at the captured Faceless Elders and chuckled softly. "Gentlemen, why put yourselves through this? If you had truly stayed away, I wouldn't have bothered hunting you down. Why deliver yourselves right into the snare?"
Among the captured elders, one spoke hastily: "Pavilion Master, though I am of human blood, I ceased considering myself a human long ago! My loyalty lies with the Hunting Heaven Pavilion and with you, Pavilion Master, not with the human race! I beg the Pavilion Master to see clearly! I came today precisely to prove my loyalty, without the slightest ill intent!"
"Pavilion Master, me too!"
"Pavilion Master, my loyalty to you is beyond reproach…"
They spoke over one another, their words impossible to verify.
Perhaps these were their true feelings, or perhaps they had merely fabricated an excuse on the spot after being exposed, hoping to bluff their way out.
……
Deep beneath the sea.
This was the scene Su Yu witnessed. His brow furrowed slightly, but he kept silent and continued watching.
His willpower drained continuously.
Soon, his willpower was almost depleted, and he withdrew from the fragment.
"Are these humans truly loyal to the Hunting Heaven Pavilion, or are they pretending?"
Su Yu muttered to himself. Whatever, none of his business.
He toyed with the fragment, sinking into contemplation while recovering his willpower. After a while, he thought it over and probed his willpower inside once more, wanting to see the outcome.
When he re-entered, the scene had shifted.
This was inside another hall.
The South Pavilion Master murmured, "Pavilion Master, are we not executing them? What they said may not be the truth. Every one of these people controls substantial intelligence resources, or heads merchant routes, frequently conducting large-scale trade with the human race…"
The Warden of Heaven smiled faintly. "No rush! Regardless of whether it's true or false, keep them alive for now! The West Pavilion Master sent a message—did you hear?"
"I heard. He claimed Su Yu is willing to trade the 'Record' character fragment for their lives."
At this, the South Pavilion Master hesitated briefly before asking, "Pavilion Master… just how many pieces was the Heaven Hunting Ranking shattered into?"
The scholar gave a faint smile and replied slowly, "Of the large fragments, there are truly not many. The characters for 'Chart' and 'Record' count as the two largest. Additionally… there is one more exceptionally vital piece taken by someone else. Only when these three fragments unite and merge with the current ranking will the Heaven Hunting Ranking truly be complete!"
The South Pavilion Master asked in a deep voice, "My Lord, of these three fragments, one is with the Tianyuan race and one is in Su Yu's hands. Where is the final piece…"
The scholar chuckled. "What, do you intend to seize it for me?"
"Your subordinate will certainly do his utmost!"
The scholar smiled and shook his head lightly. "Forget it. You are no match for that person. Even for me, seizing it easily is out of the question. There is a reason these fragments have remained in their hands all this time without me reclaiming them!"
"My Lord, with three fragments on the loose, will this… affect your plans?"
"It matters not. As long as the three do not unite into one, it has little impact on me."
The scholar smiled. "Uniting them is extraordinarily difficult anyway. Even if two merge, all three will not. So long as all three do not join, the impact on me is negligible. Do not worry! We will find a way to reclaim the piece in Su Yu's hands, and then even if the remaining two unite, it will not affect me in the slightest!"
"Pavilion Master, do you mean to use these people to exchange for Su Yu's fragment?"
"We shall see!"
The scholar chuckled softly. "Su Yu may not necessarily agree!"
"Then… should your subordinate announce publicly that the traitors have been captured…"
"……"
Deep beneath the sea, Su Yu withdrew from the fragment once more.
"Three into one?"
There was another fragment out there. Only when all three fragments fused together would it affect the Warden of Heaven's refinement of the Heaven Hunting Ranking.
Where was that last piece?
*One is with me, one with the Tianyuan Half-Emperor. Where is the last one?*
Su Yu fell into deep thought. Forget it, impossible to tell.
The Warden of Heaven probably knew, but from his tone, even if he knew, seizing it was exceedingly difficult. Could it be in the hands of a Dao Integrator?
If so, it would indeed be hard to deal with!
*Well, I did overhear some confidential intelligence… useless intelligence, that is!*
Su Yu thought to himself. As for trading the fragment for those people… Trade my foot, I'm not trading anything. I'll drag it out as long as possible. So long as I dangle the prospect before the Warden of Heaven, I wager he won't rashly execute them, and maybe I can even extract another fragment from him.
*Could it be… he was putting on a show for me, deliberately trying to stop me from trading?*
That suspicion crossed Su Yu's mind. Sensing that something felt off, he quickly suppressed it.
*Putting on a show for me wouldn't accomplish much, would it?*
Su Yu exhaled. Forget it, who cares!
We'll see!
With the mother ball accompanying him now, Su Yu wasn't afraid of whatever petty tricks the Warden of Heaven might try.
……
Su Yu traveled in stealth, leaving the depths of the ocean.
Before long, the colossal Xinghong Ancient City whistled through the sky. Having sensed Su Yu's location, Xinghong rushed over. Su Yu slipped into the city in an instant, and the gigantic ancient city once more began roaming across the battlefields of the heavens.
This left several scouts watching from the shadows utterly dumbfounded.
Did this guy have nothing better to do?
Was he truly that bored?
Or was Su Yu planning something?
Soon, the massive ancient city appeared near the entrance to the Demon Realm. Several Invincibles materialized near the border at once, their guard fully raised.
Su Yu's silhouette emerged, laughing boisterously. "Is Moduona around? In a few days, my father celebrates his big birthday! I came to invite Moduona to attend my father's birthday banquet. Here is the invitation—please pass it to Moduona!"
With that, a golden invitation shot forth from Su Yu's hand!
An Invincible caught it, his expression wary. Opening it to take a look… it really was just an invitation inviting Moduona to attend Su Yu's father's fiftieth birthday banquet!
A fiftieth birthday banquet!
Indeed!
The Invincible glanced at it, his eyelids twitching. He grunted, "I will pass the message. Did Castellan Su come all this way purely for this?"
Su Yu laughed heartily. "Naturally! Furthermore, tell Moduona that for my father's milestone birthday, he shouldn't come empty-handed. Gifts are expected!"
With that, the ancient city vanished!
The colossal city traversed the void.
After a while, at the entrance to the God Realm, several Invincibles had long since materialized outside. Su Yu wasted no words, tossing out an invitation. "Inviting Zhan Wushuang to attend my father's birthday banquet. Zhan Wushuang is still alive, isn't he?"
Su Yu laughed heartily. "Quite a few other gods survived as well, didn't they? That is all thanks to my benevolence! You should be thanking me!"
Outside the God Realm, an Invincible powerhouse said in a heavy voice, "Since Castellan Su has extended an invitation, Wushuang will naturally attend! However… Wushuang's sea of will has suffered severe trauma, as have the others. Castellan Su, could you perhaps show mercy and help resolve this?"
Su Yu chuckled. "During the last grand battle, I told you people not to interfere, but you refused to listen! A damaged sea of will is just a minor issue. When Zhan Wushuang comes this time, I will help him recover. It's merely some simple divine character techniques. A powerhouse of your race could easily resolve it by diving straight into his sea of will!"
Nonsense!
Zhan Wushuang simply refused to allow it!
If he permitted it, the problem could naturally be solved.
"Then… we must trouble Castellan Su!"
The Invincible said nothing more. With Zhan Wushuang's sea of will currently damaged, sending him to the Human Realm… let him go. If he didn't go, he was crippled anyway; going might grant him a glimmer of hope!
……
Meanwhile, Su Yu continued roaming in all directions.
At the Dragon Realm.
Several Invincibles glared at Su Yu with fury. Su Yu chuckled amiably. "I invite Brother Long Wuyou to attend my father's birthday banquet. After all, we crossed paths back in the day!"
……
Su Yu scampered everywhere.
Soon, the Five Elements Realm also received an invitation from Su Yu.
Not just the Five Elements Realm—Su Yu was inviting everyone on the Heaven Ranking. For example, he extended an invitation to the Nether Realm, and to Shi Zun of the Stone race. He even went by the Immortal Realm and tossed an invitation their way, inviting whoever was around, since most of the Immortal race's geniuses had already been slaughtered!
……
"What is he trying to do?"
At this moment, numerous powerhouses were guessing: what was Su Yu up to?
What was he plotting this time?
His father was turning fifty… What kind of grand banquet was that to warrant inviting the geniuses of all the heavens? Did this fellow truly consider himself the sovereign of the universe?
……
Eastern Theater of War.
Eastern Rift Valley.
King Daqin said in a deep voice, "Isn't this making too big of a commotion?"
King Dazhou murmured, "Big is good. The bigger it is, the more everyone will keep their eyes fixed on him! If the commotion were minor, it wouldn't draw as much attention. The bigger, the better!"
"Su Yu actually ran around delivering invitations… what is he thinking?"
King Daqin was surprised. He had originally assumed Su Yu might not bother, yet the boy had actually gone in person.
King Dazhou chuckled. "What is he thinking? He certainly doesn't know what we're planning, but… he must have his own agenda! Let him do as he pleases, so long as he doesn't interfere with us!"
"And we're not telling him?"
King Daqin said in a heavy voice, "If any discrepancies arise, trouble will follow!"
King Dazhou pondered for a moment before speaking: "Once we've teleported away, we'll inform him!"
"Very well!"
King Daqin added, "How long can those fake divine characters of yours last?"
"Not long. They can only sustain themselves for about ten minutes or so before running out of energy and extinguishing."
"Ten minutes…"
King Daqin thought it over and nodded. "That should be enough! Even if it isn't, that duration is plenty for us to accomplish many things!"
He then said in a low voice, "Do not let word leak. To no one! Only you and I may know!"
"I know!"
King Dazhou gave a slight nod. He looked at King Daqin, and after a long pause, he said, "Who do you think it is?"
King Daqin fell silent.
King Dazhou continued, "Although Tiangu was clearly trying to sow discord back then… did you truly never harbor doubts?"
King Daqin said in a heavy voice, "What good does suspecting do?"
"We must root him out!"
King Dazhou said calmly, "We cannot stay on guard forever! That person's objective is very simple: the multiple divine characters faction. His sole target is the multiple divine characters. Barring an anomaly, it likely has something to do with King Wen; otherwise, I cannot fathom why he would relentlessly target them."
King Daqin looked at him. "You don't know? You ought to have a few suspects in mind. That person might even be one of your supporters; otherwise, the Great Zhou Prefecture would not have become the vanguard against the multiple divine characters faction so easily over the years."
Even if it wasn't King Dazhou himself, there was a high probability it was one of the Invincibles who backed him.
King Dazhou mused, "I have suspects—several, in fact. However… we cannot investigate rashly, nor speak of it lightly. We cannot admit to the existence of a second traitor. Even if we truly identify him… we must dispose of him in secret! Ideally, during this operation, we arrange for him to die in battle so he can retain the reputation of a hero, but it must never be spoken aloud!"
Let the person die quietly. Even if he died gloriously, it was best not to let the truth become known to all!
If one traitor had appeared, and then a second was revealed, everyone would take it for granted that a third must exist!
King Daqin nodded. King Dazhou hesitated for a moment, then murmured in a deep voice, "If worse comes to worst, those suspects of mine… will all die in battle over there!"
King Daqin paused slightly, staring at him. "You… Old Zhou…"
King Dazhou's smile swiftly returned. "You can't bear to do it?"
"It's not that, but… some of them are innocent. Dying alongside a traitor in nameless obscurity leaves a bitter taste in my mouth!"
King Daqin said heavily, "A few deaths on the battlefield are nothing, but being stabbed in the back by our own and done in—I cannot accept it. If word ever got out, no one would accept it! Old Zhou, either identify the exact culprit, or… leave it alone! I know your proposal might be an effective option, but… I still refuse! After all, those are our comrades-in-arms!"
King Dazhou sighed and said no more.
Perhaps this was precisely King Daqin's charm!
Even though his proposal was indeed practical—since people were bound to die in battle, why not let all the suspects die and be done with it once and for all?
A clean sweep was the quickest path.
Yet King Daqin refused to let heroes perish alongside a traitor, nor would he allow heroes to bear the foul stigma of betrayal in death.
King Dazhou was also pondering how to draw that fellow out and force a slip.
If Su Yu arrived this time, could his presence trigger any movement from the traitor?
Su Yu was currently the strongest expert of the multiple divine characters faction!
He was even more formidable than Wan Tiansheng!
His talent was terrifyingly monstrous, and he had an enormous backer behind him. King Daqin had even spoken frankly of wanting Su Yu to return to the human race and inherit his position as supreme leader.
In that case… the person might very well attempt something during Su Yu's return.
Thoughts raced through King Dazhou's mind. Soon, he said, "We will decide everything after Su Yu arrives. Since he has distributed invitations far and wide, he will likely come! Once he is here, we will discuss this matter with him!"
Perhaps they would need Su Yu's cooperation to smoke the fellow out.
Once found, there would be no need to alert the enemy. Once they reached the Tianyuan Realm, they could simply arrange for him to fall in battle!
Quietly and without a trace—that was the best way to handle it.
Otherwise, making a massive scene would only stir up another tempest!
King Daqin nodded. This matter might indeed require Su Yu's cooperation. After a moment's thought, King Daqin said, "Order all thirty-six prefectures to send their congratulations. Gather everyone together so that unrest doesn't erupt among our own people, and we can suppress any trouble immediately!"
King Dazhou smiled. "Handling it this way… quite a few people will probably curse you in their hearts!"
He then chuckled, "I will gather the people. Rest assured, it will be handled properly!"
At this point, he hesitated slightly before remarking, "He rejected the Xia saber; he likely has no desire to take up the mantle…"
"Normal!"
King Daqin nodded. "A very normal decision! What I want isn't for him to take it up right now, but for him to possess that mental preparation, and for the various powerhouses of the human race to be prepared as well! When the critical moment comes and he returns, everyone will share a single thought… Su Yu—King Daqin proposed long ago that he should take charge of the Human Realm! That way, it won't seem abrupt, saving a tremendous amount of trouble!"
Whether he accepted it now was irrelevant.
The key was the future!
A successor could not simply burst out of nowhere and declare himself crown prince!
In that case, the people would be unyielding and resentful!
It would cause massive problems!
For now, it was merely building momentum, letting Su Yu and certain figures in the Human Realm prepare themselves mentally. Years later, when they looked back—oh, so Su Yu is returning to be the Human King, that's hardly surprising!
Back then, a whole cadre of Invincibles had supported Su Yu!
Such was King Daqin's intention.
As for the present, on the one hand, Su Yu's strength was not yet formidable enough; on the other hand, King Daqin and the others were still around, and the Human Realm had not suffered an existential calamity!
At this juncture, forcefully shoving Su Yu to the top was meaningless.
It would harm Su Yu and easily breed rifts within the Human Realm.
However, building momentum was an absolute necessity!
Hearing this, King Dazhou chuckled. "I was wondering! Old Qin, you've actually learned to play petty schemes now!"
King Daqin said flatly, "Petty schemes? What petty schemes! This is an open gambit! I am doing it upright and honorable; I want him to be prepared! If he is unwilling now, it matters not—sooner or later, he will be willing. The same goes for the others: if they refuse to agree now, they will agree eventually! Planting a few saplings today means they will grow into trees in time!"
King Dazhou laughed. "Fine. It is best that you think this way. I actually thought you were planning to wash your hands of everything!"
"Not that quickly!"
King Daqin paused, then said in a deep voice, "However, it won't be too long either!"
King Dazhou's heart stirred. He glanced at King Daqin without pressing further, though countless thoughts rose within his mind.
……
Human Realm.
Great Xia Prefecture.
Over the past few days, the Great Xia Prefecture had been in a boiling frenzy.
News of Su Long's grand birthday had spread across the heavens!
Su Yu, overlord of the ancient cities, had invited the geniuses of all the heavens to come to the Human Realm to celebrate Su Long's birthday!
A fiftieth birthday banquet!
And Su Yu would be returning this time.
Su Yu was a native of the Great Xia Prefecture; hardly a soul was ignorant of his name now.
Back then, when Su Yu fled the Great Xia Prefecture to enter the Daming Prefecture, it had triggered massive turmoil. Countless citizens of Great Xia, consumed by fury, stormed the prefectural office. In the end, Marquis Xia flew into a rage, executing several Shanhai Realm experts to put a definitive end to the matter.
That execution had also drawn the curtain on the conflict between the single and multiple divine character factions within the Great Xia Prefecture. From that point forward, the factional strife was never brought up again.
Later, Su Yu returned under the identity of Xuanjiu, slaughtering countless powerful enemies. At Nanyuan, he battled the geniuses of the myriad realms, fighting in all directions, and ultimately his fame soared, resounding throughout the Human Realm.
However, his transformation into a half-dead spirit and his joining of the ancient cities' faction had drawn criticism from many.
Yet soon, word spread that Su Yu had been besieged by enemies on the battlefields of the heavens, forced into becoming a half-dead spirit out of utter desperation. This elicited immense sorrow and sighs; a peerless genius of the human race, unable to resist against being surrounded and hunted, had been driven to become an ancient city resident—what a tragedy!
Soon afterward, however, Su Yu showed the myriad realms that it was no tragedy at all!
In the previous grand battle, relying on peerless personal prowess and formidable backing, Su Yu had slaughtered dozens of Invincibles, throwing the heavens into chaos and terrifying the gods, demons, immortals, and dragons alike. He had truly subdued the heavens on his own.
Now, his father was celebrating a birthday, and this mighty figure who had struck terror into the hearts of the myriad races was returning to the Great Xia Prefecture!
For a time, wind and clouds surged across Great Xia.
Some were excited, some thrilled, and some uneasy.
Naturally, the vast majority were simply curious!
Just how strong was Su Yu?
People claimed he killed without batting an eye—had he killed more people than Manor Lord Xia?
Everyone knew Xia Longwu was renowned as the Blood Slaughter King. Had Su Yu slain even more powerhouses than Xia Longwu?
To many, the realms beyond the Sun Moon were incomprehensible.
Great Xia Prefecture.
The Su Manor!
Indeed, the Su family now possessed a manor here, gifted by the Xia family.
At this moment, within the Su residence.
Su Long looked helplessly across at the beaming Marquis Xia and whispered, "Marquis, I don't celebrate birthdays. Besides, my birthday isn't even on that day…"
Marquis Xia said with a broad smile, "Nonsense! Your birthday is precisely on that day!"
"It really isn't…"
"It really is!"
Su Long felt thoroughly deflated and said again, "Marquis, this… isn't this making too much of a fuss? If worse comes to worst, I can just call Su Yu back so we can have a quiet family meal together…"
"That won't do!"
Marquis Xia laughed. "Su Long, you must understand, Su Yu isn't just an ordinary person anymore! He is an ancient city lord, the overlord of thirty-six cities, backed by dozens of Invincibles and even a Half-Emperor! Can he just sneak back like a thief? To achieve wealth and honor without returning to one's hometown is like walking through the night in brocade robes! Since he has attained glory, he should return with pomp and circumstance, open and upright. Wouldn't you agree?"
Su Long looked utterly torn.
On the one hand, such grandeur meant the Su family's ancestors were truly smiling down upon them!
It was almost unimaginable!
On the other hand, Su Long asked hesitantly, "Then… if he returns, will he be assassinated? I know for a fact that the myriad races all want him dead!"
"They won't, and they wouldn't dare!"
Marquis Xia chuckled. "My father and King Daming will protect him personally, and he possesses immense strength himself. It's not a problem!"
"Still…"
"No more stills!"
Marquis Xia smiled. "As for the banquet, do you plan to hold it here, or back in Nanyuan? Nanyuan is still undergoing reconstruction. If you want it held there, I will have the construction accelerated immediately so it finishes right away…"
Su Long said awkwardly, "Well… if it must be held, let's do it in Nanyuan. I'm not familiar with this place and don't know many people. Back in Nanyuan, I have plenty of acquaintances and friends."
Marquis Xia smiled and nodded. "A minor matter! Aside from your friends in Nanyuan, do you want to invite your old comrades from the military?"
"Would that be appropriate?"
"Of course it's appropriate! Right now, all forces in the Great Xia Prefecture, including the Demon Suppressing Army, have pulled back from the front lines and are camped in the rear. They have plenty of time on their hands!"
"Then… can my old brothers all come?"
"Chen Long and the rest?"
"Yes."
"Certainly!"
Su Long was overjoyed and quickly added, "Right, and those brothers from when I reenlisted later… especially that Old Liu, Centurion Liu! Even if no one else comes, he must be there!"
Marquis Xia didn't recognize the name and asked in confusion, "A good friend of yours?"
Su Long bared his teeth. "Yes, a good friend! A good friend who almost became my in-law!"
Marquis Xia paused, startled. *There was such a thing?*
Su Long didn't elaborate, cursing inwardly. *That Old Liu—in the past, he never believed a word I said. Back when we talked about introducing his daughter to Su Yu, he put on grand airs, acting so arrogant.*
*Go on, put on your airs now!*
Marquis Xia didn't bother probing further and smiled. "Anything else? Su Long, feel free to ask for whatever you need!"
Su Long thought for a moment before saying, "There is one more thing. Can our old house back home be rebuilt? I still want to live in familiar surroundings…"
"Naturally, no problem!"
These were all trivial matters!
However, an ancient ruin had opened there and had yet to close; they would have to find a way to relocate it.
As Marquis Xia pondered this, he suddenly said, "Su Long, Su Yu possesses such extraordinary talent, yet when I checked your aptitude earlier… it seemed quite…"
Su Long laughed awkwardly. "My talent is mediocre, but my son is sharp, born with exceptional gifts."
"Do you know why?"
Marquis Xia smiled. "Does it have something to do with his mother?"
Su Long shook his head. "His mother was just an ordinary woman. It has nothing to do with her."
Marquis Xia glanced at him. *So certain?*
Su Long offered no further explanation, merely grinning with honest simplicity. "Marquis, Su Yu's mother and I are ordinary folk. That boy's talent is something he cultivated through hard work, nothing to do with us… Please don't overthink it."
"Alright, I won't ask!"
Marquis Xia chuckled and dropped the subject, merely offering a reminder: "Still, be mindful of yourself. Watch where your shed hairs and such end up! That includes your blood—be careful not to let anyone take them and use them against you!"
Su Long nodded; he understood this much.
"Don't worry, Marquis, I will be careful!"
After Marquis Xia departed, scenes flashed through Su Long's mind, but he quickly shook his head to banish them. He knew well that powerful experts could often discern what the weak were thinking.
Better not to think about it!
Wait until his son returned!
It was good that Su Yu was coming back. If he didn't return soon, Su Long had contemplated going out to find him.
"Hurry on back. Your old man is finally getting a taste of glorious prestige in this lifetime!"
Su Long sighed with emotion. The old Su family was truly basking in glory across the world!
Chapter 612