Chapter 759: Birthday Banquet 4

Gu Shuo, approaching from behind, happened to overhear them and was utterly shocked. ’Why have these people come to Dayu City?’

Xiang Minghou and Qian Fanji were also puzzled. The Wastelands, Beijiang, Guanghai, Loulan... each of those families was a force to be reckoned with. Why would they all gather in Dayu City?

"We wish Elder Chen blessings as boundless as the East Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains."

The large group shouted in unison.

The thunderous shout brought the crowd back to its senses.

"Everyone, do you... know me?" Elder Chen knew of these clans but had never had any contact with them.

He was happy to accept their well wishes, but he didn’t dare to rashly accept such precious gifts.

"We know Elder Chen’s apprentice, Miss Ye."

"Miss Ye is truly a remarkable person."

"Elder Chen, you’ve taken on an exceptional apprentice."

One after another, the guests all chimed in to praise Ye Qianning, their words overflowing with respect and admiration for her.

Elder Chen froze for a moment before his face broke into a wide smile. "Wonderful, wonderful! Everyone, please, come inside. Come inside."

Qian Fanji and Xiang Minghou exchanged a look. ’No wonder she’s always so busy, disappearing for days at a time,’ they thought. ’So this is what she’s been up to.’

Gu Shuo was still amazed. ’How on earth did that little girl manage to get these families to come?’

Old Prince Feng gritted his teeth in fury. He turned back to look at the crowd that had just wished him a happy birthday, and a single glance told him that not one of them was anyone of note. Their gifts were nothing but porcelain or jade, all purchased from the Gu family’s shops. The more he thought about it, the more his anger stewed.

"They’re just a few clans from the remote backwaters. How can they possibly compare to an entire nation?" Fang Rui, an envoy from the Xi Yan Merchant Guild, remarked upon noticing Old Prince Feng’s foul expression.

Old Prince Feng took a few deep breaths and said coolly, "You have a point. Our four great nations are the true masters of this continent. Having envoys from three of those nations here to celebrate my birthday is more than eno—"

JINGLE... JINGLE...

"Whoa, whose carriage is that?"

Another wave of astonished clamor erupted, drowning out Old Prince Feng’s voice.

Old Prince Feng clenched his fists and turned toward the source of the commotion.

A luxurious carriage was slowly approaching.

The crowd of onlookers quickly parted to either side, clearing a path.

The carriage stopped, and the guard at the reins dismounted.

"Master, we’ve arrived."

A pair of long, slender hands, as fair as white jade, parted the carriage curtain. A man dressed in an azure robe with gold-embroidered trim stepped out.

The moment the crowd saw the man’s face, they sucked in a collective gasp. ’He...’

The man was breathtakingly handsome, with features as perfect as a painting. His high-bridged nose lent him a somewhat cold and stern air, and his entire being radiated nobility and grace.

’Gods, who is that?’

Old Prince Feng’s eyes widened. The man he had seen at the Immortal Sea Building the other day had been stunning enough, but this newcomer was his equal in every way.

’This...’

’Are all the young people these days so impossibly handsome?’

A shadow crossed Xiang Minghou’s eyes. ’Why is he in Dayu City, too?’

Gu Shuo and Qian Fanji recognized him as well. ’For a Crown Prince to suddenly appear in Dayu City... what could his intentions be?’

Elder Chen was also quite taken aback by the man’s appearance. As he studied him more closely, he felt the man looked vaguely familiar.

The envoy from the Xi Yan Merchant Guild was so shocked to see this man that he almost lost his footing. He had just managed to steady himself when he saw the regal figure heading toward the Immortal Sea Building.

"Xiliu Yuan of Xi Yan has come to wish Elder Chen a long life." Xiliu Yuan offered a slight bow.

Xiliu Yuan—

It was actually the Crown Prince of Xi Yan, Xiliu Yuan!

A stir swept through the crowd, immediately followed by dead silence. The shock was simply beyond words.

Old Prince Feng was completely dumbfounded. Xiliu Yuan, the prodigy of Xi Yan! Rumor had it that, despite only being the Crown Prince, he already held all the affairs of the court in his hands. It was even said that Emperor Xi Yan was already planning to abdicate the throne to him.