Chapter 292: Cassandra’s Enemies Show Their Faces

It didn’t take long before Damian and Esmeralda finally arrived at the main entrance of the festival grounds.

The place was far more heavily guarded than Damian had expected.

Rows of cultivators wearing the insignias of both the Valeria and Valehart Families stood near the massive entrance, carefully inspecting invitations and confirming the identities of important guests.

Several powerful auras could also be felt deeper inside.

Damian glanced around casually.

"Damn. These people really aren’t fucking around with security."

Fortunately, Esmeralda walked forward without the slightest hesitation.

The moment several guards noticed the Verdanthe Clan emblem on her robes, their expressions immediately became more respectful.

One of them stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Lady Esmeralda Verdanthe."

Esmeralda gave a small nod and presented her invitation. The guard quickly inspected it before stepping aside.

However, just as Damian moved to follow her, the guard raised one hand. "Please wait."

Damian stopped.

Esmeralda turned back.

The guard looked toward Damian with visible caution. "Lady Esmeralda, may I ask who this gentleman is?"

Damian remained silent.

He was actually rather curious about how Esmeralda planned to introduce him.

Esmeralda glanced toward Damian for a moment.

Perhaps because Cynthia’s conversation was still lingering in her mind, a slightly strange thought appeared.

Then, without showing the slightest embarrassment, she casually answered, "My partner."

Damian froze.

The guard blinked. Even several nearby cultivators briefly glanced toward them.

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow at the guard. "What?"

Her elegant expression remained perfectly composed. "Am I not allowed to have one?"

The guard’s expression immediately changed. "No! Of course not, Lady Esmeralda."

He quickly cupped his fists. "I was merely confirming the identity of your companion."

Esmeralda smiled calmly. "Then it’s confirmed."

The guard nodded hurriedly. "Please, both of you may enter."

Esmeralda walked through the entrance as though nothing unusual had happened.

Damian followed behind her in silence. Several steps later, he finally turned toward her. "Partner?"

Esmeralda kept walking. "Yes."

Damian stared at her side profile. "That’s what we’re calling me now?"

Esmeralda’s lips curved faintly. "It was easier than explaining our entire relationship."

Damian rubbed his chin. "Hm."

Esmeralda glanced toward him. "What?"

A shameless smile appeared on Damian’s face. "Nothing. I just think ’partner’ sounds pretty fucking good."

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Don’t misunderstand."

Damian laughed. "Too late."

Esmeralda sighed, although the corner of her lips lifted slightly despite herself.

Deep down, however, her heartbeat had become a little faster than before.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she had chosen that word, as she could just say "client" or even "friend."

"Maybe Cynthia’s ridiculous invitation is affecting me more than I thought."

Damian, completely unaware of her thoughts, looked ahead toward the enormous festival grounds.

His expression slowly became more interested. "Alright."

His eyes gleamed. "Let’s see what kind of show these two families prepared."

---

The moment Damian stepped deeper into the festival grounds, his eyes widened slightly. "Damn..."

The place was fucking enormous.

Below the elevated platform where he and Esmeralda were walking, countless cultivators filled the outer festival grounds.

There were food stalls, weapon merchants, pill merchants, gambling booths, temporary arenas, performance stages, and even several areas where younger cultivators were publicly demonstrating their martial arts.

Banners belonging to both the Valeria and Valehart Families covered nearly every major building.

Damian leaned slightly over the railing. "There are way more people here than I expected."

Esmeralda smiled. "This festival is held by two major cultivation families. Of course it would attract cultivators from across the region."

Damian nodded slowly. "Fair."

Only now did he realize something else.

The area they had entered was completely separated from the enormous crowd below.

There were fewer people here, but practically everyone present either wore expensive robes or carried themselves with the confidence of someone possessing considerable status.

Damian glanced around. "So this is the private area?"

Esmeralda nodded. "Yes."

She pointed toward the enormous crowd below. "Ordinary guests remain in the public festival grounds."

Her gaze shifted toward the luxurious platforms surrounding them. "This section is reserved for invited factions, important merchants, clan representatives, elders, and other distinguished guests."

Damian finally understood.

"So that’s why those guards checked me so fucking carefully."

Had he arrived alone as some random masked cultivator, he probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near this place.

Yet because he was Esmeralda’s companion, he had casually walked straight into the best section of the festival.

Damian grinned.

"Connections really are fucking convenient."

Esmeralda suddenly slowed her steps. "Damian."

Damian nodded. "Hm?"

She subtly gestured ahead. "Those two are the people you should probably recognize."

Damian followed her gaze.

Two older men stood several dozen meters away, surrounded by elders and important guests.

One wore silver-black robes decorated with sharp metallic sword patterns.

The other wore elegant white-gold robes, with faint radiant sword Qi surrounding him.

Even without anyone explaining their identities, Damian could immediately tell that these two were extremely important.

Esmeralda lowered her voice. "The one in silver is the patriarch of the Valeria Family."

Her gaze shifted. "And the other is the patriarch of the Valehart Family."

Damian’s expression subtly changed.

"So... these are the two."

His eyes slowly moved between them.

The two powerful figures were currently speaking politely with several guests, their expressions completely dignified and righteous.

Anyone looking at them would probably see nothing except two respected patriarchs of ancient sword families.

Damian, however, knew more.

"These are the bastards who made Cassandra, becoming a villainess in the first place."

His smile slowly faded, but for Esmeralda’s sake, he put on his best fake smile.

He had also come here because he was certain this festival would somehow be connected to Cassandra.

If he could guess how stories like this usually went, then something important was bound to happen here very soon.

Damian’s lips slowly curled upward again as his gaze shifted toward the entrance far below.

"The real question is... will Cassandra actually come back today?"

But as he scanned the crowd, checking everyone’s multiplier, he quickly grinned the moment he spotted a particularly high one.