Longevity begins with alchemy master

Chapter 1137 The City Lord's Night Banquet
The magnificent city lord's mansion is brightly lit tonight!

Fine wines and dishes were served from the kitchen in a continuous stream, filling over a hundred tables for the banquet.

All of this was to ensure the successful return of the three caravans.

This would not have happened in previous years, but this year is somewhat special.

The city lord's mansion dispatched a total of five caravans, but two of them were lost, and some of the remaining three also suffered heavy losses.

Logically, after such losses, they should have stopped and licked their wounds. However, the young city lord Xiao Feng instead held a grand banquet to reward the heroes who had risked their lives to protect the caravan.

"In times of crisis, he does not lose his momentum; this young city lord is quite shrewd."

In the main hall, Luo Chen looked calmly at the bustling scene outside.

He had once led a behemoth like the Luo Tian Sect, so he knew that the more difficult the situation, the less he should expose his weakness to the outside world, otherwise the enemy might swarm him.

However, judging from the few tables and chairs arranged in the main hall, he is not a truly distinguished guest at tonight's banquet.

One after another, figures filed in from outside.

There were elderly women with canes, burly men with red faces, and men who looked relatively young.

When the three of them entered and saw Luo Chen, a look of surprise appeared on their faces.

"Tonight's banquet actually has non-Third Realm Body Cultivators sitting at the same table?"

The speaker was the young man with an arrogant air about him.

Luo Chen seemed not to hear what he said, and continued to sit quietly in the chair, pouring himself a drink.

Upon seeing this, the young man couldn't help but show anger on his face, seemingly extremely displeased with Luo Chen's arrogant attitude.

The difference in performance between the two sides is immediately apparent.

Upon seeing this, the old woman and the burly man couldn't help but shake their heads slightly.

"Xiao Zirui is still too young!"

"It seems he was too devastated and now sees everyone as looking down on him. But this stranger is indeed a bit arrogant."

Of course, neither of them revealed what they were thinking.

After the three newcomers took their seats, they began to talk amongst themselves.

"Red Fire, you've returned incredibly fast this time, far faster than any of us."

"It's just that it's close enough to the main city that the invading bandits are no match for it. On the contrary, Granny Yu, I heard that you displayed great power and severely injured the leader of the Meteor Bandits, Tong Huaijin? That's really amazing. Tong Huaijin is skilled in martial arts and can move freely on the battlefield, but he suffered a great loss at your hands."

"You flatter me. Battlefield combat and head-on fighting are two different things. Even so, I only managed to defeat the bandit by a clever trick. There is no question of me displaying great power."

"Brother Xiao, why be upset? It's just some goods. You and the young city lord are cousins, so I'm sure he won't blame you."

"Yes, the position of city lord is still undecided, and the young city lord needs people right now. As long as he remains useful, he will definitely still have a place to use his talents."

"Thank you both for your comforting words. I will not take it to heart. I was truly careless this time. I thought that second-in-command of the Meteor Bandits was just a peak Blood River Realm cultivator, but I did not expect him to play dumb and catch me off guard. If we meet again, I will grind him to dust!"

"Ha ha……"

Luo Chen observed coldly, and through the conversation between the three, he quickly learned about their general situation.

The old woman with the cane was called Granny Yu, the red-faced giant was called Red Fire, and the young man was a descendant of the former city lord's lineage.

They had all been sent by the young city lord to other places to oversee their respective areas, taking charge of the city lord's mansion's industries and other trivial matters such as security.

This time, when he returned at the end of the year, just like Master Yan, he also encountered the sudden attack of the Meteor Bandits.

As it turns out, the two people sitting at this table right now, besides Xiao Zirui, are naturally the heroes who successfully brought the caravan back.

The reason why Xiao Zirui is still able to sit here despite his poor performance is simply because of his family ties.

Luo Chen didn't care about these things, or rather, he was very clear about these procedures.

Next, we should wait for the young city lord to appear, and then reward those who have made contributions.

This way, I could legitimately enter the other party's field of vision and temporarily settle down in this Immortal City.

Luo Chen was already used to being subordinate to others. He believed that one should have the status that comes with one's strength. Although he didn't take these people seriously with his strength, he didn't mind lying low for a while before he understood the true situation of this world.

The next moment, footsteps sounded outside the door. Everyone stood up and looked towards the door, where several figures emerged from the banquet hall outside the main hall, weaving through the crowd.

Wherever he went, he was greeted with flattering remarks of "Young City Lord".

Luo Chen looked up and saw that the leader was a handsome man in white robes holding a fan. To his left was a gloomy-looking old man, and to his right was a beautiful woman in palace attire. Behind the crowd were a group of elderly people.

Master Yan was among them.

He was stepping across the crowd and winking at Luo Chen, who was still sitting.

Luo Chen pretended not to see it, his expression remaining calm.

When the crowd reached the main entrance of the hall, the other old servants withdrew, and only the first three entered.

"Greetings, Young City Lord!"

Everyone in the hall greeted them.

Xiao Feng, holding a folding fan, cupped his hands in a fist and said, "Xiao Feng is very grateful. I would also like to thank you all for escorting the caravan safely, so as not to affect the business in Yixian City later."

Upon hearing this, Granny Yu and Chi Huo both waved their hands, saying, "It's all part of our duty."

Luo Chen remained seated and formally accepted the other party's bow, which he deserved.

Seeing this, Xiao Zirui frowned and said, "How dare you!"

Xiao Feng, however, extended his folding fan to stop Xiao Zirui and smiled at Luo Chen: "This senior also contributed a lot, single-handedly slaying dozens of Meteor Pirates and protecting the caravan. Xiao Feng is truly grateful."

Everyone looked at Luo Chen in surprise, then suddenly realized what was happening.

No wonder Luo Chen can sit in this main hall with such dignity; his achievements are the same as everyone else's!

But soon, someone caught two words in Xiao Feng's words and their expression changed slightly.

Granny Yu tentatively asked, "Senior?"

Luo Chen looked quite young; in fact, if you ignored his unique, ethereal, and otherworldly aura, he was arguably the youngest person present.

Anyone who saw him would only mistake him for a young man in his early twenties.

Regardless of their cultivation level or status, Xiao Feng, the nominal young city lord, should not address him as "senior."

There is only one possibility!
Chi Huo blurted out, looking at Luo Chen in surprise, "Could you be a cultivator from the outside world?"

Luo Chen didn't answer, but just looked at Xiao Feng.

"You've done quite a bit of investigation. Did Manager Yan tell you about it?"

Xiao Feng clasped his hands in a salute, "Please forgive me, senior. These are turbulent times, and I should be careful."

Luo Chen hummed in agreement, then drank a glass of wine by himself, displaying a carefree and elegant demeanor.

Those present, who had previously thought Luo Chen was arrogant and conceited, now that they knew his identity, felt that he was so otherworldly and dignified.

Those cultivators who managed to end up in the Great Destruction Realm were all people who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, and some were even giants of the immortal path who had witnessed countless ages.

Such beings, even if trapped in shallow waters, are not to be humiliated by ordinary mortals.

However, after the initial shock, Xiao Zirui still showed disdain.

So what if they are cultivators?

Upon reaching this Great Destruction Realm, they are no different from ordinary mortals. Especially because of their cultivation in the immortal path, those who switch to martial arts often only get stuck at the third stage of body refinement. Moreover, the sudden drop in power often makes them unable to see themselves clearly, frequently resulting in their death and the dissipation of their cultivation.

If that's the case, why bother with superficial respect?

During the banquet, glasses clinked and toasts were exchanged. Xiao Feng, a man of great social skill, maintained the atmosphere exceptionally well.

Until he brought something up.

"At the beginning of spring, a special envoy from Wuyou City will arrive. If he brings my father's decree, that will be fine. But if he doesn't, we will surely have to start another armed struggle to determine the master. At that time, I hope you will all lend me a hand!"

Instantly, the room fell silent.

(End of this chapter)