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Chapter Ninety-Seven: Return of the Stone Slab, Banquet Invitation

When Jun Heng and the other two returned to Dawn City from the Cave of Slumber, it was already close to dusk.

The setting sun cast its warm glow on the ancient city walls, gilding the gray bricks with a gentle gold. The streets remained bustling with players, their calls for vendors, the calls to form teams, and the sounds of bargaining mingling together to create a lively scene.

The three of them crossed the main street and turned into the narrow alleyway leading to the dark alley.

The rusty iron gate remained closed, but this time, the text on it had changed.

[Familiar face, mentoring newbie, toll double.]

Upon seeing this line of text, Luan Shi Kuang Dao's lips twitched: "This dilapidated door even has a price increase?"

Without saying a word, Jun Heng took out thirty silver coins from his backpack and put them into the slot.

The iron gate made a dull thud and slowly opened inward.

The three filed in, and the dark alleyway remained a bustling hub of all sorts of people. Dim magic lanterns swayed under the eaves, and stalls displayed all sorts of strange and unusual goods. The air was thick with the mixed smells of herbs, rust, and cheap beer.

Junheng walked straight into the depths of the dark alley and stopped in front of "Karl's Antique Shop".

He pushed the door open and entered, the hinges making a familiar creaking sound.

Behind the counter, Karl remained hunched over, examining a bronze badge by candlelight. Hearing the door open, he spoke in a hoarse voice without looking up:

"Is the customer here to buy something or sell something?"

"Master Karl, I have brought what you requested."

Jun Heng's voice was calm as he took out a palm-sized stone slab fragment from his backpack.

Under the candlelight, the golden runes on the stone slab shimmered faintly, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

Karl's hand suddenly stopped moving.

He slowly raised his head, his cloudy yet sharp eyes falling on the stone slab in Jun Heng's hand, his pupils suddenly contracting.

The next second, he sprang up from the chair as if he had been electrocuted, rushed to Jun Heng in three steps, and took the stone slab fragment with trembling hands.

"This...this is..."

His voice trembled as he gently stroked the runes on the stone slab, as if caressing a long-lost treasure.

"My other half...it really is my other half..."

Karl murmured to himself, a layer of tears welling up in his cloudy eyes. He held the stone slab as if it were a rare treasure, his whole body trembling slightly.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, raised his head to look at Jun Heng, his eyes filled with unprecedented solemnity.

"Young man, you did it."

"I have waited fifty years, and this day has finally come."

As he spoke, he turned and walked to a hidden compartment behind the counter, from which he took out a yellowed parchment.

The parchment was covered with several lines of elegant cursive script written in gold lettering. In the lower right corner was a dark red wax seal, which bore the emblem of the Lord of Dawn City—a shield with a crossed scepter and a longsword.

[Ding! Mission complete! Rewards: 10000 experience points, 1 forged invitation to the City Lord's Manor Banquet]

[Experience points increased, current level: Lv12 (136450/1500000)]

Junheng accepted the invitation. It felt delicate to the touch, and the paper was slightly yellowed, exuding a sense of age.

He unfolded the invitation, the contents of which were exactly as Mana had described—an invitation to the holder to attend the harvest season banquet tonight at Rose Manor, signed by Alfred, the Lord of Dawn City.

"Master Karl's craftsmanship truly lives up to its reputation."

Junheng put the invitation into his backpack and gave it a heartfelt compliment.

Upon hearing this, a smug smile appeared on Karl's aged face: "In my life, I dare not say anything else, but when it comes to the skill of forgery, no one in the entire Eastern Kingdom can compare."

"But young man, I must remind you of something."

His expression suddenly turned serious, and he lowered his voice:

"Although this invitation is so convincingly fake, the guards at the city lord's mansion are not to be underestimated."

"Once you're in the Rose Manor, you'd better keep a low profile and avoid attracting unnecessary attention."

"Otherwise, if our identities are exposed, the consequences will be no laughing matter."

Jun Heng nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Master Karl. I will remember it."

He turned to leave, but then he heard Luan Shi Kuang Dao shouting from the side:

"Hey old man, the three of us did this task together, why is he the only one getting the reward?"

Karl glanced at him and said slowly, "There's only one stone tablet, so there's only one reward."

"However, since you put in some effort, I can give you a discount—next time you come to buy something, I'll give you a 10% discount."

Chaotic Blade: "...You're really being generous with this discount."

Karl chuckled, ignored him, and carried the stone slab back behind the counter to begin studying it carefully.

The three of them walked out of the antique shop, where the light in the alley had become even dimmer.

Chaotic Blade stretched, his bones cracking as he said, "After a whole day and night of work, it's finally done."

"Hey bro, what are your plans for the future?"

Jun Heng glanced at the invitation in his backpack and said calmly, "Go to the banquet at the City Lord's Mansion."

"A banquet?" Chaotic Blade's eyes lit up. "You mean the harvest season banquet at the Rose Manor?"

"I heard that the banquet was very high-profile, and only those who received an invitation could enter."

"I originally wanted to get one too, but that NPC named Mana said that only those in the top five of the war zone leaderboard are eligible."

As he spoke, he scratched his head and looked at Junheng somewhat embarrassedly:

"Bro, that invitation of yours... is it fake?"

Jun Heng did not deny it and nodded.

A glint of excitement flashed in the eyes of the Mad Blade of Chaos: "Then can you take me in?"

"I also want to see what kind of extravagance the banquet at the City Lord's Mansion is like."

Jun Heng glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Okay, but you have to agree to one condition."

"What are your conditions? Tell me!"

"Once you're in the Rose Manor, you'll be under my command."

Without a word, the Mad Blade of Chaos patted his chest and assured him, "No problem! If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west!"

The Shadow Assassin next to him silently raised his hand: "I want to go too."

Jun Heng glanced at him, then at Luan Shi Kuang Dao.

Chaotic Blade immediately understood and patted Shadow Assassin on the shoulder: "Shadow Assassin, you don't need to go this time. Keep an eye on the guild for me."

Chaotic Shadow Killer nodded expressionlessly, but a hint of regret flashed clearly in his eyes.

Jun Heng didn't say anything more, and walked towards the exit of the dark alley with the Chaotic World Blade in his hand.

Meanwhile, in the western suburbs of Dawn City, at the stronghold of the Judgment Guild.