Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

What's most startling is his eyes.

Those eyes held no superfluous emotion, as calm as a stagnant pool, yet when they stared at someone, they gave that suffocating feeling of being locked on by a ferocious beast.

The ghost servant whispered two words behind Ye Chen: "He is Han Song."

A low murmur arose from the crowd.

Han Song, the top expert of the Qiao family, has reached the Transformation Realm and has never been defeated since breaking through five years ago.

He is Qiao San's sharpest blade, and also the most resounding name card of the Qiao family in the ancient martial arts world.

Everyone knew that he and Ye Chen would clash sooner or later, but no one expected it to happen so soon.

Ye Chen turned his head and his gaze met Han Song's in mid-air.

There were no sparks flying, no murderous intent emanating from them; the two simply exchanged a glance, as if they were two strangers who had accidentally met each other's eyes.

But Jiang Ruoxi, standing next to Ye Chen, clearly felt that in that instant, Ye Chen's entire aura changed.

The feeling was hard to describe; although the sword was not yet drawn, the chill of the blade had already permeated through the scabbard.

Ye Chen did not expect Han Song to speak first. His voice was deep and steady, without any emotion: "I have long admired Minister Ye's name. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed young and promising."

Ye Chen smiled and cupped his hands in reply: "Master Han, you flatter me. Uncle Gui often mentions you, saying that your Twelve Style Spring Kick is the best in the provincial capital, and he insists that I must see it for myself when I have the chance."

These words were spoken lightly, but the astute people present all understood the implied meaning.

Han Song's gaze passed over Ye Chen and landed on the ghost servant, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

This emotion is not anger, nor disappointment, but a kind of inexplicable confusion.

Ghost Servant was a senior he had respected for twenty years, someone he had fought alongside countless times, but now he stood beside his opponent.

This feeling is more unbearable than anger.

"Uncle Gui, it's been a long time." Han Song's voice was very low.

After a while, Han Song added another sentence.

"The old man asked me to pass on a message: you saved his life back then, and the Qiao family will always remember this kindness. No matter what happens, the doors of the old house will always be open for you."

The ghost servant remained expressionless, nodded slightly, and replied with only three words: "Understood."

Han Song withdrew his gaze and looked at Ye Chen again.

This time, all emotion vanished from his eyes, replaced by a focused, almost cold, calm.

That's the look in a hunter's eyes when he locks onto his prey; only those who have experienced countless life-or-death battles can possess it.

"Minister Ye, the old man's 80th birthday is a joyous occasion, and we shouldn't be discussing other matters at the birthday banquet, but we can't miss this opportunity."

His voice remained steady, but there was a hint of confidence in his tone.

"Indeed, we don't have many opportunities to meet," Ye Chen replied softly.

"Very well, I would like to invite Minister Ye to a private sparring match after the banquet. It would be purely a friendly competition, stopping short of causing any trouble. What does Minister Ye think?"

"No problem, I'll follow Master Han's instructions." Ye Chen remained very calm.

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Issuing a challenge in person before the birthday banquet begins is tantamount to moving the arena directly to the banquet table.

If Ye Chen agrees, it would be tantamount to agreeing to a direct confrontation with Han Song.

If they don't agree, it would be a public display of weakness, and all the momentum they had built up would be wasted. The Qiao family essentially regained all the face they had lost with just one birthday banquet.

Everyone looked at Ye Chen, waiting for his answer.

Ye Chen remained silent for two seconds.

For those two seconds, the entire main hall was so quiet that you could hear the wind outside the window.

Jiang Ruoxi nervously gripped Ye Chen's sleeve, He Jianping's hand unconsciously pressed against the retractable baton at his waist, and even Gui Pu's breathing became slightly heavier.

Soon Ye Chen smiled, a smile that seemed so natural.

It wasn't a perfunctory, polite laugh, but a genuine laugh from someone who was truly amused.

He scratched his chin with his finger, his tone as relaxed as if accepting a dinner invitation: "Master Han, you're too kind. Sure, let's spar after the birthday banquet. But I have a small suggestion: since we're here to make friends through martial arts and have some fun, why don't we change the rules to make them a little more interesting?"

"Oh?" Han Song narrowed his eyes slightly. "How does Minister Ye want to change it?"

"We are all martial arts practitioners, and fighting is such a waste of our time. Since this is the old man's birthday banquet, let's do something more refined." Ye Chen looked around at the guests and spoke in a loud and clear voice.

Han Song looked at Ye Chen, wanting to know what the elegant competition he mentioned was about.

Ye Chen didn't delay and said it in front of everyone.

"Master Han, how about we have a contest of both martial arts and literary arts? Best two out of three. The first round will be a contest of fists and feet, the second round will be a contest of weapons, and the third round will be decided by the friends present. We can play rock-paper-scissors, draw lots, or roll dice, it's all for the sake of celebration. The loser will be penalized with three cups of wine, so as not to hurt the harmony and to add some fun for the old man."

Upon hearing this suggestion, the guests were initially taken aback, but then they all exclaimed in admiration.

The best-of-three match, a contest of both literary and martial arts skills, retained the essence of friendly competition while also adding a festive touch to the birthday banquet, maintaining decorum while giving both sides ample room to showcase their abilities.

The randomized question design in the third round, in particular, significantly reduced the risk of the competition.

Even if the first two rounds are tied, the third round depends on luck and wit, and it shouldn't result in a fatality.

More importantly, Ye Chen's words were not one of weakness from beginning to end; they exuded a sense of ease and composure.

It wasn't that he was afraid to fight; rather, he transformed a life-or-death duel into a celebratory performance at a birthday banquet.

This composure and quick reaction impressed everyone present.

Han Song stared at Ye Chen for three seconds, and finally a slight ripple appeared in his lifeless eyes.

It wasn't anger, but rather the excitement of finding a worthy opponent.

The young man's reaction was much faster and his response much more ingenious than he had anticipated; no wonder the ghost servant admired him.

"Alright, as Minister Ye says. See you at the martial arts arena after the birthday banquet."

After saying that, he turned and strode away, decisively and without any hesitation.

The guests dispersed reluctantly, but everyone knew that the most exciting part of the birthday banquet that night was not the longevity peaches or the fireworks, but the contest of wits and words that followed.

From this moment on, Ye Chen's name truly became a household name in the ancient martial arts circle of the provincial capital.

He Jianping leaned close to Ye Chen's ear and asked in a low voice, "Brother, are you confident you can win the third round?"

Ye Chen picked up the teacup on the table, took a slow sip, and then turned to look at the ghost servant: "Uncle Ghost, besides the Twelve-Road Spring Kick, what else can Han Song do?"

Ghost Servant was silent for a moment: "As far as I know, his specialty is the Spring Kick. His swordsmanship is good, but not top-notch. If you want to beat him, the key is in the first round."

Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully, put down his teacup, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"A battle of wits and strength... Hehe, today I want to see just how good Master Han, who claims to be invincible throughout the provincial capital, really is."