56 Attending a Banque (1/2)
Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou were rather befuddled as they followed behind Xue Wei.
Everything had happened so fast that they had not seen exactly what had happened, and they were in a trance-like state, trying their best to make heads and tails of what they had seen.
The horse had suddenly gone insane. There had been nothing to warrant this madness; it had happened out of the blue.
Luo Zhirou and Shen Mu both looked curiously at Xue Wei. Had he done something to be able to control the thoughts of a mortal beast, which seemed to be an impossibility?
Together the three made their way to the palace gates. Here, the guards were looking fierce and strong. Each and every one of them was of the Sky Warrior rank, and their strength was magnificent in comparison to simple Ordinary Warriors like Xue Wei, Luo Zhirou, and Shen Mu.
”Halt,” one of the guards called out as he saw Xue Wei and his friends. He frowned. He knew that the Crown Prince was hosting a banquet tonight, but the usual guests were all Earth Warriors. To see three Ordinary Warriors meant that their background was formidable or they had some other redeeming qualities.
”Please announce your name,” the guard said. He was neither hostile nor polite, but he was very straightforward.
His strength allowed for him to be smug, but he also understood that these children were the next generation's Primordial Beast Hunters. They would become amazing figures, and insulting them would be pointless for him.
”Xue Wei. I brought two friends with me,” Xue Wei introduced himself. The moment he mentioned his name, an eyebrow on the guard's face shot into the air.
He too had heard about the new unique genius that had appeared in the city from out of nowhere. He had stunned all the upper echelons of the capital with his brazen behavior, his shocking background, and his special physique.
Everyone knew that he was only an Ordinary Warrior, but they were also aware that he had not cultivated for more than half a year. When taking that into consideration, his talent for cultivation was simply so outstanding that no one was able to catch up with him at the rate he was going. Even if he were an Ordinary Warrior now, it was highly likely that he would be an Earth Warrior in a month at most.
”This way please,” The guard bowed slightly and gestured with an arm, leading the three into the palace grounds.
The guard led them all the way through the many gardens scattered across the grounds. There were stone gardens, bamboo gardens, flower gardens, and even lakes and streams. It continued on for a long time, and they walked past many mansions, palaces, pagodas, and pavilions on their way towards a beautiful palace in the distance.
”This is the Green Jade Palace,” the guard introduced. ”It is the place where His Highness the Crown Prince usually hosts his banquets. It belongs to His Highness the King, but he often lends it out to his sons when they have special events ongoing.”
The guard provided a quick introduction of the building where the banquet would be held, and he smiled with good will towards Xue Wei.
”His Highness, the Crown Prince, values talent a great deal. It is your honor to be invited to his banquet like this, but be careful. Not all of the King's children look at the Crown Prince favorably, and those who flock to his side might encounter unknown danger.”
The guard decided to warn him. He had a good impression of this young man who was neither too humble nor too arrogant.
”Thank you for your warning,” Xue Wei said with genuine gratitude. Few people had shown concern for Xue Wei in his life, and those who did were in his opinion worthy of him treating them with respect.
Truthfully, Xue Wei had already spoken with Luo Zhirou and Shen Mu about joining a faction. He was not eager to join one, but he knew that they wanted to as soon as possible.
Xue Wei, Luo Zhirou, and Shen Mu walked the final part of the way on their own. There was a beautiful trail leading in and out through the environment of a stunning stone garden.
The trail led through the many beautiful corners of the garden so that one would see the wonders of the place before reaching a building made solely from green jade and gold.
This was the Green Jade Palace, and it was outstandingly beautiful as it towered in front of them, sparkling in the light of the setting sun.
Bustling noises came out from the open gate, and another two Sky Warrior guards were keeping a watch at the entrance.
There were no one else on the way towards the banquet, as it seemed that all of them had arrived already, but Xue Wei did not feel any pressure. Instead, he leisurely strolled in and smiled at the two guards whose faces twitched a little from the carefreeness that Xue Wei displayed.
Shen Mu and Luo Zhirou were feeling uncomfortable showing up late, but they knew that they would be in the shadows of Xue Wei, and could not help but heave a sigh of relief. Xue Wei had become a towering person to them. Someone who would protect them from the rain and the wind, someone who would take all the troubles they might encounter and dispel them.
As they reached the entrance, the two Sky Warrior guards looked at them, but they did not stop them. Instead, they just observed them as the three of them entered the palace itself.
The moment they entered, a herald was waiting, and he looked at them with a dismayed expression on his face. ”Follow me,” he said grumpily, ”you are late,” he continued to complain. However, since he was showing no respect to Xue Wei, Xue Wei on the other hand did not display any respect to him either.