Chapter 8

Evening.

When Han Xiaoshu and Little Fatty arrived at the agreed location, Xu Ping was already waiting at the entrance.

After Han Xiaoshu took a bath during the day, Xu Ruo Yan thoroughly tidied him up, adjusting his clothes and combing his hair.

This made Han Xiaoshu feel quite uncomfortable, as he had never been served by anyone before.

At fifteen, Han Xiaoshu still looked somewhat childish, but he was a far cry from the boy who had just come from the servant area.

After a brief interaction, Xu Ruo Yan was no longer as afraid of Han Xiaoshu as she was at first. She was two years older than Han Xiaoshu and had been recruited as a servant by the outer sect two years ago after failing to detect a spirit vein. She had been trained and taught for two years, just in time for Han Xiaoshu and his group.

......

"Brother Gou, Brother Han, I have been waiting for you two for a long time. Most of the senior brothers who are coming tonight have already arrived. Please come in."

Xu Ping hurriedly welcomed them and led the two into the banquet hall.

The gathering place was a room in the side hall of the Reception Hall. The room was quite large, covering an estimated area of over 200 square meters.

There were already many people in the room. Some had been there for a while, so they had formed their own small groups.

"Please feel free to relax, Brother. There are some spirit fruits on your table. They were brought from the capital by the Second Prince to entertain all the senior brothers. The Second Prince will be here shortly."

After saying this, Xu Ping bowed slightly to Han Xiaoshu and the others and left.

Looking at the small groups in the distance, Han Xiaoshu didn't want to draw attention to himself. He took Little Fatty and walked to their seats.

Sitting cross-legged on the mat, he looked at the tray of spirit fruits on the table. They emitted a strange fragrance, and a mist seemed to swirl around them. Just looking at them made his appetite increase, and as the mist was absorbed into his body, he felt a sense of comfort.

The rich families are really polite. Even the fruits served at the banquet are extraordinary. He turned to look at Little Fatty, who was also staring intently at the spirit fruits on his table.

"Go ahead and eat. Since they gave them to us, it would be rude not to eat them." Han Xiaoshu picked up one and put it in his mouth.

Little Fatty was a bit reserved. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, but he noticed that no one else had touched the spirit fruits on their tables. It seemed odd for just the two of them to eat.

"Xiao Shu, maybe we should wait for the Second Prince to arrive before eating. Look, no one else is eating." Little Fatty scratched the back of his head.

"It's fine. They probably want to win us over. This is just an appetizer. There will be more to come. Just follow my lead and don't make any rash promises."

Han Xiaoshu had already finished the first spirit fruit and was about to pick up the second. He was genuinely afraid that Little Fatty, being a bit naive, might make promises that would put him in a bind.

He also gained 1 point of spirit energy from the fruit he had just eaten. There were about ten more on the table, which would be equivalent to one manual cultivation session for him.

Seeing Han Xiaoshu eating heartily, Little Fatty put aside his reservations and started eating the spirit fruits on his table.

"Xiao Shu, um, I've noticed you've been eating a lot lately," Little Fatty said while eating.

"Smartass, hahaha."

You don't understand. I'm doing this to improve my strength. I won't argue with you.

Han Xiaoshu, feeling indignant, vented his frustration on the spirit fruits and had already eaten more than half of them.

As they ate happily, the others around them looked on in shock. Although the spirit fruits were prepared for them, the main guest hadn't arrived yet, and they were almost finished.

Is this really okay?

Everyone came from prestigious families, so they valued their reputation. They had never seen such behavior.

Just then, Xu Ping entered with a young man, passing by Han Xiaoshu and Little Fatty with a look of surprise.

Xu Ping was also quite embarrassed. He had said the spirit fruits were for them, but he hadn't expected them to eat so quickly.

"These two are the senior brothers Han and Gou whom I mentioned to you this afternoon," Xu Ping introduced them, despite his discomfort.

Han Xiaoshu also noticed someone had come to their table and looked up.

This was the first time he had met the so-called Second Prince. To him, there was nothing particularly special about him, no aura of dominance like in the novels he had read in his past life.

"Your Highness, I apologize. Brother Gou and I were born in the servant area and have never seen such spirit fruits before. We couldn't resist. I am truly ashamed."

Han Xiaoshu stood up and bowed to the Second Prince.

Although he said he was ashamed, no one could see much shame on his face; instead, he looked as if he was savoring the taste.

"No problem, Senior Brothers Han and Gou. These are just ordinary items. If you need more, I have plenty. Please feel free to eat."

The Second Prince didn't dwell on the matter, but he recalled what Xu Ping had told him earlier.

Xu Ping had mentioned that two spirit veins had awakened in the servant area this year: one was a mid-grade fire spirit vein, and the other was a peak low-grade wood spirit vein.

This made him want to recruit them. He had come today specifically to recruit these people.

Seeing Han Xiaoshu and the others eat the spirit fruits so readily, he felt confident about recruiting them.

As the Second Prince arrived, the people scattered around the room gathered and bowed.

The Second Prince returned the bow and didn't say much to Han Xiaoshu and the others. He walked to a mat in the center and said,

"Today, I have invited all of you to get to know each other. In the future, we will support each other in the outer sect. Please take your seats."

He didn't sit down immediately but waited until everyone was seated before taking his own seat, maintaining a humble and respectful demeanor.

Although it was a small gesture, it was considered a great honor by the others, and some of them looked pleased.

Han Xiaoshu wasn't impressed. He had seen this kind of act before.

A few spirit fruits aren't enough to win me over, Han Xiaoshu thought.

Seeing everyone seated, the Second Prince spoke.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am the Second Prince of the current Chu Dynasty, given the name Chu Jinxuan by the Ancestor.

Blessed by our ancestors, I have awakened a mid-grade metal spirit vein.

I have been guided by the sect's senior brothers to step onto the path of immortality. From now on, we are all fellow disciples.

Moreover, after tomorrow, you will all be assigned to different areas of the outer sect. It would be inappropriate to call me the Second Prince. If you respect me, you can call me Senior Brother Chu."

He looked around at everyone.

Showing off, Han Xiaoshu thought.

But like the others, he stood up and respectfully called him Senior Brother Chu.

As he stood up, he didn't forget to kick Little Fatty, who had ignored his earlier signal. He really had to remind him.

He was completely literal.

Seeing everyone's reaction, the Second Prince smiled satisfactorily and said, "Senior Brothers, there's no need for such formality. Please sit down."

"Today, I have gathered you all for another reason besides getting to know each other."

Han Xiaoshu listened intently, knowing the main event was about to begin.

The others also understood and waited for the Second Prince to continue.