Chapter 655 - 205: Attending the Banquet, a Show of Force

The old man said slowly, "Lord Shen, the Marquis is our host. He organized this banquet and invited us to dine, so we should naturally wait for all the dishes to be served. It’s a matter of courtesy."

The middle-aged man added, "That’s right. It’s not that we wish to disrespect you, Lord Shen, but we must do this out of politeness."

The full-figured young woman, meanwhile, covered her mouth with her hand in a shy display. "Lord Shen, I’m not very good at holding my liquor. Please don’t be offended."

The three of them each had their own excuse, and in this situation, they all sounded perfectly reasonable.

Shen Bai considered this for a moment, then said, "I told you to drink. Your refusal is a sign of disrespect."

As soon as he said this, the entire table fell silent.

The others at the table began to shift uncomfortably. Shen Bai’s words were far too direct.

They had expected him to be more tactful, but they never thought he would be so blunt, escalating the situation to such a tense point.

The Sect Leaders of the three major influences all frowned.

After a moment’s thought, the full-figured young woman picked up her wine cup and downed it in one gulp.

Seeing this, Shen Bai smiled slightly. "Good. As long as you drink. And you two?"

The middle-aged man hesitated, not moving.

The old man, however, leaned forward and said, "Lord Shen, I cannot drink this wine. I have done nothing to offend the Observatory, so why must you speak this way? Must all the Jianghu Influences in Lingyun Dao now be subservient to the Observatory?"

"Even His Majesty himself once said that the Observatory’s jurisdiction is limited to those who break the laws of the Great Zhou Country. It is not to interfere in the development of the various influences."

The old man’s voice grew louder as he spoke, attracting the attention of many guests who began to look their way.

Shen Bai looked at the old man before him and said, "What was your name again?"

The old man snorted coldly. "In the Jianghu, people show me the courtesy of calling me Elder Tianyi. You, Lord Shen, may simply call me Tianyi."

"You old bastard, you think you’re so tough?"

Shen Bai said mockingly.

The color drained from Elder Tianyi’s face. "Lord Shen, why are you being so insolent? Is this behavior befitting your station as a Daoist Si?"

Shen Bai raised his hand and lunged for Elder Tianyi’s collar.

Elder Tianyi moved to dodge, but then he heard Shen Bai’s voice.

"If you dare dodge, your influence will be gone by tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Elder Tianyi hesitated, but ultimately, he did not dodge.

Shen Bai grabbed Elder Tianyi by his robes, yanked him close, and said in a low voice, "I came to Lingyun Dao seeking peace and convenience. I don’t want any trouble. But if I do find trouble, I will obliterate it completely."

"So, drink this wine, and I won’t pay a visit to your influence. Refuse, and I will make your influence vanish into thin air."

"The Observatory or the Marquis of Ren De. You have to choose one. Choose now."

All around them, the patterns of an Array materialized, weaving together to shield the immediate area from sight and sound.

Only the people at their table could hear what was being said.

A flicker of struggle showed in Elder Tianyi’s eyes. He glanced at the wine cup on the table, then back at Shen Bai.

At that moment, the killing intent radiating from Shen Bai was incredibly dense.

Ripples of distorted Space were constantly in Transformation around him, a sign that his Qi was being unleashed.

After a long moment, Elder Tianyi sighed, picked up the wine cup from the table, and drank it all in one go.

He had conceded.

After much consideration, he had decided to submit.

The reason was simple: Shen Bai’s reputation was just too fearsome.

Besides, he had a nagging feeling that Shen Bai had come with ill intent.

’Better to back down for now and see how things play out.’

Shen Bai then turned his gaze to the middle-aged man and said just two words.

"And you?"

The middle-aged man hadn’t said a word or taken a drink from the start, acting like a classic fence-sitter.

Seeing now that Elder Tianyi had yielded, the middle-aged man picked up his cup from the table, drained it, and said nothing more.

A smile touched Shen Bai’s lips. He dismissed the surrounding Array and beckoned to Ding Quan, who stood nearby.

Ding Quan hurried over.

Shen Bai tapped the table. "Have the Observatory monitor these three influences. As for when we can ease up on the surveillance, that will depend on my mood. Also, as long as they don’t step out of line, let them be."

"But if they do, the Observatory is to annihilate them."

He said this right in front of the three of them.

Conflicted expressions flickered across the faces of the three leaders.

Ding Quan was momentarily stunned, but since Shen Bai had given the order, he quickly assented.

"Come now, let’s all drink. No need to be so formal." Shen Bai raised his cup and took another sip.

The atmosphere eased slightly, but only those present knew whether the tension had truly dissipated.

「...」

Before long, dishes began to emerge one after another from the kitchens of Marquis Rende’s Mansion.

The lively atmosphere returned, but many knew in their hearts that it was merely a facade.

Zhang Dao Ling’s expression was grim as he stared at Shen Bai’s back, his thoughts unreadable.

Just then, the Marquis of Ren De finally emerged and began offering some conventional pleasantries.

"Everyone, your presence at my banquet does me a great honor. The food may not be exceptional, nor the wine the finest, but I hope you all enjoy yourselves. If I have been remiss in any way as your host, please do not hesitate to say so."

"Please, everyone, make yourselves at home."

The Marquis of Ren De acted as if Shen Bai’s presence meant nothing at all, simply proceeding with the banquet’s formalities as he always did.

After he finished, he went and sat down beside Zhang Dao Ling.

At that, the guests began to drink and converse, as if everything that had just transpired had been completely forgotten.