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"Young master, now... how will you participate in the family dinner like this?" Old Pang asked softly, stepping forward.
Without waiting for a reply, he reached behind him and took an umbrella from one of the guards. With practiced ease and deep reverence, he lifted it and held it carefully above Jun Mo Xie's drenched head, shielding him from the steady, misting rain that continued to fall from the overcast heavens.
Jun Mo Xie tilted his head up, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth. Despite the soaked hair and rain-soaked robe clinging to his frame, there was not even a hint of discomfort in his demeanor.
"Not an issue!" He replied, voice bold and clear, the gleam of pride flickering in his eyes. "I didn't sustain any injuries."
He straightened his posture with effortless confidence, rain still trailing down his face like beads of water off an immortal jade statue.
"This was just a small incident," He added with a casual shrug, as though the life-and-death struggle he'd just endured barely deserved to be called a skirmish.
Well, technically, it was just some children playing games and even sucked at that.
Old Pang looked at him with narrowed eyes. His lips parted slightly as if to respondābut no words came out. Instead, he merely let out a deep, slow breath.
That expression of sharp scrutiny softened just a little.
Because in that moment, Old Pang knew.
The young master wasn't simply unaffectedāhe was untouchable. No one could harm him unless he allowed it. Even when ambushed, he emerged unharmed. Even amidst chaos, he moved like the eye of the stormācalm, silent, inviolable.
And this wasn't the first time.
During the last assassination attempt, when the target had been the princess herself, the young master had emerged from the shadows not only unscathed but wielding unexpected power, mysterious and unpredictable.
Compared to that, this attempt on his life, though audacious, was insignificant.
This time, the young master was perfectly unharmed.
"In that case," Old Pang finally said with solemnity, "you must return to the residence, young master. The master of the house and the Guan family have been waiting for quite some time now."
Jun Mo Xie nodded lightly and turned to go.
Upon reaching the mansion, Jun Mo Xie stepped through the grand threshold, water dripping from his hem as he passed under the arched gate of the inner courtyard. He hadn't yet made it far when he spotted an imposing yet familiar figureāhis grandfather, standing upright like a stone pillar at the entrance to the main hall.
Despite his age, the old man radiated authority, power, and presence. His robes were simple, his hair bound in a neat topknot, and his eyes, sharp as eagles, swept over Jun Mo Xie from head to toe in a single, piercing glance.
There was neither a scratch norĀ a bruise.
The old man's brows furrowed tightly. His wrinkled face twisted into a disapproving frown.
"You troublemaker," He scolded. His voice was gravelly but steady, aged, but still carrying the weight of thunder. "When will you stop pulling these stunts and let my old heart rest?"
Jun Mo Xie could only chuckle quietly and lower his gaze in mock guilt.
"Now go and change your clothes."
Without a word, the young master obediently turned and headed to his quarters.
Within a few short moments, Jun Mo Xie returned. Gone were the drenched garments, replaced with a crisp, dry robe of silver-gray silk, casually tied around the waist. He stepped into the dining hall, where the air was filled with the rich aroma of warm dishes and fragrant wine.
The room was already prepared.
Dishes of exquisite delicaciesāsteamed meat, marinated vegetables, aromatic soupsāwere laid out in a carefully symmetrical fashion across the long table, flanked by silver goblets filled with aged wine. The soft crackle of incense burned gently in the corners.
At the head of the table sat Jun Wu Yi, Jun Mo Xie's third uncle. He was nestled into a high-backed wheelchair, draped in a thin blanket that covered his legs. His posture remained straight, and his expression was calm and intelligent.
As Jun Mo Xie entered, Jun Wu Yi's gaze lifted.
A smile flickered across his lipsāsubtle, amused, and tinged with curiosity.
"I don't know what kind of skills would be required to handle such a matter in such a neat mannerā¦" he said, voice low and smooth. "Mo Xie, your uncle is very curious, ah. You must teach me your mysterious skills sometimeā¦"
Jun Mo Xie's lips curved into a mischievous grin. "Ahahaā¦ Uncle, my skills don't suit your style at allā¦ so let's not go that route, okay?"
The two locked eyes... one playful and the other skeptical.
Jun Wu Yi raised his eyebrows in mock warning.
"Stop. I don't want that talk again." His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward. "Just tell meāhow much of this matter was your doing this time?"
Jun Mo Xie raised one hand, his fingers forming a circle.
"100%." He winked.
Jun Wu Yi stared at him, momentarily speechless. He didn't know whether to laugh or sighāor throw something heavy.
A long breath escaped him as his lips twitched. This nephew of hisā¦ his antics were growing bolder by the day.
Trying to divert the topic, Jun Mo Xie asked, "Guan Family?"
He feigned nonchalance, but there was genuine curiosity in his voice.
"We've organized this banquet for them, right? So why aren't they here yet?"
Jun Wu Yi leaned back slightly, folding his arms over the blanket.
"They're in your sister-in-law's courtyard. Qing Han had a fit of rage."
His eyes glinted with amusement. "This is an internal family matter, after all. It's alright to wait a while."
Jun Mo Xie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. His gaze drifted toward the open balcony where the sound of rainfall continued.
The gentle drumming of droplets created a soft rhythm against the tiled roof, and the flickering candlelight in the dining hall cast warm, golden glows against the walls.
And then, he saw them.
A line of figures walks through the courtyard toward the dining hall.
They were clad in refined robes, looking very graceful and composed.
The Guan Family had arrived.
Leading the group was a striking woman, her expression cold and emotionless, yet undeniably nobleāGuan Qing Han.
She moved like a snow-lotus swaying through a blizzardāelegant, distant, untouchable. Her snow white robes flowed behind her as the wind teased at her sleeves and hair. Despite the weather, she seemed unbothered by the rain, as though nature dared not lay a hand upon her.
Behind her was a tall, thin middle-aged man, clothed in a long robe of forest green. His features were refined, eyes were sharp.
Though the wind howled and the rain poured, his garments remained perfectly dry, untouched by the downpour. It was as though the rain itself refused to stain his robes.
That man was none other than Guan Dong Liu, head of the Guan Family and father of Guan Qing Han.
Walking directly behind him was a man of another kind entirely.
A burly, wide-shouldered elder, his presence like that of a sleeping beast. His gray-streaked hair was tied back, and his face carried the weathered look of countless battles. But his body was still powerful, firm, towering. His gait had the deadly grace of a tiger, and his sharp eyes gleamed like those of a hunting leopard.
Guan Ru Shan, the Guan family's finest warrior.
Following him came two younger menāboth tall, elegant, and composed. Their faces were smooth and refined, their features sharp like chiseled jade. Their every movement exuded aristocratic grace.
The eldest one was named Guan Qing Bo, while the second son's name was Guan Qing Yue.
Though different in temperament, both carried the same aura of nobilityāwell-groomed, well-mannered, and imposing.
Their fine, layered robes shimmered faintly in the torchlight, and their eyes, though calm, scanned the hall with quiet confidence.
Their expressions betrayed nothing, but even a casual glance would recognize it.
This was a family of excellent breeding, of grace and pride, of cultivated strength.
Jun Mo Xie's eyes slowly moved from one face to the next. He tilted his head slightly, lips curling with subtle amusement.
This family has excellent genesā¦ really excellent ones, He thought to himself.
His eyes flicked between Guan Qing Han and her brothers.
They look like embroideries on a pillow cover, don't they?
And in that moment, as the Guan family entered, elegant and poised beneath the flickering hall lanterns.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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