"Mhm, it's good that you understand. Your next target should be the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage. Try to put in more effort in the remaining one month and seek a breakthrough," Xia Yuan spoke.
Xia Qingchen nodded and prepared to head back into the cultivation chamber for cultivation. However, before he could turn around, Xia Yuan who had been hesitating for a while said, "Tomorrow will be your grandfather's birthday. I think it is best for you not to attend."
Because of the matter with Swordsman Pingyang, if Xia Qingchen headed there, there would surely be nothing good for him.
It was fine if Xia Yuan went alone.
"Father, there's no need to worry about me. It will be an occasion where all of our clan will be there. Also, it is grandfather's birthday. What can elder cousin do to me?" Xia Qingchen spoke.
Xia Yuan hesitated. It was one thing to say it this way, but an exposed spear was easy to dodge while an arrow shot from the dark was hard to defend.
After a few rounds of pleading, Xia Yuan finally agreed. "Alright then. Go to our warehouse now to choose an item for your grandfather."
Xia Qingchen nodded silently. He then headed to the warehouse.
In the warehouse, a small number of paintings, antiques, pearls, and agates could be seen.
"Since I decided to attend, I should seriously prepare a good gift so my father can have some face." Xia Qingchen muttered to himself.
He insisted on going not because he merely wanted to wish that biased old thing a happy birthday.
Instead, it was because he didn't want his father to be humiliated and insulted during the birthday celebration.
However, these paintings and antiques before him were simply too mediocre. He couldn't bring himself to gift any of them.
Glancing at the surroundings, Xia Qingchen discovered that there were quite a lot of medicinal ingredients here in the warehouse.
Among which, a few medicinal ingredients could be used to concoct a type of longevity spiritual liquid that would make one even more clear-headed - the Tranquil Heart Divine Water.
This was something developed personally by Xia Qingchen, so the effects were naturally extremely good.
He would be too lazy to concoct it even if others wanted it.
"Damn, that old thing would really gain a lot." Xia Qingchen spoke indifferently. He didn't feel any goodwill toward that biased grandfather of his.
After gathering the ingredients, he went to a secret chamber in the manor to concoct.
The next morning, a bottle of five-colored spiritual liquid could be seen beside Xia Qingchen who had been busy through the night.
He kept it in his robes. Xia Qingchen then went to the study room and met up with his father. After that, they headed to the Northern Xia Manor.
The atmosphere in the Northern Xia Manor was extremely bustling, filled with a cheerful air.
In the central courtyard, eighteen banquet tables were placed and the people sitting were all distinguished guests of the Lone Cloud City.
Those with the lowest statues were at the very least from the martial aristocratic clans and the person with the highest status was one man, a martial tutor from the martial pavilion named Li Weifeng.
The status of a martial tutor from the martial pavilion was extremely lofty. In ordinary times, they would disdain to attend a birthday celebration of a mere martial aristocratic clan.
But because he was Xia Qilin's current martial tutor, he specially came for the sake of Xia Qilin.
His arrival added much luster to this birthday celebration.
The birthday star, Xia Cangliu, was clad in a fiery red-buttoned long robe. His face had a healthy glow to it and he was standing beside Li Weifeng, smiling widely, unable to conceal his happiness.
Staring at Xia Xun and Xia Qilin who were entertaining the guests, Xia Cangliu felt gratified in his heart.
In this lifetime, his greatest pride was that he managed to have such a good son like Xia Xun. He even had an excellent grandson like Xia Qilin.
This father-and-son duo worked extremely hard before they could organize such a presentable sixtieth birthday celebration for him.
"The eldest old master and second young master have arrived!" The guard outside reported in a resonant voice.
Xia Cangliu, who was smiling widely, suddenly retracted his smile.
It was like when one was enjoying delicacies, two flies suddenly appeared.
If it was said that the father-and-son duo of Xia Xun and Xia Qilin had helped him gain plenty of face, the father-and-son duo of Xia Yuan and Xia Qingchen had completely thrown his face!
Xia Yuan had worked hard for many years, but he was merely an ordinary land-owning aristocratic household.
As for Xia Qingchen, he even failed the examination to enter the martial pavilion and had even fainted there, becoming the joke of the city and throwing away the face of the entire Xia Clan.
The atmosphere here instantly became subtle. The representatives of many martial aristocratic clans were frowning.
Those who were qualified to attend this banquet were all from martial aristocratic clans. Xia Yuan was the only one from an ordinary land-owning aristocratic household.
However, who asked him to be the blood brother of Xia Xun?
A martial aristocratic clan meant that there was someone in the clan whose cultivation base had reached the major constellation stage, and he or she had a cultivation-type and attacking-type martial skill. Only when one met all of these conditions would their clan be considered a martial aristocratic clan. At least, that was how it was in Lone Cloud City.
The Northern Xia Manor was considered a martial aristocratic clan.
But the Southern Xia Manor didn't meet the conditions and could only be an ordinary land-owning household.
Xia Xue was at the door receiving the guests. When he saw the two of them, he gave them a casual nod. "Elder brother, you are here. Qilin, bring your eldest uncle and cousin to their seats."
Xia Qilin who was at the side took his time as he spoke, "Come with me."
Under his lead, the Xia Yuan father-and-son duo was actually not brought to the central host table. They were led to a table placed in an insignificant corner instead.
Xia Qilin spoke, "These honored guests that came here today all have respectable and lofty statuses. You guys would surely incur their unhappiness if you sat in the center; hence, we can only temporarily ask you two to sit here."
He spoke like logic was on his side. In truth, this was a clear insult!
They who were also of the Xia Clan, when celebrating a birthday of their kin, couldn't even sit beside the birthday star? They were actually arranged to sit at a remote corner instead?
And what was even more preposterous was that the reason given was that they had to show consideration for the external guests' feelings!
In his second uncle and elder cousin's eyes, he and his father couldn't even be compared to guests who merely had a faint relationship with the Xia Clan!
They came here with good intentions, wanting to offer birthday congratulations. Yet, what they received was humiliation and being treated as irreverent!
Xia Yuan furrowed his brows. He knew that his second brother and nephew had always looked down on them. But he didn't expect they would do things this bluntly!
Xia Qilin unctuously continued, "Eldest uncle, don't be angry. We are all one family. Why is there a need to be bothered with seating arrangements? Why be so calculative, right?"
(Hehe!)
(How easy is it to say this?)
(If you are capable, why don't you get your father and yourself to sit in this corner?)
Xia Yuan gazed at Xia Cangliu who was seated at the host seat. He forcefully suppressed his anger. "Nephew, just go and busy yourself with what you have to do."
Today was his father's birthday. He didn't want to create trouble and cause his father to feel unhappy.
Xia Qilin smiled and walked away. Before he left, he even sneered at Xia Qingchen.
His expression obviously indicated that there was no need for Xia Qingchen to dream about having an easy time.
The banquet then began.
All of a sudden, clamorous laughter and sounds of people chatting drifted over from the door. Xia Qilin had a look of joy on his face as he hurried over to welcome the guests.
The guests who just came were a group of youngsters about seventeen to eighteen years old. Each of them was clad in luxurious clothing and had unrestrained expressions.
They were the fellow students Xia Qilin got acquainted with in the martial pavilion's upper court.
This time, for his grandfather's birthday celebration, they all came by to show some support.
"Thank you all for coming, I will remember this favor!" Xia Qilin had a smile on his face. He straightforwardly invited them to the honored seats at the central table.
"Brother Xia, your words are too serious. It is your grandfather's birthday, how can we not come?" The one who spoke was a skinny martial practitioner with a face filled with pimples. He exuded a ruffian-like aura.
The youths seemed to treat this person as their leader.
"Yaozong, why are you still not offering birthday congratulations to old master Xia?" From afar, Li Weifeng called out.
The ruffian-like young man was none other than Li Weifeng's son, Li Yaozong.
"Haha, I almost forgot the most important thing because of too much chatting." Li Yaozong laughed as he walked forward. He took out a gift from his sleeves and presented it with both his hands. "I wish grandpa Xia to have longevity equal to that of the southern mountains and may your happiness be as immense as the east sea. This is just a little something from me, grandpa Xia, please accept it."
Xia Cangliu was naturally very happy. He praised, "As expected of a son raised by martial tutor Li. How sensible!"
Li Weifeng felt satisfaction in his heart. His external appearance feigned modesty. "My son's temperament is stubborn and obstreperous. He isn't worthy of your praise."
Next, Xia Qilin and his other friends respectively offered their birthday congratulations.
Xia Cangliu was smiling so widely that his mouth was practically open. He silently mused, (Seeing that Qilin's friends are all people with status and potential, in the future, Qilin would definitely be able to accomplish great things.)
Comparatively, when he glanced over to one of the corners, he felt that Xia Qingchen who was ignored by everyone else was an eyesore.
Both of them had the Xia Clan's blood flowing in their veins, why was the difference between them so great?