White Lotus Pavilion.
The next day, Jun arrived at the place where the welcoming banquet for the disciples would be held.
"May I ask for your name?" a servant was standing near the entrance, asking all the guests their name and welcoming them.
"I am Shop Owner Jun," Jun replied.
"Oh! So it's Shop Owner Jun. I have heard about your name before. Please come inside," the servant welcomed Jun inside with a smile.
He definitely didn't know who Jun was and was just trying to flatter him. At most, he had already learned the names of the people who received invitations.
Inside the pavilion was bustling with people. Not only were many residents and disciples inside, but also many tamed beasts. Most of these tamed beasts belonged to disciples of the Beast Whisper Sect, while a small group of them belonged to local residents who probably wanted to flaunt their might.
"If it isn't Shop Owner Jun," Manager Cheng greeted Jun with a polite smile, a beautiful lady draped in a black silky dress gracefully trailing behind him.
"Thanks to you, I got the chance to attend this grand banquet," Jun expressed his gratitude, respectfully cupping his fist towards Manager Cheng.
Manager Cheng chuckled warmly. "No need for such formality, Shop Owner Jun. By the way, this is my niece, Cheng Daiyu." However, the elegant lady seemed somewhat detached from the festivities.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist Daiyu," Jun extended a polite acknowledgment, recognizing her as a peak Qi Condensation Realm cultivator. Despite her reserved demeanor, he felt it was only right to show courtesy.
"Hm," she replied with a nod, offering no further pleasantries.
Slightly embarrassed by her curt response, Manager Cheng quickly interjected, "Don't mind her, Shop Owner Jun. She's not in the best spirits lately, struggling with a breakthrough in her techniques. Please forgive us for any inconvenience," he explained, smoothly guiding the conversation to the next guest.
"People in this world indeed come up with creative excuses," Jun mused. Since cultivators didn't fall ill, it seemed they conveniently blamed their challenges on breakthrough struggles.
Jun decided to join a group of seemingly wealthy residents with modest cultivation bases. "Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am Shop Owner Jun," he politely introduced himself to the gathering.
"So, it's Shop Owner Jun. I am Steward Nie from the Zhou family. This person here is..." Steward Nie proceeded to introduce the members of the group. Most of them hailed from local cultivation families, with a small minority being affluent shop owners.
"Shop Owner Jun, I haven't seen you before on the island. Are you new here?" Steward Nie inquired with a curious gaze, seeking to learn more about Jun's presence in the community.
"Yes, I have recently descended from the Immortal World. Currently staying at the Shop house near Serene Herbal Lake," Jun explained. Hearing this, the group exchanged glances.
"Is something wrong?" Jun asked nervously, noticing the silence.
"It's nothing, Shop Owner Jun. It's just our first time interacting with someone from the Immortal World," Steward Nie clarified, breaking the silence.
"Yes, that's true, Shop Owner Jun. You must know a lot about the Immortal World, right?" Another person chimed in with a curious gaze.
"Well, I can't say that I know a lot. But I have visited quite a few places in the Immortal World, especially the area around the Overlord Spear Sect, where I used to be a disciple," Jun mentioned, subtly dropping the name of the Overlord Spear Sect to enhance his standing among the group.
"You should have told us earlier that you're from the Overlord Spear Sect. Come, have a drink with us, Shop Owner Jun," their attitudes took a complete turn, now more respectful toward Jun.
Some believed his words, while others harbored skepticism. After all, many people claimed affiliation with large sects, and verifying such claims proved challenging.
Nonetheless, they decided to act as if they believed Jun's words, intending to confirm later with Manager Cheng, who kept track of everyone entering the island.
As they chatted, a sudden surge of pressure caught everyone's attention. Four elders from different sects, all in the Golden Core Realm, entered the venue, accompanied by a group of elite disciples in distinctive inner sect uniforms from various sects. The disciples wore dignified expressions, adding an air of significance to their presence.
"Welcome, Respectable Elders," Manager Cheng greeted, confidently stepping forward and effortlessly resisting the pressure from the four elders with his Golden Core Realm aura.
"As expected of someone from Cheng family. I am Cao Fei, and this here is my sister Cao Bingyi," the two siblings from the Immortal World introduced themselves, commanding respect from both elders and disciples present.
It was evident that their status in this group was the strongest, given their origin from the Immortal World.
"Please, step inside; you are the guests of Golden Moon Island," Manager Cheng graciously invited everyone, while his niece couldn't help but admire Cao Fei.
The group proceeded to the second floor of the pavilion, where additional Golden Core Realm cultivators from local families awaited.
As this unfolded, the group near Jun began to buzz with gossip about the unexpected turn of events.
"This Manager Cheng is as cunning as ever," Steward Nie expressed with a disgusted expression.
"True, Manager Cheng must have deliberately asked the City Lord to allow him to watch over the welcoming banquet," another person chimed in while sipping his wine.
Jun, puzzled by the gossip, asked, "Is there something wrong with Manager Cheng's actions?"
"You're new here, Shop Owner Cheng. So you don't know about it. This Manager Cheng belongs to the Cheng family, with a long-standing heritage and a powerful Nascent Soul Realm cultivator backing him. He likely pressured the City Lord to let him oversee the banquet, aiming to form connections with those siblings from the Immortal World and possibly arrange a match between his niece and young master Cao Fei," Steward Nie explained, shedding light on Manager Cheng's motives.
Another Shop Owner spoke up, "Hmph! If it wasn't because the City Lord has been injured, how can this Cheng family act so brazenly?" The others nodded in agreement. However, despite their criticisms, this group of people would be exceptionally respectful when facing Manager Cheng.
"Leaving that aside, who amongst these disciples has caught your eye?" Steward Nie asked Jun, his brows raised in anticipation. Many local residents attended the banquet to connect with disciples from large sects and invest in those with potential.
Jun smiled at Steward Nie's question and pointed his finger at a middle-aged man wearing the outer sect disciple uniform of the Beast Whisper Sect. "That one!"
The middle-aged man Jun pointed at was a peak stage Qi Condensation Realm cultivator, over 50 years old, and notably, no beast accompanied him, suggesting he wasn't a beast tamer.