"Walk in front of me." Lei said to Sun, who had been walking three steps behind.
"Of course!"
He thought he was being respectful by staying behind, but this was a feast in honor of his older brother's return! It was obvious for the younger brother to be the one pushing the doors open.
'I have no idea where this grand hall is...' Lei chuckled internally.
They walked and walked, before arriving at a staircase.
Halfway through that staircase,
"Young Zhao! And Little Sun. I was just about to come find you, Young Zhao." Ui Feng said with a slight bow.
Sun remained at the front, while Ui Feng positioned himself to Lei's side.
'The Personal Instructor walking behind the brother? Little Sun... That's almost comical.'
Minutes later, they arrived.
Sun proudly pushed the intricately adorned double doors open, and a sense of awe washed over Lei. The grand hall unfolded before him. Its massive pillars, adorned with ornate carvings and painted in vibrant hues of red and gold, stretched towards the lofty ceiling. Beautiful silk tapestry hung from the pillars, swaying gently in the breeze.
The ambient light from the intricately designed lanterns suspended from the ceiling lit up the grand hall. The lanterns were positioned strategically to allow their soft radiance to highlight the tapestries that adorned the walls and pillars. The tapestries depicted scenes of the mythical Ravenous One-Eyed Tiger.
'Amazing...'
In the heart of the grand hall, a series of long, intricately carved tables had been meticulously arranged. Silk tablecloths that wore the Sect's colors covered the tables, and upon them lay a lavish banquet of the finest culinary offerings that the expert Servants could make. Sweet and sour delicacies, meats of all kinds, and bowls of fragrant rice were displayed in an artful arrangement.
The mutters from inside the grand hall stopped as the Young Master stepped in. All eyes were instantly on Lei and,
"The Young Master Zhao Laohu returns victorious from the Trial of Solitude!!" Ui Feng shouted.
'That was my moment...!' All the guests started clapping, some even whistled. 'Well, thanks for making it easier for me, I guess.'
From the other side of the grand hall, it started resonating. Music played with instruments that Lei wasn't familiar with.
The Elders stepped forward, shook his hand, and paid their respect. There were six of them.
Disciples that Lei assumed to be Senior Disciples as well as Instructors praised the Young Master.
As expected, Shi, Fui, and Jin, the Disciples that had accompanied Ui Feng to retrieve the Young Master from the cave were there.
Lyu wasn't. In fact, there were practically no Servants. Lei only understood that later.
Now, it was time to eat!
Duck, fish, meat, chicken, dumplings, rice... So many dishes to choose from!
Lei refused to choose, and tasted everything.
'One round to get a feel for everything. The next round, I'm making my stomach explode!'
The Servants were particularly attractive. They stood with glass jugs of water in their hands. Two never left the Young Master's side. Another two followed Sun everywhere. The latter minded much more than the former.
'Beauties filling my cup, at my beck and call... It is nice being a Young Master.' Lei nodded to himself.
Many many names were told to him. He remembered very few. Why bother remembering the names of Disciples or Instructors after all? The interesting ones, he kept in mind. The rest, he treated like NPCs. Which didn't mean treating them badly or disrespectfully.
"Young Zhao, they have all been paid for." Ui Feng said as he placed his hand on Lei's shoulder. "You can choose whichever you like." His smile was so wide that his eyes seemed to close.
Lei nodded.
'So they're prostitutes, huh? Wait... 5... 12... Did he just pay for 19 prostitutes? Damn. Could have the greatest orgy ever, huh?' He chuckled to himself.
"Young Master, would you like some more water?"
"Or would you rather some Baijiu?"
"I heard the Young Master can hold his liquor like no other, haha!"
"I would definitely like to see that!"
The unapproving looks of some of the Elders became easier to understand but...
"Young Master, have some more meat." The brunette to his left said as she raised her fork, attempting to feed him.
"No, no. The Young Master would like some duck now. Right, Young Master?" The blonde on the right countered.
'Having beautiful women fight for me... I really did make it into heaven somehow.'
Lei accepted the duck.
'Since they're fighting over me, they were paid to attend this party...'
Just as the fork of the defeated started getting lower, Lei took the meat too.
'The real money goes to the end I end up choosing, huh? C'mon Ui Feng. What if I end up choosing all of them at once? Leaving you in charge of everything also means the finances... What a bad move.'
The Young Master looked around for a bit, doing his best to ignore the women around him and their provocative dresses.
"Ui Feng." He called out suddenly.
"Yes, Young Zhao?"
He didn't like to be called 'Ui Feng' by the Young Master. Lei was aware of at least that. But Ui Feng didn't seem to mind now. His cheeks were red, and he seemed in a particularly merry mood.
"That plate has barely been touched."
"Yes...?"
"Take it to Lyu."
"Lyu? Do you mean the Servant girl? Why-"
"Don't question me." The Young Master's tone had suddenly become strict, making the women around him shudder, and some of them stepped back. "Come on, now." He relaxed back into his seat, and his tone became gentle. "This is a celebration."
"But giving such a meal to-"
"Oh, come on. Why not, huh?"
"Of-Of course, Young Zhao. I'll send someone to-"
"No." The Young Master interrupted with a smile. "I want it to be you. A personal delivery."
"Of course... Young Zhao."
The Personal Instructor seemed slightly embarrassed, but he did as he was told.
"The Young Master is so generous!"
"Amazing, caring even about the Servants! The Young Master..."
"The Ravenous One-Eyed Sect really is different from the other Sects!"
"That's right, that's right." The Young Master nodded as calmly as possible. He could feel the hairs on his body stand on end as they brushed and caressed his arms, shoulders, and back. They truly knew what they were doing, as their hands never lingered for longer than necessary. "Come." The Young Master stood up and raised his arms to the side. "Walk with me."
The blonde and the brunette exchanged a look for a moment.
It was time to get the real money! And if the Young Master doesn't want one, then he can have two! More money for both of us, huh? Time to team up!