Mansion City… what business could there be?
Mansion City is far from Fei Lei City. Xu Ji primarily focuses on the wood carving shop, and the wood carving business simply doesn’t extend to Mansion City.
However, Xu Heli remained silent, his eyes chillingly serene.
Xu Beihu…
That tiger-headed and simple-minded younger brother, whose sense of smell was so keen, had taken his family and fled early.
It was truly a decisive move.
But, it was just as well…
Xu Heli glanced at Xu You and slowly sipped his wine.
When all the dishes and drinks were served,
Old Master Xu personally raised his glass. He coughed lightly, his expression somewhat unsightly, “Xu Ji has been rooted in Fei Lei City for over two hundred years. Now, in Fei Lei City, the Si Family has declined, the Yang Family has perished, and the An Family has relocated. Of the once Four Great Aristocratic Families, only our Xu Family remains.”
“Xu Ji has also completely dominated the major share, controlling all the wood carving business in Fei Lei City, making a fortune daily, a thriving business which is indeed gratifying.”
Old Master Xu said softly.
Xu You and the others quickly poured wine, toasting in congratulation.
Yet, Xu You was extremely anxious inside, already thinking about how to extricate himself, planning to find an opportunity to leave the banquet to catch up with Li Che’s family and bid them farewell.
A sip of wine went down.
But Xu You didn’t think too much about it.
“Ah You, your mother passed away early, and I haven’t paid much attention to you. Have you ever resented your father?”
Xu Nanming poured a cup of wine for Xu You, the strong liquid appearing as a translucent red, resembling diluted blood.
Xu You hesitantly picked up his wine cup, “How could a child resent his father? As the head of the Xu Family, father has too many things to handle.”
Actually, Xu You harbored resentment towards Xu Nanming in his heart. Xu Nanming’s focus and attention on Xu Heli and Xu Beihu far exceeded that on him.
Xu You knew it was because his mother was merely a refugee who had fled here.
With no notable maternal family, and because his mother passed away early, Xu Nanming really didn’t have much affection.
So Xu You had long since resigned himself to fate.
However, the Xu Family raised him and nurtured him, and this grace of upbringing alone was enough to make Xu You strive to work for the Xu Family, to repay them.
Xu Nanming smiled at Xu You, his eyes somewhat wistful.
Xu You’s temperament… really nothing like his.
More like his mother, that woman who had fled here, yet had caught his eye at first sight, gentle and quiet, but… died early.
If Xu You’s mother hadn’t died, perhaps Xu Nanming wouldn’t have neglected Xu You so.
“Drink.” Xu Nanming said gently.
Together with Xu You, they drank the wine in their cups.
Afterwards, he reached out and patted Xu You’s shoulder, a rare gesture that stirred something deep within Xu You.
“Little You, you’ve grown up so quickly…”
“Come, drink a cup with Grandpa.”
The frail Old Master Xu, leaning on a cane beside the chair, also lifted his cloudy eyes to Xu You.
Xu You quickly rose in alarm, holding up his wine cup with both hands.
Both had downed their drinks.
Xu Heli also poured a glass of wine, walked over to Li Che’s side, patted him on the shoulder, clinked his cup against Li Che’s, and downed his drink as well.
Li Che did not refuse; after three glasses, the intense effect of the alcohol immediately began to churn within him.
Even though the attitudes of the old master and his father were somewhat abnormal today, Li Che did not care, guessing they probably had some dangerous task they wanted him to undertake.
He had long been accustomed to such situations.
Suddenly.
Li Che’s brow furrowed as an uncontrollable burp surged up from his chest to his throat.
The next moment, as the burp escaped, an extremely intense smell of blood enveloped his throat, overpowering the smell of the alcohol, causing Li Che’s body to tremble slightly.
“This wine…”
Li Che’s eyes narrowed. He looked around and saw Xu Nanming, Xu Heli, and Old Master Xu had all put down their wine cups.
Their gazes fixed on him.
An inexplicable chill suddenly sprang up from the Heavenly Spirit Cover, spreading instantaneously throughout his limbs and bones, as if to freeze his entire body.
Hum—
A buzzing sound resonated from his eardrums, shrill and piercing, assaulting his mind.
“You…”
Li Che tasted the extremely intense bloody flavor in his mouth.
He seemed to have understood something, that so-called familial love, so-called brotherly affection, were all just an illusion!
He stared at the wine, which was almost like blood, as his face twitched uncontrollably.
“Have you all gone mad?!”
Li Che staggered to his feet, instantly knocking over the chair beneath him.
Thud—!
A dull bell sound suddenly shattered the storm, emanating from the direction of the City Lord’s Mansion. The bell’s penetration power was very strong, and its waves rippled outwards in all directions.
Li Che only felt a splitting headache and a chill over his body.
“This is…”
Old Master Xu gazed outside, listening to the sound of the bell waves, and exhaled a breath.
“The Thousand Infants Carving Banquet has begun…”
The Thousand Infants Carving Banquet?
Li Che’s mind was foggy and confused. Wasn’t it the Thousand Buddha Carving Banquet?
Xu Nanming stood up and walked into the shadows, suddenly pulling off the black cloth, revealing candles flickering behind him.
In an instant, it illuminated the previously hidden part of the room.
There were one after another of Spirit Infant Wood Carvings, each different in appearance, featuring Buddhas and spirit infants, boys and girls, expressing joy, anger, sorrow, grief and all seven emotions!
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Li Che only felt the world spinning, accompanied by a deafening buzz in his ears.
Under the glow of the burning candles, those Spirit Infants and Buddha statues seemed as if they had come to life, with a variety of laughter, crying, and shouting sounds echoing ceaselessly.
Threads of Divinity twisted out from these wood carvings like venomous snakes flicking their tongues, crawling down the carvings, contorting their bodies, dragging across the floor.