CHAPTER 364: CHAPTER 318

Mo Junhua’s eyes hid a faint worry. Last night, the girl’s strange behavior clearly indicated that this journey was very dangerous, so she gave him a piece of peach wood and told him never to let go even if it cost him his life.

The car stopped in front of a mansion, and Lan Tian and her two companions got out, lifting their eyes to see the words "He Xu Palace" in bold above the main gate, which made Lan Tian’s pupils shrink.

"He Xu Palace" is really here. Lan Tian breathed a sigh of relief, the feeling of everything settling let her feel grounded.

Everything started here and would end here tonight.

Mo Junhua had been keeping an eye on her. The subtle changes in Lan Tian didn’t escape his notice. Following the girl’s line of sight and seeing the "He Xu Palace," it seemed like an ordinary mansion, but why was the girl so astounded? He had an intuition that this was the place she had been searching for.

Lan Tian’s expression was now calm, no longer displaying the shock of the first encounter. Someone had already come to receive them and lead them inside.

Lan Tian furrowed her brows slightly, unable to resist taking another look at the person guiding them. He appeared to be in his early twenties, handsome, with an extraordinary presence, and his conversation was not ordinary as he introduced the scenery within the courtyard and the history of the mansion as they walked.

Both Old Mr. Mo and Mo Junhua seemed to listen attentively, occasionally responding, while Lan Tian discreetly surveyed the chatty guide, her gaze then shifting towards the garden.

Confirming again, this person really had no vitality. A lack of vitality meant not a living being but an object. Among objects that could move were only Puppets, which are typically stiff and rigid, not this lively and able to engage in conversations.

Seeing this person, Lan Tian dared not underestimate the cultivator behind the scenes. To create a Puppet, the cultivation had to be at least at the Golden Core Stage, a full realm higher than hers.

As they talked, they arrived at the inner courtyard where the banquet was set up in the garden, and the adjacent Hua Hall was converted into a temporary banquet hall.

Under the night sky, a marble paved path led directly to the garden. Lanterns were placed at intervals along the path on both sides, shining brightly like a rainbow road extending forward, with red lanterns hanging high under the eaves.

Lan Tian and her group arrived neither too early nor too late; the garden was already filled with numerous people, men and women, the lights mingling, suited and booted, fragrant and elegant, everyone with a smile gracing their faces.

The elders gathered at the Hua Hall, interacting and conversing with each other, presenting a harmonious scene.

The guide left the three at the entrance to the garden and withdrew. Old Mr. Mo led Lan Tian and Mo Junhua down the small path toward the Hua Hall.

Inside the Hua Hall, all the patriarchs were from the same era, knew each other, and since Old Mr. Mo was well-regarded for his medical skills, few people were unaware of him. Many sought to make connections with him during the banquet. Therefore, as soon as Old Mr. Mo entered, many waved at him. He smiled, nodded in acknowledgment, and took the opportunity to introduce Lan Tian and Mo Junhua to them.

Lan Tian didn’t know many people in the Hua Hall. After scanning around, she recognized a few familiar faces. Mr. Jiao and his disciples were there, Mr. Yang and his grandson, Yang Lan, were present too, as were Old Sir Ye and his grandson, Ye Junying. After looking around several times, she did not see Mr. Ji and Ji Feng; they probably hadn’t arrived yet.

Lan Tian saw them, Yang Lan and Ye Junying also noticed her. Yang Lan’s usually wooden expression suddenly came to life. He grinned at Lan Tian so foolishly that it was almost unbearable to look at him directly. Ye Junying exuded a mischievous charm, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, and without any regard under the public eye, he flirtatiously winked at Lan Tian. This caused many of the girls in the room to follow his gaze towards Lan Tian, causing her lips to twitch before she abruptly turned to look away.

There were many girls in the room already; no one knew who exactly Ye Junying was looking at. The girls standing in that direction thought Ye Junying was staring at them, feeling secretly pleased, yet pretended to be oblivious.

Everyone, whether acquaintances or not, was introduced by Mr. Mo, who indisputably represents a towering figure in the medical community. Everyone respected him enormously, lavishing praises on Lan Tian and Mo Junhua, applauding their exceptional talents and good looks. Mr. Mo accepted the compliments with a smile, showing no modesty whatsoever.

"Girl, Hua Zi, you young folks go have fun, no need to stick around with an old man like me." Mr. Mo waved his hand to let Lan Tian and Mo Junhua wander off, then he headed towards Mr. Yang.

Mr. Jiao, seeing Mr. Mo, uncharacteristically did not show an unpleasant face nor snapped at Mr. Mo, his expression was relatively calm. Mr. Yang, unaccustomed to this, repeatedly glanced at him, and Old Sir Ye also gave him a few extra looks, clearly taken aback by his sudden tranquility.

"What are you staring at? Do you expect to see a flower bloom on this old face?" Annoyed, Mr. Jiao puffed out his beard and glared. Being inferior in skills, what else could he do? His most favored disciple, Mei Lan, had disappeared with no news to this day. Even if Mei Lan hadn’t disappeared, she wouldn’t be a match for that girl. Thinking of Lan Tian’s superb acupuncture technique, he furiously glared at Old Mo, envying him for his good fortune in having such a talented granddaughter. Oh, how unfair fate was!

Mr. Yang and Old Sir Ye breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Old Jiao was still the same person. Mr. Mo pretended not to see and happily took a seat.

Lan Tian and Mo Junhua exchanged glances and tactfully walked outside; both had tasks to complete. Taking advantage of the banquet not starting yet, it was the perfect time to muddy the waters and fulfill their respective tasks, possibly even stumbling upon unexpected gains.

After a whole night listening to the old masters’ idle chatter, Yang Lan and Ye Junying were almost falling asleep from boredom. Unable to leave without a word from the old masters, they noticed Lan Tian heading out and exchanged glances before greeting their respective elders and followed her.

"Yo, Lan Tian, haven’t seen you around lately. What secret stuff have you been up to behind our backs?" Ye Junying sarcastically squinted at Lan Tian, approaching to hook his arm over her shoulder. Before Lan Tian could react, Mo Junhua blocked him.

"Talk is talk, no need to get touchy-feely. Men and women should not touch," said Mo Junhua, giving Ye Junying a cold look.

"Oho, jealous are we? Too bad, too late; I’ve embraced her long ago when you weren’t here," Ye Junying said with a taunting grin, eager for chaos. Meanwhile, Yang Lan frowned and nudged Ye Junying, signaling him that his joke was going too far.

Lan Tian rolled her eyes, "You seem quite free. If you’re so idle, why not go flirt with your flock of girls? Look at how they gaze at you so mournfully. Stop following us. After romancing for so many years, don’t you have any tact? Haven’t you seen me and Brother Junhua wanting some alone time? You hanging around, what’s that about!"

Ye Junying: "..." Frustrated and gritting his teeth, Ye Junying felt a strong urge to punch someone.

"Pfft"

Yang Lan couldn’t help but burst out laughing, seeing Ye Junying get outmaneuvered by a woman for the first time, and for some reason, it felt incredibly satisfying.

Mo Junhua slightly curved his lips, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.