The night was quiet and the world seemed still.0

In that small room that once belonged to Qin Xiaohu, Qin Liangchen's son, Luo Chen lay awake. His hands were tucked behind his head, but his mind was anything but at rest.0

He replayed the evening's events over and over, his thoughts circling the same regret. Maybe if I hadn't attended the banquet, this wouldn't have happened.0

A hint of frustration weighed on Luo Chen's heart. But he quickly dismissed such thoughts.0

Even without tonight's gathering, Mi Shuhua would have approached him sooner or later. It was evident that Mi Shuhua hadn't acted on a whim; his plans weren't inspired just by seeing Luo Chen. Mi Shuhua had clearly investigated him, gathered details about his life, and even possessed a mid-grade Myriad Wonders pill, one that Luo Chen had only recently started producing. 0

For Mi Shuhua to possess one was no coincidence—it was a message. The elder had been watching him for some time. Due to this mid-grade Myriad Wonders pill's unique properties, cultivators usually consumed such pills quickly after acquiring them. The fact that Mi Shuhua had specifically obtained one showed his deliberate intent.0

Therefore, even without today's banquet, he would have eventually...0