BXBX NOVEL Chapter 122 The Royal Banquet
In the Royal kitchen, the head chef was supervising the preparation of a sumptuous feast. The aroma of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and simmering soup wafted through the halls, tantalizing the senses of all who passed by. The chefs worked diligently, ensuring that every dish was prepared to perfection.
In the banquet hall, the royal decorators were putting the finishing touches on the decorations. The hall was adorned with gold and silver ornaments, and the tables were covered with the finest linens. The chairs were lined up in perfect order, each with a pristine white cushion.
As the guests started to arrive, the castle gates were opened wide, and the royal guards greeted them with a bow. The cultivators and their families, dressed in their finest robes, made their way to the palace, where they were greeted by the eunuchs, who brought them to the banquet hall.
Around late evening, a royal carriage arrived in front of the mansion where Han Cai and the sect master were staying.
Han Cai stepped out of his residence. He was dressed in a long, flowing robe made of shimmering blue silk. The intricate patterns embroidered with golden thread glinted under the moonlight. The robe itself was adorned with jade clasps and buttons, and the collar was trimmed with sable fur.
Underneath the robe, he wore a fitted black tunic made of fine silk that hugged his slender frame. The sleeves of the tunic were embroidered with intricate silver thread, and they fell just short of his wrists.
Han Cai\'s trousers were also made of fine silk, this time in a deep black color. The trousers were slim-fitted and tailored to perfection, allowing him to move with grace and ease. They were tucked into black boots made of soft leather, which were adorned with silver buckles.
Around his waist, Han Cai wore a golden sash that matched the golden embroidery on his robe.
His hair was neatly arranged in a topknot and held in place with a jade hairpin. His skin was fair and smooth, and his features were chiseled and handsome. As he climbed into the royal carriage, he exuded an air of confidence and refinement that befitted his status as a cultivator.
Han Cai got into the carriage.
His Butler, Yongnian, sat beside the coachman in the carriage. Yongnian was wearing a black Changshan made of high-quality silk. The changshan was embroidered with intricate golden patterns and had a white silk collar. He had a matching black silk sash tied around his waist, and his black pants were tucked into his black boots. Yongnian also wore a black and gold tasseled hat on his head. The hat had a small red button at the top and two long tassels hanging down the sides.
As the royal carriage carrying Han Cai moved through the streets toward the royal palace, he could see that the entire city was bustling with activity. The streets were filled with people. The air was thick with the aroma of various foods being prepared everywhere; it was as if the whole capital was going to celebrate the banquet.
The noise level was deafening as people were talking excitedly, shouting at one another, and discussing the grandeur of the banquet. The noise was occasionally interrupted by the sound of fireworks going off, adding to the festive atmosphere of the city.
As the carriage moved closer to the royal palace, Han Cai could see that the streets were lined with beautiful lanterns, illuminating the pathway. The palace gates were open, and there were royal guards stationed all around the palace grounds, keeping an eye on the crowds.
, Han Cai could see that the palace was even more beautiful than he had imagined. The courtyard was filled with beautiful flowers, and the walls were adorned with beautiful murals depicting scenes from the history of the country. The palace buildings themselves were made of beautiful, ornately-carved wood with golden embellishments that sparkled in the light of the lanterns.
Han Cai arrived late to the banquet. By the time he reached the banquet, he saw a vast number of carriages passing through the gates of the royal palace. Soon, the carriage brought him in front of the palace. Han Cai got down, and so did Yongnian.
They walked towards the entrance. One of the eunuchs standing in front of the palace hall came forward and bowed to Han Cai. Yongnian came forward and showed the royal guest medallion to the eunuch. Eunuch bowed and gestured for them to follow him.
Han Cai nodded and followed behind the eunuch. Soon they arrived in the grand banquet hall of the royal palace.
The grand banquet hall of the royal palace was massive, with high ceilings and ornate decorations covering every inch of the walls. The hall was divided into two parts, the outer banquet hall and the inner banquet hall. The outer banquet hall was where the guests could meet and interact and enjoy spirits and delicacies. The hall was filled with round tables, with guests sitting around them, chatting, laughing, and enjoying the food and drinks.
The inner banquet hall was where everyone would sit when the emperor arrived with the empress. But at the moment, the emperor had not arrived, so everyone was in the outer hall. There were more than two thousand people attending the banquet, representing various cultivation families, aristocratic families, and leading sects in Yin country. There were many elderly men, young men, and women, some beautiful girls, and some young men proudly moving around, trying to impress the beautiful young women and princesses at the banquet.
Besides them, there were princes and princesses of the royal family who were also attending the banquet. The atmosphere was lively, and the guests were dressed in their finest clothes and jewelry.
Han Cai found a quiet corner and sat down. Soon a servant brought some spirits and served them to him. Han Cai sipped the wine; it was actually a high-quality spirit wine. The royals were quite extravagant to serve such high-quality wine to thousands of people, but it did make sense; they had been ruling the country for thousands of years; they must have earned a tidy sum of money. No one noticed Han Cai in the corner; it was deliberate; he wanted to observe the royal banquet without drawing too much attention, so she had concealed his presence to a certain level and reduced his charm to twenty. He didn\'t want to be noticed, but he also didn\'t want to look like a peasant; unless you looked very closely, you wouldn\'t notice him.
Han Cai enjoyed the view of proud, pretentious people moving around, showing off as if they themselves were emperors. He was sure there would have been some nice young master fights to witness if it were not for the fact that they were in the royal palace.
Han Cai was judging people left and right while enjoying his spirit wine. Out of nowhere, two people came and sat near him. It was none other than Cui Wei and Wang Jie. Han Cai had to admire these two, with the banquet hall filled with beauties and princesses and him hiding his presence, but they still put in enough effort to find him. When they sat near Han Cai, those two were quiet and very respectful toward him. Han Cai understood why these two were behaving this way. Their old fox parents knew what was important. Even if they did not win the tournament, with the riches of the Sky Soaring Sect, both families were now set to make massive profits and gain a lot of power.
Finally, Wang Jie was the first to speak, "Brother Han, would you like me to introduce you to anyone? I know most of the people here."
Cui Wei was very direct with his approach. He spoke: "Brother Han, if you like any beauties, just let me know. I am friends with even the princesses of the royal family."
Han Cai was curious and asked," Why don\'t I see any other guests who are not from Yin." Everywhere he saw, all the guests in the banquet were from Yin country, be they cultivators or aristocrats, or nobles. He was curious about other countries besides Yin country, and he had heard many countries had sent their envoys this time.
Wang Jie spoke," This is an internal aristocrats and nobles banquet. There will be another public banquet in a few days, where envoys and ambassadors of other countries will join."
Han Cai nodded and spoke, "Tell me about the people here who are most powerful and who might have a chance to win the tournament."
If Han Cai wanted, he could scan them and get their details. But since there was no warning from his spider senses, he decided not to waste money.
Both Cui Wei and Wang Jie started giving them details about all the powerful families and sects that would be participating.
From the Frost Peak Sect, there were two core formation realm disciples: a girl named Ling Fei, who was walking proudly with her elder, and a boy named Yu Jian. The elder they were following was Elder Huiqing. He was a nascent soul cultivator and a core elder of the Frost Peak Sect. He was roaming around in the banquet hall, occasionally talking to other elders of frost peak.
There was also a golden core realm disciple from the Heavenly Thunder Sect named Lei Yang, who was drinking spirit wine with his fellow disciples. Sitting beside him was Elder Jiang, a core elder of the Heavenly Thunder Sect, who was sitting quietly and observing the banquet hall.
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Gifts are always appreciated, but golden tickets and power stones matter a lot too.
If we reach 1000 power stones, I will release a supplementary chapter.
If we reach 1000 golden tickets, I will release five supplementary chapters.
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