Night fell.

The vast estate was brightly lit, especially around the main building in the very center of the estate, which was bustling with activity.

The guests who had been invited to the dinner party gathered there, raising their glasses and exchanging pleasantries. This served as a warm-up before the dinner officially began and also facilitated conversation and interaction among some people.

At first glance, it was truly a gathering of celebrities, with men and women coming and going all dressed in suits and ties, and fine clothes and robes, a sight to behold.

Anyone with a grasp of the situation would know that almost all the famous and powerful families in the entire Myriad Realms have gathered here.

Such a scene is a rare sight even in the city of Vientiane.

This was partly due to Li Jia's prestige and reputation, but most importantly, it was due to the rumors circulating outside—it was said that Li Jia had found a top talent from outside who could cultivate and awaken the potential of pet cubs, giving them the bloodline of divine beasts. Tonight's banquet was a welcome party for him, and also a way to introduce and announce his identity to the outside world.

so.

On the surface, everyone present was chatting and laughing with each other, but in reality, they were secretly paying attention to all the sounds and actions of the entire banquet, wondering in their hearts who this mysterious top talent was.

The atmosphere reached a small climax after the Jiang family father and son arrived.

"Mr. Jiang?!"

"I really didn't expect to run into you here!"

Among all the powerful families in the Myriad Realms Heaven, who doesn't know that the relationship between the Li family and the Jiang family is not as harmonious as it seems on the surface?

However.

At this moment, Jiang Chengping, the current head of the Jiang family, appeared at the banquet held at the Li family home with his son Jiang Ye, which immediately caused quite a stir. As the father and son of the Jiang family appeared at such a social banquet, they naturally became the object of many people's flattery.

Listening to the effusive praise from those around him, Jiang Ye remained indifferent, his gaze sweeping across the banquet hall as if searching for something.

But after looking around twice, he still couldn't find the figure he was looking for, and he couldn't help but frown.

Upon seeing this.

Jiang Chengping smiled and said a few words to the crowd surrounding him, then pulled Jiang Ye to a relatively secluded spot.

"Didn't you find the person you were talking about?"

"No."

Jiang Ye frowned and shook his head.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chengping couldn't help but frown slightly.

"According to what you said, that kid surnamed Lu does indeed have the ability to raise pet cubs with the bloodline of divine beasts, and his identity is very likely to have a deep connection with the Li family. In addition, he killed Zhong Bei, and now only by joining the Li family can he save his life. Therefore, the protagonist of tonight's banquet must be that kid!"

"If that's the case, they should be eager to show him off to the public as soon as they leave home. Why haven't we seen him yet?"

As Li Jia's longtime rival, Jiang Chengping obviously had a better understanding of Li Jia's style.

That's why he felt there was something strange about tonight's banquet.

"Let's wait a bit longer!" Jiang Ye couldn't come up with a solution, so he could only say, "Anyway, if that kid surnamed Lu is really the main character tonight, he'll definitely make an appearance later. It's not too late to carry out our plan then!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chengping nodded.

"This is the only thing we can do right now."

...

at the same time.

Lu Yuan, dressed in a black casual suit, was strolling around his family estate.

"Mr. Lu, the banquet has already started, we should hurry over too," Zhang Ya said, following behind Lu Yuan.

"What's the rush? Let's stroll around a bit more!"

Ignoring Zhang Ya's urging, Lu Yuan continued walking ahead on his own.

"But……"

Zhang Ya wanted to say something, but Lu Yuan suddenly interrupted her.

"Hey! What kind of place is that?"

Following the direction Lu Yuan pointed, a dark building stood not far away, looking inexplicably frightening.

Zhang Ya glanced at it only once before quickly looking away and lowering her head in slight panic.

"That was a prison specifically used to detain criminals."

"Prison?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, immediately becoming interested.

"There's a prison like this right outside the manor? Who's being held inside?"

"this……"

Zhang Ya seemed hesitant, stammering and refusing to speak, which only made Lu Yuan more curious.

"Judging from your appearance, there must be people locked up inside. I wonder what kind of people are locked up there. Could you take me in to have a look?"

Zhang Ya was curious, but she didn't expect that Lu Yuan would want to visit the prison where criminals were held. She panicked and became flustered.

"Mr. Lu, without orders from the patriarch and the young master, we cannot go in!"

"Not to mention that prison is terrifying; nobody even dares to go near it on ordinary days. Now let me take you inside to see it... this, this..."

Zhang Ya was so anxious that she spun around in circles, her big, watery eyes already brimming with tears.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn't bear to tease her anymore and waved his hand with a smile.

"I was just joking. If you don't want to take me there, then I won't go."

Hearing Lu Yuan say that, Zhang Ya's heart finally calmed down a little, but before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face, and even her back was soaked with cold sweat.

Zhang Ya raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, sniffed, and turned away.

"Mr. Lu, the banquet has already started, let's hurry over!"

It seemed that the conversation had left Zhang Ya with a deep psychological scar. This time, no matter what Lu Yuan said, Zhang Ya was unwilling to continue taking him around the manor. Without saying a word, she led him toward the banquet venue.

Watching Zhang Ya's hurried figure walk away, Lu Yuan knew that today's exploration of the manor had to end here, and he could only leave with her.

As he was leaving, he glanced back at the unassuming prison behind him, narrowed his eyes slightly, and seemed to be deep in thought.

...

"Mr. Lu, the banquet is about to begin. Young Master Li wants you to go directly to him after you enter the venue," Zhang Ya said respectfully as she escorted Lu Yuan into the banquet hall.

"I see."

Lu Yuan straightened his clothes slightly, then walked into the banquet hall with a smile. His warm smile immediately attracted the attention of many young ladies present.

However, because Lu Yuan was low-key and looked young, and was accompanied by no one, most people regarded him as a rich young master who had come out to see the world and did not take him seriously.

but.

Li Xingchi, who was chatting and laughing with the people around him, suddenly lit up when he saw Lu Yuan and waved to him from a distance.

At this moment, almost everyone in the hall focused their attention on Lu Yuan.

As the heir of the Li family, Li Xingchi is always the center of attention wherever he goes. He is usually very reserved. When have you ever seen him show such a happy expression?

Without even saying a word, everyone present could guess that Lu Yuan's identity was extraordinary.

But……

Everyone present was from the same circle, and they all knew each other. Even if they didn't talk to each other, they were all very familiar with each other.

But Lu Yuan's face was completely unfamiliar to them.

For a moment, almost everyone was secretly guessing Lu Yuan's identity.

at the same time.

The Jiang family father and son, who were chatting with someone not far away, also noticed Lu Yuan and couldn't help but exchange a glance.

"It's finally here!"