"I think the Han family's prodigy will most likely win this duel. Although the two may be prodigies of the same level, one has been famous for many days and has a more profound foundation, having already reached the pinnacle. As for this Zhou family member, he only recently broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage..."
"The Zhou family's actions are merely a publicity stunt. Of course, even if this prodigy of the Zhou family fails, he could still become the future chief of the Lingxiao Sect. Therefore, the Zhou family's move is a wise one. Creating this momentum can alleviate the predicament they are currently facing to some extent."
"…………"
"..."
Amidst much discussion.
Lin Xiuyuan, accompanied by the Zhou family steward, had arrived at a large courtyard deep within the Zhou residence.
"Please come in, the clan leader and the others are all waiting inside for Fellow Daoist Lin's arrival!"
After walking through the courtyard filled with flowers and plants, we arrived at the gate. The steward, surnamed Zhou, stopped there, bowed, and extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.
Lin Xiuyuan nodded slightly and calmly pushed open the door to enter.
Instantly, several pairs of eyes turned towards them in the hall.
Besides Zhou Jianwen, there were seven other people, one of whom was Zhou Honghe, the Zhou family elder who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage when Lin Xiuyuan first arrived.
The remaining six were all cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage!
It seems that most of the Purple Mansion stage cultivators of the Zhou family have already gathered here.
"Greetings, Clan Chief Zhou, and all seniors. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Despite the powerful aura of the Purple Mansion stage filling the hall, I felt a strange sense of oppression.
Lin Xiuyuan remained calm throughout, quickly glancing around before bowing respectfully.
"Hehe, no, no, young friend Lin has arrived just in time. We thought you would come later. But the Zhou family made preparations for this long ago and were just waiting for you to arrive."
As Zhou Jianwen spoke, a hint of apology appeared on his otherwise joyful face.
At this moment, an elderly man with white hair and beard, who was sitting next to the main seat, stood up, looked over, and said, "I have long admired your name and heard some of your legendary deeds. Today I finally get to meet you. You are indeed a man of great bearing and extraordinary heroism."
"You flatter me, senior," Lin Xiuyuan said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Zhou Jianwen then stepped forward and introduced, "This is my Zhou family's First Elder, Zhou Feng! In terms of seniority, he should be your third great-great-grandfather, hehe. And this is our Zhou family's Second Elder..."
"...And this Twelfth Elder, whom you met before."
"The other elders are all busy greeting our distinguished guests. They all have long admired Young Friend Lin. Later, during the banquet, I will introduce him to Young Friend Lin..."
Lin Xiuyuan greeted everyone, but faced with their polite words and probing remarks, he only responded faintly and said little.
Zhou Jianwen could clearly see Lin Xiuyuan's dissatisfaction, and couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
Knowing that this move was indeed somewhat underhanded, and was entirely a tacitly agreed-upon transaction, they also knew that it was not appropriate to try to win over Lin Xiuyuan at this time.
So Zhou Jianwen quickly shifted the topic to the matter of ancestor worship, saying:
"The ceremony was just set up today and is almost finished. This courtyard has been specially prepared for young friend Lin to rest for a while. Tomorrow morning, we will go to the ancestral hall to pay our respects and complete this matter."
"Come on, a banquet has already been prepared, just waiting for young friend Lin to arrive."
Lin Xiuyuan frowned almost imperceptibly, but faced with such hospitality and the eager gazes of so many Zhou family elders, he naturally could not refuse. So he followed Zhou Jianwen out of the courtyard and headed to the front hall.
The lobby was already packed with guests, bustling with activity. Red carpets were laid out, colorful lights hung high, and an enticing aroma filled the air, making one's mouth water.
Even though the Zhou family is showing signs of decline and its power is shrinking under the pressure from the Han family, it is still a Golden Core family with thousands of years of history and a strong foundation. It has connections with countless forces!
Now, thanks to Lin Xiuyuan's reputation, this banquet is naturally attracting a large number of guests, with at least 70-80% of the various forces in Pingshan City present!
When Zhou Jianwen and his entourage arrived, the previously noisy and bustling lobby immediately fell silent.
All eyes swept past Zhou Jianwen and the Grand Elder Zhou Feng in front, and converged on Lin Xiuyuan, who was half a step behind.
Gradually, some quiet whispers began to rise...
"Is this unfamiliar face that of that prodigy?"
"It should be. Although he looks ordinary, he has an extraordinary demeanor and the aura of a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert, just as rumored."
"The Zhou family must have had incredible luck to produce such a prodigy amidst this predicament..."
"…………"
When Zhou Jianwen saw this scene and overheard the whispers and discussions, he almost broke into a wide smile.
Although Lin Xiuyuan has not fully returned to the Zhou family, the results he has achieved are still very satisfactory.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Zhou family is now in a state of isolation and helplessness, surrounded by enemies on all sides.
If it weren't for Lin Xiuyuan, the fact that the Zhou family held a banquet alone would have likely resulted in at least half the number of people in the hall being absent...
Now, thanks to Lin Xiuyuan, the Zhou family, a behemoth that was on the verge of collapse, has been given a new lease on life!
Although Zhou Jianwen knew that this matter might upset Lin Xiuyuan and reduce the possibility of Lin Xiuyuan returning to the Zhou family.
But the chances of success were already slim.
Moreover, this is also for the sake of the overall situation at present!
Just like how we turned Lin Xiuyuan away back then, even though we might regret it in the end.
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