But he didn't ask any further questions. After all, they were all shrewd people. How could someone who could sit in the head seat not have some kind of background?
Then, Huang Qi sat down directly at the table next to Shen Zhao.
Shen Zhao nodded to him as a greeting.
He then stood up, ready to say a few words.
But suddenly, a middle-aged man of about forty years old rushed in through the door in a great hurry.
As soon as he entered, he wiped the sweat from his face and kept apologizing, "Sorry, something came up on the way. I hope I'm not late?"
Having been interrupted twice, Shen Zhao could no longer tolerate it and asked with a smile, "May I ask who you are? Would you mind introducing yourself?"
The man bowed and scraped, saying, "I am Mei Nianshan, the head of the Mei family in Anzhou, Southern Region."
"Oh, so you're the head of the Mei family?"
Shen Zhao narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair with a tactical movement.
"If I remember correctly, the clan leader notified you to attend this tea party half a month ago, right?"
You should have received the letter at least ten days ago; it shouldn't be late.
Can you tell me your reason for being late?
Mei Nianshan was very displeased and was just about to reprimand Shen Zhao.
But upon seeing his sharp and serious gaze, she had no choice but to swallow back the words that were about to come out and quickly reorganize her thoughts.
"Sorry, there was some traffic on the way, that's why I'm late."
"Is the traffic a bit congested?"
This reason not only made Shen Zhao frown, but also made everyone else frown.
Shen Zhao continued, "Oh, there was a bit of traffic on the way. How did you get here?"
Mei Nianshan replied with a smile, "It's a carriage."
"Riding in a horse-drawn carriage?"
Shen Zhao smiled.
“Those of us who came here for this tea party today ride either spirit beasts or flying magical artifacts, and you actually came in a carriage? It seems you don’t take this tea party seriously at all.”
As he spoke, Shen Zhao poured himself a cup of tea.
Mei Nianshan hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect to be a few steps late, but I promise it won't happen again."
"Next time? You want a next time?" Shen Zhao laughed. "Since you don't value this tea party at all, then go back."
After saying that, Shen Zhao poured the tea from the bowl into the tea set.
"I, I am..."
"Get back home and wait for news!"
Shen Zhao's sharp shout not only startled Mei Nianshan, but also shocked the rest of the meeting attendees.
Who exactly is this kid? How can he be so domineering as to tell a family head to get lost?
Judging from his age, he is only in his twenties. Could he be a disciple sent out by a reclusive family for training?
With a look of fear and unease, Mei Nianshan could only leave the tea room, sweating profusely.
Once everyone had left, Shen Zhao began to speak: "Gentlemen, I am very grateful that you have taken time out of your busy schedules to do me the honor of attending this tea party."
Shen Zhao felt deeply honored. "I've summoned you all here for nothing major, just one thing: the matter of choosing a young master for Qifeng Mountain."
As he spoke, Shen Zhao's hands never stopped moving. In just a short while, he had brewed five cups of tea neatly and then personally placed them on each person's table.
His tea ceremony skills were already extraordinary; the tea he brewed could invigorate people and sweep away their worries simply by smelling it.
Just as everyone was drawn in by the aroma of tea, Shen Zhao directly stated his purpose: "I'd like to nominate one person, Su Yunying."
"We hope she can assume the position of young master of Qifeng Mountain. We hope you will all do us a favor. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"
"I object!"
Upon hearing this, Huang Qi immediately spoke up in rebuttal.
"Why is it that Su Yunying, a mere girl who's only been back for a few days and isn't even registered in the family genealogy, can become the young master? My son, on the other hand, has been listed in the Fire Phoenix family genealogy for a full thirty-four years!"
Moreover, over the years, the Mei family has borne the lion's share of all expenses at Qifeng Mountain. Whether in terms of contribution or status, my son is the most suitable candidate for the young master.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the Huang family has made great contributions to the family, so Young Master Huang Feng should be the most suitable candidate."
"That's right, we all support Young Master Huang Feng being elected as the young master of Qifeng Mountain."
“Young friend, we also know that Miss Su is the champion of the Southern Region Grand Competition, but the position of young master of Qifeng Mountain depends on her contribution to the Fire Phoenix Clan.”
“That’s right, Miss Su has made no contribution to the clan.” If she were to forcibly inherit the position of young master, it would certainly not win the hearts of the clan heads.
Everyone chimed in, each word and phrase aimed at currying favor with Huang Qi.
This made Huang Qi feel very proud, and he couldn't help but look down on Shen Zhao a little.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhao smiled and looked at Huang Qi.
"Master Huang, may I ask how much resources you provide to Qifeng Mountain each year? Please tell me."
Huang Qi immediately straightened his chest: "I won't say much more. All the spiritual herbs and plants, including the annual tribute, amount to more than 20,000 spirit stones that my Huang family provides to Qifeng Mountain every year."
I thought that shouting out this number would shock Shen Zhao to the core.
But Shen Zhao smiled faintly, then poured himself another cup of tea and said to Huang Qi, "Patriarch Huang, thank you for your contributions to Qifeng Mountain over the years. I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and poured the contents into his mouth.
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