The arrival of the Li brothers indeed caused a stir. However, the guests at the party were mostly on Qin Fengwu’s side, and no one dared to openly flout convention by greeting the Li brothers, lest they be noted down in Qin Fengwu's ledger. This led to an awkward situation where the Li brothers were the center of attention but no one dared approach them.
Eventually, it was Wu Zhongjun who broke the ice and approached them. This was Wu Zhongjun's character – amiable to all, offending no one, and never aligning himself with any faction. Li Tian Ce, with his sharp, handsome features, exuded a powerful aura even while standing still. Wu Zhongjun's presence was equally strong. After a brief exchange, neither man intended to delve deeper.
At this moment, another young man stepped forward. This was Bai Mei Zi’s elder brother, Bai Zong Min. The Bai family played both sides, marrying Bai Mei Zi into the Su family of Jiangnan while Bai Zong Min aligned himself with Li Tian Ce.
“Instructor, should we go over? My brother seems to have gone over too,” Shangguan Yu An inquired.
Chen Jin Chao nodded. As fellow members of the military, Chen Jin Chao felt it was appropriate to greet Cang Long. A few of them, including Shangguan Yu An and his brother Shangguan Ming Ri, Chen Jin Chao, Wu Ling Yun, and Yu Meng Zhi, walked towards Li Tian Ce and his brother. Chen Jin Chao naturally took the lead.
Upon reaching the Li brothers, Chen Jin Chao shook hands with Li Tian Ce and then exchanged a military salute with Cang Long. After their salutes, Cang Long remarked, "The Eye of the Candle Dragon, its reputation is well-deserved."
"It's merely a false reputation," Chen Jin Chao replied with a smile.
Li Tian Ce, overhearing their conversation, said with a forced smile, "I was wondering earlier who among the younger generation could consistently outperform my brother. So it's you."
"That's understandable. Chen Jin Chao said humbly, "Brother Li, you jest. Cang Long and I are likely of equal strength; any talk of me surpassing him is mere rumor."
Li Tian Ce burst into laughter. He then added, "As expected of the legendary Eye of the Candle Dragon. I've heard of your exploits. Are you interested in joining forces with me? We can take down Qin Feng Wu directly and leave him with nothing."
*Swish!*
The noisy hall instantly fell silent. All eyes were wide as if they had seen a ghost. Li Tian Ce was incredibly bold!
"Hahaha, who is it that intends to take me down?" Qin Feng Wu's voice preceded his arrival. Following the sound, everyone's gaze fell upon the impeccably dressed Qin Feng Wu as he entered, followed by a contingent of people.
Before long, Qin Feng Wu stood in the center of the hall, directly in front of Li Tian Ce. The crowd held its breath, afraid to miss a single moment.
Li Tian Ce showed no sign of discomfort and continued with a smile, "It's me. Is there a problem? If I don't take you down, how can I become the true dragon?"
Chen Jin Chao felt deeply uncomfortable with the situation. Both of them had grown up in the compound, and without their families' support, they wouldn’t have reached this point. It seemed that position was destined for them. Children from humble backgrounds had no chance. However, this was reality, and with Chen Jin Chao's current strength, he could not change anything. He could only let it be. He subtly shook his head and moved to the back of the crowd, not wanting to be involved in this struggle among the scions. Yu Meng Zhi, who had been accompanying Chen Jin Chao, held his hand tightly. She knew what he was thinking.
Chen Jin Chao said to Yu Meng Zhi, "I think I understand what Qin Feng Wu is trying to do."
"The highest form of warfare is to attack the mind; the next highest is to attack alliances. The highest is to attack strategy; the next is to attack cities." Looking around the party, were they not all children of prominent families? Qin Feng Wu intended to use this method to tell Chen Jin Chao that his lofty ambitions were mere fantasies, and that this vast land remained monopolized by these powerful, established families.
"Even with my entire life, I might not be able to shake these influential families one bit," Chen Jin Chao sighed.
Qin Feng Wu's strategy was successful, plunging Chen Jin Chao into self-doubt. If he were to be invited to such parties in the future, Chen Jin Chao would eventually be corrupted. He gave a bitter laugh, "No wonder the older generation had ideals and fighting spirit in their youth but largely became entrenched, carving out territories and bestowing titles in their later years. People's hearts do change." For the first time, he thought that man could conquer destiny was a joke.
Yu Meng Zhi could feel Chen Jin Chao's dejection and despair. She squeezed his hand, "No matter what you become in the future, I will always be by your side, never to part."
Chen Jin Chao looked down at Yu Meng Zhi and asked her, "If, years from now, a Chen family dynasty were to emerge in Jiangnan, what do you think?"
Yu Meng Zhi shook her head. It was unclear whether she meant it wouldn't happen or she didn't know. Chen Jin Chao fell silent. He looked up at the men and women at the party, most of whom were either surrounding Qin Feng Wu or Li Tian Ce. Chen Jin Chao felt like an outcast, out of place in this world.
"Candle Dragon, what are you thinking about?" A deep voice inquired. Cang Long, who stood nearly six feet tall, approached Chen Jin Chao. Chen Jin Chao shook his head and replied, "Nothing, just lost in thought."
Cang Long's real name was Li Tian Nan. He was twenty-nine years old and an elite special forces soldier in the Yan Jing military. They had not had much interaction before. Li Tian Nan smiled and said, "Have some time to chat?"
Chen Jin Chao nodded. Compared to other children from prominent families, he preferred idle chatter with someone like Li Tian Nan, with whom he at least shared common ground. Their conversation revolved around military strategy, and Li Tian Nan was cautious, never mentioning his brother’s affairs.
Later, Li Tian Nan sighed, "Actually, my brother is a very ambitious man. His ambition is far greater than you can imagine."
"What makes you say that?" Chen Jin Chao frowned.
Li Tian Nan shook his head, "You'll know when the time comes. Your ideology and my brother's might not necessarily conflict. Time will tell." Chen Jin Chao had not paid much attention to Li Tian Ce before, but after hearing Li Tian Nan's words, he resolved to learn more about him in the future. Having one more friend was better than having one more enemy.
Yu Meng Zhi did not disturb their conversation, sitting quietly in a corner and waiting. With nothing else to do, she stared down at her high heels, lost in thought. No one knew what she was thinking. Like Chen Jin Chao, she believed this circle was not one she could integrate into. These people spoke of policy formulation in various fields or the impact and drawbacks of certain policies, making Yu Meng Zhi's head spin. "This kind of place really doesn't suit me," Yu Meng Zhi thought to herself. Even if there was a next time, she wouldn't come.
Just as Yu Meng Zhi was idly toying with her high heels with the tip of her shoe, a figure appeared before her. Startled, she quickly put her shoes back on and looked up at the newcomer. Upon recognizing the person, Yu Meng Zhi was slightly shocked – it was Li Tian Ce! Why was he approaching her?
As Yu Meng Zhi’s heart pounded with apprehension, Li Tian Ce hesitated and asked, "What is your name?"
"My name is Yu Meng Zhi," Yu Meng Zhi replied cautiously. Li Tian Ce's brow furrowed even deeper. When he first arrived at the party, his attention had been focused on Qin Feng Wu. After their conversation, he shifted his focus away from Qin Feng Wu. Later, while mingling, he noticed Yu Meng Zhi. Her face… it seemed familiar to Li Tian Ce.
"Yu Meng Zhi?" Li Tian Ce savored the name, his expression changing. Yu Meng Zhi found it difficult to bear the aura Li Tian Ce was emanating. Li Tian Ce asked again, "What are your parents' names?"
"My father is Yu Wen Dong of the Yu Corporation. As for my mother, she died long ago..." Yu Meng Zhi replied truthfully. Since childhood, she knew she was a child without a mother and had no recollection of her. Whenever she asked her father when she was young, he would remain silent. Over time, Yu Meng Zhi came to believe her mother was indeed dead.
Li Tian Ce's brow knitted even tighter, his tone growing heavy as he murmured, "The Yu family of Jiangnan, Yu Meng Zhi..."
"If I recall correctly, my aunt's name includes the character 'Zhi'!"
"Li Zhi Qing, Yu Meng Zhi."
"Yes, how could there be such a coincidence in this world? Coupled with her resemblance to my aunt in her youth, she is most likely my aunt's daughter."