People soon began to recognize him, and Fu Juemin heard them whispering his name.

He kept his eyes fixed forward, leading Cao Tian and the others straight toward the main entrance.

A man with a wide, blue sash tied around his waist and wearing a small melon-rind cap hurried over. He bowed nearly ninety degrees and greeted him obsequiously, "Young Master Fu, I presume? Please, follow me."

The man’s face was flushed, his forehead and neck covered in beads of sweat. Heaven knew how many times he had run back and forth, both inside and out, over the course of the evening.

Fu Juemin followed the man inside, passing through the gatehouse and the sedan chair hall into the Hu Family’s front courtyard.

Although the courtyard was decorated with numerous flowers and plants, one could still see faint signs of age and disrepair throughout.

Fu Juemin couldn’t help but recall what his Second Uncle, Fu Guoping, had once told him. ’This County Magistrate Hu of our Luan River County is so reluctant to spend money that he won’t even properly repair his own mansion. It seems he’s truly ready to make a huge score and then skip town at a moment’s notice.’

"Young Master Fu, this way, please."

Cao Tian and the others stopped at the entrance hall. As retainers, they were all sent to the rear courtyard.

Fu Juemin, however, followed the man all the way into the main hall.

The Hu Family’s main hall was quite spacious and impressive. The entire space had been cleared out, with a small stage set up in the center. Chairs lined both sides, and several long tables were laden with all sorts of fruits, pastries, and snacks.

Guests were gathered in small groups, some sitting and others standing, while servants moved through the hall carrying trays of tea and wine.

Hu Fulai had actually turned tonight’s banquet into some kind of Western-style cocktail party!

’There were so many things wrong with this, I didn’t even know where to begin.’

Shaking his head, he found Fu Guosheng in the crowd, speaking with someone, and quickly walked over.

"You’re here."

Seeing Fu Juemin, Fu Guosheng gave a slight nod. He then pointed to a portly, mustachioed man beside him and said, "This is County Magistrate Hu."

"County Magistrate Hu."

The previous owner of this body must have met Hu Fulai before. Fu Juemin had a vague impression of the portly man, so he clasped his hands and offered a greeting.

Hu Fulai beamed as he looked Fu Juemin up and down, nodding and praising him nonstop. "Lingjun, is it? A truly fine and talented young man. It’s a pity your Uncle Hu has no daughters. Otherwise, I would shamelessly insist on making you my son-in-law..." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’Thank heavens you don’t have a daughter. If any girl grew up to look like you, her life would be over...’

Fu Juemin was mocking him internally, but on his face, he wore a humble expression and repeatedly insisted that Uncle Hu was just joking.

After a few brief pleasantries, Fu Juemin tactfully excused himself. He found a random corner to sit in, picked up a bottle of some unknown Western liquor, and began to size up the other guests out of boredom.

His second uncle, Fu Guoping, probably hadn’t arrived yet. Lin Wanrong was chatting and laughing with several other lavishly dressed women. His two younger sisters, attended by servants of the Hu Family, were running all over the hall with a group of other guests’ children...

As Fu Juemin casually scanned the crowd, others were watching him in turn. A great many gazes were fixed on him.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped on one spot.

He saw the rather familiar party from the Xu Family—Xu Shirong and his two daughters.

Xu Xinyi had probably spotted him the moment he walked in. She had been staring the whole time, and the instant she saw him look her way, her face lit up with joy as she waved at him.

Xu Xinyi put down the red wine glass she was holding and, lifting the hem of her skirt, was about to run toward him. But she was immediately stopped by Xu Shirong. Fu Juemin couldn’t hear what Xu Shirong said to her, but he saw the light in Xu Xinyi’s face gradually dim, replaced by disappointment and dejection.

Fu Juemin’s eyes fell on Xu Leyi, who stood quietly among the trio, not interacting with anyone. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

He had previously raised the matter of breaking off the engagement with the Xu Family to Fu Guosheng. Fu Guosheng hadn’t objected, but he hadn’t agreed either. He had simply said to wait.

Of course, they weren’t waiting for Fu Juemin to have a change of heart, but for a suitable opportunity.

After all, the Fu and Xu Families had been on good terms for many years. Even if the marriage fell through, they had to be mindful of saving face for both sides.

Therefore, on paper, Xu Leyi was still Fu Juemin’s fiancée. As her younger sister, it would be improper for Xu Xinyi to be too familiar with him on such an occasion.

"Lingjun!"

Just then, a voice called out from his side.

Fu Juemin turned toward the voice and saw a young man in a Western suit, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, walking toward him with a grin.

The man looked vaguely familiar to Fu Juemin, but he couldn’t place the name. Unbothered, he simply turned his head away.

But the young man approached him with an overly familiar air.

"I haven’t seen you in over half a year! I heard you’ve been cooped up at home practicing martial arts? And you even helped the county catch a dozen bandits... Tsk, tsk..."

Fu Juemin treated the young man like he was thin air. No matter how the man tried to ingratiate himself, Fu Juemin didn’t even raise an eyelid.

The young man talked for a while without getting a single word in response from Fu Juemin, and he started to look a little awkward.

Suddenly, he patted Fu Juemin’s arm lightly. He opened the inner pocket of his suit, revealing a packet of what looked like hand-rolled cigarettes. Leaning close, he whispered mysteriously, "A little something new from the Western World. One puff and you’ll feel like you’re flying..."

How about it? Care to join me?"

"Get lost!"

Fu Juemin snapped with a look of utter impatience.

The young man froze, then his face flushed red as he stood up. Glaring at Fu Juemin, his expression soured. "Fu Juemin, I was being nice... Don’t throw my goodwill back in my face!"

Fu Juemin leisurely rose to his feet. After his Blood Refining, his height had shot up to 1.88 meters, nearly 1.9 meters tall.

Standing, he was a full head taller than the other man. Beneath the light of the Western-style chandelier, his frame cast a dense shadow that completely enveloped the youth.

"Don’t make me slap you in front of all these people."

Fu Juemin said coolly, looking at the young man.

The intangible aura of a Blood Refining Martial Artist bore down on him. The young man’s face instantly went pale, and he involuntarily stumbled back a few steps.

He didn’t dare to utter another harsh word, simply turning and hurrying away.

Fu Juemin watched with cold eyes as the man walked over to a small group nearby. After saying something to the few young men and women of similar age—glancing back at Fu Juemin from time to time—the entire group headed for a side door.

Fu Juemin narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction they had gone. He casually stopped a passing servant with a tea tray, pulling out two silver coins and tossing them to the man.

"Go tell Boss Zhou of the Huafeng Cloth Shop... His son is hiding in the garden smoking opium and has set County Magistrate Hu’s house on fire."

Having given his instructions, Fu Juemin lazily sat back down. A moment later, he saw a middle-aged man in the crowd, his face ashen, hurriedly leading a few people toward the side door.

Fu Juemin chuckled to himself, quite pleased. With this, he should be able to cleanly sever ties with the pack of bad friends his body’s previous owner had left him.

He sat in his corner, turning away several waves of wealthy young ladies who came over to talk to him. He waited and waited, but his second uncle, Fu Guoping, never arrived. With no one to talk to and bored out of his mind, he finally left the banquet hall. He had someone summon Cao Tian from the rear courtyard and stepped outside for some fresh air.

The night had deepened, and the festive lanterns were now aglow.

Fu Juemin and Cao Tian strolled aimlessly down the main street in front of the Luan River County Yamen.

They hadn’t gone far when Fu Juemin suddenly heard Cao Tian’s footsteps stop.

Fu Juemin turned his head. There, beneath a lantern hanging just outside the Hu Mansion, stood Su Hui. Dressed in a purple embroidered qipao, she seemed to step out of the faint light, as graceful and composed as a night-blooming lotus, as she walked slowly toward him.

"Young Master Fu."