Liang Chen agreed to Tien Shih's request, but it seemed like she didn't say anything about it to Tien Huang or the others. Once the sun broke through the night and reached its zenith, both the two Zun twins and Tien Huang himself arrived on his doorstep, the Zun twins once again throwing open the door and bursting in.
"Big Brother Chen, we've come to bring you to lunch!"
"Young Master said that we shouldn't disturb you, but you didn't join us for breakfast so we have to make sure that you eat properly!"
The children ran up to Liang Chen and pulled him up from the couch, dragging him over to the door where Tien Huang was standing somewhat exasperatedly. The Zun twins seemed rather excited and energetic, but they didn't forget that Liang Chen was an injured person that not even the best doctor could help so they made sure to not use a lot of force when they pulled on his arms. Tien Huang stopped them when they reached him, placing a hand on their heads and ruffling their curly hair while apologizing to Liang Chen.
"Sorry, they kept bugging me despite my assurance that you would be fine. Would you like to join us for lunch? We've got some excellent vegetables right now, the dry environment isn't too good for them, but the waters from Moonset Lake more than evens things out on that front."
Liang Chen would indeed have been fine even without lunch, he could easily go for weeks or months without food thanks to his cultivation. But eating was a joy in and of itself so he accepted the offer with a smile and a nod of his head, the twins quickly dragging him out of the house, practically hopping about.
The Zun twins were the ones who took the lead this time, carefully pulling on his hands and urging him towards the circular mansion that was the central point of the estate. Tien Huang followed alongside them, engaging in a casual conversation with Liang Chen since the twins were more occupied with discussing what they should order.
It didn't take long for the group to reach the circular mansion and enter it through a wooden door, stepping into a hallway that was cooler than the outside. Liang Chen even felt a faint breeze blow through it so he guessed that there was likely an array carved directly into the building to cool the entire thing down.
The group moved through a myriad of hallways and rooms until they reached their target, a massive dining hall filled with tables of various sizes. There was a counter at the end of the room that was manned by a handful of people, several doors leading into what was likely a kitchen standing behind them. It was quite similar to a restaurant, there were even signs hung up above the counter that showed what today's dishes were, allowing the people to order from a surprisingly large variety of dishes.
The room, which was almost filled with people eating, instantly quieted down when Liang Chen and his group entered it. But the people in the room weren't looking at Liang Chen, nor was he the reason they quieted down. No, the reason was Tien Huang, the other people in the room quite shocked that someone of such peerage would come here to dine alongside them.
Tien Huang didn't bother with their silence and stares, sweeping his gaze through the dining hall once before turning to Liang Chen and the Zun twins with a smile. He gestured towards the counter at the other end of the room, the four people making their way around the scattered tables until the reached the counter. The Zun siblings' planning paid off at this moment, both of them calling out their order the moment a man greeted them.
"I'll have the fish and gratinated vegetables!"
"I want the snake meat with the roasted eggplant!"
Tien Huang and Liang Chen didn't put as much thought into their order as the young twins, casually picking a random dish that was quickly prepared and brought out from one of the doors behind the counter. They brought their food over to a circular table and sat down, the Zun twins somewhat impatiently waiting for Liang Chen and Tien Huang to start eating before they themselves also threw themselves at the food. Tien Huang smiled at the two kids for a moment before turning towards Liang Chen, moving onto the main topic that he had actually come to Liang Chen for.
"In truth, I didn't just come to you because of their pestering. I have to prepare for some sparring matches against the Enlai clan so I'll be busy for the next few days. I'll require the aid of these two in the evening, but I'm sure that they'll get restless in the morning and afternoon, so if possible, please look after them. I'm sure they'll come to bug you, but I still feel that I should ask, or at least notify you so that you'll be prepared for them."
The sparring matches were quite important to the family, the market in question was an excellent source of income that they weren't willing to lose. As such, Tien Huang couldn't afford to take it easy now that the Enlai family had brought for the challenge again. But he also couldn't just neglect Liang Chen, he had to at the very least give him a warning that he wouldn't be around to completely rein in the children. But Liang Chen simply shrugged his shoulders, not really bothered by it.
"No problem, I don't usually interact with kids, but I'll do my best."
Liang Chen couldn't even remember the last time he had interacted properly with a normal child, the thought of just playing with someone so filled with innocence was heartwarming, a drastic change compared to what he was used to. Tien Huang smiled thankfully when Liang Chen didn't seem to mind it, the group continuing their meal while engaging in casual conversation.
And the moment they finished their meal, Tien Huang bid them farewell so that he could start his preparations. Liang Chen was left alone with the kids, who made sure to properly bring their empty plates back to the counter so that they could be cleaned and used again. And once that was done, they brought Liang Chen along so that he could watch them perform their chores, which mostly consisted of smaller tasks such as cleaning certain rooms or sweeping some hallways.
He helped the two with their chores, an act he was certain would make Yan Ling laugh until she cried if she saw it. The terrifying Scourge Lord, the man who has struck fear into thousands upon thousands of people, sweeping a hallway using a hay broom. The chores were finished faster than normal thanks to Liang Chen's aid, and that could only mean one thing, it was play time.
"Big Brother Chen, come, we have to show you the place where all the dogs gather!"
"No, Big Brother Chen, come, we first have to go play in the lake on the other side of the house!"
The two tugged and pulled on him as gently as they could, only stopping when Liang Chen promised to do both things with them. They drew lots to decide which one they would do first, ending up in the lake that the young girl, Zun Zhi, so eagerly wanted to visit straight away. They played a bit in the lake and then went to the somewhat narrow street that Zun Zhao wanted to visit, playing with the stray dogs that gathered there.
The children went to Tien Huang's room once evening arrived to help him with his preparations, giving Liang Chen the chance to return to his own room to continue his own recuperation. And the next few days passed in a very similar manner, the twins pestering Liang Chen until he joined them for breakfast and lunch, the three then quickly doing the chores before the twins dragged Liang Chen out to play.
Thanks to that, the day of the banquet arrived in a flash, Liang Chen only a small step away from fully pushing away the energy that was trying to corrode him. Tien Huang came to his house early in the morning, clad in an exquisite white robe decorated with silver strands that formed several clouds across the cloth. He politely greeted Liang Chen, not bothering to beat around the bush.
"Good morning, Brother Chen. The banquet will start in a few hours so we are heading out, both Grandfather and Elder Sister Shih has asked that I bring you along so that you can experience the sights, do you mind?"
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Liang Chen obviously nodded his head and stepped out of the building, following Tien Huang as he headed over to the main entrance of the circular mansion. There was already a rather large group gathered there, including the Zun twins, Tien Shih, and Yau Dou, the physician. Standing at the forefront of the group was a man that Liang Chen hadn't met before, but he could recognize the energy seeping out of him, it was the same energy that had radiated from the centre of the mansion ever since he arrived.
The man was a white-haired old man with sharp blue eyes, his skin somewhat pale and wrinkled, probably due to the age at which he reached some of his cultivation realms. The old man swept his curious gaze over Liang Chen, Tien Huang introducing them to each other.
"Brother Chen, this is my grandfather and the current leader of the family, Tien Bao. Grandfather, this is the friend that I've told you about, Cui Song Chen."
Tien Bao allowed his gaze to sweep over Liang Chen for a few seconds before he nodded his head without changing his expression. He turned his head to the front and waved his arm, signalling the gathered people that it was time to head out, all of them setting out and leaving the Tien family estate.
Liang Chen was a touch curious where they were going to hold the banquet and the sparring matches, would it just be in one of the plaza's located in the city? But he quickly got an answer to his question, and the answer surprised him a fair bit. The banquet and sparring matches would be held on a small island situated on top of Moonset lake, a neutral territory where neither family should have to worry about any traps being prepared ahead of time.
Liang Chen was a touch curious if they weren't worried about any elementals rising up from the lake, but he quickly discarded the thought. Since Tien Bao, a late-stage Primordial Immortal, was coming along, the Enlai family was definitely going to send out someone with equal strength. With two such cultivators there to stand guard, why would they fear any elementals that might be born in that lake while they engaged in their business?
They quickly reached the small island, it was only about 50 kilometres wide, crossing the lake by using a bridge that Tien Bao made using crystals. The island itself was rather barren, only a few silver-tinted trees scattering throughout the island. The houses situated at the centre of the island were the only things of interest, they were scattered about in a circular manner with a large open area in the middle of them.
The open area was split into two separate areas, one section was filled with tables and chairs for the banquet and the other section had been turned into an arena. A stone stage served as the centre of the arena, several thousand seats surrounding it in an elevated manner so that the matches could be easily observed.
The people from the Enlai family also arrived as the Tien family arrived, seemingly having agreed ahead of time when they should meet up. The only person from the Enlai family that Liang Chen recognized was the black-eyed and bald Enlai Kwan, the rest he had never met. But just like with the Tien family, he instantly recognized their leader.
The leader of the Enlai family was the opposite of Tien Bao, it was a youthful and graceful woman with waist-length crimson hair that hung down freely. She had a pair of lively yet dignified green eyes, an elegant blue robe draped over her body. The other people from the Enlai family wore similar robes, just varying in how delicate and decorated they were, so the blue robes were likely their family robes. The two family leaders locked eyes, the Enlai family leader taking the lead.
"Same rules as always, a banquet for half a day and sparring once the sun sets. The family with the most wins gets the market. Deal?"
She asked whether or not Tien Bao agreed, but this was how they always did things so it was a superfluous question only asked to be polite. Tien Bao nodded his head just like she had expected, both families bringing out the food and drinks they had brought along and spreading it across the various tables. They allowed the members of their families to spread out and mingle as they pleased, some of the people from the two families meeting up with those from the other families.
The families were indeed rivals, but that didn't mean that everyone had to be enemies with everyone. Some of the people present had friends and even lovers in the other family, leaving the squabbling and rivalry to the upper echelons of their respective families. The families themselves also didn't restrict these relationships, such a thing would only push people away from them. After all, you couldn't help who you ended up liking and getting close to.
Looking at the scene, Liang Chen couldn't help but be slightly surprised, it was far more reasonable than he had come to expect from larger families in this cultivation focused world. It was a pleasant change of pace so he didn't mind it, casually following Tien Huang and the Zun twins around the various tables. He stretched out his hand just as Zun Zhi was about to grab a goblet of fruit juice, snatching the goblet and downing it in one go.
"That one is a bit sour so you shouldn't drink it, I would recommend this one, it smells much fresher."
He quickly pointed her towards a different goblet of juice after he finished drinking the first one, which had been filled with a weak poison that would leave you needing a restroom for a day or two. Zun Zhi was somewhat taken aback at Liang Chen's swift action but quickly went along with what her Big Brother Chen had recommended, smiling in a satisfied manner after she drank the juice.
Liang Chen put down the empty goblet, his pupils sweeping over the food and drinks that had been prepared. He was extremely closely attuned to poison so he could sense exactly which items present had been poisoned, and the sheer number was rather surprising. A good 80% of everything edible present had been poisoned by the two families, both using a poison that would leave you needing a restroom for days on end.
They used the exact same poison, probably to make it even harder to detect just who had poisoned what. After all, even if the poisoned food came from the Tien family, they could just say that this particular poison was used by the Enlai family and probably planted by a spy of theirs.
The people from both families were clearly quite attuned to this particular poison, the poisoned food going mostly untouched, only a few unfortunate fellows actually eating or drinking something that contained this poison. Liang Chen was one such fellow, but he only ate and drank the poisoned food when one of the Zun twins or Tien Huang were about to get their hands on them.
Tien Huang was quite attuned to the poison after having been in close contact with it for several years, but there were some foods where the poison was so well hidden that he didn't notice it. Liang Chen also noticed that Tien Shih was staying back during the banquet, occasionally giving the excuse that she had to use the restroom and taking the chance to vanish for a few minutes.
Luckily enough, the banquet passed without any incident, the sun vanishing over the edge of the city as it started to set. This meant that the sparring matches were about to start, and Liang Chen guessed that it was now that Tien Shih needed him to keep an eye on Tien Huang to make sure that he wasn't attacked before his fights. Liang Chen swept his gaze across the other people as they all headed over to the arena, quietly hoping that things would just pass peacefully to make things easy for him.