The Feast at Hong Gate of This World!

It was late night. Du Chen had placed all the Grand Matriarchs, including Lucy and Lily, into his Lotus Sacred Artifacts. Additionally, he had requested Ferdinand to assign people to look after Harry and Old Foye in the Southern District, and to monitor the hundreds of detained commoners. After confirming no oversight, he embraced Beibei and, accompanied by Deboning, arrived at the carriage outside the cathedral. With these two supreme masters providing escort, Du Chen felt utterly confident.

Ferdinand saw Du Chen to the grand doors, casting a meaningful glance at Princess Yuna by the carriage. Suddenly, with the solemn grace of a clergyman, he embraced Du Chen. “My dear Francis, favored child of the gods, I, Ferdinand, bless you once more!” He whispered into Du Chen’s ear, “The Holy Church is with you!”

“Thank you for your blessing, Godfather!”

Du Chen smiled. Even without the Holy Church’s explicit support, there was no need to worry unduly. How many allies did he have by his side? A Ninth-tier mid-level Deboning, over a hundred Grand Matriarchs, and a precious daughter whose Spiritual Power was terrifyingly formidable. With such strength, he could rival an entire elite legion of the Empire.

Haha, Du Chen chuckled to himself at the thought. Damn it, bringing strength comparable to an elite legion into the Palace of Versailles—if Emperor Bargnar knew the truth, he’d probably scream for his guards in terror, wouldn’t he?

Alas, Deboning had perfectly reined in his aura, and the Grand Matriarchs were concealed within the lotus. Absolutely no one could detect them. As for little Beibei, she simply looked like an incredibly adorable, harmless darling. How could anyone tell she possessed such immense power? On the surface, at least on the surface, his own strength appeared pitifully weak!

“Oh, what an adorable little darling!” Princess Yuna immediately snatched Beibei from Du Chen’s arms, showering her with kisses. But Beibei didn’t much care for the attention. She had keenly sensed that this ‘sister’ was different from previous ‘sisters’; this one merely wished to use her father, to make him serve her. Such a ‘sister’ was naturally detestable to Beibei.

In truth, the Palace of Versailles stood directly opposite Saint John Cathedral, separated only by the not-so-large Saint Bovin Square. Yet, Yuna still very formally invited Du Chen into the carriage, crossing the square by coach. Such was the way of nobles—when the Emperor invited, one had to put on a grand display, didn’t they?

The journey was incredibly short. Yuna had just begun to discreetly explain some of the internal power dynamics of the Imperial Family when they arrived at the gates of the Palace of Versailles.

At Princess Yuna’s command, the silver-white main gates swung open, along with the two smaller side gates beside them. The warriors guarding the palace stepped forward to greet the princess, then glimpsed Deboning, who walked expressionlessly straight towards the main entrance past Du Chen. One warrior sternly bellowed, “Halt! State your noble title!”

Deboning had no intention of acknowledging this ordinary warrior. Without even turning his head, he simply ignored him. Du Chen chuckled, “This is my Battle God attendant, Mr. Brook. He… has no noble title!”

The warrior cast another look at the arrogant Deboning and loudly declared, “Commoners are forbidden from entering the Palace of Versailles through the main gate, you!” He pointed his spear at Deboning, “Use the side entrance!”

To make a Nine-Star Battle God at the peak of his power, one of the most formidable masters of the era, use a side entrance?

Deboning did not reply. He merely released a trace of his aura, casting a cold glance at the warrior.

An icy, terrifying sensation instantly pervaded the warrior’s heart. Deboning’s eyes, devoid of human emotion, like those of a man-eating demon, seemed to pierce straight through him. In that instant, the warrior felt a deathly aura envelop him. In extreme panic, he could only fumble for his sword to protect himself, but he seemed to exert immense effort just to draw it!

Yet, the aura of death further expanded, and the warrior nearly collapsed. He experienced the same feeling as the low-tier Aberrant Beasts that Andy had scared to death!

Princess Yuna stepped forward. “How audacious! Lord Francis and his friend, Mr. Brook, are both my important guests. How dare you be so insolent? Retreat at once!”

Thanks to Princess Yuna’s intervention, Deboning retracted his terrifying Nine-Star Battle God aura. The unfortunate warrior was finally saved from the brink of total collapse, though he was now utterly immobile. Several nearby warriors rushed to help him away.

Princess Yuna smiled and bowed to Deboning. “Powerful sir, please accept my sincere apologies!”

Deboning subtly shook his head. “I am indeed Francis’s Battle God attendant, but I do not have a habit of using side entrances!”

Princess Yuna smiled. “Of course, you are certainly welcome to use the main entrance. Please, go ahead!”

Du Chen offered a faint smile and strode with Deboning through the main gates into the Palace of Versailles. Princess Yuna, following behind, was overjoyed. Excellent! The intelligence she had extracted from Mas was indeed correct—Francis truly possessed a supreme master by his side! To secure Francis’s support was to gain at least one Nine-Star Battle God!

Thus, her earlier decision to deploy all her resources to support him had not been in vain!

“Lord Francis, you and Mr. Brook are both my friends. The main gates of the Palace of Versailles will always be open to you!” Yuna hurried to Du Chen’s side, then chuckled, “Francis, this gentleman is truly powerful, hah! I envy you so much, to possess such a mighty Battle God attendant!”

*Let the Imperial Family know you have value, but no threat!* Upholding this principle, Du Chen smiled. “How could I possibly have the ability to recruit a powerful attendant like Brook? He is a friend of mine, and he asked Brook to protect me because he worried about my safety!” This, in fact, was a half-truth.

Yuna’s heart stirred, and she quickly said, “Your friend truly cares for you; what a wonderful friend! I wonder, might I have the honor of meeting him?” After speaking, Yuna inwardly chastised herself for being too eager. Mas had said Francis had several friends who were supreme masters. While she wished to befriend them through Francis and then win them over, she knew it would require a slower approach!

“Of course, but my friend is temporarily not on the Aethelgard Continent. I’m afraid, Your Royal Highness, you will have to wait a while!” Du Chen casually dismissed her.

“Very well, I am in no hurry!” Yuna glanced at Deboning again. By now, Deboning had completely reined in his aura, appearing as nothing more than a gaunt, grim-faced middle-aged man. Yet, recalling his heart-stopping presence from moments ago, Yuna thought, *First, I must determine how much these masters are willing to do for Francis. If they can truly perform some ‘difficult’ tasks for him… then…*

*Should I ask my royal father to betroth Francis to me? A husband who can command such powerful masters would be incredibly advantageous for me! Damn it, Antoine is busy with Avril’s marriage; if I marry Francis, I’ll offend the Prime Minister’s faction!*

Yuna stole a glance at Du Chen’s handsome face, making up her mind. She would first ascertain the true extent of Francis’s value. If… *hmph*, she would mobilize all her resources to marry him!

Du Chen was still calculating how to deal with Bargnar’s questioning later, completely oblivious to the ambiguous look in Princess Yuna’s eyes… The pitiful Celibate Cultivation practitioner was, in this moment, ‘taken with’ by a beautiful princess!

The banquet was held in a side hall behind the Grand Council Hall. Du Chen instructed Deboning to wait outside, while he, holding Beibei, adopted the mannerisms of a true noble, bowing and announcing himself as he proceeded: “Francis, Divine Scion of Sigurd, Lord Francis, pays homage to His Majesty, Emperor Bargnar, my King!”

Stealing a glance at the banquet scene, Du Chen’s heart tightened. The vast side hall was filled with self-serve tables, with imperial servants and singing and dancing courtesans moving through. At first glance, there were over a hundred people, but among them, only a handful truly wore noble attire! Moreover, Du Chen, who had already met most of the important members of the Imperial Family, realized he didn't recognize any of these few guests!

*Something is certainly amiss! A royal banquet… damn it, why are there only a few people here? Where are the princes? The empresses and consorts? Why aren’t these important imperial family members present!? Hmph!*

He had even prepared himself: if Beibei warned of numerous masters ambushed nearby, he would immediately unleash the Grand Matriarchs, coordinating with Deboning for a full-scale assault!

Bargnar, seated on the northern throne presiding over the banquet, appeared older than he had half a year ago. Though he was only just over fifty this year, the color in his brows lacked the youthful vigor befitting a man in his prime, instead showing signs of age. After bowing, Du Chen looked up at His Majesty—Bargnar, the King of Lanning, who had recently sent men to arrest him!

Unexpectedly, Bargnar did not immediately make trouble. Instead, he rose with a smile, extending his arms with extraordinary warmth to welcome Du Chen: “Lord Francis, welcome!” Seeing Du Chen holding his daughter, his smile deepened. *Excellent!* It was rumored that Francis had nearly clashed with the Versailles Royal Guards earlier, but now, arriving with his daughter, he clearly harbored no hostility. Otherwise, who would bring a helpless little girl, who would only be a burden, to an audience with the King?

Seemingly harmless, little Beibei was observing her surroundings, thinking, *Are there people? Is there an ambush? Beibei needs to warn Papa. If there’s an ambush, Beibei will burn this unlucky Emperor’s butt, or turn him into an idiot directly. After all, his spiritual power isn’t very strong!*

“Your Majesty’s boundless grace, Francis is endlessly grateful!” Du Chen casually responded. Suddenly, little Beibei in his arms tugged at his lapel!

*Masters ambushed nearby!?* A cold sneer curved Du Chen’s lips. His Lotus Internal Force began to circulate, and the Red Phoenix Battle Formation, renowned throughout the Era of Fallen Gods, entered a state of一级戒备 (Level One Alert), ready for battle at any moment!

Bargnar cordially approached Du Chen, taking his hand, and together they walked towards the main seat in the north. Du Chen secretly held a lotus in his hand, thinking, *What a good opportunity! Should I just seize the King right here and now!?*

“Everyone, this is Lord Francis, the future pillar of our Lanning!”

Hm? Du Chen was taken aback. What did Bargnar mean by this? His attitude was far too warm. No, this was the trick of an old fox. He must be trying to disarm him first, then make his move!

Du Chen smiled and greeted each royal family member present at the banquet, yet he sneered inwardly, *Come on, isn’t it just a Feast at Hong Gate? The rogue emperor from my previous life, who was also a street ruffian like me, managed to deal with it. What do I have to fear!?*

敏锐地感受到爸爸的精神波动有些异常，小贝贝也开始恶狠狠地盯着巴尔格纳，心里盘算，先烧你的左屁股！

Keenly sensing an abnormality in his father’s spiritual fluctuations, little Beibei also began to glare fiercely at Bargnar, plotting in her mind, *First, I’ll burn your left butt cheek!*

However, Beibei’s expression, as perceived by Bargnar, immediately made His Majesty burst into uncontrollable laughter. “Haha, Francis, your daughter is simply too adorable! Is she frowning? Is the smell of wine too strong here?”

Subsequently, Bargnar’s attitude left Du Chen completely bewildered. Throughout the banquet, they exchanged toasts, and Bargnar was incredibly enthusiastic, yet he never once mentioned sending people to arrest Francis earlier!

Finally, Bargnar even granted Du Chen a seat next to the throne—a privilege normally reserved for nobles of Duke or Prince rank!

Du Chen was still muttering, *This isn’t right. When I entered the city, how arrogant were the Versailles Guards!? It was clear they were targeting me, so why isn’t Bargnar making his move yet?*

Finally, Bargnar chuckled. “Francis, I was extremely happy to hear the news of your arrival in the city today! Hehe! I originally wanted to invite you for a gathering, but those guards proved incompetent and might have caused some misunderstandings. Haha, I will discipline them!”

“As Royal Guards, the warriors of Versailles naturally embody the Imperial Family’s prestige. I am but a humble lord; how dare I criticize the Royal Guards! This is neither my place nor within my ability!”

Du Chen responded appropriately to Bargnar’s “apology,” his tone humble yet subtly conveying his displeasure towards Bargnar!

Bargnar stroked his grayish-white beard, smiling faintly. “Indeed, the Versailles Guards have been far too arrogant these past few years, never putting minor nobles like lords in their eyes. This has indeed caused much dissatisfaction, and even some promising young talents whom I regard highly, the future pillars of the Empire… they dare to disregard, like you, my dear Francis!”

*Is this a veiled apology, without losing the King’s dignity!?*

Du Chen was utterly confused. *Your Majesty Bargnar, just make your move already! I’m waiting to deal with you!*