162: Chapter 162 A Feast for the Buddies, the First Signs of Friendship

The doors of the Main Hall at the end of the light steps slowly opened, and warm yellow spiritual energy lanterns lit up one after another, making the entire stone path look like a river of stars paved across the ground.

Chen Wuwang walked half a step behind Aelia, his pace steady, his shoulder armor gleaming with a cold silver light under the lanterns.

He didn't say anything more, simply raising a hand to gesture forward.

"Please, come inside."

Aelia paused, glancing at him with a slight curve of her lips. "You really aren't in a hurry at all."

"What's the rush?" he said calmly. "Food should be eaten bite by bite, and words should be spoken sentence by sentence. You're already inside; are you afraid I've hidden a knife under the table?"

She gave a light laugh and finally stepped over the threshold.

The Main Hall was already prepared. The long table was polished from a single piece of Green Rock Crystal, its surface flowing with faint patterns of Spiritual Qi, with over twenty chairs lined up on both sides.

The Chen Family clansmen were already seated, dressed neatly with solemn yet not stiff expressions. Seeing the Head of the Family enter, everyone rose in unison.

"Sit," Chen Wuwang raised his hand. "Today we don't talk about rules, only about eating and drinking."

As he spoke, the clansmen sat down one after another, and the atmosphere relaxed slightly. Maidservants brought out hot soup, the ceramic bowls steaming, and the aroma instantly filled the air.

In the front row, a youth nervously gripped his chopsticks, his palms covered in sweat. An old craftsman beside him gave him a gentle pat and whispered something, making the youth grin.

Aelia sat to the right of the seat of honor, her gaze scanning the room. The Angel Race attendants had also taken their seats, but they were stiff and wary, not even daring to touch their chopsticks.

She gently removed her shoulder armor and set it aside before reaching out to pick up the teacup in front of her.

"This tea of yours... it has a remarkably unique fragrance."

"East Wilderness mountain tea, distilled with a bit of spiritual dew." Chen Wuwang poured himself a cup and blew on it. "We don't rely on Medicinal Pills to stay alert; we rely on this bit of earthy flavor to clear our heads."

She took a sip, and her eyes brightened slightly. "There's no Spiritual Pressure backlash; instead, it's quite refreshing. You... truly live life like it's meant to be lived."

"We were once poor," he said, his voice low. "Three years ago, during a heavy rainstorm, the clansmen huddled under a half-collapsed roof, leaving the last piece of dry wood for the injured to stay warm. Back then, I thought, the Cultivation World talks about talent, Bloodline, and backing, but we didn't even have the right to stand tall. I'm not afraid of poverty, only of a cold heart."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

No one spoke, but many clansmen lowered their heads. Some had reddened eyes, while others clenched their fists.

A middle-aged woman quietly wiped the corner of her eye and continued drinking her soup.

Aelia looked at him. "So this feast is not for hospitality, but to prove a point?"

"It is for hospitality," he looked her straight in the eye. "And also to tell everyone—we are alive, and we live with dignity. Do you believe it? A bowl of hot soup can be remembered by a person for thirty years."

She didn't answer, only taking another sip of tea.

Just then, the sound of metal clashing came from the corner of the hall.

A few youths walked to the front carrying modified mecha parts. One of them held up a curved armor plate, and another took out two metal rods, tapping them gently—

"Ding! Dang—"

The clear, crisp sound echoed through the hall, as distant and profound as a chime. Then, the rhythm began to pick up.

They used discarded thruster casings as drums, joint bearings as bells, and scraped armor plates to create a low resonance. A rendition of Song of the Broken Ruins began to play.

The melody wasn't complex, but it was incredibly powerful. It started slow and heavy, like trudging through ruins; the middle section suddenly sped up, the metal clashing sounding like the clanging of swords; and finally, it ended with the high-pitched vibration of a long titanium alloy plate, the lingering sound echoing in the air.

Aelia was stunned.

She had heard countless celestial melodies, seen spiritual birds carrying flutes and jade maidens playing the xiao, but she had never heard anyone play such a song with scrap metal.

It wasn't a display of skill, but a cry from the Soul.

"Is this... written by you all?"

"A Qi composed it." Chen Wuwang pointed to the youth in the corner who was nervously clutching his chopsticks. "A handyman from the Artifact Refining Workshop. He learns welding by day and writes music by night. He says mechas aren't cold metal; they're brothers."

She turned to look at the youth, whose face was flushed as he shoveled rice into his mouth, looking as if he wanted to crawl into the bowl.

"Is everyone here... like this?"

"More or less," he smiled. "Some grow herbs, some carve formations, some keep watch on patrol. I don't expect everyone to be a Genius, but I hope no one is ever treated as useless."

She was silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "Do you treat every visitor with this kind of hospitality?"

"No," he replied bluntly. "Only people I deem worth talking to are fit to sit at this table."

She arched an eyebrow. "How do you judge?"

"Remember that time at the Black Market three years ago?" He picked up his tea. "You said the bright light was blinding and you couldn't see the contract details clearly. Since then, I've had soft-light formations installed in all reception halls. The seat you're in tonight avoids all direct light sources—because I know you don't like it."

Aelia looked up sharply.

She had indeed said that. Very quietly, and only her adjutant had heard her at the time.

And he had actually remembered it for three years.

She stared at him, her gaze shifting. "You had this planned all along?"

"I just pay attention," he said calmly. "Merchants look at profit; I look at the person. You're willing to provide low-cost technological aid to weak planets yet never publicize it; your mother died from trade suppression, so you hate predators. These are things you said yourself, not things I investigated."

Her breath hitched slightly.

A moment later, she gently removed the star-patterned earring from her left ear and placed it on the table. "This was left by my mother. She said true friends don't need to go through ten rounds of terms before sitting down for a meal."

"So you believe it now?"

"I'm re-evaluating." She stood up. "Can you walk with me? It's too lively in this hall; I want to see your 'daily life'."

He nodded and stood up to lead the way.

The two walked through the side corridor and arrived at the outer observation deck.

The night breeze brushed against their faces. In the distance, the lights in the plaza were still on. A patrolling youth walked by with a short bow on his back, and the mechas stood silently like night watchmen.

The scattered lights of the village at the foot of the mountain mirrored the river of stars in the sky.

"Do you know?" She gazed into the distance. "In the Myriad Realms of the Starry River, most families rise through annexation, betrayal, and assassination. But you all... you're like building a house, laying it brick by brick."

"Because we have no way back," he leaned against the railing. "Falling once means the destruction of the clan. So I'd rather go slow than be reckless. You can fool the whole world, but you can't fool the people you eat with."

She chuckled. "Why does that sound like you're insulting me?"

"It's not an insult," he turned to look at her. "It's a reminder. You want to see my hidden cards, and that's fine. But don't come to make friends with schemes in mind. I'm not smart, but I can tell sincerity from falsehood."

The night breeze blew through her hair, and she remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she spoke in a low voice, "My mother... was also that kind of person. She insisted on fair trade, even if she lost money, to save planets that were on the brink of starvation. Later, she was set up, and her spaceship exploded during a warp jump. When I found the wreckage, she was still clutching an unsigned aid agreement."

Chen Wuwang didn't speak, simply handing her a cup of hot tea in silence.

She took it, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"That's why I don't believe in warmth. I thought it was just a fig leaf for the weak."

"And now?"

She looked at the lights below the mountain and said softly, "Now I think... perhaps it's precisely these 'fig leaves' that keep the world from rotting away completely."

He smiled. "Then tonight's light wasn't in vain."

She looked back at him, showing a genuine smile for the first time. "You are truly a difficult man to deal with."

"Of those who survive, who isn't difficult?" He shrugged. "Since you're here, don't be so tense. Go tell your people to take off their armor and have a drink with the kids of our clan. The fruit wine they brew is strong; if they drink too much, they'll start singing, and they sing even worse than A Qi."

She finally laughed. "Alright."

When they returned to the Main Hall, the atmosphere had completely changed. The Angel Race attendants were no longer sitting stiffly; a few were already clinking glasses and chatting with the Chen Family clansmen. Aelia walked to the center and suddenly waved her hand.

A soft halo of light spread out. Several young angels behind her rose, unfurled their translucent wings, and landed lightly on the floor.

"How about letting the youth of my race perform a Star-Whirl Dance with you all?"

Chen Wuwang didn't speak, simply clapping his hands three times.

In an instant, all the backup spiritual energy lanterns around the plaza lit up, light surging out like a tide, illuminating the entire mountain city.

The lights of ten thousand homes and the river of stars in the sky complemented each other, like a sea of stars on earth.

"Tonight's light," he stood beside her, his voice deep, "is not for ceremony, but to welcome a friend."

She looked at the scene before her, the corners of her lips curving up.

The two looked at each other and smiled, no longer on their guard.