89: My mood is like those waves

Three days later. The Jiang Family gardens.

The spacious reception hall was divided into two rows of seating, left and right.

Three seats on the left, ten on the right.

The patriarchs of the various families took their seats sequentially, guided by servants.

Seated on the left were the current patriarchs of the Ji and Li Families.

This seating arrangement was highly unusual. Everyone present was experienced and worldly, and they could mostly guess the underlying meaning.

'This is probably a deliberate slight against the families who failed to hand over all the Medicine Kings...' When Ji Wushuang, the Ji Family Patriarch, saw this setup, he grew increasingly unsure. 'Could someone in my family have secretly hoarded a Medicine King?'

Beside him, Li Hui, the Li Family Patriarch, also turned pale.

"Patriarch Li, the Jiang Family's seating arrangement seems to carry a hidden meaning."

Li Hui's expression was serious. Looking at the ten families opposite them chatting happily, his sense of unease intensified.

"Indeed. They are clearly trying to shame us."

"Sigh, we should start thinking about how to remedy this."

The reason they doubted themselves was that one seat on the left remained empty, reserved for Blazing Phoenix of the Yan Family, who had not yet arrived.

The Yan Family was notorious for its internal strife; managing to hand over even a fraction of the Medicine Kings would be considered good.

In the right row of seats. "Patriarch Zhao, this setup is quite interesting. I suspect we'll have a good show shortly."

Zhao Shuang, the Zhao Family Patriarch, glanced at the opposite seats, immediately understood what was happening, and felt three points more reassured.

Since the Yan Family's seat was over there, the matter was likely settled.

"Brother Jiang never plays by the rules. This arrangement... truly makes one ponder."

As he spoke, Zhao Shuang's mouth curved slightly upward, and he cast a malicious glance toward the restless patriarchs of the Ji and Li Families.

Feeling the mocking gazes from across the room, Ji Wushuang and Li Hui grew even more uncomfortable, as if they were sitting on iron nails.

"It seems the main characters today are destined to be those three."

Amidst the small talk, the current patriarchs of the various families had grasped the general situation.

"That person from Xinghai truly has extraordinary influence and connections."

The Cui Family Patriarch concurred, "That is certainly true."

Someone nearby picked up the thread and said:

"Divining the Heavenly Secrets... mastering such divine ability, there is probably nothing in this world that can escape his scrutiny. It is truly terrifying."

Just then, Blazing Phoenix entered the hall. He looked up and immediately understood what was going on.

Guided by a member of the Jiang Family, he naturally took the only empty seat on the left.

"Patriarch Blazing Phoenix, this gathering today might be difficult for you," Ji Wushuang sighed, shaking his head slightly.

Blazing Phoenix snorted softly. "Patriarch Ji, what do you mean? I don't understand."

Ji Wushuang raised an eyebrow, asking doubtfully, "Patriarch Blazing Phoenix, could it be that your Yan Family..."

Blazing Phoenix nodded slightly. "That's right. The same day the Jiang Family arrived, I was already arranging the secret transportation of the Medicine Kings."

Ji Wushuang's heart skipped a beat. He leaned closer and whispered, "Not a single one left?"

"Naturally."

Upon hearing this, Li Hui's facial muscles twitched involuntarily, and he was overwhelmed with ecstasy.

The feeling was as if one second he was buried deep in the earth's core, and the next he had soared above the clouds.

"Patriarch Blazing Phoenix, how did you manage to convince... the Elder Council?"

"I naturally bypassed them. Those short-sighted parasites are just wasting oxygen by being alive."

After receiving confirmation, Ji Wushuang and Li Hui simultaneously wiped the sweat from their foreheads. This rollercoaster feeling was truly stimulating.

The current situation was that all the patriarchs present believed their own families had handed over all the Medicine Kings.

Ji Wushuang's thought process was simple: there were only three families on their side, but ten on the opposite side. Even if someone in their family had privately hoarded Medicine Kings, the probability was certainly much higher on the other side.

Zhao Shuang, the Zhao Family Patriarch, who had always been at odds with the Yan Family and frequently clashed with them in business, cast a mocking, meaningful look toward Blazing Phoenix.

"Patriarch Blazing Phoenix is certainly composed."

"Patriarch Zhao must be joking. I, Blazing Phoenix, have always been decisive in my actions. It is Patriarch Zhao who should carefully consider how he will conclude matters later."

"Sometimes, too much confidence is not a good thing."

Ji Wushuang, in high spirits, couldn't help but interject.

"Patriarch Blazing Phoenix speaks wisely."

Zhao Shuang clapped his hands and laughed heartily, wearing an expression as if he were looking at an idiot.

Blazing Phoenix was also smiling, looking as if he were watching a simpleton.

Just then, Jiang Zhenhai entered the hall from the inner court. Seeing the scene, he could barely suppress the smile on his face.

"This is truly amusing," he muttered inwardly.

After a round of pleasantries, and urged on by the patriarchs, Jiang Zhenhai clapped his hands. Thirteen beautiful women, dressed in cheongsams with graceful figures and holding sandalwood trays, emerged from the inner chamber.

The crowd's eyes swept over the trays, and they immediately grew puzzled.

There were thirteen trays in total. Five of the trays held two thread-bound books, while the other eight trays held only one book.

Blazing Phoenix, who had been full of confidence, felt a sudden panic upon seeing this.

'That shouldn't be right! The family's secret vault has always been under my control. Did someone secretly hoard a Medicine King?'

Ji Wushuang and Li Hui's faces once again turned ashen white.

Only five trays held two thread-bound books, which clearly meant the opposite side had won the jackpot... But what was the deal with the seating arrangement?

If only five families had handed over all the Medicine Kings, the seating should have been five people on one side.

Zhao Shuang and the patriarchs of the other families were also completely baffled.

Five trays holding two thread-bound books—that number was completely wrong!

Jiang Zhenhai felt immensely satisfied seeing the ghost-like expressions of everyone present. If he hadn't received direct instructions from He Ming, he wouldn't have dared to act this way.

This move risked offending everyone present... Seeing the murderous looks directed at him, Jiang Zhenhai chuckled lightly, not daring to keep them in suspense any longer.

He waved his hand, and the young women in cheongsams, under the thirteen pairs of fervent eyes, delivered the respective family trays to the patriarchs.

Blazing Phoenix, Ji Wushuang, and Li Hui watched as the trays holding two thread-bound books simultaneously approached their side. They immediately stood up in unison, their hearts pounding so fast they felt like they might leap out of their mouths.

The three eagerly snatched the thread-bound books from the trays and held them up to look.

[Star Guidance Technique · Phase One] [Star Guidance Technique · Phase Two]

Two books! That was correct!

In stark contrast to the ecstatic state of the three, Zhao Shuang looked at the [Star Guidance Technique · Phase One] in his hand, then looked up at the two thread-bound books held by the three across the room. The taste in his mouth was like having swallowed a bowl of dead flies—it was unbearable.

After everyone accepted reality, they noticed another extremely unusual situation.

The Jiang Family had indeed distributed the cultivation methods according to the seating arrangement: the Ji, Yan, and Li Families on the left all received two methods. But why did the Jin and Cui Families, seated on the right, also receive two?

All the patriarchs present suddenly felt as if they were being played by Jiang Zhenhai, manipulated in the palm of his hand.