"For instance... Young Master Jun was recuperating at home, and the Dugu Family; heroes and champions rushed forward, but before the record, Young Master Jun had always kept his distance from the seven of them. Yet this time, he took them down in one fell swoop, and even made a wager with Lord Invincible, leveraging a certain auction at the Nobles' Hall, leaving the Dugu Family indebted to your Jun family by ninety million taels of silver. Truly a grand gesture..."

"I also heard that Ying Bokong, one of the Eight Supreme Beings, has strangely remained at the Jun residence... Heh heh, Young Master Jun. Must I continue?" Li Chiran gazed at him gently, her voice soft as silk. "I truly don't understand why your shadow appears in every single affair. What an unfathomable master you are!"

A cold glint flashed in Jun Moxie’s eyes. He let out a low chuckle, his demeanor playfully careless. "Actually, I find it equally perplexing, Young Master Youran’s presence seems to be everywhere too... Truly extraordinary. From the martial world to the imperial court, from the first rank to the Supreme Being, Young Master Youran, your disfigured face seems inescapable. Even if you don't mind it, aren't you afraid of startling the children? And if not the children, scaring the flowers and grass can't be good either..."

Li Youran's gaze fluctuated again, a sharp edge briefly flashing before returning to his usual elegant gentleness, feigning a hint of embarrassment. He murmured softly, "Third Young Master, as expected of someone surnamed Jun."

"Nonsense. Of course this young master is a descendant of the Jun family. Does Young Master Youran perhaps not have the surname Li?" Jun Moxie snorted.

"The feeling is mutual!" Li Youran's gaze drifted into the distance, becoming profound. He drew a slow breath and said, "Third Young Master, in the preceding matters, I had consistently underestimated you; but, ever since the Jade Coral exploded, hehe..."

Li Youran suddenly looked up, meeting Jun Moxie’s eyes directly. "Third Young Master, don't treat everyone in the world as fools. There are plenty of clever people under heaven. You may be one, but that doesn't mean everyone else isn't!"

"Is that so? I presume 'everyone else' includes Young Master Youran here?" Jun Moxie laughed wildly, his eyes sidelong. "If you hadn't disfigured yourself and were confined at home, what would you have conceived?"

Hearing the disfigurement mentioned for the second time, a trace of bitterness flickered in Li Youran’s eyes, which he quickly shook off with a casual laugh, his gaze soft, even taking on a hint of bewitching color. He smiled. "Chiran, it was precisely the explosion of that Jade Coral that made me ponder deeply and understand many things. Although I couldn't be certain before, many individuals whom I hadn't previously noticed have now stepped into the fray; while many I thought I had in hand have become uncertain. It seems everything might not truly be under control after all. However, this makes things even more interesting."

"So, I should actually be grateful for that explosion," Li Youran paced slowly, stepping forward with unhurried grace. "Young Master Jun, wouldn't you agree?"

Jun Moxie roared with laughter. "Could this be called turning misfortune into blessing, or gaining advantage from disaster?"

"Well put. That is precisely the sentiment."

Li Youran nodded seriously, then looked at Jun Moxie. "But I never once doubted you. I couldn't believe that a complete wastrel could outmaneuver me; it wasn't until... the Nobles' Hall auction that I suddenly realized, Jun Moxie... cannot be taken lightly..."

"Impossible. Was there a flaw in the auction itself?" Jun Moxie had suspected this was where the issue lay; it was one of the reasons he was testing Li Youran today.

"Of course there was a flaw! And it wasn't a small one." Li Youran stopped. The two of them had reached the entrance of the main hall. Everyone else had already gone in, but Li Youran clearly intended to finish their conversation outside. "Tang Yuan... a man who could lose his own wife in a wager, yet could conceive such a brilliant scheme, quietly stirring up the capital and throwing the entire city into chaos... Third Young Master, don't you find that strange? Is Tang Yuan qualified? Or perhaps, is he worthy?"

"So that's it!" Jun Moxie finally understood. The event itself had no flaw, but the person did. However, Li Youran underestimated the masses just a bit too much. While Fatty's past conduct was indeed deplorable, for this auction, although the general direction was provided by him, six or seven tenths of the actual execution and planning were handled by Fatty himself. Fatty’s commercial talent was quite commendable. Of course, Young Master Jun certainly would not relay this information to Li Youran!

"No matter how chaotic the capital becomes—in fact, the more chaotic, the better—only through the chaos of the capital can our Li family, the Jun family, the Dugu family, and other great clans find relative safety. The fates of others at this moment can facilitate the security of the major clans, thus gaining time to breathe and lay groundwork," Li Youran smiled. "Our Li family also benefited from this auction, although... the benefits weren't substantial."

"Then you should thank me too?" Jun Moxie struck a pose of benefactor, looking at Li Youran.

"If Third Young Master wished to kill me, I probably couldn't escape," Li Youran ignored his playful tone and continued speaking on his own. "But if I wanted to kill Third Young Master, success wouldn't necessarily be out of reach. Heh heh, my Master is present now, and your Jun family also has Ying Bokong."

Li Youran smiled slightly, infinitely gently. "We are quite balanced between us."

"My Li family governs the civil affairs; the Jun family, the military. This is also a fine balance. And for the time being, I dare not break this balance, and I believe Third Young Master is also unwilling to break it. But if one of us, you or I, were to die, the balance would shatter. Third Young Master, wouldn't you say so?" Li Youran asked, his smile firm with certainty.

"Young Master Youran is far-sighted, indeed, you see things clearly. In this world today, balance is indeed good, harmony is good," Jun Moxie smiled, but his heart secretly hardened: This balance may not be smashed for now, but when the time is truly right, this young master wouldn't hesitate to slip into the darkness and take your head. For this young master, that wouldn't be too difficult!

"I cannot fathom what Third Young Master will do; but Li Youran, in a short span of time, definitely will not overstep my bounds!" Li Youran smiled. "For the moment, I also dare not act too excessively. But should the specific conditions change, Third Young Master will be the first opponent I eagerly seek to eliminate!"

Li Youran delivered this line with seriousness and gravity; it was less a polite formality and more of a solemn promise. Given Li Youran’s character, such words were already tantamount to speaking with candor and openness.

"I believe you!" Jun Moxie’s mouth twisted, adding two words internally: As if! If Li Youran ever had the opportunity to eliminate him silently and without suspicion, Jun Moxie had no doubt he would strike without the slightest hesitation at any time! If he were in Li Youran's shoes, he would do the same. But the current situation was precisely as Li Youran stated: the two of them represented the greatest hope for the Li and Jun families, and this equilibrium could not be broken! Otherwise, Li Youran would likely have already met his end at Jun Moxie's hands! Jun Moxie wouldn't have the luxury of engaging him in idle chatter either.

"So, why don't we have some fun?" Li Youran, uncertain whether he believed Jun Moxie or not, let the corner of his mouth tilt up slightly, drawing out a slight smile. "Judging by Third Young Master's current abilities, your early years were certainly no easier than mine. Speaking of which, we two are somewhat kindred spirits. Both of us are pitiable souls who had no childhoods; neither of us ever got to play. Perhaps we should make up for it. Isn't having someone to play with an opportunity, wouldn't you say?" Li Youran asked with apparent interest.

Jun Moxie coughed, thinking: So what if I also lacked a childhood like you? This young master’s childhood was far more colorful than yours...

"Shall we play murder? Or arson?" Jun Moxie grinned wickedly.

"Murder and arson... that does count as a form of play," Li Youran tilted his head in thought, showing a strange sense of anticipation. "But we’ve played those before..."

With that, the two started walking forward together, entering the Fragrant Hall. Just as they stepped across the threshold, Li Youran murmured low, "Among the younger generation, there are very few who can play with me like this and repeatedly cause me to suffer losses. A very interesting playmate... We should continue playing." He was looking at the floor as he spoke, his voice barely audible, as if talking to himself.

"Continue playing?" Jun Moxie burst into uproarious laughter, glancing at the hundred or so figures already gathered inside the Fragrant Hall. He shouted with extreme impishness, "Then let's continue playing properly! Hahahaha... I shall play with all of you properly..."

The crowd almost responded in unison with a collective tsk, mixed with soft, charming sounds of spoiled complaint and delicate laughter. It turned out one side of the great hall had become a paradise of fragrances. Beauties and talented women were gathered in profusion, sweet air swirling around them. In this gathering, Jun Moxie distinctly felt two pairs of eyes, bright as clear autumn water reflecting ripples, silently fixed upon him.

Li Youran heard Jun Moxie utter those words with the tone of a hooligan, and he smiled silently, a sharp glint flashing across his eyes. There were a hundred enemies in the hall, but Li Youran knew that Jun Moxie’s comment was directed solely at him.

The two separated, neither sparing the other another glance.

Both held hidden cards and had glimpsed some of the other's strengths. Yet, at this moment, their hearts felt incomparably heavier than before.

Opponent!

The word appeared almost simultaneously in both their minds!

Young Master Jun finally snapped out of his reverie. Though the hypocrite Li was currently the only peer he truly recognized as an equal, he couldn't dedicate all his focus to just one person, could he? This Autumn Scholars' Banquet held other matters! He looked up and instantly noticed the distinct difference in this assembly. A major, and very particular, difference!

The elevated, solitary seat at the very top must belong to His Majesty the Emperor of the Tianxiang Empire. Could His Majesty truly be attending in person this time?

Below that, surrounding the top seat, should be the domains of the three princes and other members of the royal family. The 'other royal family members' likely referred to the lineage of Prince Pingdeng, Yang Huainong—there was no other choice, as the Tianxiang Sovereign was truly lacking in descendants, making even his brothers' offspring sparse. Originally, there should have been another seat for Princess Lingmeng, but the princess was likely seated with the collection of noble ladies.

Further down, not far from them, were several tables—undoubtedly reserved for the heads of the great clans. But why was there a single, solitary table slightly elevated beside them? It seemed aloof and detached. Who was that reserved for? This truly defied comprehension!