C6 A Great Disturbance at the Birthday Banquet!

Xue Chen ignored the guests' snickers, rising to his feet to snatch a roasted chicken from the table. As he ripped off a drumstick and popped it into his mouth, he chuckled, "Now, Young Master Song, you've got it all wrong. I made a special trip to wish your father a happy birthday, and you're telling me nibbling on a few dishes in secret is bad manners? What about your reign of terror over Yunzhou City, bullying both men and women? Isn't that the real disgrace to your family?"

The previously boisterous guests fell silent, well aware of Soong Ziyang's reputation. None had expected the Yin Mansion's son-in-law to boldly call out Soong Ziyang's misdeeds in such a setting.

"Chen! What are you babbling about?" Yin Yusheng slammed his hand on the table, rebuking his son-in-law's impetuousness, "You're not even drunk yet, and here you are, spouting such nonsense!"

Soong Wanli, irked but needing to maintain decorum, played the peacemaker, "Young people enjoy their jests; let's not take it to heart. Come now, let's eat and drink to our hearts' content!"

Spoiled to his core, Soong Ziyang couldn't stomach the affront. Disregarding even his father's dignity, he jabbed a finger at Xue Chen and retorted, "My conduct is certainly none of your business, you lowly son-in-law! And as for shaming one's family, who could outdo you? Born to your parents only to become someone's reverse dowry, you've brought shame to the Xue lineage for generations!"

"Touché!" Xue Chen tossed the chicken back onto the plate and raised a glass of wine with a grin, toasting Soong Ziyang from afar, "Your words are a wake-up call. It appears I'm no better than trash, just like you, Young Master Song. We should indeed become better acquainted in the future!"

Soong Ziyang was taken aback; Xue Chen had stooped to self-deprecation to strike back, and it was like punching a cotton bag only to be pricked by the hidden nails within.

"You insolent child!" Gu Sanqi leaped to Soong Ziyang's defense, berating Xue Chen, "On Master Song's auspicious birthday, do you really intend to wreak havoc?"

With an air of innocence, Xue Chen spread his hands, "Mr. Gu, wasn't it you who started this? Why blame me? Is it that anyone who doesn't flatter like you is automatically causing trouble?"

"Who are you calling a flatterer?!" Gu Sanqi ground his teeth in anger.

Soong Wanli, sensing the escalating tension and fearing the worst, quietly urged Gu Sanqi to calm down. Receiving a stern glare in response, he dared not utter another word. After all, Gu Sanqi was a Cultivator of the Cloud Deriving Sect, and the Soong family was in no position to offend him.

Xue Chen arched an eyebrow, regarding Gu Sanqi with a sly smile, "So, you're a Cultivator from the Cloud Deriving Sect? To us common folk, you're supposed to be a lofty hermit, yet here you are, celebrating a mere mortal's birthday. Isn't that the very definition of pandering?"

Accustomed to adulation from the masses, Gu Sanqi was now publicly shamed by a young upstart. His eyes narrowed as he seethed, "You dare defame me? Do you even realize what you're doing?"

Casually wiping his mouth with the tablecloth, Xue Chen responded with composure, "Mr. Gu, are you implying I'm digging my own grave? Well, let me enlighten you. In my eyes, you Cultivators are all the same—bullies with no real talent beyond harassing ordinary people."

Yin Qionger, standing nearby, felt a shiver run down her spine. She quickly rose to her feet, grasping Xue Chen's arm, and whispered urgently, "What are you thinking? They're Cultivators from the Cloud Deriving Sect, and even the Soong family wouldn't dare cross them. Are you trying to doom the entire Yin family?"

Xue Chen turned to her, inhaling the subtle scent of her hair, "Weren't you the one who told me not to disgrace the Yin family at the birthday celebration? I had to summon all my courage to stand my ground. And now you're scolding me? I'll never understand the way a woman's heart works."

"What if I am bullying you?" Soong Ziyang seized the moment to stir the pot, "If you've got any sense, kneel down and beg Elder Gu's forgiveness. Or else, you can kiss your life goodbye!"

Shrugging off Yin Qionger's grip, Xue Chen strode to the center of the courtyard, fixing Soong Ziyang with a defiant stare, "I'm not like you, picking on the weak and cowering before the strong. Go ahead and kowtow if you like. As for my eyes, I'll be keeping them to admire my beautiful and delicate wife."

Soong Ziyang, still smarting from his failure to marry Yin Qionger, bristled at Xue Chen's taunt and was about to charge at him.

"Hold on!" Gu Sanqi intervened, raising his hand to stop Soong Ziyang. "This young upstart has the audacity to insult me. I shall be the one to discipline him today, so everyone can see that the Cultivators of the Cloud Deriving Sect are not to be trifled with!"

"Excellent! I couldn't ask for more than to be taught by Mr. Gu himself!" Xue Chen exclaimed, applauding. Then, with a sly twist, he added, "But why should I bother with a minor cultivator like you? I have several capable martial masters in my employ. A few pointers from me, and they'll handle you with ease."

Gu Sanqi laughed heartily as if he'd heard the funniest joke ever, "A frog dreaming of eating a swan — what a grandiose delusion!"

"Do you accept the challenge or not?" Xue Chen shrugged nonchalantly, "If you're scared, just scurry back to your sect. No need to make a spectacle of yourself here."

"Fine! Let's see what tricks you've got up your sleeve!" Gu Sanqi's forehead veins pulsed with irritation, "If you lose, I expect you to take your own life as an apology!"

"And if you lose?" Xue Chen stroked his chin, feigning contemplation, "My wife and I have yet to have children. How about you become our godson? What do you say?"

The crowd erupted into whispers, questioning whether the Yin family's son-in-law had lost his mind, daring to risk his life against an immortal.

"A deal it is!" Gu Sanqi, fuming with rage, accepted without a second thought, convinced that defeating a few mortal martial masters would be a walk in the park.

Xue Chen snapped his fingers, "It's settled then. Everyone present is my witness. Just give me half an incense stick's time to prep my martial masters."

With that, Xue Chen headed out of the courtyard to seek out the Five Tigers of Heaven.

Gu Sanqi's sneer followed him, "I'll be right here waiting. Don't even think about running; you know there's no escape!"

Xue Chen gestured toward Old Master Yin and Yin Qionger, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. "My father-in-law and my wife are here. Don't make trouble for them. If you do, I'll make sure not one of you leaves the Soong Mansion on your feet."

With that threat hanging in the air, Xue Chen strode confidently out of the courtyard to meet with the Heavenly Treasure Five Tigers waiting outside.

Once Xue Chen had departed, Yin Yusheng found himself restless at the head table. He moved to sit beside Yin Qionger, taking Xue Chen's vacated seat. The other guests, wary of inviting disaster, quickly dispersed, leaving only the Yin father and daughter duo at the table.

Yin Yusheng, with a hand to his forehead, asked in dismay, "Qionger, how did things get to this point? Didn't you say you'd warned him to avoid any blunders?"

Yin Qionger's face was ashen, her lips pressed tightly together in silence. After a pause, she finally spoke up. "Father, what do we do now, with things as they are?"

Overwhelmed with concern, Yin Yusheng let out a weary sigh. "Angering the Immortal is something we may not be able to mend. Thankfully, their wager didn't drag the Yin family into it. As for that young man's fate, it's out of our hands now. You might as well brace yourself for widowhood."