Father and son of the Cheng family were discussing the gifts to prepare for the Qin family’s promotion banquet.

After the head of the Cheng family and the elders had roughly decided on the gift list, they brought it to Cheng Yiming for his review.

It’s not that Cheng Yiming’s opinion was above the entire clan.

It’s just that he usually stayed with the Qin family, knew them best, and was also a follower of the Qin family’s Fifth Miss, so he had a better grasp of the appropriate scale for the gift.

After reviewing the gift list, Cheng Yiming said, “The gifts are still a bit light. They should be increased by threefold.”

The head of the Cheng family frowned after hearing this, took the list, and examined it carefully. “Hmm, it’s already more generous than the usual gifts for a Silver-ranked banquet. Why do you still think it’s light?”

Cheng Yiming didn’t explain much but hinted, “I heard from the Fifth Miss that the Qin family might publicly reward their two subsidiary families at the promotion banquet. The Qin family is now Silver-ranked, and to publicly reward others at such an event would surely be to showcase their family’s strength, so the weight of these rewards…”

Cheng Yiming didn’t finish his sentence, but the head of the Cheng family immediately understood.

If the Qin family planned to showcase their strength by rewarding their subsidiary families, it was a legitimate and highly effective method.

Given the many families present at the banquet, the Qin family’s rewards would certainly be very generous.

Realizing this, the head of the Cheng family acknowledged that the gifts they had prepared were indeed too light.

He quickly reviewed the list in his mind and had a rough idea of what additional items should be added.

Over the past few years, the Qin family had become increasingly prosperous, and as their subsidiary family, the Cheng family had also benefited greatly, accumulating considerable wealth.

“Fortunately, we have Yiming within the Qin family, otherwise, we might have truly appeared negligent this time,” the head of the Cheng family said with mixed feelings.

It was thanks to his son’s keen eye that they had recognized the Fifth Miss as a favored person, leading to the Qin family’s rapid rise.

The head of the Cheng family certainly believed his son, but he didn’t fully grasp the significance behind the term “favored person.”

Now, three years later, as the Qin family quickly ascended to Silver rank, he finally understood just how fortunate the Cheng family was to have allied with such a powerful patron.

Seeing his father’s expression, Cheng Yiming knew what he was thinking and smiled to himself.

He thought his father’s musings were somewhat superficial.

In his view, while the Qin family’s rapid rise was surprising, it was within reason.

After all, the Qin ancestor had long been the most formidable person in South Ridge, and her Golden Core formation was expected.

What truly amazed him was the Fifth Miss’s cultivation progress.

No one knew the shock Cheng Yiming felt upon seeing Qin Ruqing after her return.

He was well aware of her cultivation level before she left and how much it had changed after her trip to South Ridge.

Noticing his father’s misplaced focus, Cheng Yiming couldn’t help but mention, “Father, do you know the true reason behind the Qin family’s promotion banquet?”

Cheng Clan Leader turned his head, “The promotion banquet, isn’t it to celebrate the Qin family’s advancement to Silver rank?”

“What else?”

The Cheng Clan Leader thought for a moment, “It should also be to celebrate Ancestor Wenxuan’s Golden Core formation.”

“There’s one more thing.”

“One more?” The Cheng Clan Leader frowned.

Whenever he thought of the promotion banquet, his focus was automatically on the Qin family’s advancement to Silver rank and the Ancestor’s Golden Core formation.

He hadn’t considered anything else.

Cheng Yiming shook his head, “One more thing that father overlooked is celebrating the Sixth Elder’s Foundation Establishment.”

“The Sixth Elder’s Foundation Establishment…” The Cheng Clan Leader repeated the phrase, trying to recall who the Sixth Elder was, and then his eyes widened, “The Fifth Miss has achieved Foundation Establishment!”

Cheng Yiming nodded slightly, “Father might not have seen the Fifth Miss many times, but you should remember her cultivation level the last time you saw her. Now, the Little Miss is at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, making her the most advanced cultivator in the Qin family besides Ancestor Wenxuan.”

“Heavens!” The Cheng Clan Leader was so shocked he could only gasp.

“I didn’t know this earlier!”

“It’s not that you didn’t know, but the Qin family didn’t publicize it widely, so you subconsciously overlooked it. If father had been more perceptive, you would have realized this when the Qin family announced the Fifth Miss’s promotion to Sixth Elder.”

The Cheng Clan Leader opened his mouth, then finally managed to say, “So, this is what it truly means to be a favored person.”

“Yiming didn’t mean to criticize father, but seeing how your focus was entirely off the mark, I couldn’t help but remind you of the most important person in the Qin family.”

The Cheng Clan Leader wasn’t angry; instead, he was pleased, “My son is right to remind me. I did overlook the most important person in the Qin family.”

He sighed, “Mainly because the Fifth Miss’s whereabouts are mysterious. Not many in the Qin family dare to speak of her. Even if I go to the Qin family, it’s not easy to see her, so I often unconsciously ignore her.”

“From now on, I’ll spend more time around the Qin Clan Leader. As for the Fifth Miss, it’ll be up to you, Yiming.”

Cheng Yiming responded earnestly with a nod.

The Cheng father and son were seriously discussing how to secure their advantageous position.

The key point was that neither found anything wrong with it.

Is there anything shameful about seeking a powerful ally?

Absolutely not!

Many people wish they had this opportunity.

Their Yiming was justifiably the Fifth Miss’s follower, providing them with a perfectly legitimate reason.

The old Cheng Clan Leader had some thoughts he hadn’t voiced.

He mused that the Fifth Miss and his son were of matching age, and his son was good-looking.

If his son could win her favor and perhaps become a son-in-law of the Qin family in the future, that would be ideal.

However, considering the fifth Miss’s exceptional talent and character, marriage was something beyond the reach of a mere affiliated family like theirs.

So, the Cheng Clan Leader only entertained this idea in his mind, not daring to speak it aloud.

**

Of course, it wasn’t just the Cheng family focusing on this event; practically all the families in Nanling were now paying attention to the upcoming grand banquet hosted by the Qin family.

This was the first time a family in Nanling was advancing in rank, making it not just a matter of the Qin family but an issue of honor and prestige for the entire Nanling region.

All the noble families of the Southern Region who received invitations would attend the banquet.

This attendance signified not only a celebration of the family’s rank advancement but also a gesture of goodwill and an opportunity to expand social networks, following the traditions passed down through the ages.

Among the three major families in Nanling, the Han family was the most concerned.

They weren’t scheming anything malicious; since Qin Wenxuan formed her Golden Core and the Qin family advanced in rank, they had acknowledged that the Han family had no chance of surpassing the Qin family in the short term.

Now, the Qin family was the undisputed leader of Nanling.

Thus, their goal for this banquet was to ensure that the Qin family understood that the Han family harbored no ill intentions and was obedient and submissive.

Han Laozu looked at the gift list, hesitated for a moment, and sighed, “Add three more layers to the gift.”

The Han Clan Leader, Han Jingkun, looked up, his eyes filled with clear confusion.

The gift list was already quite substantial.

Adding more could make it seem like the Han family was… submitting.

Han Laozu sighed again, as if he knew what his son was thinking, “Yes, that’s exactly the message. We need the Qin family to know that we have no rebellious thoughts. We are obedient and willing to follow the Qin family’s lead.”

Han Jingkun’s eyes widened in surprise.

Han Laozu scoffed, “Still not convinced? Look at what happened to the Zhang family. If you continue to act up, the Zhang family’s fate will be ours!”

“The Zhang family has been torn apart internally by that Hao Gou, now the entire family is practically controlled by a son-in-law.” Han Laozu’s gaze was filled with disdain.

He concluded, “That Hao Gou must have been turned by the Qin family long ago. From another perspective, the Zhang family is already in the Qin family’s pocket.”

“So, what right does our Han family have to be so arrogant? Yes, I’m already in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. If I get the chance to form a pill, maybe I can compete with the Qin family. Does your father have such an opportunity?”

Even obtaining a Broken Mirror Pill to advance to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment has exhausted his efforts.

As for reaching the later stages or forming a pill? It’s simply beyond his hopes.

Seeing Han Jingkun choked up, Old Master Han sighed, “So, gather your thoughts. When it’s time to submit, submit gracefully. Don’t wait until the Qin family challenges you openly; it’ll be too late then!”

Upon hearing this, Han Jingkun finally let go of his resentment.

The Han family’s current stability and development are also due to his father’s far-sighted decisions.

Otherwise, when they were exploring the secret realm, the first family targeted by the Qin family would likely have been theirs, the Han family.

Thus, everyone in the Han family united completely and presented a generous gift to the Qin family to show their submission.

The formal banquet was scheduled to begin seven days later, a day chosen auspiciously by Qin Ruqing after consulting Cheng Yiming for divination and checking his eyes specifically for this occasion.

Not only was it suitable for making a good start, washing up and resting, but also for, well, hosting a banquet!

The Qin family had been busy with this matter for nearly half a month.

Firstly, they had to finalize the banquet’s proceedings—how to make it distinctive yet dignified.

Secondly, there was the matter of writing the invitations.

Crafting these invitations was quite intricate; invitations sent to different recipients were written by different people, depending on their status.

For invitations sent to families of similar status, like prestigious silver-ranked clans, the invitations were personally written by the Patriarch using special ink that did not smudge in water, imbued with spiritual energy.

This not only showcased the family’s power but also demonstrated respect and sincerity.

For clans slightly below in status, like bronze-ranked families, the invitations were written jointly by Qin Ruqing, Qin Deming, and Qin Dexin, all at the Foundation Establishment stage.

For those even lower in rank, the Qin family didn’t send invitations but welcomed them with open arms if they came to congratulate, treating them with utmost courtesy and without refusal.

As for common folk from Nanling, they could enjoy an eighteen-day feast set up specifically by the Qin family.

The banquet featured rare spiritual foods that were believed to promote health and longevity.

Just preparing these invitations took several days of effort.

Apart from this, preparations included arranging accommodations for the guests.

Some guests lived nearby and could return home the same day, but for those who came from afar and intended to stay at the Qin estate, the Qin family ensured they were well accommodated.

With all preparations in place, they now awaited the arrival of their guests.

On the day of the event, before dawn, the entire Qin clan was already bustling.

Though the gates had been scrubbed clean several times over, they were given another wipe-down before the guests arrived.

By the time the sun rose, guests had already begun to arrive.

This time, it wasn’t just the younger generations of the main families; even the elders and the ancestor hrtself came out personally to welcome them.