The West Ridge’s Scribe truly gave a speech for a whole quarter of an hour.

The guests at the table started to feel their eyes twitch and their ears go numb.

The eye twitching was mainly because they were winking and giving side glances too much.

After finishing his speech, the Scribe’s lips were dry.

He closed the scroll and handed it to a Qin family servant waiting beside him.

Then, the West Ridge Scribe turned his gaze to Qin Ruqing.

Qin Ruqing immediately beckoned, “Quick, bring the Record Officer a pot of tea. His mouth must be dry from all that talking.”

The Scribe Officer: “…”

This young lady’s way of doing things was truly unique.

However, when the servant brought the tea, the Scribe really drank it all in one go.

To be fair, he was very thirsty.

After quenching his thirst, the Scribe began to speak more praises to Ancestor Wenxuan and Qin Ruqing.

The gist of it was:

The Qin family is our official partner in West Ridge, and we have had a very pleasant cooperation.

The Qin family is a good friend of ours.

Now that the Qin family has been promoted, the Celestial Bureau is very happy and offers a small token of congratulations.

Oh, and he specifically mentioned that this was also the intention of their director, all because of the sincere friendship between the director and the Qin family, especially with the sixth elder of the Qin family.

This part was completely unlike the usual style of the West Ridge’s Scribe, who was a very serious and solemn person.

It was obviously a special instruction from the director.

Even if the director wasn’t here, he wanted to make his presence felt.

First, there was the grand display of eagles, then the ceremonial recitation of the gift list, and now the mention of the director’s friendship.

West Ridge really went all out to give the Qin family face.

The Lin family members at the table were once again glad they didn’t try to snatch the Mysterious Heart Liquid last time.

They knew the Qin family had a good relationship with the West Ridge Celestial Bureau, but seeing today’s display, they realized just how good it was.

When a noble family in the South Ridge hosted an upgrade banquet, the West Ridge Celestial Bureau even made such a grand gesture to congratulate them.

The local noble families in West Ridge never received such treatment.

Normally, it should be like the North Ridge Celestial Bureau, which completely ignored such events.

Lin Yijun, sitting next to Lin Yan, looked at Qin Ruqing with mixed feelings.

She knew the Qin family’s little genius was very powerful, more so than herself.

But she always thought, “I’m a genius too. Even if I’m not as powerful now, if I work hard, maybe I can surpass her someday.”

However, visiting the little genius’s home made her realize the gap between them wasn’t just about power but also status.

The little genius was sitting next to their ancestor, in a position close to the host’s seat, and none of their elders had any objections?!

Usually, elders love to pick on juniors like us.

Why are the Qin family elders so easygoing?

Or have they already been tamed by the little genius?

Lin Yijun never knew a junior around her age could have such authority and presence in her family.

Yes, presence!

Lin Yijun even felt that their own elders didn’t have as much prestige as the little genius.

The entire Qin family was very respectful and supportive of her.

Because of the Qin family’s attitude, important figures from other noble families of the same rank also treated her with high regard.

Everyone took Qin Ruqing seriously, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with her.

This was something Lin Yijun had never experienced.

Even in her own family, the elders and ancestors saw her as just a talented junior.

They pampered her and always let her have her way, but they never truly respected her from the heart.

Today, Lin Yijun’s worldview was completely turned upside down.

She clenched her fists, staring at the pretty and smiling face of the “little genius,” and quickly adjusted her goals.

She no longer wanted to be a mere talented junior.

That was boring.

Lin Yijun’s next step was to become an elder of the Lin family, someone with the same authority and presence as the Qin Ruqing.

While Lin Yijun was dealing with her complex emotions, Ancestor Wenxuan finished a friendly conversation with the scribe from Xiling.

The Ancestor invited the scribe to join them for a drink, and the scribe gladly accepted.

After all, he was here to honor the Qin family, so he needed to play the part.

As the servants set up the scribe’s seat, he whistled to the sky.

The group of eagles flying above received the signal and found a place to rest.

Soon, the scribe’s seat was prepared, coincidentally right next to the scribe from Nanling.

The two looked at each other.

The Scribe Recorder from Xiling smiled and said, “Xiaoxi Yao, how have you been?”

Fifth Xiyao, the scribe from Nanling, lifted his cup with no expression and said, “The apricot flower wine brewed by the Qin family is excellent.”

He then added, “I’m well. But with today’s events, someone’s bound to have a hard time.”

This “someone” referred to Fifth Ziyan.

He probably knew about this by now and was likely furious.

He might be throwing a tantrum in the Nanling Celestial Bureau as they spoke.

Hearing this, the scribe from Xiling burst out laughing.

Having an unpredictable and eccentric superior was usually a headache, but seeing Xiyao’s expression and imagining Fifth Ziyan’s reaction brought a strange sense of satisfaction to the Scribe.

It seemed that when his superior wasn’t causing trouble for him but for others, it was rather entertaining!

The Scribe from Xiling laughed even harder, raised his cup, and downed his drink in one gulp, eyes widening in surprise. “This wine really is good!”

The banquet proceeded smoothly after the minor disruption caused by the late arrival of the Ren family.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

As the feast reached its midpoint, the elder began his speech, following the usual procedure.

The elder recounted the Qin family’s journey from a small clan to a prestigious Silver-tier family, highlighting the hardships and efforts along the way.

Of course, the Qin family’s success wasn’t solely due to the high-ranking members but also the result of the collective effort of everyone in the family.

Therefore, during the promotion celebration, it was time to recognize and reward those efforts.

As the elder continued, he shifted the focus to the two affiliated families present.

The guests immediately understood that the Qin family intended to use these affiliated families to further enhance their reputation.

This was a common practice for newly promoted families.

The Qin family used various methods to show that they were now a powerful and prestigious family.

These methods included, but were not limited to, hosting a luxurious banquet with countless spiritual stones and heavenly treasures, which was the most direct way to show off their status.

Additionally, they could challenge old rivals and make a big scene; as long as they won, it would be very effective.

This time, the Qin family had already done a very high-end job.

Just having the support of the Celestial Bureaus from both regions allowed the Qin family to stand tall among other silver-grade families without worrying about being looked down upon.

However, the Qin family seemed unsatisfied and wanted to do even better.

So, everyone was curious to see what else they could do.

If they were too stingy, they might ruin the grand impression they had already created.

Ancestor Wenxuan seemed unaware of the curious gazes around them.

She closed her eyes slightly, as if in deep thought, and then said:

“The Cheng and Yan families, as our Qin family’s affiliated families, have always been loyal and diligent. Today, in celebration of our Qin family’s great joy, each family will be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill.”

As she spoke, she waved her hand casually over the table, and two exquisitely carved sandalwood boxes appeared.

With a flick of her finger, the lids of the boxes opened, revealing two smooth, brown pills inside.

A faint medicinal fragrance spread, and just by inhaling, one could feel a mystical attraction of spiritual energy within their body.

The guests were no longer just surprised; they were astonished.

Who gives out Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards to affiliated families?

Such a precious item is valuable even for personal use! Even established silver-grade families wouldn’t be so extravagant.

The Zuoqiu family was completely shocked and couldn’t understand it.

Because, to be honest, they would never be able to afford such generosity.

Even within their own family, Foundation Establishment Pills were highly valuable resources, not to be used lightly.

The core of a noble family’s development strategy is to first maintain their grade before considering further growth.

If a family is of silver grade, the most important task is to identify potential Golden Core cultivators and nurture them to become the highest combat power of the family, ensuring the continuation of the family’s grade.

Only then can they discuss other development issues.

So, even the Zuoqiu family was still secretly gathering ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills, hoping to accumulate more of these critical resources.

The more Foundation Establishment cultivators a family has, the higher the chances of producing Golden Core cultivators, ensuring the family’s stable development.

But now, a newly promoted silver-grade family dared to use Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards?

Was this just for show, or did they really have the resources?

Ancestor Zuoqiu couldn’t help but ask, “May I take a look at your Foundation Establishment Pills?”

Ancestor Zuoqiu was a dignified and imposing elderly woman, with her hair neatly tied up and often seen with a snake-head cane, which was also rumored to be her weapon.

Qin Wenxuan smiled indifferently and waved her sleeve, causing the two wooden boxes to float gently to Ancestor Zuoqiu’s table.

The high-ranking members of the Zuoqiu family attending the banquet exchanged glances and actually picked up the wooden boxes, bringing them close to observe carefully.

Other guests also looked on curiously. They understood why the Zuoqiu family wanted to examine them.

Everyone just wanted to see if the Foundation Establishment Pills were real or fake.