Chapter 2831: Like Planets Orbiting the Sun

After Alfred left, Chu Chuyan went to Zu An’s room. The two of them were settled into neighboring rooms. Perhaps they'd been assigned different rooms as a gesture of hospitality, but Chu Chuyan still couldn’t help but wonder if there was another meaning behind this.

Chu Chuyan was about to speak when she warily eyed the surroundings. What happened on the spaceship had traumatized her. She now knew that advanced civilizations had discreet cameras capable of recording someone.

Seeing Chu Chuyan’s vigilant expression, Zu An chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve already scanned the room. It’s safe.”

To be sure, he constructed a barrier around them so that their images and voices couldn’t be recorded.

Chu Chuyan exhaled in relief, only to frown shortly after. “Something is amiss. Isabella has been very friendly to you along the way. It doesn’t make sense for her to suddenly disappear now that you've arrived.”

“I agree. Her father also extended his invitation to me, but he only dispatched an old butler to welcome me.” Zu An was satisfied with the hospitality he was receiving, but these little details revealed a lot about what was going on.

“Could it be because of the Holy Knight Order’s visit?”

“While that’s a major event, I doubt it would leave them so busy that they would have no time to meet us.”

“I know!” Chu Chuyan’s eyes lit up.

Zu An looked at her.

“Someone from the Holy Knight Order must be infatuated with Isabella and wants to propose to her,” Chu Chuyan deduced.

Zu An frowned. “There isn’t enough information to make that conjecture.”

“No, that’s the most likely explanation. It explains why Isabella is unable to find time for you,” Chu Chuyan replied. “I believe that little sister Bella isn't the type to fall for others easily. It’s more likely that the Conglomerate has restricted her freedom to avoid misunderstandings with the Holy Knight Order. I’m not sure what her father thinks though.”

Zu An initially didn’t think much of Chu Chuyan’s conjecture, but his expression soon turned grim. “What you have said sounds plausible. Her father is only one of the seven elders. If the other six elders support a bond of marriage with the Holy Knight Order, his hands will be tied.”

He asked out of curiosity, “What made you guess that?”

“Call it a woman’s intuition.” Chu Chuyan glared at Zu An. “I’ve been around you long enough to be familiar with such situations.”

Zu An laughed sheepishly. He quickly changed the topic and said, “There’s no point in theorizing here. Let’s take a stroll outside and see if we can gather any information.”

Chu Chuyan was also interested in exploring this new world. The two of them made their way out of the manor, only to be stopped right away. The guards claimed that the city was currently on high alert, and the two of them didn’t have passes. It would be troublesome if they bumped into the patrols.

So, the two of them returned to Zu An’s room.

Chu Chuyan angrily exclaimed, “Isn’t this house arrest?”

Zu An calmly remarked, “They might be protecting us. It wouldn’t be good to get into an argument with our hosts when we've only just arrived.”

He leisurely plopped down on a sofa, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and handed it to Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan was surprised. “You’re different from before. You didn’t shy away from trouble in the past.”

“That’s because the best strategy right now is to wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Wait for them to come knocking.”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Chu Chuyan was confused, but Zu An’s guess was soon proven to be on the dot.

A flamboyant woman dressed as a secretary soon visited them to deliver an invitation letter for a banquet the following day.

Zu An accepted the invitation letter. “Beautiful miss, may I ask who this invitation letter is from?”

“Young man, why don’t you make a guess?” the secretary replied with a chuckle.

“I’m guessing it’s Mister Gold Avarice.”

It was an easy guess, as Zu An had previously asked Isabella about the details of the Round Table Council’s seven elders. The only elder who would have such a flirtatious secretary was the lustful Fourth Elder, Gold Avarice Mastema.

The secretary was surprised. “I see why the Fourth Elder has such a high opinion of you. Tomorrow’s banquet will be interesting.”

She strutted off afterward.

Chu Chuyan remarked frostily, “I don’t like her.”

That woman is too flirtatious. The women around Zu An are much more pleasant.

Zu An chuckled. “She’s only here to deliver the invitation letter.”

“How did you know someone would be coming?”

“Politics exist wherever people dwell. I doubt the seven elders are that tight-knit. If someone doesn’t want me to meet Isabella, there’s bound to be someone who wants me to meet her as well.”

Chu Chuyan was awed. “That’s true.”

Zu An spent a while examining the black-gold invitation letter before putting it away. “Since there’s nothing better to do now, let’s take a rest and recharge.”

Chu Chuyan’s face reddened. “Rest up if you want to. Why are you holding onto me?”

“Don’t you know my cultivation skill? I grow faster when I’m with you.”

“Hmph. I think it works with any woman.”

“Let’s not fuss over the details. You’re not like any other woman.”

...

The following evening, the flirtatious secretary drove them to the banquet location.

Even though the entire world was called ‘Fortune Palace’, the true Fortune Palace was the Universal Conglomerate’s headquarters. Its entrance wasn't a conventional door, but slowly revolving constellations that were drawn into orbit in this small space by some inexplicable force.

Zu An and Chu Chuyan exchanged looks.

It’s a relief we didn’t try to barge in, or else we wouldn’t even be able to pass through this door.

A gentle surge of golden light drew their vehicle into the revolving constellations, and their surroundings suddenly turned brilliant.

“Sir and miss, we have arrived at our destination. Please!” The flirtatious secretary bowed with a smile.

Zu An and Chu Chuyan entered the premises.

Instead of a ceiling, the banquet hall had a starry sky adorned through divine power and technology. Light streams made out of stars flowed through the air, forming the Universal Conglomerate’s insignia—an ancient coin surrounding a star. On the face of the coin, the birth and the death of the universe appeared to play in a loop.

“The space appears to be folded,” Chu Chuyan told Zu An via voice transmission.

Zu An nodded. The floating platforms, corridors, and main hall were connected by streams of energy that resembled rainbow bridges.

Some platforms were serene gardens that cultivated trees with jade leaves and jewel fruits. Others had buildings of different styles, ranging from immortal palaces to mecha castles. They symbolized the different civilizations under the Conglomerate’s influence and their tribute.

These gardens and castles weren't built in this hall; they were connected to the hall through some mysterious means.

A subtle fragrance lingered in the air; it smelled like a scent that had matured over countless years, fused with the universe’s nebula. A light whiff left Zu An feeling energized, and his ki felt more active than ever.

“What extravagance. They've suffused this space with the purest universe ki. Just a brief moment here offsets months of diligent cultivation elsewhere,” Zu An remarked. He had been to many blessed lands, but none had ki as rich as this.

Chu Chuyan was stunned as well.

It’s a pity Manman isn’t here. It’s too difficult for me to go up against a rival like this alone.

She took a look around and discreetly murmured, “Those servants don’t appear to be humans.”

Zu An had also noticed the light entities dressed in dignified clothes. There was always an impeccable smile hanging on their lips, and they never failed to perfectly fulfill the requests of any guests.

“That must be the manifestation of some law. Anyone who causes trouble here would be in for a terrible time.”

The guests had already begun gathering in small groups.

A massive lava entity clinked cups with another entity that was shrouded in flowing data. The fluids in their cups resembled liquid galaxies.

Several dignified old men stood before a prized tree capable of nurturing treasures from different worlds as they discussed it.

Some entities alternated between tangible and intangible, as if they were projections from a higher dimension.

But the most eye-catching figure in the hall was a golden-haired man dressed in white, knightly garments. A huge crowd was gathered around him like planets orbiting a star.

He was speaking to a beautiful woman beside him with an impeccable smile. Anyone could tell that he was courting the beautiful woman at a glance.

And the woman was none other than Isabella. Not only was she not smiling, there was even a hint of ire to be seen in her eyes. She impatiently looked away, only to notice Zu An, who had just entered the room.

Her eyes immediately lit up.