Chapter 59 - Banquet

It wasn't until the young man got closer that Cassius noticed something.

His left shoulder was empty. This man had only one arm.

"Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother."

Lance and Moses both greeted him respectfully.

"Senior Brother," Cassius echoed, quietly observing the white-haired young man.

The young man looked rather ordinary. He imitated Cassius, sizing him up as well. After a few seconds, he said, "You must be Junior Brother Li Wei. Nice to meet you, I'm Hykal." His tone was slow, almost gentle.

"Hello, Senior Brother Hykal," Cassius responded smoothly.

"Want to have a match?"

"Huh?" Cassius was stunned. He stared at Senior Brother Hykal, unsure if it was really him who said it.

"I asked if you wanted to fight with me." Hykal squinted and smiled. He was emitting a completely different aura now. The slender bamboo from before had now transformed into a sharp sword, just waiting to be unsheathed!

Here he comes... Squinty Eyes...

Lance gloated inwardly as he watched from the sidelines. The senior brother's daily sparring had begun.

If Moses was born with physical prowess, then Senior Brother Hykal was born with the ability to grasp concepts easily as he was able to learn any combat technique quickly. He was one of the few who had reached the bottleneck of Wind Elephant Fist before completing the first stage of Elephant Soul.

Despite having only one hand and an average physique, his boxing technique was as refined as a veteran who had been practicing for decades, if not better. Hykal had defeated some elders using just Wind Elephant Fist combat.

This seasoned boxing technique was honed through countless instances of real-life combat. Hykal loved sparring and he had fought almost everyone he knew at least once. Moses, who also liked to spar, liked to fight everyone—everyone but Hykal.

Back when he was still an arrogant and unruly young man, he had faced off against Hykal and lost to him too many times. His thick skin and tough muscles were no match against the invincible iron fist. Even if Hykal only had one of them.

Seeing Senior Brother Hykal's smile, Moses couldn't help recalling those past events and he involuntarily shivered. He wanted to warn Li Wei but was too late.

"Okay," Cassius agreed eagerly. He regretted it five minutes later.

Senior Brother Hykal seemed to have perfected the Wind Elephant Fist and seamlessly integrated it with his one-arm condition, creating a sharp and peculiar one-arm boxing style.

Every time the two clashed, Cassius found himself suppressed. Hykal saw through every single one of his moves. Cassius couldn't land a single punch on his senior brother throughout the entire fight. Instead, he was poked several times and felt pain all over.

Frustrated, he cupped hands, admitting defeat. Hykal's smile never left his face as he regarded Cassius with narrowed eyes.

This senior brother was rather sly.

"

Haha

, don't be mad, Junior Brother. This is just how I fight. If you still feel down, why don't you go fight Moses? He'd be the first to volunteer as your punching bag." Hykal smiled slightly. His fist clenched, still unsatisfied.

"Hehe

, any day, anytime, anywhere," Moses said gleefully. His chest muscles bounced in invitation to Cassius.

"How about a fight with me now?" Hykal rotated his shoulder, already warmed up.

"Please, Senior Brother! I was talking to Junior Brother." Moses shook his head rapidly, changing the subject. "Hey, it's almost noon, right? We should get ready and head to the banquet."

Ten minutes later, at the entrance of the tall Ferrolay Hall, several black-clad burly men shouted as one, "Hello, Senior Brothers."

Cassius followed Hykal and the others inside, and they soon arrived at a grand domed hall. The space inside was vast and the floor was covered in soft red carpets. The hall was divided into multiple areas, with the center occupied by several long tables draped in fine white tablecloths. The surface was decorated with silver candelabras and laden with various foods. To the side was a lounge area with sofas, coffee tables, and potted plants. A band played music in the corner, the soothing sound of the saxophone adding to the elegant atmosphere.

As they walked in, Cassius saw many men and women dressed in suits and evening gowns. Most held wine glasses and chatted with one another, smiles on their faces. Everyone was wearing their best and exuded an air of refined elegance.

"They're here!" Someone with sharp eyes spotted Cassius and his group, their hushed voice alerting the people around them.

The once tranquil atmosphere instantly became lively. Some beautiful young ladies with fair skin adjusted their dresses, yanking their low-cut tops even lower, before sauntering over with dazzling smiles.

But they weren't fast enough. A few gentlemen in suits, wine glasses in hand, got there first; their goals couldn't be any clearer.

"Mr. Hykal, long time no see. You’ve returned..."

"Mr. Moses, about the goods you mentioned last time..."

"Mr. Lance..."

In an instant, the hall was filled with the sound of various conversations and voices, like a dense swarm of flies had appeared.

"Are you Mr. Li Wei? It's such a pleasure to meet you for the first time!" A bearded gentleman's eyes lit up. He extended his hand, leaving Cassius no choice but to shake it.

"Li Wei? The fifth core disciple from the Wind Elephant Sect Li Wei?!" People said in hushed voices. Businessmen in suits crowded over, blocking Cassius's exit.

Cassius followed what his senior brothers were doing. He helplessly shook their hands and greeted them all one by one. Despite how different they were, in situations like these, they all wore identical fake smiles. They knew how to manage themselves in a formal setting.

Twenty minutes later, Cassius finally managed to extricate himself from the mass. In the corner, Lance looked at him, a faint smile teasing his lips. "It seems our handsome junior brother is quite popular."

Moses and Hykal laughed. Cassius smiled wryly. "Senior Brother Lance, please don't tease. I like being by myself; I can't handle these types of situations ."

"Just take it one step at a time. I couldn't handle it at first either, but it got better over time," Hykal said, patting Cassius on the shoulder with his sole hand. "Some things are unavoidable when you're a core disciple."

Cassius sighed and shook his head. "Compared to this luxurious banquet, I still think hitting the punching bag in the training room suits me better."

"I feel the same," Senior Brother Moses suddenly agreed.

"Me too," Lance said, smiling and shaking his head.

"Who doesn't?" Hykal helplessly shook his head and slapped his hand over his face.

"

Hahaha

!" For some reason, the four brothers all burst into laughter.