Chapter 65: An Auspicious Hour

Tang Xiangui was left speechless by the retort; he only knew that kid was called Chen Xiao, and had indeed failed to investigate anything further.

Old Master Li gave a sinister chuckle, "Heh, I investigated for you..."

"He is an orphan."

"However, he has a foster father who always provided for him, and the two of them even spoke on the phone after the apocalypse."

"And the man in the cage is none other than his foster father! Also his uncle."

"Chen Changqing!"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm—!"

Right after the introduction, Chen Changqing in the cage widened his eyes and struggled violently, as if cursing Old Master Li, but the latter did not care in the least.

Down in the audience, Jiang Yunhan clenched his fists, a blaze of fury in his eyes.

That's right, he had come as well, representing the Jiangbei Triangle Base.

By this time, the Jiangbei Triangle had undoubtedly become the premier faction in Jiangbei. After consolidating Tianyi, Nancheng, and Jianghe, its strength had multiplied several times over.

As one of its founders, he naturally had the qualifications to attend a banquet of this caliber.

He simply hadn't expected the Li family to be so despicable...

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed nearby, and Jiang Yunhan instantly tightened every muscle in his body, his hand gripping a massive arm.

"Dashan, if you don't want to get everyone killed, stay calm!" Jiang Yunhan whispered a warning, his arm trembling.

Dashan was forcefully pulled back, glanced over his shoulder, and finally ceased his struggle. He didn't want to get everyone killed because of his impulsiveness.

The commotion below also caught the attention of the prominent families from the capital.

Old Master Yang was extremely perceptive; he stared at Dashan for quite a while before slowly withdrawing his gaze. With a meaningful, cold hum, he then declared:

"Old Li, this gift of yours—I am very satisfied!"

"Hahahaha!"

The harmonious atmosphere made sweat stream down Jiang Yunhan's palms.

A slender arm wrapped around Jiang Yunhan's, helping him regain a modicum of composure.

"Brother, will Chen Xiao come?"

Today, Jiang Chuxue wore an exquisite, floral-patterned dress. The delicate and vibrant floral motifs reflected her gentleness and freshness. Her lightweight skirt was simple yet magnificent, making her look as ethereal as a fairy.

Jiang Yunhan shook his head. "I don't know either. I don't even know... whether I should hope he comes."

The young monk wore a duck-billed cap pulled down so low that no one could see his expression. His blunt tone remained unchanged as always:

"I hope Chen Xiao comes. He should just walk straight up there and snatch her away in front of everyone—"

Jiang Yunhan hurriedly picked him up, covered his mouth, and made a shushing gesture.

"Clang—"

Suddenly, the toll of a bell rang out.

The gazes of everyone present converged upon the stage once more. They knew the auspicious hour had arrived, and the bride and groom were about to make their entrance!

"Kai'er and Shirou are coming out! Hurry up and push that eyesore of a thing off to the side!" Old Master Yang beamed with joy, directing the family members to move Chen Changqing to the edge of the stage.

"The bride and groom are coming!"

"I heard the Tang family's daughter... is peerlessly beautiful. Today I finally get to witness it!"

"Of course! The top campus belle of Jiangbei University of Arts, did you think that was a joke?"

"Look, look, they're coming!"

Amidst the commotion from the audience, two figures slowly emerged from behind the stage.

Tang Shirou!

Yang Kai!

Today, Yang Kai appeared in a crisp, red Chinese-style tunic suit, wearing a red mandarin jacket paired with black trousers, with a white jade dragon-and-phoenix pendant adorning his chest. Far from his usual playboy demeanor, he looked solemn and earnest.

As for Tang Shirou, her appearance instantly captured the attention of the entire audience, because she was simply breathtaking today!

Draped in a dazzling red bridal gown whose ruby-red hue was both passionate and profound, her peerless elegance and boundless charm were perfectly set off.

Her ultimate beauty made heaven and earth lose their color, and caused time itself to stand still!

Countless men in the audience felt their throats go dry all at once.

Old Master Yang was likewise overjoyed, looking Tang Shirou up and down before stepping to the center of the stage.

"Welcome, honored guests, for defying the dangers in this apocalyptic world to come to our Yang Family Fortress—"

"Old Master Yang!"

Suddenly, a voice pierced the high stage—it came from Tang Shirou.

Old Master Yang was interrupted and looked quite displeased. "What is it, Shirou? I am in the middle of officiating the wedding for you and Kai'er."

Tang Shirou glanced at Chen Changqing, who was locked in the cage to one side and still struggling, and finally mustered her courage.

"I hope you will let him go..."

She had heard everything from behind the stage earlier: the man in the cage was Chen Xiao's last living relative. Chen Xiao had already died because of her; she didn't want to watch Chen Xiao's last family member die as well!

Tang Xiangui hurriedly rushed forward from the back, grabbed Tang Shirou's arm, and raised a hand to slap her face.

Old Master Yang barked a reprimand, "In-law, Shirou is going to be a member of the Yang family from now on. Do you really intend to lay hands on her?"

Tang Xiangui somewhat awkwardly lowered his hand. "Shirou is just being ignorant..."

Old Master Yang waved his hand, cast an imperceptible glance at Tang Shirou's full bosom, and coughed.

"Very well. It's a joyous occasion, so let's heed Shirou's wish."

A glimmer of light flashed in Tang Shirou's eyes. She hurried over to the cage, demanded the key from the family, untied Chen Changqing, and removed his gag.

"Young lady, do you know my Chen Xiao... is that right?" Chen Changqing asked weakly, tugging at Tang Shirou's sleeve.

Tang Shirou nodded. "I know him. We are... very good friends."

A hint of a smile appeared on Chen Changqing's face. "Then where is he? Is he still safe?"

"After the apocalypse, phone signals were cut off, and I've been searching everywhere for him... He just awakened his ability, and I'm afraid others might bully him."

Tang Shirou hadn't expected that this man, who wasn't even safe himself yet, would still be worrying about Chen Xiao. A wave of envy for Chen Xiao washed over her heart. He had claimed he was an orphan... but the reality wasn't so desolate; someone had always been caring for and missing him.

"Ah, Chen Xiao, he..."

Just as Tang Shirou was preparing to gloss over the truth to give Chen Changqing a glimmer of hope, Tang Xiangui strode over.

"He's dead!"

Chen Changqing's eyes widened abruptly. "What did you say?!"

Weak just a moment ago, he instantly stood up and stepped out of the massive black cage. His entire body was trembling, swallowing hard as he stammered:

"Xiao'er, he... he's dead?!"

He turned his head to look at Tang Shirou, who had already lowered her head in shame.

At that moment, the truth was sealed.

His adopted son, Chen Xiao, was dead!