Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 41 - The Celebration

The streets in Tai Cang county were not wide at all. However, the streets leading to the Cheng Residence were spacious beyond recognition. Even eight horses galloping side by side on these roads would not be a problem.
At this moment, all the chariots were arranged in a straight line. Therefore, no issue related to overcrowding and congestion could be seen.
Just when He Yiming thought that they would have to line up and wait for the line to advance at a speed of a snail, his father and eldest uncle patted their horses and directly stepped on the center of the road.
This action did garner people’s attention, but they didn’t make a fuss at all nor did they express any dissatisfaction. Instead, they cupped their hands and greeted his father with flattering smiles on their faces.
However, He Quanming didn’t return the greeting and only nodded slightly with a faint smile on his face. However, occasionally, he did pause and chatted a bit with some people.
And every single person he chatted with instantly stuck his chest out and raised his head high as he looked all around as if he had just accomplished something great.
While watching all this, He Yiming clicked his tongue in wonder. His father actually had such a command here.
Suddenly, He Yixuan said from his side:
“Sixth brother, how is our family’s reputation?”
He Yiming immediately nodded and said:
“Quite amazing.”
“That’s obvious. If we couldn’t even accomplish this much, what would be the meaning of being one of the three influential families.” He Yixuan had a prideful expression.
He Yitian, who was right behind He Quanxin and He Quanming, also turned his head around and softly said:
“Yiming, currently, you are also one of He family’s celebrities. After we enter, be a bit aloof. Don’t lose clan’s face.”
He Yiming heavily nodded, but inside, he was at a loss. He was an expert as far as cultivation was concerned but he had barely touched upon the ways of the world. He had no idea what would be considered as ‘aloof’. However, he figured out a plan soon. He would follow the lead of his eldest brother in everything.
The members of He family had not yet reached the Cheng Residence, but someone had already come out of the residence to welcome them.
The individual who had come out was a sturdy middle-aged man dressed in red-colored silk clothes that represented a festive outfit. His face had a jubilant smile as if the He family was his kin.
He distantly shouted:
“Brother, Quanming, we are honored by your presence. Your presence is truly a light to our humble house. Oh, even brother Quanxin has come…”
He Quanming and He Quanxin smilingly dismounted their horses and cupped their hands towards him. Though the smile on the face of He Quanxin was evidently a lot stiffer than that of Quanming. Fortunately, everybody knew that the former was a martial lunatic. Thus, no one took offense from it.
He Yiming and the rest, following the lead of their elders, also dismounted their horses. He Yitian slightly inclined his body and softly said:
“Yiming, this individual is Cheng Shine from Cheng family’s second generation. His Internal Energy although had not yet attained the ninth layer, it’s still at the eighth layer’s peak. He is reputed to be the number two expert of the Cheng family, and his reputation is even above second uncle and third uncle.”
He Yiming faintly nodded. Regarding this individual who undoubtedly seemed like a shrewd businessman, He Yiming was somewhat guarded.
After chatting a bit with He Quanxin and He Quanming, Cheng Shine’s gaze suddenly swept past the small characters on the road, then He Yitian before ultimately resting on He Yiming.
He laughed and said:
“Brother Quanming, I heard a seventh layer cultivator has appeared in your esteemed third generation. Is he here today?”
He Quanming heartily laughed and said:
“Brother Shine, the little child is obviously here. It’s the birthday of Cheng Lord Father, how could he not come.”
He stretched his hand. Although He Yiming was extremely unwilling, he did not have a way around it. He had no choice but to step forward and bow towards Cheng Shine:
“Small nephew pays his respects to elder uncle Cheng.”
“Enough with the ceremonies,” Cheng Shine promptly supported him up and said, “Nephew is indeed a dragon among men. His reputation is indeed justified.”
He Yiming cursed inwardly, ‘Where did you make out the dragon in me?’ Of course, he wouldn’t dare say such words aloud. He tried to imitate his father, keeping a formal smile on his face.
Of course, with his skill, he had no way of reaching even close to his father’s level and instead ended up resembling his eldest uncle somewhat.
The people on the road although did not have the courage to step forward and join in the conversation, they were looking from afar while barely making out some parts of their conversation.
When He Yiming stepped out, the clamor on the street increased substantially. Basically, everybody was curious about this new genius who had emerged in He family’s third generation. Even those who didn’t care about such things also wished to take a look at this moment.
Cheng Shine’s look changed, and he swept his glance through the people on the road.
When he was conversing with the members of He family, his face was beaming with smiles. However, as soon as he turned around, his complexion turned as dark as the bottom of a pot and eyes emanated a ferocious color.
The people on the road immediately became a lot well-behaved, and nobody dared to make loud noises anymore.
As He Yiming watched all this, his evaluation of Cheng Shine increased by a notch. His reputation as the number one expert in Cheng family’s second generation was indeed well-deserved.
He Quanxin and He Quanming turned a blind eye to the actions of Cheng Shine. Among this crowd on the road, there might be several ample-bodied rich men, but in this desolate Tai Cang county, even the influence of authorities was weak, much less to speak of these small clans.
In Tai Cang county, apart from the three influential families, rarely could one see a sixth-layer cultivator. This was the biggest asset of the influential families.
In front of the influential families, these people indeed didn’t have the qualifications to be conceited. If they truly provoked the influential families, when the latter would come at their door to kill, nobody would be able to save them.
Therefore, once Cheng Shine stiffened his face, everybody immediately assumed silence and didn’t dare talk again.
After a few moments, He Quanming lightly coughed and said, “Brother Shine, today is Lord father’s birthday. We should hurry in.”
Cheng Shine again assumed his smiling expression as he said:
“Brother Quanming is right, we’ll enter.”
Under his lead, everybody entered the Cheng Residence.
As a big clan that stood on par with the Cheng clan, the treatment He family received inside could be well imagined. Not only they were received in the main hall, even all the young generation had independent seats for them.
Of course, He Quanxin and He Quanming were invited to the principal seats. Not many people had such qualifications in the entire Tai Cang county.
It seemed as if oceans of people had swarmed into the residence to toast the Lord Master. Despite all main hall, back hall, and side hall being opened up for the banquet, the residence seemed packed with the crowd.
As He Yiming looked all this, he was astonished, but also quite expectant.
This was the inner workings and network of a clan worth several hundred of years, not something the current He family could compare to.
After a few moments, a man came running and said a few lines in the ears of Xu Shine. The latter excused himself and stood up from his seat before leaving the hall.
Before long, he returned with several other people.
He Yiming’s vision fell on them before his gaze turned his sharp. He recognized two among these people.
One was Xu XIangci, and the other was obviously was Xu Yude. As for the Xu Yucai, who was seen with Xu Yude, he was nowhere to be seen. He Yiming’s lips slightly curled. Although that Xu Yucai wouldn’t have died due to his strike, the former must have sustained heavy injuries. He wouldn’t be able to completely recover before ten days or even half a month.
As the people from Xu family entered, their vision immediately found the members of He family. Although everybody currently had smiling expressions on their faces, momentarily, their expression had become ferocious.
Though it only remained for an instant. After all, this was the territory of the Cheng family. Neither wished to initiate trouble during the celebration of the eightieth birthday of the Cheng Lord Father since that would only bring negative influence. It would undoubtedly be disadvantageous for either of the clans.
Suddenly, He Yiming felt a substantial gaze on his body.
He had a feeling that the owner of this gaze was extremely strong. According to his perceptions till now, only his eldest uncle and that old servant who lived in the Book Pavilion had such an intense gaze.
Though his grandfather’s Internal Energy was a notch above them, the former never used such a gaze to look at him.
He slowly turned his head and spotted a male which seemed in his thirties. The man, who was also looking back at him, faintly nodded and smiled.
He Yiming slightly started before he nodded and returned the greeting with extreme unwillingness in his heart.
He could tell that this man was a member of Xu family but he had no idea about the latter’s identity.
“Yiming, he is Xu Right, number fourth in Xu family’s second generation. He already crossed the eighth layer’s bottleneck several months ago and has reached the ninth layer.” He Yitian immediately said as he saw He Yiming and Xu Right’s eye contact.
He Yiming heart tensed before he again looked at Xu Right profoundly and made a note of his appearance.
Cheng family’s seating arrangements were quite interesting. Like He family, the elders of Xu family were also invited to sit on the principal seats, and the Xu family’s young generation also had individual seats for them. However, their seats were quite distant from He family’s young generation.
Evidently, Cheng family also didn’t wish to see any mishap during the celebration.
Not long after the Xu family took their seats, amidst the sounds of drums, an old man, whose beard and hair were completely white but complexion was red and stature was tall and sturdy, entered the main hall amidst several youngsters.
As this old man appeared, everybody simultaneously stood up from their seats.
He Yiming was silently watching the old man. As he felt that strong aura, he didn’t need to think twice about the identity of the old man.
It was indeed as he had guessed. After the introductions, the head of the Cheng family, Cheng Zhusheng, sat on one of the principal seats.
The feast immediately commenced. Wave after wave of programs passed through like flowing water.
Meanwhile, the people seating on the principal seats beamed with smiles as if they would never get tired of watching.
Just in this fashion, the color of the sky turned dark, though the mood of the banquet remained as dense as ever.
He Yiming faintly shook his head and excused himself for toilet before getting up from his seat and going outside for a breather.