Chapter 103: Turbulence at the Banquet

"Brother Li, I must speak up for our security brothers. They have risked their lives to protect us throughout this journey, and their loyalty is beyond question. Upon arriving at our Azure Planet, they should be treated as honored guests, yet since arriving this afternoon, these brothers haven't had a single drop of water before taking up their security duties again. Just look at how hungry Captain Gun God is! This is truly a source of shame for us!"

Le Kai stood there, wearing a face of righteous indignation. In front of the gathered nobles, he mercilessly questioned Li Xiuxiang. On the surface, he was standing up for Gun God, but in reality, he was condemning Li Xiuxiang’s heartlessness. Although these men were selected from the Blue Shark Team by him and were merely there for show, to everyone else, they were his men.

Li Xiuxiang, who had intended to mock Le Kai and make him lose face, felt a surge of genuine fury.

Gun God was completely bewildered. When he looked down at the table, he nearly vomited blood in rage. In front of him, a mountain of bones had appeared out of nowhere—so many that one could build a toy castle with them. Meanwhile, Le Kai had already moved a distance away, and the area in front of him was pristine, not a scrap to be seen.

"I... I..."

Gun God felt so wronged he could cry. What could he say? That Le Kai had framed him? That he had originally only come over to stop Le Kai’s rude behavior, only to be pressured into eating and drinking?

"It is my oversight. The brothers of the Blue Shark Team have worked hard throughout the journey, and when we encountered space pirates, they fought back fiercely, using two light shuttles to crush the enemy’s ships. I have already reported this to headquarters, and they will be awarded for their bravery soon. They are heroes!" Li Xiuxiang raised his eyebrows and declared loudly, "The Shark Fleet is responsible for our outer space security. If not for these warriors fighting through blood and fire, defending our airspace with their lives, could we live so stably and happily? They are true heroes!"

The surrounding nobles nodded one after another. Their initial mockery vanished, replaced by looks of worship and gratitude.

"It was my oversight. I had intended to arrange for all the heroes to join the banquet and share the honor, but these heroes were concerned for the young lady’s safety, which is why they requested to handle security. Now that we have confirmed there are no security risks, I announce that all Blue Shark Team members, our heroes, shall join everyone in enjoying this wonderful evening."

"Let us raise a glass to all the heroes of the Blue Shark Team!"

As Li Xiuxiang finished, he raised his glass. Hundreds of people around him responded, and the atmosphere instantly turned lively. At this moment, who dared to care about Gun God’s lack of manners?

Turning the situation around in just a few sentences—he was truly worthy of being a top-tier candidate. Impressive!

Le Kai felt a chill in his heart. This Li Xiuxiang possessed a steady mind, deep cunning, and unparalleled wit—he was a rare talent indeed!

The "momentum" Le Kai had carefully cultivated had been effortlessly shattered by him. This man would surely be a massive obstacle in the upcoming Genius Competition.

Li Xiuxiang glanced at Le Kai triumphantly, sneering inwardly. *This kid, despite his young age, is full of tricks. First, he acts rudely to draw my attention, then secretly drags my men into it, only to step back and make me slap my own face. Such calculation is fearsome, but he is still just a child with poor foresight. He built a favorable momentum for himself, but he doesn't realize that the true power has always been in my hands.*

*The name Li Xiuxiang itself is the ultimate momentum!*

Le Kai’s current posture and temperament were the very model of nobility—modest, polite, and exuding an indescribable elegance. Combined with his perfect features and sincere smile, he gave off the feeling of a refreshing spring breeze, instantly winning over the crowd.

*What a cute and simple child.*

That was the immediate impression of most of the nobles.

"Everyone, this is Le Kai, the seed candidate for the Genius Competition from our Lan family. I hope you will all look after him in the future." Lan Sika stepped forward at the right moment, pulling Le Kai close and introducing him with warmth.

*He is actually the seed candidate chosen by Mayor Lan? Did I see that right?*

*My god, this rude little brat is a seed candidate? No wonder he is so bold; he is truly a genius!*

*I knew it! This boy looks crude but is actually bold, unconcerned with worldly opinions. He is worthy of being groomed!*

In an instant, Le Kai's status underwent a complete transformation thanks to the title of "seed candidate." The nobles who had previously witnessed his underhanded behavior were now filled with reverence and showered him with compliments.

Le Kai felt a flicker of realization. *Is this the "momentum" my teacher spoke of?*

Indeed, in conflict, momentum is the most crucial element. Creating momentum is just a means, but influence is the true "momentum." One can gain the upper hand by creating a stir, but before true influence, it is fragile. It is like a fight; no matter how many tricks you use, I can break them all with a single punch. Before absolute power, everything else is an illusion.

Although he had created a favorable momentum for himself, Li Xiuxiang had dissolved it in a few words because of his status and influence. Even if he spoke nonsense, no one dared to question him. And the same applied to himself; when Lan Sika announced his identity, he clearly felt the atmosphere in the hall change.

Of course, someone was very unhappy.

That person was Xi Tianfeng.

Facing the murderer of his son, Xi Tianfeng had to struggle to control his emotions. At this moment, he could no longer hold back. He stepped forward and said with a sinister, insincere smile, "I hear this Le Kai is from the Wasteland. Is that true or false?"

Lan Sika replied calmly, "Le Kai is a candidate I have been secretly cultivating for many years. Please forgive me for not being able to disclose the details."

Xi Tianfeng laughed coldly, "Mayor Lan certainly keeps his secrets well! This boy has a remarkable physique and is excellent in both strategy and martial arts; he is indeed a rare talent. However, he is a bit young and his edge is too sharp. I fear his road ahead will not be easy; he must be very careful."

Lan Sika retorted coldly, "Thank you for the reminder. The Zhanlang Empire holds this competition to cultivate talent for the 'God of War Academy.' It is like raising poisonous insects, forcing geniuses to kill each other; only the one who survives to the end is the winner. The path of a genius has never been smooth. Without experiencing storms, how can one see the rainbow? If he cannot even defeat his opponents, how can he talk about reaching the top?"

He paused slightly and continued, "Our Huazhong City has always followed the law and strictly implemented the iron laws of the Empire. I believe that as long as the competition between the younger generation is benign, we should support it. But if someone does not follow the rules of the game, there is a famous saying in the Empire: a prince who breaks the law is punished the same as a commoner. Before the law, there is no sentiment."

This was a very blunt warning: You want to compete? Fine. Let the juniors fight to the death if they wish, but if family experts intervene, don't blame me for being heartless.

The so-called "Empire Iron Law" was merely an excuse that no one truly cared about. What everyone feared were the experts within their own families. If you kill my candidate and I kill yours, wouldn't the world fall into chaos? Therefore, the Zhanlang Empire had an invisible rule: anyone announced as a seed candidate would be protected by imperial law. Peers could fight as they pleased, but if elders intervened, it would be a disgrace to all.

Xi Tianfeng made no effort to hide his hatred, glaring fiercely at Le Kai. "The Mayor’s words are well taken. When my son comes out of seclusion, he will certainly seek guidance from Le Kai. If there are any injuries then, I hope the Mayor will act rationally and respect the imperial laws."

Lan Sika replied coldly, "Naturally. I, Lan Sika, have always acted according to imperial law and will never show favoritism."

The feud between the two families was known to almost every noble present, but they never expected that Le Kai was the one who had beheaded Xi Runsi. It was no wonder Xi Tianfeng had cast aside all pretense and declared war.

Having thrown down the gauntlet, Xi Tianfeng had no heart to stay and left with a flick of his sleeves. Watching Xi Tianfeng’s retreating figure, Li Xiuxiang wore a thoughtful expression.

The banquet lasted until midnight.

During this time, Le Kai became the second most popular figure after Li Xiuxiang. After all, no one knew how far this boy could go. If he could truly defeat the seed candidates of the Xi and Hua families, or even achieve good results in the Li Chenxing competition, his future status would be limitless.

The Li family had always valued talent; that was the fundamental reason they continued to grow and thrive.

Although Le Kai hated these hypocritical social interactions, he handled them well. He treated it as a form of alternative training. While his face was full of smiles, his heart was as calm as water. In his conversations with various people, he collected useful information, analyzed it, and utilized it.

This work was actually similar to his usual battles, just with more targets and greater complexity, all shrouded in layers of disguise. To understand the essence, it wasn't enough to rely solely on abilities and mental power.

Li Yan, who had appeared briefly at the start, only reappeared at the very end of the banquet, and the moment she did, she pulled Le Kai to her room.

Fortunately, the nobles had already left by then, otherwise, the sight would have shocked everyone to death.

Li Xiuxiang’s expression had not been truly pleasant for a long time, especially when Li Yan refused to let him enter her room with a stern face and slammed the door shut. He could no longer control his emotions; his face shifted between pale and red. The fire of jealousy within him threatened to consume him.

Yet, he could not show it. He had always assumed that Li Yan would inevitably be his. Because of her status, it was impossible for her to get close to any other man, and he was the one closest to her. As the saying goes, "the one near the water sees the moon first." With his perfect credentials, if she didn't choose him, who could she choose?

He had thought that coming to the Azure Planet, far from the supervision of the bigwigs of the Li family, was his chance. Who would have thought that on the very first day, he would encounter such a formidable enemy? Had he known this would be the outcome, he would rather have died than choose this godforsaken place! However, Li Xiuxiang was never one to admit defeat easily, because he had never known failure.

This time would be no exception!