Chapter 632: See the Elephant
Translator: Panda_Penn Editor: Chrissy
Lu Li had no aspiration to admire the young masters and young ladies. He would rather never meet Ji Mengtian and Lu Suan again for the rest of his life.
They went to a yard that a patriarch of the Gu Family had booked. The yard was neither big nor luxurious but it cost a fortune.
All the taverns in the city, big or small, were fully occupied. Even some yards of some minor families were rented. Over one million people had come to the City of Buddha over this period.
Many of them were not here for the fruit. They couldn't afford anyways. They were here for the young masters and young ladies of the super families.
This was a grand occasion. All the 12 Royal Families had sent their disciples here. Those proud young masters and young ladies were not in public every day. Therefore, many young disciples of sixth or seventh rank families had come.
The number of disciples from fourth or fifth rank families was even larger. They were not here to pursue disciples from the 12 Royal Families, but those from the sixth or seventh rank families.
To put it simply, they were here to work on their connections. Some of them had come to flirt. They hoped that some young masters or young ladies would lay eyes on them and they could soar to success.
Many taverns and bodegas were bought out during this period of time. There were parties and banquets every night. Many damsels lost their virginity here in a moment of confusion.
But they would not suffer. In the future, their families would have enough to gain…
Young masters from distinguished households were living comfortably recently because many young ladies would throw themselves over, waiting to be visited and bedded. Even the air above the City of Buddha seemed to be more sexual.
Gu Min received some invitation at night. The Gu Family was not far from the City of Buddha and they ran a moderate-scaled chamber of commerce so their connections were wide. Now that the third young master of the Gu Family was here, someone were bound to invite him to parties.
Being approved by Lu Li, Gu Min went to dinner parties with Gu Yu. The other patriarchs went to other banquets as well. For one thing, they could ask for information and for another, they could build connections with other families.
The patriarchs of the Gu Family were not Lu Ling's slaves. Only the Family Patriarch, Gu Min and Gu Yu were. The other patriarchs didn't know who Lu Li was but they could tell that he was not ordinary from the fact that even their Family Patriarch treated Lu Li with respect.
Instead of going out, Lu Li chose to stay in the yard. Usually, nobody would see him through under the disguise of Shrink Skill. But the city was packed with a mixed gang and powerful warriors. To go out in a high profile would cause him trouble.
He was not afraid that someone was going to kill him. But he was concerned that the Bodhi Fruit could not be gained after his cover was blown.
Once Ji Mengtian, Lu Suan and the others knew he was here to buy the Bodhi Fruit, the several royal families would ally together to crack down on him. How could he possibly compete with the royal families when it came to wealth?
Lu Li stayed in his room and cultivated. Gu Min came back with a young lady of a small family, which Lu Li didn't mind. Gu Min was always like this. Only by sticking to his nature would they avoid suspicion.
On the second day, Gu Min and the patriarchs went to parties again. They were busy on that front. But they didn't gain too much information other than some grapevine news.
For example, a rare Dragon Breath Fruit was being auctioned. It was said that the fruit could facilitate warriors in learning Profound Meanings. One month after consuming the Dragon Breath Fruit, a warrior's chance of learning Profound Meanings could be elevated by 50%. Many young masters and young ladies from the 12 Royal Families were here for the Dragon Breath Fruit.
More than a dozen Fairy Mushrooms were going on sale as well. The Fairy Mushrooms had similar effects with Rising Dragon Grass. They were the best elixirs that could help a Noble Lord Realm warrior reach the Human Sovereign Realm. One Fairy Mushroom could increase the chance of success by 30%.
These didn't matter to Lu Li. Dragon Breath Fruit and Fairy Mushrooms were both amazing but they were out of Lu Li's league. As a matter of fact, he hoped others would pay so much attention to those good stuff that nobody would mind the Bodhi Fruit.
At night of the second day, Gu Min came back with another young lady of a small family. However, after going into a room with the young lady, Gu Min came back out and went to Lu Li's room directly to report the news he learned over the night.
"Gu Li!"
Fearing that they were being spied on, Gu Min pretended to be casual as he went in, took a seat and said, "There is a party tomorrow. You wanna go with me to see the elephant?"
Lu Li understood that there were hidden talents in the city. He stood on the side, still acting as Gu Min's escort and asked, "What party is it?"
Gu Min said with glowing eyes, "Tomorrow at noon, a young master of the Ye Family, Ye Rong, is going to entertain guests at the Misty Drizzle Chamber. I heard that Young Master Ye Luo and Lady Ye Yu are going to be there. Ye Luo, that future Family Patriarch of the Ye Family. Ha, ha…I got an invitation for tens of millions of Xuan Crystals."
"Young Master...Ye Luo? Lady Ye Yu?"
Lu Li's eyes glowed. Ye Luo was one of the few friends he had at the Central Plains. Lu Li knew Ye Luo was at the City of Buddha but he didn't have the courage to go to him. Ye Luo was a man with a lot of attention. By going to him, Lu Li's identity could be exposed.
Lu Li thought quickly. Soon, he made up his mind and replied, "A party of such a high level? Young Master, please take me with you tomorrow so I can broaden my mind."
"Okay. Get up early tomorrow."
Gu Min left, yawning. He was Lu Ling's slave so he understood the friendship between Lu Li and Ye Luo. So, Gu Min had spent a fortune to get an invitation but he didn't know Lu Li really wanted to go with him.
Of course Lu Li wanted to go. How could he miss a chance where he could meet Ye Luo with a proper cause? Gu Min would invite too much suspicion to auction the Bodhi Fruit. If some other royal disciples big against them, it would be troublesome.
However, if Lu Li could meet with Ye Luo and ask him to bid on the Bodhi Fruit, it would be much easier. After all, Ye Luo was a future family patriarch of a Royal Family. His choice was to be respected.
However…
It was a luncheon tomorrow. The grander parties usually were scheduled at night. Maybe Ye Luo and Ye Yu had arranged for Ye Rong to hold this banquet to attract people's attention on purpose. Maybe, Ye Luo wouldn't even attend, given his status.
Of course, if the banquet was grand and was held by Ye Luo in person, Gu Min wouldn't be able to get an invitation. Lu Li wouldn't get in even if Gu Min could.
Everything depended on luck now.
But Lu Li was sure that Ye Luo and Ji Mengtian and Lu Suan shared hatred for each other. Ji Mengtian and the others on her side might not show up at a party where Ye Luo was going to be at. In addition, a party of this scale was not worth the presence of those proud young masters and young ladies.
Lu Li sat and cultivated through the night. Late in the morning the next day, Lu Li set off with Gu Min.
This time, Gu Min didn't take Gu Yu. Too many escorts would deny their entrance to the Misty Drizzle Chamber. Lu Li wouldn't be able to enter the main hall and would have to wait outside. He hoped he could see Ye Luo and sneak a message to him.
Gu Min rode in a beautiful carriage and Lu Li drove. They went to the Misty Drizzle Chamber which was located by a lake. It was one of the larger bodegas in town.
Lu Li could see the Ye Family warriors guarding from the distance. There were four Noble Lord Realm warriors guarding the door. Ye Family's strength could be seen from this.
Gu Min walked to the gate with Lu Li. Gu Min presented the invitation and announced his name. The four Noble Lord Realm warriors didn't have any suspicion. However, they said, "Young Master Gu can go in. But your escort will have to wait at the Elements Tower."
"Eh…"
Lu Li's heart skipped a beat. He had thought he could not enter the main hall. But by the looks of it, he couldn't even go inside the gate.