Chapter 017: The Banquet

Gabriel smiled faintly. He stood up from the soft sofa and slowly walked over to the window. Pointing at the view outside, he said softly, “Gentlemen, look. This bell tower is the tallest building in Ruihe City. Even the church in the suburbs is not half as tall as this. Whenever I stand here in Ruihe City, I can see everything that happens within the city. Whether others like it or not, as long as I stand here, I am the ruler of this city… What do you think of that feeling?”
“Look over here. This is one of the largest trading hubs in the North. Every year, millions of gold coins pass through here, and countless goods are exchanged and transported within the country or to foreign lands. And over there lies the foundation of Ruihe City—the largest iron ore deposits in the North. Ruihe City was built here largely because of these ore deposits…”
“Although Ruihe City is not particularly wealthy, most of its wealth actually belongs to me, Gabriel.” Gabriel sighed lightly. “Gentlemen, do you think my rise from an ordinary person to where I am now is due to luck, or skill?”
At this point, Baron Gabriel turned to look at the people present. His eyes were narrow, but Du Fan could see the fierce ambition within them.
The people there exchanged glances but said nothing. Gabriel laughed again and said, “Actually, I held this banquet not for any other reason than to let everyone know… that the true master of Ruihe City is still me, Gabriel… And also, I’d like to introduce someone to you all.”
Everyone present understood perfectly what Gabriel meant by his first half of the sentence. Du Fan sneered inwardly—what exactly was this city lord trying to do, using both threats and bribes?
Seeing that no one spoke, Gabriel smiled indifferently and said, “Well, it’s almost time. The banquet can begin… And the person I want you to meet can now appear.”
With that, Gabriel raised his hand and tapped it twice lightly.
A moment later, the sound of light footsteps was heard, and a graceful figure slowly came up the stairs. The woman was dressed in a purple evening gown, with a stunning figure and beautiful face. But when Du Fan saw her, he felt a faint sense of familiarity.

The woman stepped forward to Gabriel, lifted the hem of her dress slightly with one hand, bowed slightly, and said, “Father!”
Everyone was stunned—this woman was actually Gabriel’s daughter!
Du Fan was even more surprised. Upon hearing her voice, he immediately recognized her as the one who had tried to flirt with him at the ball. Now that he saw her in person, he regretted it inwardly. If he had known she was Gabriel’s daughter, he would have taken her out for fun a few times before returning her, just to make that old man suffer a little. But it was too late to do that now—what a pity.
Gabriel nodded with a smile and turned to the others, saying, “Come, come… Let me introduce you to my beloved daughter, Angelina… Angelina, meet these distinguished guests…”
At this moment, Angelina no longer had the insatiable look she had when wearing a mask. She nodded at everyone with a smile, her face radiating warmth. Yet when her gaze fell on Du Fan’s robe, a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.
But Du Fan didn’t expose her; he simply nodded with a smile.
Over there, Viscount Evan laughed and stood up, saying, “So it’s you, Angelina’s niece. I remember seeing you as a little girl before. I never thought you’d grown so tall now. Lord Gabriel is truly fortunate!”
Angelina smiled and said, “Uncle Evan, you’re too kind. I’m of no use at all, only causing trouble for Father. I certainly don’t deserve to be called fortunate.”
Evan shook his head. “How could that be!”
His gaze swept over Angelina’s entire body, filled with desire.
Gabriel, of course, knew his old friend’s nature. He cleared his throat and said, “Well, Angelina, let me introduce you. This is Lord Oscar, and this is Young Master Du Fan. Lord Oscar is the most famous bard in our Gavin Empire. His stories are beautiful and moving. It is said that many nobles would pay a fortune just to hear him sing once…”
Angelina gave Oscar a gentle smile and said, “I’ve long heard of Lord Oscar’s fame. His work ‘Seizing the Thorns’ is especially renowned. If I had the chance, I would really hope Lord Oscar could sing it for me.”

Oscar stood up, bowed gracefully, and said, “If Miss Angelina gives an order, how dare I, Oscar, refuse?”
Angelina smiled and replied, “Lord Oscar, you’re too kind…”
They nodded at each other, and Oscar sat back down.
Gabriel then pointed at Du Fan and said, “This is Du Fan, the third young master of the Green family in the Gavin Empire. You must have heard of the Green family, right? Their northern army has been guarding the north for years. If it weren’t for Duke Green’s efforts, our small town would have been conquered by those barbarians countless times already. Moreover, Young Master Du Fan is also the youngest and most accomplished priest in history. If you have time, Angelina, you should definitely seek his advice.”
Angelina’s eyes sparkled as she smiled gently and said, “I’ve long heard of Young Master Du Fan’s fame. But I always thought such legendary figures were beyond my reach in this lifetime. It’s truly a great fortune to meet him today!”
Du Fan stood up and nodded slightly, saying, “Miss Angelina, you’re too modest. It’s an honor for me, Du Fan, to meet such a beautiful and stunning woman as you. For some reason, though, I feel a strange sense of familiarity when I see you—it seems like we’ve met before. It seems we’re truly fated. How about we find a place tonight to talk about life, our ideals, and the situation on this continent?”
Angelina’s smile froze instantly. But as a noble lady, she still had some ability to react. She forced a smile and said, “If Young Master Du Fan is interested, I certainly won’t refuse.”
Du Fan laughed and sat back down, saying softly, “Then I must really see just how remarkable Miss Angelina is.”
Angelina’s knees weakened, and she almost fell. At that moment, she realized that this Du Fan was indeed the man she had hooked up with at the masquerade ball.
Although nobles often engaged in such shady activities, it would be a disgrace if a unmarried lady like her were to be caught up in such things.
For a moment, Angelina didn’t know what to do. Though she knew Du Fan probably wouldn’t reveal such matters, she couldn’t understand why he was saying these things now.
Could it be… he wanted…

At that thought, Angelina felt her lower body become moist. She kept her feet together, intertwined her fingers, and her face turned red with embarrassment.

Gabriel gave his daughter a strange look. His daughter had always been extremely willful and capricious. He had no choice but to raise her, as he didn’t know what sins he had committed in his life. After working hard all his life, he could only leave this vast family business to her. To ensure the surname remained unchanged in Ruijin City, he had to train her.

With these thoughts, Gabriel shook his head slightly. He walked back to the sofa and sat down, then pointed to a seat beside him and said, “Angelina, come and sit.”

Embarrassed, Angelina quickly walked over and sat down, but she dared not lift her head to look at Du Fan even once.

Du Fan smiled faintly but showed no other expression. Instead, he turned to chat with Oscar.

Gabriel gestured from his seat at the head of the table and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, let the banquet begin. Please, don’t be polite. Although Ruijin City is just a small place, these dishes are quite decent.”

Everyone smiled slightly, and the banquet proceeded in a pleasant atmosphere. Though everyone knew this banquet wasn’t the real purpose of the evening, they still had to go through with it to save face.

After much effort, the rather substantial dinner was served to Du Fan. The servants had already taken away the dishes, and a cup of red tea with white mist was brought to him.

Viscount Evan, who had a hot temper, picked up the cup and took a sip, only to burn his lips. But since everyone was of high status, none of them screamed. Evan waited patiently until the burning sensation subsided before saying, “Gabriel! What exactly is so important that you had to hold this banquet so late?”

Gabriel smiled and replied, “There is indeed something important. I originally wanted to invite people from the Northern Legion to discuss it, but since Young Master Du Fan is here by chance, and given his status, it’s better to consult him instead.”