The core of the joke finally faded away, and the people watching the commotion around began to laugh and scatter.
The steward of the Gathering Pavilion directed the attendants to clean up quickly and even planned to set up a brazier where the male slave had stood.
Mr. Yu looked in the direction the male slave had left, his fan gradually stopped moving as he turned and leaned close to Elara.
"Elara, I remember you seem to like this kind of... hmm, fallen but talented person. Aren't you going to save him?"
Elara glanced at Mr. Yu. What kind of talk was that, as if she had some strange preference.
However, if that person truly was just a talented man born into slavery, Elara wouldn't mind taking him away.
As the Empress of Plumera, she knew that the current court of Plumera still had many unfilled positions. She was urgently in need of various types of talent.
But this place was not Plumera. It was in the central-western part of the continent, thousands of miles away. Elara could no longer act as freely as she did within her own country. Even if she wanted to save someone, she needed to confirm first whether that person was truly someone worth saving or a hidden source of trouble.
The people from the Blood Garment Tower had just attacked that male slave as well. Elara needed to confirm the situation first.
Thinking of this, she said to the guard behind her, "Guard One, send Guard Three to follow that male slave. Find out whether he's truly just a slave or if he's involved in some hidden trouble."
"If he's purely a slave, then investigate his background and take note of his residence. But if he's connected to other complications, identify which powers are involved with him. Don't dig too deeply. Just get the basic information and report back to me."
"Yes."
The male servant's affairs were temporarily done. Elara and the others then followed Gareth to the largest inn in the Geranium Kingdom's capital, run by the Jiu family.
Inside Jin Xian Inn
The innkeeper, whose hair had a slight reddish tint, was already waiting at the door. He immediately greeted them warmly and led them to a specially prepared "Tian" room on the second floor.
"This top-tier Tian room on the second floor has the best view. Since hearing that esteemed guests were coming, we prepared it early. The rooms for the next half month are all ready too, on the third floor."
The attendants kept bringing high-quality wine and pastries without pause. The innkeeper personally told each of them their room number and handed over the keys before bowing and stepping back.
Elara, Mr. Yu, Gareth, and others rested in the Tian room for a while, watching the crowded streets and fully booked inns outside. Without Gareth's advance planning, it would have been hard to find such a comfortable place in the city center.
After resting for a bit and watching the lively market and people coming and going, it was almost lunchtime. They went back to the third floor, washed and changed into clean comfortable clothes, then refreshed and went downstairs to the main hall. They planned to eat lunch while gathering information about guests from other countries.
In the hall, the menu at Jin Xian Inn featured several dishes that looked familiar to Elara: spicy rabbit meat, chopped chili fish head, white-cut chicken, and more. The attendants said these dishes were the latest favorites among guests from various countries, originating from Lianyi Pavilion.
The innkeeper had tried to buy the recipes from Lianyi Pavilion, but they wouldn't sell them, only finished dishes. So these new dishes, flavored with various spices, were ordered in bulk from there long in advance.
After the young attendant cheerfully finished the introduction, he stepped back. Mr. Yu sat beside Elara, smiling at her.
"Bai San, they don't know you're actually the real owner of these new dishes. Now that you're here in person, and the Jiu family head is present, many high-ranking officials and powerful people from the Changpu Kingdom have, since tasting your dishes, sent attendants to line up daily at Lianyi Pavilion and Zhaiyun Pavilion to buy them. The Jiu family is also very interested, but sadly they couldn't buy any. I wonder, Bai San, do you still have any new recipes you haven't sold? If so…"
He trailed off, glancing at Gareth. Gareth, dressed in a neat maroon robe, raised his hand in a small bow toward Elara, red eyes sparkling with a smile.
"If Lady Bai approves of the Jiu family, we would gladly cooperate with you at twenty percent above the going price."
Being able to say "cooperate" showed Gareth already knew from Zhaiyun Pavilion about Elara's profit-sharing business style. Elara picked up a piece of spicy rabbit meat and took a bite. In this era, without iron woks, the taste from bronze cauldrons, earthen pots, and stone pots could never match iron pans for frying or simmering. Also, spices were not yet fully available, so the flavor was just okay.
Elara smiled as she ate some rabbit meat.
"You come to the Hundred Nations Banquet to see other countries' specialties, yet you're more interested in me."
Mr. Yu shook his fan and smiled. "The banquet has many varied dishes, but few can compare to yours. Now that we have the chance, of course I must ask for you on Gareth's behalf."
Gareth's gentle face showed more warmth as he called Mr. Yu by his courtesy name. "Thank you, Brother Yu." Then he looked at Elara. "The Jiu family has long hoped to work with Lady Bai."
Elara indeed had many modern recipes. Working with her was just casual for her. Gareth had seemed weak and frail on the journey, but Elara's overall impression of him was good. Since the Plumera trade route was headed toward Changpu Kingdom, she nodded and looked at Gareth.
"With the head of the Jiu family saying so, how can Lady Bai refuse? Happy cooperation."
She put down her chopsticks and raised her wine cup toward Gareth.
"Thank you, Lady Bai, on behalf of the Jiu family." Gareth's smile deepened, and he lifted his cup with both hands as if to his ears, nodding in salute toward Elara.
With the recipe matter settled, they continued to eat, laugh, and listen intently to the other guests talking about continent-wide affairs.
In the hall, many people were already discussing the Hundred Nations Banquet. It just so happened that a number of them provided information Elara urgently needed.
"Did you hear? Not only have many second-rate states and powers come, even Tian Gong Pavilion, a top-tier power, has sent representatives."
The speaker's expression was exaggerated and loud, as if knowing Tian Gong Pavilion's arrival was a huge deal.
Elara perked up at the mention of the name Tian Gong Pavilion.
Others reacted similarly. Tian Gong Pavilion was a rare top-tier power, and no one on the continent wasn't interested.
Someone nearby immediately chimed in.
"I know, they were at the east gate. We personally saw them there. The Geranium Kingdom's emperor and a group of royal relatives all went to the East Gate to greet Tian Gong Pavilion."
"Oh my. Tian Gong Pavilion really sent people. This banquet is worth holding. It's a source of pride. But who did they send? I heard Tian Gong Pavilion has one pavilion master, three hall masters, six section chiefs, and twelve institute chiefs. Those six and above are very mysterious and almost never seen. People have only heard their names. The twelve institute chiefs are usually their representatives. I wonder which institute chief came this time."
"It was the Head of the Mechanism Institute. I saw the emblem on his carriage, and I saw him too. Hiss! No wonder he's known as one of the most beautiful men on the continent from the Tinker Pavilion. His features are strikingly handsome, and his aura is extraordinary. It seems that rumor was true: a queen from a second-tier kingdom in the central continent was once deeply infatuated with him and even offered half her kingdom to marry him, but he turned her down."
Most of the men in the hall were from the many nations of the continent. When they heard this, they couldn't help but sigh in amazement, each with a different expression.
"Heavens! Putting aside his status in the Tinker Pavilion, is he really that good-looking? He's still just a man, after all... This world has no shortage of men!" said one of the male guests.
"Heh, if you don't believe it, go early to the Exquisite Treasure Banquet these next few days. I saw him being personally welcomed into the city by the royal of Geranium Kingdom, and he brought along a full carriage of various mechanisms and gadgets."
"The Tinker Pavilion always operates in unique ways and rarely follows convention. It's likely those mechanisms will show up at the Exquisite Treasure Banquet, and that Head of the Pavilion will probably appear too. After all, he must have some purpose for coming here, right? When the time comes, you all should take a good look and see if I'm right. See for yourselves whether he's really that handsome!"
"Bah, I can't even find a real woman to marry, and he's got a queen begging to marry him with her whole kingdom as a dowry. Isn't this the kind of daydream those men in the Carnation Kingdom love to have? Hah, that fantasy actually came true for him, and he didn't even want it!" A male guest started to grumble bitterly.
"So what? He's one of the twelve Pavilion Heads of the Tinker Pavilion! With that status, he could easily marry a princess or noble from any of the top-tier kingdoms without being looked down on. What's so strange about rejecting the queen of a second-tier kingdom? If you're jealous, ask yourself why you haven't become someone important in one of those top forces." Someone else mocked loudly in public.
Seeing the tension in the hall rise quickly over this topic, someone else raised their voice, trying to steer the conversation back.
"Enough. This has nothing to do with us and isn't worth envying or arguing about. Let's not waste time debating the romantic entanglements of the powerful. Let's get back to the main topic."
Someone lowered their voice, and both sides of the debate seemed to realize there was little point in quarreling over distant gossip. They quieted down and listened as the speaker continued:
"Since the Tinker Pavilion is here, it means something. They are one of the most mysterious of the top-tier powers. Usually, they never appear unless a rare and powerful divine bloodline blessing emerges."
"This suggests that the prize for the top contender in Geranium Kingdom's banquet might truly be connected to some powerful divine blessing. Otherwise, a banquet hosted by third-tier nations wouldn't be able to attract so many second-tier powers, let alone the Tinker Pavilion!"
With the conversation back on track, someone quickly added, "Hmm... Since the Tinker Pavilion came, do you think other major forces like the Divine Attendants Palace, the Martial Alliance, and..."
The speaker lowered his voice, as if even mentioning the name required caution: "...and the one known as the Heir of the Shadow Temple, the leader of the demonic sect, the Underworld Palace. Could they also be here?"
"Pfft!" As soon as he finished, someone scoffed from the other side: "First of all, the Tinker Pavilion isn't the most mysterious top-tier force. That title belongs to the Divine Attendants Palace!"
"The Tinker Pavilion, besides researching every divine blessing, also has great interest in non-divine mechanical arts. As long as someone can develop intricate and useful mechanisms, the Tinker Pavilion will show up and offer favor."
The same table companion who had scoffed added, "Compared to that, the Divine Attendants Palace only appears when a powerful divine blessing surfaces. That makes them the most mysterious of all. Plus, they collect every divine bloodline blessing ever known. Their understanding and control over divine blessings is the deepest and most thorough in the world. Just like their name suggests, they call themselves the attendants of the gods."
"Looks like you both know a lot about divine blessings," said a diner from another table in the corner, munching on boiled chicken as he joined the conversation in the hall.
"Honestly, there's no need to overestimate the prize for the top contender from Geranium Kingdom. The Tinker Pavilion is always interested in intricate arts and spells. Their presence at the Hundred Nations Banquet isn't that strange. As long as the Divine Attendants Palace doesn't show up, there likely won't be any powerful divine blessing emerging."
"As for the Divine Attendants Palace, they probably won't come this time. Not long ago, a major incident happened in the eastern part of the continent. I don't know the details, but I heard it has something to do with the now-destroyed Shadow Temple."
At this point, the speaker paused. The people listening in the hall all gasped, and some even looked visibly frightened. Just hearing the name "Shadow Temple" seemed to remind them of something terrifying.
However, aside from most people whose emotions clearly surged when they heard the words "Dark Sky Palace," there were still some who didn't understand what was going on.
"Dark Sky Palace? How come I've never heard of this force? I was already shocked when you said the Nether Spring Palace is its descendant. Is it also a top-tier power on the continent? Why have I never heard of it before?"
The person who asked this was immediately looked down upon by the person next to them.
"You look young and are dressed so poorly, I assume you're from some third-rate weak country on the edge of the continent. A place cut off from information like an isolated village. No wonder you've never heard of Dark Sky Palace."
The young man who asked the question blushed with shame and anger, but couldn't get out a single word. He could only let the man beside him give him a cold, condescending look before giving a snort and reluctantly explaining:
"Dark Sky Palace was indeed the top force in this world a few hundred years ago. At one point, its status could even rival the Divine Attendant Temple, which specialized in gathering and serving the divine blessings scattered across various nations."
"From ancient times, the strange powers from divine blessings could only be formally accepted by the Divine Attendant Temple. But many years ago, Dark Sky Palace appeared. What they did was completely the opposite. Not only did they forcibly seize divine blessings from other countries, they also blatantly used these powers to commit various evil deeds."
"Dark Sky Palace once rose to prominence through their stolen divine blessing techniques. The people gathered in the palace were all powerful but wicked. They used these divine powers to commit countless acts of cruelty and tyranny, making the entire continent live in fear. Even many second-tier nations were plunged into chaos and terror."
It wasn't until someone from the Divine Attendant Temple emerged and united the powers of various nations that the three leaders of the Dark Sky Palace were finally slain a few hundred years ago. Their power was destroyed, and peace was restored to the continent.
After hearing the explanation, the young man's shame and anger faded. All that remained was awe and admiration for the thrilling and stormy history of the continent's powers.
Others who had long known about this or whose own countries had once suffered under the Dark Sky Palace furrowed their brows even more.
Someone cautiously asked the person who first mentioned the Dark Sky Palace:
"May I ask, are you saying that remnants of the Dark Sky Palace recently reappeared in the central eastern part of the continent? Has the Divine Attendant Temple already taken care of it?"
At a table in the corner, the man who was asked nodded. He was still holding a piece of poached chicken dipped in spiced chili oil with his chopsticks. "Yes, you all don't need to worry too much. The three leaders of the Dark Sky Palace were long ago destroyed. The Divine Attendant Temple constantly watches. There won't be any trouble."