This was not Luo Qingyang's first banquet. She was one of, if not the, most skilled cultivators in her sect. Which, in her tiny sect, was enough to secure her a position behind her sect leader in the banquet hall. In another sect her skills would not be enough to compensate for her parentage. She was the daughter of a servant. For some sects that meant she could never earn a place at one of these banquets.

Privately, Luo Qingyang did not especially like these banquets. The food was good, unless GusuLan was hosting. There was often good music or skilled dancers to perform for entertainment, unless GusuLan was hosting. Frustratingly, she had to be cautious about not going anywhere without other disciples.

Jin Guangshan was disgusting. One of Luo Qingyang's shijie had warned her before her first banquet that Jin Guangshan was known to like young women, and he did not typically take no for an answer. Rape. Her shijie had to explicitly warn her that one of the sect leaders was a rapist. The only time Luo Qingyang did not have to carefully plan out who would be accompanying her when, during a banquet, was when GusuLan was hosting.

Because of the first two reasons that GusuLan was not a popular banquet host, Jin Guangshan often sent a representative instead of attending himself. The lack of alcohol was probably also a leading factor since no other sect would even consider hosting a banquet without it. So despite GusuLan sect having the most dull banquets, they also were the only ones that she could attend without having to be constantly vigilant.

As Luo Qingyang thought about it she realized that most banquets were rather like being on a battlefield. Except the men present either didn't realize it or didn't acknowledge it. Luo Qingyang could have requested not to attend most of them. It would have been inconvenient for her sect, but her sect leader probably would have respected her reasons.

That would not have worked for the current banquet. This was the victory banquet. Luo Qingyang might have been able to get out of attending every day. It was a week long after all. But, she absolutely needed to attend part of it. She had contributed the most to the sunshot campaign out of any other disciple in her sect. Mostly because she had spent very little of the sunshot campaign with her sect.

Luo Qingyang stared at the dark stone floor. If she looked closely she could see a few slightly darker stains. It wasn't exactly a surprise that there were still bloodstains on the floor. Privately Luo Qingyang felt uncomfortable having a banquet in the hall of Nightless city. It wasn't long ago that they had fought a bloody battle on the steps outside. There were still bloodstains from those they had killed within these walls.

Luo Qingyang understood that there was a lot to do with the war over. Property and wealth needed to be distributed between the victors. Decisions needed to be made about cultivators that had surrendered. Luo Qingyang wouldn't be involved in those discussions. That would be left to the sect leaders. Luo Qingyang knew it would take awhile, and the sect leaders would need to remain until it was all sorted out.

She just didn't think pushing back the victory celebration would be such a bad idea. She didn't especially want to cheer and celebrate while there were still people in the infirmary too injured to participate. Nor did she really want to sit in Wen Rouhan's hall and eat with bloodstains still on the floor. Luo Qingyang hardly felt it was unreasonable to be put off by that.

Luo Qingyang passed the time by watching the various sects enter. She hoped to spot some of her friends, but already knew it was unlikely. Many female cultivators avoided attending banquets due to Jin Guangshan. Luo Qingyang had been one of the few exceptions. She didn't think it was reasonable to not be able to participate in events that other cultivators could participate in. Certainly not because one cultivator was a disgusting pervert who liked to force himself on anyone who struck his fancy.

Luo Qingyang lit up when the YunmengJiang delegation entered. Jiang Yanli was dressed in soft lavender hues. Her hair was half up in a beautiful elaborate style. She looked stunning. Luo Qingyang wished her sect was positioned next to YunmengJiang so she could sit closer to Jiang Yanli. Luo Qingyang consoled herself with the fact that they were at least not sitting on the same side of the room. Luo Qingyang could stare at her for the entire banquet without it looking weird. Without it looking too weird.

Luo Qingyang first realized something was wrong when she saw Jiang Yanli's features tighten. Jiang Yanli's lips thinned in a repressed frown, her eyes hardening slightly. It was simultaneously horrible and hot. Hot, because Jiang Yanli irritated, or determined, was incredibly attractive. Horrible, because no one should ever be allowed to upset Jiang Yanli.

Before Luo Qingyang could figure out what had upset Jiang Yanli, the QingheNie sect entered. Luo Qingyang liked Nie Mingjue. He was a little irritable, and a bit... Luo Qingyang has had it pointed out that she should probably not just groan and complain that someone was too 'male'. But, in her defence, that description very conveniently summarized a number of annoying and frustrating personality traits that were common among men.

Nie Mingjue wasn't bad. He cared a lot. He had strong opinions. He was a bit blind. Nie Mingjue was ignorant to a lot of things. He wasn't good at seeing nuances or understanding obstacles that were common for other people but foreign to him. Luo Qingyang liked Nie Huaisang better. Nie Huaisang was extremely observant. He was also very considerate. He was on the list of men Luo Qingyang could actually enjoy the company of, and he was one of the few that could possibly be straight. Luo Qingyang didn't have evidence one way or the other yet.

Nie Mingjue was pissed. His voice elevated and carried clearly across the hall to where Luo Qingyang was sitting. Jin Guangshan had suggested Nie Mingjue sit at Wen Rouhan's throne. Luo Qingyang looked up at the throne. Jin Guangshan couldn't be that stupid. Everyone knew that Nie Mingjue's father had been killed by Wen Rouhan. The QingheNie sect had been calling for Wen Rouhan's blood for years before the Sunshot Campaign ever started.

Jin Guangshan could not possibly believe Nie Mingjue would accept such an offer. To sit on the throne of the man who killed his father. Luo Qingyang can't hear what anyone else near the entrance is saying. There's some sort of discussion. Nie Mingjue huffs in irritation. It isn't long before everyone takes their seats and Jin Guangshan assumes the seat he had offered to Nie Mingjue.

It is not lost on Luo Qingyang the implications of Jin Guangshan in that seat. No one has talked about who the next chief cultivator will be yet. But Jin Guangshan looks quite pleased to be sitting above all of them as though the title were already his. Jin Guangshan never set foot on a battlefield. His participation in the war was almost non-existent until the war was over.

Jin Guangshan is the last person with a right to that seat. But, Luo Qingyang realizes that he is absolutely going to get away with sitting there. Jin Guangshan is technically hosting the banquet, like throwing a party can make up for not helping with the war. He offered the seat to Chifeng-zun, not in a discussion but as an assumption. Too short notice for a proper discussion of who should sit there or whether the seat should remain empty. Luo Qingyang privately thinks it should be empty, but no one is going to ask her opinion on the matter.

Luo Qingyang is already prepared to tune out the first speech. She's been to enough banquets to know that Jin Guangshan loves the sound of his own voice. He loves using banquets as a stepping stone to push his own goals. Usually to pressure another sect leader or embarrass one in a setting that does have a formalized agenda. Jin Guangshan is in his element in a setting that is suited to gossip and inebriation.

Luo Qingyang knows this, but she was not expecting him to say something that would make her world crack around the edges. Jin Guangshan suggests renewing the betrothal between Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan. Of course he would suggest it. Jing Yanli is the only daughter in the direct lineage of any of the great sects. She is the only marriage option that would both create a marriage alliance between LanlingJin and another great sect, and produce blood heirs.

Jin Guangshan might have many concubines and lovers, but he has been loath to acknowledge any children other than the son of his first wife. Another sect would think nothing of a marriage alliance that couldn't produce blood heirs. Additional wives or concubines could always fulfill the role. Luo Qingyang has never understood Jin Guangshan's attitude, but she is not ignorant to Jiang Yanli's unique social standing.

Luo Qingyang wants to be angry. She wants to stand up in a rage. Luo Qingyang remembers comforting Jiang Yanli through the ending of that betrothal. Jiang Yanli deserved so much better than him. Luo Qingyang looks for Jiang Yanli's reaction. Jiang Yanli looks stunned, shocked that this was suggested. Luo Qingyang can't tell if Jiang Yanli is happy-shocked or unhappy-shocked. Luo Qingyang feels like those two things should look different. Those two things certainly feel very different.

Jin Guangshan isn't asking Jiang Yanli. He's asking Jiang Wanyin. Jiang Wanyin is technically sect leader, even though they have not held the ceremony naming him as such. It still feels wrong. Jiang Yanli has functioned as an equal to him throughout the war. This feels like someone shoving her back, and Luo Qingyang hates it almost as much as the thought of Jiang Yanli married to Jin Zixuan.

Luo Qingyang found her mind drifting down into uncomfortable places when Jin Guangshan's outraged voice snapped her back into awareness. Jin Guangshan's face was pinched in outrage. His gaze vehemently directed into the midst of the Lan contingent.