Mu Qi was being targeted along with everyone else at that time. Li Zhonglou was like the fish in a pond, implicated by association.
However, here, Mu Qi wouldn't face any targeting; rather, she was the one bringing someone along!
For Li Zhonglou, as long as no one made a move, just looking, talking, or whispering behind his back was not a problem.
After Li Jie led Mu Qi to the side, most of the gazes in the venue remained fixed on Li Zhonglou, with some even whispering amongst themselves.
"What was Mu Qi thinking, bringing someone like that in?"
"Exactly, who knows if he's a wanted criminal? Judging by how they were just now, they haven't even exchanged a word."
"The security is also terrible. While the rules don't prohibit bringing strangers, they should at least consider our safety. Don't they know the current situation in Shangjing?"
Most of the whispers Li Zhonglou heard were complaints and confusion, which, to him, were like spam messages on a phone – useless.
However, some contained information he wanted to know.
For instance, about the two women he saw earlier, Sisi and An An.
An An was pulled away by her boyfriend first. At the time, he didn't understand the situation, only knowing that something was wrong. It wasn't until now that he couldn't help but ask An An: "An, how could Qiqi bring someone like that here?"
An An whispered, "It's all to deal with Young Master Xiao. Qiqi received news that Young Master Xiao wants to confess his feelings to her at this banquet."
The man's expression immediately changed, and he said in surprise, "Isn't Young Master Xiao a cultivator? I thought Qiqi's future partner would be Du Shu or Li Jie."
"Shh, keep your voice down. It wouldn't be good if a cultivator heard that!"
The man instinctively glanced at Young Master Long, who was the furthest away, and also lowered his voice, "It's fine, besides that guy Wu Long, everyone else hasn't arrived yet. He can't hear us from this far."
An An nodded, but still cautiously said, "Let's talk about this later. We don't know if Qiqi's information is true. What if it's not, and it gets out from our mouths..."
The two then nodded in tacit understanding, completely unaware that they were less than ten meters away from Li Zhonglou.
Every word of their conversation reached Li Zhonglou's ears.
"So, the biggest enemy at this banquet might be this Young Master Xiao?"
Li Zhonglou remained outwardly unfazed. No matter who it was, as long as they didn't make a move, it was manageable. However, in his opinion, the news Mu Qi received was likely true.
Although she could be considered naive, she wasn't stupid. In fact, people who grew up in such environments were rarely foolish.
The resources and education they received from childhood were things ordinary people couldn't enjoy in lifetimes. Moreover, if she were truly foolish, she wouldn't have come here.
If Li Zhonglou guessed correctly, this banquet was probably the gathering of the most promising young generation in Shangjing that Yu Ke had mentioned before!
The world always belonged to those who came later, meaning this group of people might be the ones who would change the world's structure in the future!
Such a high-quality banquet could even be called a top-tier elite gathering.
Precisely because of the banquet's importance, Mu Qi had to make such a choice under these circumstances. Therefore, Li Zhonglou was almost certain that the matter of Young Master Xiao was highly probable.
At the same time, he understood why Mu Qi had sought him out.
Well, it was probably just picking a seemingly honest fated person from the street. Thinking this, Li Zhonglou wasn't sure whether to consider himself lucky or Mu Qi lucky.
However, at this moment, the conversation on Sisi's side also caught his attention.
"Did you know about Mu Qi's situation before?"
Sisi nodded, "She told me about it, saying it was to deal with Young Master Xiao. According to the usual rules, if someone already has a male companion, they can't invite another to sit with them. Qiqi had no choice."
"But have you considered, if it's true, what will happen to the male companion she found when the arena starts? You know what Young Master Xiao is like."
"Don't worry, he's just a passerby. Even if something happens, it won't affect Qiqi."
"I see."
The two soon shifted their topic, but Li Zhonglou's brow had already furrowed deeply.
"No way, there's an arena too? Could it be like the Strongest Bodyguard Competition again?"
But hadn't that just concluded not long ago?
Besides that, the words Sisi said at the end also made Li Zhonglou uncomfortable.
However, for now, it was only her one-sided statement, and Li Zhonglou didn't fully believe it.
Whether it was true or not would be revealed soon enough.
Li Jie pulled Mu Qi aside and said something to her. After a while, she returned with a hint of helplessness. At this time, everyone's attention had shifted away from the two of them.
Li Zhonglou didn't ask, but Mu Qi spoke first, "Um, Brother Li, I'm sorry."
Li Zhonglou's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm demeanor and said, "If you have something to say, say it."
Mu Qi, looking very embarrassed, continued, "I forgot that this banquet has a new arrangement, the first Young Generation Competition. Everyone who enters has to participate in one."
Li Zhonglou was stunned.
"What do you mean?"
Mu Qi sighed, "This is also my fault. Someone mentioned it to me before, but at the time they only said it might be held this year. I didn't expect it to be confirmed."
Li Zhonglou didn't interrupt.
Mu Qi continued, "Our gatherings don't have a fixed schedule, but they usually don't happen consecutively. In the past, they were just to promote resource integration and distribution, and to facilitate our unity."
"Of course, there are also emotional reasons. For example, Sisi and An An's boyfriends were met at past banquets."
"But starting this year, the organizing committee proposed new projects to identify benchmarks in various industries among us, which is the competition I just mentioned."
Mu Qi's face was filled with worry as she spoke.
Li Zhonglou asked in confusion, "Does this competition have any special significance?"
Mu Qi then said, "In the past, to attract us to participate and provide motivation, the organizers would allocate a portion of public or unclaimed resources as benefits, but these were distributed based on company performance."
"Now, it's allocated based on rankings."
"But my concern isn't about that. According to the rules, everyone who enters must participate. I'm afraid you might..."
Li Zhonglou immediately understood. This must be about that Young Master Xiao.
However, although what Mu Qi said was not difficult to understand, it was still vague. Li Zhonglou couldn't help but ask, "What are the specific rules of this competition? If everyone has to participate, then will the women compete with us?"