Eight Immortals Restaurant, bearing this name since its inception, boasts a history spanning several centuries.
Of course, with the passage of time and the ebb and flow of eras, the Eight Immortals Restaurant of today is vastly different from its original form.
The Eight Immortals Restaurant has changed hands multiple times, and its premises are no longer the ones from its founding. Only the name, Eight Immortals Restaurant, has endured.
Along with the name, its prestige has also been passed down.
The prestige of the Eight Immortals Restaurant has always remained exceptionally high. Those who dine here are not merely eating for sustenance, but for a symbol of status.
Today, all three floors of the entire Eight Immortals Restaurant have been booked.
Li Tianxiang, the patriarch of the Li family, has reserved the Eight Immortals Restaurant to entertain distinguished guests.
The service staff throughout the Eight Immortals Restaurant are on high alert, bustling about as if preparing for a major battle.
Little do they know, the very people they are serving are also awaiting a great confrontation!
Li Tianxiang has booked the entire Eight Immortals Restaurant, setting up eighteen tables.
According to his plan, the core members of the five great families would occupy ten tables.
The remaining eight tables are reserved for his influential 'friends' in the imperial city.
Li Tianxiang, being fond of the spotlight, would naturally not miss such an opportune moment.
He not only wants to show everyone the consequences of provoking the Li family.
More importantly, he wants to let everyone witness that he, Li Tianxiang, has the capability to invite the Nine Thousand Years Old!
As noon approaches, guests begin to arrive at the banquet hall in succession.
The entire Eight Immortals Restaurant is teeming with people, bustling with excitement.
Anyone unaware might mistake it for a grand birthday celebration of some prominent figure!
At the main table, Li Tianxiang's expression is grim, his face contorted, his jaw clenched so tightly that his cheeks bulge.
This is because while four of the five great families have arrived, not a single member of the Song family is present.
Initially, Song Kaijiang claimed to be ill and unable to attend.
Li Tianxiang thought nothing of it, even mocking Song Kaijiang's frail health.
Of course, if Song Kaijiang could not come, it did not matter; other members of the Song family could attend.
After all, in Li Tianxiang's view, Song Kaijiang's presence or absence was inconsequential.
Upon hearing Li Tianxiang's words, Song Kaijiang was utterly dumbfounded. He had never expected Li Tianxiang to pull such a stunt.
Helplessly, Song Kaijiang decided to lay his cards on the table: "Old Li, I cannot make it, and neither can any member of the Song family."
Song Kaijiang had come to a realization; since he had already chosen his side, there was no need for pretense.
Being a fence-sitter, a waverer, was not in Song Kaijiang's nature!
"Hmm? I understand you can't make it, but why can't the entire Song family make it?"
Li Tianxiang finally realized that Song Kaijiang's claim of illness was somewhat suspicious. "Old Song, explain yourself. What do you mean by that?"
"It means nothing, Old Li. My Song family has reached a reconciliation with Li Ziqing. We are withdrawing."
Song Kaijiang stated truthfully.
"Withdrawing? Heh heh..."
Li Tianxiang sneered in anger. "Song Kaijiang, you are truly something. Do you know what your withdrawal signifies?"
"I know. If you succeed today, our Song family will relocate from the imperial city."
Song Kaijiang said nonchalantly.
"Relocating from the imperial city is all? Song Kaijiang, you've underestimated the consequences... Hello? Hello, hello, damn your mother, how dare you hang up on me!"
Before Li Tianxiang could finish speaking, Song Kaijiang had already hung up the phone, enraging Li Tianxiang to the point of uttering profanities.
Li Tianxiang, such a prominent figure, highly respected and wielding considerable authority, losing his composure and cursing in front of so many people was quite a spectacle.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had transpired, but the previously boisterous hall suddenly became much quieter.
Li Tianxiang, unable to contain his anger, called back. Song Kaijiang rejected the call and subsequently turned off his phone.
This led to the scene of Li Tianxiang's cheeks bulging with rage.
"Old Li, what's going on? Old Song isn't coming? And he's talking about withdrawing? Withdrawing from what?"
Zheng Tianpeng asked cautiously.
The other elders also perked up their ears, their gazes fixed on Li Tianxiang.
"Withdrawing from what else? Withdrawing from us!"
Li Tianxiang said irritably. "That old bastard has reached a reconciliation with that bitch from the Li family. From now on, there will be no five great families in the imperial city!"
The announcement sent shockwaves through the entire assembly.
For those unaware of the inner workings, this news struck like a thunderclap!
What was Song Kaijiang thinking? He wanted to lead the Song family to withdraw from the five great families? Why?
The five great families of the imperial city were united, their influence vast and deeply entrenched. For years, no one had been able to shake them.
Unexpectedly, they could not escape the fate of disintegration from within.
The elders seated at the main table, however, were filled with suspicion, each harboring their own thoughts.
"What is Old Song thinking? He's not even avenging his grandson's death? How did he reach a reconciliation with that bitch?"
Zhao Yuanjie shook his head, appearing utterly perplexed.
Zheng Tianpeng, meanwhile, frowned and questioned, "Why would Old Song choose to reconcile at this particular time? Could it be that he knows some inside information that we don't?"
"What other inside information could there be?"
Wang Xuedao scoffed. "I think Old Song has senile dementia. Could it be that he believes the Nine Thousand Years Old cannot deal with that brat surnamed Chen?"
If Wang Fei were present, he would have desperately urged his grandfather to leave this place of trouble.
However, he did not wish to reveal himself in his current state, hence his absence.
And apart from him, no one else would believe that the Nine Thousand Years Old could not handle Chen Xiao.
"What a joke! How could the Nine Thousand Years Old not deal with that fellow surnamed Chen? Perhaps the Nine Thousand Years Old's mere reputation would be enough to scare that brat into begging for mercy!"
Zhao Yuanjie curled his lips, his eyes and brows filled with mockery.
"The brat you're talking about, begging for mercy, wouldn't that be me?"
Just then, a slightly teasing voice suddenly reached everyone's ears.
Her voice preceded her arrival.
Everyone looked up, searching for the source of the voice.
However, the voice seemed to originate directly within their minds, not through their ears.
Tap, tap, tap...
As everyone stood in confusion, a series of slow, heavy footsteps echoed from the staircase.
A woman of breathtaking beauty appeared at the foot of the stairs.
Though she wore only a light application of makeup, she was still resplendent, radiating an dazzling aura.
Her arrival seemed to brighten the entire banquet hall.
Upon seeing this woman, the elders seated at the main table felt their blood pressure surge instantly.
Their gazes were uniformly focused, filled with anger mixed with resentment!
Resentment that they had shown mercy in the past and failed to eradicate the root!
The Bamboo Leaf Green, who had once toyed with the five great families of the imperial city and manipulated them at her will, had returned!