9 Family Lunch
There was a look of shock in his grandfather's eyes, and he took a step back. Yuan looked around the room, his eyes still glowing with white embers burning in them. Yuan felt a sense of power and control that he had never experienced before.
The white flame was still burning the clothes of the maid. Although the maid herself was spared from harm, the fire destroyed everything she was wearing. The maid cried out in fear. Yuan's grandfather gave her an unhappy gaze. The maid choked back her shrieks and obediently stood still, trying to cover her exposed breasts and abdomen.
The butler, male servants, guards, and warriors present in the hall, including Flame Duan, who had brought Yuan from the village, leaned against the wall like statues, but their eyes were all over the maid's body. She wasn't strikingly beautiful, but her youth gave her a body brimming with attraction.
After Liu Bo gave the order, the maid finally left. She kept her composure and bowed politely as she backed out of the hall, still facing her masters. She didn't dare turn around until she was well into the hallway, convinced that if she didn't behave politely, she'd only invite more hardship upon herself.
Yuan, on the other hand, felt his head go heavy, and he fell down again. He had lost consciousness.
Liu Bo's voice could be heard vaguely.
"Take him to his room. Our ancestors are still looking out for us."
"The eternal flame did not abandon us. Send him to the sect."
It was a new morning when Yuan awoke.
A few young maids visited him again and looked after him, giving him brand-new clothes and accessories and filling the wooden bathtub with hot water. They told him he would be having lunch with his cousins and sibling, and so he had to bathe and change again.
When Yuan left for lunch in the afternoon.
The interior of Red Castle appeared quite different during the day than it did at night. Murals painted on the walls depicted epic battles between fire immortals and mythical creatures in fantastic landscapes. The stone floors are bathed in a warm and vibrant glow as sunlight filters in through the stained-glass windows.
As he walked, he took in the impressive architecture, from the high ceilings to the massive chandeliers. The walls are covered in armor sets, weapons, and shields that have all been beautifully polished.
One of the most remarkable features of the Red Castle was undoubtedly its magnificent dining hall. Exquisite tapestries and paintings depicting Immortal and Arcanoirian victories lined the walls. The tall pillars that upheld the vaulted ceiling were decorated with mythical fire beasts.
Walking into the hall, His eyes were immediately drawn to the long, elaborate table that spanned the length of the room. Each chair was hand-carved from the same dark wood as the table, which had been polished to a mirror finish. The already lavish space was made even more sumptuous by the addition of deep red and gold velvet cushions to each chair.
His grandfather's throne, a massive piece of furniture carved from a single block of red stone and decorated all over with intricate carvings, sat at the head of the table. The throne was higher than the rest of the table.
Along the sides of the dining hall were tall, arched windows, letting in the warm sunlight and offering a view of the castle's lush gardens. The windows were draped in thick, luxurious curtains of deep red and gold, adding a regal touch to the already grand hall.
There were platters of food in the middle of the table. They had everything from exotic fruits to tasty roasted meats. The aroma of the dishes filled the hall, making one's mouth water in anticipation.
Elegantly dressed servants and maids were busy taking care of the masters' needs with grace and speed.
The dining room of the Red Castle really showed how rich and powerful the Liu Fire immortals were.
Yuan, dressed as a young noble, sat upright on one side, facing his cousins, while some of them sat beside him. The table could accommodate up to 70 people at once. Yuan was surprised to find himself surrounded by more than 50 cousins of varying ages. He had no idea he had so many cousins; it seemed like there were only half of them, and this number would likely grow when his distant relatives were added.
His brothers were seated to his left at the table, while his sisters were on his right, all of them staring at him with intense scrutiny. They watched him like he was a rare demon about to be dissected, and he gave off an energy that was both wild and illiterate.
Although Yuan's cousins were of varying ages, some were younger than him, and some were older—their gazes were filled with explicit curiosity, contempt, and hostility but not affection.
Their stares made Yuan feel as if he were in danger; he could feel their murderous intent. Yuan's cousin sisters were also of varying ages, with the eldest appearing to be a young lady based on her swelling bosom, while the youngest was likely less than five years old. They gave him more complex looks, scrutinizing him with both inquisitiveness and hesitation. They were exchanging low whispers and occasionally erupting into unbridled laughter. Yuan couldn't understand what they were laughing about, but he knew it had something to do with him.
Yuan didn't say anything during lunch because he didn't know what to say, and his cousins didn't seem interested in talking either. They kept staring at him with hard, piercing eyes. He shuddered at the callousness of some of them.
After a brief lunch with his cousins, Yuan felt as though a long day had passed. He was so anxious that he had sweat through the dress shirt he wore under his outerwear. He later discovered that his grandfather had asked the family to organize the lunch in order to introduce Yuan to his cousins. Even though his grandfather usually didn't care about this kind of thing, he insisted that all of them join him for lunch on this particular day. Since it was a gathering of the younger generation, no elders participated in this gathering. The realization dawned on Yuan, so that is why the main chair was empty.
