However, just as he was planning to investigate Ethan Brooks's identity and reconsider his next move, a young man who had been watching nearby suddenly spoke up: “Commander Clark, the friend you wanted to make just now, if I’m not mistaken, should be the seventh young master of the Marquis Wu Wei’s household, and also the very man personally chosen by Miss Foster as her ideal husband a year ago—Ethan Brooks. Yes, that’s right. Ever since he entered the banquet, he’s been following right behind Miss Foster... it’s Ethan Brooks!”

Volume One: Meteor Festival

Chapter Seven: Borrowing a Sword

“Ethan Brooks!?”

“The seventh young master of the Marquis Wu Wei’s household, whom Miss Foster married?”

“I heard that this Ethan Brooks doesn’t hold any official position, and his cultivation is only at the fifth level of Qi Dao, right? No position, no cultivation—how did he even get an invitation?”

“Who knows? But after all, he is the seventh son of the Marquis Wu Wei. Even if he has no career or cultivation, he still has some influence. Getting an invitation to sneak into this banquet isn’t exactly impossible!”

As soon as Ethan Brooks’s identity was revealed, a wave of suppressed murmurs immediately rippled through the crowd. Clearly, people had all heard of this young man who, though somewhat famous in the capital, was known only for negative reasons.

But after the initial exclamations, these young elites once again gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

“What are Ethan Brooks and Miss Foster up to? Don’t they know that the Second Prince and Princess Grace have been looking for him all along? If he just stayed hidden in the marquis’s residence, refusing to see anyone, then when the Second Prince ascends the throne—cough, cough... maybe he could still live a peaceful life for a while. But now, instead of staying put, he’s actually run out and come to a banquet that both the Second Prince and Princess Grace are attending. Isn’t he just asking for humiliation?”

“Exactly! To get an invitation, you need the Marquis Wu Wei’s approval. Doesn’t the marquis know what’s going on? What is he really planning?”

“If I remember correctly, James Clark is one of the Second Prince’s people, right?”

“Back then, Ethan Brooks actually dared to accept Miss Foster’s marriage proposal—what nerve! Although the Second Prince, for the sake of Princess Grace, claimed he wouldn’t interfere, he’s been seething with anger inside for a long time... This is going to be interesting.”

Just a single name had already pushed Ethan Brooks, who had spent the past three years secluded in the remote northern courtyard, never stepping outside, right into the eye of the storm!

Throughout all this, Ivy Foster had been watching from the side. Bringing Ethan Brooks here, she had already anticipated that this might happen. But considering the chance to connect with Logan Bennett, the young Sword Saint who might one day reach the pinnacle of alchemy and become a legendary figure, she suppressed all her hesitation and let him attend the banquet without a second thought.

Now that things were getting heated, it might indeed cause some negative consequences, but at the same time, it could also attract the attention of the Sword Saint Logan Bennett!

In short, whether he soars like a dragon or crawls like a worm, whether he can rise to the top all depends on this moment.

“Hahahaha!” Suddenly, laughter burst from James Clark’s mouth. Immediately after, he strode forward in a few quick steps, catching up to Ethan Brooks: “So it’s you, the seventh young master of the Marquis Wu Wei’s household, Ethan Brooks. Why aren’t you staying quietly at the marquis’s residence, building your fairy tale kingdom? What brings you out today? Have you changed your ways?”

{The Second Prince} had already made it clear that he wanted to deal with Ethan Brooks. Everyone in the Second Prince’s circle knew about this. Although he was a commander with a thousand men, the Mountain Camp was just for show. In terms of status, he was at the very bottom in the Second Prince’s eyes.

If he could thoroughly humiliate Ethan Brooks now and please the Second Prince, his own rise to power would be a piece of cake.

But after laughing, he seemed to get no response.

“Ethan Brooks, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me you couldn’t stay in the marquis’s residence and got kicked out, hahahaha!”

Ethan Brooks acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, sitting right back down where he was before. Those who knew him could immediately tell from his expression that he was about to slip into deep thought.

Being ignored again and again, even someone as composed as James Clark couldn’t help but get angry, especially since he had come here looking for trouble. If the other party didn’t respond, how could he have a legitimate reason to act against him?

“Ethan Brooks, is this how everyone from the Marquis Wu Wei’s household behaves?”

At this moment, Ethan Brooks seemed to have already entered a state of contemplation.

“Ethan Brooks...”

The people nearby were also starting to look at Ethan Brooks with some hostility. Logically, since Ethan Brooks knew the other party was looking for trouble, ignoring him and giving him no opening was the best move. But right now, they wanted to watch the show! If he didn’t respond and the other party couldn’t find a reason to act, how were they supposed to enjoy the spectacle?

For a moment, the crowd’s gaze on James Clark grew more urgent, clearly urging him to hurry up and find an excuse.