Long Qian was immensely grateful to Zhou You for saving his team. It was a debt he was willing to repay with his life.

With familiarity, Cheng Yuran rang the doorbell. He used to frequent this place until a betrayal from a friend.

A lazy voice answered the call, "Who is it?"

For a moment, Cheng Yuran felt the voice was familiar but couldn't place it. "Good day, Mr. Shao. This is Cheng Yuran from Wan Jian Sect, accompanied by Captain Long Qian of the Long Xing exploration team. We've come to visit."

Recognizing the visitors from the monitor and presuming they were here to thank Zhou You, Shao Qi unlocked the door, asking them to wait in the foyer.

Neither Long Qian nor Cheng Yuran had planned to visit together. They'd met by chance en route, exchanged pleasantries, and discovered their shared destination.

Once inside the mansion, Cheng Yuran looked around the snow-covered, traditional-style compound. "Every visit here feels different. There was a time I wanted to burn it all down. But then Mr. Zhou and his team moved in, and out of respect for them, I held back."

Long Qian, aware of Cheng's history, remarked, "Your Wan Jian Sect could easily wipe out the Zhong Jian Sect. But with the instigators dead, there's no need for revenge now."

A cold smile played on Cheng Yuran's lips. "Hu Shien died too easily. His disciples should atone for his sins. Do you have an issue with that?"

"Weren't all the core disciples sentenced?"

"That would have been too easy on them. Don't worry, I'm not interested in seeking out those insignificant disciples. Since when did you, Long Gan, become such a benevolent person? They have no relation with your Dragon Squad."

Long Gan isn't exactly a good person. The Heavy Sword Sect once dominated the Jiangnan base, offending many. He merely made a casual remark; what Cheng Yuran decides to do isn't his concern.

As they walked to the main hall, they noticed it was empty. Still, neither seemed bothered; both found a seat and patiently waited without any complaints.

When Shao Qi went to inform Zhou You about the guests, he found him deeply engrossed in lesson planning, presumably for tomorrow's class.

Zhou You's sudden decision to start a class on the platform was unexpected. He said he had randomly clicked on it without preplanning what or how long he'd teach.

The platform takes 60% of all revenues, while instructors get 30%. 10% goes into a prize pool as a reward for outstanding students. During live sessions, half of the donations go directly to the instructor. Zhou You hadn't checked the day's earnings, but he'd likely be in for a shock if he had.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Shao Qi informed Zhou You about the guests. Zhou You exclaimed, "Why didn't you just tell me after nightfall?"

In Shao Qi's mind: Aren't they just two unimportant figures? What's the harm in having them wait a bit?

Shao Qi initially didn't want to greet them, but Zhou You felt it was his responsibility since the guests had expressly mentioned they were visiting them.

Upon reaching the main hall, Shao Qi, noticing the bare table, thought it might be a good idea to get a domestic robot to at least serve drinks.

Despite their tardiness, Cheng Yuran and Long Gan showed no displeasure, instead giving a formal greeting. With the resurgence of ancient martial arts, many old customs were being revived, like saluting and bowing, while handshakes became rarer. Zhou You's last handshake was more of a strength test by the other party.

"Please have a seat. My apologies for the delay," Zhou You, not as thick-skinned as Shao Qi, felt somewhat embarrassed for the wait.

"No worries. You both have important matters to attend to. It was our oversight for not scheduling an appointment," Cheng Yuran said with genuine respect when addressing Zhou You.

Long Gan mentioned they hadn't waited long and handed invitations to Zhou You and Shao Qi, "The appreciation banquet we talked about is set for tomorrow night at the Bridge Hotel downtown. We hope you both can attend."

Glancing at the invitation, Shao Qi remarked, "Who else have you invited?"

An appreciation banquet typically showcases the host's stance. Being a martial artist, Long Gan invited notable figures from Jiangnan base's various factions and military officers he knew. Essentially, he invited his entire network.

After listening, Shao Qi nodded slightly. Zhou You was relatively new in the community, so this opportunity to network would be beneficial. Even though Jiangnan base wasn't very influential in the national martial arts association, this was just the beginning.

"We'll be there," Shao Qi said before turning to Cheng Yuran, "What brings the young Sect Master Cheng here? Surely, you're not planning another appreciation banquet for Zhou You?"

Cheng Yuran's face flushed. Everyone knew of Zhou You's life-saving favor, so not hosting a banquet would seem odd. But he was just temporarily based in Jiangnan; any banquet would be at his home base.

"My father already mentioned this. We hope Mr. Zhou can visit when he's in Dawn City. As you saved my life, you are our honored guest. Any banquet should be in Dawn City, hosted by my father. Otherwise, given my experience, I won't be able to offer much."

Though he's the young sect master, his influence is limited. People see his sect first, so hosting a banquet with his father would be more beneficial.

Zhou You felt it was unnecessary. He had saved Cheng Yuran by chance. If one had to serve every person who saved them, what if multiple people saved you? Would you serve them all?