Chapter 824: Everyone has their own thoughts!

Qin Bore's gaze swept lightly over both sides…… the black-clad thugs who bowed and saluted,

Her expression was calm and waveless, showing no trace of emotional fluctuation.

She turned her head and exchanged a quick glance with Lin Yun'er beside her.

At the moment their eyes met, without words they were fully in sync, clearly aware of the hidden killing intent lurking in this banquet.

Afterward, the two moved with composure and steady steps, striding straight into the brightly lit lobby of the Cloud Top Hotel.

The flow of people at the hotel's main entrance continued as usual, with no one noticing the deadly undercurrent hidden beneath this prosperity.

Just in the dim, secluded corner outside the hotel, an inconspicuous figure stood silently in the shadows, taking in the entire scene just witnessed.

This figure lurking secretly outside was none other than Lin Yuan, who had come out of concern.

By now Lin Yuan had completely changed his attire, wearing a neat hotel server uniform that fit him perfectly without any sense of incongruity.

He had shed his usual attire, simply groomed his hair, and looked no different from any ordinary hotel staff member.

From the moment he learned the full banquet location in the evening, his unease could not dissipate, and he could not stay calmly at the company even for a moment.

He was extremely worried that Qin Bore would walk into the enemy's trap and fall into an ambush; after thinking it over, he still decided to come privately, sneaking in to protect her.

He kept his heart in his throat, not daring to relax, staring fixedly at the hotel entrance to confirm that Qin Bore and Lin Yun'er had fully entered the lobby.

Only after the two beautiful figures completely disappeared from his sight did Lin Yuan gather his worry and suppress the restless emotions in his chest.

He lowered his posture, deliberately lightened his steps, and used the cover of passing staff to blend into the flow of people as discreetly as possible.

Following the gap in the side employee passageway, he moved nimbly and silently slipped into the hotel interior.

The entire luxurious and magnificent Cloud Top Hotel, though glittering with lights and peaceful music on the surface, was in fact already wrapped layer upon layer with killing intent.

……

Qin Bore's expression was indifferent, her steps light, as she led Lin Yun'er straight through the spacious and splendid hotel lobby.

The heavy wooden private-room door slowly opened, the view instantly unfolding to reveal the interior of the private room, extremely luxurious.

The two ignored the hidden scrutinizing glances along the way and went straight to the door of the top-floor exclusive presidential suite.

Expensive crystal chandeliers hung high from the ceiling, casting warm golden soft light that bathed the entire private room in magnificent splendor.

This is the Cloud Top Hotel's highest-standard top-floor presidential suite, with a spacious, open layout and exquisite, luxurious décor.

Everyone sat upright with a solemn aura, appearing leisurely at ease, yet their eyes concealed a long‑harbored, ruthless killing intent.

Around the large round table in the private room, seats were already filled with people; all the top speakers of the Jiangnan New Faction had taken their places.

Ju Lu Group Chairman Lu Yuanshan leaned back in his chair, his gaze deep, silently sizing up the people arriving at the door without changing his expression.

White Gold Han Group Chairman Bai Guiyuan sat sideways at the left‑most head seat, his fingertips lightly resting on the table edge, his expression appearing gentle and harmless.

Chi Dao Group Chairman…… You Kaixuan, who commanded elite death‑sworn warriors, hid a fierce, ruthless aura between his brows and eyes.

Blue Ring Group Chairman Lan Shengqiang…… sat with a steady posture, his whole body exuding the heavy pressure of a veteran power holder at the helm.

Seated beside the main seat was none other than the orchestrator of this gathering, the helmsman of Le Tian Financial and the core speaker of the New Faction, Le Xiao chen.

K Group Chairman Hong Bai Tian held a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth, while killing intent already stirred faintly in his eyes.

The originally slightly quiet atmosphere of the private room instantly shifted, as an intangible pressure silently began to permeate.

Everyone's gaze, at…… the moment Qin Bore stepped into the private room, snapped to attention in unison, precisely locking onto her figure.

The crowd…… almost simultaneously rose from their seats, their faces breaking into warm, enthusiastic smiles as they stepped forward together to greet her.

The usual warlords who each dominated their own territory and refused to yield to one another now acted in uncanny unison, all retracting the sharp edges around them.

Le Xiao chen walked at the forefront, his demeanor humble yet enthusiastic, stepping forward first to initiate a greeting.

Beneath each seemingly sincere smile lay a deadly poisonous scheme and a murderous conspiracy.

"Phoenix God, you've finally come; we've been waiting for you here for a long time—please take a seat quickly."

Qin Bore stood silently at the private‑room door, her clear eyes slowly sweeping over each New Faction bigwig present.

In her eyes there was not a trace of the politeness of a first meeting, only the clear‑cold composure of one who sees through everything.

Her gaze was unhurried, tranquil and indifferent, yet possessed a powerful penetrative power, as if it could see through everyone's petty scheming.

Qin Bore's tone was languid and flat, giving no hint of joy or anger, yet it made everyone's hearts subtly tighten a notch.

"You're all so enthusiastic? Honestly, it's a bit unexpected."

Le Xiao chen's smile grew ever more earnest, his posture lowered to the extreme, presenting the appearance of sincere reconciliation。】

He hurriedly stepped forward half a pace, deliberately adopting the modest posture of fellow jianghu peers, and softly offered an apologetic explanation.

"We're all just trying to make a living in the jianghu—what grudge can't be resolved, what conflict can't be eased?"

"We've had many misunderstandings and frictions before; bottom line, we're all fellow jianghu travelers—there's no need to fight to the bitter end."

Le Xiao chen raised his hand…… making a respectful inviting gesture, stepping aside to vacate the seat beside the main table.

"Today I specially set up this banquet precisely to completely resolve past grudges—let us turn swords into jade and silk, and coexist in harmony."

"Miss Qin, please have a seat."

Qin Bore did not decline much, her expression indifferent as she stepped forward and took her seat gracefully at the side of the round table.

Right after her, Lin Yun'er stood tall, her expression wary, taking her seat steadily beside Qin Bore while her gaze continually swept the entire room.

At the moment the two took their seats……,

Inside the private room…… the bigwigs' glances met covertly, while the killing intent in their hearts silently brewed.

At this moment, outside the presidential suite's door, the entire corridor, elevator lobby, and fire passage had already been completely sealed off.

Dozens of stalwart New Faction bodyguards were stationed in layers, paired up and posted at each exit, their expressions solemn and defenses tight.

All of these people were elite troops hand‑picked by the New Faction, each highly skilled, with concealed weapons at their waists, ready at a moment's notice.

Except for this negotiation private room, the entire top floor was under control, with all unrelated personnel strictly prohibited from approaching.

In the dim light of the passageways, lurking figures filled every corner, and a silent killing intent enveloped the whole floor.

At the same time, in the darkness outside the private room…

Lin Yuan……had long relied on the waiter's disguise to avoid all overt patrols.

He knew the downstairs and corridors were heavily guarded; forcing his way would only expose his position, making it impossible to approach the private booth.

Thus he took advantage of the unguarded moment, turned sideways and climbed the equipment maintenance ladder on the side of the corridor.

The top‑floor ventilation duct was wide and ample, enough for a single person to crawl through, making it the sole hidden passage.

Lin Yuan's fingertips gripped the metal ladder, his soles firmly planted on the steps; his movements were agile and neat as he silently climbed to the top of the wall.

Lin Yuan carefully lifted the maintenance cover on the duct's exterior, his motion extremely light, producing not a sound.

He hunched, reduced his profile, alternating limb effort, and slowly crawled into the dark, narrow ventilation duct.

Throughout he kept his body low, slowed his breath, each shift extremely gentle to avoid vibration and noise.

The duct's inner wall was slightly cool and narrow, the air filled with the taste of metallic dust, vision dim, only faint light seams.

All along……Lin Yuan avoided every surveillance probe and personnel guard point, perfectly evading the dense throng of bodyguards below.

He followed the preset duct route, steadily moving between the top‑floor ceiling interlayers, precisely approaching the area beside the presidential booth.

Shortly thereafter, he smoothly reached the position above the duct of the adjoining exclusive lounge.

He raised his hand and gently lifted the corresponding duct latch, then slowly lowered himself to the floor, steadily stepping onto the lounge carpet.

This lounge adjoins the negotiation booth; its walls are thin, soundproofing limited, making it an ideal concealed observation spot.

The instant Lin Yuan's feet touched down, he immediately steadied his stance, swiftly turned and replaced the latch, restoring its original appearance.

Lin Yuan quickly withdrew behind the lounge's most concealed floor‑length curtain, completely hiding his figure.

He held his breath, focused, motionless, using the gap to closely monitor and listen to every movement in the neighboring booth.

To prepare for any sudden outbreak of fighting, he had already readied his concealed weapons.

Several fine, sharp silver needles……were neatly tucked between his fingers and inside his cuffs, while a compact, capable personal dagger was fastened at his waist.

Lin Yuan's gaze……locked firmly onto the direction of the partition wall.

His nerves……were taut to the limit, his whole being on alert, ready at any moment to rush out and meet Qin Bore.

All his weapons……were in a state ready to be drawn or fired at a moment's notice, sufficient to cope with sudden close‑quarters combat and a surprise rescue.

Lin Yuan, always ready to support Qin Bore.

……

Meanwhile, inside the neighboring presidential booth.

Qin Bore had just taken her seat; the new‑faction magnates around the round table……promptly gathered the gloom from their eyes, replacing it with a sincere, remorseful appearance.

Hong Bai Tian……was the first to lift his hand and pick up the exquisite high‑ball glass on the table, personally filling it with clear liquor, a fawning smile on his face as he looked toward Qin Bore.

He held the cup with both hands, slightly bowed as he presented it, his humility taken to the extreme, completely lacking the former arrogance of the group's leader.

"Miss Qin, in the past our new faction has been short‑sighted and reckless, repeatedly causing friction and conflict with the Divine Phoenix Group; the fault is ours."

Hong Bai Tian's voice was full of regret, his expression sincere, as if he truly felt guilty and self‑reproachful for the previous opposition and scheming.

Immediately after him, Lu Yuanshan……also raised his wine cup in echo, deliberately putting on a docile, compliant look to help foster the atmosphere of reconciliation.

"Years of strife in the martial world have drained everyone's foundations and strength; it's truly not worth the loss, and we have long felt remorse."

"By proactively hosting this banquet to seek peace, we genuinely wish to bow our heads, admit fault, and completely untangle all grudges between us and the Divine Phoenix." Lu Yuanshan said.

Bai Guiyuan spoke slowly, his tone calm and gentle, every word urging Qin Bore to uphold the martial world's principle of valuing harmony.

"Miss Qin, your mind is broad and your vision grand; I hope you, magnanimous as you are, will let bygones be bygones and give our new faction a way to survive."

"None of us wishes to keep fighting; we only want to steadily guard our own businesses, abide by the law, and establish ourselves in Jiangnan."

You Kaixuan and Lan Shengqiang also nodded in agreement, their faces all showing flattery, remorse, and earnest pleas for reconciliation.

This group……of usual decisive, territory‑holding magnates now all lowered their stature, piling up the most hypocritical benevolent façade.

Such an attitude is exceedingly abnormal.

Le Xiao chen lifted the cup beside the host's seat, his gaze sincere toward Qin Bore, and put forward the previously discussed reconciliation terms.

"As long as Miss Qin is willing to cease hostilities and shake hands, our new faction is ready to show full sincerity and accept any disposition."

"Going forward we can gradually disband all external branches of the new faction and no longer participate in any martial‑world disputes."

"All Jiangnan territories previously seized and occupied by us will be returned in full, not an inch retained, completely placed under the jurisdiction of the Divine Phoenix Group."

"Besides this, our six major groups will jointly fund and pay a full compensation sum to make up for our previous conflict‑related faults."

He deliberately phrased the terms to sound extremely generous, appearing to yield completely without reservation, solely to paralyze Qin Bore to the greatest extent.

Everyone took turns speaking and toasting, every sentence inseparable from advocating harmony and sincere remorse, trying to completely relieve Qin Bore's vigilance.

Faced with the crowd's alternating flattery and feigned concessions, Qin Bore's lips curled with a faint, tranquil smile, her expression relaxed, showing no tension.

She did not immediately agree, nor did she directly expose their falseness; instead she went along with the atmosphere they fabricated, engaging in pretense.

"Since you magnates possess this remorse and are willing to take the initiative to yield and reconcile, it saves me considerable effort."

Qin Bore's tone was light and bland, seeming to have believed the crowd's words, yet her eyes held not a trace of genuine relaxation.

She lifted her hand and lightly raised the empty cup before her, her posture leisurely and composed, allowing everyone to take turns refilling her drink and exchanging pleasantries.

On the surface she patiently listened to the crowd's remorse and terms, appearing to seriously weigh the feasibility of this reconciliation.

In secret, her gaze swept silently over every corner of the booth, meticulously observing all anomalies in the surroundings.

Her gaze lightly swept over the booth's ceiling seam at the corner, precisely capturing a concealed micro‑camera.

That camera was embedded within the decorative pattern, its workmanship exquisite and concealment extremely strong; ordinary people could not detect it in the slightest.

The lens was dead‑centered on the round table's main seat, clearly covering the entire booth's view, obviously intended to monitor her every move in real time.

Her gaze shifted slightly, and through the fine gaps in the booth's heavy wooden door she caught a fleeting outline of black shadows moving back and forth outside.

Those shadows moved with light, steady steps, their positions orderly, their breath calm—far from ordinary guards, they were concealed, on‑call elite assassins.

Every minute anomaly silently confirmed her initial judgment: this reconciliation banquet from start to finish is a deadly trap.

Qin Bore knew it in her heart, yet showed no trace of flaw on her face; she continued to maintain a relaxed, composed appearance, persisting in her pretense.

She clearly knows everyone is acting, so she will follow everyone's script and continue to enter the game, waiting silently for the other party to fully reveal their murderous intent^^……