My game even includes ancient times

It was the young man with the snake hanging from his waist whom I met in the courtyard when I came to the Heyang Sect yesterday.

He was sitting with his eyes downcast, holding a small handful of tiny, unidentifiable particles in his hand, feeding them one by one to the little green snake coiled around his arm.

Sitting next to him was a younger girl, whose clothes suggested she was from the same school as the young man.

The girl had no snakes, insects, ants, or rats on her. She was thin, but had a small round face. Her large, clear black and white eyes would occasionally sweep over the faces of the other people at the table. In addition to her lively appearance, there was also a hint of obscurity and stiffness that was not easily noticed.

Unable to join in the conversation between her senior brothers and sisters and the disciples of the Sword Palace, Chu Yunsi could only sit there bored and drink tea.

But she's always been a restless person, and after less than fifteen minutes of quiet, she couldn't sit still anymore.

With a quick glance, Chu Yunsi turned her gaze to the unfamiliar girl beside her.

She looked to be about the same age as me, so we should be able to chat.

"What's your name?"

Chu Yunsi looked at the silent girl and gave her a friendly smile. "My name is Chu Yunsi."

The girl's profile was soft, and compared to her unusually small frontal face, her profile looked more beautiful and mature.

Upon hearing Chu Yunsi's words, the girl turned her head a beat late, her eyes slightly shifting as she found a suitable spot to meet Chu Yunsi's gaze: "My name is Shi Die."

The voice was soft and gentle, very pleasant to hear.

Chu Yunsi stared into the other person's pure black pupils, which were devoid of any other color, and felt a strange unease, but still asked in a friendly manner, "Which sect are you from?"

"Insect Valley."

Chu Yunsi was taken aback, and the voices at the table fell much quieter in the next instant.

He Yu, who was standing behind He Shi and secretly listening to their conversation, was also taken aback.

He looked up at the girl named Shi Die and the young man sitting beside her who hadn't said a word.

As far as He Yu knew, Insect Valley was located in Zhangzhou, one of the sixteen states of the dynasty, and was a sect even more secluded than Hualing Sword Palace.

Zhangzhou is a vast and sparsely populated area, surrounded by miasma all year round, with a very harsh natural environment. Insect Valley is the only martial arts force located in Zhangzhou, and also one of the top ten sects in the martial arts world today.

It is said that their sect is located in a very long and deep canyon called Insect Valley, so the outside world refers to them by the name Insect Valley.

Over time, they simply changed the name of their sect to Insect Valley, and the previous name has long been forgotten by the world.

Legend has it that the Valley of Insects is filled with miasma, teeming with poisonous insects, and covered with strange trees and herbs that have grown for hundreds of years. Almost no outsiders have ever entered it.

Similarly, the people in the valley rarely come out. They can usually only be seen when they go out to buy things or at some large-scale martial arts gatherings.

In short, it is very mysterious.

The fact that such a mysterious sect disciple would appear at Zhong Heshan's son's wedding banquet is itself quite telling.

Xia Yuan narrowed her eyes slightly, exchanged a glance with Lu Zhuo, and looked at the girl at the same time.

The others at the table had hardly ever seen anyone from the Insect Valley, and now that there were two of them right in front of them, they all turned their curious gazes toward them.

Under the gaze of so many people, Shi Die's body slowly stiffened. She withdrew her gaze from Chu Yunsi and slowly lowered her head.

Chu Yunsi keenly sensed the change in the other person's mood. She turned her head and glared at them: "What are you staring at them for? How rude!"

After a moment of surprise, everyone naturally looked away, some drinking tea, some spacing out, and some chatting.

As if nothing had happened.

Seeing that no one was staring at Shi Die anymore, Chu Yunsi secretly raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully nudged Shi Die's arm with her fingertips: "Shi Die, would you like some tea?"

The cups in front of Shi Die and the other young man remained empty. No one poured them tea, and they didn't pour it for themselves; they just sat there doing nothing.

Shi Die looked up at Chu Yunsi and nodded slightly.

So Chu Yunsi got up and poured her some tea, and also poured a cup for the young man over there.

The young man raised his eyebrows, glanced at Chu Yunsi with his narrow eyes, paused for a moment, and then gestured with his hands.

Chu Yunsi looked completely bewildered.

Shi Die took out her hand, which had been hidden under the table, and covered the cup with her palm. Her fingernails were black, just like the young man's.

“My brother can’t speak, but what he meant just now was thank you.”

"This..." Chu Yunsi blinked and quickly asked Shi Die in a low voice, "Then how should we compare 'No need to be polite'?"

This time it was Shi Die's turn to be stunned. She finally raised her head completely, looked at Chu Yunsi seriously, and then raised her hand and made a few simple gestures.

Chu Yunsi carefully memorized it, and then demonstrated it to the young man.

The young man blinked and gave her a slight smile.

Chu Yunsi seemed to have accomplished something great, and became happy again, asking Shi Die with a grin, "Are you siblings? What's your brother's name?"

Shi Die answered every question: "We are not blood siblings. My brother is the child of my mother's sister. His name is Shi Lin."

"Oh... then he must be your cousin!"

"..."

Chu Yunsi and Shi Die whispered to each other for a while with their heads down. When they looked up again, they had clearly become friends.

Shi Die moved her chair closer to Chu Yunsi, and the two girls sat close together, looking quite adorable.

Seeing this, Xia Yuan finally withdrew her gaze from that side and continued chatting with Lu Zhuo with peace of mind.

In just a short while, she had successfully arranged with Lu Zhuo for the Crimson Cloud Sword Master to give a public lecture at the Chu Clan Manor.

He Yu, who had been standing to the side, was somewhat impressed. She looked down at He Shi and saw that he also seemed to have gained some insight, so she couldn't help but smile.

Her son, Xiao Shitou, is truly intelligent and eager to learn. He doesn't miss any opportunity to improve and will surely grow up to be a well-rounded, upright, and outstanding young man.

He Yu was daydreaming about what He Shi would be like when he grew up, enjoying the scene, when a loud firecracker interrupted her thoughts.

She gazed wistfully at the gate, and sure enough, a short while later, Zhong Heshan led the groom in.

Zhong Heshan's fourth son was named Zhong Ming, who had a fair and handsome baby face.

The young boy was not quite up to the weighty, elaborate red wedding dress, and with his small face, he looked a bit like a child wearing an adult's clothes.

Zhong Heshan said some polite words, and everyone present stood up and cheered in a very respectful manner.

After a series of blessings and pleasantries, he and Zhong Ming began to toast each table.