My game even includes ancient times

The heavy snow was still falling.

Xiaohe carried the water bottle out of the yard and walked straight to the left without hesitation.

This maid knows the way very well; she must be from the Heyang Sect.

He Yu followed behind her, watching her go to the kitchen to fetch water, and then carry the kettle back to the yard, keeping her head down the whole time and not doing anything else.

By the time she entered the courtyard, He Shi and the others had already returned to their respective rooms.

There was a small kitchen in the southwest corner of the yard. Xiaohe carried water in, and soon wisps of smoke rose from the kitchen chimney.

He Yu followed Xiao He closely, like a stalker.

But until sunset and nightfall, when someone came to inform He Shi and the others to go to the front yard for a banquet, she showed no signs of anything amiss.

He even went out again and brought someone back to fill the water tank in the small kitchen.

He then sat down on a small stool in front of the stove, fanning the fire intermittently, seemingly preparing bathwater for He Shi and the others.

Judging from her performance, she is clearly a dutiful and responsible maid.

But He Yu didn't think so, since the red light in his vision couldn't be faked.

Although no clues have been found on her yet, the dinner in the front yard is a must-attend event, otherwise many clues will be missed.

So she had no choice but to temporarily give up monitoring Xiaohe.

Just as He Yu was about to leave, she suddenly remembered that she seemed to have a friend who could help her.

She opened the [Homestead] and released Ah Leng, who was still sleeping.

Aleng had nothing to do recently and was sleeping soundly in her cage when suddenly the ground beneath her gave way, and she instinctively spread her wings.

Before it even opened its eyes, it felt as if it had been moved to a different environment. The temperature around it plummeted, and a biting cold wind blew against its head.

! !

Ah Leng's drowsy mind suddenly cleared, and she quickly opened her eyes, only to find herself suspended in the air above an unfamiliar courtyard.

The branches of the jujube tree in the corner of the yard were covered with a thick layer of snow. The owner stood at the gate, looking up at himself.

The master's command came to mind, and A Leng fluttered her wings and landed on the branch of the jujube tree. She shook the snow off her legs and tilted her head to look at the human sitting in the kitchen boiling water.

Xiaohe, who was resting her chin on her hand and thinking about something, heard the commotion in the yard. She looked out through the wide-open kitchen door and saw a large crow perched in the tree.

The crow would occasionally lower its head and preen its feathers with its black beak, its blood-red, beady eyes darting around as if searching for something.

Alas, the snow this winter is so thick that even crows can't find food.

Xiaohe sighed, looked away, and ignored it, continuing to stare absently at the stove fire with her chin in her hand.

He Yu watched this scene with satisfaction, then turned away and left the courtyard.

Despite the cold winter night, the front courtyard of the Heyang School was bustling with activity.

Lanterns hung high, casting a warm glow, and young girls dressed as maids moved back and forth along the paths and corridors, carrying heavy insulated food boxes and continuously delivering them to a large hall.

He Yu switched to [Immersive] mode and followed a maid into the main hall.

The warm fragrance that wafted towards her made her pause for a moment. Her gaze swept over the people sitting at the head of the table and she easily found He Shi and the others to the side.

He Yu bypassed the crowd of people exchanging pleasantries and quietly walked behind He Shi.

He Shi and Bai Yushen sat at a table behind Xia Yuan, with Chu He and Chu Yunsi sitting next to them.

Occasionally, people from other sects would come over to greet them, and Xia Yuan would always be the one to respond, while the other four would eat and drink, occasionally whispering to each other.

He Yu cautiously approached the group, wanting to hear what they were saying.

"Junior brother, you're not going to eat this bowl of locust honey milk pastry, are you? If not, bring it over to your senior sister."

Chu Yunsi winked at He Shi, who then picked up the white porcelain cup and handed it to her.

Chu Yunsi took it, happily scooped up a spoonful, and put it in her mouth.

Bai Yu leaned back and whispered to Chu Yunsi, "I'm quite happy with this roasted pigeon. If you're not going to eat it, just bring it to me."

Chu Yunsi held both hands and gestured to Chu He to hand the roasted pigeon to Bai Yushen.

With a mouthful of food in his mouth, Chu He picked up the plate and, without turning around, handed it to Bai Yushen from behind.

Bai Yushen took it, pinched the pigeon's body with two fingers, and put it in his mouth.

"..."

He Yu glanced at Xia Yuan, the eldest disciple of the Chu Clan Manor, who was sitting in front, chatting and laughing shrewdly, and then at the four servants sitting in the back who were only focused on holding the mat.

Suddenly, I understood why Chu Zheng was willing to endure handling his daily affairs to allow Xia Yuan to come along...

Just then, a loud and magnetic voice rang out from the main seat at the front, silencing the bustling hall.

This reminded He Yu of the CEO of the company where she interned during college; his tone and manner of speaking during meetings were very similar to this one.

She followed everyone's gaze and looked up at the head of the table.

A tall, elderly man sat at the main table.

Calling him an old man isn't quite accurate. Although his hair was gray and his face was wrinkled, his overall demeanor and the feeling he gave off were that of a vigorous young man. This combination with his aged appearance made people feel inexplicably awkward and uncomfortable.

He Yu knew that this was Zhong Heshan, the leader of the Heyang Sect, the cunning old man that Chu Zheng had mentioned.

"Thank you all for gracing my son's wedding banquet. We've almost finished eating, so let me first raise a toast to you all."

Zhong Heshan stood up straight, a smile on his face, raised his wine glass to the crowd, and then tilted his head back to drink the wine in one gulp.

The people sitting below also raised their glasses, offering their blessings while downing their drinks.

He Shi and Chu Yunsi didn't drink; their glasses contained fruit syrup that Xia Yuan had poured in advance. One glass was sweet and sour, a refreshing and appetizing drink.

"This second cup, on the eve of this joyous day, is to wish you all continued progress in your martial arts and abundant wealth! Cheers!"

The group then drank a second glass of wine together.

Zhong Heshan put down his wine cup, then immediately refilled it and picked it up again: "The third cup, this old man apologizes on behalf of my son. He's busy preparing for tomorrow's wedding tonight and hasn't had time to come and thank you all in person, so this old man will drink this cup for him. Cheers!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and downed the drink again, and everyone below did the same.

After finishing the first three drinks, Zhong Heshan's smile widened. He raised his hand to the crowd and said, "Gentlemen, don't be shy tonight, drink to your heart's content!"

Everyone agreed, and for a time, toasts were exchanged, creating a lively atmosphere.

After dealing with the fourth wave of people who came to offer toasts, Xia Yuan gracefully sat down and rubbed her forehead.

Even though she had a high alcohol tolerance, she couldn't handle the large number of people toasting her tonight, and she was already a little tipsy, with a faint blush rising on her fair skin.

Chu Yunsi handed her a handkerchief dampened with cool water, and Xia Yuan took it and gently wiped her face.

Bai Yushen leaned forward, frowning slightly, and said, "Senior Sister, are you alright? Why don't you skip the rest of the wine and leave it to me?"

Xia Yuan turned her head and looked Bai Yushen's face up and down, which was so close to hers. After a while, she sneered: "You?"