This welcome banquet was rather ordinary. It was hosted by a Deputy Palace Master named Ning Lingyun. While there was no strict ranking among the deputies, Ning Lingyun was effectively the Second Deputy, while Sun Hewu was the Chief Deputy, since the latter was acting in the stead of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master.0

However, Sun Hewu had little interest in these trivial matters. During the ceremony, he did not deliver a speech on behalf of the Palace Master. Instead, another deputy gave a standard set of formal remarks. After all, aside from the Palace Master, it was inappropriate for others to speak too freely in such settings, lest they say too much, giving others leverage over them.0

Thus, the best thing about delivering standard statements was that they were almost impossible to get wrong.0

Sometimes, avoiding mistakes was an achievement in itself. Many believed that it was better to do nothing than to risk making errors.0

Qi Xuansu had a very positive impression of Ning Lingge, his former superior who had once gifted him two theater tickets, indirectly acting as a matchmaker for him and Zhang Yuelu. More importantly, Zhang Yuelu spoke highly of this former superior. This in turn made Qi Xuansu develop a favorable...0