Grand Banquet

Five days passed in a flash. For the city's soldiers, it was just another five days of routine. The Qiang army still hadn't attacked, but for Luo Yu, these days were agonizing. He had a premonition that the traitor would reveal themselves tonight.

As night fell, the most dazzling lights in the city were undoubtedly at the largest tavern:

Drunken Immortal Tower.

The main hall was filled with eight-person tables, and delicious dishes were being served. Actually, Jun Yi hadn't invited many people - only officers above the rank of commandant and the three main generals' confidants. But Jun Yi was generous, having booked the entire tavern.

During wartime, such a large business was a delight for the tavern owner, especially with such distinguished guests. They naturally provided the highest level of service to ensure these military leaders were comfortable.

Laughter echoed through the hall as people greeted each other. Although they belonged to three different factions, they maintained a polite facade.

Luo Yu observed from the corner:

"Truly interesting. Outside, four thousand Qiang soldiers are poised to attack at any moment, yet here they're feasting, completely oblivious to the imminent danger."

"Get used to it, our Great Qian border army is always like this."

Xiao Shaoyou was indifferent: "Jun General's concubine isn't in Yunyang Pass but in the interior. The news was sent by fast horse from the Jun family.

Jun General is forty this year and has always wanted a son. Today, his wish has finally come true. Being happy is only natural."

"Is that so?"

Luo Yu's lips curled:

"Whether it's really a celebration for his son or has other intentions, we can't be sure yet."

"Definitely a trap."

Xiao Shaoyou sneered:

"Didn't you notice? All the officers who came to the banquet didn't bring their guards. If something really happens, it'll be quite a show."

"Noticed that, so we need to keep a close eye."

Luo Yu asked curiously: "Also, I have another question. Weren't all the invited guests officers above the rank of commandant? How did we two centurions get invitations?"

"Hey, how did you two end up here?"

Before Xiao Shaoyou could explain, Kong Xian, Li Chengxiao, and today's guest of honor, Jun Yi, approached simultaneously. Li Chengxiao glanced at Luo Yu, slightly displeased:

"Jun General, didn't you say you were only inviting officers above the rank of commandant? They're just centurions. Isn't this lowering your status?"

Luo Yu frowned. Ever since he rejected this guy's attempts to recruit him, Li Chengxiao hadn't been nice to him.

"Ah, these two are special cases."

Jun Yi smiled:

"Among the dozens of centurions in the city, they're the youngest and have the most battle achievements. I've always liked young talent, so naturally, I invited them to drink with me."

"Jun General has good taste, but it doesn't mean others will appreciate it."

Li Chengxiao mocked:

"They're loyal to Kong General and look down on your Jun family."

"General Li, let's just enjoy the banquet. No need to make such insinuations."

Kong Xian was annoyed. This Li Chengxiao was actually targeting him.

Luo Yu bowed slightly:

"General Li, that's not right. Whether it's Kong General or Jun General, we all serve the court. What's the difference?"

"Hmph, quite the silver tongue."

Li Chengxiao coldly snorted and left. Jun Yi then said with a chuckle:

"Alright, today is my happy day. Let's not talk about unpleasant things. I'll drink a few cups with you later. Your drinking capacity can't be worse than mine, can it?"

"Thank you, General Jun!"

Jun Yi left, and Kong Xian finally stood beside the two men, speaking in a low voice:

"Before, you said the traitor would find an opportunity to gather all the commanding generals in the city. Today, all the senior officers are here.

Could the traitor be him?"

The "him" Kong Xian referred to was naturally Jun Yi, since it was his Jun family who invited everyone.

"Maybe."

Luo Yu still couldn't be sure who it was, only saying in a low voice:

"Anyway, let's follow yesterday's plan. Be extremely careful."

These five days, Luo Yu and Xiao Shaoyou hadn't been idle. They had consulted with Kong Xian several times about this matter and come up with a foolproof plan.

"Alright, we'll follow your plan."

Kong Xian instructed: "This concerns the safety of Yunyang Pass. There must be no mistakes!"

"Understood!"

The guests took their seats one by one. Luo Yu found an opportunity to say to Xiao Shaoyou:

"I'll go check things out. You keep an eye on things here."

"Go ahead, I've got it covered."

Luo Yu slipped out of the hall unnoticed, following the tavern's corridors to the kitchen. Jun Yi had ordered the tavern to serve all their best dishes. Several chefs were busy, with a few maids serving them, ready to bring out the dishes.

An old steward with sharp eyes saw Luo Yu and hurried over:

"Aren't you Centurion Luo? I've heard much about you. Why are you in the kitchen? The banquet has already started in the front hall."

Luo Yu had quite a reputation in the city recently, and with Kong Xian's favor, this little steward didn't dare to be disrespectful, his face full of flattery.

"General Kong sent me to check."

Luo Yu pretended to examine a piece of meat: "Is this fresh? Today, three generals are present. If you try to cheat, you know the consequences."

"Rest assured, the pigs, cows, and sheep were slaughtered today. Absolutely fresh. We're making our signature dishes. We know the generals' tastes well. There won't be any problems."

"Hmm, not bad. You have good judgment."

Luo Yu walked around, checking the ingredients.

If he were setting a trap to eliminate the city's military leaders, the easiest and most efficient way would be to poison the food and drink, killing everyone at once. Without their leaders, the soldiers would have to obey, making the plan successful.

But after checking everything, he found no issues. The old steward even tasted a few dishes in front of Luo Yu, with no problems.

"Where's the wine? I haven't seen it."

"Ah, here's the thing. The guests are drinking our tavern's wine now, but General Jun has his own good wine, which isn't out yet. It's stored in a side room in the back yard, and someone will bring it out later."

"Ah, I see. Got it. You carry on."

Luo Yu walked away with a straight face, but his doubts grew deeper. Bringing your own wine to a banquet was unusual!

He found the side room where the wine was stored and saw a shadow sneaking over from a distance. Luo Yu frowned but didn't reveal himself, instead hiding in a corner to watch.

A middle-aged man called out the servant guarding the wine and asked in a low voice:

"How is it?"

"The wine is all inside, ready to be taken out!"

"Very good."

The middle-aged man looked around, confirming no one was around, and pulled something out of his pocket, handing it over: "Remember, put this in all the wine jars later. Don't let anyone find out.

When this is done, there will be a generous reward!"

"I understand!"

The middle-aged man came and went quickly. In the dim light, Luo Yu recognized him, his gaze instantly turning cold:

"So it's you!"