Aggro Maxed — Amy Is Here Too

Yang Ping watched Bill's envious expression with considerable satisfaction.

Yang Qian was equally pleased with his son's performance, a broad smile spreading across his face. He glanced at Valke and asked lightly:

"What were you two looking at just now?"

Valke came back to his senses. "We just spotted the young lady from the Li family walking in with some young man. The boy looked unfamiliar, so we were curious."

"The Li family's young lady?"

Yang Qian paused. "You mean Miss Li Qinghe?"

"Who else could it be?"

Valke nodded with a grin.

Yang Qian looked genuinely stunned. "Miss Li actually brought a male companion? She's never done that before."

The Harvest Day banquet came around once a year, and Li Qinghe attended almost every time — but she always showed up on her own, spending the evening dancing with the First Princess Si Tingyu and no one else.

And this year she had brought a partner?

While the two men were still marveling, Yang Ping's expression had gone slightly strange. He peered toward the inner grounds, then cleared his throat.

"Father, Uncle Valke — I think I know who Miss Li's companion is."

"Oh? You know him?"

Yang Qian gave Yang Ping a curious look. "Who is he?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it has to be my big bro Lu Yuan. He mentioned in the dorm before that he's on close terms with Miss Li."

Yang Qian's eyes sharpened for just a moment, then understanding spread across his face. "That explains it... Miss Li has extraordinarily high standards. But if it's him, then yes, that makes perfect sense."

"Big bro Lu Yuan? Who's that?"

Valke and Bill exchanged a baffled look — the Yang father and son were talking in riddles.

Yang Qian let out a satisfied little laugh and glanced at Yang Ping beside him.

"His cultivation progress is one thing, but what makes me proudest is the company he's keeping. Among his classmates are the Empire's Third Prince Si Tingfeng, and Lu Yuan himself. My boy was clever enough to make Lu Yuan his sworn big brother — that's who 'Big Bro Lu Yuan' is."

Valke froze. He stared at Yang Ping, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Lu Yuan... you mean *that* Lu Yuan? The one who placed twenty-fifth on the Combat Rankings his first month, shot up to second place his second month, and fought alongside the Ninth Princess during the Beast Tide at the Endless Mountain Range to save multiple defensive outposts? *That* Lu Yuan? And you made him your big brother?!"

The Talent Camp was the kind of institution that every major noble house and merchant conglomerate watched closely. Every graduate was expected to reach Battle Venerable rank or above — warriors of that caliber were the pillars of great families and powerful corporations alike, which was why everyone competed to recruit from its ranks.

Valke was a successful businessman, and he had naturally made it his business to know about Lu Yuan. Which was precisely why he was so stunned right now.

With a trajectory like Lu Yuan's, there was every chance he would one day reach Battle Emperor — a living guardian deity of the Empire.

And yet this kid Yang Ping, with his honest, square-browed face, had actually gotten Lu Yuan to take him as a sworn little brother?

If Lu Yuan truly reached Battle Emperor someday, a single word from him on Yang Ping's behalf would be enough to smooth Yang Ping's entire future in the Red Maple Empire.

Beside Valke, Bill's eyes had gone wide, mouth slightly open.

The young man he'd been envying this whole time... that was Lu Yuan?

Bill had heard plenty about him — he'd even watched that short clip of Lu Yuan wiping out an Innate King Grade warrior in the Aier Mechanical Ruins. But that was nearly half a year ago, and he simply hadn't made the connection.

He hadn't expected it to be him.

The jealousy inside Bill evaporated instantly. Someone who could take down an Innate King Grade warrior in the Aier Mechanical Ruins? There was no comparing themselves.

Yang Ping smiled and nodded, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Yep. That's my big bro."

He turned to Yang Qian. "Father, I should head inside."

Yang Qian nodded, still smiling. "Go on, then. Watch your words in there — mind your manners, and don't go picking fights with anyone you shouldn't."

"Don't worry, I know."

Valke and Bill were still processing everything.

"Wait a moment..." Valke managed. "Your son is allowed inside the inner venue?"

Yang Qian smiled with obvious pride. "Indeed. He's acquainted with the Third Prince, isn't he? The Third Prince personally invited him to the inner banquet. It's a wonderful opportunity to broaden his horizons — naturally I wasn't going to stand in his way."

Valke: "..."

Bill: "..."

Both of them felt as if they'd bitten into a lemon.

Yang Ping gave them both a cheerful wave.

"Uncle Valke, Bill — I'll be off, then. Maybe I can catch up with Big Bro."

With that, he strolled through the entrance and disappeared into the inner grounds.

Valke watched Yang Ping's retreating figure, his eyes full of a longing he couldn't quite suppress.

Children really were not all born equal.

He'd always thought his own son was exceptional — but standing here next to Yang Ping, that confidence had quietly cracked. In both talent and connections, Yang Ping had Bill completely outmatched. It was a pity that Bill had failed the Talent Camp entrance exam.

Valke sighed inwardly.

Lu Yuan and Li Qinghe were making their way toward the inner hall when a familiar voice rang out behind them.

"Big Bro! Big Bro!"

Lu Yuan's eye twitched. *Of course. Yang Ping.*

He turned with a resigned sigh to find Yang Ping jogging toward them. Upon spotting Li Qinghe, Yang Ping immediately stepped forward and gave her a proper noble bow.

"Good evening, Miss Li. I'm a classmate of Lu Yuan's — my name is Yang Ping. We actually crossed paths briefly during the enrollment exams."

Li Qinghe looked him over with an amused tilt of her head, then gave him a small smile. "Hello."

Li Qinghe in her black gown was strikingly beautiful, but Yang Ping didn't dare let his gaze linger. He turned to Lu Yuan with a grin.

"Big Bro, I didn't realize you'd just arrived too!"

"My father and I ran into an acquaintance outside earlier. They recognized Miss Li, and I figured right away it had to be you."

Lu Yuan nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we just got here. Come on — Senior Si Tingfeng is probably waiting for us."

"Sounds good!"

Yang Ping fell in behind them, strolling at an easy pace and letting his eyes wander curiously over the other guests. As they passed through the second courtyard, Yang Ping noticed that figures who would have had his own father bowing and scraping were now offering Li Qinghe humble, deferential smiles. He couldn't help but stand a little straighter.

The innermost plaza, in front of the main castle, was the most exclusive venue of the evening — reserved for members of Battle Sovereign and Battle Emperor families, high-ranking officials who had rendered exceptional service to the Empire, and diplomatic delegations from other nations.

Outside its entrance, several princes were personally welcoming arriving guests. Lu Yuan spotted Si Tingfeng, along with Si Tinglei — a prince he'd crossed paths with a handful of times before. Both were dressed in white-and-red royal formal attire, wearing polished smiles as they received guests.

When they caught sight of Lu Yuan's group, both brothers' expressions brightened, and they stepped forward together.

Si Tingfeng caught his brother moving and suppressed an exasperated look.

"Fourth Brother, why are you coming over?"

"Junior Lu Yuan is a friend of mine too — why shouldn't I come say hello?" Si Tinglei replied with a cheerful smile.

Si Tingfeng shook his head wordlessly and walked past him to reach Lu Yuan's group. He smiled at Li Qinghe.

"Miss Li, my Imperial Sister and Lady Shuangyue haven't come down yet. Were you planning to go up and find them?"

Li Qinghe glanced sidelong at Lu Yuan, a playful curl at the corner of her lips — and looped her arm through his.

"Does my dear little Lu Yuan want me to stay and keep you company?"

The effect was immediate. Lu Yuan felt a wave of stares crashing down on him from every direction. Some were razor-sharp. Some were openly hostile.

*She just maxed out my aggro meter in one move.*

His eye twitched. He rolled his eyes.

"Go find my mentor and Sister Shuangyue."

"Is my dear little Lu Yuan getting tired of his big sister?"

Li Qinghe feigned a wounded look, mischief dancing in her eyes.

*This woman. Every single time.*

Lu Yuan's expression tightened further, and he gave her a flat glare.

Li Qinghe met it with a satisfied smirk. "Fine, fine~ I'll go find Tingyu and the others first."

She released his arm and swept into the castle with unhurried, graceful strides.

Lu Yuan let out a quiet breath of relief.

Si Tingfeng's eyes swept the room. Quite a few young men were sending Lu Yuan cold, pointed looks. He clapped a sympathetic hand on Lu Yuan's shoulder.

"Hang in there, Ah Yuan. Miss Li has admirers across all of Great Qi Star — princes from other kingdoms included."

Lu Yuan glanced over the hostile faces and simply shrugged. "They're not going to throw punches at a banquet. What is there to worry about?"

He could sense that several of them were Battle King Rank — clearly prodigies from their respective nations. But this was the Red Maple Empire's Harvest Day banquet. Nobody was starting a brawl here.

*...Probably.*

Still, he felt fairly unconcerned.

Si Tingfeng chuckled. "You're right. Delegations from every nation are in attendance — they wouldn't dare disrespect the Red Maple Empire under our own roof." There was a faint thread of pride in his voice. In all of Great Qi Star, the Red Maple Empire was among the mightiest nations that existed.

"Ah Yuan, Xiao Ping — go grab a seat over there. I'll come join you once I've finished greeting the guests."

Lu Yuan's expression went subtly odd. *Something about the way he just said that doesn't sit quite right.*

Just then, Si Tinglei drifted closer with his trademark easy smile.

"Junior Lu Yuan, I've been meaning to treat you to a meal for a while now — but I can never seem to reach you."

Lu Yuan gave a sheepish smile. "I'm usually buried in cultivation. And on rest days, Sister Qinghe strictly forbids me from wandering around outside — there's nothing I can do."

*Okay, that's not entirely accurate. But spending time at home with a world-class beauty is just more enjoyable than going out with a guy.*

"No worries at all," Si Tinglei said. "Since you're here for the banquet, let me keep you company — wouldn't want you to get bored."

The words had barely left his mouth before Si Tingfeng cut in with a deceptively mild tone:

"Fourth Brother — are you thinking of slipping away? Abandoning your duty to receive guests? I'll be sure to mention this to Father."

Si Tinglei's smile froze. He cleared his throat.

"Terribly sorry, Junior Lu Yuan — I just remembered I have something to attend to. I'll come find you later."

With that, he shot Si Tingfeng a pointed glare and turned to leave.

Si Tingfeng offered Lu Yuan and Yang Ping an apologetic smile. "Go relax for a bit — Maige should be arriving soon as well."

"Go attend to your guests, Senior. Don't worry about us."

Si Tingfeng nodded and turned away. Lu Yuan and Yang Ping drifted to a quiet corner of the venue, doing their best to blend into the background.

Unfortunately, the aggro Li Qinghe had stirred up on her way out hadn't faded. More than a few eyes kept drifting their way.

Yang Ping started to fidget. "Big Bro, are we going to be okay?"

"What are you scared of?" Lu Yuan rolled his eyes. "If anyone tries something, I'm right here."

Mechanical Dominance was nearly at full tempering — his strength had grown enormously. And he had backing: the Shadow Battle Emperor standing behind him meant no one was going to bully him openly. As for same-rank opponents, he was fairly confident he could handle ten of them at once.

He had absolutely no fear of being provoked.

He waited. Nothing came. Most of the young men who'd been glaring at him settled for cold stares and nothing more. A few quietly dispatched subordinates somewhere — those people slipped away, only to return shortly after and murmur something in their ears.

After that, the way they looked at Lu Yuan shifted. The open hostility gave way to something more measured and appraising.

*They must have sent someone to look me up.*

Nobody moved on him. If he was being honest, Lu Yuan felt a tiny flicker of disappointment. It would've been nice to have someone step forward and give him an excuse to put them in their place.

But on reflection, it made sense. Everyone here had a reputation to protect. Starting a scene at a banquet like this would only embarrass themselves.

He couldn't blame them for holding back.

Then, a soft ripple of murmurs spread through the venue. Heads turned toward the entrance.

Lu Yuan and Yang Ping looked over as well.

What Lu Yuan saw made him blink.

At the entrance stood a girl with violet hair, her delicate features framed by a white princess gown — and those unmistakable large, luminous eyes.

His expression twitched.

*You've got to be kidding me. Amy?!*

*How is she here?*

Behind Amy walked Wang Lingling, dressed in a violet gown, a gentle smile on her face.

Amy looked every bit like a princess out of a fairy tale — lively, adorable, magnetic. The entire room noticed her.

"Who is that? She could give the Empire's pearl a run for her money."

"Mm... I think that's the little princess from the Tianrao Battle Emperor's family."

"So she's from the Algaibi Family? That explains the violet hair."

"I feel like I've seen this girl somewhere before... ah, I remember now! Isn't she the one who was with Lu Yuan when they wiped out that Innate King Grade warrior?"

"..."

Hushed whispers rippled through the crowd.

A handsome young man in a white suit studied Amy with quickened interest. "That's... the little princess of Tianrao City? I didn't expect her to turn out this charming."

The aide standing beside him leaned in. "Your Highness, you could invite her to dance at the ball. If the Tianrao Battle Emperor were to side with us, it would be an enormous advantage."

The handsome young man gave a single nod. "Mm."

Across the room, a red-haired youth caught sight of Amy and paused. "Her?"

His gaze drifted to Lu Yuan, and something clicked. "That explains it..."

While the crowd whispered, Amy had already quietly fixed her attention on the dessert table, eyes sparkling with private deliberation. Beside her, Wang Lingling was scanning the room with quiet, observant eyes.

When Wang Lingling's gaze landed on Lu Yuan, she paused — then the corners of her lips curved into a soft, warm smile.

Lu Yuan: "..."

*That smile makes me nervous every time.*

Beside him, Yang Ping unconsciously straightened his posture.

"Big Bro, Big Bro! Is that stunning woman in the violet dress looking at me?!"

Lu Yuan: "..."

He gave Yang Ping a perfectly flat look, then patted him on the shoulder. "Hold onto that confidence."

In the distance, Wang Lingling stepped closer to Amy and murmured softly:

"Young Miss, Master Lu Yuan is here."

"Huh?!"

Amy — who had been deep in contemplation about which dessert to try first — snapped to attention. Her head came up. Those wide violet eyes locked directly onto Lu Yuan's across the room.