There were several palaces halfway up the mountain. Chen Xin'an followed Tong Hui into a large hall, where many people were already sitting.

There is a portrait of the Fifth Patriarch in front and an incense altar below.

Everyone sat in two rows, with Hongmen's own brothers on the left and the invited guests on the right.

Everyone burned incense together and then took their seats.

However, Chen Xin'an came late. The incense worshiping session had passed. Now it was time to chat and discuss matters. For convenience, the boundaries between left and right were not so obvious.

Some familiar people sat together and chatted lively.

When Chen Xin'an arrived, the person presiding over the meeting announced his name loudly, and everyone in the hall was quiet for a few seconds, and soon returned to normal.

However, Chen Xin'an still felt the difference in the atmosphere. Many people looked at him with ambiguous eyes, secretly observing him, and even showed some slight hostility!

"Mr. Chen! Come over here, I'll save a seat for you!" Someone in the crowd called him. Chen Xin'an turned around and saw that it was Li Daxiong.

This person is a head of Hongtang, and his status is not low.

Chen Xin'an smiled slightly, nodded, walked over, and sat next to him.

Li Daxiong poured him a cup of tea and said softly: "I came here last night to help with some things.

I originally wanted to pick you up today, but there was some trouble here early in the morning and I couldn't leave, so I let someone else go.

I didn’t expect that two young guys would be arranged here..."

Chen Xin'an waved her hands and said: "It doesn't matter! Mr. Li, I see that today's situation is a bit lively. Why does it smell like gunpowder?"

Li Daxiong said with a mocking look on his face: "Today we have to choose a new faucet, of course it will be fun!

Even some overseas sitters have returned, and the three elders of Hongtang have gathered together, all trying to compete for that position!"

Chen Xin'an nodded and said, "So you invited so many distinguished guests? Just to build momentum for yourself?"

Li Daxiong nodded, looking forward and said: "Eagle Flag Country, Farr, Tailan, Daying, Dongchao... each of them has brought their own foreign aid, and no one looks down on the other!"

Chen Xin'an suddenly realized and said: "So I am your foreign aid sitting in the outer port, and I was invited here.

Master Cui is your confidant, so why did he invite me to attend this incense burning ceremony?"

Li Daxiong blushed, nodded and said: "Actually, I also have this idea. But since Cui Huaibi has already done it, I didn't add any superfluous things."

Chen Xin'an smiled lightly and didn't care too much about this kind of thing. Anyway, he was definitely going to come, and it would be the same for anyone.

Looking around, Chen Xin'an smiled and said: "All foreign aids are from China, there are no foreigners!"

Li Daxiong said seriously: "The rules of Hongtang are not to recruit foreign disciples and not to allow foreigners to enter Xiangtang.

Hong Tang's business is spread all over the world and in all walks of life, but he only does business with foreigners and makes superficial friends. He never has deep friendship with them, let alone treats them as VIPs!

This is the ancestral motto of Hongtang and no one is allowed to violate it.

Once someone violates the rules, they are public enemies, and it is not as simple as expulsion!"

Someone came over, holding three sticks of incense in his hand, stood in front of Chen Xin'an, and said to him:

"Mr. Chen, Boss Wu invites you to offer incense to the Fifth Ancestor!"

He said please, but his tone was commanding, which made people feel uncomfortable.

Li Daxiong frowned and said: "Dewey, I told Boss Wu that there is no need for Mr. Chen to participate!"

Dewey looked at Li Daxiong expressionlessly and said: "Master Li, Boss Wu means that after being incense, Mr. Chen will be his brother."

Li Daxiong wanted to say something, but he couldn't make a decision for Chen Xin'an, so he could only turn his head and look at Chen Xin'an helplessly.

Dewey said to Chen Xin'an: "Boss Wu asked me to tell Mr. Chen that if I can offer incense to the Fifth Patriarch at the incense burning ceremony, Mr. Chen will be Hongtang's friend for the rest of his life.

From now on, Mr. Chen will travel all over the world and just say a word to me wherever he is useful in Hongtang!"

Li Daxiong on the side nodded to Chen Xin'an, indicating that what he said was true.

Chen Xin'an smiled slightly, without looking at the three incense sticks, and said to Dewey: "Thank you, Boss Wu, for your kindness.

But I'm here as a guest today, not to offer incense.

Hongtang’s own incense-burning conference does not need an outsider like me to offer incense!”

It seemed that Chen Xin'an would refuse, and Dewey was stunned for a moment.

At this time, Chen Xin'an also noticed that some people next to him were looking at him as if they were a fool.

Dewey's face darkened and he said to Chen Xin'an: "Mr. Chen may not quite understand the significance of having you, a distinguished guest, burn incense at the incense burning ceremony!

I can tell you that as long as you wear these three incense, you can..."

"I'm not interested!" Chen Xin'an interrupted him bluntly and said: "I never like to take advantage for nothing!

Benefits are obtained through corresponding efforts. I don't like to make unnecessary efforts, nor do I want free benefits.

Thank you Boss Wu for your kindness, I appreciate it!"

Dewey's face darkened and he glared at Chen Xin'an fiercely.

Li Daxiong scolded him: "Dewey, what do you want to do? Don't forget that Mr. Chen is our honored guest!

It's his own choice whether to burn incense or not. Do you want to mess around in front of so many people?"

Dewey glanced around, snorted and took back the hand holding the incense, looked at Chen Xin'an and said:

"Master Li is worrying too much!

I just feel sorry for Mr. Chen!

Now that Mr. Chen has made his decision, I will go back and tell Boss Wu!"

He took a deep breath, turned and left.

Li Daxiong said to Chen Xin'an with an apologetic look: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry, this guy has such a temper, no one will accept it!"

Chen Xin'an smiled and shook her head, not taking it to heart.

There were some strange voices coming from the side.

"It's so funny! In the hundreds of years of Hongtang's history, this is the first time someone has refused to offer incense to the Fifth Patriarch at the incense burning ceremony!"

"Does this old-fashioned guy not know the meaning of burning incense at all?

No matter what he does, Hongtang’s millions of brothers all over the world will protect him. Who wouldn’t want such a good thing?”

"Boss Wu is also a joke. The distinguished guests he invited did not give him face! This is a big loss!"

Although their voices were not high, Chen Xin'an could hear them clearly.

Li Daxiong whispered to him: "Mr. Chen, don't pay attention to what they say!"

Chen Xin'an smiled and nodded, and asked him: "Is that Boss Wu?"

Following his gaze, Li Daxiong also turned his head, looked at a middle-aged man with a crew cut and an expressionless face, nodded and said to Chen Xin'an:

"Yes, Wu Chao Buddha. The sitting hall of the Hongtang Waigang branch."

Dewey was right next to Wu Chaofu, whispering into his ear, turning his head from time to time and giving Chen Xin'an a fierce look.

Wu Chaofu also looked over, and happened to be looking at Chen Xin'an, but there was no expression on his face. He just glanced at it and then looked away. There seemed to be no emotional fluctuations.

Chen Xin'an also looked away and said to Li Daxiong: "Isn't there a branch in the mainland?"

Li Daxiong was stunned for a moment, and said with a strange expression: "It used to be, but then it disappeared.

You also know that the mainland crackdowns on such organizations are very severe!"

Chen Xin'an nodded and asked curiously: "Then the mainland branch didn't sit in court? Or did it come to the outer port? Or went abroad?"
Chapter completed!