After Fulen arrived, the male servant bowed and then left, leaving Fulen alone to gaze at the elaborately decorated Door.
Fulen was not in a hurry to push open the Door; he merely scrutinized it carefully. The Door was magnificently adorned with mystical elements, and Fulen felt that the gems decorating it, though seemingly chaotic, possessed a certain pattern. However, upon closer inspection, Fulen found nothing mysterious about the Door.
After gradually hearing no other footsteps, Fulen glanced around twice and, with a solemn posture, pushed open the beautiful Door.
Although the Door was exquisitely decorated and appeared large enough for a giant, Fulen opened it without a sound.
As the Door slowly opened and Fulen's eyes gradually adjusted to the light inside, he saw an elderly man, about fifty or sixty years old and somewhat corpulent, facing the Door. As he chatted with those around him, upon seeing the Door open, he excused himself a few times and then rose to greet Fulen.
Though the old man was corpulent, his rise was no less vigorous than a young man's. There were not many wrinkles on his face, and although his hair was almost entirely white, he still looked authoritative yet kind, immediately giving the impression that he was not to be underestimated.
Yes, Fulen could clearly see the villa owner's appearance because the owner was not wearing a mask. Instead, he was dressed in casual clothes, his face utterly calm, which made he wonder if he had misunderstood the purpose of this Abraham Family head's gathering.
As Lefu stood up, his voice, not aggressive yet commanding, resounded: "So it's 'The Traveler.' Welcome. Your presence here indicates you've finally escaped your predicament. I am pleased to see your growth."
Although Fulen deep down did not take this Lefu Crow, the head of the Abraham Family, seriously, seeing him so authoritative was very strange. After all, a century or two later, those called Elders who bore the heavy burdens of the family showed no extraordinary qualities.
"Thank you for your concern. I have overcome my inner obstacles. So, will this gathering commence now?" Fulen replied without much hesitation.
"There's no need to be too hasty; a hasty person cannot appreciate the most exquisite fragrance. Although it's almost time, you are not the latest, and the family gathering is not so urgent to convene. Let us settle down, my dear 'Traveler,' please take a seat first. When the time comes, I will naturally convene the gathering."
As Mr. Lefu spoke, he gestured gracefully, guiding Fulen with a rhythmic movement, indicating where he should roughly sit.
Fulen obediently followed the direction of what seemed to be the best conductor of the evening, taking a seat at a table with one or two scattered individuals.
The room appeared to be a combination of a large living room and a large ballroom. The entire room was furnished with dozens of tables, meticulously carved from the most precious Falling Tree wood. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the patterns on these tables were dissimilar. The center of the room still had a very large empty space, but it was not as vast as a typical ballroom. Instead, many tables were arranged around what resembled a large ballroom.
In Trier, the family members who still adhered to the family traditions were not numerous enough to fill the entire room. On the contrary, although there were quite a few Abraham Family members scattered at the tables, Fulen's rough estimate was only about twenty people.
The Door faced one end of the ballroom, and Fulen, not wanting to be the center of attention, merely walked along the edge of the ballroom.
The Abraham Family members were scattered at the very front of the ballroom. Some were conversing in low voices, some had their eyes closed in silence, and some were staring blankly into space.
The Falling Tree tables did not have the usual food and drinks found at gatherings; instead, their surfaces were empty and reflective. After sitting down, Fulen ran his hand over the wooden tabletop; it was quite smooth, as if polished.
Fulen leaned back in the thick chair behind him, his shoulders drooping limply over the wide backrest. He looked up, his eyes slightly closed, simply meditating there.
As time passed, Lefu, when the time arrived, did not immediately begin the gathering. Instead, he waited a few more minutes, and after confirming that no one else would arrive, he stood up in front of the Abraham Family members. Illuminated by the candles above the ballroom, he coughed three times, his voice rising from soft to loud.
Once the attention of the Abraham Family members, who were either meditating or conversing, was captured, the host of the gathering spoke: "Esteemed Abraham Family members, I am delighted to see your arrival. Some family members, upon reading my previous letter, felt some fear, worrying that the exposure of one family member would lead to the demise of all family members."
The convener of the gathering paused, then continued: "Indeed, their concerns are valid. When I wrote the letter, I deliberately made it a bit chaotic. Of course, at that time, I was genuinely very panicked, and partly intentionally, partly naturally, I allowed all recipients to see my true thoughts."
After a sigh, he added, "I didn't expect some people to be so sensitive, not even attending the gathering I convened. I brought not only misfortune but also good news, for those who aspire to advancement, or those who admire Beyonder abilities."
"That's right, I intend to provide you with some resources free of charge: for the children who are not Sequence 8, our future, a complete set of promotion materials for free. And for those seeking Sequence 7 materials, I will also give you some Beyonder materials I have collected over the years."
At these words, the Abraham Family members, who had been quietly sitting below, seemed to explode into a commotion. Some Abraham Family members with closer ties discussed in low voices, while others pondered in silence.
At this moment, a somewhat childish voice, tinged with curiosity and indignation, rang out: "Then, Mr. Lefu, what happened to the person who caused us to be so passive?"
Lei Fu did not answer upon hearing this, but instead closed his eyes in pain. The entire room seemed to be paused for two or three seconds, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet. The heavy silence instantly made the questioner quiet and well-behaved.
Facing the awkward atmosphere, Lefu opened his eyes, his voice no longer the calm, detached tone it had been, but rather tinged with pain and regret. He said, "Actually, the Abraham Family member I mentioned in my letter did not escape. And the news we now have is that it was not the True God Church, but Theosophy Order. Tamara among them discovered our traces, killed, and communed with our family member."
"And that family member was my son, Vasek Abraham."