Chapter 42: Do Not Despise a Youth for Being Poor

[A/N: Added the character designs of Ji Siyu and Chen Chuan. Hype them up a bit :D]

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy.

Lu Zhan’s question, filled with shock and fury, echoed through the hall like a clap of thunder.

Ye Linger was stunned by this sudden accusation.

The color instantly drained from her pretty face, only to be replaced by a flush of misunderstood indignation.

She stood up abruptly and defended herself:

"Uncle Lu, you misunderstand! I, Ye Linger, have come today to dissolve the engagement, but it is definitely not because of Lu Yun’s cultivation level."

"Before this, I had no idea that he was unable to Cultivate."

"The reason I insist on dissolving the engagement is simply because I am unwilling to accept a marriage bound by Family interests."

"My Dao Companion must be someone I choose myself, someone with whom I share mutual affection."

Her voice was crisp and firm, carrying the stubbornness typical of a young girl and a yearning for freedom.

However, this explanation, which seemed perfectly natural to her, sounded incredibly hollow and grating to the members of the Lu Family at this moment.

"You didn’t know? Hehe..." Lu Zhan laughed out of extreme anger, his laughter filled with sorrow and irony.

He interrupted Ye Linger’s words, his gaze sharp as a knife:

"Niece Linger, at this point, why bother with such hypocritical words to stall my Lu Family?"

"Do you take me, Lu Zhan, for a three-year-old child?"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood.

His voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, yet it also revealed a sense of resigned helplessness:

"Yes, my Lu Family’s power is weak; we can still have some say in this small corner of Tianfeng City."

"But before a colossus like the Primordial Holy Land, we are nothing more than ants."

"You, Ye Linger, are now a high-ranking Disciple of the Holy Land, so you look down on my son who has become a waste."

"You want to dissolve the marriage contract, and my Lu Family dares not refuse; we cannot afford to offend the prestige of the Holy Land."

He practically spat out these last few words through clenched teeth, filled with humiliation.

The fists of the Lu Family higher-ups were tightly clenched, their hearts filled with anger, yet no one spoke out to object, for this was the bloody reality.

Ye Linger stomped her foot in frustration:

"I am not dissolving the engagement because Lu Yun cannot Cultivate."

"This is merely my personal wish, Ye Linger; I do not want to become a tool for Family alliances."

"A tool?" Lu Zhan sneered repeatedly, his eyes as sharp as an eagle’s:

"Back then, this marriage was proactively proposed by your Ye Family."

"Your father even visited several times, speaking with such sincerity that it was almost a plea, before this marriage contract was settled."

"Now that times have changed and your Ye Family has climbed onto the high branch of the Primordial Holy Land, you feel my Lu Family is unworthy, so you send a junior to the door to dissolve the engagement."

"If this isn’t an insult, then what is?"

He grew angrier as he spoke, and his accumulated resentment finally broke through the dam of reason as he pointed at Ye Linger’s nose and cursed:

"I see that you simply look down on my son Lu Yun now that he’s become a waste who cannot Cultivate."

"Why bother labeling yourself as so high and mighty? You are nothing but a snobbish, short-sighted, and materialistic woman."

"You—you’re talking nonsense!" Ye Linger had never been insulted to her face like this, especially by an Elder.

Grievance and anger instantly overwhelmed her reason.

Her chest heaved violently, and her lively eyes were now burning with fierce flames as she blurted out:

"Fine! You say I look down on him as a waste, then I look down on him!"

"That’s right, I, Ye Linger, simply look down on Lu Yun, this waste who cannot Cultivate."

"He is not worthy of me!"

These words were like cold water dropped into boiling oil, instantly exploding among the Lu Family members.

Although everyone knew it in their hearts.

But having Ye Linger admit it personally was undoubtedly a loud slap to the Lu Family’s face in front of everyone.

Lu Zhan trembled with rage, his face turning ashen.

Several Lu Family Elders stood up abruptly, glaring with fury, their powerful Auras faintly ready to erupt.

Yet, under Elder Murong Xuan’s indifferent glance, they were forced to suppress it, making the scene terrifyingly oppressive.

At that moment, a voice so calm it was almost cold rang out, breaking the tense standoff.

"Father."

Lu Yun, who had been sitting quietly at the end of the table like an outsider, slowly stood up.

His movements were unhurried, and his face remained ripple-free, as if the heated argument that had just erupted because of him had nothing to do with him.

His deep gaze swept across his angry father and the clan Elders, finally resting on Ye Linger, whose cheeks were flushed from excitement.

That look was like a deity looking down upon the noisy mortal world, carrying a sort of transcendent indifference and a trace of imperceptible pity.

"Since Young Miss Ye’s mind is made up, there is no point in forcing her to stay." Lu Yun walked toward Lu Zhan and held out his hand. "Father, give the marriage contract to me."

Lu Zhan looked at his son’s unusually calm face, his heart aching as his lips trembled.

In the end, he took the marriage contract from his robe and slapped it heavily into Lu Yun’s hand.

Lu Yun took the marriage document and, without even looking at it, gently tore it with both hands.

Rip!

The crisp sound of tearing was particularly jarring in the hall.

That marriage contract, which represented the alliance between two great families and carried past friendship and interests, was turned into two halves in his hands, then casually tossed onto the ground like a piece of trash.

He looked up at Ye Linger, his eyes calm yet carrying a deep-seated arrogance:

"Ye Linger, today it is not your Ye Family dissolving the engagement with me, but I, Lu Yun, who looks down on you."

His tone was flat, but every word was like a hammer. "For a short-sighted woman like you to be associated with me, Lu Yun, is the greatest shame of my life."

"You—what did you say?" Ye Linger could hardly believe her ears.

A waste who had lost all cultivation and become the laughingstock of the city actually dared to insult her like this?

The immense sense of absurdity and anger almost made her lose her composure.

"Lu Yun! You, a waste who cannot Cultivate, what right do you have to speak so arrogantly and insult me?"

"I am now a Disciple of the Primordial Holy Land; we are already as different as clouds and mud."

"My standards are high! Someone like you simply cannot catch my eye."

The corner of Lu Yun’s mouth curled into an extremely slight arc, a smile full of sarcasm:

"High standards?"

"Pardon my poor eyesight, but I really cannot see where Young Miss Ye’s standards are high."

This light comment completely ignited Ye Linger’s competitive spirit.

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she rushed to Chen Chuan’s side, who had been silently watching the show.

She grabbed Chen Chuan’s arm and forced him to stand up.

She raised her snowy-white chin like a proud peacock and announced loudly to Lu Yun and all the Lu Family members:

"Hmph! You can’t see it? Then I’ll let you see clearly."

"He, Chen Chuan, is the man I, this ’short-sighted’ woman, have set my sights on."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Lu Family members changed drastically.

Fire almost spewed from Lu Zhan’s eyes.

As expected!

It was indeed so!

This Ye Linger had clearly already had a change of heart and found a more outstanding backer.

And having heard that Lu Yun had become a waste, she couldn’t wait to bring someone to the door to dissolve the engagement.

This was rubbing the Lu Family’s face into the dirt!

Ye Linger felt the almost murderous gazes of the Lu Family members, yet instead of fear, a sense of vengeful pleasure rose in her heart.

She hugged Chen Chuan’s arm tightly and continued loudly:

"Listen well! Chen Chuan, the man I, Ye Linger, have chosen, is the number one person in our Primordial Holy Land’s Outer Sect Grand Competition."

"Furthermore, he possesses the once-in-an-eternity Chaos Divine Body! His future is limitless!"

Her provocative gaze shot straight at Lu Yun as she said word by word:

"You, Lu Yun, a waste without even a bit of cultivation, what do you have to compare with Chen Chuan?"

"Now, tell me, am I, Ye Linger, short-sighted?"

Chaos Divine Body!

Number one in the Outer Sect Grand Competition!

These words were like heavy hammers, striking hard at the hearts of the Lu Family members.

Lu Zhan and the several Elders opened their mouths, wanting to retort, but found that any words were hollow and powerless before such terrifying talent.

Their faces were ashen, and their chests felt stifled; they were truly rendered speechless by Ye Linger’s words.

However, Lu Yun, who was at the center of the storm...

When he heard the four words "Chaos Divine Body," a flash of realization crossed his eyes, but he immediately returned to being calm.

He did not show the shame or inferiority that Ye Linger had expected.

Instead, he straightened his back, and a sense of confidence and arrogance originating from the depths of his Soul emanated from him.

His gaze calmly swept over Ye Linger and Chen Chuan, his voice steady and powerful:

"Ye Linger, I will remember today’s humiliation."

"But I have a saying for you: Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; do not despise a youth for being poor!"

Upon hearing this, the stifled air in Lu Zhan’s chest seemed to find an outlet, and he shouted with a gaze full of gratification:

"Well said! Yun’er has ambition!"

"As your father, I believe you will surely step back onto the path of Cultivation and soar to the heavens."

Hearing Lu Yun’s words, Ye Linger felt a surge of inexplicable irritability and frustration.

She secretly pinched Chen Chuan’s arm, signaling him to quickly speak up and help her suppress Lu Yun’s momentum.

Chen Chuan sighed helplessly in his heart; this girl really loved to stir up trouble, insisting on running right into the line of fire of this future God Emperor.

But since the play had reached this point, he could only bite the bullet and cooperate.

He gently patted Ye Linger’s hand to reassure her, then took half a step forward.

His gaze turned toward the prideful Lu Yun, and with a tone carrying a hint of inexplicable amusement, he spoke:

"Brother Lu Yun has ambition. I, Chen, admire that. However..."

He paused intentionally, and after successfully drawing everyone’s attention, he said slowly:

"The world is unpredictable, and life is long."

"After ’do not despise a youth for being poor,’ there might be ’do not despise a middle-aged man for being poor,’ ’do not despise an old man for being poor,’ and finally, ’the deceased is the greatest.’"

Pfft!

The originally huffy Ye Linger couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

But her eyes, which had curved into crescents, were full of mischief and admiration for Chen Chuan.

Junior Brother is still the best!

"You—you arrogant junior! How dare you insult my Yun’er like this!"

Lu Zhan and the Lu Family higher-ups were so enraged by this high-sounding nonsense that they almost fainted.

This was practically cursing Lu Yun to never be able to turn his life around.

However, facing this almost malicious teasing, the indifferent expression on Lu Yun’s face still didn’t change, as if what Chen Chuan said had nothing to do with him.

He just looked deeply at Chen Chuan, his gaze seeming to penetrate appearances to look directly at his Origin.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an unquestionable certainty:

"It is useless to engage in a war of words."

"Ye Linger, Chen Chuan, in one month, I, Lu Yun, will personally go to the Primordial Holy Land."

"At that time, in front of everyone in your Primordial Holy Land, I will completely shatter the self-righteous pride of you two."

Ye Linger acted as if she had heard the world’s biggest joke, her smile becoming even more brilliant and contemptuous:

"What? One month? With just you, this waste?"

"Fine! I’ll be waiting for you at the Primordial Holy Land."

"If I don’t see your figure after one month, Lu Yun, then you are not just a waste in Cultivation, but also an incompetent person who doesn’t keep his word."

"That would only further prove that my decision to dissolve the engagement today was the most correct one."

Lu Yun stood with his hands behind his back, his green robes fluttering without any wind; although there was no fluctuation of spiritual power, he naturally possessed a steady and imposing manner:

"Don’t worry, I definitely won’t let Young Miss Ye be disappointed."

Things had developed to this point, and there was no longer any room for maneuver.

Lu Zhan suppressed the towering rage in his heart and, with a grim face and a wave of his hand, directly issued an order for them to leave:

"You three, the marriage contract is destroyed, and the agreement is set. My Lu Family is a small temple and cannot accommodate three great Buddhas from the Holy Land. I will not see you out!"

Elder Murong Xuan had not intervened much from beginning to end.

Seeing this, he merely stood up indifferently and flicked his sleeve, saying: "In that case, Patriarch Lu, farewell."

Ye Linger gave Lu Yun one last fierce glare, let out a cold snort, and pulled Chen Chuan along as they followed behind Murong Xuan.

She walked out of the Lu Family hall with her head held high, leaving the room full of anger and oppression behind.

Only, behind her back where she couldn’t see, a flash of arrogant light flickered through the deep eyes of that youth in green robes.

This storm stirred up by the dissolution of the engagement seemed to have only just begun to brew.