Chapter 136 - 70: Jiang Xuan: Even If I Must Face the Heaven’s Chosen of the Three Academies While Dragging Dong Hao With One Hand, I, Jiang Xuan, Am Still...

Chapter 136: Chapter 70: Jiang Xuan: Even If I Must Face the Heaven’s Chosen of the Three Academies While Dragging Dong Hao With One Hand, I, Jiang Xuan, Am Still...

He keenly noticed something: although the maids in his home seemingly took his mother as their master, they were actually much more respectful to the cold-looking young girl standing nearby. Even his mother, who had come out to welcome him, looked at the girl with obvious reverence.

This sight made Jiang Xuan’s eyes darken.

He wondered, "What is the Su Family doing? Trying to put me in my place? With their cunning, they shouldn’t be this unwise."

Just as he frowned in thought, his mother hurried forward and grabbed his hand. She pulled him over to stand across from the aloof girl and introduced her with a smile, "Xuan, this is the Fourth Miss of the Su Family, Su Yaoyin. She is Su Linyin’s younger sister and a Cultivator as well. Like you, her Spirit Root is Profound Level Middle Grade. What do you think of this girl?"

"..." The moment she said this, Jiang Xuan immediately understood something.

He realized, "Are they marrying off a daughter to form an alliance?!"

Political marriage was the most cliché, yet oldest and most effective method of winning someone over in this world. Major Cultivation Clans always did this whenever they encountered Nobles from the Lower Classes. Of course, if a son of the Lower Classes lacked outstanding Talent, the best he could hope to marry was a Maid from a prominent family—just like his own father and Zhou Lin’s father, Zhou Lie.

He thought, "Given my current weight in the eyes of the Su Family, I shouldn’t be qualified for this."

Although he had made rapid progress over the past month, he had only been training bitterly in the Four Seasons Valley and the Martial Arts Arena. He had never once shown his skills in the Chen Daoist School. Under these circumstances, for the Su Family to still be willing to marry off a daughter could only mean one thing—Su Linyin was truly desperate.

At the same time, he faintly sensed that Su Linyin’s status within the Su Family was likely even higher than he had imagined.

He mused, "Or perhaps, she has parents who dote on her immensely? Regardless of the reason, this isn’t a bad thing for me."

With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Xuan’s gaze did not fall on Su Yaoyin, but instead turned toward the courtyard gate. He knew very well that the Su Family was definitely aware of his return home. Lady Su, the one orchestrating all of this, would surely pay a personal visit before long.

Facts did not defy his expectations. Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea after he arrived home, an elegant and graceful figure appeared at the entrance of the Jiang Family’s home.

Su Wanyi had arrived. As the matriarch of a Cultivation Clan, she naturally did not come alone. Zhou Lie, Liu Hui, and Zhou Lin all respectfully accompanied her by her side.

Upon stepping into the courtyard, the gazes the three of them directed at Jiang Xuan carried a hint of complex and indiscernible meaning. Evidently, they had never anticipated that Jiang Xuan, whom they had once deemed a fallen failure, now actually had the opportunity to marry a young miss of the Su Family. Even if Su Yaoyin’s Talent was not top-tier, she was still of the Su Family’s direct bloodline; to them, she was still their master.

While they looked emotional, and Liu Hui even went straight up to congratulate Jiang Xuan’s mother, Shen Yuerong, Su Wanyi’s footsteps paused slightly upon seeing the situation in the courtyard clearly. She clearly sensed that Jiang Xuan’s mother thoroughly approved of this marriage, yet Jiang Xuan himself wore an expression so plain it bordered on apathy.

This scene somewhat defied her expectations. According to her assumption, Jiang Xuan, being able to turn the tables as a servant taking a master, should have been thrilled and excited.

She thought, "He’s too calm. Is it because he has strong self-control, or..."

Without speculating too much, once she arrived, Su Wanyi cast a glance at Liu Hui. This prompted the latter to step up to Jiang Xuan and ramble endlessly about the benefits of him marrying a daughter of the Su Family.

"Jiang Xuan, Madam Su and I have watched you grow up. We are both very happy to see you succeed. Now that you’ve grown up, as your elders, we must worry about your future.

"Miss Yaoyin is the good girl we chose for you, and your mother is very satisfied as well. Moreover, by marrying Miss Yaoyin, you’ll be considered part of the Su Family. From then on, the Su Family will dedicate their resources to nurturing you. This is far better than working for Dong Hao! No matter how close you are to Dong Hao, you are still an outsider. Right now, you are useful to him, so he naturally accommodates you in everything. But if he becomes an Inner Sect Disciple while you remain in the Outer Sect, your statuses will be completely different. Xuan, you need to make plans for your future..." Liu Hui persuaded earnestly.

Lady Su’s move was actually extremely fatal. If Jiang Xuan were just an ordinary genius, choosing this path would indeed be the most suitable.

First was resources. Just as Liu Hui had said, following Dong Hao would never be as intimate as marrying a daughter of the Su Family and becoming family. The support he would receive this way would be much greater.

Second was his mother’s inclination. Shen Yuerong had grown up in the Su Family since childhood, and she had basically never left Cui Bamboo Town. All her friends and relatives were here. Jiang Xuan marrying Su Yaoyin perfectly met her psychological expectations.

Then came the third point. Although the old Jiang Xuan held the title of the son of a Honored Guest Elder, he was ultimately a servant back then. He had to lower his head and yield when he saw the direct descendants of the Su Family. Under such circumstances, having the opportunity to turn the tables to become the master and bully Su Yaoyin beneath him was still very stimulating to a man’s desires.

It could be said that Su Wanyi’s move was incredibly brilliant. An ordinary genius would absolutely be unable to resist this temptation.

However, Jiang Xuan was anything but ordinary.

Completely ignoring Liu Hui’s rambling, Jiang Xuan fixed his gaze straight on Su Wanyi and stated bluntly, "Madam Su, you must be visiting today for Miss Linyin’s sake, right? You want me to lend a hand during the tri-school joint examination and help her pass the second round of assessments."

Jiang Xuan’s flat tone, devoid of any fluctuation and lacking respect, made Su Wanyi’s elegant brows furrow slightly. But in an instant, she suppressed all her emotions and replied gently, "Yes. Linyin is my only daughter, so I naturally hope everything goes smoothly for her. Besides, you and Linyin have been playmates since childhood. There’s no need for us to be so distant."

Jiang Xuan did not pick up on her conversational thread, but his voice was no longer flat. Instead, it became confident, and even more arrogant. "Madam Su, coming to find me before the examination was the right thing to do. Even if I have to face the geniuses of the three schools while dragging Dong Hao along single-handedly, I, Jiang Xuan, am invincible among my peers.

"As long as I make a slight move during the assessment, I can push Miss Linyin into a passing position."

"..."

"..."

"..."

As soon as these incredibly arrogant words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard immediately fell dead silent and even grew somewhat bizarre.

Zhou Lin, Liu Hui, Zhou Lie, Su Wanyi, Su Yaoyin, and even Jiang Xuan’s mother, Shen Yuerong, all stared blankly at Jiang Xuan, entirely at a loss for words.

Su Wanyi, this Lady Su who was always confident and had everything under control, couldn’t help but raise a hand to rub the spot between her brows. She wondered to herself, "Could it be that I’ve made a mistake by pinning my hopes on this boy?"

Shen Yuerong anxiously took a step forward, wanting to pull Jiang Xuan aside to apologize and make him take back his grandiose words. However, before she could even reach him, Jiang Xuan’s voice rang out again.

"Do you all think I can’t do it?"

Hearing this, before Su Wanyi even had time to reply, Liu Hui stepped forward, her tone carrying a hint of admonition. "Xuan, it’s not that we don’t believe you. It’s just that the tri-school joint examination is swarming with geniuses. Your Talent is decent, but..."

"WHOOSH!"

Before she could finish her words to smooth things over, a piercing, bone-chilling wind abruptly swept through the small courtyard.

Caught off guard, even people with Cultivation like Zhou Lie and Su Wanyi couldn’t help but shiver, feeling a trace of coldness seeping deep into their bones. Although the next moment, with a slight surge of their Magical Power, the two of them firmly blocked the chill from their bodies, their gazes toward Jiang Xuan had completely changed—there was astonishment, disbelief, and a profound, undisguisable shock.

Especially when they saw clearly the faint blue pattern between Jiang Xuan’s brows, their expressions drastically shifted.

"This is... Dao Rhyme! A Dao Rhyme of the bitter winter!" Zhou Lie cried out involuntarily, his tone filled with utter disbelief.

On the other side, although Su Wanyi still maintained the poise and bearing of a noble lady, her suddenly clenched hands also revealed the turmoil in her heart.