"Grandpa, Grandpa, let me be willful this last time, just this once, okay? I will never be willful again, please?" Ci Qianluo shook her great-grandfather's arm, acting spoiled with a wronged tone.
Ci Sheng sighed helplessly: "Let me have a chance to meet him! Giving him a few pointers when his strength is this weak doesn't sound very good anyway."
"Grandpa, you mustn't make things difficult for him!" Ci Qianluo whispered a warning.
"Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for him!" Ci Sheng stroked his granddaughter's hair, his eyes full of doting affection.
He really had no other choice.
Late at night.
Back at home.
Xie Guannan tidied himself up and changed into a clean set of clothes.
After all, his previous clothes were stained with blood and wounds in most places.
He simply disposed of them.
On this night, he did not sleep. He sat up cross-legged and took out the *Falling Ci Sword Technique* he had obtained from Ci Qianluo.
Falling Ci Sword Technique:
First form: Falling leaves bid farewell to a thousand colors, Falling Leaf Farewell!
Second form: Falling autumn bids farewell to a thousand guests, Falling Autumn Farewell!
Third form: Setting sun bids farewell to the long river, Setting Sun Farewell!
...
"The sword manual contains its own sword intent; it truly is a very powerful set of sword techniques."
"With my current cultivation, I can only practice the first form. The second form will have to wait until the fourth realm, otherwise I won't be able to withstand this force of autumn." Xie Guannan quickly comprehended the first form of this sword technique.
Practicing in the dark of night was when enhancement and comprehension happened the fastest.
As for the two beast cores he had obtained in the beast forest near the core area outside Jianghai City, he could not absorb the one from the Tier 5 scaled python.
As for the beast core of the black rock bear, Xie Guannan planned to refine it gradually, considering it came from a Tier 4 ferocious beast.
The immense spiritual power contained within it was more than his current cultivation could bear.
Before long, a knock on the door came in the middle of the night.
Xie Guannan put away the Tier 4 beast core, straightened his clothes, and asked, "Who is it!?"
"Me!"
Xie Guannan opened the bedroom door to reveal his father, Xie Wentian.
"You brat, you finally came back! Where have you been these past few days? Running around and messing about outside again, weren't you?" Xie Wentian asked with a somewhat displeased expression.
"No, no." Xie Guannan hurriedly waved his hands, and looking at the dark circles under his father's eyes, he felt a nameless heartache.
"Right, Father, is there something you need me for?" Xie Guannan asked, voicing the doubt in his heart, as a late-night visit naturally meant something important.
"The An family will arrive tomorrow. Watch your words and behavior. If they choose to call off the engagement, don't get worked up or angry; after all, your old man has no power."
"It's fine, Dad. Wouldn't that be too cowardly?" Xie Guannan said calmly.
The head of the Xie family sighed helplessly, only then noticing Xie Guannan's Mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivation realm.
"How is it that after a few days, you've attained cultivation? Did you stumble upon some incredible fortune?" Xie Wentian asked, his face full of disbelief.
Xie Guannan was at the sixth level of Mid-stage Qi Condensation, his aura somewhat unstable. He immediately concealed his cultivation, no longer displaying it outwardly.
"A real man has nothing to make a fuss about even if his engagement is broken. You must pull yourself together," Xie Wentian said in a deep voice, patting Xie Guannan's shoulder.
After giving a few brief instructions, he left.
...
After a night.
Xie Guannan was at the sixth level of Qi Condensation. Yesterday's detoxification had indeed consumed a lot of energy, and he had spent tonight consolidating his gains.
"Today is the day the An family comes to break off the engagement."
In the morning, there was Su Rongyue's venomous voice again: "Spawn of a bitch! If Xie Wentian hadn't said you were back, I would have thought you were dead!"
Xie Guannan smiled indifferently, without displaying his cultivation, and replied calmly, "What kind of thing are you?"
Leaving behind the remark, "Su Han's strength is mediocre at best!", he strode away.
"This brat must not be left alive!" Su Rongyue's eyes turned vicious.
After eating, he came to the Xie family's council hall.
The people from the An family had also arrived.
Sitting beside the head of the An family was none other than his fiancée, An Ruoyu, her silver hair cascading down naturally like a waterfall, greeting everyone with a smiling and beaming face.
Xie Guannan walked slowly into the hall with his hands behind his back.
The An family arrivals looked with stern expressions at the person who had just stepped into the hall, showing no intention of putting on a good face for Xie Guannan.
Xie Wentian, the head of the Xie family, looked at his son and revealed a somewhat helpless expression.
Their expressions were bland and stern. On the other hand, when his fiancée An Ruoyu looked at Xie Guannan, her heart gave a jolt: "Isn't this the young man I saved on the street a few days ago?"
That day, she had watched Xie Guannan make his move, fighting four opponents single-handedly without any cultivation realm.
Even she, with her Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, had been somewhat moved.
This person turned out to be her fiancé! An Ruoyu's expression turned to one of astonishment; she found it hard to believe how such a coincidence could exist.
His family hadn't come directly to the Xie family when they arrived here.
Instead, they had stayed at another inn and gathered information about the Xie family.
From the mouths of outsiders, they had learned that the young master of the Xie family was a good-for-nothing prodigal who constantly frequented the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
Yet in An Ruoyu's eyes, someone with that kind of one-against-four strength didn't look like a useless good-for-nothing at all.
Xie Guannan walked into the room and called out to the head of the An family, "I pay my respects to Senior An."
The head of the An family nodded faintly, and Xie Guannan thereupon entered the council hall and sat down.
Shortly after, the head of the An family spoke up: "Xie boy, what is your cultivation level now?"
"Answering Uncle An, the junior is currently in the Qi Condensation Stage."
Below the main hall, the An family attendants broke into an uproar.
"Didn't he lack any cultivation just a few days ago?"
"How is he suddenly in the Qi Condensation Stage now?"
"Could this little bastard have taken some kind of cultivation-boosting pill just to put up a front?! Wait, no." Su Rongyue's expression suddenly turned panicked.
"We absolutely cannot let this bastard grow."
Inside the hall, Su Rongyue still wore a smile, revealing nothing.
"Xie boy, you also know that when it comes to marriage, matching social standing is paramount," the head of the An family said in a deep voice, every single word carrying pressure directed at Xie Guannan.
Xie Guannan nodded with utter indifference.
"So what are you going to do about it?" the head of the An family asked in a deep voice, his tone clearly demanding that Xie Guannan say the words to call off the marriage himself.
"I do not agree with what you're saying!" Xie Guannan's tone was unyielding!
Xie Wentian reached out a hand wanting to stop his son, but then pulled it back.
"I've laid things out this clearly, why is this brat still so thick-headed?" The head of the An family was also puzzled inwardly.
"Those suitors of my Ruoyu are all powerful and influential, none of which you, Xie Guannan, a mere Qi Condensation practitioner, can compare to."
"I am also considering this for your sake. If your strength falls short of theirs, you will inevitably meet with dark plots behind your back. I hope you can clearly weigh the pros and cons; you and Ruoyu are simply not suited for each other!"
"I came today to offer you some suggestions for you to ponder over yourself." Having said this, the head of the An family fell silent, watching the changes in Xie Guannan's expression.
Yet Xie Guannan was far too calm, as calm as if this matter had nothing to do with him at all.
How could Xie Guannan not understand? The head of the An family was hinting and nudging him to take the initiative to reject this marriage.
If he truly rejected it, how would outsiders see it? For such a weak family to break off an engagement with a major clan—outsiders would think something was wrong with their heads and brand them as unappreciative.
Yet such an outcome would benefit neither family.
Looking back at Xie Guannan at this moment, he was sipping his tea with a serene expression. His complexion remained as calm as still water, leaving even the head of the An family somewhat baffled.
In his past life, before things even reached this point, An Ruoyu had already been full of disgust toward him—disgusted that he frequented the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, disgusted that he was entangled with romantic affairs, and disgusted that he was a good-for-nothing.
Seeing that Xie Guannan showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, the head of the An family spoke up once more: "My daughter has already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and will soon be entering the Flying Immortal Sect. You two are destined to belong to different worlds."
"Uncle An, didn't the marriage contract set by the two elders back then depend on the wishes of us juniors?"
The head of the An family nodded, then looked at his daughter: "Ruoyu, what are your thoughts?"
Long before coming here, he had told his daughter that she must refuse this marriage, as it would be best for both families.
Yet the reply that followed made the head of the An family fly into an immediate rage.
A faint voice was heard sounding in the hall: "Father, I... don't really want to... break off the engagement~"
By the time she uttered the last word, it sounded as if she had used up all her strength; it was already as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her heart filled with anxious trepidation.
She had been raised with strict family discipline and would not dare to disobey her father's wishes, but in this matter, Grandpa's word was final.
Even the current family head dared not defy the words of the former head!
The head of the An family flew straight into a rage, inwardly wanting to give An Ruoyu a thorough tongue-lashing.
The next moment, Xie Guannan spoke up: "Head of the An family, if I were to enter the Flying Immortal Sect, would you still block this marriage?"
"Oh, what makes you think you can enter the Flying Immortal Sect? In a year, or ten years?"
Xie Guannan said with a calm and earnest expression: "One year!"
Since the marriage contract set by the old patriarch depended on the wishes of the juniors, and both juniors were in agreement, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to obstruct it any further.
"If you step into the Flying Immortal Sect a year from now, the marriage between you two will be decided entirely by yourselves, and I will never interfere in this matter again."
Xie Guannan said: "Very well! If I fail to enter the Flying Immortal Sect within a year, the engagement shall be automatically annulled!"
The atmospheres of both sides were at daggers drawn, neither yielding an inch.
Seeing that the atmosphere was turning very sour, Xie Wentian hurriedly instructed his unfilial son to step outside, while the head of the An family similarly told his daughter to leave.
Inside the main hall, the expressions of the two family heads grew extremely grave.
"Head of the Xie family, it's not that I truly want to break off the engagement; the situation in the Flowing Cloud Empire is simply not looking too good."
"Head of the An family, as for that brat of mine, I haven't disciplined him much on ordinary days, causing you trouble."
The head of the An family shook his head helplessly and said, "Let's leave it to their own fortunes in the future."
For some reason, both family heads fell into silence.
...
"What? Are you not averse to this marriage?" Xie Guannan asked with a smile.
The family head's instructions had created an opportunity for Xie Guannan and An Ruoyu to be alone together.
How could Xie Guannan possibly let such a good opportunity slip away?
"Huh?" An Ruoyu seemed not to have heard clearly, still not having recovered from her daze a moment ago.
Xie Guannan looked into An Ruoyu's clear eyes and said, "Thank you for that day."
An Ruoyu blinked her bright eyes, looking at the fiancé before her. She gave a faint smile, her expression slightly nervous and somewhat embarrassed.
She hadn't expected that the person she helped out of a tight spot that day would turn out to be her own fiancé! He hadn't possessed any cultivation that day, yet only a few days later, he was already at Mid-stage Qi Condensation—what kind of terrifying talent was this?!
Remembering Xie Guannan's expression of gratitude, she snapped back to her senses and hurriedly said, "It's nothing, it... it was only right."
What a wonderful "only right."
At the time, he had still been a stranger. After saying it, upon reflection, her ears felt so hot they seemed ready to drip blood, and a somewhat silent atmosphere fell between them.
Following that, Xie Guannan directly asked the doubt in his mind: "With someone like me who normally does not apply himself and causes all kinds of trouble, you should have rejected this marriage."
"But when I saw you make your move that day, you didn't look like someone who doesn't apply himself at all! You must have some ulterior secrets," An Ruoyu said, putting one hand on her hip, pointing a finger at Xie Guannan, and tilting her head.
Xie Guannan teased, "What? Are you admitting that I'm your fiancé now?"
An Ruoyu's face flushed red once more: "How come this bad guy in front of me is always teasing me?"
Perhaps it wasn't just because he was her fiancé; more than anything, it was probably nervousness.
An Ruoyu then changed the subject and said, "What are your plans regarding what they mentioned about the one-year agreement? You're not actually going to... go, are you? Actually, you don't have to take it to heart."
Xie Guannan then gave a carefree smile: "The Flying Immortal Sect? I certainly wouldn't mind going to take a look."
"You're going to go after a year? What else can happen?"
Hearing Xie Guannan's words, he meant to step into the Foundation Establishment Stage within a single year.
The Qi Condensation Stage had a total of 20 levels, divided into four parts: early, middle, late, and final stages. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in a year could be said to be extremely difficult.
However, for Xie Guannan, this was truly as effortless as eating and drinking.
"Stepping into the Foundation Establishment Stage is very difficult, let alone doing it in a year. You mustn't force yourself," An Ruoyu said with concern.
Hearing An Ruoyu say this, Xie Guannan naturally felt a surge of joy in his heart, and he continued with his cheeky attitude: "If I can't step into Foundation Establishment, what then? Are you going to support me?"
Hearing this, the flush that had just faded from An Ruoyu's face climbed back up to her earlobes, and she inwardly cursed: "This bad guy is teasing me again."
"Grandpa knows that the Xie family's current situation isn't good, so he gave me special instructions before I came.
"He told me to try not to make things difficult for the Xie family, and also to... try to get in touch with you... and see how things go. He even said that if you go too far, calling off the engagement is an option," An Ruoyu said, her voice becoming somewhat hesitant and embarrassed toward the end.
If the An family made things difficult for the Xie family, other aristocratic families would follow suit and kick them while they were down.
That would throw the Xie family into an even more desperate predicament, which was not Old Master An's original intention.
At this moment, Xie Guannan mentally awarded Old Master An quite a few extra points.
An Ruoyu brushed back her silver-gray hair and said, "Um... I'm leaving tomorrow. Take care of yourself. Even if you don't join the sect, I won't look down on you." That gentle, clear voice sounded right beside Xie Guannan's ear.
Xie Guannan looked at the celestial-like fiancée beside him and said, "I know, Wife."
"Who, who is your wife?! If you really turn out to be as lazy and good-for-nothing as the rumors say, I'll ruthlessly kick you aside!" An Ruoyu glanced out of the corner of her eye, puffing out her cheeks in mock anger.
Xie Guannan chuckled inwardly.
"And, explain to me what's going on with you frequently visiting the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!" An Ruoyu placed her hands on her slender waist, her tone abruptly turning somewhat displeased, even carrying a hint of coldness.
He hadn't expected his fiancée to have this kind of jealous side to her!
There was only one phrase to describe this: chasing one's wife through a fiery path of tribulation!
Say the wrong word and he'd be dead on the spot.
"Wife, I was wrong. I promise you, I will never go to that kind of place again in this lifetime."
In his past life, he had been the high-and-mighty Southern Emperor, yet he had actually caved in directly.
It was utterly dramatic.
An Ruoyu hadn't expected Xie Guannan to simply yield just like that.
"Get up quickly, and don't call me wife! Grandpa told me I'm a bit older than you, so you can call me older sister first. After all, marrying me isn't going to be that easy!"
"Alright, Wife... I mean, Madam Wife!!"
"Don't you dare call me that—!" An Ruoyu stamped her feet in anger!
"Alright, Wife."
"Then if you apologize, I won't call you that for now," Xie Guannan said earnestly, emphasizing the words "for now."
"If you say it again, I really won't forgive you," her voice carried a hint of vexation.
"I'm only temporarily not breaking off the engagement; I still have to see how you perform afterward," An Ruoyu raised her exquisite, peerless little face and said with a proud air.
Xie Guannan felt as if he were listening to celestial music, enjoying every moment of it!
An Ruoyu's voice was truly intoxicating! If she had more to say, she should keep talking!
"And what about the Drunken Immortal Pavilion?" An Ruoyu instantly dropped her face and interrogated him.
Xie Guannan snapped out of it in a start. How could it come up again? He had hoped she would talk more, but not about this!
"Without your permission, I will never go there of my own accord," Xie Guannan swore with a sincere expression.
"Even if I give you permission, you aren't allowed to go, you hear me?" An Ruoyu said with puffed-up cheeks.
"You must remember what I said, otherwise I'll purge the sect of you," An Ruoyu said with a serious expression.
"I definitely won't go out philandering anymore."
"That's more like it!" An Ruoyu gave him a sidelong glance, then said coldly, "And don't overexert yourself with your cultivation. Once I have some strength, big sister will cover you!"
An Ruoyu didn't know why she had blurted out such words, and she walked away shortly after.
She couldn't deny that Xie Guannan was a bit bad, but he wasn't truly malicious; getting along with him actually felt quite pleasant.
Watching that graceful figure depart.
Xie Guannan fell silent...
Was this... a promise she was giving him?
Was this... what it felt like to be cared for?
Should he, in return, give her a promise of his own?
...
With the An family's departure, only the tranquil Xie family courtyard remained.
Inside the Xie family council hall.
"My boy, it's your old man's incompetence; I couldn't provide you with a solid backing," Xie Wentian said with a guilty expression.
"It's fine, Father. There is a matter I'd like to make the call on."
"You naturally make the calls regarding your own marriage," Xie Wentian waved his hand, indicating it didn't matter.
"No, Father, I want to take control of the mining rights to the Xie family's mineral vein," Xie Guannan said with a serious expression.
"How does a brat like you know our family has a mineral vein? Where did you get this news?"
"Father, a hot potato like this is ultimately unsafe in the hands of our Xie family."
"What do you want to do?"
"Better to let other forces mine it in exchange for protection."
"Father, just trust me this once!"
In his past life, after the An family broke off the engagement, news of the medium-grade spirit stone vein had leaked out.
The Xie family had subsequently met with a fatal calamity.
This time, he didn't want the tragedy to repeat itself.
"No! This is sheer nonsense!" Xie Wentian still didn't trust his son.
"Father, the Xie family is weak and undermanned right now; we can't hold onto it! The news will spread soon enough, please trust me!" Xie Guannan's expression was earnest.
Xie Wentian gazed at his son's resolute expression, unable to make up his mind. But with his son looking so determined and not seeming to joke, he asked, "Do you know the weight of a medium-grade spirit stone vein?"
"A medium-grade spirit stone vein would likely attract the covetous gazes of Nirvana Realm powerhouses. Fortunately, our location is remote so not too many people will eye it, but we must guard against the unexpected."
"Absolute nonsense!" Xie Wentian shouted angrily.
Su Rongyue happened to be passing by and, upon hearing this, hurriedly pressed herself against the wall, leaving only one ear cocked to listen.