When Wen Lingxue left, the group gathered by the sparring grounds quickly dispersed.
“Lingxue, you’re amazing! You’ve only just barely entered the inner sect, but you’re already in the Refining Bone stage of the Blood Circulation Realm. You’re putting your seniors to shame!” A slim young woman giggled as she accompanied Wen Lingxue.
She was exquisitely dressed with extraordinary features, but next to Wen Lingxue, her relative inferiority was readily apparent.
Wen Lingxue smiled faintly. “Senior Apprentice Sister Meng Lu, you’re exaggerating.”
But in her heart, she thought,?I’m cultivating the miraculous technique my brother-in-law gave me. If I didn’t progress quickly, how could I face him going forward?
“Junior sisters, any interest in relaxing at the Snowy Villa?” Before they got far, a handsome youth approached them and invited them out with a smile. His manners were perfect.
Meng Lu’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, “Lingxue, let’s go together! The Snowy Villa is a top-class establishment. They say only the upper crust are qualified to enter!”
She sounded quite eager.
“This….” Wen Lingxue was a bit hesitant. She planned to go home and cultivate.
“Let’s go~! Come on, consider it keeping me company!” Meng Lu took hold of Wen Lingxue’s arm and pouted coquettishly.
The handsome youth smiled. “Junior Apprentice Sister Wen Lingxue, it won’t just be the three of us. Several other apprentice brothers and sisters will be going with us. Take it as a get-together between sectmates.”
“Alright.” With that many people coming, it was a bit awkward to refuse.
The handsome youth instantly seemed to relax. He smiled and led the way ahead.
“Tch, he really is the young master of the Yan Family. He actually managed to invite Senior Apprentice Sister Lingxue out!”
Watching this from afar, Tian Yao couldn’t help but cluck her tongue and sigh. When she saw that Su Yi remained silent, she assumed he didn’t know who that handsome youth was, so she hurriedly explained.
“That’s Yan Yufeng, the eldest son of the head of the Yan Family. He’s a hottie, and he’s ranked fifth within the inner sect. He’s at the peak of the Blood Circulation Realm, and they say his father’s already paved his way ahead. A year from now, he’ll proceed to the Redscale Army for further training….”
Tian Yao was just about to continue when she suddenly froze and exclaimed, “Why is Senior Apprentice Sister Lingxue coming towards us?”
Wen Lingxue’s eyes lit up, and a delighted look arose on her beautiful face. She was practically running right towards them.
Meng Lu and the handsome youth were baffled.?What’s going on?
“Brother-in-Law! What are you doing here?” Her hair was tied up, and she was petite and pretty, with a sweet and gentle voice. Her bright eyes shone with unconcealed delight.
Su Yi laughed. “Am I not welcome?”
The young woman smiled radiantly, like flowers blooming after a long rain. “Of course you’re welcome! But why didn’t you let me know you were coming in advance? I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!”
Su Yi didn’t quite know what to say to that, so he reached out and tousled her hair. “It’s fine; I knew it was you.”
“You…. You’re Senior Apprentice Sister Lingxue’s brother-in-law?” When she watched their affectionate exchange, Tian Yao’s eyes widened; she was a bit stunned.
In the distance, the handsome young man’s pupils furiously constricted, as if he’d just encountered an unprecedentedly fearsome rival.
Throughout her time in Blueriver Sword Manor, he’d never seen Wen Lingxue act like this.
That surprise, joy, and unconcealed happiness, and the way her eyes shone when she looked at Su Yi… She’d never acted like that in front of any other man.
Wen Lingxue’s gaze landed on Tian Yao, and she asked curiously, “Brother-in-Law, why did you and Junior Apprentice Sister Tian Yao come together?”
Su Yi instinctively corrected her. “This Junior Apprentice Sister of yours is kind-hearted and generous. It’s our first meeting, but she showed me the way here. Otherwise, I’m afraid I couldn’t have found you.”
Tian Yao couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Why explain in such detail? What, are you afraid she’ll misunderstand? You’re her brother-in-law! If you pursue her despite that, you’ll be no better than a beast!”
Wen Lingxue’s face reddened, and her eyelashes twitched. “Junior Apprentice Sister Tian Yao, don’t talk nonsense!”
But Su Yi was calm and indifferent as ever; he didn’t even blush. “You’re so young. What do you know? Alright, that’s all I needed. You can leave.”
Tian Yao didn’t leave. Instead, she stubbornly raised her pretty head and said hatefully, “You’re heartless, you know! I fell for you at a glance, but you’re just trying to get rid of me? Let me tell you now: I’m not going anywhere!”
After a brief daze, Wen Lingxue exclaimed, “You’re interested in my brother-in-law?”
Tian Yao nodded, completely confident. “Don’t you think he’s quite the looker? He’s just my type.”
“Uh….” Wen Lingxue didn’t quite know how to respond. She wouldn’t have guessed that Tian Yao would be so direct.?Aren’t girls supposed to be a bit more reserved?
“Lingxue, you never told us Su Yi was your brother-in-law.” Meng Lu walked over from not far away. When she saw Su Yi and Wen Lingxue’s affectionate behavior, she felt a bit displeased, as if she were suddenly an outsider.
Her gaze swept toward Su Yi. “Su Yi, last year, you were kicked out of the sect. Why did you come back? Aren’t you afraid your former sectmates will see you and bully you again?”
Her tone carried a clear edge of mockery. As an inner sect disciple, she naturally recognized Su Yi. She’d even heard numerous tales of how he’d once been bullied.
“Senior Apprentice Sister Meng Lu, how could you say something like that?” Wen Lingxue knit her brow in displeasure.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t say any more. “ Meng Lu hurriedly apologized.
“Junior Apprentice Brother Su, long time no see.” It was then that the handsome young Yan Yufeng walked over and smiled.
Su Yi nodded indifferently. He recognized Yan Yufeng; when he was still in the outer sect, Yan Yufeng was already a prominent figure of the inner sect.
But the two of them had never really spoken.
“Junior Apprentice Brother Su Yi, we were just about to go to the Snowy Villa. How about you come with us?” He extended an invitation with a smile.
He could tell at a glance that, unless he invited Su Yi too, there was no way Wen Lingxue would come with them.
But Wen Lingxue felt rather troubled.
She knew her sectmates’ temperaments. All of them were self-satisfied disciples of prominent clans. They were as arrogant as could be.
If you weren’t on their level, they would never, ever take you seriously or treat you with any respect.
“That works too.” Su Yi nodded. He’d come here to see Wen Lingxue. Where specifically they went didn’t matter.
Wen Lingxue was stunned, but then, she nodded too. “Let’s all go together, then.”
But inside, she had numerous questions, like “What’s my brother-in-law doing in the prefectural capital?” and “How is his recovery going?”
It was no wonder she was surprised to see him; she’d received no word regarding Su Yi since she first left Guangling City. She didn’t even know about him seizing first place in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet.
“Can I come too?” asked Tian Yao out of nowhere.
“Of course.” Yan Yufeng agreed with a smile.
Shortly after, the group proceeded out of Blueriver Sword Manor.
Throughout their journey, due to Wen Lingxue’s presence, they attracted countless gazes and lots of attention.
And all the while, Meng Lu and Yan Yufeng surreptitiously evaluated Su Yi.
Alas, he seemed calm and at ease, but otherwise ordinary. They picked up nothing noteworthy, and they soon couldn’t be bothered to pay him any further heed.
A waste who’d lost his entire cultivation no longer belonged to the same world as them, and he hadn’t for quite some time now. If not for Wen Lingxue, they wouldn’t have exchanged so much as a single sentence with him. ．
There were already quite a few people gathered outside Blueriver Sword Manor.
When they saw Yan Yufeng and Wen Lingxue, they greeted them with a smile.
Su Yi’s gaze swept across the group, and he realized that he recognized most of them. They cultivated at Blueriver Sword Manor, but they were all disciples from the city’s various prominent factions.
They recognized him too. All of them were stunned, but when they learned that he was Wen Lingxue’s brother-in-law, they vaguely understood.
Among them, one person was deeply unsettled. When he saw Su Yi, even his expression went rigid.
Chen Jinlong.
During Su Yi’s first banquet at the House of Prosperity, it was Chen Jinlong who’d led his friends to their room in search of trouble. In the end, Su Yi forced him to kneel, and he’d come this close to dying.
Seeing Su Yi reappear now, of course he was stunned!
But when he noticed that Su Yi wasn’t paying any attention to him, he inwardly sighed in relief. At the same time, he inwardly cursed Yan Yufeng out.?You bastard, how dare you bring that harbinger of destruction with you!?
“Young Master Yan, I heard that Miss Cha Jin will grace the Snowy Villa with a performance today. This is a precious opportunity, so let’s hurry over,” said a young man.
When they heard this, many eyes lit up.
Cha Jin??Su Yi seemed lost in thought.
……
The Snowy Villa.
This was a money pit on par with the House of Prosperity.
It occupied several dozen acres, including gazebos, pavilions, scattered courtyards, covered lakeside bridges, and numerous fish ponds. Its elegant beauty made it a favorite amongst the city’s higher-ups.
When Yan Yufeng showed up leading the group, there was already a middle-aged manager waiting for them.
“Uncle Huang, you’re here to greet us personally? To what do we owe this honor?” When he saw this middle-aged man, Yan Yufeng was stunned, and he hurriedly greeted him.
“Young Master Yan, you’re friends with our family’s young master. It’s only proper that I greet you at the door.” The manager nodded calmly and ignored the rest of the group. “Follow me, please.”
The others seemed to recognize who this “Uncle Huang” was, so all of them repressed their rage and followed.
Once they were inside the villa, their eyes lit up.
The scenery was exquisite, and obviously expensive. From the pavilions to the artificial mountains and rivers, all were meticulously maintained and elegant.
“This is the Snowy Villa? It’s my first time here. I’ve heard people say it was exceptional, but I wouldn’t have guessed it was?this?pretty.” Wen Lingxue stuck close to Su Yi and curiously evaluated her surroundings.
But Su Yi looked indifferent. “This? They’ve just dressed the scenery up with petty little tricks, that’s all. It might look pure and elegant, but they can’t escape the limits of mundane craftsmanship.”
As they chatted, “Uncle Huang” led them into a courtyard containing a private dining area. The ornate windows were open, and there was a jade platform visible outside.
There were currently musicians performing there, as well as dancers swaying across the stage, all of them lithe and graceful.
“Here is your dining room for the day. If you need anything, tell the servants.” With that, the manager turned and left.
Yan Yufeng and the others each took a seat, chatting as they ate. As they conversed, the conversation naturally livened up.
However, few of them paid Su Yi any heed. Most of the conversation was between the women: Wen Lingxue, Meng Lu, Tian Yao, and a few others.
But Su Yi naturally didn’t mind being neglected. He just minded his own business, eating and drinking. From time to time, he’d chat with Wen Lingxue. He seemed perfectly content.
The one suffering the most was Chen Jinlong.
He was sitting directly across from Su Yi, and he didn’t even dare raise his head and look Su Yi in the eye. He felt as if he were sitting on a carpet of needles.