The ancestral mansion of the Wu Clan’s Li City branch was encased within high walls and featured a grand courtyard. It was located in close proximity to the Wu family’s street, and was the usual place where the Wu Clansmen paid homage to their ancestors, convened, and feasted. It was also the residence of the chieftain, Wu Qiming.
“Let us dismount,” said Wu Qiming, who was the first to alight the carriage. As Wu Yuan helped Wanqin down from the vehicle, his gaze swept across the mansion. It was not as grand as the general’s manor, but still impressive.
In Wu Yuan’s memory, since his father died in battle, he and his mother would only visit during the New Year and the three major festivals.
The three major festivals were the Sect Establishment Festival, the Clan Establishment Festival, and the Martial King Festival. All of them were huge festivals commemorating the sacrifices of their predecessors.
For the people living in the seven continents of the Central Plains, the Martial King Festival was universally celebrated in memory of the mythical progenitor of humanity, the Martial King. However, the same could not be said for the other two festivals. For those under the rule of the Cloudstride Sect, the Sect Establishment Festival was naturally observed simultaneously.
“The chieftain has returned,” the mansion’s steward greeted, revealing a smile as the two figures following closely behind came into view, “Young Master Yuan and Sister-in-law.”
“Uncle Fang is too polite,” Wu Yuan returned the smile.
The steward was surnamed Fang, and he was someone Wu Qiming trusted greatly. Based on Wu Yuan’s memory, Steward Fang treated most Wu Clansmen with a cold and distant demeanor. It appeared that the results of the major tournament had already spread among the clansmen. Fourth place, although not the most striking, was still a dazzling result.
“Old Fang, prepare some wine. I will dine with Wu Yuan later,” instructed Wu Qiming, “Additionally, without my permission, no one shall enter the study.”
“Understood,” replied Steward Fang promptly.
Wu Yuan and his mother followed Wu Qiming into the study on one side of the courtyard. It was a tranquil place, where a plethora of books stood in elegant arrangement. It was far superior to Wu Yuan’s house. They each took a seat.
“Wu Yuan, I’ve already said whatever needed to be said on the way here.”
“The Qing family may not be considered powerful, but they wish to betroth their patriarch’s legitimate daughter to you. I have met the lady before, she is literate and courteous, and aspires to take the imperial examinations. She will no doubt be a capable pillar of support,” said Wu Qiming straightforwardly.
“As for the Luo family, the prospective bride is also a legitimate daughter of the patriarch’s sixth wife. She appears less well-bred than the daughter of the Qing family, but the Luo family is a wealthy clan and they’re willing to provide a large sum of silver to aid your cultivation. If I remember correctly, Luo He, the son of the Luo patriarch, is your fellow classmate and friend.”
“As for the remaining few families, I deemed them not quite suitable for you, so I politely rejected them on your behalf.” Wu Qiming glanced at Wu Yuan, “Your mother believes that the Qing family is a more fitting match.”
“Mother, you wish for me to marry too?” Wu Yuan scrunched up his face.
“It’s just the engagement. You still have a few years to go before the marriage.” Wanqin said with satisfaction, “That legitimate daughter of the Qing family, I’ve seen her from a distance a few times…”
“Mother!” Wu Yuan grimaced, “I have no intentions of getting engaged at this moment, nor have any thoughts of marrying in the near future.”
“Chieftain, for the Qing and Luo families, I would appreciate it if you could reject them on my behalf. The reason being that I am devoted to martial arts and have no interest in romantic entanglements for the time being.” Wu Yuan said solemnly.
Before Chieftain Wu Qiming could utter a word, Wanqin blew her top. “Yuan’er, you have always been resolute and decisive in your actions, and I have always respected your decisions.” Wanqin looked at her son, incensed, “You have made great achievements in martial arts, and I am proud of you, but you must take marriage seriously! If you don’t get married and have children, how will I face your father in the future?”
Wu Qiming chuckled. Wu Yuan felt a headache coming on.
In his previous life, during the interstellar era, there was hardly any parental pressure to get married. In fact, a significant part of the human population was raised via ‘socialized parenting’. Unfortunately, he was now in the Middle Land, which shared many common aspects with the ancient dynasties of the Blue Planet. In both societies, bloodlines were considered sacred. Naturally, Wu Yuan wouldn’t blame his mother. Each society had its own customs and conventions.
Wu Yuan explained patiently, “Mother, your son is not unwilling to marry, but I just turned fourteen and it’s the prime age for martial arts training, I don’t want to be distracted.”
“When I reach my twenties, and have achieved great things in martial arts, I will consider marriage. By then, I will be able to choose an even more suitable wife.” Wu Yuan stated solemnly.
“In your twenties?” Wanqin hesitated.
“Sister-in-law, it’s perfectly normal for truly powerful martial artists to marry in their twenties or thirties.” Wu Qiming laughed, “That’s also the reason I didn’t bother convincing Wu Yuan.”
“Fine then.” Wanqin trusted Wu Qiming wholeheartedly. Nonetheless, she eyed Wu Yuan sternly, “You are no longer allowed to bring up the topic of forgoing marriage.”
“Yes Mother, I will bear it in mind,” responded Wu Yuan, nodding his head.
“Wu Yuan, I am not knowledgeable about important matters, but the chieftain is. Consult with him often. I will head to the backyard to meet your aunt, you and the chieftain can carry on.” With that, Wanqin rose, gave a slight bow to Wu Qiming, and exited the study. The aunt she referred to was naturally Wu Qiming’s wife.
“Wu Yuan, you have a good mother. You must not fail her expectations,” said Wu Qiming with a sigh.
“Indeed,” Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
Even with limited knowledge, Wanqin was no fool. She had guessed that Wu Qiming wasn’t looking for Wu Yuan simply for a discussion about his marriage. If it was just for that, they wouldn’t have come to the Wu Clan’s ancestral mansion. The reason they held their discussion here was to prevent eavesdropping.
Whatever they were discussing, it was no doubt an important matter. Therefore after the marriage issue was concluded, Wanqin tactfully left the room. She trusted her son’s judgment and believed the Chieftain would not shortchange Wu Yuan.
“Are you really not considering marriage?” Wu Qiming asked as he poured himself some tea. “You are a sensible person, you should understand the advantages of an engagement.”
“Our Wu Clan is relatively weak after all. It won’t be possible for us to invest a large amount of resources in you. Becoming the son-in-law of the Luo or Qing clan is equivalent to gaining the support of a large clan. Your martial arts cultivation path will be much smoother.” Wu Qiming looked at Wu Yuan.
“I’m not considering it,” Wu Yuan shook his head.
Chieftain Wu Qiming was right. If Wu Yuan was just an ordinary disciple of the martial academy, marrying into a large clan would be his best choice. Financial support was immensely important for martial arts cultivation, and these large clans needed the support of strong martial artists to maintain their prestige. This was a win-win situation.
Alas, Wu Yuan didn’t have high requirements when it came to wealth. Or rather, the wealth that the Qing or Luo families could offer, was pitifully insignificant in terms of the aid it could provide Wu Yuan.
Moreover, it was Wu Yuan’s belief that his wife should be someone whom he shared deep mutual affection with. How could he make his choice so casually?
“Chieftain, whether it’s the Qing family or the Luo family, they are not simple people. Whoever becomes their son-in-law will be expected to repay them tenfold,” Wu Yuan calmly said, “The help they’re giving me now will become my burden in the future.”
“When you grow powerful and become a high-ranking member of the sect, ruling over a county or even a province, it’s up to you whether to repay them or not,” Wu Qiming said.
There was an implicit meaning to his words, and Wu Yuan was fully aware of what he meant: Take what you can for now and discard it after it’s no longer useful. A little favor would suffice as repayment. After all, would they dare defy him?
“Where a favor is received, return it like a gushing spring; when there is enmity, repay it tenfold,” Wu Yuan said with a firm voice, “Chieftain, this is the essence of my martial path. I, Wu Yuan, act with honesty, and will not betray my heart.”
Wu Qiming’s eyes lit up. The essence of his martial path? He vaguely began to understand why Wu Yuan was able to improve so quickly.
“Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t persuade you anymore,” Wu Qiming said, “What are your thoughts on Xu Yuanhan?”
Wu Yuan instantly understood that this was probably what Wu Qiming really wanted to ask. This matter had to be kept secret; Wu Qiming couldn’t discuss it with other members of the clan.
“Xu Yuanhan’s skills were lacking compared to his opponent, and he lost in a fair fight. What’s there to discuss?” Wu Yuan shook his head, “We have already fulfilled our promise; otherwise, neither Xu Yuanhan nor Liu Ruyan would be my match.”
“Hmm,” Wu Qiming said with some regret, “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have agreed to the Xu Family’s request. In the end, delaying your admission into Cloud Martial Hall only served to benefit Liu Ruyan.”
“Who can predict the future? That was our best choice at the time,” Wu Yuan said with a tone of acceptance.
Wu Qiming sighed, “I understand, but with this unexpected turn of events, I wonder if the Xu family will harbor resentment towards us.”
“The Wu Clan has been benevolent and righteous. If the Xu family continues to oppress us, we cannot keep retreating,” Wu Yuan expressed his opinion.
The point of lowering one’s head for a moment was so that one could proudly raise their head in the end. If one only knew to bow, in the end, they would be trampled to dust at the bottom of a valley.
“I will take it into consideration,” Wu Qiming gently nodded, “but given General Xu’s character, it should not develop to such an extent.”
“Alright, we will discuss this matter in the future. Wu Yuan,” Wu Qiming looked at Wu Yuan, “When it comes to martial arts cultivation, our Wu Clan has fewer than ten martial virtuosos and not a single Adept. Apart from providing you with some silver taels, we can’t assist you with much else. If you need anything, be sure to tell me.”
“After today’s major tournament, nobody in the Wu Clan will oppose you anymore,” Wu Qiming stated.
“I haven’t finished spending that sum of silver taels. If I really need more, I won’t hesitate to ask the clan for help,” Wu Yuan answered cheerfully.
In Wu Yuan’s memory, it appeared that the Wu Clan had been oppressing his family for several years, but the reason was not because he was fatherless. Instead, it was because his father’s death made it difficult for his family to support his cultivation, resulting in a long-term, significant consumption of their clan resources.
With Wu Qiming’s support, thousands of silver taels from the clan’s treasury were spent on Wu Yuan. For a large clan, such a sum is not much. But for the Wu Clan, it was exorbitant! After all, the clan’s treasury was the accumulation of the hard-earned money of hundreds of clansmen, and was meant to strengthen the entire clan.
In the Middle Land, there was competition within most clans. But overall, they were united against external forces. A clan that was not united was sure to decline.
Moreover, one mustn’t forget that the previous Wu Yuan could only count as a disciple ranked among the top in the martial academy, but not the best. The chances of him becoming an Adept expert were extremely low. This was the reason for some of the Wu Clansmen’s dissatisfaction. They considered it a waste of resources.
But today, at the young age of fourteen, he ranked top four in the martial academy major tournament. This accomplishment was enough to convince the Wu Clan that the resources they invested had not gone to waste.
In fact, this was also one reason why Wu Yuan wanted to participate in the martial academy major tournament. He harbored a sense of gratitude towards every member of the Wu Clan. If exposing only a small fraction of his true power was enough to bring relief and excitement to them all, why wouldn’t he?
Or were you hoping for him to bide his time, and ‘slap the face’ of his clansmen in the future, like those novels he read in his past life? Why bother with something so frivolous? Wu Yuan truly hoped that the Wu Clan would grow stronger.
“Haha, I hope you don’t blame your uncles for their previous attitudes. It wasn’t easy for them either,” Wu Qiming laughed. “Actually, we’re all looking forward to seeing how far you can go. I hope Wu Clan’s Li City branch can one day birth an Adept expert!”
“When it comes to doing business, without the support of martial power, excessive wealth is a disaster, not a blessing. A strong martial artist is the true foundation of a powerful clan!”