The heaven-shaking events that unfolded during the younger generation tournament still left everyone shaken to their core. From the sudden turn of events, to the exposure of Shen Fei's crimes, and how he was forced to confess and repent before the people of Glory City.
Many people were still reeling from the events of that day, wondering whether what they had witnessed was real or merely a terrible dream.
After Shen Hong crippled his own son and expressed his deep regret and sorrow for what Shen Fei had done, it was decided that Shen Fei would be placed under house arrest, never to see the light of day again, under the watchful eyes of the Sacred Family.
While this initially sounded inappropriate, given that Shen Fei was a member of the Sacred Family, everyone was under the impression that the current Shen Fei was no longer the same as before. He could no longer move on his own, nor could he channel his Soul Force. In a sense, Shen Fei was already imprisoned within his own body.
A fitting punishment for someone who liked to kidnap women.
But that didn't mean the Sacred Family escaped the incident without repercussions. After all, Shen Fei was not only a member of the Sacred Family, but also the son of Shen Hong and the next in line for the patriarch position. His every action reflected upon the Sacred Family as a whole.
A day after the incident, under the supervision of Glory City's Judgment Hall, the Snow Wind Family, Divine Family, and Alchemist Association reached a decision to strip the Sacred Family of its authority within the city by revoking its status as one of the major families.
Along with this decision came the removal of all Sacred Family members from wall guard duty, as they were no longer in charge of guarding the west gate.
These sudden shifts in Glory City's power structure sent shockwaves throughout its citizens. Despite that, no one found these changes excessive or inappropriate.
After all, the events of that day suggested a possible connection between Shen Fei and the Dark Guild. Whether it was real or not, this was not something anyone in Glory City would take lightly.
The Dark Guild was the enemy of Glory City, and every member of that organization deserved death.
The only reason Shen Fei escaped the gallows that day was because Shen Hong begged the City Lord and the Judgment Hall to conduct a thorough investigation into his son's possible involvement with the Dark Guild before carrying out any punishment. He believed that Shen Fei was merely using the Dark Guild as a scapegoat to shift the blame onto them.
Overall, the entire incident ruined the Sacred Family's reputation. Even if they were given a chance to reclaim their former position, it would be a painstaking process. It would take a very long time before the people forgot about the scandal and trusted them again.
Meanwhile, as everyone was too engrossed in discussing matters related to the Sacred Family, many had already forgotten why the duel happened in the first place.
Why had Xue Hui and Shen Fei clashed with one another?
Winged Dragon Family Mansion.
If there was one thing Xiao Yufeng was truly grateful for in his life, it was having a daughter like Xiao Ning'er. Not only did she possess an excellent character, but she was also a diligent child who devoted herself wholeheartedly to cultivation. Her efforts had allowed her to break through to Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist at such a young age.
How could Xiao Yufeng's heart not swell with pride at having such a wonderful daughter?
But beyond that, Xiao Yufeng was also grateful that his kind-hearted daughter had spoken up for him, sparing him from receiving the ire of Xue Hui and his master.
A bead of sweat trickled down Xiao Yufeng's forehead as he sensed a majestic spiritual pressure blanketing the entire room, threatening to crush everyone present. He glanced to his side and saw Xiao Yi and the other elders pale, their faces drained of color as they trembled in their seats, terrified out of their wits.
Xiao Yufeng could not fault them for being afraid, as even he was struggling to maintain his composure despite not being the direct target of the pressure.
He could only give his daughter a meaningful look, silently asking if she could do something to help her uncles. To his disappointment, Xiao Ning'er merely returned his gaze with a helpless expression.
Sighing inwardly, Xiao Yufeng resigned himself to doing his best to accommodate their guests with utmost sincerity to avoid offending them and bringing disaster upon the Winged Dragon Family.
Not after witnessing the miserable downfall of the Sacred Family and the misfortune that followed.
Even now, Xiao Yufeng found it difficult to believe that a Legend Rank expert such as Xue Hui's master, someone famous for being reclusive, would personally visit the Winged Dragon Family to discuss matters concerning Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui's relationship.
"Xue Hui pays his respects to Uncle Yufeng. Since this is the first time we are meeting, please accept these gifts as a sign of goodwill."
Coming back to his senses, Xiao Yufeng's hands moved on their own as he reached out to receive the gaudy-looking box presented before him.
Encouraged by Xue Hui, Xiao Yufeng opened the box, and his eyes widened while his jaw nearly dropped at the sight of its contents.
Neatly arranged inside were nine bottles of high-grade elixirs, each filled to the brim with the newly released elixirs from the Divine Medicine Pavilion. Alongside them were various rare herbs and Demon Spirit Crystals, all valuable treasures that were incredibly difficult to obtain.
Every item inside the box was priceless. Any one of them could fetch an exorbitant price at auction.
Suddenly, Xiao Yufeng felt the gift was far too precious. He hesitated to accept it, uncertain whether he was receiving a greeting gift or a dowry.
"T-This... how can I possibly accept such unparalleled treasures? They're far too valuable to be given as gifts."
His voice trembled as he spoke. The longer he stared at the contents of the box, the more sweat poured down his back.
"Uncle, don't think too much about it. Ning'er is my girlfriend. How can I not show some filial piety to my future father-in-law? Please accept it. If Uncle needs more, all you have to do is ask. I have plenty stored away."
Startled by the casual manner in which Xue Hui spoke, Xiao Yufeng's heart refused to calm down.
He had never heard of anyone casually gifting rare herbs such as Misty Leaf Herbs.
The last time he heard news regarding Misty Leaf Herbs was when Lord Ye Mo risked his life entering a dangerous Demon Beast nest to plunder one guarded by a Legend Rank Demon Beast.
But what was even more absurd was that several herbs of similar rarity were also included in the box.
And Xue Hui was giving them away as if they were ordinary vegetables.
The rich aroma of the herbs escaped from the box and quickly filled the room with spiritual fragrance, prompting Xiao Yufeng to hurriedly close it to prevent any more essence from leaking out.
Observing the disbelief on Xiao Yufeng's face, Xue Hui could not help feeling satisfied.
Before visiting the Winged Dragon Family, he had intended to bring a few gifts for Xiao Yufeng and entered the Garden to gather some elixirs.
However, after looking at the nine bottles, he felt dissatisfied, believing the gift to be somewhat lacking.
Convinced he needed to add more, he rummaged through his collection in search of additional treasures.
While occupied with his search, he failed to notice Xiao Julin approaching him and asking what he was doing.
He was about to answer when he noticed that she was chewing on something.
At first, Xue Hui paid it little attention, as Xiao Julin was always munching on snacks.
But the moment a rich spiritual aroma reached his nose, his expression changed.
Only then did he realize that Xiao Julin was casually eating an immortal herb.
The discovery nearly scared him out of his wits.
Especially after recognizing the herb as one known to contain dangerous cold toxins that had to be properly refined before consumption.
Terrified, Xue Hui immediately sprang to his feet and grabbed Xiao Julin, attempting to force the herb out of her mouth.
Unfortunately, Xiao Julin refused to cooperate and struggled fiercely.
In the end, Xue Hui failed to retrieve the herb and could only watch helplessly as she swallowed it.
Time passed.
After carefully observing her condition, he discovered that Xiao Julin showed no signs of being affected by the cold toxins.
Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After regaining his composure and thoroughly lecturing Xiao Julin about eating unfamiliar plants, Xue Hui asked her to show him where she had found the herb.
She led him to an underground ravine where he discovered numerous rare herbs, each radiating a spiritual aura comparable to high-grade treasures.
After such an incredible discovery, Xue Hui spent some time exploring the Garden and was delighted to find many similar locations overflowing with rare herbs waiting to be harvested.
It was safe to say that as long as Xiao Julin didn't eat all the herbs inside the Garden, he would never need to worry about finding cultivation resources again.
Back in the present.
Xiao Yufeng and Xue Hui continued chatting casually, laughing and joking with one another.
On more than one occasion, Xiao Yufeng attempted to include Xue Hui's master in the conversation, but the cloaked figure responded only with the occasional grunt or nod.
Eventually, Xiao Yufeng gave up and focused his attention on Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er.
Unlike Xiao Yufeng, the elders seated beside him all wore ashen expressions as the cloaked figure's spiritual pressure continued weighing down on them.
Despite the oppressive sensation, none dared stand up and leave or voice their discomfort, afraid that doing so would incur the wrath of Xue Hui's master.
With the threat of overwhelming spiritual pressure hanging above their heads and not once during the meeting did Xue Hui acknowledge their existence, it was obvious that neither he nor his master held any favorable opinion of them.
Of course, they were all experienced elders who had lived through countless years.
They knew exactly why they were receiving such cold treatment.
Everything stemmed from Xiao Ning'er and all the hardships she had endured.
As the primary supporters of forcing Xiao Ning'er into marriage with Shen Fei, they were now experiencing a fraction of the dread she had once felt.
The relentless Soul Force pressure caused their own Soul Realm to swell uncontrollably, teetering on the verge of explosion.
The sensation terrified them beyond words.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Uncle, which one of these elders is Xiao Yi?"
Xiao Yufeng paused mid-conversation and looked at Xue Hui in confusion before introducing the pale-looking elder.
"Him. That is Elder Xiao Yi."
The moment his name was called, Xiao Yi, who was already drenched in sweat, began sweating even more.
Forcing himself to move, he kowtowed toward Xue Hui and the cloaked figure.
"M-My name is Xiao Yi. Is there anything I can do for you, esteemed guests?"
Rather than answering immediately, Xue Hui simply stared at him, studying him from head to toe while occasionally nodding.
Only after a while did he turn back toward Xiao Yufeng.
The strange look left not only Xiao Yi but everyone else utterly confused.
"Uncle, due to the unforeseen events that recently occurred, which caused the Sacred Family to suffer severe losses in both status and business, I'm afraid it is only a matter of time before the Winged Dragon Family is dragged down alongside them."
Xiao Yufeng, Xiao Yi, and the other elders all grimaced.
What Xue Hui said was true.
Because a large portion of the Winged Dragon Family's businesses were tied to the Sacred Family, they were already suffering from the backlash.
Their businesses were on the verge of collapse due to declining customers and the Sacred Family's tarnished reputation.
The Sacred Family could endure the losses for years thanks to its deep foundation and wealth rivaling that of major families.
The Winged Dragon Family, however, could not.
Forget becoming an ordinary aristocratic family.
They might even lose their noble status altogether.
"I have a proposition. I wonder if Uncle Yufeng is willing to hear me out."
Xiao Yufeng exchanged glances with the elders beside him before nodding.
Any help at this moment was crucial to the clan's survival.
"Go on, Nephew Hui. I'm interested in hearing your proposition."
Sitting upright, Xue Hui looked around the room, making sure everyone was paying attention before continuing.
"I would like to establish a strong partnership between the Divine Family and the Winged Dragon Family through marriage."
Xiao Yufeng's breath caught in his throat.
Although he already knew the purpose of this meeting concerned his daughter's future, he still could not help feeling emotional.
Looking at Xiao Ning'er, he smiled softly.
Unlike before, when she had learned she was destined to become Shen Fei's wife, she would constantly appear frightened, uncertain, and lost.
The Xiao Ning'er before him now radiated confidence and happiness.
She had found her place in the world.
And that place was clearly beside the young man seated before him.
Turning back to Xue Hui, Xiao Yufeng spoke with the dignity of a father.
"Of course, I'm willing to accept. I only hope that you will take good care of my daughter, never let her suffer, and love her with all your heart."
Instead of answering, Xue Hui let out an awkward cough.
The troubled look on his face caught Xiao Yufeng completely off guard.
"Um... Uncle, you see... I'm not ready to marry Ning'er yet. Both of us are currently at a critical stage in our cultivation. Starting a family now would only hinder our futures. So my marriage with Ning'er won't happen anytime soon."
Several awkward moments passed before Xiao Yufeng finally processed what Xue Hui had said.
Even the elders, despite enduring Soul Force suppression, looked at him with puzzled expressions.
Ignoring everyone's stares, Xue Hui grinned and clarified the misunderstanding.
"The marriage I'm proposing is between my aunt, Chen Zema, and Winged Dragon Family Elder Xiao Yi."
"WHAT!? WHY ME!?"
End of Chapter 72
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