Chapter 3: Little Sister‑in‑Law? A Twist?

Shang Clan.

Shang Yingnian stared at his baby daughter; the first thing she said after coming back from a short trip almost made him die of anger.

"Hongchen, have you thought it through? Are you sure you want to break off the engagement?"

With a dark face, Shang Yingnian raised his voice; the woman beside him, noticing his change in expression, quickly gave his daughter a look, urging the baby daughter to apologize at once, not to provoke her father's anger. Break off the engagement—this daughter is so troublesome, she even went to the Chen Clan herself to break it off; isn't that… a slap in the face of the Chen Clan?

Neither of them knew what their daughter was up to; this had never been heard of before. Their self‑willed daughter dared such brazen behavior. Shang Yingnian could not believe it as he looked at his daughter—she had never needed his care or supervision since childhood, always obedient, which made him proud, especially since the Heavenly Heart Sect's selection this time chose her, and she began to become haughty.

The claim that Chen Chuyang was unworthy of her, the Shang couple had heard several times and brushed off; little girls are like that. Who could have guessed she would be so audacious, going herself to the Chen Clan to break the engagement—this… is too much of a trap.

"Father, I want to break off the engagement; Chen Chuyang is an ordinary person, unfit for my status."

"We are destined to belong to different worlds. He, Chen Chuyang, will spend his whole life in Longshe Cheng, while I will not stay in that tiny Longshe Cheng; my future will not be trapped by Longshe Cheng. I will never marry him."

"Rebellious daughter, you…" Shang Yingnian raised his hand, but the woman beside him pressed his hand down.

"Yingnian, don't be impulsive." Jiang Luolan, Shang Yingnian's wife and mother of Shang Hongchen.

"Hongchen, aren't you going to apologize quickly? Do you want to make your father die of anger?"

The Shang Hongxue beside them hurriedly tugged her sister's hand, making her lower her head to apologize and stop resisting.

Shang Hongchen stubbornly lifted her head, staring at Shang Yingnian; she was determined to break off the engagement.

This marriage contract was set by her father; she never consented, so she will not marry.

"You rebellious daughter, you have made your father die of anger."

"Guards, take her down and lock her in confinement; without my order, she is not allowed to leave."

The guards outside rushed in, hurriedly pulling the miss out; before leaving, Shang Hongchen didn't forget to provoke Shang Yingnian.

"Father, I've decided to break off this marriage."

No one could stop her.

"You…"

Shang Yingnian, furious enough to want to act, was held by Jiang Luolan.

Shang Hongxue quickly went up to comfort: "Father, don't be angry; sister didn't go directly to break the engagement, she only went to find Chen Chuyang to break it off."

After a brief explanation of the situation, Shang Yingnian finally let out a sigh of relief.

"You aren't that stupid yet."

Shang Yingnian signaled his wife to let go of him, "Don't hold me, what's proper decorum?"

Jiang Luolan advised: "Yingnian, how do you think we should handle this? Hongchen doesn't want to marry into the Chen Clan; forcing her is useless, and she's been selected by the Heavenly Heart Sect, so she'll become a disciple of that sect. Longshe Cheng is indeed too small for her."

"Whether the Shang Clan can rise has a huge connection to Hongchen; if she… doesn't join the Heavenly Heart Sect, the sect might be displeased."

Shang Hongchen looked at her mother, as if she knew exactly what she was thinking.

She despised that kid Chen Chuyang, considering him an ordinary person, not a genius, unfit for her daughter.

Yet this matter was originally proposed by him; if he breaks the promise again, Shang Yingnian would have no credibility, no foothold in Longshe Cheng, and the Shang Clan would be ridiculed.

It concerns his and the Shang Clan's reputation; this cannot be handled recklessly.

"Let me think."

Jiang Luolan suggested: "Yingnian, actually, Hongchen doesn't have to marry over there; Hongxue…"

Shang Yingnian, hearing that, shouted angrily: "Shut up."

Tiger‑eyes stared at Jiang Luolan.

Jiang Luolan obediently lowered her head; she knew this matter touched her husband's sore spot.

Hongxue, frail since childhood, often ill, the Shang Clan tried many methods but could not change it.

Unlike Shang Hongchen, Shang Yingnian gave much love to this daughter, as compensation for the younger daughter.

"Hongxue, don't listen to your mother rambling; she doesn't mean that."

Shang Yingnian, feeling guilty, looked at Shang Hongxue, quickly explained; Jiang Luolan also apologized: "Hongxue, mother didn't mean that, mother misspoke, mother…"

Shang Yingnian glanced at his wife, warning her not to speak carelessly; their daughter was still here.

Shang Hongxue lifted her head, gazing at her father: "Father, I can."

This answer made Shang Yingnian even more heart‑broken; his daughter had always been so gentle and warm, always standing by his side to think through problems, and because of that, his pain deepened.

"Hongxue, there's no need for that; the Shang Clan hasn't fallen to the point of selling daughters."

"Luolan, don't bring up this matter again."

Jiang Luolan nodded; she dared not touch the sore spot again.

This matter will be left unresolved.

……

Two days passed silently.

On Longshe Shan.

Chen Chongyang restructured a new Formation, which enveloped the entire mountain.

The required spirit stones were also many; compared to the things inside the peaks, this amount of spirit stones had to be provided. It came from the Chen Clan, not just Chen Chuyang alone; if he alone supplied them, it might not hold.

"The Formation's power has increased; the Third‑grade Formation Flowing Water Mist Formation's effect is enhanced. Unfortunately, it's not a Killing Formation, so it can only confuse people."

"A Third‑grade Formation is not easy to set up; it requires too many spirit stones."

"We need to set up an additional Trapping Formation and a Killing Formation; the Flowing Water Mist Formation alone is insufficient."

"The spiritual herbs and spirit fruits on Longshe Shan have increased; some herbs are about to mature, so we need to be extra careful during this period."

Across the whole mountain, only Chen Chuyang is present; he cannot oversee the entire peak.

There's no way around it; the Chen Clan members are few, each with their own tasks, and Chen Chuyang dislikes others approaching Longshe Shan. Due to many factors, Longshe Shan has only him and a single Formation protecting it.

"Eh?"

"Isn't that my little sister‑in‑law? She's back again?"

The formation was triggered.

Chen Chuyang looked over and saw his sister-in-law Shang Hongxue appear in the formation, having lost her direction.

Mist rose, Longshe Shan was engulfed in layers of mist; this three‑grade formation's power is indeed strong.

These mists can trap Shang Hongxue for a long time.

"This is perfect for testing the power of the three‑grade Flowing Water Mist Formation and making new adjustments."

Chen Chuyang found a place to sit and watch Shang Hongxue's actions inside the formation.

Whoever comes looking for me now surely brings no good.

Inside the Flowing Water Mist Formation.

Shang Hongxue was dumbfounded.

"Is this… a formation?"

She looked at the surrounding mist, walked for a long time, and ended up back where she started.

It turned out she had been pacing in place, never leaving this spot; the surrounding plants and trees were still the same.

"Last time I came, there was no formation, right?"

"No wonder the outside world says that the Chen Clan's Longshe Shan is dangerous and not to be approached lightly."

She encountered outsiders from the Chen Clan; familiar with the surroundings, she easily avoided those Chen Clan disciples.