Chapter 42

Jiama Diguo, imperial capital, Nalan Family.

Luxurious mansion, towering magnificent buildings, on a small path paved with blue crushed stone, Nalan Yanran anxiously went to Nalan Jie's room.

Pushing open the ancient wooden door, Nalan Yanran gave a respectful salute, "Grandfather."

Nalan Jie set down the book in his hands, surprisedly looking at Nalan Yanran, "Yanran, why have you come back instead of cultivating properly at the Cloud Mist Sect?"

Seeing Nalan Yanran silent, Nalan Jie furrowed his brows, sensing something was off, "What happened? Tell Grandfather, I'll help you resolve it."

Nalan Jie stood up, "Were you bullied at the Cloud Mist Sect?"

Nalan Yanran shook her head, "No, it's..."

Nalan Jie looked at Nalan Yanran's hesitant manner, scratching his head in frustration, "What's wrong with you? Don't worry, whatever it is, Grandfather will definitely help you resolve it."

I want to go to the Xiao Family to break off the engagement!

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth; she would eventually have to say it, rather than just break off a little.

Break off the engagement?

Nalan Jie paused, then flew into a rage, "You damned thing, I cannot possibly allow you to break off the engagement!"

Nalan Yanran's chest heaved violently, and her voice unintentionally rose as she spoke to Nalan Jie, "I have successfully taken the Sect Master as my teacher; I have a Fighting Emperor-level master, a Fighting King-level family—why should I marry a petty lord from a backwater place?"

Nalan Jie could no longer bear it; he dealt a harsh slap that sent Nalan Yanran flying to the ground, "Damn it, the Xiao Family has declined, all because the Old Clan Head Xiao Lin sacrificed himself to save me—do you want to drag the Nalan Family into a state of betrayal and treachery?"

"That's your business, it has nothing to do with me!" Nalan Yanran's eyes flashed with icy chill; she could not accept the fate imposed on her by the family.

All these years, the family has been providing for your cultivation; you naturally have the duty to share the family's worries. The Nalan Family, furious, "What do you mean it has nothing to do with you? Without the family, you wouldn't even know where you are now."

Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth, momentarily unsure how to respond.

The Xiao Family's Xiao Yan has decent talent; marrying him would not be a grievance for you.

"I have inquired; he lost his battle qi for a year, his realm fell, and even if he recovered, the wasted time would make him no different from an ordinary person," Nalan Yanran said.

Nalan Jie's forehead veins bulged, "Nalan Yanyan, I'm telling you, even if I die, you must bury me in the Xiao family!"

Nalan Yanyan's expression changed; she looked incredulously at her grandfather who usually doted on her, crawled up from the ground, and pushed open the door while crying.

Nalan Su stood at the doorway, helplessly sighed, "Yanyan, don't force your grandfather; he's just gotten angry because of you."

"Nalan Su, you also get lost!"

Nalan Jie roared angrily, smashing everything nearby to pieces.

Nalan Su gave a bitter smile, didn't dare stay long, and left together with Nalan Yanyan.

……Nalan Yanyan's room

"Dad, I really don't want to marry Xiao Yan."

Nalan Yanyan cried and pleaded, "If he hadn't lost his talent, it would be fine, but after a year his cultivation hasn't made any progress, even regressed; who knows how much time has been wasted back and forth? Even if he's recovered now, who can guarantee the future?"

Nalan Su's expression was troubled; on one side was his own father who valued loyalty and righteousness, on the other side was his beloved daughter; he was also in a difficult position.

"How about letting him study at the Yunlan Sect?"

Nalan Yanyan jumped up, "Impossible, he's just recovered, probably hasn't even become a Fighter yet; letting him join the Yunlan Sect, if our fellow disciples find out about our relationship, they'll laugh us to death, and it's our Nalan family's face that's at stake!"

"Xiao Yan's talent is not bad." Nalan Su felt like his head was going to split.

"Even if not bad, he's still a disciple of a small clan, his achievements limited by resources, fundamentally impossible to be very strong; my future husband, Nalan Yanyan, must be a top expert of the Jia Ma Empire!"

"I will definitely call off the engagement!"

Nalan Yanyan ran back to the Yunlan Sect in anger, leaving behind the Nalan Jie father and son, whose hearts ached from being angered.

……

The Yunlan Sect, the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire, with uninterrupted inheritance through generations, has allowed this ancient sect to stand at the pinnacle of the Jia Ma Empire; were it not for the sect's rule forbidding seizure of imperial power, it would likely have completely controlled the Jia Ma Empire during several past dynastic changes.

And precisely because of this, each generation of the imperial family has been extremely wary of this colossal power right next door; now, with the Jia Ma imperial family having the protector Jia Xingtian and the protection of a sixth-rank magic beast, this generation of the royal family finally possesses some strength that makes the Yunlan Sect also slightly wary.

Therefore, the Jia Ma imperial family has stationed that battle-hardened elite legion at the foot of Yunlan Mountain, and so far they have coexisted peacefully.

The imperial family has dispatched the legion to be stationed here for many years; its purpose is obvious to anyone—they are guarding against the Yunlan Sect.

Regarding this move by the imperial family, the Yunlan Sect did not have an overly strong reaction; aside from some young disciples in the sect who were initially indignant and occasionally went to the camp to cause trouble, the sect's senior leadership has remained silent on the matter.

Because they also know that one cannot tolerate another's snoring beside one's pillow, and the imperial household is full of suspicion; they have long grown accustomed to this, as long as the Yunlan Sect does not collapse for a day, the legion at its foot will never dare to make the slightest move.

The Yunlan Sect is built on Yunlan Mountain, and Yunlan Mountain is only tens of Chinese miles from the capital; the two are very close, like two colossal powers facing each other.

Inside the hall, Yun Yun gently stroked her disciple's head with pity; just now Nalan Yanyan had already told her everything—being forced to marry someone she doesn't like, and as a woman she can feel this even more deeply.

"Yanyan, if you've thought it through, go ahead; I, as your teacher, will support you."

Nalan Yanyan lifted her head in surprise, "Really, teacher!"

Yun Yun nodded, "Of course, but I still hope you can have a good talk with your family."

Nalan Yanyan nodded excitedly and walked out of the hall, not knowing whether she had taken in Yun Yun's words.

……

The ruins of the Blood Sect in Heijiao Yu, after a period of repair, a new sect has already taken initial shape.

"Lei Sect!"

Inside the mountain gate, Steward Li nodded satisfactorily, "Quite imposing; I've also found myself something meaningful to do."

Gazing toward the middle of the mountain range where the main hall stands, Steward Li murmured, "I don't know how the sect master is; after seeing him once he went into seclusion, I don't know what he's doing, and we still need two Fighting Sect–level seniors to guard the dharma."

He looked at the dark, overcast sky; it seemed as if thunder and lightning were roiling.

Brothers, I've already finished laying the groundwork at breakneck speed; the main character will appear soon, counting the absorption time, he's already been in Heijiao Yu for ten months, about to return to his family for the coming-of-age ceremony, the little medical immortal is about to show up, please keep reading QAQ

(End of chapter)