Chapter 102

Yin Family Manor.

Yin Gong walked quickly into the flower hall and asked: "Father, why did you summon me?"

His father, Yin Qiao, said: "A few days ago, the eldest son of the Su family from Mount Shenwu came to visit me and mentioned the spirit incense again, saying that in the first lunar month, the spirit incense you gave the Su family was reduced by another hundred catties?"

Yin Gong smiled: "They only came now; they really can hold their breath."

Yin Qiao asked: "What are you considering?"

Yin Gong said: "After Young Master Jing Zhao broke through to the Golden Core Realm, the consumption within the sect increased a lot. In the past two years, the family's refining hasn't been able to keep up. Secondly, my son sent someone to propose marriage, but the Su family hasn't agreed yet. If we don't give them a little color to see, I'm afraid they won't take our Yin family seriously."

Yin Qiao frowned and said: "Before the year ended, I told you that there are plenty of good families, so why are you still fixated on the Su family's Jiuniang? The Su family said that their Jiuniang was fostered by them, not born to them, so they can't make the decision."

Yin Gong said: "Historically, the grace of raising is greater than the grace of birth. They can't make the decision? Isn't this fooling people? Then let them say who Jiuniang's biological parents are. If they say it, I'll just go to her biological parents' home to propose again, won't I?"

Yin Qiao said: "They are all high-ranking noble families; there will always be a time to meet in the future, so don't go too far in everything. You are already over thirty, so get married early. If her family won't marry her off, just change to another family!"

Yin Gong said disdainfully: "The Su family has long been in decline; they only have two Golden Cores in the family, and they aren't looked upon favorably in the Danxia Sect. My son heard that within their sect, the Mao Gongtan and Xunxi families have long been eyeing them covetously. What's wrong with my son wanting a woman? My son hasn't married yet, waiting for her to be my wife! Her family doesn't even know how to be grateful; it's truly unreasonable. If it goes on for a few more years, I'm afraid she can only come to be a concubine."

Yin Qiao reprimanded: "Presumptuous! What kind of nonsense are you talking? Even if their family is truly in decline, that is the Danxia Sect's own business; it's not your turn to gossip, and even less your turn to interfere."

Yin Gong accompanied with a smile: "Yes, yes, yes, Father, don't worry. My son knows; my son won't interfere at will, I just want a wife. Father also knows Jiuniang's beauty and talent; marrying her in will certainly not disgrace our Yin family's reputation."

Yin Qiao waved his hand: "In short, I'll give you one last piece of advice: stop when it's enough. Too much is as bad as too little. If you can't marry her, just change to another family. Get out!"

After withdrawing, Yin Gong couldn't help but grit his teeth. Good for you, Su Dalang, you didn't come to talk to me when you had something, but ran off to complain. Just wait for me; I'll cut your family's spirit incense by another half this month, and see if you bow your head or not!

Just as he was being ruthless, a servant ran over in a panic to report: "Young Master, it's not good! A fire started in Concubine Li's courtyard! The steward has already taken people to put it out, so I hurried to report to Young Master."

Concubine Li came from a humble background and wasn't allowed to marry in, so she had always been living in a separate courtyard, but among Yin Gong's eight concubines, she was the one he loved the most. Yin Gong was shocked upon hearing this, and while walking quickly outside, he asked: "Is anyone hurt?"

Concubine Li was not a cultivator and had no way to protect herself in a big fire. The few guards sent over were only ordinary martial artists, and they might not be able to protect Concubine Li in such a situation. Of course, if something really happened to Concubine Li, none of the guards would be able to live, but that was a matter for later. No matter how many people were executed, it wouldn't be able to save that delicate, soft-as-boneless body.

Hurriedly leaving the manor, he looked toward the southeast of Xikou. Under the setting sun, a thick smoke rose into the sky. The momentum was not small, so Yin Gong circulated his true qi and rushed straight toward the thick smoke. Along the way, he could see many farmers and manor guests pointing at the thick smoke, and some were rushing toward that side.

He was the second son of the Yin family. Three years ago, his cultivation entered the Foundation Establishment stage, far exceeding his elder brother and fifth younger brother. He had long been designated as the next head of the Yin family. With such cultivation, he arrived in a moment over five li away.

When he arrived at the scene, the smoke was still rising, but it wasn't the courtyard where Concubine Li lived that was on fire; it was a large willow tree five or six zhang in front of her residence. The steward and more than a dozen manor guests had just arrived, but they hadn't been of any use. The open fire had long been extinguished, and only the thick smoke was still dissipating.

Yin Gong felt relieved and asked: "What's going on?"

Concubine Li threw herself into his arms: "Husband, you scared me to death! I don't know what happened, but the tree caught fire and burned bigger and bigger. Liu Shi and the others in the residence came to put out the fire but couldn't suppress it. Later, two immortals passed by, and they extinguished the fire."

"Immortals?" Yin Gong looked at Liu Shi, the guard.

Liu Shi bowed and said: "Second Young Master, the two immortals were a man and a woman, and both looked very young. I asked for their names, but the female immortal only said her surname was Su, and she was stopped by the male immortal, who said it was just a small effort and didn't ask for any reward. They have already left."

Upon hearing that the woman's surname was Su, Yin Gong immediately paid attention. He asked them to describe their appearance in detail, and the more he heard, the more surprised he became: if Concubine Li and Liu Shi were not wrong, the woman was very likely the Su Jiuniang, Su Wan, whom he had been thinking about day and night, and that man...

With a heart full of doubts, Yin Gong chased in the direction pointed out by Liu Shi and caught up with the two before the sun set.

Staring at the figures of the two walking side by side, Yin Gong's heart skipped a beat. If he only had fifty percent suspicion before, he was now seventy percent sure. Although it was dark and still a bit blurry, the woman's familiar figure and the man's occasionally turned side profile made him quicken his pace.

When the distance closed to within thirty zhang, the woman casually held the man's arm and seemed to notice him. She turned her head to look, and Yin Gong finally confirmed that the woman was indeed Su Jiuniang!

The man whispered a few words and ignored him, instead quickening his pace into the dense forest ahead.

Su Jiuniang waited on the spot for Yin Gong to come up and said: "Why is Young Master Yin chasing us?"

Yin Gong glanced at the dense forest and squeezed a smile at Su Jiuniang: "Thank you for your help just now, Jiuniang."

Su Jiuniang said in surprise: "Help?"

Yin Gong said: "The place where the fire started is very close to my Yin family's separate courtyard."

Su Jiuniang suddenly realized: "Oh... Young Master Yin, you don't have to be polite; I was just passing by and did it as a small effort."

Yin Gong glanced at the dense forest again: "That person... is it Senior Brother Jing?"

Su Jiuniang shook her head: "No, Young Master Yin, you saw wrong."

Yin Gong laughed: "Jiuniang, why deny it?"

Su Jiuniang said coldly: "Does it have anything to do with you, Young Master Yin?"

Yin Gong nodded slowly: "No wonder Jiuniang wouldn't agree; it turns out you've climbed a high branch. It's just that I don't know how long you can climb this high branch, and how long you can stand firmly?"

Su Jiuniang said: "I'll give you a piece of advice, Young Master: some things shouldn't be said recklessly, otherwise it will do more harm than good. That's all I'll say, goodbye!"

Yin Gong's face turned black. Watching Su Jiuniang enter the forest, he stomped his feet in hatred: "I thought she was a good woman, but it turns out she's just a superficial woman who fawns over high-ranking families!"

He wanted to let go, but Su Jiuniang's cold and beautiful face and her graceful back when she turned around kept lingering before his eyes, making him so depressed he almost went crazy.

On the way back, he was full of unwillingness.