Chapter 152: The Sheng Clan

Hua Changxi sent off the wealthy merchant and returned to the rear courtyard, clearly noticing something off about her father’s expression. She asked with a smile, "Father, what's wrong?"

Hua Minghe smiled and said, "Father never expected our Ninth Girl to be such a skilled businesswoman."

Hua Changxi gave a faint smile. "My management skills aren't that good; there are many things I don't have time to take care of."

Hua Minghe's lips moved, as if he wanted to say that the family could help, but in the end he swallowed the words and instead brought up the engagement of Hua Dalang.

"Your eldest brother is engaged to the niece of the second madam of the Earl Manor."

Hua Changxi: "Was eldest brother's marriage arranged by the Earl Manor?"

Hua Minghe nodded: "The Earl now looks after your eldest brother a great deal. After your brother entered the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Earl specially used some connections to have him placed under the command of General Sheng Pengyun."

"The Sheng family is the second madam of the Earl Manor's maternal family, and the one your brother is engaged to is Sheng Pengyun's younger sister, Sheng Yuntang."

Hua Changxi: "If they can marry into the Earl Manor, the Sheng family's status must be quite high, right?"

Hua Minghe: "The current head of the Sheng family, who is also the father of your future sister-in-law, is a third-rank official, the Left Vice Minister of the Heavenly Ministry."

Hua Changxi's expression shifted: "With the Sheng family's status so prominent, how could they look favorably upon our family?"

Hua Minghe was silent for a moment: "Your eldest brother performed outstandingly in the Demon Suppression Army, and with the Earl Manor mediating on his behalf, this marriage was finally arranged."

Hua Changxi wasn't fully convinced by this reason. She didn't deny her eldest brother's excellence, but the Demon Suppression Army surely had no shortage of equally capable people. The Sheng family's choice of her brother definitely wasn't based on this reason alone.

As for the Earl Manor's mediation, in her view, it was essentially an exchange of value deep down. Her brother served as the medium, and there were certainly some transactions involved that he was unaware of.

Though Hua Changxi thought about these things in her heart, she did not voice them. She was well aware that in the Hua family, aside from the grandparents, no one had higher expectations for her eldest brother than her own parents.

"Then does eldest brother like that young lady of the Sheng family?"

Hua Minghe smiled: "Your brother has met the young lady of the Sheng family a few times. The two get along quite well, and your brother is pleased with this marriage."

Hua Changxi nodded: "As long as eldest brother likes it, that's good."

Hua Minghe looked at his daughter: "Regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival incident, everything your grandfather said was just angry words and doesn't count. Don't take it to heart. These days the family has been busy with the engagement banquet. If you're not too busy, come back home today."

Hua Changxi lowered her head and fell silent.

Seeing her like this, Hua Minghe couldn't help asking: "What? Are you really still angry with your grandfather?"

Hua Changxi raised her head and looked directly at Hua Minghe: "Yes, Grandfather's words are branded on my heart, and they can never be removed. In the Hua family, I cannot live according to my own wishes. I must meet Grandfather and Grandmother's demands. Whenever I fail to satisfy them, at best I'm punished, at worst I'm thrown out of the family."

"I don't want to live that kind of life, nor do I want to maintain the superficial harmony of the family every time there's a conflict—only through my own concessions and compromises."

Hua Minghe hadn't expected his daughter to have truly developed a rift with the family. He said anxiously: "Your grandfather is old..."

Hua Changxi interrupted directly: "Father, after Grandfather trained his body, his constitution greatly improved. He can easily live to be one or two hundred years old now. Please don't use his age as an excuse."

She paused, then continued, "Father, you don't need to persuade me anymore. You can't change Grandfather, and I won't submit to Grandfather's arrangements or sacrifice myself to put the Hua family first in everything. You and Mother should just consider me already married. From now on, when I come back, it'll be like visiting relatives."

Hua Minghe said urgently: "What do you mean, 'consider you already married'? A young lady still living at home saying such improper things—aren't you ashamed?"

"I've already had a proper talk with your grandfather. He won't force you to do things you don't want to do anymore. If your grandfather tries to compel you in the future, I'll stop him."

Seeing her father's anxious expression, Hua Changxi couldn't bring herself to say anything too resolute and fell silent for a moment.

Hua Minghe looked at her: "If you have things to do, come back on the twenty-third. After all, it's your eldest brother's engagement. If you're not there, he'll definitely feel let down."

Hua Changxi: "...Alright."

Seeing that his daughter was willing to come home, Hua Minghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, thinking of something, he showed an apologetic expression: "Ninth Girl, I need to apologize to you."

Hua Changxi looked at him in surprise: "Apologize for what?"

Hua Minghe looked uncomfortable: "The Qihuang Body Forging Art you gave to the family—I made a copy and gave it to the Six Doors. At the time, I wanted to tell you in advance, but I couldn't find you."

Hearing that this was the matter, Hua Changxi showed indifference. According to her understanding, the things in the Qihuang Institute were meant to be passed on to everyone. Moreover, the body forging art revealed by Qihuang Institute No. 8 was only the first chapter—the Skin Refining technique. Giving it away wasn't a big deal.

"Father, you can give the Qihuang Body Forging Art to anyone you want."

Seeing that his daughter didn't mind, Hua Minghe relaxed inwardly. Then, thinking of something else, he hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked: "What about the Skin Refining chapter of the *Nine Revolutions Mystic Art*?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "The Skin Refining chapter of the *Nine Revolutions Mystic Art* counts as something I, as a daughter of the Hua family, gave to the Hua family for free. But I won't give away the subsequent chapters. If family members still want to continue cultivating, they can—but aside from swearing a Heart Demon Oath never to leak it, they also need to pay a certain remuneration."

Hearing this, Hua Minghe opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

Hua Changxi thought for a moment: "Of course, if you and Mother want to cultivate, you don't need to give anything. I'll even prepare herbal baths for you... My three elder brothers also don't need to pay, but they'll have to prepare their own herbal baths, since matters of cultivation shouldn't be entrusted to others."

Hua Minghe listened and sighed. "It seems you really have grown apart from your grandparents."

Hua Changxi noticed that he only mentioned the old master and madam, understanding what he meant, and smiled. "Father, the *Nine-Transcendence Mystic Art* grows harder to cultivate the further you go. Grandfather and Grandmother's bodies can't withstand it. It would be better for them to switch to the *Qihuang Body-Forge Art*."

Upon hearing this, Hua Minghe's expression immediately relaxed. "You're right. Your grandfather and grandmother could barely endure the Skin-Forge chapter of the *Nine-Transcendence Mystic Art*. For the later stages, they'll have to switch to the *Qihuang Body-Forge Art*."

As for the Earl's Manor wanting the *Nine-Transcendence Mystic Art*, Hua Minghe didn't even bring it up. In his view, sharing the *Qihuang Body-Forge Art* with the clan was already generous enough.

After that, father and daughter chatted about family matters. Seeing that it was nearly dark, Hua Minghe took his leave.

After Hua Minghe left, Hua Changxi went to the alchemy room to refine pills.

The Hua Family Courtyard.

When the Hua family saw Hua Minghe returning alone, their expressions varied.

Yao looked worried. "Didn't you see Ninth Girl?"

Hua Minghe shook his head. "I did."

Hearing this, Old Master Hua abruptly raised his head, his face dark. "Ninth Girl doesn't want to come back?"

Hua Minghe said, "No, that's not it. She's busy with something."

Old Master Hua felt his eldest son was making excuses to brush him off. "She's just a young lady. What could she possibly be busy with?"

Hearing this, Hua Minghe recalled what he had seen at the pharmacy today, and retorted impulsively, "Ninth Girl has plenty to be busy with—refining pills, receiving guests, managing eleven pharmacies. How could that be easy?"

Then, looking solemnly at Old Master Hua, he continued, "Father, about Ninth Girl's matters, the family should stop interfering from now on. Dalang is her own brother. When he gets engaged, she will definitely come back."

"As for the *Nine-Transcendence Mystic Art*, you should stop thinking about it. Settle it with the Earl's Manor as soon as possible, to avoid misunderstandings later."

Having said this, Hua Minghe turned and went straight to his room. This was the first time he had so openly defied Old Master Hua, and his attitude shocked everyone in the Hua family.