Chapter 9: Yang Tianni

Seeing the strikingly beautiful White-Robed Young Lady take the initiative to invite Qin Guan, the onlookers seemed to suddenly understand something.

Any sharp-eyed person present tonight could tell that the White-Robed Young Lady was the true power behind everything — and the fact that she had personally invited Qin Guan made it obvious they knew each other, and that their relationship was far from ordinary.

The reason Tianbao Pavilion had agreed to Qin Guan's terms was entirely because of her.

On the other side, the two walked a short distance before stopping. The White-Robed Young Lady smiled and looked at Qin Guan. "Allow me to introduce myself — my name is Jiang Lianyue."

Qin Guan nodded. "You have something to discuss, Miss?"

"I'd like to propose a partnership." Jiang Lianyue got straight to the point.

"A partnership — for what?" Qin Guan frowned.

Jiang Lianyue said, "Has Young Master Qin ever heard of Yang Tianni?"

At those three words, Qin Guan's expression shifted. "You know of this senior, Miss?"

Jiang Lianyue nodded. "Five days from now, an Ancient Relic will appear in Ten Thousand Demon Valley. Based on the information I have, this Secret Realm is very likely connected to Yang Tianni."

Hearing Jiang Lianyue's words, Qin Guan felt a surge of excitement rise within him.

He had heard of Yang Tianni from his master. The man was a remarkable figure who had achieved Dual Cultivation of Sword and Martial Arts — the only Martial Artist in tens of thousands of years who, despite lacking a Dantian, had managed to walk the path of Sword Dao.

It was said that he had created a unique Cultivation Technique that allowed one to gather the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth even without a Dantian.

Sword Dao!

This was the pinnacle of Martial Dao that Qin Guan had dreamed of since childhood. Shaped by his master's influence from a young age, he had yearned every single moment to become a transcendent Sword Dao powerhouse like his master — one who stood above heaven and earth.

To soar beyond the heavens and traverse distant mountains and rivers — who wouldn't want to ride their sword through the skies in absolute freedom? Yet fate had denied him a Dantian, leaving him to toil as a grounded Martial Artist.

Over the years, his master had also searched tirelessly for traces of Yang Tianni, hoping to obtain Yang Tianni's Martial Dao Inheritance so that Qin Guan could cultivate Sword Dao. But Yang Tianni had vanished without a trace over twenty thousand years ago, and not a single shred of information could be found.

Now, hearing Jiang Lianyue mention Yang Tianni, Qin Guan's heart truly stirred with excitement.

Noticing the emotion on Qin Guan's face, Jiang Lianyue continued:

"Many factions have already learned of this, so I'd like to work together with Young Master Qin to explore the Secret Realm. As for any treasures we find — we each rely on our own Fortuitous Encounter. What do you say?"

Qin Guan listened and nodded. "Agreed."

"Young Master Qin, please keep our partnership quiet for now. When the time comes to deal with the other factions, it may give us the element of surprise."

"Understood." Qin Guan nodded.

"Young Master Qin, may I ask you something?" Jiang Lianyue said with a light, playful lift of her beautiful eyes.

"Go ahead," Qin Guan said.

"With your level of strength, why would you come to a small family like the Nan Family as a live-in son-in-law?"

"Please don't misunderstand — I'm simply curious!"

"Fate," Qin Guan said after a moment's thought, offering just that one word.

At that, Jiang Lianyue glanced toward Nan Rou in the distance and found that Nan Rou happened to be looking back at her — though Nan Rou quickly lowered her gaze.

"Your fiancée is beautiful." Jiang Lianyue smiled softly, then turned and left.

The rest of the Tianbao Pavilion group followed shortly after.

Qin Guan turned and made his way back.

Seeing Qin Guan approaching, Nan Shunda immediately stepped forward with a broad smile:

"Ha ha! Worthy of being our Nan Family's son-in-law — not only is your strength exceptional, but your connections are remarkable as well!"

Nan Yuantong quickly chimed in with a nod:

"Indeed! With just a slight show of force, you've earned our Nan Family a hundred bottles of Qi Refinement Powder. Our clan members won't be lacking in cultivation resources anymore!"

"Hmph."

Qin Guan let out a contemptuous laugh and shot the two men a glance as though he were looking at a pair of idiots.

Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong smiled awkwardly.

Qin Guan walked over to Nan Rou, took her hand, and led her toward Nan Yunqi and Yang Hongmei. "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, it's getting late — we'll head back first."

"Ha ha, take your time on the road!" Nan Yunqi laughed heartily, his smile radiant and full.

"Yes, yes — the path isn't well-lit at night, so walk slowly!"

Yang Hongmei's eyes darted about evasively. The arrogance and disdain she had always carried were completely gone, replaced by a face full of shame and unease.

"Mm." Qin Guan nodded and led Nan Rou away.

Watching the two figures in the distance walking hand in hand, close together, Nan Qiao bit her red lip lightly.

In terms of looks, she didn't think she was inferior to Nan Rou. In terms of talent, Nan Rou was nowhere near her level — she had looked down on Nan Rou since childhood.

A frail, sickly girl with a weak and timid nature who never dared to say no — and yet she had now been reborn, and had even found a devoted man whose eyes held only her.

And that devoted man was the very one who had once been engaged to her — the man she had discarded like trash.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Nan Qiao suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh. She tilted her head back to gaze at the night sky, and when her eyes fell upon the vast canopy of stars and the bright full moon, her gaze suddenly sharpened — as if she had grasped something.

Stars and the brilliant moon!

One must keep their eyes on the long horizon and not let the illusions before them cloud their judgment. So what if he was a third-realm Martial Artist? Martial Artists were destined to struggle on a path with little promise — their future was bleak!

She, on the other hand, possessed a rare special constitution with limitless potential. In time, she would become an existence that all of these people looked up to.

With that thought, Nan Qiao straightened herself with renewed resolve, then turned and walked away with firm, decisive steps.

At that moment, Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong sidled up to Nan Yunqi, just about to say something — but Nan Yunqi didn't spare them a glance. He let out a cold snort and walked away.

"Husband, wait for me!" Yang Hongmei hurried after Nan Yunqi.

On the way home, Qin Guan noticed that Nan Rou had been walking in silence with her head down, clearly preoccupied. He smiled and said, "I'm not close with that White-Robed Young Lady or Elder Xu — I've only met them once."

Nan Rou looked up in surprise. "You've only met them once — then why did they back down?"

"Because they couldn't beat me," Qin Guan said with a smile.

Nan Rou fell silent, lost in thought.

"Stop overthinking it." Qin Guan reached over and gave her cheek a gentle pinch, teasing her.

"I wasn't…" Nan Rou let out a soft, playful protest, then grabbed Qin Guan's arm tightly and dragged him running toward the east courtyard.

* * *

The next day.

A piece of news suddenly spread through Luyun City — an Ancient Relic would appear in Ten Thousand Demon Valley in four days.

In an instant, this explosive news swept through every corner of Luyun City.

Every family and faction in the city was thrown into a frenzy. A legendary Ancient Relic — even a single treasure obtained from it could change a person's life, change a family's destiny. This was a rare and precious Fortuitous Encounter that one could only dream of!

And so, many families and factions began forming secret alliances. They all understood clearly that for a Secret Realm like this, powerful forces would inevitably compete for it — banding together was the wisest course of action.

Upon learning the news, the Nan Family naturally wasted no time either. Nan Yunqi nearly wore his legs out running around, seeking allies everywhere.

But to his dismay, the families that had always been on good terms with the Nan Family — some even with ancestral ties of friendship — all refused to form an alliance. This left Nan Yunqi deeply frustrated.

"Family Head, you should quickly distribute those hundred bottles of Qi Refinement Powder from yesterday to everyone. If we can boost everyone's strength over the next few days, we'll have a better shot when the Secret Realm opens, won't we?"

"Exactly — at a time like this, we need to stand united. We can't afford to have other thoughts!"

Inside the Nan Family's main hall, Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong spoke up.

After the events of the previous night, the two had reined themselves in considerably. Upon hearing about the Secret Realm, they had rushed to seek an audience with Nan Yunqi. After all, Qin Guan's strength was formidable, and he had connections with the upper echelons of Tianbao Pavilion — now was the time to latch onto that powerful leg and stay close.

Nan Yunqi listened and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh:

"Ha — stand united? Now you want to stand united? When Tianbao Pavilion was pressuring my son-in-law last night, why didn't you stand united then?"

Nan Shunda responded with an air of concern for the family: "Family Head, at the time we didn't know the full situation — everything we did was for the sake of the family's future!"

Nan Yuantong beside him quickly nodded in agreement.

Nan Yunqi looked at the two of them and said in his usual manner: "We are all members of the Nan Family — all descendants of the same founding ancestor. So no matter the circumstances, we should work together with one heart and one mind, not harbor our own selfish schemes. Don't you agree?"

"The Family Head is absolutely right. This is also the teaching of our ancestors — we hold it firmly in our hearts!"

The two nodded immediately.

At that, Nan Yunqi let out a sigh and said:

"For this Secret Realm, many families have already begun forming alliances, yet our Nan Family still has not a single ally. The situation is very unfavorable for us."

Nan Shunda immediately asked, "What does our son-in-law say about this?"

"I asked him this morning. He said he isn't close with Tianbao Pavilion — as for last night, it was simply them repaying a debt of gratitude to him. And on top of that, he took back those hundred bottles of Qi Refinement Powder that were paid as compensation."

Nan Yunqi shook his head helplessly.

He had gone to find Qin Guan that morning. Qin Guan had indeed told him that Elder Xu and the White-Robed Young Lady from Tianbao Pavilion had helped him to repay a personal favor — however, Qin Guan had not actually taken back those hundred bottles of Qi Refinement Powder.

He now understood clearly that Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong would never willingly relinquish power and sincerely support him. Since that was the case, there was no reason to hand over resources to feed their people — who might very well turn around and use that strength against him.

Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong's expressions immediately darkened.

"The Secret Realm opens in four days. Our top priority right now is to find powerful allies — everything else comes second. I ask that both Elders put in some effort on this matter as well!"

Nan Shunda and Nan Yuantong said nothing in response, both wearing displeased expressions as they left the hall.

Watching their retreating figures, Nan Yunqi let out a cold snort:

"Two old foxes — the first to rush in when there's something to gain, and the first to run when trouble comes. Utterly shameless!"

* * *

At the same time, in one of the main courtyards of the Nan Family estate, a group of servants bustled about. They swept and cleaned every corner, hung red lanterns, and pasted festive couplets — the entire courtyard was filled with a joyous, celebratory atmosphere.

Qin Guan and Nan Rou had been pulled aside by several matrons who were instructing them on the etiquette and customs to observe during the wedding ceremony the following day.

Time passed quickly, and before long, the day was over.

The next morning, the street where the Nan Family resided was filled with the thunderous beat of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers. Nan Yunqi had been standing in the courtyard since early morning, ready to welcome the invited guests.

To everyone's surprise, by the time the auspicious hour for the wedding ceremony was nearly upon them, barely anyone had come to offer congratulations.

Over sixty invitations had been sent out, yet only a handful of minor, insignificant families had shown up.

Nan Yunqi eventually sent someone to investigate, and only then did he learn that the previous night, someone had spotted Tianbao Pavilion's Pavilion Master Chen Guangling leading a group of men storming into the Nan Family estate with fierce, menacing expressions.

Rumors circulating through back channels claimed that the person who had beaten Tianbao Pavilion's Young Master was none other than today's groom — Qin Guan.

As for how the matter had ultimately been resolved, no one knew. And it was precisely because of this uncertainty that most of the originally invited families, fearing they would offend Tianbao Pavilion, had chosen not to attend the wedding.

"Tianbao Pavilion clearly came last night to compensate our Nan Family — what a bunch of idiots, jumping to conclusions from a single rumor!"

In the courtyard, Nan Yunqi's once-beaming face had now darkened so thoroughly it looked ready to drip. He had prepared over a hundred tables of banquet food, and not a single one was even close to full. If word of this got out, the Nan Family might never be able to hold their heads up again!

"What's wrong, Father-in-law?" Qin Guan, dressed in his groom's attire, walked over.

"Ah, last night Tianbao Pavilion came to our Nan Family…"

Nan Yunqi then recounted the whole situation to Qin Guan.

Qin Guan listened and smiled. "Whether they come or not doesn't matter. What matters is that Father-in-law can sit in the seat of honor."