Chapter 78: The Zhong Family's Assistant

Jiang Fan nodded slightly. Of course not; would spirit roots just sprout on their own like leeks?

It was indeed the pill from Jiang Fan. Chen Siling's eyes reddened with emotion. "Why are you so good to me?" she asked.

A pill that could change one's spirit root was, without a doubt, a heaven-defying item capable of altering destiny. Its value was immeasurable; it couldn't be bought for any price. She and Jiang Fan hadn't even had physical intimacy, yet he had given it to her.

Jiang Fan wrote, "Since you now have a formal status with me, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to give it to you?"

*But I'm just a concubine*, she thought.

Feeling Jiang Fan's deep regard for her, Chen Siling was even more touched. She impulsively threw herself into his arms and said, "Thank you, Jiang Fan. In this life, Siling will never betray your kindness and will be loyal only to you."

This was a man who could change her fate. No repayment could ever be enough.

Feeling the soft warmth in his embrace, Jiang Fan's face reddened, and he felt at a loss.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuqiu was overjoyed. He glanced at Zhong Liangpeng and his son, whose expressions were grim. "Well? Convinced now? And you talked about considering making my daughter an outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect after a year of good behavior? I'm sorry, but you Zhong family can keep that 'opportunity' for yourselves. With Jiang Fan, my daughter can directly enter the Qingyun Sect's inner sect."

Uttering these words, Chen Yuqiu finally vented the resentment that had been building in his chest. However, this left Zhong Liangpeng utterly humiliated. He clenched his fists, his eyes wide with fury. "Chen Yuqiu! You've repeatedly insulted my Zhong family. Do you really think I can do nothing about it?"

Just then, the sound of galloping hooves echoed as a carriage swiftly entered the manor. A graceful figure dismounted from her horse. It was Ye Qingxue. She rushed over, and upon seeing no signs of a fight in the hall, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, I arrived in time," Ye Qingxue said.

Zhong Liangpeng said, "Niece, you've come at just the right moment! This Chen family is simply lawless; they don't have an ounce of respect for your uncle's family."

"What? The City Lord Ye family and the Zhong family had this hidden connection?"

Zhong Qizhen sneered, "Didn't expect it, did you? Our two families are related by marriage. Otherwise, why do you think my master brought me to Solitary Boat City instead of other disciples? Naturally, it's because my status makes things much more convenient to handle in Solitary Boat City."

Ye Qingxue's delicate brows furrowed. "Uncle, is there some misunderstanding between you and Patriarch Chen?" Though young, she was discerning and sensible. She didn't immediately side with her uncle based solely on his account.

Zhong Liangpeng scoffed, "Misunderstanding? That old fox Chen Yuqiu would rather marry his daughter off as a concubine to a useless good-for-nothing than to my son! Isn't that an insult? I came here to demand an explanation, but he continued to insult me by flaunting this useless man!"

"Useless man?" Ye Qingxue looked puzzled. The Chen family was, after all, a prominent family with several generations of heritage. How could they marry their only daughter off as a concubine?

She raised her gaze. She saw Chen Siling sitting in someone's lap, conveniently obscuring their face. Her face reddened slightly as she muttered, "In broad daylight, and no attempt to be discreet."

She looked at Chen Yuqiu, cupped her hands, and asked, "Uncle Chen, what do you say to this?" The Chen family, after all, was still one of the top-ranked prominent families in Solitary Boat City. Recently, they had been rising rapidly, showing great momentum and promising to become one of the very top families, so the City Lord's Mansion still needed to show them respect.

Chen Yuqiu snorted. "I have nothing to say, except for one thing! What concern is it of outsiders whom my Chen family marries its daughter to?"

Well... that was true. Who cared whom the Chen family married their daughter to? Even if they married her to a beggar on the street, that was the Chen family's freedom. Surely, not marrying into the Zhong family didn't automatically constitute an insult to them, did it?

For her uncle to specifically come demanding retribution for such a matter was truly quite overbearing. It was probably to help Zhong Qizhen vent his anger, wasn't it?

Ye Qingxue glanced at Zhong Qizhen, a hint of distaste in her eyes. *He couldn't win over a woman himself, so he called his elders—how shameless.*

However, she couldn't disregard her uncle's standing. She could only say with a hint of reproach, "Patriarch Chen, my uncle's family is a venerable and prominent clan, and their honor is paramount. When arranging your daughter's marriage, you should have duly considered the Zhong family's feelings. If the person your daughter married was truly unworthy, you should have at least given the Zhong family a way to save face."

A minor reprimand like this would give her uncle some face. Then, both sides could cease the dispute. This was the best way to handle it.

Chen Yuqiu snorted, offering no further rebuttal. He had understood Ye Qingxue's intention. If the matter could end here, a slight reprimand from Ye Qingxue was inconsequential.

However, Jiang Fan was displeased. He gently patted Chen Siling's shoulder. Blushing, she shyly stood up, revealing Jiang Fan's face.

He swiftly made a stroke with his brush: "Miss Ye, is it really such an injustice for Siling to marry me?"

Only then did Ye Qingxue see Jiang Fan's true appearance. She was startled. "Jiang Fan? It's you? You... you took Chen Siling as a concubine?" She could hardly believe her eyes. "Does Xu Youran know about this?"

Jiang Fan's mouth twitched. He wrote, "She's the one who arranged it!"

"This..." Ye Qingxue froze on the spot, momentarily speechless. She could only marvel at how truly magnanimous Xu Youran was! She hadn't even formally married him yet, and she was already helping him take a concubine.

Then, realizing she had just said something she shouldn't have, she suddenly understood. "So you're the Chen family's son-in-law! Then it's not surprising at all."

Jiang Fan was a renowned Shadow Guard, not only immensely powerful but also having awakened his true identity. Zhong Qizhen couldn't even begin to compare to him in this regard.

She couldn't help but smile wryly. "Uncle, if the Chen family married their daughter to Jiang Fan as a concubine, then that's not an insult to you at all. To be honest, Uncle, when it comes to martial arts potential, my cousin is indeed inferior to Jiang Fan. He didn't lose unfairly."

"What?" This made Zhong Qizhen's eyebrows stand on end in fury. "Cousin, are your eyes failing you? How am I inferior to him?"

Ye Qingxue, however, nodded. "Cousin, my judgment of people is still accurate. You really are inferior to Jiang Fan."

Zhong Liangpeng said angrily, "Why are you siding with an outsider? Could it be that you also received one of this brat's spirit root-enhancing pills?" He had called Ye Qingxue here to support him and his son. But she, on the other hand, had turned the tables and insisted that his son was inferior to Jiang Fan.

"A spirit root-enhancing pill?" Ye Qingxue looked bewildered. *Was there really such a heaven-defying elixir in the world?*

Wishing to defend Jiang Fan, Chen Siling smiled as she picked up the testing artifact. "Miss Ye, take a look," she said.

As the light projected into the air, Ye Qingxue's pretty eyes widened, and she exclaimed in shock, "A sixth-grade spirit root?"

Before this, the only person in Solitary Boat City with a sixth-grade spirit root was Xu Yining, which was the highest in the entire city. Now, Chen Siling had also tested as having a sixth-grade spirit root. No, that couldn't be right. If she had such a spirit root, it would have been widely known long ago.

Wait! A spirit root-enhancing pill?

Her gaze intensely shot towards Jiang Fan, her eyes filled with longing as she quietly swallowed.