Fang Cheng's words took Wang Xingzhi somewhat by surprise.
But being a quick-witted man, he didn't press Fang Cheng for his reasons.
He just said, "When prominent families recruit sons-in-law, they usually marry off daughters who have little to no cultivation talent. It's essentially a formality used to keep the live-in son-in-law under their control."
"My Wang Family is no different. Unless the son-in-law's cultivation reaches the Peak of Sensing or he enters the Yinluo Sect's Inner Sect—thus proving he has a chance of reaching the Life Talisman Realm—only then would they consider marrying a core member of the family to him."
He changed his tune, a smile playing on his lips. "However, a daughter from the Ye Family's main line recently had a mishap in her cultivation that needs to be resolved with a Dual Cultivation Technique. The Ye Family was planning a marriage alliance with the Dong Family, but the young woman doesn't approve of their chosen candidate. With the two sides at a stalemate, the Ye Family Elders have decided to host a Sword Fighting Conference to select a worthy husband."
"Brother Fang, you should give it a try. If it doesn't work out, it won't be too late to come to my Wang Family."
The Ye Family was also one of the four great families of the Yinluo Sect.
Even for a live-in son-in-law, the status of one's cultivation partner within her family made a world of difference in how one was treated.
Take the Feng Family, for example. There was a vast difference between being the husband of an ordinary mortal woman versus the husband of a core disciple like Feng Ling.
After weighing the pros and cons, Fang Cheng nodded. "Thank you for the information, Brother Wang. Do you know when the Ye Family's Sword Fighting Conference starts?"
Wang Xingzhi smiled. "It should be in seven days, at the Cloud Viewing Platform on the Ye Family's Xiaocang Island."
"Thank you!"
Fang Cheng raised his cup in thanks.
There weren't many real options for a Loose Cultivator who wanted to get ahead.
It was just like in his past life: for an ordinary person to defy the heavens and change their destiny was next to impossible.
Becoming a high-level employee was perhaps the best possible outcome… unless you were exceptionally gifted with profound academic accomplishments, only then could you break through your social class and make a real leap.
Having lived two lives, the greatest truth Fang Cheng had come to understand was that most of the time, personal effort had very little impact on changing one's lot in life…
'So you have to learn to borrow strength!'
Wen Qianqian added from the side, "Fellow Daoist Fang, your talent and intellect are both first-rate. If you can enter the Outer Sect, you're sure to soar. Your future will be limitless."
"You praise me too much, Fellow Daoist Wen. I wonder, Fellow Daoist Chen, will you be participating in next year's trial?"
Fang Cheng smiled, directing his question to Chen Yu Yan.
Among the five of them, Wang Xingzhi could get a Trial Talisman through his family, while Wen Qianqian had no aspirations to join the Yinluo Sect.
Like Fang Cheng, Chen Yu Yan was a Servant Disciple. If she wanted to advance, she had to climb higher.
A rare smile touched Chen Yu Yan's cold, stunning face. She nodded and said, "I have my own way of obtaining a Trial Talisman, but it's not convenient for me to disclose the details."
Fang Cheng didn't press the matter. The five of them changed the subject and continued their idle chat.
After discussing the Outer Sect Disciple trial, they chatted about other things for a while longer. The gathering didn't end until night had fallen and the sky was filled with stars, at which point they all went their separate ways.
...
「Three days later.」
Fang Cheng received a letter from Wen Qianqian—
"Tomorrow, between one and three in the afternoon, the trade will take place on a painted pleasure boat ten li south of the market. We will meet at the southern gate of the market beforehand."
「In the small courtyard.」
Fang Cheng frowned. 'They actually chose a trading location outside the market?'
'The risk is much greater this way…'
A sliver of doubt rose in his heart, but he pushed it down. 'It's useless to overthink it. I'll figure it out when I see them tomorrow.'
He soon put the matter out of his mind, looking down at his open palm to inspect the three Gu Insects nestled there.
The golden sheen on the two Vajra Gu had grown richer, glittering as if they were plated in gold and faintly exuding a vicious aura.
The other Gu, a Poison Gu the color of black jade, appeared unchanged. But Fang Cheng knew its venom and the dispersal range of its poisonous gas had both increased severalfold.
He had finally raised three Tier One Late Stage Gu Insects.
'Theoretically, these three Gu Insects should be enough to deal with even a Late-stage Sensing Cultivator.'
A smile touched Fang Cheng's face as he put the three Gu Insects away.
He had thought the Love Gu would be the first to break through. He didn't expect the Vajra Gu and Poison Gu, having devoured the Tier Two Poisonous Python, to get there first.
...
The Abyssal Marsh was dotted with countless islands. Aside from the few that possessed a Spirit Vein, most were deserted and uninhabited.
「On a deserted island in the northwestern part of the Daze.」
A man in a black Daoist Robe stood atop a massive reef on the shore, his expression serene as he watched the waves crash below.
The man's features were grim. A large, crimson blood-cloud was embroidered across the chest and shoulder of his black Daoist Robe, a striking contrast of red against black.
A blood-red gourd hung from his waist. It was as translucent as jade and emanated the faint smell of blood, mixed with a cloyingly sweet scent.
After waiting for a while, he suddenly raised his head and gazed into the distance.
Two streaks of Escape Light appeared on the horizon, leisurely flying closer. In the blink of an eye, they descended and landed on the reef.
As the light faded, it revealed a man and a woman.
The woman was dressed in white. Her top was cut short, baring her midriff, which was adorned with a navel plug made from a green pearl.
Her hair was swept up into a high bun. Her face was bewitching and her figure was graceful, giving her an air of seductive nonchalance.
The other was a small, slender man with dark skin and a hooked nose. His eyes shone with a brilliant light. Though he wasn't tall, he held himself ramrod straight, possessing an extraordinary air.
"Eldest Brother, Second Sister, you're here!"
The black-robed man said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.
The woman in white gave a bewitching smile. "Third Brother, it's only been a few days. Why call us out here again?"
"It's not so bad for me, but Eldest Brother is an Honored Guest Elder for the Luo Family. He's a busy man and can't be away too often."
The slender man didn't speak, but his sharp gaze fell upon the black-robed man, putting him under immense pressure.
"I naturally have an important matter to discuss," the black-robed man said.
He looked at the two of them, his gaze burning. "Someone wants to buy the Profound Yin Ice Fiend."
The woman in white arched a delicate eyebrow, puzzled. "Didn't you already sell that jar of Profound Yin Ice Fiend?"
In fact, with Eldest Brother acting as the middleman, it had been sold just a few days ago to an Inner Sect Disciple of the Yinluo Sect for Nine Thousand Spirit Stones!
Just then, Eldest Brother saw through the black-robed man's intentions at a glance. "Who's the buyer?" he asked in a low voice.
The black-robed man's expression grew serious. "Fifth Layer of Sensing. She's the daughter of an old Array Master. She looked at the goods back then but didn't buy. Three days ago, she managed to raise ten thousand Lower-Grade Spirit Stones and contacted me to make a deal."
Eldest Brother glanced at the black-robed man. "Wen Zhiyan's daughter?"
The black-robed man chuckled darkly and nodded.
The woman in white sighed. "So you want us to help you rob her of her Spirit Stones."
The black-robed man said coolly, "Men die in pursuit of wealth just as birds die in pursuit of food. Second Sister, if we succeed, we'll split the ten thousand Spirit Stones three ways."
The woman in white's eyes lit up, but she then asked with some apprehension, "Isn't the price of offending an Array Master a bit too steep?"
Array Masters were well-traveled and had extensive networks. Offending someone like that would undoubtedly bring endless trouble.
The slender man, their Eldest Brother, shot the woman in white a look and sneered, "Wen Zhiyan's lifespan is nearly at its end. He hasn't made a move in a long time. I estimate he'll pass away from old age in less than ten years."