Seeing Ge Xiong's calm expression, Second Master Shen felt something was off. "Patriarch Ge," he said, "I'm afraid this won't do. Ling'Er is still young and has no plans to marry yet!"
"Now, now, Patriarch Shen, don't be so quick to refuse," Ge Xiong said. "It's not too late to decide after you've heard my terms!"
"Terms?" Second Master Shen asked, puzzled.
"That's right. Since I'm here to propose a marriage, it's only natural that I would offer a betrothal gift the Shen Family will find agreeable!" Ge Xiong said with a smile.
"And what might Patriarch Ge's betrothal gift be?" Hearing this, Second Master Shen was tempted.
"I've heard that the Shen Family is having trouble holding onto its management rights for the eastern marketplace. I imagine the Liu Family is causing trouble from behind the scenes! I believe Patriarch Shen is more aware of the Shen Family's current strength than I am. It must be quite difficult to snatch back control of the marketplace from the Liu Family. However, if Patriarch Shen agrees to this marriage, our Shen and Ge families will be joined. Then, the Shen Family's business will be my Ge Family's business. I will certainly help you reclaim the marketplace!" Ge Xiong said with complete confidence.
"And what if I don't agree?" Second Master Shen asked.
Hearing this, Ge Xiong set down his teacup and said coolly, "Then I'm afraid the Shen Family's western marketplace will soon belong to the Ge Family!"
SLAM! Upon hearing this, Second Master Shen shot to his feet, slamming his hand on the table. "Are you threatening me?" he demanded.
"I wouldn't dare. I am merely stating a fact to Patriarch Shen," Ge Xiong replied, his tone still nonchalant.
No one present could refute Ge Xiong's words. The Shen Family was indeed one of the three great families of Cyan Mountain City. However, ever since Shen Haoran's father—the Shen Family Patriarch—mysteriously disappeared five years ago, the family's strength had plummeted. If not for the foundation their ancestors had built, the Shen Family would have long been pushed out of the three great families. If they were to lose control of both the eastern and western marketplaces, the Shen Family would truly fall into an abyss from which they could never recover.
But the truth was one thing; saying such things so openly in front of the Shen Family was bound to provoke their collective fury. Ge Xiong, however, looked completely unfazed. He turned and had Ge Yan, who was beside him, hand a letter to Second Master Shen.
"Patriarch Shen, this is the second gift I've prepared for you. If you agree, everything on this paper will belong to the Shen Family," Ge Xiong said.
Second Master Shen took the paper and opened it. His pupils contracted instantly as if he had seen something unbelievable. The paper was filled with a massive list of Cultivation Materials, including many especially precious Spirit Medicines! There was even a Spirit-Breaking Pill—a Fourth Grade Elixir that could help a Tier Nine Spirit Pupil break through directly to the Spirit General realm! And Second Master Shen just so happened to be a Tier Nine Spirit Pupil. If he could get this Spirit-Breaking Pill, then... Second Master Shen's mind raced.
After he finished reading, Second Master Shen passed the letter to the other Elders. Aside from Fourth Master Shen, the expressions on the other Elders' faces were identical to his own.
Ge Xiong watched the reactions of the Shen Family members with great satisfaction, as if this was all within his expectations.
"Well, Patriarch Shen? Are you satisfied with this gift?" Ge Xiong asked.
"This... allow us to discuss it," Second Master Shen said, then began conferring with the other three Elders. During their discussion, one could only see Fourth Master Shen's expression growing darker and darker. It seemed the outcome was already set in stone.
"Patriarch Ge, after our discussion, we feel that the Ge Family is full of sincerity. We agree to this marriage!" Second Master Shen announced with a smile.
"Haha, excellent! From now on, we are family!" Ge Xiong boomed with laughter.
"Patriarch, you can't! Ling'Er's importance to our Shen Family is no small matter. I will never agree to this marriage!" Fourth Master Shen declared, refusing to give up.
"Fourth Brother, this Spirit-Breaking Pill is also incredibly significant for our Shen Family. If the family can produce another Spirit General Level expert, we might be able to return to the Peak of our power five years ago. Then, no one will dare to bully us again!" Second Master Shen argued.
"Patriarch, you're exploiting the family for your own personal gain! I will never allow Ling'Er to be married off!" Fourth Master Shen snapped coldly.
"Fourth, this is the family's decision. It's not up to you! Guards! Take Shen Ling'Er away. She is not to take a single step out of her room before the wedding!" Second Master Shen commanded, his face cold.
Before Shen Ling'Er could react, several Shen Family guards seized her and began to drag her away.
"Stop!" Just then, a powerful voice rang out, stunning everyone present.
Everyone turned toward the sound. When they saw who it was, they were all taken aback. 'What's he doing here?' they thought.
That's right—the newcomer was none other than Shen Haoran, who had just rushed back from the rear mountain!
Shen Haoran strode into the middle of the hall, looked at the two patriarchs in the seats of honor, and declared in a clear voice, "You want to marry Ling'Er off? I don't agree!"
The moment Shen Haoran's words fell, the hall erupted in laughter. Shen Cheng walked up to Shen Haoran, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Hahaha! I say, Shen Haoran, since when does a piece of trash like you have any right to butt in on important family discussions?"
Shen Haoran merely gave Shen Cheng an indifferent glance and ignored him.
Seeing that Shen Haoran didn't even deign to look at him, Shen Cheng fumed. He stepped forward, about to teach him a lesson, but Second Master Shen stopped him. "Cheng, stand down!"
Then, he looked at Shen Haoran and said, "Oh? And why don't you agree?"
"Because Ge Yan is not worthy of Ling'Er!" Shen Haoran said, staring directly at Ge Yan without a shred of concealment.
Ge Yan, who had been calm and smiling all this time, heard these words and his face instantly darkened. He walked up to Shen Haoran and said, "You're nothing but the most well-known piece of trash in Cyan Mountain City. What right do you have to talk about me?"
"Heh, trash? I wonder if you, the great Young Master of the Ge Family, can even beat a piece of trash like me," Shen Haoran said with a wicked grin.
"Are you challenging me? Fine. Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents and show you what 'having the right' really means!" With that, Ge Yan drew the Fine Steel Soft Whip from his waist and lashed it toward Shen Haoran!
Ge Yan didn't hold back in the slightest. The Fine Steel Soft Whip became a blur, reaching Shen Haoran in an instant! But in the face of Ge Yan's ferocious attack, Shen Haoran's expression remained unchanged. He stood perfectly still.
Seeing Shen Haoran standing there, seemingly frozen in fear, everyone present—except for Fourth Master Shen and Shen Ling'Er—looked at him with pity. It was as if they could already see him being whipped half to death.
CRACK!
A crisp sound rang out, but the scene of Shen Haoran being sent flying by the whip, which everyone had imagined, did not happen. Instead, the Fine Steel Soft Whip had been caught by Shen Haoran with a single hand!
Seeing this, the crowd was too shocked to speak. A single thought echoed in their minds: 'This is impossible!'
Ge Yan's shock was far greater than anyone else's. He knew his own strength best. Although he hadn't infused the whip with Spiritual Power, he had used his full strength in order to teach Shen Haoran a lesson. Even a Spirit Tempering Tier Five expert would have had to pay a price to catch that whip barehanded, yet Shen Haoran had caught it so easily—and with just one hand! 'Is this really the same piece of trash who was only at Spirit Tempering Tier Three?'