You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: The Day’s Splendor Cannot Hide the Setting Sun

Gasps of astonishment rose and fell, one after another.

Most of those who were able to attend the Old Marquis’s birthday celebration today were of extraordinary birth, and naturally, they were also worldly and knowledgeable.

Aside from Mr. Yue Ming, Xiao Jinghong, Xiao Wan’er, and Chen Yi, who were already prepared, the rest of the guests couldn’t help but be surprised.

Even the Old Marquis, who had been overjoyed just a moment ago, found his smile frozen on his face. He stared at the calligraphy, muttering to himself:

”Radiance revealed in the characters, radiance revealed... Yue Ming, you old coot, you knew about this all along?”

Putting aside the birthday blessing on the scroll for a moment, the characters themselves were enough to make a name for the calligrapher throughout Shu State.

If one added the words ”new style” to the description, it was only a matter of time before his fame spread throughout the Great Wei Dynasty.

Mr. Yue Ming, however, paid him no mind. He stroked his beard, his slightly cloudy eyes filled with excitement.

”This is it, this is it! The new style where the radiance reveals itself!”

”Zhuo Ying, Huang Shi, did you see? Have I been deceiving you all?”

But the other masters from Guiyun Academy next to him couldn’t be bothered with his questions. They had already stood up and crowded around the scroll, each of them leaning in close, tracing the strokes with their fingers.

Duke Qian also wanted to go have a look, but Sun Fu grabbed him and held him back.

”Old Sun, what are you doing?”

Sun Fu gestured toward Chen Yi. ”The man who wrote it is right here. Why are you getting your priorities mixed up?”

Realization dawned on Zhang Xuan. He gave an understanding look, then sat back down with an air of composure and whispered, ”This time, you’d better not stop me. You have to help me.”

Sun Fu knew he was talking about the birthday blessing scroll. He nodded, looking at Chen Yi with great admiration.

”If all birthday blessings... calligraphy scrolls... were like this, I’d want one too.”

Chen Yunfan, who was sitting nearby, overheard the two old men’s conversation. He hadn’t expected Brother Yi to be capable of creating a new style of calligraphy with such mastery.

He looked at Chen Yi, who remained composed, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

’No wonder. No wonder the Holy Emperor sent a verbal edict, and even the White Tiger General’s Hidden Guard...’

’Brother Yi, oh, Brother Yi, you’ve been targeted for a long time, and you don’t even know it.’

Chen Yi didn’t notice Chen Yunfan.

The birthday banquet had been thrown into chaos by his calligraphy scroll, and now he was getting a headache trying to figure out how to handle the situation...

Or rather, he was getting a headache trying to figure out how he was going to get back to Spring Lotus Garden.

This situation had truly exceeded his original expectations.

Xiao Jinghong seemed to guess his thoughts. ”Husband, are you worried?”

Chen Yi nodded. ”If word of this calligraphy spreads, it will create a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

The two of them had been open with each other before, and he had already told her he just wanted to be an idle, live-in son-in-law. There was no need to hide his thoughts from Xiao Jinghong now.

Xiao Wan’er watched the two of them, her gaze lingering on Chen Yi.

Beyond her admiration for his talent, she couldn’t help but feel something strange in her heart—her brother-in-law truly was different from everyone else.

’If this were any other scholar, they would surely be smugly triumphant.’

’At the very least, they should be happy.’

’After all, the men crowded around that scroll were famous masters from Guiyun Academy, renowned throughout Shu State and even the Great Wei Dynasty.’

Just then, Xiao Jinghong thought for a moment, then stood up and said, ”Then let me handle this.”

With that, she walked over to the Household Servant, took the scroll from his hands, her face beneath her half-helm cool and detached.

”Everyone, today is my grandfather’s birthday banquet. You can examine the calligraphy later. Please, return to your seats.”

The masters who had been studying the scroll looked embarrassed, their old faces flushing red as they quickly returned to their seats.

Seeing this, the other guests naturally stopped crowding around as well.

Old Marquis Xiao composed himself. ”It seems you all quite like my grandson-in-law’s calligraphy. However, today is my birthday. I hope you will all forgive any lack of hospitality.”

”Not at all, Marquis. It was we who were being impetuous.”

The Old Marquis smiled and waved his hand. ”Servants, begin the feast!”

Whether they had been impetuous or not was debatable, but the birthday banquet finally continued.

The meal began, dancers performed, and the guests drank, laughed, and chatted. It was a typical celebration.

The members of the Xiao Family were naturally happy, especially the Old Marquis.

He had originally been worried that with the Xiao Family’s current decline, he would experience the fickleness of human relationships, but judging by today’s situation, things were still good.

Besides celebrating his birthday, the most important thing was to introduce the guests to the three members of the main branch: Xiao Wan’er, Xiao Jinghong, and Xiao Wuge.

However, while the hosts were happy, the thoughts of the guests were far more complicated.

This was especially true for those who had belittled and slandered Chen Yi because of the Holy Emperor’s edict before the banquet. After seeing the calligraphy scroll, most of them wilted like eggplants after a frost.

No matter how the people next to them mocked them, they didn’t say a word.

’What else was there to say?’

’We misjudged, that’s all.’

”Only today have I learned that the Xiao Family didn’t just choose randomly when they took Chen Yi as a live-in son-in-law.”

”Indeed. With this calligraphy alone, this young man can make a name for himself throughout the Great Wei Dynasty.”

”It’s a pity. As a live-in son-in-law, and one for a Noble Family like the Xiao Family at that, I’m afraid it will be difficult for him to display his talents in the future.”

”Hm? My friend, have you forgotten what just happened? The Holy Emperor’s verbal edict.”

”Right, right. In that case, he...”

While some sighed in admiration and praise, others were naturally displeased and unhappy.

At the next table, among the three Garrison Commanders of the Shu State Army, Pang Xuan held Li Changqing back and whispered a warning, ”Whatever you’re thinking, you’d better shove it back down right now!”

Li Changqing gritted his teeth, glanced at Chen Yi, and nodded. ”I know. Don’t worry.”

Pang Xuan was, of course, not reassured. He gestured to Ma Kui on the other side, signaling him to keep a close watch on Li Changqing.

He then looked over at Chen Yi, who was sitting with Xiao Jinghong as if nothing had happened, and remained silent.

’Have to admit, this Chen Yi really is extraordinary. For General Jinghong to have such a husband isn’t really marrying down after all.’

Chen Yi was naturally well aware of all this, but he acted as if he didn’t see or hear anything, simply eating and drinking quietly.

If someone came over to chat, he would respond with a few words.

If no one came, he was even more at ease.

The banquet didn’t end until Shen Shi [3-5 PM], and the guests gradually began to disperse.

The more distinguished guests were seen off by the members of the main branch, while the second branch and collateral branches helped with those of lower status.

It took nearly an hour to see off the hundred-odd guests.

Chen Yi was not exempt, of course. He followed Xiao Jinghong and helped the Old Marquis see off the emissary from the Capital Prefecture, the Governor, the Inspector General, and the masters from Guiyun Academy.

Li Huai’gu deliberately stayed until the end, pleading with a strange expression, ”Brother Qingzhou, in a few days, at my and Yun Xiang’s wedding banquet, you absolutely must come.”

Chen Yi glanced over at Mr. Yue Ming and the others, who were staring at him expectantly, and nodded with a wry smile.

”Rest assured, Brother Fang Gui. Since I’ve already promised you, I’ll definitely be there.”

’Didn’t even have to ask to know that Li Huai’gu’s teacher and the others had put him under a lot of pressure.’

After those few had left, Chen Yunfan walked over, looking him up and down.

”Brother Yi, you truly are remarkable now. If Father and Mother had known this day would come, they certainly would have valued you more.”

Chen Yi felt there was a hidden meaning in his words. After a moment’s thought, he replied in a flat tone, ”That’s all in the past. Now, I am merely a live-in son-in-law of the Xiao Mansion.”

Chen Yunfan glanced at Xiao Jinghong and nodded with a smile. ”As it should be.”

With that, he and Chun Ying left directly.

And so, the bustling birthday banquet came to a close—

[Witnessed Duke Dingyuan Xiao Yuan’s birthday banquet. A day of splendor cannot hide the setting sun over the western mountains. Reward: Spear Technique—Dragon-Falling (Earth Tier), Opportunity +90.]

[Evaluation: You arrived, made your name known, and handled the scene. You contended with the Iron Wall Garrison Commander Li Changqing, appeared as a perfect couple with your wife, earned the praise of the Emperor of Great Wei, won the admiration of the great scholar Yue Ming, amazed numerous guests, and gained the respect of Xiao Wan’er. Acceptable.]

’Well, then.’

On the way back to Spring Lotus Garden, Chen Yi glanced at the text on the glowing screen. After receiving so much praise, his performance was still just ”Acceptable.”

’This blind evaluation certainly lives up to its name.’

Still, he was satisfied. After all, for a busy day’s work, he had obtained an Earth Tier Spear Technique and a considerable amount of Opportunity.

’This is enough for one Dao to break through to Great Success.’

Aside from his Martial Arts Body, which had already reached Great Success, he now had Step, Punch, and Medicine at the Minor Success level of Dao.

With this in mind, Chen Yi decided to save the Opportunity for now. It wouldn’t be too late to make a decision after he had practiced the newly acquired Spear Technique.

Just then, Xiao Jinghong noticed he was lost in thought. After a moment, she asked, ”Husband, are you still worried about the calligraphy?”

Chen Yi came back to his senses and shook his head with a smile. ”What’s done is done; there’s no use worrying about it. I was just thinking that today’s banquet... was quite magnificent.”

’A day of splendor is still splendor, I suppose.’

’It’s just that I can’t help but mind the second half of that phrase, ”the setting sun over the western mountains.”’

’I’m not sure if this ”setting sun over the western mountains” refers to the Old Marquis, or the entire Xiao Family.’

Xiao Jinghong didn’t suspect a thing. ”Today’s guests were all close to my Xiao Family. It truly was an occasion where both guests and hosts were pleased.”

Beside them, Xiao Wuge nodded with a smile. ”Grandfather’s presence is as imposing as ever.”

Even Pei Guanli, who was trailing behind them, chimed in, ”The banquet really was fun! It’s not like back in the mountains, where for someone’s birthday we just kill chickens and slaughter sheep, then sing and dance.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jinghong looked back at her, clearly remembering her earlier mischief.

”In a few days, I’m going to the Mountain Race to find your Ah Ma and discuss the Mutual Market. You will go back with me.”

”Huh?”

Pei Guanli was startled and immediately jumped to Chen Yi’s side, grabbing his arm and refusing to let go.

”I don’t want to go back! I haven’t had enough fun yet!”

Xiao Jinghong’s eyes stared at her... and at Chen Yi’s arm. She then turned to the innocent-looking Chen Yi and said calmly:

”Husband, please step aside for a moment.”