Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 129: Chapter 126: Ning Yu’an and Li Shiyu

”You’re from the Li Family? Perfect. I’m looking for someone from your family,” Ning Jiang said faintly.

”Who the hell do you think you are, brat? You know we’re from the Li Family, and you still don’t have the decency to be polite?”

A young man behind Li Xiuxiang grumbled, ”As members of the Li Family, who doesn’t greet us with politeness and respect?”

Ning Jiang’s unquestionable attitude as he demanded to find someone had rubbed him the wrong way.

Li Xiuxiang’s beautiful brows furrowed involuntarily, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face. Still, she asked offhandedly, ”Who are you looking for?”

”Ning Yu’an,” Ning Jiang said, getting straight to the point.

”What? It’s her!”

Li Xiuxiang’s expression shifted slightly. Of course she knew about the person who had arrived from the Ning Family six months ago.

She was even a little jealous of this woman.

”Heh, I think I can guess who you are. Since you know of Ning Yu’an, you must be from that Ning Family in Baiquan Town, right? Are you her relative? Or a friend?”

A complex look entered Li Xiuxiang’s eyes at the mention of Ning Yu’an’s name.

It was bad enough that she was always in Li Shiyu’s shadow, but then Ning Yu’an came along and overshadowed her as well.

When it came to looks, this Ning Yu’an was in no way inferior to Li Shiyu, the number one beauty of Golden Cauldron City. Her features were as lovely as a flower, and her beauty was refined and transcendent.

Her strength was also extraordinary. When she first arrived at the Li Family, she had managed to defeat an Innate Early Stage Martial Artist with only a Postnatal Peak cultivation, sending shockwaves through the entire Li Family.

In the past six months, Ning Yu’an’s cultivation had made one breakthrough after another, and she had now reached the Innate Middle Stage, hot on Li Shiyu’s heels.

In her eyes, Ning Yu’an’s origins were a permanent stain. Years ago, Li Qingyun had married down into a third-rate, minor family. The incident had caused a huge uproar in Golden Cauldron City, turning the Li Family into a laughingstock for a time.

Thus, she felt a bone-deep sense of superiority toward Ning Yu’an, seeing her as nothing more than a country bumpkin from some small town.

Yet this girl from a small town surpassed her in both looks and cultivation.

What made her most jealous, however, was the marriage alliance between Ning Yu’an and Huangfu Xiao.

’That was Huangfu Xiao, after all!’

’The number one genius of Golden Cauldron City, first on the Famous Family List, and he had now even broken through to the Innate Limit! He was qualified to receive a ”Young Master” title; his name would shake the entire Cyan Cloud Country.’

’A renowned genius like him was destined to become a towering figure in Cyan Cloud Country. Countless women throughout Golden Cauldron City dreamed of marrying Huangfu Xiao.’

’Li Xiuxiang was no exception. She adored Huangfu Xiao, too, and had often dreamed of how blissful her life would be if she could only marry him.’

’Yet Ning Yu’an had snatched away everything she had ever hoped for. As a result, she harbored considerable animosity toward her.’

”So you know Sister An. Where is she now?” Ning Jiang’s gaze hardened.

”Sister An? So you’re her younger brother? Now that I think about it, when she first arrived at the Li Family, she was constantly talking about a younger brother. That must be you.”

Li Xiuxiang sized Ning Jiang up with a deadpan expression. He had a full head of white hair, deep eyes, and a perfectly proportioned physique. He was indeed handsome, the kind of pretty boy who could easily attract girls.

’But in her eyes, being handsome was useless.’

’No matter how handsome you are, do you have a powerful background? Can you compare to Huangfu Xiao?’

’As far as she was concerned, Ning Jiang was just some nobody from the insignificant Ning Family of Baiquan Town, completely beneath her notice.’

”Heh, of course your sister is doing very well right now. She’s about to marry Huangfu Xiao. The little sparrow has flown up the branch and become a Phoenix.”

Her tone was dripping with acid, and she wished desperately that she could trade places with Ning Yu’an.

’Just as I thought!’

When Ning Jiang had first heard about the marriage alliance, he’d suspected it might be Ning Yu’an. Now it seemed he was right.

”What a fine Li Family.”

Ning Jiang sneered, his eyes growing colder even as he smiled, like a ten-thousand-year-old arctic wind, the chill within them enough to freeze all life.

In his past life, before his rebirth, the old Ning Jiang had been too naive. He’d thought Ning Yu’an was so good to him merely out of sisterly affection.

But the Ning Jiang of today? How could he fail to understand her true feelings for him?

’And as for this marriage alliance between Ning Yu’an and Huangfu Xiao, I refuse to believe the Li Family didn’t force her into it!’

’Ning Yu’an and Huangfu Xiao don’t even know each other. With her personality, how could she possibly agree to marry him?’

’Oh, Li Family, Li Family... you deliberately dragged Sister An back here to use her as a tool, forcing her to marry Huangfu Xiao. How could I possibly stand by and let that happen?’

’Heh heh heh... The Li Family and the Huangfu Family, the two most powerful factions in Golden Cauldron City. If it were the old me, I could only have watched this tragedy unfold, powerless to stop it. What a pity for you... you’ve run into the me of today!’

Killing intent roiled in the depths of Ning Jiang’s eyes.

The only thing that let him breathe a sigh of relief was that he had arrived in time.

Otherwise, knowing Ning Yu’an as he did, that seemingly gentle and tender woman would become fiercely resolute. She would rather die than submit.

They could kill her before they could ever force her to marry Huangfu Xiao.

If he had arrived any later, he feared he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

”Where is Sister An now?” Ning Jiang’s eyes were cold and devoid of emotion.

He could barely restrain his urge to kill. He just had to find Ning Yu’an, ensure her safety, and get the full story. After that, he was going to settle this score with the Li Family.

”Heh, your sister should have already arrived with Li Shiyu. But with your status, you won’t be able to get into this Lotus Garden,” Li Xiuxiang said with contempt.

In her eyes, Ning Jiang was just a poor kid from Baiquan Town, utterly unworthy of her consideration.

”Is that so?”

”In all of Cyan Cloud Country, there is no place I cannot go,” Ning Jiang said with indifference. ”My only fear is that this paltry Lotus Garden won’t be able to contain me!”

With his current strength, he had every right to make such a claim.

Never mind a mere Lotus Garden—he could come and go from Pill King Valley itself as he pleased.

To the others, however, his words sounded like pure arrogance from someone who didn’t know his own limits.

”What an arrogant bastard.” The young man behind Li Xiuxiang was about to mock him.

But Li Xiuxiang raised a hand, a mischievous glint in her beautiful eyes. ”Alright. Since you want to get in so badly, I’ll take you.”

”Sister Xiang, what are you doing? If you take him inside and he causes a scene, won’t our Li Family lose face?” the young man behind her asked, confused.

”You’re wrong. We won’t be losing face—Ning Yu’an will.”

Li Xiuxiang already couldn’t stand Ning Yu’an, and now, seeing how arrogant Ning Jiang was, she figured he was most likely a reckless brute who acted on impulse.

She was practically hoping Ning Jiang would go in and cause a scene. He was Ning Yu’an’s brother, after all, so Ning Yu’an would be the one to suffer the humiliation.

”Come with us.”

With Li Xiuxiang in the lead, the guards at the gate let them pass without question.

Members of the Li Family didn’t even need to show an invitation. They were, after all, a Top Level, First-Class Noble House, and what’s more, they were about to form a marriage alliance with the Huangfu Family.

”Hey, you looked rather unhappy a moment ago when you heard about the marriage alliance. What, do you disapprove?” Li Xiuxiang asked, deliberately trying to bait him.

”That’s right.”

”Is that so? Well, since you disapprove, you’ll have to make a proper scene about it later.”

”Heh.” Ning Jiang looked at Li Xiuxiang. How could he not see through her intentions? He then said, enunciating each word, ”I. Will.”

Meeting Ning Jiang’s gaze, Li Xiuxiang felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding.

But she didn’t dwell on it, dismissing it as a trick of her imagination. A smile curled on her lips. Now, all she had to do was wait for the show to begin!

...

At this moment, in the bustling center of the Golden Cauldron Lotus Garden.

At its heart was a vast lotus lake, dotted with elegant pavilions built upon the water. The pavilions were interconnected by quaint wooden bridges, giving the entire place an antique charm.

In one of the pavilions, two peerless beauties stood, frequently drawing the gazes of those around them.

One woman, dressed in purple, was elegant and gentle. Her snow-white skin was so delicate it looked as if it would break at a touch, and her exquisite facial features were flawless. She simply stood there, a vacant, lifeless look in her beautiful eyes.

The other woman stood beside her, her hair coiled up. She wore an embroidered cyan robe that clung to her skin, wrapping around her graceful figure and perfectly accentuating her alluring, curvaceous body.

”Who’s that woman in purple with Li Shiyu?”

Countless Martial Artists around them focused their gazes on this pavilion. Everyone naturally recognized Li Shiyu, the woman in the cyan robe hailed as the number one beauty of Golden Cauldron City.

But the woman in purple was her equal in every way—breathtakingly beautiful, with Ice-Skinned Jade Bone.

”Heh, you must not have heard. Rumor has it, she’s the one being married off to Huangfu Xiao.”

The explanation from someone in the know immediately drew gasps of surprise from the crowd.

”I know you’re unhappy, but this marriage alliance is a major strategic move pushed forward by both our Li Family and the Huangfu Family. Rather than being miserable all day, you might as well accept it with grace.”

Li Shiyu spoke, her voice as pleasant as a clear spring striking the walls of a mountain stream, every word perfectly distinct.

”You were the one who was supposed to marry into the Huangfu Family, yet you’ve made me your sacrifice. Don’t you feel even a little bit ashamed?” Ning Yu’an demanded angrily.

”It’s true that I was the one with the marriage contract. But as you saw, Huangfu Xiao likes you more, and he has agreed to the marriage alliance with you,” Li Shiyu said with indifference.

Theirs was a betrothal arranged in the womb, a marriage contract decided upon since they were children.

But she was proud and arrogant to the core. She looked down on Huangfu Xiao and had always been vehemently opposed to the marriage.

Later, when the Huangfu Family came to the Li Family to formally discuss the marriage contract, who could have guessed that upon seeing Ning Yu’an, Huangfu Xiao would fall in love at first sight?

And so, the object of the marriage contract shifted from her to Ning Yu’an.

”Li Shiyu, you tell me to accept this with grace. If it were you, could you accept it?” Ning Yu’an shot back.

”I could not,” Li Shiyu said bluntly, not bothering with hypocrisy. ”The only man worthy of me would have to be, at the very least, someone like Young Master Soaring Dragon—the number one expert of Cyan Cloud Country’s younger generation. Huangfu Xiao is outstanding, but he still falls a bit short.”

Huangfu Xiao was at the Innate Limit now, but she knew she would catch up to him. She would be no weaker than him.

She was currently twenty-two, five years younger than Huangfu Xiao.

”Hm? What’s he doing here?!”

Suddenly, Li Shiyu let out a soft gasp, her face a picture of surprise.

At the same time, cries of astonishment erupted from the crowd.