I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 947: Chapter 241: Betrothal

Ying City, Xu Biao’s Family Back Courtyard

“Miss, something terrible has happened.”

The maid named Xiao Yu had a face so anxious she was nearly in tears: “I heard the lady has already reached an agreement with Lady Tang to marry you off to that country bumpkin from Longxi!”

Upon hearing her personal maid’s report, the young lady who was embroidering under the window turned around, her slightly curled bangs framing a pair of serene, large eyes that shimmered like lake waters, as if they held the power to calm one’s heart.

Xiao Yu, seeing the pressing issue, couldn’t help but complain as Xu Qingyue remained unhurried: “Miss, at such a critical time, you still have the mind to embroider. I heard that country bumpkin has been obsessed with martial arts since childhood, immersed in scriptures from the moment he learned to read, aloof and chilly by nature, with not even a friend in his clan. Do you really want to spend your life with such a person?”

Xu Qingyue’s eyes twinkled with amusement as she teased: “How is it that the youngest martial artist from Fierce Realm, when mentioned by Xiao Yu, becomes an idiot who knows only martial arts? If outsiders heard this, what would we do, I wonder.”

“Miss~” Xiao Yu stamped her foot, urgently saying: “At such a time, you still have the mood to tease your servant. If the lady really reaches an agreement with Lady Tang, you’ll have to marry, and then… and then…”

Xu Qingyue, called mistress but in truth more like a sister, could undoubtedly sense why Xiao Yu was so anxious—it was because she couldn’t bear to part with Xu Yanliang.

As the most outstanding disciple of the younger generation in Ying City, Xu Yanliang actually possessed more popular appeal than the elder Xu Ying. If not for a single move leading to his defeat, perhaps Xu Yanliang would now be traversing the world under the Xu Clan’s banner.

In fact, a year ago, her mother had already hinted, indirectly, at matchmaking her with Xu Yanliang. Perhaps it was at that time that the maid by her side began to harbor feelings.

In everyone’s eyes, marrying an exceptionally talented martial artist is indeed a happy affair.

However, Xu Qingyue, who had grown up watching how hard her mother’s life was, knew that being the wife of a strong man was truly too arduous.

It seemed that men always had endless important matters to attend to. As the last child of Xu Biao before he entered Fierce Realm, Xu Qingyue had always been curious why the estate of the Dutian Heavenly King, the man she called father, was always so desolate, and why the number of times she could see him each year was so few it was countable on one hand.

When she cried and pleaded to see her father, her mother and two sisters would comfort her gently, telling her that father was presiding over important matters of the Sword Sect and couldn’t return home. She needed to learn to be sensible.

As a child, she didn’t understand what the Sword Sect was, nor what it meant to be sensible. She only knew she wanted to see her dad, to be hugged, lifted high, and to know she was loved by that man.

But men always had endless important matters. After crying and fussing too many times, she grew weary, and eventually, she stopped wanting.

Perhaps the matters her father had to attend to were indeed that important. Xu Qingyue could only console herself with that thought.

Later on, her two sisters married off in succession, and the back courtyard became even lonelier. Thankfully, her sisters would visit from time to time, bringing some liveliness to the residence.

Xu Qingyue deeply loved her sister. She had once thought that, after her sister got married and had a husband, she would no longer be as lonely as before, but she later discovered that this was not the case.

There are ten thousand ways to be foolish, yet there’s only one path to strength. All the young people called geniuses are those who pour all their time and energy into the martial arts like monsters.

The days Xu Biao returned to the residence to stay overnight were few and far between. Most of the time, he spent the nights at the Sword Sect. To say he spent the night was actually an understatement—he was cultivating. Just as the elder and younger brothers-in-law are currently at the critical juncture of breaking through to the Fierce Realm, they have been in closed-door cultivation for half a year now.

Sometimes, Xu Qingyue would think that in the eyes of these martial artists, a woman might just be a tool for producing offspring. As long as this task was accomplished, they would have fulfilled their duties. At other times, they just needed to stay quiet, like saplings planted in the courtyard.

As for loneliness, coldness, and self-pity, it was all seen as weakness. After all, powerful martial artists, seeking to save time, even replaced sleep with meditation, didn’t they?

Being married to a powerful man truly was terrible, whether it was Xu Shuhui or Tang Luo. To Xu Qingyue, neither was the husband she desired. The famous Qingyue Princess of Ying City harbored a grand plan in her heart!

While the servants chatted in the backyard, Lady Tang returned to the residence in a huff in the front yard. As soon as she saw Xu Biao waiting for news, she couldn’t help but complain, “That niece of yours is really getting too bold, disregarding the rules of the Xu Clan for herself and even wants to impose them on her son!”

As soon as he heard his wife’s words, Xu Biao’s expression darkened, “Didn’t you come to an agreement?”

“Your niece is stubborn. She said that an alliance through marriage would be acceptable, but it must be Qingyue marrying into the Tang Family. Once the marriage contract is settled, they would bring Qingyue back to Longxi to complete the wedding as if she were their own child,” she said.

Upon saying this, Lady Tang couldn’t help but break into tears, “A place like the remote western region of Longzhou is already barren, and I heard it even suffered a flood. It’s hardly a place for people to live. Moreover, according to the rules of the Xu Clan, marriages with sacred lands always involve the male party joining the female’s family. Tang Luo is an in-law of the Xu Clan; he should have come back to Ying City to complete the wedding. Even if Qingyue were to follow her husband, it should be the man who expresses his intentions first. That niece of yours clearly looks down on the Mysterious Moon Sword Sect, thinking her son is too good for my daughter, and that’s why she’s deliberately making things difficult!”

Xu Biao frowned and sat in the chair, carefully considering. He didn’t believe Xu Shuhui was deliberately being difficult, but instead felt a sense of urgency to turn a raw deal into a done deal.

According to the usual procedures, even with parents’ orders and matchmakers’ words, various processes such as “reporting auspicious signs,” “issuing cards,” “pressing engagement tokens” had to be carried out before officially entering into the engagement stage. Ordinarily, both the bride and groom would need to meet before the wedding to express mutual satisfaction before moving into the final steps of setting the date and the wedding ceremony.

But looking at what Xu Shuhui said, it was clear she wanted to settle the matter with the authority of the parents’ command. This approach is usually taken when one party is unwilling to petition willingly.

Since his wife had gone to negotiate and Qingyue was always well-behaved, the problem definitely wasn’t from their side. From this perspective, it seemed that the issue must have arisen on the other side.

Seeing the look on Xu Biao’s face, Lady Tang knew her husband had something on his mind and her head buzzed as she exclaimed, “Xu Biao, don’t even think about it!”

Xu Biao frowned and looked up at his suddenly frantic wife, speaking displeasedly, “What are you ranting about all of a sudden?”

“I know that you’ve been bewitched by that ‘youngest Fierce Realm in history.’ Ever since the Dutian Heavenly King decreed him the ‘First Divine Child of Ten Thousand Clans,’ you’ve been itching to marry Qingyue off to him!”

Lady Tang, covering her chest, tears streaming down her face, said vehemently, “Qingqiu and Qingyue have already sacrificed their lifelong happiness for the sake of the Mysterious Moon Sword Sect. Isn’t that enough? Is reviving the Mysterious Moon Sword Sect more important to you than your daughter’s happiness?!”

Source: , updated on Novg0.conoveldrama