Yan Gui City, Chen Family

Great Zhou Kingdom

Northern Plains Commandery

Yan Gui City, Chen Family

"Chen Family Patriarch, our Liu Family's visit today has already bestowed tremendous honor upon you."

"I advise you to conduct yourselves properly. Do you really think you are still the Chen Family of old?"

The Liu Family's words filled everyone in the Chen Family with fury.

A tiger fallen to the plains was bullied by dogs!

The Chen Family had not originally belonged to the Great Zhou Kingdom. They had merely migrated here back then.

The Chen Family had once been the undisputed foremost aristocratic family in the Great Zhou Kingdom. And the Liu Family? They had merely been a vassal of the Chen Family!

With the Chen Family's support, the Liu Family rose swiftly. For this reason, the Liu Family had even established a rule!

The daughter of every generation's Liu Family Head had to marry into the Chen Family.

The Liu Family had originally done this to show their loyalty, but they had never imagined that the Chen Family would one day decline as well.

They had once still counted as the foremost lineage of Northern Plains Commandery, but over the past century, they had fallen so low that they could only cower within Yan Gui City.

When the Chen Family had still been the foremost lineage of Northern Plains Commandery, the Liu Family had maintained some contact with them. Yet the moment the Liu Family successfully became one of the Three Great Families of the Great Zhou Kingdom, they had completely severed all ties.

No one had expected the Liu Family to come calling this time. It truly caught the rest of the Chen Family by surprise.

They had originally intended to receive them warmly, but the Liu Family's attitude was truly excessive.

"Liu Chengfeng, our two families have had no dealings for a hundred years."

"You did not need to make this trip specially. Could it be that you came all this way merely to humiliate my Chen Family?"

"As for the rule your Liu Family established back then, you could have decided to abolish it yourselves."

"Why come here and press us so aggressively?"

Chen Zhengyuan, the Chen Family Patriarch, did not choose to swallow his anger simply because of the vast disparity in status between the two sides!

Liu Chengfeng was equally surprised. He had not expected that, even after declining to such a state, the Chen Family still had some fire in them?

But in Liu Chengfeng's eyes, anger without any strength to back it up was nothing more than a joke!

"Hmph, our Eldest Young Lady is now favored by the Shangqing Sect and mutually in love with the Fifth Prince of the Great Zhou Imperial Family. You people—"

"Uncle."

Before Liu Chengfeng could finish, a young woman beside him spoke to stop him.

"Let me say it."

Liu Mengyan was the daughter of the current Liu Family Head. According to the Liu Family's rule from back then, she too should have married into the Chen Family.

However, in the Chen Family's eyes, that rule had long since become void, since the Liu Family had stopped associating with them long ago.

Thus, the Liu Family's visit left the Chen Family utterly baffled.

It was clear that Liu Mengyan held a high position in the Liu Family. At her word, Liu Chengfeng, her uncle, stepped aside and said no more.

Liu Mengyan looked at Chen Zhengyuan and smiled faintly. "Chen Family Patriarch, our Liu Family received no small amount of favor from the Chen Family back then."

"Of course, when the Chen Family first began to decline, our Liu Family did not simply stand by with folded arms."

"Although our positions are now worlds apart, my Liu Family still remembers old ties."

"Some of the rules established back then are no longer suitable."

"That is why I personally came to visit this time."

"I also hope to bring this matter to a complete close. What do you think?"

"Rest assured, our Liu Family is not petty."

"There are ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones here, along with five Core Condensation Pills. Consider them compensation for your Chen Family."

Ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones? And five Core Condensation Pills?

In the past, perhaps the Chen Family would not have cared for such things. But the Chen Family of today lacked resources most of all.

They were tempted, yet no one showed it. After all... the price of obtaining these things was the humiliation of the Chen Family!

"Ha ha ha!"

"The Liu Family truly is generous!"

"However, my Chen Family has never accepted food flung at us in contempt!"

"We appreciate Miss Liu's kindness."

Chen Zhengyuan refused outright, without the slightest hesitation.

Liu Mengyan appeared quite amiable, but her eyes were full of arrogance. She had never truly looked any member of the Chen Family in the eye.

In her view, her appearance alone had already granted the Chen Family tremendous face. Since she was willing to offer compensation, the Chen Family ought to be overflowing with gratitude.

Yet Chen Zhengyuan's refusal made Liu Mengyan frown deeply, displeasure appearing on her face.

"What? Your Chen Family will not accept?"

"Could it be that your Chen Family still wishes to cling to my Liu Family? Do you still delude yourselves into thinking I will marry into your Chen Family?" Liu Mengyan's tone brimmed with mockery and anger.

"Cling to your Liu Family?"

"Miss Liu, you are thinking far too highly of yourself."

"Do you really think I do not know the purpose of your visit?"

"Not many people know of the relationship between the Chen and Liu Families back then, but that does not mean no one does."

"You and the Fifth Prince are mutually in love, so naturally you must marry into the imperial family."

"You merely want to erase completely any matter that could become leverage against you before marrying into the imperial family."

"If not for that, would you have come to my Chen Family today?"

Chen Zhengyuan was no fool. Through their earlier conversation, he had already understood the other party's purpose.

A stain—the rule the Liu Family had established back then in order to cling to the Chen Family would become a stain on Liu Mengyan.

"Chen Zhengyuan, I advise you to think this through carefully."

"If our Liu Family were not mindful of past sentiments, then with your Chen Family's current strength, I fear you would find it difficult to withstand the wrath of our Liu Family and the Fifth Prince!"

Liu Chengfeng had not expected the Chen Family to be so troublesome. They could clearly obtain compensation with just a nod, so what were they being so stubborn about?

Could they truly still want to cling to the Liu Family? Had they not considered the consequences of doing so?

"Ha ha ha!"

"The sons of my Chen Family fear not death!"

"What you want is nothing more than the Contract that your Liu Family personally delivered to the Chen Family back then, isn't it?"

At those words, Liu Chengfeng and Liu Mengyan's eyes both shifted. Looking toward the speaker, they discovered that what he held was precisely the Contract the Liu Family had delivered to the Chen Family back then.

"Who are you?" Liu Mengyan asked the young man.

"The Chen Family Patriarch's son, Chen Yunxuan!" Chen Yunxuan said coldly.

The Young Master of this generation of the Chen Family?

He did seem to possess an extraordinary bearing and handsome features. Unfortunately, his cultivation was somewhat lacking, far inferior to the Fifth Prince of the Great Zhou Kingdom.

"According to the rules of that year, you are the one I was to marry?" Liu Mengyan said with a frown.

"Eldest Young Lady Liu truly knows how to joke."

"Since when have members of your Liu Family been worthy of marrying our Chen Family's Young Family Head?"

"Are you not thinking a little too highly of yourself?" Chen Yunxuan said without the slightest courtesy.

"You!"

"Impudent!"

Chen Yunxuan's words turned Liu Mengyan's face ashen, while Liu Chengfeng flew into a rage.

Yet there was nothing wrong with Chen Yunxuan's words. Though those who married into the Chen Family from the Liu Family back then had all married direct descendants of the Chen Family, none had ever married the Young Family Head.

Unfortunately, the truth was often the most hurtful.

Humiliation! To the Liu Family, this was humiliation!

"Hmph, your Chen Family can now only enjoy a fleeting victory of the tongue."

"Hand the thing over to me. As for whether you want our Liu Family's compensation, that is up to you."

"From this day onward, our two families will have no further ties." Liu Mengyan said coldly.

"My Chen Family will not take the compensation, and I can give you the thing as well."

"But..."

"Your Liu Family broke faith and abandoned righteousness. Since you are the Liu Family's Eldest Young Lady, you will apologize to my Chen Family!"

Liu Mengyan was quite satisfied with the first sentence, but as the following words were spoken, her expression changed drastically.

Make her apologize to the Chen Family?

"Arrogant!"

"Does your Chen Family have the qualifications?"

"Do you have the nerve?"

"I think you no longer wish to live!"