This was what they called a family.
When you were thriving, they gathered around you like stars; when you fell on hard times, they cast you aside like a worn-out shoe.
Lin Qingxue's gaze passed over the crowd.
It settled on the white-robed young man standing in the middle of the courtyard.
Third Layer of Qi Refining, with unremarkable aptitude, yet clear eyes.
There was none of the lechery or frivolity of those wastrel young masters.
Was this the man who was going to marry her?
He was a pitiful one, too...
His family had arranged for him to take on a burden like her, a cripple.
"Qingxue..."
Seeing his daughter, Lin Tiannan was at a loss.
Lin Qingxue looked neither at her father nor at the elders making fools of themselves.
She looked at Zhang Chen and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, yet with unshakable resolve: "I accept this marriage."
Looking at the woman before him, as stubborn as a winter plum, Zhang Chen secretly marveled: What a cold, stunning beauty. A perfect ten!
"However, I have one condition."
Lin Qingxue continued.
"Go ahead." Zhang Chen nodded.
"My mother is bedridden with a serious illness. I want to take her with me to the Zhang Family."
Lin Qingxue stared into Zhang Chen's eyes. "And I want to keep the Nine-Leaf Lingzhi from the betrothal gifts for my mother. The family may do as it pleases with everything else."
She knew that if she left her mother behind, then once she was gone, her mother would not last through the winter in such a heartless family.
"No problem."
Zhang Chen agreed without hesitation. "Once you arrive at the Zhang Family, you'll be one of us. Our Zhang Family will see your mother-in-law's treatment through to the end."
A flicker finally stirred in Lin Qingxue's frostbound eyes.
She looked deeply at Zhang Chen, then gave a slight bow. "In that case, Qingxue... is willing to marry you."
In less than a day, the strange marriage spread as if on wings.
It was talked about throughout the East Mountain Islands.
From streets and alleys to teahouses and taverns, everyone was discussing it.
"Have you heard? That good-for-nothing young master of the Zhang Family is marrying the crippled young lady of the Lin Family!"
"Haha, what a perfect match! One's a lump of mud that can never amount to anything, and the other's a fallen genius. Who knows what kind of creature those two will produce?"
"Has the Zhang Family gone mad? The dignified Number One Cultivation Family has stooped to scraping the bottom of the barrel."
In a lavishly decorated pavilion, the Young Master of the Wang Family, the Zhang Family's archenemy, listened to his subordinate's report as he doubled over with laughter, wine cup in hand.
"This is hilarious! Is that old ghost Zhang Tianzheng about to die? Has he lost his mind?"
The Young Master of the Wang Family drained his cup, his eyes full of scorn. "Just wait and see. This wedding marks the beginning of the Zhang Family's decline."
"They're taking home a sickly invalid. Not only will she fail to strengthen their alliance, she'll make them the laughingstock of the whole world!"
For this wedding, the Zhang Family had truly spared no expense.
The first rays of dawn had barely pierced the mist over the sea when deafening wedding music rang out along the main sea route through the East Mountain Islands.
This was no ordinary performance of flutes and drums. Twelve Foundation Establishment Realm Melody Cultivators were playing Phoenix Seeks Phoenix together.
As Spiritual Power surged, the music soared for a hundred miles, and even the fish in the sea leaped joyfully from the water.
As the groom, Zhang Chen was dressed in his finest.
He wore a resplendent red wedding robe.
This was no ordinary garment, but the Nine Yang Cloud Pattern Dharma Robe, a prized treasure from the depths of the Family Treasury and a rare High-grade Defensive Spirit Artifact.
It could protect its wearer automatically, and it made his figure look tall and straight, his bearing as elegant as a jade tree in the wind.
Though he was only at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, he stood at the prow of the most luxurious Dragon Head Flying Boat, back ramrod straight and a faint smile on his lips.
His composure made it almost seem as if he were no waste young master, but a brilliant young talent hiding his true abilities.
Behind him stretched a wedding procession several miles long.
Dozens of smaller flying boats, festooned with colorful flags, escorted him on either side. Every boat was piled high with chests tied in red silk—the bride's grand display, and a way for the Zhang Family to show off its might.
"Tsk, tsk, the Zhang Family really went all out. This procession's even grander than when Zhang Yunshan took over as Family Head."
"What good is a grand display? They're just putting on a brave face. Have you heard? The bride's sickly. I bet they're marrying her off to bring good luck."
"Shh! Keep your voice down. The Zhang Family's flying boats are right overhead."
Below, many passing Rogue Cultivators and residents of nearby islands stopped to watch.
Their expressions were mixed: some envied the Spirit Stone Rain pouring down from the sky, some were jealous that the Zhang Family still had such deep reserves despite being on its last legs, and most watched with the amused air of spectators waiting for a show.
To them, this was nothing but an absurd farce.
Zhang Chen stood at the prow. His Spiritual Sense wasn't strong, but he caught snatches of the remarks carried to him on the wind.
If this had happened before, he would have been so embarrassed that his face turned red, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
But Zhang Chen felt no ripples within. If anything, he was almost amused.
Go ahead and laugh. Laugh all you want.
You sparrows—how could you know the joy of a swan?
Before you continue