Red Entry

"Patriarch Qian."

He spoke, his voice hoarse.

He slowly rose to his feet, as if his legs had grown stiff from sitting too long, and hobbled forward two steps, leaning on his cane.

"Senior, please take care!" Qian Yue hurriedly rose to support him.

The moment Qian Yue's ruddy, broad hands grasped Chen Xian's arm, a panel suddenly appeared in Chen Xian's mind, startling him.

[Name: Qian Yue]

[Realm: Mortal Martial Master (Corresponds to Dao Disciple, Ninth Layer)]

[Traits: Socially Adept (Yellow), Martial Affinity (White), Business Intuition (White), Hypocrisy (Mortal), Cunning (Mortal), Blood-Irrigated Body (Red)]

"What's the deal with Blood-Irrigated Body? And it's a red trait I've never seen before!"

Chen Xian's thoughts raced. This Qian Yue was hiding a huge secret!

With a mental command: "View trait details."

[Blood-Irrigated Body (Red): Evil technique for body refinement, the flesh is a furnace! Forcibly locks the body's blood and qi vitality at its peak state, increases blood and qi recovery speed by 300%, and wound recovery speed by 300%.]

[Cost: Requires extracting the heart's essence blood of six virgin boys and girls daily. If supply is cut off, the body will rapidly age within three days, and cultivation will drop correspondingly.]

[Note: Copying this trait is strongly discouraged. Copying requires 20 Copy Points.]

After quickly scanning the trait description, Chen Xian's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpricks.

This trait was utterly evil—demanding six human lives every day, all of them children.

No wonder Qian Yue, nearly sixty years old, showed no signs of aging at all!

This Qian Yue was deeply problematic!

"Grand-Uncle? What's wrong?" Deacon Huang called out, noticing Chen Xian's daze.

Qian Yue, still supporting Chen Xian, leaned in with concern and asked, "Senior, are you unwell? I'll go fetch the best medical cultivator in the city at once!"

"No need. This old man just had a momentary blockage of qi; it's passed now."

Chen Xian raised a hand, calmly lowering his eyelids to conceal the storm within, and replaced his expression with a smile.

He patted Qian Yue's hand and chuckled, "Patriarch Qian is most considerate. This old man is not much older than you, yet my body is far inferior. With you at the helm of the Qian family, how could it not flourish?"

Suddenly praised so highly by a senior of the Xuanyun Sword Sect, Qian Yue was flattered. He stepped back, cupped his hands, and thanked him, "Senior flatters me. In my view, Senior's constitution could easily last another hundred years!"

While uttering these flattering words, a hint of smugness gleamed in Qian Yue's eyes.

Even this senior thought so highly of the Qian family—it seemed this marriage couldn't be called off.

Shangguan Hongyue had a close connection with this Sword Sect senior. If she married into the Qian family, the Qian family would gain the backing of the Xuanyun Sword Sect.

From then on, the Qian family's position in Ask-Dao City would be as solid as a rock. Dominating an entire ward might not be out of reach!

Shangguan Hongyue's parents also watched the scene in astonishment.

They never imagined that the Patriarch Qian, who loomed so large in their eyes, would be this deferential to the old man.

Did their daughter really have such influence?

But seeing how highly the old man regarded Patriarch Qian, surely their daughter wouldn't be stubborn anymore, right?

The couple exchanged a glance, both seeing joy in each other's eyes.

The three Qian family shops in West Second Ward were as good as in their grasp.

Shangguan Hongyue, too, stared at Chen Xian in disbelief.

Her eyes were red-rimmed. Which side was this old man on? Wasn't he here to help her break off the engagement?

Her thoughts were a mess, and she felt nothing but despair.

"Damn old man, I misjudged you..."

Qian Yue pressed his advantage: "Senior, once this matter is settled, the Qian family will present ten thousand Dao Silver as your matchmaker's gift."

"Heh heh."

Chen Xian looked at him, stroking his beard with a faint smile.

"It's over... Damn old man, I hate you!" Seeing the two of them exchanging pleasantries, Shangguan Hongyue's heart turned to ash.

The next moment, Chen Xian suddenly turned to Deacon Huang beside him and said flatly, "Deacon Huang, cancel Yue'er's engagement with the Qian family. This old man takes responsibility for it."

Deacon Huang was busy counting on his fingers how long he'd have to work as a deacon to earn ten thousand Dao Silver and replied absently, "Alright, cancel it then!"

Li Youde, who had been calculating how much reward he'd get from the patriarch, jerked his hand violently. "Clatter!" The teacup overturned, spilling tea like blood across the floor.

The flower hall fell silent.

No one could believe what they had just heard.

"Huh? Grand-Uncle, what did you just say? Could you repeat that?"

Deacon Huang, thinking he'd misheard, asked again.

Chen Xian raised a white eyebrow and said firmly, "This old man told you to cancel the engagement."

Now everyone heard it clearly.

Qian Yue's face stiffened, his ruddy complexion gradually turning green, white mist puffing from his nostrils.

Deacon Huang glanced at the old couple, whose faces were shifting toward anger: "But the Shangguan couple..."

"To hell with his leg. When I return to the sect, I'll ask an elder from Gathering Herb Peak to take a look."

Chen Xian shot a look at the two, his murky gaze dropping to Shangguan Hongyue's father's right leg, then shifting back to Deacon Huang's face. He spoke slowly, word by word:

"Today, no one can force a Xuanyun Sword Sect disciple to stay. If you can't make that call, I'll write a letter to Qing Yang right now and ask him whether the rules of Ask-Dao City are greater than the rules of the Sword Sect!"

Hearing the grand-uncle address the sect master by name, Deacon Huang shuddered all over.

He realized that this grand-uncle of the sect master was genuinely angry.

No matter how impressive the Qian family was, they couldn't outshine the Sword Sect. No matter how much Dao Silver they offered, it couldn't compare to his own future!

"Grand-uncle, you speak too harshly! Since you've spoken, this engagement is naturally void!"

Deacon Huang swiftly pulled out the marriage contract. His fingertip traced across it, Dao Power sharp as a blade, and the scroll that had bound Shangguan Hongyue for years shattered into countless fragments.

Qian Yue's smile vanished completely. For an instant, a sinister red gleam flashed in his eyes, but Chen Xian caught it precisely.

"Since that's the case, the engagement is void. I can only let it go. A pity to lose such a good daughter-in-law."

Though he had lost all face, Qian Yue didn't press the matter. He cupped his hands toward Chen Xian and Deacon Huang, his tone still polite.

Chen Xian thought to himself, this man's skill at nurturing his temper is remarkable—he didn't even lose it.

The matter was resolved, but someone wasn't happy.

"What right do you have to decide for my daughter?"

"This is my family's business—why are you, an outsider, meddling? I'll report you to that Xuanyun Sword Sect!"

"Yue'er, don't listen to that old bastard. Apologize to Patriarch Qian right now and restore the engagement!"

"..."

The Shangguan couple let out piercing shouts. Hongyue's father, his leg injured, even picked up a bamboo pole from the ground and charged at Chen Xian.

"Insulting an elder of the Sword Sect! How dare you!"

Deacon Huang instantly stepped in front of Chen Xian, unleashing the aura of a ninth-level Sword Master, pressing both of them to the ground.

He glared coldly. If these two weren't the parents of a sect disciple, they would already be corpses.

The couple huddled together, trembling, feeling the majesty of a cultivator for the first time.

So this was the Dao their daughter cultivated!

"Little Yue'er, let's return to the sect."

Chen Xian patted Shangguan Hongyue on the head. The girl was still in a daze.

"Oh, yes, disciple obeys!"

Shangguan Hongyue nodded blankly, her eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at her parents: "Father, I've already saved enough money to treat your leg. Tomorrow I'll find a physician to see you."

"Mother, I bought a courtyard in South Third Ward. I wanted to surprise you today. Tomorrow, take Father and move in. We have a home in Ask-Dao City now."

With that, she didn't look at them again and walked out of the flower hall first.

Chen Xian followed behind. As he passed the miserable couple, he shook his head and sighed: "Parents who don't plan for their children—pitiful, pitiful."

Ignoring the cries of regret behind them, the two walked straight out of the Qian residence.

Chen Xian looked back at the vermilion gate of the Qian mansion and asked Shangguan Hongyue: "Girl, I ask you—what is the Blood-Irrigated Body?"

Shangguan Hongyue, who had just summoned her flying sword, looked puzzled: "Old bastard, why are you suddenly asking about the three evil arts of the Blood Demon Sect?"