Eve of the Birthday Banquet, Bright Realm Ninth Heaven

"Mother, it really is..."

Before Su Yuexi could finish, Mei Xiaofang interrupted again, "As for the credit, that is a once-in-a-millennium occurrence."

"There aren't that many good things in this world, and there certainly isn't another general as kind as Qiu Ye."

Mei Xiaofang was incredibly grateful toward Qiu Ye; if he hadn't appeared, today's situation would have been impossible to resolve.

He was surely a wonderful man.

Sikong Jing felt it was necessary to correct this.

Qiu Ye was not a good man at all. Back when he served under Sikong Jing, any officer, high or low, who dared to engage in corruption or bend the law would have been executed on the spot.

"Mother-in-law, in truth, I wiped out the Beast Bandit Group all by myself. Qiu Ye simply stole my credit."

As soon as these words left his lips, even the frail Su Zhenglong couldn't help but lift his head.

Mei Xiaofang exploded instantly, "What nonsense are you spouting now? I really suspect you were exiled precisely because you love to brag."

"You, a mere Bright Realm cultivator, wiped out the entire Beast Bandit Group by yourself?"

Sikong Jing opened his mouth, then fell silent.

Even Su Yuexi couldn't help but look over, her expression filled with bewilderment; naturally, she also felt Sikong Jing was blowing things way out of proportion.

"Fine, I misspoke."

"Actually, I deserve at least half the credit, but Qiu Ye only gave me a few Gold Crystal Coins."

Sikong Jing could only say this now; no one would believe him otherwise!

"That's more like it. Don't complain; it's already a blessing that he gave a criminal any credit at all." Although Mei Xiaofang was still skeptical about the "half credit" claim, she couldn't bear to crush her son-in-law's spirit any further.

After all, he was truly sincere toward Yuexi.

Su Zhenglong also lifted his eyelids and said, "Indeed. Your personality is too blunt; you must not argue with Qiu Ye over the credit."

Sikong Jing could only nod, choosing not to ruin this pleasant meal any further.

Suddenly, Su Yun's voice rang out from outside the door, "Su Yuexi, you criminal, get out here right now!"

The family looked at one another in confusion. What was Su Yun throwing a tantrum about now?

Su Yuexi was about to go out and ask, but Sikong Jing pressed his hand down, his face cold. "There is no need to pay attention to the barking of a mad dog. If she has something to say, she can come in."

Sure enough, seeing that the two did not come out, Su Yun stormed inside.

When she saw them celebrating with fine wine and food, her rage boiled over. She shrieked like a madwoman, "You criminal! Was it you who forced the Chu Family's young master, Chu Bo, to kneel in public?"

At these words, Su Zhenglong and Mei Xiaofang exchanged bewildered glances. What was this about Chu Bo?

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Sikong Jing had no intention of denying it, nor was he surprised that Su Yun had come knocking.

"You dare ask if there's a problem?"

"Do you have any idea that I was preparing to marry Chu Bo? Because of your stunt, the whole thing has fallen through!"

"The head of the Chu Family, Chu Rong, came to my door first and slapped me hard across the face!"

Su Yun panted, her rage threatening to make her explode.

Sikong Jing merely shrugged and spoke calmly, "That is truly a pity. Chu Bo and you are quite a match."

One was a spoiled brat, the other was arrogant and self-righteous; they were truly a pair made in heaven.

Su Yun stared daggers at Sikong Jing, then snapped her gaze toward Su Yuexi. "You ugly freak, how can you be so shameless? It's bad enough that you're hideous, but you even made Chu Bo say in public that you are the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Su Yuexi was stunned, her face filled with confusion.

"In my eyes, Yuexi is the most beautiful woman in the world. Is there a problem with that?" Sikong Jing cut in again.

Suddenly standing up, Sikong Jing said coldly, "I will warn you one more time: if you dare call Yuexi an ugly freak again, I fear I truly won't be able to stop myself from killing you right now. Get out, immediately."

In an instant, a dense, murderous aura washed over Su Yun, forcing her to retreat until she reached the entrance of the hall.

"Fine, fine! Grandfather said..."

"If the Chu Family comes to settle the score, he will hand you over to them to deal with. Just wait for your deaths!"

With that, Su Yun stomped away in a huff.

This time, Su Xuefeng and Su Zhengtao did not come to interrogate them together; they were temporarily powerless against Su Zhenglong, and coming here only resulted in them being the ones who left angry.

As for Su Yun, she had simply been unable to restrain herself.

The hall returned to silence. Sikong Jing met the questioning gazes of Su Zhenglong and his wife and replied, "Chu Bo looked down on others, so I simply taught him a lesson."

Sikong Jing said this with a wave of his hand, as if it were nothing.

However, the corners of Mei Xiaofang's mouth twitched violently. She asked, "And what about the part where Yuexi is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Hearing this, Sikong Jing told them the truth.

It was because Chu Bo had lost a bet, and he also mentioned the matter of engraving the Green Jade Slate. But Mei Xiaofang couldn't bear to listen anymore. "You... you... this is simply absurd! Absurd! Yuexi still has a reputation to maintain."

Everyone knew Su Yuexi was the ugliest woman in all of Yun Province. Now that Sikong Jing had forced Chu Bo to say such things in public, they would be the laughingstock of the entire city.

Wasn't the ridicule Yuexi already suffered enough?

"Yuexi is the most beautiful woman in the world," Sikong Jing said with a serious expression.

Beside him, Su Yuexi's heart trembled. She bit her lip, feeling a mix of sweetness and panic, though mostly she felt bewildered and at a loss.

Beauty was a parallel line that could never intersect with her own life.

However, Sikong Jing's words left Mei Xiaofang speechless; refuting them would only hurt her daughter deeply.

After the meal, once Sikong Jing had taken Su Yuexi away...

Mei Xiaofang rubbed her aching head and said, "Master, I've finally seen this criminal for what he is. He's just a fool who acts without considering the consequences. Even if he is sincere toward Yuexi, he's still incredibly unreliable."

Su Zhenglong offered a bitter smile; more importantly, the boy was far too good at causing trouble.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Su Zhenglong sighed. He had no better options right now.

Meanwhile, in front of Su Yuexi's room.

"Thank you, Sikong Jing," Su Yuexi said softly. This "thank you" held so much—the risk he took to buy back the Jadeite Hairpin, the pride he restored to her today, and the fact that he had not abandoned her.

"You are my wife. From now on, call me Jing Ge," Sikong Jing said, holding her hand.

Her heart trembled. Su Yuexi opened her mouth, her face flushing to the roots of her hair, and she whispered like a mosquito, "Jing Gege."

With a smile, Sikong Jing waved his hand and prepared to return to his room.

Suddenly, Su Yuexi called out softly again, "Jing Gege, I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. People will really laugh at us."

"I say you are, so you are."

Sikong Jing didn't look back. His voice was upright and powerful as he slowly disappeared from Su Yuexi's sight.

Back in his room, a sharp glint flashed in Sikong Jing's eyes as he muttered to himself, "Once I reach the ninth level of the Bright Realm, I will make you the most stunning woman in the world."

He entered his cultivation, his true energy rolling like thunder. His monster-like dantian breathed continuously, circulating power throughout his entire body.

Days passed, and life for Su Yuexi's family returned to calm.

In the blink of an eye, it was the night before Su Xuefeng's Birthday Banquet. The Su Clan was a scene of bustling preparations.

But Su Zhenglong's courtyard remained cold and desolate. Mei Xiaofang sighed all day long; Su Shan was about to return, and Sikong Jing's life was hanging by a thread. Tomorrow would be the most difficult hurdle of all!

Late at night, Sikong Jing opened his eyes in his room, his voice low and resonant: "Ninth level of the Bright Realm!"