Shelly Returns Home

"Uncle's words seem to have overlooked the most important point—"

Faced with Yang Pojun's suggestive words, Ling Yi remained calm, picked up the teapot, added hot water to the four teacups on the table, and said lightly.

"Oh?" Yang Pojun looked at Ling Yi with some curiosity, but also admired Ling Yi's calmness even more. "What did you overlook?"

Ling Yi turned his head to look at Yang Shelly beside him and smiled slightly, "Naturally, we have overlooked Shelly's own wishes."

Ling Yi shifted his gaze to Yang Pojun and continued, "With Shelly's talent, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she'll at least be a Soul Saint in the future, if not a Soul Douluo."

"Uncle, would the [Breaking Clan] really disregard the wishes of their children, who are potential Soul Saint or even Soul Douluo, for the sake of a small benefit from a marriage alliance?"

"Don't forget, this is... the Ling Yi Douluo Continent, where strength reigns supreme. Is it more worthwhile to have another powerful member in our own family, or to strengthen our relationships with other families?"

"..."

Yang Pojun was speechless at Ling Yi's words. After all, his previous words were just said on purpose to put some pressure on Ling Yi, and did not really mean that the Breaking Clan would arrange a marriage between Yang Shelly Yi.

Although he was momentarily speechless at Ling Yi's words, Yang Pojun had honed his eloquence through years of traveling around the country. He quickly found a new angle and retorted:

"Yes, I admit that it's best for the family for Shelly to stay, but she's a young woman, she can't live alone forever, can she?"

"If she gets married, will she still be able to stay in the family?"

"If she were to run off with the man to some faraway place, like the Water Wood Duchy, it would be better for her to find a man who suits her taste within one of her close families—"

This statement was practically a direct statement: if Yang Shelly married Ling Yi, then their [Breaking Clan], this beautiful and promising young woman, would become part of the Ling Family. At that point, one would be in the northeastern corner of the [Heaven Dou Empire], and the other in the southern part of the continent, within the [Star Luo Empire]. Being so far apart, no matter whether Yang Shelly became Soul Saint or Soul Douluo, the [Breaking Clan] wouldn't be able to lend her any support.

The next day, early morning.

At the north gate of Yasuo City, Ling Yi and Ah Yin rode Treading Snow and Azure Wind respectively, going against the flow of people entering the city and slowly heading out of the city.

Yang Shelly did not come along. Instead, she waited at the south gate of Yasuo City, preparing to follow Yang Pojun's caravan back to her home in Dragon Rising City.

Yesterday's conversation ended with Yang Shelly leaving midway through.

To be honest, Yang Pojun, as an elder and uncle, felt somewhat guilty about the situation reaching this point.

"Shelly," Yang Pojun urged his horse forward, approaching the chestnut horse Yang Shelly was riding. He lowered his voice, his tone slightly embarrassed, and said, "Second Uncle yesterday... didn't mean that, you know... Second Uncle just wanted to invite Ling Yi to join our Yang Clan..."

"I understand, Second Uncle," Yang Shelly replied, her pretty face tense and her voice flat.

Seeing this, Yang Pojun scratched his head, thinking to himself, "Wait, what do you understand?"

At this moment, Yang Pojun felt a sense of panic, as if he had gone too far.

Although Yang Yuanzhao is Soul King like him, Yang Pojun is not afraid of a real fight.

But there's one thing: family members can't come!

Yang Yuanzhao's wife, who is also Yang Shelly's mother, was the leader among them back then. Everyone had to call her "Sister Hong." She was a formidable figure.

Yang Shelly caught a glimpse of the worried look on Yang Pojun's face out of the corner of her eye, and she secretly thought that Brother Yi's tactic of retreating to advance was truly brilliant.

Now, Yang Shelly and Yang Pojun's caravan are returning to Dragon Rising City. Let's see if Yang Pojun can still suggest that Yang Shelly marry into the family in front of Yang Yuanzhao and his wife.

The term "marriage alliance" is not something that can be used casually.

I wonder if this strange set of rules about love was already in place when this world was created. Not only are they precocious and prone to early relationships, but they also champion freedom in love, unwavering devotion, and other such character traits.

Looking at all the forces in the Douluo Continent, apart from the royal families of various empires and kingdoms, there are many intermarriages. Among the various Soul Master families, intermarriages do exist, but they are quite discreet.

Or rather, people will put up a fig leaf, using the guise of blind dates and getting to know each other in advance to promote a union based on feelings.

But yesterday, Yang Pojun the excuse of "marriage" to push the relationship between Ling Yi and Yang Shelly into a very delicate situation.

Faced with this, Ling Yi certainly couldn't make any promises, nor would he directly and forcefully express his opposition, or even go to such an extreme as breaking up completely.

Therefore, taking a step back, setting the topic aside, and letting it cool down is a good approach.

At Ling Yi's signal, Yang Shelly made a gesture of leaving angrily, ending the conversation that had reached a stalemate.

Afterwards, Yang Shelly, who met up with Ling Yi in the room, received Ling Yi's advice on the next steps: go home and find her parents.

Since you, Yang Pojun, the second branch's uncle, said that Yang Shelly might be arranged to marry into one of the other three families of the Four Single-Attribute Clans, or even a member of the Tang family of the Clear Sky Sect Tang Family, then as her daughter, Yang Shelly should naturally go home and ask her parents if this is really the arrangement.

Anyway, when Yang Shelly ran to the caravan early this morning and told Yang Pojun that she had said goodbye to Ling Yi and would return to the Star Luo Empire with him to visit their parents in Dragon Rising City to discuss their future marriage, Yang Pojun was in a bit of a bind.

Thirty or forty years ago, Yang Pojun, Yang Yuanzhao, and other members of the Yang Clan lived together for a considerable period of time with other members of affiliated Soul Master families who were also affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect.

At that time, Yang Shelly's mother, the third daughter of a small, small family of Soul Master, was not the strongest among her generation, but her frenzied fighting spirit was even more terrifying than that of the Yang Clan.

In other words, her aptitude isn't particularly good. After all these years, she's still only Soul Ancestor, two levels away from becoming Soul King. On the other hand, Yang Shelly's father, Yang Yuanzhao, while not as talented as those geniuses, managed to break through to the Soul King realm a few years ago.

The thought of possibly facing a joint "battle" from Yang Shelly's parents gave Yang Pojun the urge to stay in the Heaven Dou Empire and continue acquiring herbs.

Yang Pojun: "This is so hard for me—!"