Childhood Betrothal?

"As long as you're sincere with Bing'er, I have no objections to you being together."

"Even if you got married now, I wouldn't object."

Such talent was extraordinarily rare even across all of Douluo Continent.

Within five years, this boy would at least reach the Soul Saint realm. Within ten, becoming a Titled Douluo would be within reach.

If the Shui Family gained such a monstrous son-in-law, then for the next three hundred years, their standing throughout the Heaven Dou Empire would be as stable as a rock. No matter how he calculated it, this was a profitable deal.

Wu Changkong froze. Just moments ago, this elder had been crushing him with fifty percent of his pressure.

And now, in the blink of an eye, they were discussing marriage?

What happened to that cold, scrutinizing attitude from before?

"Senior, does this mean I've passed your test?"

"Why call me Senior? That sounds too distant. Just call me Uncle Yu."

"Besides testing you, there's another matter I need to discuss with you."

"Please speak, Uncle Yu."

Shui Yu turned and walked to the window, clasping his hands behind his back as he sighed at the view outside.

"Actually, Bing'er and Yu Tianxin were betrothed as children."

"What? Does Bing'er know?"

"She doesn't know about this."

Wu Changkong frowned deeply, confusion written across his face. "Why arrange a childhood betrothal?"

"Sigh... Back then, Bing'er's grandfather had just passed away."

"The old master was the Shui Family's only Soul Douluo at the time, and the family's stabilizing pillar in the Soul Master world."

"But his death came too suddenly. He suffered an accident while hunting his ninth Soul Ring and was severely wounded by two seventy-thousand-year soul beasts working together. He held on for half a year after returning, then passed away."

"After he died, the Shui Family lost its greatest source of support. At the time, I was only a Soul Saint and hadn't yet become strong enough to uphold the family's prestige."

"You may be young, but you should understand that a family without a powerful expert in command is like a slab of fat meat without walls in the eyes of those forces eyeing it hungrily."

He turned around, his gaze settling on Wu Changkong. "The Lower Four Sects were watching us closely."

"The Elephant Armor Sect struck first. They sent two Soul Saints to Skywater City. On the surface, they came to discuss cooperation, but in truth, they were probing the Shui Family's foundations."

"The Holy Dragon Sect followed right after, demanding that the Shui Family surrender three soul beast hunting grounds near North Mountain. They called it 'joint development,' but they really wanted to take advantage of our crisis."

"During that time, every day I had to deal with tests and threats from all directions. The clan's elders were divided as well. Some advocated standing firm to the end, some wanted to yield and compromise, and some secretly contacted outside forces in search of another way out."

"The Shui Family was beset by troubles both within and without. It was the hardest time since I took over as family head."

"So how did you resolve it, Uncle Yu? With the childhood betrothal?"

"Yes. To seek temporary protection, I approached the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which had long been on good terms with the Shui Family."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was one of the Upper Three Sects and held tremendous influence in the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Master world."

"When the old master was still alive, he had been close friends with one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's elders. The two families had some history."

"As an elder of the clan, Yu Luomian stepped in to mediate several times after learning of the Shui Family's circumstances, forcing the Lower Four Sects to restrain themselves somewhat. That favor could not go unpaid."

"After the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan learned that Bing'er had awakened the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, they began considering a marriage alliance."

"The Ice Phoenix was a top-tier ice-type beast Martial Soul, while the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was the greatest beast Martial Soul in the world. Yu Luomian believed that combining these two Martial Souls would produce unprecedentedly gifted descendants."

"He came to me personally and proposed arranging a childhood betrothal between Bing'er and Tianxin."

"You know the Shui Family's situation at the time. If I refused, not only would I be unable to repay the favor I owed, I would also offend the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"If I agreed, I would be using Bing'er's future freedom as a bargaining chip."

He paused, looking directly at Wu Changkong. "I'm not a good father. I've never told Bing'er about this."

By then, Wu Changkong understood everything.

Marriage alliances were extremely common among major forces and families.

Besides binding the two sides together, the union of young descendants with two top-tier Martial Souls had a high chance of producing gifted offspring.

Although the odds of descendants inheriting both Martial Souls from two top-tier Martial Souls were not high, they would at least inherit the exceptional traits of one side. They might even undergo a beneficial mutation and awaken an even more powerful Martial Soul.

This was the power of bloodlines—and the fundamental reason major forces married among themselves generation after generation.

After all, if a genius married an ordinary Soul Master, their child would have a fifty percent chance of inheriting the ordinary Soul Master's Martial Soul.

If a top-tier beast Martial Soul combined with a hoe Martial Soul, the descendants' chances of possessing the hoe Martial Soul would be no lower than their chances of possessing the beast Martial Soul.

Of course, there was also a tiny chance of exceptions—like Yu Xiaogang of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan years ago. Though he inherited the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, it underwent an exceptionally rare degrading mutation, making it difficult for his Soul Power to break through.

Such cases were one in ten thousand, but they were not unheard of.

Therefore, to ensure the purity and strength of their bloodlines, major forces often chose to forge marriage alliances between families with equally matched top-tier Martial Souls, minimizing such risks.

Wu Changkong finally understood. No wonder.

No wonder Yu Luomian had publicly declared in the plaza that Shui Bing'er was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's future mistress.

So, in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's eyes, this marriage had already been settled years ago.

They had no need to ask whether Shui Bing'er was willing, nor whether the Shui Family agreed.

Before absolute strength, the wishes of the weak had never mattered.

"Then what do you mean, Uncle Yu?"

Shui Yu raised his right hand and patted Wu Changkong's shoulder.

"I hope you can become stronger as soon as possible."

"After Bing'er turns eighteen, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will come to formally propose marriage."

"At that time, if the Shui Family still lacks the strength to withstand the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's pressure, this marriage will be very difficult to refuse."

"Although I am Bing'er's father, before the family's overall interests, even the family head cannot act as he pleases, unless..."

"Unless I'm strong enough."

"Exactly." Shui Yu withdrew his hand and clasped it behind his back again. "I can tell that Bing'er has feelings for you."

"How can you tell, Uncle Yu?"

Shui Yu hadn't been around whenever he was with Shui Bing'er. Had he been secretly watching them?

"I heard it from her aunt. She said the two of you were inseparable, always chatting and laughing together. From that, she could tell Bing'er was interested in you."

"I see."

"Yes, and there's something else you should know. Yu Luomian cares greatly about saving face."

"You defeated Yu Tianxin in public and then appeared at Bing'er's side. He won't let this go."

"But don't worry. As long as Qinghan is at Skywater Academy, he won't dare act recklessly."

"But outside the academy, you must remain vigilant at all times."