Marriage Contract

"What?! (O∆O)"

The moment Ye Zhong said that, not only did Xiao Yan freeze, but Su Qian also spat out a mouthful of wine.

"What's wrong with that old Ye ghost? Has Xiao Yan's talent driven the bastard mad? He's even willing to offer up a wife?"

After muttering to himself, Su Qian looked at the petrified Xiao Yan and the agitated Ye Zhong and felt that he ought to say something.

"Old Ye, don't scare the kid. Take it slow. What marriage are you talking about?"

Only after Su Qian's reminder did Ye Zhong come back to his senses, though the excitement on his face did not fade. He hurriedly said, "This old man was too hasty. Come, come, Xiao Yan, you and this little girl should sit down first. Allow this old man to explain things slowly."

Seeing Ye Zhong suddenly become several degrees more kind and benevolent, Xiao Yan felt uncomfortable all over. Wasn't I here to cultivate? How did this suddenly turn into marriage? He looked pleadingly at Su Qian, but the Grand Elder gave him a helpless expression as well.

When he looked at Xun'er again, Xiao Yan felt somewhat guilty, though he had no idea what he was feeling guilty about. Yet there was not the slightest trace of displeasure on Xun'er's face. Instead, she seemed to be holding back laughter.

Ye Zhong instructed a servant waiting nearby, "Invite Miss Xin Lan over." Only then did he turn his gaze back to Xiao Yan and the others and explain to Xiao Yan.

"Actually, this matter is related to our Ye Clan's Pill Tower assessment..."

Xiao Yan had already grasped the general situation when he entered the courtyard. Though Ye Zhong now gave him more details, Xiao Yan did not care about any of that. What he cared about was how it related to the marriage Ye Zhong had suddenly brought up.

Having already heard Ye Zhong explain it once, Su Qian patiently listened to the end. Once Ye Zhong finished, he asked on Xiao Yan's behalf, "But what does this assessment have to do with the marriage you mentioned?"

Ye Zhong chuckled. "Of course it's related. The assessment tests the younger generation of each family. Since it concerns the younger generation, my Ye Clan's son-in-law can naturally take the assessment as well. With Xiao Yan's talent, if my Ye Clan nurtures him for ten years, passing the assessment then will definitely not be a problem!"

Su Qian understood what Ye Zhong was planning. Although he still wanted to mock the Pill Tower's assessment for being so absurdly casual, it had nothing to do with them. What he cared about more was Xiao Yan's future.

Even if the Ye Clan had declined, it was still undeniably one of the Pill Tower's Five Great Families. If Xiao Yan had the support of such a force behind him, he would certainly take far fewer detours in his cultivation.

Su Qian was just about to ask Xiao Yan for his opinion when a Ye Clan guard arrived with a little girl.

The little girl was about the same age and height as Xiao Yan. Her large, bright eyes blinked as she timidly glanced at Su Qian and the others before softly greeting Ye Zhong, "Greetings, Grand Elder."

Ye Zhong introduced her to everyone. "This child is Xin Lan, the most talented junior of our Ye Clan at present. She is now a First-Grade Alchemist and a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. Once she advances to the Dou Master class, she will become a Second-Grade Alchemist!"

Xiao Yan was startled when he heard that. Although Xin Lan was not his match, she was the same age as him! The peers he had encountered before—Wu Hao and Hu Jia—were still struggling in the Dou Qi stage, while Lu Mu had been unable to become an official alchemist because his Dou Qi cultivation had lagged behind.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yan glanced at Xun'er behind him. Even the unfathomable Xun'er was currently still at the Dou Qi stage. Xin Lan's cultivation therefore made Xiao Yan realize just how uniquely blessed the environment of the Central Domain was.

But beyond that, Xiao Yan also realized something else. Xun'er's background was so extraordinary, so why had she left the Central Plains and gone to the Xiao Clan? If she had remained in the Central Plains, Xun'er's strength would surely be even greater than Xin Lan's.

Over there, Ye Zhong took Xin Lan's hand and said to her, "This is an old friend of mine, the Grand Elder of Jia Nan Academy. By seniority, you may call him Grandpa Su."

Xin Lan politely greeted Su Qian, though her voice was a little soft. Seeing this, Ye Zhong helplessly explained.

"This child has always had such a temperament. These two children are your Grandpa Su's students. In particular, your Senior Brother Xiao Yan here possesses talent not inferior to the Cao Family's Demoness in the slightest!"

Xiao Yan and the others did not know who this "Demoness" Ye Zhong spoke of was, but Xin Lan knew perfectly well. She was a legendary figure among the Five Great Families. What was so special about this boy before her that he could be mentioned in the same breath as that Demoness?

After both sides exchanged greetings, Xin Lan kept staring at Xiao Yan with curious eyes. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, felt thoroughly uncomfortable. He had more or less guessed that the person before him was related to the marriage Ye Zhong had mentioned, but he had never imagined that stepping outside would result in getting married!

Just as Xiao Yan was considering how to refuse Ye Zhong's "kindness," Ye Zhong spoke again.

"Well, Xiao Yan? If you agree, you can enter into a marriage contract with Xin Lan. From then on, my Ye Clan will be your backing. You're still young and don't understand these things, so ask Elder Su Qian whether you would be losing out in this arrangement."

"What?! ゞ◎Д◎ヾ"

Xin Lan immediately panicked. She had no idea what was happening, only that the Grand Elder had suddenly decided to arrange some marriage for her. But she was not stupid. Linking it to Ye Zhong's previous remarks about talent, she quickly understood the reason behind it and became despondent. She understood that this was something she could not resist. Born into the Ye Clan, even as a child barely in her teens, she had long possessed such awareness.

But Xiao Yan had no such awareness! Even though he knew agreeing to this would bring him countless benefits, he did not want to blindly accept a marriage arrangement!

Even if he could not obtain the Ye Clan's help, Xiao Yan could not go against his heart and casually accept some marriage contract.

"Grand Elder Ye, this matter..."

"I'll speak for Brother Xiao Yan. The two of you may not know this, but Brother Xiao Yan already has a marriage contract within my Xiao Clan. He is only waiting until he comes of age to marry."

Xun'er unexpectedly interrupted Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan was slightly stunned, but after hearing Xun'er's explanation, he immediately gave her a thumbs-up in his heart. What a great excuse. It's much better than directly refusing them myself.

"He already has a marriage contract?!"

Ye Zhong had not expected this situation and was momentarily stunned. Xun'er continued explaining.

"That is correct. It was a debt of gratitude formed between the Xiao Clan's ancestors and another family on the battlefield. Thus, the marriage was arranged before birth. Brother Xiao Yan's marriage contract was set before he was even born."

Xiao Yan remained silent, but inwardly could not help applauding Xun'er. I never knew Xun'er had this skill. She made it sound completely real.

Ye Zhong frowned deeply. To be honest, he did not really care whether Xiao Yan had a marriage contract. He already knew Xiao Yan's origins, and he did not believe a place like that could have any force capable of matching the Ye Clan.

But he absolutely could not say such thoughts aloud. Xun'er had put it that way, and with his status as the Ye Clan's Grand Elder, he naturally could not suggest breaking off the previous marriage contract.

Xiao Yan also spoke at the appropriate moment. "That is correct. Grand Elder Ye, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, but the clan's orders cannot be defied. Please forgive me, Grand Elder Ye."

Ye Zhong was filled with frustration. His desire to arrange a marriage contract between Xin Lan and Xiao Yan was not solely because of Xiao Yan's exceptional talent. More importantly, Xiao Yan had a clean background and no real foundation. Marrying into families like the Cao Family among the Five Great Families could naturally help them pass the assessment as well, but whether the Ye Clan would still be called the Ye Clan afterward would be hard to say.

With the chance to save the Ye Clan right before his eyes, how could Ye Zhong possibly be willing to give up?