Thank You, Su Chen

"That place is a cave twenty li northwest of Clear River City..."

Sure enough, Su Chen named a location. As if afraid Jiang Shan and the others would not be able to find it, he even thoughtfully drew them a map.

"However, I went to that cave a year ago. It seems to have collapsed now, and the Family Head's Seal is hidden in its deepest reaches. You may have to send people to excavate it for some time before you can dig out the seal."

Su Chen added.

Jiang Shan took the map and said in a deep voice, "Wait here for now. I'll send someone to take a look."

Su Chen smiled faintly. Jiang Shan truly was an old fox. He would not blindly trust him so easily; he would certainly send people to see whether the cave Su Chen described really existed.

An hour later.

Jiang Shan's subordinate galloped back to the main hall and reported, "First Master, there truly is a cave there, but it has collapsed. The entrance is blocked by huge boulders. It will take at least three months to dig out what is inside."

Jiang Shan drew a deep breath and asked Su Chen in a low voice, "Are you certain the Family Head's Seal is really in that cave?"

Su Chen replied calmly, "I can even draw what the Family Head's Seal looks like. How could it be fake?"

The last trace of doubt in Jiang Shan's heart vanished. He nodded and said, "Fine. The Wang Family will come with their betrothal gifts in three days. I will personally go tell them that this marriage is canceled!"

"First Master Jiang is a clever man. Doing business with you is a pleasure," Su Chen said with a faint smile.

"I only hope you have not lied to me. Otherwise, you will die a miserable death!" Jiang Shan turned and strode away with Jiang He.

Only Su Chen and Xu Yin remained in the council hall.

Whew—

Xu Yin collapsed weakly into a chair, feeling as though her back had been drenched in sweat.

When Jiang Shan and Jiang He had said they wanted to marry Jiang Tingyi off to Wang Sheng, Xu Yin had truly felt as if the sky were falling.

She had never imagined that under those circumstances, Su Chen would still be able to turn the tide. With nothing but his three-inch, tireless tongue, he had actually made Jiang Shan cancel an already settled marriage agreement!

Unable to stop herself, Xu Yin looked at Su Chen's calm, standing back and voiced the doubt in her heart. "Xiao Chen, was what you said true? Is the Family Head's Seal really in that cave?"

"Of course I lied to them."

Su Chen answered with a smile.

"L-Lied to them?" Xu Yin stared at him in astonishment. She had thought that since Su Chen had spoken with such certainty, it had to be true.

In the end, she had still underestimated Su Chen's ability to lie without changing his expression or quickening his heartbeat. He had actually deceived even Jiang Shan.

Su Chen merely smiled without speaking. How could he possibly let Jiang Shan and Jiang He truly obtain the Family Head's Seal?

That collapsed cave did indeed exist, but the Family Head's Seal was not inside it.

He had merely calculated Jiang Shan's longing for the Family Head's Seal. He knew that as long as there was news of it, Jiang Shan would stop at nothing. Even if it meant breaking the agreement with the Wang Family and risking their enmity, Jiang Shan would not hesitate.

However, Su Chen truly had seen the Jiang Family's Family Head's Seal before—only in his previous life. That was precisely why he knew what it looked like.

"If Jiang Shan and Jiang He discover that you deceived them and that the Family Head's Seal is not in that cave, they will not let you off." Xu Yin was worried.

"Don't worry, Aunt Xu," Su Chen said. "Digging through that cave will not be done in a day or two."

"But they will find out sooner or later!" Xu Yin said.

Su Chen smiled faintly. That was right. To keep Jiang Tingyi from marrying that sadist today, he had indeed used a rather risky method.

Once Jiang Shan and Jiang He discovered the truth, they would eventually come to settle the score with him.

But that would be several months from now, at the very least!

Several months later, who could say how far Su Chen's strength would have risen?

"Strength is ultimately the foremost thing!" Su Chen murmured softly. If he had not been too weak today, why would he have needed to use such a method to stall Jiang Shan and Jiang He?

For now, the most urgent thing before him was still to increase his strength!

By the day Jiang Shan and Jiang He discovered the truth, as long as he possessed sufficient strength, he would have no reason to fear them!

"Aunt Xu, I will definitely protect all of you."

Su Chen's tone was exceedingly resolute.

Three days later.

The Jiang Family was calm and peaceful. It was said that before the Wang Family came with their betrothal gifts, Jiang Shan had personally gone to the Wang Family and dissolved the marriage agreement.

Sitting in his room, Su Chen listened to the servants outside the window discussing the matter. It was said that the Wang Family Head had flown into a great rage, but there was nothing he could do. He could only publicly drive Jiang Shan and Jiang He out of the Wang Family and declare that all business cooperation with the Jiang Family would be canceled.

Su Chen smiled faintly. Jiang Shan and Jiang He had originally wanted to use this marriage alliance to win over the Wang Family, yet the result was that their relationship with the Wang Family had plunged to freezing point. That was likely not something Jiang Shan and Jiang He had expected.

But since they craved the position of Family Head so desperately, how could they avoid paying a price?

It was said that after the clan assembly, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had impatiently sent a group of guards to excavate that cave. In a few months, they should be able to dig through it, right?

Knock, knock!

A knock sounded at the door. Su Chen casually said, "Come in."

When Jiang Tingyi pushed open the door, she saw Su Chen standing calmly by the window in a green robe.

Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell upon Su Chen. The young man stood tall and straight, with handsome brows and bright eyes, sideburns sharp as though carved by a blade, and a face like polished jade. He possessed an elegant, transcendent air, yet also the keen edge unique to youth.

For some reason, Jiang Tingyi's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She could not explain it herself. It seemed that ever since the clan assembly, her feelings toward Su Chen had changed.

In the past, she had held particularly deep prejudices against Su Chen. She had thought this cousin of hers was weak and insufficiently outstanding, utterly unworthy of being Jiang Tingyi's cousin.

But now, she realized that this Su Chen was not the same as the Su Chen in her memories.

"Thank you."

After a long silence, Jiang Tingyi spoke.

"Didn't you already say that once before?" Su Chen said absentmindedly, without even turning to look at her.

Jiang Tingyi froze, only then realizing that Su Chen meant the day of the clan assembly. After Su Chen had fought Jiang Mingxuan, she had also said "thank you" to him.

"Last time, I thanked you for the duel. This time, I'm thanking you for the marriage agreement." Jiang Tingyi spoke somewhat awkwardly. She was still not used to getting along with Su Chen so peacefully.

Still, despite the awkwardness, her gratitude toward Su Chen was genuine. After all, Su Chen had helped her mother and daughter twice in a single day.

"How did you suddenly become so formidable? You hardly seem like yourself." After another moment of silence, Jiang Tingyi asked.

Su Chen smiled faintly. "Then what should I be like?"