Falling Cloud City had two great Aristocratic Clans and four great Lineages.
The two great Aristocratic Clans were the Fang Lineage and the Li Lineage.
The four great Lineages were the Cheng Lineage, the Yang Lineage, the Luo Lineage, and the Gao Lineage.
Below them were some smaller Lineages with a measure of accumulated strength.
But they were not yet capable of shaking the four great Lineages.
Of course, the Lineages of Falling Cloud City were nothing compared to the sects.
Even compared to Falling Cloud City's Cloudfront Office, they seemed rather ordinary.
The Luo Lineage had once enjoyed immense prestige.
But in recent years, the old generation had faded without a new one to take its place, and its standing had declined by the day.
It relied entirely on its second-in-command, who was in a sect.
With her eyes lowered, Luo Xuan reached the Luo Lineage's main gate and entered the residence as the guards beside it bowed respectfully.
She made her way to the main hall.
There, she saw a middle-aged man with a little white at his temples seeing off three men of roughly his age.
They had probably been discussing some business.
Their expressions were pleasant; the conversation seemed to have gone well.
As they passed Luo Xuan, they even smiled and remarked on how she had grown so big in the blink of an eye.
Luo Xuan lowered her head and greeted each of them.
Only then did the three leave.
After seeing them off, the middle-aged man returned and looked at Luo Xuan. "You're back?"
"Yes." Luo Xuan answered with her head lowered.
In the hall, the man took his seat and drank some tea. "Don't be disheartened. Qualification was never easy to obtain."
"There were actually plenty of places, but I couldn't even secure one," Luo Xuan said, her head lowered.
"Quite a few people in the Luo Lineage secured places. You needn't dwell on it," Luo Huaili said, setting down his teacup.
Luo Xuan lowered her eyes and asked softly, "Are those uncles going to pressure you, Father?"
"They don't matter." Luo Huaili looked at Luo Xuan. "News recently came from the Wuyun Sect. Your second uncle has gone missing. The odds are against him."
At this, Luo Xuan's pupils contracted. She opened her mouth to ask how he was, but in the end said, "The Luo Lineage was probably counting on Second Uncle."
"Yes, but not many people know about it. The Luo Lineage can hold on for a while longer." Luo Huaili sighed. "If we can't find a way to deter them before the others learn of this, the Luo Lineage probably won't be able to keep its footing."
Luo Xuan clenched her fists. If she could have qualified and then entered a sect in one stroke.
Then...
They would not have been left so helpless.
In truth, her talent fully qualified her for a place in the contest.
But...
Sometimes, what stood in her way was not talent.
But saying any more was already futile.
"What arrangements do you have in mind, Father?" Luo Xuan asked.
When she lost, she had already prepared herself.
To calmly accept the Lineage's arrangements.
"Two choices." Luo Huaili looked at his daughter, who remained composed, and sighed. "The Luo Lineage lacks a prodigy now, so the first choice is to find a common-born prodigy and have him marry into the Luo Lineage.
"The Luo Lineage will spare no effort in nurturing him. As long as he enters a sect with sufficiently outstanding results before news of your second uncle gets out, the crisis can be eased."
Looking at Luo Xuan, Luo Huaili continued, "The second choice is a marriage alliance with an important member of one of the other three Lineages, securing protection until the Luo Lineage produces a prodigy capable of shouldering this burden."
Luo Xuan remained silent. Although she had long known how things would end.
Still...
Hearing it still made her feel afraid.
"Think it over carefully. If you choose the first option, you can suggest a candidate. I'll find a way," Luo Huaili said.
Luo Xuan nodded. "I'll think it over and give you an answer as soon as possible."
Then she rose and bowed, leaving the hall on the grounds that she felt unwell.
Luo Huaili sat in the hall for a long time before finally heaving a deep sigh.
"First, investigate how many people from the villages qualified."
For the past two days, Jiang Man had been cultivating in the Stable courtyard.
He had not even gone to the Spirit-Gathering Hall.
It was all to keep strengthening his physical body and spirit.
After two days, his physical body finally broke through the third stage and reached the fourth stage.
But the bottleneck remained.
So he planned to keep improving.
Much of the Flawless Qi and Blood Pill's medicinal potency remained. Perhaps even the sixth stage would not be a problem.
After that, he would use the Flawless Spirit-Concentration Pill to strengthen his spirit.
He had to admit, apart from hastening his death, this Fate Pattern had nothing to fault in other respects.
It brought plenty of good things.
During his two days off, Little Fatty had come to see him to relay a message, and had also given him a sheet of paper.
The message was the same as before.
His family knew about Jiang Man. If he needed any resources, he could ask freely.
They were willing to provide sufficient resources.
But Little Fatty had also warned him that this was a favorite trick of his family's.
The aim was to bind people to the Gao Lineage.
Their words might sound nice now, but they would be utterly ruthless when the time came.
Jiang Man had no doubt about that.
Which of these Lineages was genuinely kindhearted?
The resources were provided on the condition that they could always retain the upper hand.
In the future, he would have to work for them.
It was not that fairness did not exist, but his current showing could not earn it.
Weak as he was, making a deal with them would mean paying a greater price later.
And the vast majority would have to serve as stepping stones for members of their main family.
That was what the sheet of paper said.
Little Fatty's parents had not given him the paper; he had stolen it.
These were the terms used to bind others.
They were recorded very clearly.
If someone managed to enter a sect, they would have to defer to the Gao Lineage's direct descendants within it and become their stepping stones when necessary.
Put nicely, it meant helping the other party once, unconditionally.
Even if it meant giving up their life.
Jiang Man could not do something like that.
In addition, Little Fatty had told him something else: after failing the selection and returning home, Luo Xuan would probably have to follow her Lineage's arrangements.
Most likely, she would have to take a husband who would marry into her family.
"The pavilion nearest the water catches the moon first. Brother Jiang, there's a good chance you'll go from bodyguard to live-in son-in-law," Little Fatty said excitedly.
"They should ask Song Qing," Jiang Man said casually.
"Song Qing wants to be a bodyguard, but the Luo Lineage doesn't want him," Little Fatty said regretfully.
Jiang Man sighed. "I won't do either."
Little Fatty looked puzzled. "Why?"
"Because I'm already married," Jiang Man answered truthfully.
Little Fatty's eyes widened, his face full of astonishment.
"I told you last time. I married a fairy," Jiang Man said earnestly.
Little Fatty: "..."
Apparently, Brother Jiang did not want to marry into another family.
Only after Little Fatty left did Old Yellow Ox walk over.
A faint light radiated from his body.
"Your wife sent a message," Old Yellow Ox said.
Speak of her, and here she is.
Jiang Man was not surprised. She seemed to check every few days whether he was still alive.
If he failed to take the thing out, Old Yellow Ox would be in danger.
Besides, she could also pinpoint their location more accurately.
And then come to kill them.
At this thought, Jiang Man suddenly realized that his wife would only come once he died.
It seemed that even in death, he would not get one last look at her.
That counted as a good thing, too.
Then he carefully took out the Light Orb.
The Light Orb blossomed with light, enveloping him.
Her melodious voice sounded again. "Husband, would you like to leave an heir? I can help you, Husband, as long as you hand over the Evil God you're keeping.
"Then I can come over and leave you a bloodline.
"Also, has that Evil God been beguiling you, Husband, saying it will find you another wife?
"It's deceiving you. It wants to use this to strengthen itself.
"Husband, once the Magpie Bridge opens, I'll come over. We'll see each other again very soon."
Jiang Man: "..."
Her voice held an ethereal quality, as lively as flowing spring water.
Yet it gave him an inexplicable chill.
"What did she say?" Old Yellow Ox asked curiously.
Before you continue