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Bashan City, Ye Residence.
"Have you heard? Our Family Head's cheap son-in-law has returned."
"The one engaged to the young lady since childhood? Who does he think he is to be worthy of the young lady of the Ye family?"
"What can be done? The Family Head likes him! He left without a word four years ago, and now that he sees the young lady has joined the Divine Sword Sect, he wants to come back?"
"A toad wanting to eat swan meat, without even knowing his place!"
The maids sweeping the courtyard of the Ye Residence sneered disdainfully as they gossiped.
Suddenly, their faces froze, and they quickly lowered their heads, spreading out and focusing on the fallen leaves and dust on the ground.
Not far away stood a plainly dressed young man, who had evidently heard their conversation.
"Am I the toad?" The young man muttered to himself, chuckling softly.
The young man was none other than Lin Qian, the fiancé of the Ye family's young lady mentioned by the maids.
Lin Qian was indifferent to the maids' gossip and walked away directly.
The Ye Residence was vast, housing over three thousand people including the Ye family's main and branch families as well as their servants.
Although the estate was complicated, Lin Qian, who had been away for four years, still navigated it with ease.
His destination was the Council Hall in the inner courtyard, where family matters were discussed.
As Lin Qian arrived at the entrance of the Council Hall, he coincidentally encountered three people walking out.
The middle-aged man at the forefront had a handsome appearance, with a small mustache and luxurious attire, walking like a dragon while carrying the aura of a tiger, exuding a hint of majesty.
This person was the current Family Head of the Ye family, Ye Nanxin, Lin Qian's future father-in-law.
Beside Ye Nanxin were two sixteen-year-old youths, who wore expressions of arrogance under their snow-white tunics draped with black robes.
Upon seeing Lin Qian's arrival, Ye Nanxin nodded with a smile and left with the two youths.
Lin Qian watched Ye Nanxin depart, flexing his fingers, unsure of his thoughts.
Shortly after, noise erupted within the Council Hall as many people filed out, brushing past Lin Qian standing at the hall's entrance.
As they passed, they cast looks of aversion, disdain, scorn, and contempt at him.
The crowd knowingly kept a half-foot distance from Lin Qian, making the area around him unusually sparse.
To them, being close to Lin Qian seemed like a disgrace.
"They said you returned; I didn't expect it to be true," a crisp voice sounded from the right, and Lin Qian turned to see a fourteen-year-old girl glaring at him.
"Ye Lin?" He scrutinized the girl, recognizing her as the daughter of his future father-in-law's younger brother, and his fiancée's cousin.
"Now that cousin is a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, someone like you, a useless freeloader, is not worthy," Ye Lin said disdainfully, eyeing Lin Qian with contempt. "If you have any sense, you'll dissolve the engagement yourself. Do you think coming back will let you ride on cousin's coattails to success? Stop dreaming."
Having said that, Ye Lin turned around to leave, but after a few steps, she looked back: "Only someone like the City Lord's son, Bai Ren, a heaven's favored, deserves cousin. The City Lord has already proposed, and Mr. Bai will soon return to Bashan City, so stop clinging to our Ye family."
Lin Qian watched Ye Lin with his arms crossed, silently amused.
Seeing Lin Qian not even retort, Ye Lin's eyes filled with even more contempt: "Coward!"
As Ye Lin walked away without turning back, Lin Qian snorted twice, heading into the Council Hall in stark contrast to the departing crowd.
Upon entering the Council Hall, which could accommodate hundreds, Lin Qian found it empty.
A calligraphy piece hung on the wall at the front of the hall, with the single large character "Quiet."
Lin Qian randomly chose a seat in the Council Hall, sitting quietly with no visible emotion.
Moments later, hurried footsteps sounded outside the Council Hall, and Lin Qian looked up to see Ye Nanxin entering hastily.
"Uncle Ye!" Seeing Ye Nanxin enter, Lin Qian quickly stood up, smiling as he greeted him.
Ye Nanxin stepped forward, grabbing Lin Qian's hand and pulling him toward the outside of the Council Hall: "Qianer, I have an opportunity for you now; you must seize it."
"Uncle Ye, what opportunity could make you so urgent?" Lin Qian withdrew his hand from Ye Nanxin's grasp, smiling bitterly.
"Bashan City is under the jurisdiction of the Wanxiang Sect, and every three years, they open their doors to recruit disciples; I want to send you to try."
"In the world of Martial Artists, Martial Soul is paramount, and I'm a person without one, practically useless. How can I enter the Wanxiang Sect?" Lin Qian said helplessly, spreading his hands.
"Every time the Wanxiang Sect opens the mountain, they send disciples as Inspectors to check cities and families under their jurisdiction, giving quotas. Our Ye family has three quotas, like in previous years, plus an additional guaranteed quota."
"The guaranteed quota means that regardless of the person's condition or qualifications, they can enter the sect. So, I want to fight for this quota for you."
"The allocation of the guaranteed quota is entirely up to the Inspector disciples. This time, the disciples from the Wanxiang Sect are staying at our Ye Residence. I've arranged for you to stay in the courtyard next to them. You've been smart and articulate since you were young. Build a good relationship with them, and it'll make it easier for me to intervene."
"Uncle Ye, among the three Inspector disciples, one is the Inspector. The other two just assist. If the ones staying at our Ye family are not the Inspector but assisting disciples, there's no point in appeasing them!" Lin Qian said with a helpless smile.
"The City Lord's son Bai Ren, a genius, joined the Wanxiang Sect at the age of fourteen three years ago and is rumored to be returning soon. This time, I'm almost sure he's the Inspector. I have a good relationship with the City Lord, so I'll personally request him," Ye Nanxin said as he and Lin Qian reached a courtyard.
Standing in front of the courtyard, Ye Nanxin took a small cloth bag from his chest and handed it to Lin Qian.
"What's inside are gifts I've prepared; go and build a good relationship with the two disciples from the Wanxiang Sect." Ye Nanxin patted Lin Qian's shoulder, "Uncle Ye can only help you this far."
"And, that girl from our family writes monthly, asking if you've returned. She misses you." After finishing this, Ye Nanxin nodded to himself and turned to leave.
Lin Qian stood at the courtyard entrance, watching Ye Nanxin's departing figure in silence.
"What does it matter how the other members of the Ye family treat me?" Lin Qian glanced at the storage pouch in his hand, deeply moved. "Having my future father-in-law and future wife treat me well is enough!"
He tossed the storage pouch in his hand before pushing the courtyard gate open and walking straight in.
Bang!
Lin Qian closed the courtyard gate with a backhand, the commotion already alerting the two Wanxiang Sect youths inside.
Unbeknownst to Lin Qian, the two Wanxiang Sect disciples employed some mysterious footwork to instantly appear before him.
Despite their aloof demeanor, the Wanxiang Sect disciples before him showed no arrogance, cupping their fists and bowing in salute.
"Brother Lin!"
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