Floating Immortal Order

Chapter 131: Seventh Son of the Jin Clan

Chapter 131: Seventh Son of the Jin Clan

On a bed made from luxurious agarwood, a youth opened his eyes. He sniffed a few times, catching the fragrance wafting about the room as he sat up.

“Young Master, you’re awake. Xiao Rou will help you get dressed,” a gentle voice chimed. A pretty maid hurried over, taking the silk robe from the wooden clothes rack and moving to help the youth get dressed.

The youth lightly pushed Xiao Rou away, looking around at the cozy, gorgeously decorated room. “Where is Yan’er?” he asked, brows furrowing lightly.

Xiao Rou politely retreated several steps and replied, “Young Miss went to pay her respects to the Patriarch. She saw that you were sleeping, so she didn’t wake you up.”

Ye Zhaixing took the silk robe from her hands and began to dress himself while muttering his complaints. “Yan’er, really… I just came back from Youyang City yesterday. Today, I was supposed to go pay respects to father-in-law too.”

“Young Miss only did this because she cares about you,” Xiao Rou said with a short peal of melodious laughter as she came forward to help Ye Zhaixing straighten the wrinkles in the sleeves of his silk robe.

When she pushed open the doors of the pavilion, warm sunlight spilled down, filtering through the leaves of the tall trees out front. The rays of sunlight bathed the youth, highlighting the handsome features of his face.

Ye Zhaixing squinted his eyes and exclaimed, “There really is no place more comfortable than home. Those two years I spent at Youyang City’s Dao Palace were awful.”

Xiao Rou didn’t dare to reply to that, simply closing the wooden doors and standing obediently off to the side.

Ye Zhaixing casually gave Xiao Rou’s pert buttocks a squeeze. Seeing her body squirm and her face flush a bright red, the corner of his lips curled into a smile. He took his hand away and straightened the hems of his sleeves, then left the pavilion.

In the Nourishing Heart Hall in Zhenhai City…

Ever since Xu Xiao had taken over the position of Patriarch from Xu Chaoyang, Nourishing Heart Hall had become his personal pavilion as the new Patriarch. The matters related to the clan, no matter how big or small, were all handled within the walls of Nourishing Heart Hall.

Xu Chaoyang was now the Regional Lord of the Ruyang Region, and had taken his hands off all internal clan affairs.

“Yan’er, why did you come alone? Didn’t Ye Zhaixing already come back yesterday?” Xu Xiao said. His handsome, now forty-year-old features had a hint of dignity to them.

After managing the Xu Clan for several years, he was no longer the capricious young man he once was.

“Father, Zhaixing was cultivating hard at Youyang City for two years. He must be both physically and mentally exhausted. Please allow him a bit of rest this time,” Xu Yan said, affectionately grabbing her father’s arm as she spoke in a coquettish tone like that of a spoiled child.

“Fine, fine,” Xu Xiao relented, looking helplessly at his precious daughter. “But this time, Zhaixing’s return coincides with a big undertaking of our Xu Clan. He has to take responsibility and participate.”

After Xu Disheng left, the status of his one and only sister Xu Yan had risen astronomically thanks to Daoist Lord Qingxin and Zhang Keyu.

Although Daoist Lord Qingxin didn’t say all that much, the prince of the Xing family, Zhang Keyu, had been bestowing generous rewards to the Ruyang Region’s Xu Clan. As such, they were thriving and flourishing.

There were several dozens of small aristocratic families in the Ruyang Region, and the eldest son of the Ye Clan, Ye Zhaixing, greatly adored Xu Yan. He had frequently sent generous gifts to Zhenhai City, wanting to marry her.

As the Regional Lord, Xu Chaoying looked down on the Ye Clan somewhat, so the matter had always been getting delayed and postponed.

But who could have guessed that at the Dao Channel Measurement Ceremony two years ago, Ye Zhaixing would actually end up testing Grade 3 Dao Channels!

Xu Chaoyang immediately conveyed this matter to the You Province’s Dao Palace, and the Youyang Dao Palace sent a messenger several days later, ordering Ye Zhaixing to come to the Youyang Dao Palace to cultivate.

Unexpectedly, Ye Zhaixing requested to postpone his departure for Youyang City, instead continuing to repeatedly ask for Xu Yan’s hand in marriage.

With his repeated proposals, Xu Chaoyang and the Council of Elders no longer had any reason to refuse him, so the Xu Clan and Ye Clan held a magnificent wedding ceremony in Zhenhai City, the new capital of the Ruyang Region, which had taken place two years ago at this point.

“Greetings, father-in-law,” Ye Zhaixing said, striding into the hall with a straight and impressive appearance.

Xu Xiao lifted the cup of tea in front of him and took a sip. He nodded and said, “Zhaixing. How did these two years of cultivation go for you?”

Ye Zhaixing gave a bitter smile and said, “Father-in-law, I really can’t bear those bitter, grueling days of cultivation any longer. I already told Prince Xing that I won’t be coming anymore from now on.”

“All the better! My Xu Clan is currently undergoing a period of rapid expansion. It wouldn’t do for you to leave and never come back like Sheng’er,” Xu Xiao said with a smile, putting down his teacup.

Ye Zhaixing gently pulled Xu Yan over to his side. When their gazes met, their eyes were full of tender feeling.

Ye Zhaixing turned back to Xu Xiao and said respectfully, “Father-in-law, my Ye Clan has already been incorporated into your Xu Clan. As long as you say the word, I am willing to jump into any fire or brave any danger for the Xu Clan.”

Xu Xiao nodded and said, “The Elders will have a council tomorrow. Come to Nourishing Heart Hall and stand by.” Then, he seemed to remember something and asked, “Zhaixing, what is your cultivation like now?”

A hint of self-satisfaction flashed across his face as he replied, “Unfortunately, I am too lacking in talent. I am already at the half-step Xiantian realm.”

“Good. You can go now then,” Xu Xiao replied.

As Xu Xiao watched the retreating figures of the couple, a gleam appeared in his eyes.

When Ye Zhaixing was younger, he had a poor reputation. He frequented brothels and was the typical hedonistic son of a well-to-do family.

But it was still good that the Ye Clan was a small aristocratic family. Ye Zhaixing had a good discerning eye, and while he bullied and pushed around the commoners, he never caused any huge trouble.

After the Xu Clan gained Prince Xing’s favor and experienced a meteoric rise to power, coming to rule over an entire Region, Xu Yan became the pearl in the palm of the Xu Clan. She always had countless eyes fixed upon her, so Ye Zhaixing had no choice but to shape up.

By relying on his handsome features, diverse mindset, and his own wit, he managed to attract Xu Yan’s interest. However, the Ye Clan’s influence was weak. They were inferior to the Xu Clan’s power by several levels, so he didn’t have the qualifications to marry her.

Ye Zhaixing had previously not been very proactive towards his own self-improvement, so in his childhood, he hadn’t even participated in a Dao Channel Measuring Ceremony. Two years ago, Xu Chaoyang held a unified Dao Channel Measuring Ceremony, rather than each influential clan of the Ruyang Region holding one themselves, so Ye Zhaixing took advantage of this opportunity to attend.

At this ceremony, Ye Zhaixing was measured to have Grade 3 Dao Channels, causing his name to become known far and wide throughout the Region!

When the Youyang Dao Palace sent someone over, it was discovered that he actually had Grade 3 Profound Meridians, meaning he could become a profound cultivator!

However, Ye Zhaixing didn’t have much interest in cultivating the profound laws. Instead, he preferred cultivating Martial Techniques. By using his Grade 3 Profound Meridian talent, he managed to go from being an ordinary Houtian martial artist to the half-step Xiantian stage in just two years.

… …

“Hurry up and throw her in!” a black-robed youth exclaimed, looking at the plain-clothed girl at his feet with an expression filled with excitement.

Several slaves who were standing by off to the side came and dragged the girl away in spite of her deathly pale complexion, tossing her a massive beast cage.

A vicious tiger with gorgeous stripes was pacing back and forth in the cage, letting out low growls. When its cold, callous beastly gaze fixated on the girl who had just been tossed in, its eyes turned red.

“Young Master Jin, please let me go, I beg you,” the girl pleaded with despairing eyes, her throat hoarse as she leaned up against the side of the cage.

“Hah? You broke my Spiralight Jade Bottle. Don’t you think you deserve to die?” Jin Wuyou, a youth of around 14-15 years old, said in an extremely ruthless tone. “It was given to me by Sister Yan, who received it from Prince Xing! Every time I played with it, I was always extremely careful. But you, you filthy, cheap slave! You broke it! This sin cannot be pardoned! Hurry up and shut the cage door!”

One of the sturdily-built slaves slammed the door closed and slid the thick iron bolt lock tightly in place.

It seemed that this wasn’t the first time this vicious tiger was being fed food in this manner. It eyed the thick iron lock and let out a low growl, tail swiping back and forth. Then, it pounced towards the girl, whose clothes were already in tatters from being whipped severely.

“Young Master Jin, please let me go… thi—aaahhh!!” the girl pleaded in a hoarse voice as she gripped the ice-cold bars of the beast cage. But after a short moment, her voice was cut off and no further cries came from the cage.

Jin Wuyou, the seventh son of the Jin Clan, couldn’t take his eyes off the cage. His expression grew more and more excited as he stared rapturously at the scene taking place within.

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