Chapter Sixty-Eight: Ambition Unleashed

Leaving aside the matter of the sect leader’s successor, Yu Shiyu spoke only of Yu Rushuang’s marriage, so that Ying Ximei listened without any resistance. As she stepped through the courtyard gate, she said, “That might indeed be a solution.”

“Cultivators are in no hurry to marry. Fourth Aunt, consider it carefully before making a decision.” Yu Shiyu did not wish to delve deeper. He turned to his father, Yu Tianze. “Father, what brings you here?”

“Let’s talk inside. I’ve just arrived—can’t you let me sit down and have a cup of tea first?” Yu Tianze laughed and gently scolded him.

After inviting his father and fourth aunt inside, Yu Rushuang helped pour tea for the elders. Yu Shiyu said, “Father, keep it brief, I need to get back to cultivating.”

“You rascal, I haven’t even started talking and you’re already complaining I’m long-winded!” Yu Tianze laughed with Ying Ximei and then said, “Fourth sister-in-law, why don’t you speak to him? He may not listen to me, but perhaps he’ll listen to you.”

His father, that old fox, clearly didn’t approve of Fourth Aunt’s matchmaking either and was pushing the task onto her. Yu Shiyu was quite satisfied with his father’s tactic, but he smiled wryly. “Father, there’s no shortage of talent in the Sword Sect; your son is under a lot of pressure.”

“Would you like Fourth Aunt to secure the most gifted female disciple of the Sword Sect as your wife?” Ying Ximei smiled gently.

Once, Yu Shiyu had loved to see her gentle smile, but since he had acknowledged Yu Youwei, he found this woman’s gentleness to be false, and was deeply dissatisfied with her interference in his marriage. Smiling, he replied, “Is Fourth Aunt referring to Senior Sister Yanqing? I’m afraid I must decline your kind intention.”

“You refuse?” Ying Ximei was genuinely surprised by Yu Shiyu’s straightforward rejection.

Yu Tianze feigned reproach. “Rascal, not listening to your father is one thing, but now you won’t even heed your fourth aunt?”

Looking directly at Fourth Aunt, Yu Shiyu did not flinch. “Senior Sister Yanqing is extraordinary, a fine mentor, but as a wife, she wouldn’t suit me. I already have someone in mind. She possesses the Mystic Yin constitution, is simple-hearted, and her family is weak. No matter what I do in the future, there will be no trouble.”

Ying Ximei was stunned, unable to find words to respond.

After a moment’s silence, Yu Shiyu spoke sincerely. “Fourth Aunt, these are my true thoughts. Most families marry daughters to high doors and sons to lower ones. In my view, marrying a daughter into a higher family makes sense only if the daughter herself is formidable. In any case, I hope that none of the Yu family’s sons or daughters will ever be bullied.”

“You are right. I must give it some thought.” Ying Ximei nodded with difficulty. It was the first time her words had been rejected by the Yu family, and she had no reason to be angry. She bade farewell to Yu Tianze and left with her daughter.

After seeing Fourth Aunt and her daughter off, Yu Shiyu said to his father, “You didn’t come all this way just for this, did you?”

Yu Tianze did not answer, but instead spoke worriedly, “Speaking to Fourth Aunt like that, if you anger her and she stops caring about Yu family matters, things might go badly.”

“I didn’t want to, but Fourth Aunt intends to follow the sect leader’s wishes and marry Shuangmei to Senior Brother Ling Yanfeng. If that marriage goes through, the Yu family’s situation will become precarious.” Yu Shiyu sighed.

The Yu family, which presided over Eastern Ling Prefecture, only rose from its lowly position among the seventy-two prefectures into the top ten after Fourth Aunt married Fourth Uncle. They displaced the Wu family, which had produced three empresses and nine noble consorts, to participate in the last Ten Prefectures Phantom Realm battle.

That battle brought great fortune to the Yu family, ushering in a period of rapid growth. The treatment Yu family disciples received in the Sword Sect stirred envy. Yet the good times did not last. Fourth Uncle died tragically, and though Fourth Aunt continued to support the Yu family, she bore only one daughter. No matter how favored she was by the sect leader, she would never be entrusted with the Sword Sect. The Yu family’s prospects became uncertain.

The Ning family proposed marriage, and Fourth Aunt volunteered to have Yu Youwei marry in her daughter’s stead, leaving her own child in the Sword Sect. This was so that Shuangmei could marry Ling Yanfeng, the sect leader’s most promising candidate. Ling Yanfeng’s great-grandfather was the Sword Sect’s elder, and marrying the sect leader’s granddaughter, Yu Rushuang, would make him the undisputed heir to the sect.

Once the guileless Yu Rushuang was married, Fourth Aunt would surely devote herself to her son-in-law. The Ling family was closely tied to the Wu family, and Yu Shiyu had always found himself at odds with Ling Yanfeng. The clans led by these two frequently clashed within the Sword Sect. The Yu family’s future was bleak. Yu Shiyu, ambitious as he was, hoped to lead the Yu family to rise, even if he could not vie for the sect’s leadership.

In the current situation, acting as Fourth Aunt’s puppet would only allow the Yu family to coast along at its peak. Once Ling Yanfeng became sect leader and helped the Wu family reclaim its place among the top ten prefectures, the Yu family would inevitably decline. Sabotaging Yu Rushuang’s marriage to Ling Yanfeng might still grant a chance to compete for the sect’s leadership. Binding Yu Youwei to the Yu family’s cause could spark a new era of prosperity.

Of course, Lady Poison was a rising star in the demonic path, and her associates, except for Baili Feiyan, were all from demonic factions, so their overt support would not help much. If it became known that Lady Poison was a Yu family daughter, it would do more harm than good.

At present, he only hoped that Yu Youwei’s intelligence would earn the Ning family’s favor, so that in the upcoming Ten Prefectures Phantom Realm battle, the Ning family might support the Yu family. This would be far better than their solitary struggle in the last battle.

Yu Shiyu had not shared these thoughts with his father, fearing eavesdroppers. He simply reiterated, “My decision to marry Yuyan is settled. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.”

“A son grown cannot be controlled by his father. Do as you wish.” Yu Tianze sighed with a smile. “It seems something has happened with the Ning family. That girl Youwei may have been expelled.”

“That’s impossible!” Yu Shiyu shook his head firmly, then thought again—if she hadn’t been expelled, how could she have stormed the Xuanchan Palace? “Has the Ning family sent any word?” he asked.

“No word from the Ning family, but Baili Feiyan, the young daughter of the Master of the Hundred Wisdom Pavilion, visited personally. You’re not even formally betrothed, yet she brought a congratulatory gift.” With a puzzled look, Yu Tianze asked, “Son, when did you become acquainted with her?”

“She’s friends with Yuyan. I’ve never met her myself.” Still not formally engaged, Baili Feiyan herself brought a gift—this must have been Ninth Sister’s idea, both to show goodwill and as a warning. Thinking of this, Yu Shiyu smiled. Since Ninth Sister cared so much for Yuyan, everything he did for Yuyan surely would be remembered by her, and soon there would be an even greater reward.

Eight hundred li from the Cloud Wild Marsh, on Lake Worry, Yu Youwei piloted her Dark Light Shuttle low over the water. As she reached the center of the lake, she sneezed, nearly plunging headlong into the water. “Who’s thinking about me?” she murmured, rubbing her nose.

“There’s a tail behind you, followed all the way from Xuanchan Palace. It’s been half a day, and you haven’t noticed? Though honestly, with your strength so far below theirs, it’s not surprising you haven’t.” The little white bear, sprawled lazily at her feet, waved its short, chubby paw and yawned.