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After a dramatic series of arena bouts, He Yitian finally got his wish and married his bride.

What truly thrilled the brothers He Quanming and his sibling, however, was Yi Ming’s performance today.

The strength he displayed was simply terrifying, yet it simultaneously brought immense honor to He Family Village. One could gauge this by observing the demeanor of the Cheng father and son when they escorted them out of the mansion.

Especially toward He Yi Ming—even Old Master Cheng Ningsheng, at his advanced age of over eighty, cast aside his dignity, smiling warmly and chatting with him. The regard and courtesy shown to Yi Ming seemed in no way inferior to that given to Young Master Lin Taoli of the Lin family in Linlang Prefecture.

Likewise, Lin Taoli's attitude toward He Yi Ming was excessively warm; an uninformed observer might easily mistake them for real brothers.

Seeing the sun beginning to set in the west, Cheng Jiahui could find no further excuse to keep them, so he personally saw them off from the manor.

The entourage, complete with drums and gongs, traversed half the county town and entered the courtyard that the He family had prepared for them earlier.

As for the main He family homestead, their journey there would have to wait until the next day.

Lin Wenyu personally accompanied Cheng Yanli into the bridal chamber. Tonight, of course, could not be the wedding night, and having Lin Wenyu present was naturally the best choice.

The direct male descendants of the He family gathered in a room, dismissing all servants. He Quanming and the others looked at Yi Ming with expressions mixed with surprise and dissatisfaction.

He Yi Ming scratched the back of his head. His gaze shifted; he felt a headache coming on from facing his family in this interrogation-like formation.

However, his eyes darted, and he immediately put on a feigned, foolish grin. "Father, Third Uncle, today's battle has given me much insight. I must now enter secluded cultivation to fully comprehend all the revelations I've gained. Please do not disturb me until tomorrow morning."

With that, he waved his hand grandly and turned to leave the room.

Behind him, He Quanming and the others exchanged glances. Although they strongly suspected Yi Ming’s words were false, since he had said it, none of them, no matter how bold, dared to object.

If, by some chance, he spoke the truth, disturbing his martial insight was a consequence none of those present could afford to bear.

Sighing wryly, He Quanyi muttered, "This little rascal..." He paused, then remembered He Yi Ming's formidable display of power today, and the rest of his sentence died in his throat.

Clearing his throat, he continued, "This young fellow Yi Ming has actually cultivated to such a degree. Second Brother, as his father, how could you not know?"

He Quanming shot him an annoyed glance. "I am his father, yes, but how many times do I see him in a year? It’s you, his Third Uncle, who manages all the affairs of the village; how could you not know?"

He Quanyi chuckled bitterly. "Second Brother, have you forgotten? Any disciple in the village who advances past the sixth layer of Inner Strength is no longer under my jurisdiction. Especially Yi Ming—with such achievements at such a young age, how could I possibly oversee him?"

He Quanming nodded slightly; what his third brother said was the truth. Especially regarding Yi Ming, the Old Master had long decreed that no one should manage him, allowing him to develop entirely on his own. It was just that this 'self-development' had reached an unprecedented level by today.

In that moment, the two brothers were utterly awed by the Old Master's foresight.

Within the Cheng residence, lanterns were hung everywhere, and the atmosphere was joyous.

Old Master Cheng and Cheng Jiahui maintained beaming smiles when facing anyone, openly expressing the immense joy in their hearts.

They were extremely satisfied with the marital alliance with the He family. Judging by their demeanor, if not for propriety, they likely would have personally rushed to the He residence as well.

After finally seeing their daughter off, the guests gradually departed. The two powerful figures of the Cheng family remained by Lin Taoli’s side, treating this eldest young master of the Lin family with such warmth, fearing any slightest neglect.

Accompanied by Cheng Yanjuan, Lin Taoli maintained an exceptionally polite bearing. At least up to this point, he truly seemed to regard them as kin.

That evening, Old Master Cheng finally departed. Lin Taoli sat in the main hall of the most luxurious courtyard in the back garden, smiling faintly. "Father-in-law, how much do you know about He Family Village?"

Cheng Jiahui was momentarily startled, then considered for a moment. "He Family Village? It was established from scratch by He Wude alone forty years ago. After forty years of storms, they have finally become a local power. Starting today, the reputation of He Family Village in Taicang County will surely rise to the top among the Three Great Families."

As he spoke these words, Cheng Jiahui’s expression was rather grave.

Taicang County was considered a relatively peaceful place, yet the martial spirit here was exceptionally strong. Although receiving the Inner Strength teachings and cultivating it was rare—perhaps one in a hundred—methods for physical conditioning were known to everyone. In such a peculiar environment, an individual's prowess and prestige were indispensable supplements to a family's standing.

Otherwise, He Wude would not have been able to establish the foundation of He Family Village solely through martial force.

Of course, achieving this was also closely tied to his good fortune; not every master of the tenth layer of Inner Strength could successfully carve out a legacy meant to be passed down.

Having calmly recounted the deeds of He Wude, Cheng Jiahui hesitated before adding, "My father is of the same generation as He Wude and understands him more deeply. If Young Master Lin wishes to know more, he can have Father come over."

Lin Taoli waved a hand dismissively, chuckling. "No need to trouble the Old Master; I was merely asking casually." He mused for a moment. "In a while, I plan to visit He Family Village. Please ask Father-in-law to arrange for a servant to guide the way."

Cheng Jiahui immediately agreed profusely, though his heart felt heavy, as he had vaguely guessed the purpose of Young Master Lin's intended visit.

After Lin Taoli took his leave, Cheng Jiahui hesitated for a moment before finally turning and heading toward the Old Master’s quarters.

Not long after, he arrived in Cheng Ningsheng's room. The Old Master was relaxing on the kang, slowly sipping a cup of clear tea, enjoying himself as a typical elder.

"Father, your prediction was correct. Lin Taoli is indeed inquiring about the He family's affairs."

Sighing softly, Old Master Cheng shook his head slightly. "The He family has produced such a monstrous—a true prodigy—this time. If the Lin family of Linlang wasn't interested, that would be truly strange."

Cheng Jiahui lowered his head, then said regretfully after a moment, "He Yi Ming is undoubtedly a genius, but it is regrettable that he is not a genius of our Cheng family."

The great established families would spare no effort in recruiting cultivators of such immense power as He Yi Ming.

The great families of Linlang had previously not turned their attention to Taicang County because the strength of its cultivators wasn't high; it always ranked at the bottom among many counties. Furthermore, there were no truly renowned masters here, so few paid it much heed.

But that would be different from now on. When a fifteen-year-old cultivator of the ninth layer of Inner Strength appears, and that cultivator also masters a Primordial Battle Skill, no family, regardless of its standing, would refuse to welcome such a genius into its fold.

Although the He family of Taicang was one of the established families, once they left Taicang County, they were nothing.

If the Lin family of Linlang expressed an intention to recruit, it was highly probable they would succeed.

Old Master Cheng put down his teacup, his eyes half-closed as if deep in thought.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. "Jiahui, leave and invite your maternal uncle in."

Cheng Jiahui responded vaguely, subconsciously walking out, calculating in his mind just when his family had acquired a maternal uncle.

His vision suddenly blurred, and a face as dry as if devoid of all color appeared before him. His heart hammered violently a few times, but fortunately, his composure was well-honed; although his mouth opened, he did not cry out in alarm.

However, he then clearly saw that the figure suddenly before him was not a ghost, but Old Master Xu Yinjie of the Xu family.

He was extremely suspicious; when did his own father develop such unspoken understanding with Old Master Xu?

Respectfully ushering him in, Cheng Ningsheng sighed, "You've arrived."

Xu Yinjie spoke quietly, "Didn't you already guess that I was coming?"

Cheng Ningsheng’s expression suddenly tightened. He stared intently at Xu Yinjie, articulating each word slowly, "The Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng—it really wasn't you?"

Xu Yinjie met the Old Master's gaze squarely, without the slightest evasion, merely stating coldly, "It was not."

Cheng Ningsheng let out a long breath, filled with emotion. "Heh heh, we two fought He Wude for decades. I never thought he would be the one to win in the end."

"He won this round today, but he might not always be able to suppress us."

Old Master Cheng shook his head slightly. "As long as He Yi Ming can advance to the Primordial realm, the He family will be as solid as a mountain and will never decline for the next two hundred years."

"We can wait." After a moment of hesitation, Xu Yinjie suddenly said, "Brother-in-law, surely you don't wish to see the He family remain the sole dominant power in Taicang County forever, do you?"

Cheng Ningsheng seemed slightly startled, then smiled bitterly. "Decades ago, to resist He Wude's rise, our two families formed an alliance through marriage. Who would have thought that decades later, we still cannot suppress them?"

Xu Yinjie murmured, "A genius will never be singular. Perhaps the next genius will come from our two families."

Cheng Ningsheng pursed his lips. "Very well, our two families will support each other. However, if He Yi Ming advances to the Primordial realm, then for the next two hundred years in Taicang County, our two families must behave themselves and follow the He family's lead."

Xu Yinjie nodded steadily, then suddenly sighed. "If our Xu family's Ancestor were willing to step forward, alas..."

A hint of schadenfreude flashed in Cheng Ningsheng's eyes. "Didn't your Xu family's Ancestor already get expelled from the clan by previous Xu family elders? The fact that he can put past grievances aside is already remarkable enough. Are you truly expecting him to repay enmity with virtue?"

Xu Yinjie's face darkened subtly, but in the end, he let out a long sigh, unable to say another word.

The two old masters chatted as if over casual conversation in the room. Cheng Jiahui took two steps back and silently left. He looked up at the starlight in the sky, unsure of what he truly felt.

P.S.: Today is Thursday, requesting votes! ^_^ [bookid=1465151,bookname=《The Creation Mechanics Lord》]