Ye Jingyu’s eyebrow arched slightly as he watched Xi Yang wake up so quickly. Had this little girl actually been conscious the whole time? Was she pretending to be drunk on purpose?

“Xi Yang, Brother Ye this time is…” Fang Zhuguo suddenly started to speak, but before he could finish, Xi Yang cut him off.

“I don’t care anymore! I’ve been cooped up here for ages. Going out with Brother Ye sounds fine. Brother Fang, Brother Xue Ming, don’t worry about me, okay!” Xi Yang shot a charming glance towards Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming…

“Uh, Brother Ye…” Fang Zhuguo looked at Ye Jingyu with some difficulty. After all, Ye Jingyu was going out this time to kill people. If that little menace Xi Yang tagged along, who knew what kind of trouble she might stir up? Yet, he truly couldn't find a way to refuse her.

It could be said that Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming had benefited greatly from Xi Yang’s generosity over the years, and they had always treated her like a younger sister, making it difficult for them to say no to her.

“I don’t mind…!” Ye Jingyu shook his head indifferently. Having a Seventh Heaven guard by his side didn’t seem like a bad thing, did it? As for whatever ulterior motives Xi Yang might have, he couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind…

“Hee hee! Then Brother Ye agrees! When do we leave?” Seeing Ye Jingyu’s expression, Xi Yang jumped up excitedly…

Observing her excitement, Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming exchanged a look, both noticing their surprise. Did this girl actually have some feelings for Ye Jingyu? It had only been a few days! Was this the so-called handsome guy effect?

With the matter essentially settled, Ye Jingyu planned to quickly eliminate the few young masters in the Fang family who were capable of competing for the Patriarch position, paving the way for Fang Zhuguo. Moreover, he still needed to make a trip to the Demon Realm; he didn't have much time to waste here…

After bidding farewell to Fang Zhuguo, Ye Jingyu and Xi Yang headed straight towards Lingtian City…

Lingtian City was an ancient city on the Ancient Hua Continent, rumored to have been physically moved directly from the ancient lands of China. However, after so many years of modification, the city had long lost that aged and dilapidated feel…

Perhaps to cultivate the city’s atmosphere, the passersby were all dressed in ancient-style attire, completely different from the myriad styles seen in other cities…

In Lingtian City, Ling Tian was the Patriarch of the Ling family. The Ling family was a large clan, second only to the Nine Great Families. Their business operations spanned the entire world, and the family’s financial resources were incredibly vast…

The banquet being held this time was for Ling Tian’s eight-hundredth birthday…

Although the average lifespan on the Ancient Hua Continent was just over three hundred years, for these wealthy and powerful great families, even without cultivating profound martial arts, living for a thousand years thanks to genetic technology was nothing remarkable, let alone the fact that these families often housed Super Experts…

Eight hundred years was truly nothing to boast about.

Of course, under normal circumstances, even with the Ling family’s immense strength, inviting members of a great family like the Fang family, especially young masters with the potential to inherit the Patriarch position, would have been impossible.

But times were different now. The Fang family’s experts had all been slain, and the family urgently needed to introduce a large influx of fresh blood. Forming an alliance with a second-tier family like the Ling family was the best option.

And a family like the Ling family naturally needed the support of a towering tree like the Fang family. After all, Fang Zhentian was not dead. As long as they had a single Venerable-level powerhouse, they remained a gigantic tree, even if the core had been hollowed out…

Thus, marriage alliance became the best choice for these two families.

Fang Jiuyan, the son of Fang Zhentian’s third concubine, was roughly the same age as Fang Jiuyou, but his strength had already reached the level of Martial God Third Heaven. Among the younger generation, he was certainly considered a notable figure.

Naturally, the direct descendants of these families not only focused on cultivation but also enjoyed life. Coupled with the fact that they would receive guidance from the Elders if they were to inherit the Patriarch position, they wouldn't have to worry about their cultivation base. It was normal for their strength to lag behind those who trained as diligently as Fang Zhuguo…

The purpose of going to Lingtian City this time was for Fang Jiuyan to represent the Fang family to propose marriage to the Ling family; he was set to marry Ling Tian’s youngest daughter, Ling Xueran…

In the lingering summer heat, Fang Jiuyan sat in a luxurious carriage pulled by seven mechanical beasts, heading towards Lingtian City. Perhaps to admire the scenery along the ground, or perhaps to flaunt the might of the Fang family, he chose not to fly into the sky but traveled by road, wasting considerable time. By the time he arrived at the Ling residence in Lingtian City, it happened to be the day of Ling Tian’s eight-hundredth birthday…

Dressed in magnificent brocade robes, Fang Jiuyan leaped down from the carriage. Ling Tian, the Patriarch who should have been the central figure today, personally led the members of the Ling family to the entrance to welcome him…

Seeing Ling Tian’s deferential expression, and looking at the fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl beside him—knowing she was his intended bride—Fang Jiuyan revealed a smug smile…

I am a young master of the Fang family. Even with the severe losses our family has suffered, you small families cannot compare. If your daughter weren't reasonably good-looking, would this Young Master grant you the opportunity to flatter me like this?

“Hahaha, Uncle Ling, today is your birthday. Your nephew is here to offer his felicitations. Why are you greeting me personally? Isn't that putting too much pressure on your junior?” Although he held the Ling family in contempt internally, Fang Jiuyan’s face was covered in smiles. He was acutely aware that the current Fang family was not what it used to be; they still needed to utilize these other families and could not afford to let them become displeased…

“Hehe, Young Master Fang, you jest. Your arrival brings great honor to our Ling Manor. It is just that the Ling residence is rather humble; if our hospitality is lacking in any aspect, I ask for Young Master Fang’s understanding…” Ling Tian stepped forward with an ingratiating smile. To form a marriage alliance with the Fang family, even as a subordinate, was a blessing they had cultivated.

“Hehe, Uncle, you joke. We will soon be one family, why draw such clear lines? Quickly, please come in!” Fang Jiuyan laughed heartily and quickly stepped forward to link arms with Ling Tian, walking inside together. In the eyes of many, he was subtly positioned as the main focus of the day…

Not far away, Ye Jingyu, blending into the crowd, watched Fang Jiuyan’s incredibly false princely demeanor from a distance, his mouth twitching sharply. This guy is too hypocritical…

“Brother Ye, the time is almost right; shall we go in too!” At this moment, Xi Yang, who had changed into a light crimson gauze skirt, spoke. Even though her attire was much simpler, it did little to conceal her fiery aura…