Chapter 23: Pressing Face Strikes

The Xu family members exchanged glances.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Is that all? Jiang Fan, have you forgotten you're still living under someone else's roof?"

Wang Yingfeng showed even more disdain. "If you didn't hear me, I can repeat it. This is a betrothal gift of 500,000 taels of silver! Five hundred thousand! Not five taels! Someone who doesn't even have five cents dares to speak so brazenly here?"

Zhu Jianshen unfurled his folding fan, gently swaying it, and said with a smile, "Aunt Wang, Brother Lu, please be more understanding of Jiang Fan. After all, it's normal for him to feel upset and say some radical things when his fiancée is being taken away."

Then, his tone shifted as he spoke mockingly: "However, Jiang Fan, I must tell you something. People should have some self-awareness. Look in the mirror; do you really think you're worthy of Youran? Someone who can't even afford a betrothal gift still dreams of marrying her?"

The entire hall erupted in laughter.

Xu Youran clenched her fists, about to say something, when Xu Yining, standing nearby, sighed softly. "Sister, don't be naive anymore. A woman's thousands of words of defense mean less than a man's single act of resolve. Jiang Fan truly isn't worthy of you!"

Zhu Jianshen's fan swayed even more triumphantly. He let out a disdainful scoff, then turned to Wang Yingfeng and Xu Zhengyan. "Uncle, Aunt, what do you think? If you agree, please accept these betrothal gifts, and let's set the wedding date."

Wang Yingfeng readily agreed.

Xu Zhengyan, however, kept his brows furrowed. No matter what, Zhu Jianshen had almost defiled Xu Youran back then. His poor character was evident. How could his daughter be happy marrying him? It would be better to marry Jiang Fan; at least Jiang Fan's character, based on ten years of observation, was upright and honorable.

"Say something!" Wang Yingfeng urged impatiently.

Xu Zhengyan sighed silently. This was precisely why he hesitated. The Xu family still relied on Wang Yingfeng's maiden family, so in some matters, her opinion had to be respected. Thus, he pondered for a long time, unable to make a decision.

Jiang Fan, however, unhurriedly pulled out a thick stack of banknotes and placed them on the table in front of Zhu Jianshen. Everyone, including Xu Youran, stared intently, their faces revealing shock.

"Banknotes?"

Xu Zhengyan stepped forward in surprise. After counting them in front of Zhu Jianshen, he exclaimed, "510,000 taels!"

What?

Wang Yingfeng snatched them, disbelievingly. "They can't be fake, can they?"

500,000 taels—the entire Xu family's income for three years wasn't even that much! How could Jiang Fan, who was living under someone else's roof, have so many banknotes?

However, after a thorough inspection, they found they were genuine banknotes from Guzhou City's largest bank.

Xu Yining, standing beside her, gazed at the 510,000 taels of banknotes in disbelief, murmuring, "He actually got so many banknotes!"

Facing all the shocked gazes, Jiang Fan calmly wrote a note and placed it in front of Zhu Jianshen. "You've been at the Azure Cloud Sect for five years, and you're still not as good as me?"

One with 510,000 taels.

One with 500,000 taels.

The difference was immediately obvious.

Such an insulting humiliation made Zhu Jianshen's face turn green. He slammed the table and shouted, "Jiang Fan! What do you mean by this?"

Jiang Fan's lips curved into a smirk as he quickly wrote, "Isn't my meaning very clear? Do you really think you're worthy of competing with me for Youran?"

As soon as he said this, the previously despondent Xu Youran's face flushed slightly. She looked at Jiang Fan's figure, her eyes sparkling with a strange brilliance.

Xu Yining suddenly felt a hint of envy. Having 510,000 taels of silver and being willing to offer it as a betrothal gift were two different matters. The willingness to give his entire fortune for Xu Youran showed how important she was in Jiang Fan's heart. It seemed Xu Youran had met a man who truly cared for her.

Xu Zhengyan's face, meanwhile, showed joy. Although he didn't know where Jiang Fan got the money, he could now legitimately marry his daughter to him.

Wang Yingfeng examined each banknote, confirming they were not fake. Her face visibly darkened. Finally, in a fit of anger, she scattered all the banknotes and glared at Jiang Fan. "510,000 taels of silver is still not enough! I told you, it has to be a betrothal gift that *I* am satisfied with! And right now, I'm not satisfied! Do you understand?"

The Xu family members' hearts were clear as a mirror. She wasn't dissatisfied with the betrothal gift; she was dissatisfied with Jiang Fan. Both offered 500,000 taels as a betrothal gift, yet she was absolutely delighted with Zhu Jianshen but had a completely different attitude towards Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan wasn't angry. Instead, he wrote a note: "Exactly! I'm not satisfied either! Offering these 500,000 taels of banknotes was just to tell you that this amount isn't worthy of marrying the best woman in the world! I also hope, Madam, that you broaden your horizons. Don't act as if you've never seen money, getting so dazzled by mere hundreds of thousands of taels that you lose your way!"

To openly mock Wang Yingfeng to her face like that! This was harsher than a physical slap in the face!

"Jiang Fan!!" Wang Yingfeng's eyes widened. She shrieked, "Who are you calling someone who's never seen money?"

Jiang Fan wrote with a half-smile, "Of course, it's you, who lacks money. Could it possibly be me, who has 510,000 taels of silver?"

Wang Yingfeng was furious. She raised her hand, intending to slap Jiang Fan. But Xu Zhengyan stopped her, sternly rebuking, "Have you no shame? A dignified madam of the household, acting like a shrew and hitting someone on the spot?"

Wang Yingfeng, unwilling to give up, angrily retorted, "Jiang Fan! You have two more days! If you can't produce a betrothal gift that satisfies me, don't even dream of marrying Xu Youran! Don't you dare!!"

Jiang Fan calmly wrote, "Don't worry. If my betrothal gift can't satisfy you, then no one in Guzhou City will be able to marry Youran."

These words made it impossible for Zhu Jianshen, who was standing nearby, to pretend he hadn't heard them. "Such confidence!" Zhu Jianshen scoffed coldly, "I am the young master of Guzhou City's third largest family and a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. Are you saying I'm inferior to a good-for-nothing like you? In two days, I'll come propose again. Just watch Xu Youran become my woman! Let's go!"

The Zhu family servants, with awkward expressions, carried the chests of gold, silver, and jewels back.

Back at the Zhu family residence.

"Shen'er, why did you bring all the betrothal gifts back?" his mother, Zhang Yuxiu, asked in surprise.

Zhu Jianshen, with a dark expression, explained the entire situation. Zhang Yuxiu immediately felt indignant for her son. "This is outrageous! How can someone who lives off others compete with my excellent son for a woman? Shen'er, don't worry! It's just a betrothal gift, isn't it? Your mother will personally arrange it for you! With the Zhu family's wealth and connections, does an orphan like him truly think he can compete with us?"

She immediately instructed, "Butler, prepare some gifts for me. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Chen family. Their high-grade Qi Cultivation Elixir is hard to come by! Luckily, the Chen family's madam and I have been friends for many years, so what difficulty could there be in buying a few bottles? Shen'er, you'll come with me to the Chen family tomorrow."

Zhu Jianshen suddenly looked up, astonished. "What? Our Guzhou City even has high-grade Qi Cultivation Elixir now?" Even at the Azure Cloud Sect, only disciples with outstanding performance were qualified to consume it!

Zhang Yuxiu said, "That's right. They started selling them the day before yesterday, but only fifty bottles are sold per day. Without strong connections, you can't even buy one. If you use this as a betrothal gift, that Jiang kid will only be able to stare blankly!"

Zhu Jianshen, however, frowned deeply. "But Mother, high-grade Qi Cultivation Elixir can only be refined by a two-star Soul Master. Our small Guzhou City has produced a two-star Soul Master? This joke isn't funny at all! In my opinion, you've all been deceived."

What exactly *is* a two-star Soul Master? They were transcendent beings whom even the Azure Cloud Sect Master would travel thousands of miles just to visit! How could such a person appear in tiny Guzhou City?

His words made Zhang Yuxiu feel less certain. Because the Azure Cloud Sect indeed had a two-star Soul Master, her son had more authority on the matter.

Zhu Jianshen curled his lips. "Whether it's true or not, I'll know tomorrow when I see it."