Chapter 79: The Arrival of the City Lord

Jiang Fan shook his head without hesitation and wrote:"Don't overthink it, there were only two. One was given to Youran, and one to Siling."

Hearing this, Ye Qingxue was deeply disappointed. This kind of spiritual root could instantly elevate two people with poor spiritual aptitudes into prodigies. If it were given to her, wouldn't she have a chance to become an eighth-grade, or even the legendary ninth-grade, aptitude?

She quickly concealed her loss of composure, clearing her throat and saying, "You misunderstood. I-I was asking for my friend. Oh, right, that friend is Xu Yining."

Yes, it was Xu Yining! Thinking of her, Ye Qingxue once again felt pity for Xu Yining.

"Yining, Yining, do you know what an absurd choice you made?" Leaving aside everything else, a miraculous pill like this, capable of defying fate, should have belonged to Xu Yining. Her aptitude would have instantly broken through its limits, making her a unique existence in the world. Now, however, both have benefited Xu Youran and Xu Youran's good sister.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets. When she looked up at Zhong Qizhen again, she said speechlessly, "Cousin, based on this alone, what do you have to compete with Jiang Fan? My saying that you're not as good as him isn't baseless."

However, how could Zhong Qizhen admit it? He clenched his fists and shouted, "Cousin, I think you're utterly deluded! There's no such thing as a spiritual pill that improves spiritual roots in this world! Chen Siling clearly already had a sixth-grade spiritual root!"

Zhong Liangpeng, ignoring the facts, fumed, "Qingxue, you've disappointed your uncle greatly. To help outsiders, you disregard your uncle's reputation! Fortunately, I didn't count on you. I already notified your father to come."

Chen Yuqiu's expression changed. He didn't mind Chen Siling's presence, as she was just the City Lord's daughter and couldn't represent the City Lord's Mansion. Moreover, Ye Qingxue was always sensible and discerning. But City Lord Ye Jifeng was different. He was the lord of the city, with the power to decide whether the Chen family could continue to stay in the city!

What made him even more uneasy was that as the head of the Ye family, Ye Jifeng would surely prioritize interests, not fairness or justice. For the Ye family, maintaining their kinship with the Zhong family was the greatest interest. It was easy to imagine what the situation would be like after Ye Jifeng arrived.

Ye Qingxue couldn't help but get angry: "You called my father for this small matter?" She was also worried for the Chen family, and even more so for Jiang Fan. The identity of Shadow Guard Number One was very important in her eyes, but it might not be so for her father, the City Lord.

Zhong Liangpeng reprimanded, "If you had any sense, would I need to call your father? Later, besides the Chen family, your father will also teach you a good lesson on how to conduct yourself! Such a grown person, yet you understand nothing! Hmph!"

Clatter-clatter—A series of hurried hoofbeats approached. Ye Jifeng, surrounded by his guard captain and several guards, stormed into the Chen family residence with an imposing aura.

How could Chen Yuqiu dare to be negligent? He immediately stepped forward to greet him: "Chen Yuqiu respectfully welcomes the City Lord."

Ye Jifeng glanced at him, hands clasped behind his back, standing in the center of the main hall, exuding a deep sense of pressure: "I cannot accept such a grand greeting from the Chen family head."

Chen Yuqiu's mouth was filled with bitterness, and he quickly said, "Lord City Lord, please allow me to report the full details of the matter..."

Who knew? Ye Jifeng didn't listen at all. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he snorted, "I already know, there's no need for you to repeat yourself." He was openly siding with the Zhong family.

Ye Qingxue couldn't bear to watch and said, "Father, things aren't as Uncle described. In fact, my cousin is simply inferior and can't accept losing. Don't get involved, lest our City Lord's Mansion also be disgraced."

Ye Jifeng let out a heavy snort and bellowed, "Shut up and stand aside!" He sighed silently in his heart. He knew perfectly well the Zhong family's character. They were notorious troublemakers in Biluo City, with a terrible reputation. But, his daughter was still young. For a prominent family, what mattered wasn't justice. It was the core interests of the family. Therefore, even knowing the Chen family had been wronged, he had to strongly support the Zhong family.

"Chen Yuqiu, you have humiliated the Zhong family, and you must provide an explanation for this matter!" Ye Jifeng said arrogantly and unreasonably, "I'll give you two choices. First, the Chen family leaves Solitary Boat City! Second, you marry your daughter Chen Siling to the Zhong family. Choose one, and this matter will be settled. Otherwise, you should understand the methods of the City Lord's Mansion."

Chen Yuqiu's face turned extremely grim. With the City Lord's Mansion's methods, it would be easy to ruin the Chen family. Liu Qinmin's face also paled. However, the couple did not feel despair. Their Chen family had finally gotten incredibly lucky and managed to align themselves with a Three-Star Soul Master. Let them abandon this enormous opportunity? Dream on!

As for moving out of Solitary Boat City, so be it! As long as they had the backing of a Three-Star Soul Master, the Chen family's future status would be beyond what a small Solitary Boat City could contain. If they didn't move now, they would move eventually. So, almost without a moment's thought, Chen Yuqiu decisively said, "Thank you, City Lord, for making it possible! Our Chen family will leave Solitary Boat City tonight! As for marrying my daughter to the Zhong family! Begging your pardon! They are not worthy! My daughter will only marry Jiang Fan in this lifetime. Even as a concubine, she wouldn't deign to be a main wife to the Zhong family!"

Such a bold and decisive attitude directly made the Zhong father and son furious, stomping their feet. They had invited the City Lord to heavily suppress the Chen family, but instead, the Chen family had inexplicably become so unyielding. They would rather move their entire family than bow down! This put Ye Jifeng in a difficult position. Of Solitary Boat City's only two alchemy families, the Qin family had already left. If the Chen family also left, who would supply pills in the future? But asking them to stay would mean a great loss of face for him.

Just then, Jiang Fan picked up a note, which was meant to comfort Chen Yuqiu. "Moving to a larger city might be good; Solitary Boat City is still a bit small." Since the Chen family had formed an alliance through marriage with him, he would naturally provide more assistance in the future. Various high-grade pills would be entrusted to the Chen family for sale. And Solitary Boat City's demand for high-grade pills was clearly not as great as that of larger cities.

Ye Jifeng, already in a predicament, saw someone emerge and immediately turned his attention to him, snorting heavily through his nostrils: "You are Jiang Fan? The one who stirred up trouble? Come on, seize him and interrogate him thoroughly! Why did he meddle and sabotage the alliance between two prominent families?!" By arresting Jiang Fan, he could both appease the Zhong family and prevent the Chen family from acting rashly. It was a win-win situation.

The guard captain beside him immediately drew his Black Iron Blade and strode towards Jiang Fan. Without even looking closely at him, he grabbed Jiang Fan's shoulder with one hand: "Boy, kneel and be bound!"

Jiang Fan was no longer who he used to be. His Foundation Establishment (third layer) was enough for him to ignore authority. His body vibrated, and with just the released spiritual energy, he sent the guard captain staggering backward.

Only then did the guard captain angrily glare at him: "How dare you openly re... re..." As he recognized Jiang Fan's appearance, his eyes suddenly widened. He had felt Jiang Fan looked familiar the moment he entered. A closer look made him suddenly remember who he was. Wasn't this the ninth-grade spiritual root who, after killing a Blood Bat Palace member that day, came to cultivate for an hour in the City Lord's Mansion's spiritual pond? Liu Qingxian had searched for him multiple times in the city. Before leaving, she had specifically instructed the City Lord's Mansion to pay close attention to the movements of this ninth-grade spiritual root, and once found, it would be a great service to the Ye family! For this, the City Lord had mobilized all the city's soldiers to search everywhere. But it was like searching for a needle in a haystack; he was never found. What he never dared to dream was that this ninth-grade spiritual root was right before his eyes!