Feeling the icy chill in Huangpu Yi’s words, the old man’s expression stiffened slightly. He had been relying on the fact that Huangpu Yi wouldn’t dare touch him, which had given him the audacity to act so recklessly.
But just now, he had clearly sensed that chilling killing intent. He knew for certain that the head of the Huangpu family would truly take action—and without leaving the slightest room for mercy!
Seeing the old man’s disgruntled expression, Huangpu Yi sneered once again. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Otherwise, these old fellows would really start treating him like a mere figurehead.
“Now, can we calmly finish discussing Xian’er’s matter?”
His gaze swept across everyone in the room as he spoke again. This time, no one dared to step forward to protest. It seemed even these old men had their moments of fear, despite their age.
“If there are ancestral rules, we must follow them. Since Xian’er’s body has been touched by a man, that man has the qualification to become Xian’er’s husband!”
“But what about the Tan family? This matter will surely provoke their dissatisfaction. If they decide to isolate the Huangpu family, it won’t be difficult for them. We should prepare for both possibilities!”
Another person, belonging to Huangpu Yi’s faction, also expressed concern. After all, the Tan family’s status among the hidden clans was even higher than the Huangpu family’s, and they were a force with deep scheming. Ever since the revival of martial cultivation, the Tan family had become more active, no longer as quiet as before.
“As for the Tan family, let’s put that aside for now. There’s something else I want everyone to know—Xian’er’s chosen man is from the hidden Situ family…”
Thinking about the Tan family’s lofty status among the hidden clans and their increasingly bold actions, Huangpu Yi felt a sense of pressure. With the revival of martial cultivation, the hidden forces of the entire Huaxia region were becoming more and more visible.
“A member of the Situ family?”
Everyone in the room was momentarily stunned. Then, some people’s faces broke into faint smiles. Originally, marrying Xian’er off to the hidden Tan family was only a way to seek an alliance for the Huangpu family. If the alliance could instead be with the hidden Situ family, that wouldn’t be bad either.
“Do you really think the Situ family today is still the same formidable force it once was, feared by all hidden clans? After that incident, the current Situ family seems even weaker than ours,” another voice of opposition arose—not out of genuine defiance against Huangpu Yi, but because of concerns over personal and clan interests.
“I think you all might have misunderstood. The person I mentioned isn’t from the hidden Situ family, but is actually that man’s grandson. Just this fact alone should make him worthy of becoming a son-in-law of the Huangpu family!”
“That man?” Many were momentarily confused, unsure of whom Huangpu Yi was referring to. But soon, some people gasped in surprise, “Situ Lingyu?”
“Hehe, I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now. That young man is indeed Situ Lingyu’s grandson…”
Huangpu Yi replied with satisfaction. In his opinion, a single Situ Lingyu was far more valuable than the weakened hidden Situ family. After all, true respect only came from true strength.
“Impossible!” “How could that be…”
Several voices cried out in shock. They never imagined that the man brought back just days ago could be Situ Lingyu’s grandson. If that were true, even the hidden Huangpu family might not dare to act recklessly against him.
“There’s nothing impossible about it. I think you all know about the Heaven’s Alliance under the Silver Fox, right?”
After investigating Xiao Yufan’s background, Huangpu Yi had finally received this information. Even he had been somewhat surprised—Situ Lingyu’s grandson, Situ Yonghui’s son. Just those names alone were enough to outshine any young generation.
At the mention of Heaven’s Alliance, everyone’s brows furrowed. The Heaven’s Alliance was an extraordinary force established by Situ Lingyu. Although it had faded from public view for a long time, it still held immense deterrent power.
It could be said that Heaven’s Alliance was a force no one dared provoke. The influence Situ Lingyu had cultivated through years of patience would naturally be formidable.
“This incident might not necessarily be a bad thing for our Huangpu family. Compared to the hidden Tan family, whose ambitions are clearly insatiable, they want far more than just Xian’er. When faced with choosing between making a deal with a tiger or finding a reliable ally, I’m sure you all know what to choose.”
Huangpu Yi knew that without offering some benefits, these old traditionalists of the Huangpu family would never back down, especially those who were pro-Tan.
“If that’s the case, then we should indeed reconsider Xian’er’s matter!”
Some neutral parties now shifted their support toward Huangpu Yi. Even so, the numbers between the pro-Tan faction and Huangpu Yi’s side were still evenly split, clearly showing how much effort the Tan family had invested.
“If I’m not mistaken, even the ancestral rules set by our forebears had certain conditions, right?”
At this moment, Huangpu Yi’s uncle spoke again. He had been silent for a while, thinking about how to handle the current situation. If Xian’er couldn’t marry into the Tan family, how would he explain it to them?
“What exactly do you mean, Uncle?”
If there were only the two of them in the meeting room, Huangpu Yi would certainly not hesitate to kill this old man, regardless of blood ties. After all, in the clan, only the direct bloodline truly shared genuine familial bonds; others were often separated by hidden agendas.
“I remember the ancestral rule clearly stated that if a man touched the body of a Huangpu woman before marriage, he must pass a trial to become a Huangpu son-in-law. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes!” Hearing this, Huangpu Yi’s expression turned dark. He had already guessed what the old man was about to say. If such a trial were required, there might really be trouble this time.
“Good, then if Situ Lingyu’s grandson can pass the trial, we old men will say nothing more. Head of the family, this shouldn’t be unreasonable, after all, it’s the old ancestors’ rule!”
Huangpu Yi’s lips twitched violently. He hadn’t expected this old traditionalist to throw the original rule back at him. This trial was no ordinary test—very few could survive it.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage