The Zheng Clan.
The martial arts field.
Water-Wood posts stood one after another across the field.
*Whoosh!*
Zheng Xiao’s palm struck a Water-Wood post with a fierce gust of wind.
The powerful force surged through the wood, unexpectedly leaving a clear palm print on another post standing behind it.
Across the entire field, the Water-Wood posts of varying heights and thicknesses were covered in pits and scars.
*Clap, clap, clap—*
From outside the field, Wang Sandong clapped his hands and laughed.
“What a move, the ‘Heart-Piercing Palm.’ Impressive, truly impressive.”
Zheng Xiao finished her form, exhaled a breath, and looked at the elegant, handsome youth standing nearby.
Under the sunlight, the boy was so beautiful he seemed to glow.
Zheng Xiao walked over and only spoke once she reached Wang Sandong.
“What are you doing here?”
Behind her, the marks on the Water-Wood posts slowly began to heal.
Such was the unique nature of Water-Wood.
“I came to see you,” Wang Sandong said with a beaming smile.
“You haven’t regretted it, have you? I wouldn’t want you to lift the bridal veil on our wedding day only to find someone else under there.”
“I won’t,” Zheng Xiao replied.
“There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but I can’t figure it out,” Wang Sandong laughed.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s too strange for someone to insist on marrying a dying man like me.”
Before Zheng Xiao could respond, he continued, “Uncle De said… that’s my family butler, he says your Zheng Clan definitely isn’t up to any good.”
Zheng Xiao snorted.
“Since you have such doubts, why did you agree to this marriage?”
“Heh, I suppose it’s because he’s afraid I’ll be a lonely dog until the day I die.”
Wang Sandong laughed heartily, then looked around, curious.
“Other families’ training grounds have weapon racks. For example, the Cui Family has more than 100 swords of various lengths and sizes. Your family is an exception.”
“The Zheng Clan has no need for weapons,” Zheng Xiao replied.
“Tsk, it’s my first time at the Zheng Mansion in all these years. Why don’t you show me around?”
Without waiting for Zheng Xiao’s reply, Wang Sandong walked straight ahead.
Zheng Xiao frowned but followed him.
After walking for a while, Wang Sandong let out a long sigh.
Zheng Xiao glanced at him but did not take the bait.
Seeing this, Wang Sandong took the initiative to speak.
“Originally, I planned to take a concubine after we got married.”
Zheng Xiao originally had no interest in chatting with a brat like him, but her curiosity was piqued by those words.
“With your physical condition, you still want a concubine?”
“Sigh, there are some things I might not be able to do, but… I still wanted to give the woman I like a proper status.”
Wang Sandong sighed again.
“Never mind.”
Zheng Xiao asked casually, “Why ‘never mind’?”
“The woman I liked has moved on with someone else.”
“…”
Zheng Xiao couldn’t be bothered to respond.
She never cared for mundane matters like romance and passion.
“My mother had two personal maids named Hongxiu and Tianxiang. Have you met them?”
A happy smile appeared on Wang Sandong’s face.
“I really liked Hongxiu. Unfortunately… she got together with the butler.”
Zheng Xiao never discussed such sordid nonsense, nor was she interested, but what Wang Sandong said was truly outrageous.
“That butler of yours is old and ugly. Hongxiu is young and beautiful; how could she possibly fancy him?”
Besides, you’re the master of the house.
Spreading your own family’s dirty laundry outside…
Isn’t that inappropriate?
Truly a child.
An adult would never do such a thing.
“It’s not that she fancied him, it’s… sigh.”
Wang Sandong lamented, “One shouldn’t wash their dirty linen in public. However, since you’re about to marry me, you’re not an outsider. There’s no harm in telling you.”
He paused, then added, “Uncle De grows many rare flowers and herbs in his courtyard. When mixed together, some things become medicine. Hongxiu was drugged by Uncle De before she… sigh.”
Zheng Xiao possessed a character that loathed evil.
Upon hearing this, her face turned pale with rage.
“Why does your family keep such a degenerate around?”
“My grandfather is a sentimental man,” Wang Sandong said.
“Uncle De has spent half his life with the Wang Family. Now that he’s old, it wouldn’t be right to drive him away.”
“Hmph.”
Zheng Xiao gave a cold snort and remained silent.
Wang Sandong watched her, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about you. Did you agree to marry me instead of your sister because I’m handsome? That has to be part of the reason, right?”
Zheng Xiao glanced at Wang Sandong, hesitated slightly, and replied, “Yes.”
Her tone sounded as if she were humoring a child.
As an elder of the Zheng Clan, though she was composed, she wasn’t a stern person and often coaxed children this way.
“Sigh, it’s only natural. After all, I really am very handsome.”
“Yes, yes.”
Zheng Xiao brushed him off repeatedly.
“Throughout history, there probably haven’t been many men as good-looking as me.”
Since Wang Sandong had achieved his goal for coming here, he began to speak nonsense.
“When I look in the mirror, I’m often shocked by my own looks…”
Though it was nonsense, it didn’t feel too out of place to Zheng Xiao.
Because Wang Sandong truly was beautiful.
A type of beauty that was perfect from every angle.
Unfortunately, he was like the Tianjue Flower.
The more beautiful it was, the shorter its lifespan.
Among all the flora in this world nurtured by spiritual energy, only the Tianjue was the most beautiful, and only the Tianjue withered the fastest.
Counting the days, there wasn’t much time left before the Tianjue Flower withered.
Zheng Xiao sighed softly.
As one of the Nine Surnamed Kings, she didn’t need to feel his pulse to sense that Wang Sandong’s qi was fading; his life was nearly at its end.
It was getting late, and Wang Sandong was tired.
He gave a weary sigh, looked at Zheng Xiao, and said, “I’m tired. Going home.”
“Mm,” Zheng Xiao acknowledged.
She signaled to a passing servant and ordered, “Escort Third Young Master Wang out of the mansion.”
Watching Wang Sandong’s frail figure recede into the distance, Zheng Xiao sighed with emotion.
“To have no Spiritual Root and still endure until now, he is a pitiful soul.”
“Survival was a stroke of luck. The fact that he lived until now is likely because the Wang Family threw countless natural treasures at him.”
A middle-aged man’s voice sounded beside her. He looked at Zheng Xiao and said, “Aunt, do you really intend to marry down to him? Our family has many girls of age; you don’t need to do this yourself.”
Zheng Xiao shook her head gently.
“The others… I don’t trust them.”
“But… once the Wang Family Head returns and recognizes you, Aunt…”
“He won’t,” Zheng Xiao said.
“I always wore a mask in the past; I won’t be recognized.”
Her young, tender face was filled with endless melancholy.
“There isn’t much time left for the Zheng Clan. If we don’t get the Wang Family’s ‘Water Soul’ to heal your father, the Zheng Clan is finished!”
“The Water Soul…”
The middle-aged man pondered for a moment.
“Mr. Yi said the Water Soul is necessary for treatment… Is it certain there’s no other way? Wouldn’t a slightly lower-grade water-attribute treasure work?”
“Mr. Yi is a disciple of the ‘Spring-Returning Hand.’ There is no need to doubt his words.”
Zheng Xiao sighed.
“Luckily, when your father sought treatment from Mr. Yi, he hid his identity. Otherwise, since Mr. Yi is close to the Wang Family, he might have told them, allowing the Wang Family to guess our true purpose for seeking this marriage alliance.”
“Sigh, true. Now Mr. Yi is dead as well… but the Wang Family likely still has doubts.”
The middle-aged man frowned.
“I suspect the Wang Family is playing along with our scheme.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Zheng Xiao’s expression was solemn.
“The Water Soul—it must be ours!”
The Water Soul was the essence of water.
It was the ultimate treasure among water-attribute materials.
A rare item that could be sought but not easily found.
If a water-attribute Spiritual Cultivator obtained it to nourish their meridians, they would benefit immensely.
Furthermore, water nourishes all things.
Thus, logically, the Water Soul could cure many incurable diseases.
—
“Young Master.”
On the way home, Wang Tong asked for guidance while driving the carriage.
“I’ve heard that among the five elements, fire is fierce, water is moist, earth is steady, metal is sharp, and wood is lush. What kind of constitution do I have?”
“You’re wood—the wood of a blockhead,” Wang Sandong teased.
“Hehehe.”
Wang Tong chuckled.
“Young Master, you’re metal-attribute, right?”
“You know quite a bit.”
“I happened to hear the Eldest Young Master mention it. He said if we could find a Metal Soul, perhaps your constitution would improve.”
“Stop dreaming,” Wang Sandong sighed.
“The souls of the five elements are not easy to find. Even that Water Soul our family keeps was obtained by Grandfather at the risk of his life…”
Mentioning the Water Soul, Wang Sandong suddenly froze.
Vaguely, a memory related to it seemed to surface.
He tried to grasp it, but it slipped away.
The carriage moved slowly forward.
Finally, they reached the Wang Mansion.
The gatekeeper hurried over to take the horse, greeting Wang Sandong with a smile.
“Third Young Master, Young Master Teng and Second Young Master Cui are here. They said if you returned, you could find them at the martial arts field.”
“The martial arts field? Are they sparring again?”
Wang Sandong joked.
“Is that scoundrel Cui Er any good? I hope Brother Teng doesn’t cripple him.”
It was a joke, but the moment the words left his mouth, Wang Sandong froze again.
Being crippled or injured requires treatment.
And among the natural treasures for treating injuries, the Water Soul was the strongest.
2 years ago, Mr. Yi had seen a mysterious expert.
That man’s cultivation had gone awry, resulting in damaged meridians that needed the Water Soul to be nourished…
And also 2 years ago, the Zheng Clan ancestor had come out of seclusion…
Coupled with Miss Zheng’s memories…
‘If you don’t want to see your grandfather die, and you don’t want the Zheng Clan to fall into ruin, you must marry that sickling from the Wang Family!’
The words her prospective father-in-law had said to his daughter echoed in his ears.
All the information intertwined.
Wang Sandong suddenly realized the truth.
‘Is Zheng Xiao after the Water Soul?’
‘Does she want to steal the Water Soul to save her brother?’
The expert who sought treatment from Mr. Yi back then must have been the current Zheng Family Head, Miss Zheng’s grandfather—Zheng Xiao’s brother!
*Hiss…*
But even if the Zheng Family Head died from his injuries, so what?
It shouldn’t lead to the “Zheng Clan falling into ruin.”
After all, the true pillar of the Zheng Clan wasn’t the Family Head, but one of the Nine Surnamed Kings—Zheng Xiao.
Sigh, what a headache.
With a weak body, thinking too much made him tired.
He headed to the martial arts field.
The Wang Family’s martial arts field was cleaner than the Zheng Clan’s—at least it wasn’t filled with Water-Wood posts.
Around the field, all sorts of weapons—sabers, spears, swords, and halberds—were available.
There was even a tea table.
At the moment, Cui Er and Wang Yunteng were in the heat of a spar.
Cui Er held a sharp longsword, clearly using moves from the *Life-Taking Sword Manual*.
Every strike and stance was meant to end a life.
A cold light glinted brilliantly on the blade.
Wang Yunteng used a saber, hacking and slashing with considerable bravery.
It looked lively.
In truth, there wasn’t much to see.
Both of them had mediocre talent, and their cultivation realms were only at the Third Grade Cultivation level.
As the saying goes: The lower three grades are all but meatheads.
It meant that first, second, and third grade cultivation were levels for common warriors, not fit for the grand stage.
However, watching the blades clash and the narrow escapes was enough to make an ordinary spectator’s heart race—and Wang Sandong had always been an ordinary spectator. Every time the two sparred, he would watch with great interest.
That was before.
Now, as he watched the two of them spar, Wang Sandong’s interest dwindled.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Cui Er, do you even know what you’re doing?” Wang Sandong couldn’t help but shout. “That sweep was way too weak. Even if you’re only Third Grade, you shouldn’t be like that. Are you trying to sweep the floor?”
Hearing this, Cui Er’s face instantly turned red.
He was self-aware and knew that move had been poor.
However, being called out by a “weakling” like Wang Sandong was too embarrassing.
“Hey! You! Your sword qi is too weak! Is that it?”
Wang Sandong was truly disappointed.
Cui Er got angry.
“Shut up!”
He forced Wang Yunteng back with a sweep of his sword, then glared at Wang Sandong in frustration.
As he walked over, he said, “What do you know! I only have Third Grade Cultivation; my sword qi can only be this strong.”
“Bad is bad; just admit it,” Wang Sandong said with a pout.
“If it were anyone else in the Third Grade realm, such sword qi would be normal. But you’re using the *Life-Taking Sword Manual*, yet your sword qi is so short and weak. It’s truly shameful.”
“Heh! You… if you’re so good, you do it!”
Cui Er had already reached him and thrust the sword toward him.
Wang Sandong glanced at the sword and didn’t dare take it.
“Ahem, an expert like me cannot easily take action.”
“Hahaha!”
Wang Yunteng laughed as he walked over.
“Third… Brother, where have you been?”
Third Brother?
It felt a bit strange to Wang Sandong.
He hadn’t called him that before.
Why now?
“I went to the Zheng Mansion,” Wang Sandong replied, seeing Cui Er sheath his sword.
“The Old Capital hasn’t been peaceful lately; the devil hasn’t been found yet,” Cui Er said.
“Don’t go running around for no reason.”
He paused, seeing Wang Sandong’s indifferent expression, and warned him seriously, “Don’t take this lightly. During the Great Demon Slaying War, the Nine Surnamed Kings contributed greatly. Many remnants of Demonic Cultivators hold a grudge against them. Since they can’t touch the Nine Surnamed Kings, they will definitely go after their descendants.”
Exhaling, he added, “If you’re bored, Brother Teng and I will come to keep you company often.”
Wang Sandong looked at Cui Er, recalling his concern over the years.
In a moment of impulse, he said, “Cui Er, do you want me to give you some pointers on your swordsmanship?”
“You, give me pointers?”
Cui Er couldn’t help but laugh.
He joked, “Come on then, let’s see these pointers of yours.”
“Well, my level isn’t high, but pointing out your flaws is more than enough.”
Wang Sandong wasn’t exaggerating. Compared to Cui Er, Cui San had better talent and better comprehension; his understanding of the *Life-Taking Sword Manual* was streets ahead of Cui Er’s.
The reason Cui Er and Cui San were both at Third Grade Cultivation was because Cui Er was a late bloomer who worked hard, while Cui San had wasted his talent on pleasure.
Wang Sandong sat in the soft chair by the tea table with his arms crossed, pondering how to “point things out” to Cui Er without blowing his cover.