Chapter 4 Just Friends 04
The words Xiao Zhiyu murmured drew the attention of all the disciples present to the ten-thousand-year-old jade marrow, but Xiao Zhiyu himself was actually more concerned about the warm jade.
He wouldn't have compared an ordinary piece of warm jade to a treasure like millennia-old chalcedony without a reason. After all, even the jade box containing the chalcedony is made of a rarer material than warm jade.
—But what's rare isn't the jade itself, but the patterns on it.
Xiao Zhiyu only glanced at it unintentionally that day, but he felt that the pattern looked familiar. Later, he flipped through the family's books and realized that it was the Xiao family's clan crest.
Xiao Zhiyu wasn't so bad as to not recognize his own family's crest, but the pattern was somewhat different from what he usually saw. It resembled the token of the Xiao family patriarch back then. Holding this jade would grant unrestricted access to the Xiao family, whether it was the forbidden area or the storeroom, or even... Holding the jade was like seeing the person. The person holding the jade could mobilize all of the Xiao family's resources, making them practically half the master of the family.
But Xiao Zhiyu couldn't help but recall how casually the family head had given it away without saying a word.
Perhaps the head of the family is unaware?
After all, those were all old stories from years ago. The head of the family was still young when he left home, so it's normal that he doesn't remember them. Even he only found out about them after a sudden inspiration and looking through the classics.
Moreover, although the restriction on the warm jade has not been lifted, the so-called "holding the jade is like seeing the person" is just a special meaning given to it by the family's leader. If the Xiao family head could give it back then, the current family head can naturally take it back. Xiao Zhiyu thought he was just overthinking it.
While Xiao Zhiyu was still pondering those matters, the handyman disciple continued, "That person wants more than just jade marrow; he also wants the title of the patriarch's wife!"
Everyone knew perfectly well what this "Madam of the Family" was all about! She clearly wanted half of the Xiao family!
Even the more composed disciple, who had been mostly silent until now, couldn't hold back any longer. "This person is utterly shameless!"
However, this made everyone forget about continuing to condemn this greedy and despicable person, and someone immediately asked, "The patriarch didn't agree to it, did he?!"
"How could that be?" The servant disciple hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head, saying, "The patriarch is discerning and wise, how could he be the kind of person who would do whatever he wants just because someone has shown him a little kindness?"
Upon hearing this, all the disciples breathed a sigh of relief. They were truly afraid that the patriarch would simply hand the Xiao family over to others, leaving them to be slaughtered. Judging from the man's short-sighted and opportunistic appearance, it was clear that if the Xiao family had such a patriarch's wife, things would get complicated in the future.
Amidst sighs and lamentations, someone else remarked, "That's true. After all, with Uncle Bai around, how could the patriarch possibly agree to his request?"
Although in aristocratic families, the title of "wife of the head of the family" is often based on mutual benefit rather than on affection, how could the head of the family, who already has someone he loves, casually give the title of wife to someone else? Especially not to such a greedy and despicable person.
The person who spoke had only mentioned it casually, but after being reminded, everyone remembered that they had initially brought up this topic because of the patriarch's marriage.
Immediately, someone's expression changed, and they asked, "The patriarch has yet to complete the Dao Ceremony. Could it be related to this person?!"
The servant disciple stammered again.
After being pressed for answers for a while, he finally said, "I don't know the details, I'm just guessing... That person has no shame and would come to the Xiao residence to bother us from time to time, but then he stopped showing up for some reason. After that, the patriarch never mentioned the Dao-forming ceremony again. He clearly expressed his intention to form a Dao-forming partnership earlier. I wonder if these two things are related?"
The disciples suddenly realized that there was no longer any question of "whether it is"; there must be a connection!
Having heard the stories they had heard before, the disciples felt that it wouldn't be surprising for this "benefactor" to do anything. He might even use the debt of gratitude to blackmail or force the patriarch to swear an oath not to form a Daoist couple. Even if the facts were different, they would certainly be close to this speculation.
Immediately, everyone began to condemn it.
Clearly feeling that mere verbal condemnation was insufficient, someone else said, "The patriarch can't do anything to him out of gratitude, but someone has to let him know that our Xiao family isn't a treasure trove he can take whatever he wants!"
These words immediately resonated with the disciples. They had a plan, but they didn't even know what their "benefactor" looked like. All eyes immediately fell on Xiao Zhiyu, whom they seemed to have seen before.
Xiao Zhiyu knew what they wanted to ask, but he hadn't actually seen the person's face.
His visit to the head of the household that day was not for anything good.
Xiao Hanzhou revitalized the Xiao family, and those distant branches of the Xiao family who had no connection with them in the past naturally tried to attach themselves to them and seek some benefits. As a rare member of the Xiao family who was accepted into the family, Xiao Zhiyu was naturally entrusted with important responsibilities.
The young man still possessed a naivety untainted by self-interest. He admired the patriarch's ability to avenge the Xiao clan single-handedly and was impressed by the latter's cultivation and strength. He disliked the clansmen's tendency to seek benefits at the slightest opportunity, but he was powerless to resist and could only reluctantly act as the messenger.
The situation was similar that day, and Xiao Zhiyu felt that the head of the family wouldn't be too happy after hearing his report.
Although the head of the family would not take his anger out on people casually, Xiao Zhiyu still kept his voice down and behaved very politely—he kept his head down obediently after entering, and did not dare to look around.
Therefore, in the end, all that was seen was a dazzling golden-red brocade robe and long, slender fingers that appeared even more lustrous than jade when she received the jade box.
Strangely enough, just moments ago he was denouncing this person along with the other disciples, but now, as he recalls the scene, he can't help but waver, feeling that the person doesn't seem like the type to do such a thing.
Although Xiao Zhiyu hadn't even seen what the other person looked like, his demeanor made it hard to imagine that the person would do the despicable things he had just mentioned.
Is there some kind of misunderstanding here?
Just as Xiao Zhiyu's thoughts turned to this, his fellow disciples, unable to wait any longer, began to bombard him with questions about the person's appearance. Under the watchful eyes of his fellow disciples, Xiao Zhiyu swallowed back the "I don't know" that was on the tip of his tongue.
Teenagers at this age are extremely concerned about their image, and Xiao Zhiyu is especially so.
Moreover, his surname is "Xiao," the same as the head of the family, and they are from the same clan. Compared to his fellow disciples, he is the true "disciple of the Xiao family."
In everyone's eyes, Xiao Zhiyu was different, and he tried his best to maintain that difference. His talent wasn't among the most outstanding of the disciples, but through sheer hard work, he made his cultivation progress far surpass the others, firmly holding the second position.
Whenever he thought of this, Xiao Zhiyu couldn't help but grit his teeth.
He looked up at the boy in the corner. The boy was sitting cross-legged with his sword on his lap. His eyes were closed and his face was as expressionless as ever, as if he was unmoved by anything.
Xiao Zhiyu then remembered that whenever they sparred and his opponent easily knocked his sword away, he had the same expression.
He suddenly felt an even stronger urge to gnash his teeth. What's with the arrogance? He's only entered the sect a few years earlier and has a slightly higher cultivation level. Just because someone calls him "Senior Brother," does he really think he's the senior brother?!
The disciples around him didn't notice Xiao Zhiyu's momentary lapse in concentration. They continued to surround him, questioning his "benefactor." Being surrounded by people greatly satisfied Xiao Zhiyu's vanity. He couldn't help but think, "So what if he's the 'senior brother'? Aren't all my fellow disciples on my side now?"
But once you think that way, you just can't bring yourself to say "I didn't see it."
Xiao Zhiyu thought to himself that he had indeed seen that person before, but he hadn't seen what he looked like... so it wasn't exactly a lie.
Convincing himself of this, Xiao Zhiyu felt reassured. As he recalled the events of that day, he described the man's attire.
When he mentioned that "the fabric of the clothes seemed to be woven brocade," the disciples' expressions turned indignant again.
After all, although "fire-woven brocade" cannot compare to ten-thousand-year-old jade marrow, it is still a rare treasure. Given what the servant disciple said earlier, they naturally assumed that the fabric of this garment was also obtained from the patriarch.
Moreover, besides being impervious to swords and spears and water and fire, the Fire-woven Brocade is also often used as a wedding dress due to its vibrant colors. At several renowned Dao-marriage ceremonies in the Eastern Continent, the newlyweds wore this fabric. Given the previous persistent entanglement with that person, upon hearing this, the disciples felt that his request for the Fire-woven Brocade and his deliberate wearing of it must have ulterior motives.
"How desperate is she to get married?"
"How shameless, they actually wore it directly on their bodies."
"He's done things like that, what's there to be ashamed of?"
"..."
The crowd was chattering amongst themselves, but no one noticed that the young man who had been holding his sword with his eyes closed had opened his eyes the moment Xiao Zhiyu mentioned what the man was wearing.
He also heard what his fellow disciples said next, and the face that Xiao Zhiyu had coldly scoffed at as "an expressionless, dead man" instantly darkened. The boy's expression was horribly ugly, and the longsword resting on his lap trembled as if in response to its owner's mood. But before he could make a move, a voice tinged with laughter rang in his ears—
[You can't even stand it anymore? Zhaoyu, this won't do... You still have a long way to go in terms of tempering.]
Jiang Zhaoyu, who was about to get up, froze, a look of disbelief on her face.
A moment later, his lips tightened, and the clenched jaw muscles on his cheeks showed obvious signs of tension. But he eventually sat back down, pressing his hand against the still trembling longsword.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhiyu couldn't escape being asked what the person looked like.
He glanced sideways somewhat nervously, but still forced a straight expression and spoke, trying to make his tone sound relaxed and indifferent, "What else could he look like? A weasel-faced monster, utterly repulsive..."
Before Xiao Zhiyu could finish speaking, he felt a chill run down his spine and a sense of impending doom.
Having cultivated diligently for many years, he reacted extremely quickly, suddenly lowering his body. A stream of light grazed his cheek, leaving a deep bloodstain.
The disciples beside them hadn't yet realized what had just happened, but they still instinctively kept quiet. In the training ground where you could hear a pin drop, only the longsword deeply embedded in the ground continued to hum.
Xiao Zhiyu was covered in cold sweat. He stiffly raised his hand to touch the bloodstains on his face, not daring to think where the sword would have landed if he hadn't dodged it.
He slowly shifted his gaze from the sword, turned his head to the other side, gritted his teeth, and spoke each word slowly and deliberately—
"Jiang, Zhao, Yu! Are you crazy?!?!"
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