The House of Murong

The magnificent mountain estate, with its golden and jade splendor, rivaled any imperial villa in grandeur. Perhaps due to the scarcity of family members, the entire estate exuded an eerie and declining atmosphere. The opulence, built upon countless priceless treasures, created a suffocating pressure. As Murong Mingyan stepped through the main gate, crowds of servants were already waiting respectfully. Seeing her return, they hurriedly rushed forward with joy, “Young Miss, you’ve finally returned. The Master has been worried sick.”

Mingyan frowned in disgust, looking up at the fawning expressions of the servants before her and the ornately carved beams and painted rafters. Her mind couldn’t help but flash to that transcendent figure in white robes who seemed like an immortal in exile. Biting her lip, determination flashed in her eyes.

“Grandfather, Great-Uncle.” Before she could return to her quarters, Murong Mingyan was summoned to the study. Inside wasn’t just the Murong family head, but also Great-Uncle Murong Xiong, who had always struck fear in her since childhood. The family head snorted coldly, “So you know to come back?! You’re the Young Miss of the Murong family, who permitted you to run off as you pleased?”

Mingyan kept her head down, nervously fidgeting with the silk in her hands, not daring to speak. In others’ eyes, she was the precious Young Miss of the Murong family. But from childhood until now, she never had any right to speak before her grandfather and great-uncle. All along, she could only listen when they spoke. But now… they were discussing her lifelong marriage.

Seeing her so docile, the family head’s anger subsided somewhat. His tone softened as he said, “Tomorrow is the last day of the martial arts gathering. Your great-uncle and I have decided to marry you to Ling Tiehan, the Master of Yanwang Palace.”

“But… Ling Tiehan is already forty years old!” Mingyan looked up in shock, blurting out involuntarily. Forty years old – to seventeen-year-old Mingyan, he was already an old man. If her father were still alive, Ling Tiehan would be several years older than him.

“Silence!” The family head’s face darkened as he looked at Mingyan with exasperation, “What’s wrong with forty? Given Ling Tiehan’s martial arts mastery and status, he’s still quite young. Do you think many in this world can stand as equals with Lei Zhenting? I’d rather marry you to Prince Ding, but they won’t even consider you – he wouldn’t even come to see you.”

Being mocked so mercilessly by her own family, Mingyan’s face flushed red with shame, then quickly turned pale, leaving her speechless for a long while.

After all, she was his granddaughter and his only remaining bloodline. Seeing her like this, the family head sighed and softened his expression, patiently explaining, “We arranged such a grand event all for your sake. In this world, there are only a few truly capable people. Prince Ding’s refusal to come shows he looks down on both you and the Murong family’s wealth. Moreover, Prince Ding’s deep love for his Princess is known throughout the land – even the northwestern capital is named after his Princess. For the sake of his reputation for devotion and the Xu family, Prince Ding would never abandon his Princess. Even if you married him, you could only be a concubine. As for the Emperor of Chu and Prince Li, the Emperor already has the Liu family, leaving no room for us to interfere, and Prince Li… we fear he won’t amount to much. But Ling Tiehan is different. As Master of Yanwang Palace, he resides in Xiling yet maintains good relations with Prince Ding. This unique position keeps him independent from the power struggles while ensuring no one dares to offend him. Furthermore, Ling Tiehan hasn’t married yet – marrying him would make you the Mistress of Yanwang Palace, and with the Murong family backing you, who in this world would dare show you disrespect?”

Mingyan stubbornly bit her lip without answering. No matter how her grandfather praised Ling Tiehan, how could a dressed, unremarkable man like him compare to the refined and elegant Young Master Qingchen in her eyes?

If Ye Li were present, she would certainly scoff at Mingyan’s judgment. Not because Ye Li thought Ling Tiehan was better than Xu Qingchen, but because these two men were completely different types. Though Ling Tiehan couldn’t match the handsomeness of men like Xu Qingchen, Mo Xiuyao, Feng Sanhan, or Ming Xi, he was tall and straight-backed, with a stern, heroic countenance and commanding presence. Even among these famously handsome figures, he was not someone who could be overlooked. Moreover, while everyone thought Xu Qingchen had a better temperament than Ling Tiehan at first glance if Ye Li were to say, Ling Tiehan’s heart was probably softer than Xu Qingchen’s.

If Ye Li had to choose between these two men as a husband, she would most likely choose Ling Tiehan over Xu Qingchen. This also explains from another angle why Young Master Qingchen, despite his unparalleled looks and wisdom, remained unmarried. Sometimes excessive gentleness is a form of detachment and coldness. Unfortunately, Mingyan didn’t understand this principle.

Murong Xiong snorted coldly, “I understand a young girl’s thoughts. You simply think Ling Tiehan is much older than you, and his appearance can’t compare to many of the young masters attending the martial arts gathering. It seems the Murong family has spoiled you too much – do you think your looks amount to much? You went to see that Xu boy tonight, didn’t you? Got rejected? Your looks might make you a beauty in An City, but Chu isn’t Xiling. That Xu boy has traveled the world – what beauties hasn’t he seen? Someone like you probably isn’t even as good-looking as him when standing together! And don’t complain about Ling Tiehan’s age – at forty he maintains the appearance of a thirty-year-old, and at seventy he’ll still look forty or fifty. Do you think you’ll still be a beauty at fifty? By then, he’ll be the one looking down on you! If you married that Xu boy or Mo Xiuyao, I fear you’d be cast aside before you even turn thirty.”

“Great-Uncle!” These words were incredibly vicious – Mingyan had never suffered such humiliation in her life. This humiliation came from her own family, and tears immediately began flowing, unstoppable no matter how she wiped them away.

“Ahem… Uncle…” The family head coughed lightly, feeling that Murong Xiong had gone too far. Though Mingyan’s looks weren’t unparalleled under heaven, they weren’t bad enough to be scorned. The title of An City’s First Beauty wasn’t self-proclaimed. Although the uncle wanted to strike at Mingyan to prevent her from being too willful, some things shouldn’t be taken too far.

Murong Xiong glanced at Mingyan but finally said nothing more. The family head then looked at Mingyan and said, “In any case, your great-uncle and I have decided this. There’s nothing more to say.”

How could Mingyan accept this? She steeled herself and knelt before the family head, “Grandfather, Mingyan has a better idea. Master Ling might not be the best choice.” The family head raised his graying eyebrows – not because he looked down on Mingyan, but because he knew exactly what his granddaughter was capable of. He naturally wouldn’t believe Mingyan could have any good ideas. Mingyan hurriedly said, “Young Master Qingchen.”

The family head’s expression changed as he angrily said, “I’ve told you so much and you’re still so stubborn! When it comes down to it, you just can’t let go of Xu Qingchen’s face and dare to speak so righteously. Don’t forget who has provided you with a life of luxury all these years.” Mingyan looked tearfully at the family head with a grievance. Beside them, Murong Xiong frowned and raised his hand to stop his nephew’s shouting, staring at Mingyan, “Let’s hear what you have to say.” Mingyan was overjoyed and quickly said, “Young Master Qingchen’s wisdom and strategies are unmatched. If… if we could get him to agree to marry into the Murong family…”

The family head snorted lightly and sneered, “Marry in? You think well of yourself. Have you seen what kind of family the Xu family is? Getting him to agree to marry you would be difficult enough, let alone having him marry into our family!”

Saying this, the family head himself felt uncomfortable. Nothing irritates a person proud of their family more than having to admit they’re inferior to others. But in the eyes of the world, even if the Xu family were poor and humble, their status would still far exceed the Murong family’s. So-called scholarly families… hmph!

Mingyan remembered Xu Qingchen’s coldness, and her beautiful eyes dimmed. She continued, “Great-uncle and Grandfather are incredibly capable, you must have a way. If Young Master Qingchen could become part of our Murong family, with his relationship with Prince Ding’s Princess, we wouldn’t need to get involved with assassin organizations, and even the Xiling royal family wouldn’t dare move against the Murong family lightly. Moreover, with Young Master Qingchen’s help, what’s to stop the Murong family from rising even higher?”

Hearing this, the family head hesitated. Being able to elevate the Murong family would certainly be ideal, and once Xu Qingchen married into the Murong family, they would be relatives of the Xu family. Most importantly, the Murong family’s next generation would be the sons of the world-renowned Young Master Qingchen – who would dare call the Murong family’s descendants money-grubbing merchants then? But… the Xu family had always been above worldly concerns, how would they agree to such a proposal? The family head cast an inquiring look at Murong Xiong, hesitating before saying, “If so, Xu Qingchen would indeed be more suitable than Ling Tiehan. After all… as the leader of assassins, Ling Tiehan might not be easy to control. But this matter… might not be easy to accomplish.”

Murong Xiong narrowed his old eyes in contemplation, his eyes shooting out sharp rays. He said proudly, “What’s not easy about it? It’s his good fortune that I, Murong Xiong, am willing to marry my great-grand-niece to him!” It wasn’t because Mingyan was worthy of Xu Qingchen, but because Mingyan was his, Murong Xiong’s, great-grand-niece. His reputation as the world’s greatest martial artist gave him enough confidence to believe Xu Qingchen wouldn’t reject this proposal. The family head looked at Mingyan kneeling on the ground with hopeful eyes, then at the confident Murong Xiong, and finally agreed.

This year’s martial arts gathering could be said to have begun in high spirits but ended in disappointment. Of the top ten masters selected on the second day of competition, half had died before the third day’s matches, and everyone knew how they died. After all, everyone wanted to be the son-in-law of the world’s richest family, but the Murong family only had one daughter. Naturally, they had to reduce their competitors as much as possible. So when only half of the original top ten masters appeared for the competition, no one was surprised in the least.

“Master Ling, are you interested in going up to test your skills this year?” Prince Zhennan turned to ask Ling Tiehan, who sat at the side with his eyes closed in meditation.

Though his expression remained calm as usual, Prince Zhennan was extremely cautious of Ling Tiehan. In this meeting, he found himself completely unable to gauge Ling Tiehan’s true depth – meaning that even if Ling Tiehan wasn’t stronger than him, he certainly wasn’t any weaker. Yet Ling Tiehan was still ten years his junior. Thinking of Mo Xiuyao, who was seven or eight years younger than even Ling Tiehan, Prince Zhennan suddenly felt a wave of fatigue and helplessness. Compared to Mo Xiuyao, he had grown old.

His son should have been the one to compete with Mo Xiuyao, but unfortunately, his son fell far short of Mo Liufang’s son. Glancing back at Lei Tengfeng sitting behind him, Prince Zhennan began to wonder if he had arranged things too perfectly for Tengfeng, leading to his current state of being inferior to Mo Xiuyao in every way. Perhaps… after returning home, it was time to let him stand on his own…

Ling Tiehan opened his eyes and said indifferently, “Not interested. Why doesn’t Prince Zhennan’s heir give it a try?” Among these so-called new talents, besides that young man called Ren Qining who showed some promise, the others weren’t even worth Ling Tiehan’s attention. Having just fought with Mo Xiuyao, Ling Tiehan had no interest in sparring with juniors for now. Moreover… there were more formidable opponents in An City now. Ling Tiehan lowered his gaze to his right hand resting on the armrest, carelessly shifting his gaze to the magnificent Murong family estate in the distance.

Prince Zhennan laughed heartily, “Tengfeng’s modest martial arts skills aren’t worthy of competing on stage. Besides, he’s not part of the jianghu world, so there’s no need to concern himself with such contests of pride.” The last part was directed at Lei Tengfeng – since there was no possibility of the Murong family marrying their daughter to Prince Zhennan’s household, whether Tengfeng competed or not was meaningless.

“Father speaks wisely,” Lei Tengfeng nodded in agreement. Prince Zhennan nodded with satisfaction, looking at his son with some pride, “After returning to the capital, Tengfeng shall lead troops south to garrison there.” Hearing this, Lei Tengfeng was overjoyed – he knew his father’s military intentions. Sending him south at this time meant allowing him to command troops independently. If he led well, he could gain true military authority of his own. Seeing that he understood his meaning, Prince Zhennan patted his shoulder, “You’re not young anymore, it’s time for you to take charge. Your father is getting old…”

“Father is in his prime, child thanks father…” Lei Tengfeng said.

Prince Zhennan father and son spoke without trying to hide anything from others. Even Xu Qingchen, feigning rest nearby, seemed completely unconcerned. This was Prince Zhennan’s test for Xu Qingchen. Young Master Qingchen’s talent was known throughout the land, but many things couldn’t be accomplished with talent alone. They also required decisiveness and ruthlessness.

The border between Nanzhao and Xiling had complex terrain, making quick victory impossible. So from the moment Prince Zhennan had conceived the idea of attacking Nanzhao, he hadn’t planned for a surprise swift attack, thus secrecy wasn’t particularly important. Or rather, if he could probe Xu Qingchen’s true nature, Prince Zhennan would consider it worth leaking some military intelligence.

If Xu Qingchen chose to save Nanzhao, it would show he was too soft-hearted to be feared. If Xu Qingchen chose to stand aside, there would be no need for much concern. If Xu Qingchen used Nanzhao and Xiling to check each other or did something else entirely, then… the Northwest would have another person to guard against besides Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li.

Xu Qingchen neither pretended not to hear nor showed particular interest in the topic. It was as if Prince Zhennan and his son were just having an ordinary family conversation, with a father praising and rewarding his son. Opening his eyes to look at Lei Tengfeng, he smiled faintly, “Congratulations, Young Master Lei.”

Lei Tengfeng smiled, “Thank you, Young Master Qingchen.” But the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Lei Tengfeng’s life had been quite stifling. Though his abilities and methods were decent, he was overshadowed by the mountain that was Prince Zhennan, leaving no room to show his worth. Success would be attributed to having a tiger for a father, while failure would be seen as good bamboo producing bad shoots. In terms of capability, insight, and methods, even if he couldn’t match Mo Xiuyao, he certainly wasn’t inferior to Yelü Hong, Yelü Ye, Mo Jingqi, Mo Jingli, and others. Yet whenever people mentioned him, their only impression was “Prince Zhennan’s heir.” Lowering his head, determination flashed in Lei Tengfeng’s eyes – he would show the world what it meant for the student to surpass the master!

“This humble servant greets Young Master Qingchen.” As the three were chatting, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a Murong family servant came over to pay respects to Xu Qingchen.

Xu Qingchen sat up, nodding with a smile, “No need for formalities.” The man’s eyes held a hint of fawning and ingratiating intent as he looked at Xu Qingchen, saying, “Not at all. The Old Master and our Master invite you to talk at the estate.” Early this morning, Murong Xiong and the Murong family head hadn’t appeared at the competition grounds. Though people were puzzled, there was nothing to say about it. The martial arts gathering had always been free from interference, and the Murong family had already done more than enough in organizing this time.

None present were ordinary people, and they naturally noticed the man’s different attitude toward Xu Qingchen. Xu Qingchen frowned slightly, “May I ask what the Murong family head wishes to discuss?”

The man smiled apologetically, “The family head naturally has important matters to discuss with Young Master Qingchen.” Xu Qingchen nodded and stood up, “In that case, please lead the way.”

Ling Tiehan, sitting to the side, also stood up, smiling, “I’ve long admired the Murong family’s prestige. Might I come along to pay a visit?”

“This…” the messenger was troubled. The family head and Old Master certainly wouldn’t want Ling Tiehan visiting now, but as the Master of Yanwang Palace and leader of assassins, how could he resist Ling Tiehan’s imposing presence? Ling Tiehan didn’t press him, smiling generously, “No need to be troubled. It’s just that this Palace Master has good relations with Prince Ding and his Princess, and I promised the Prince to ensure Young Master Qingchen’s safety. Since it’s inconvenient for me to go, I’ll have to ask the Murong family head to come out and chat with Young Master Qingchen instead.”

Isn’t this even more troublesome? The messenger’s face turned green as he forced a smile, “Young Master Qingchen comes as a guest, the Murong family will certainly ensure his safety.”

“Wasn’t it the Murong family’s people who first moved against Young Master Qingchen at the martial arts gathering?” Leng Liuyue, sitting behind Ling Tiehan, said coldly.

“In that case, Palace Master Ling is also welcome,” the messenger said through gritted teeth. His orders were to bring Young Master Qingchen over. If he failed, the Old Master usually dealt with the incompetent person first before asking for explanations.

Watching them leave, Lei Tengfeng frowned, “Father, is the Murong family planning to…”

Prince Zhennan gave a cold laugh, his eyes showing fierce intent, “If that old dog Murong Xiong wants to court death, I’ll grant his wish!”