NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164: A Gathering of Geniuses
Chapter 164: A Gathering of Geniuses
Hearing Jing Se’s innocent words, the noble ladies couldn’t help but laugh and tease her.
“Because Jing Se is so beautiful! He wants to be with Jing Se.”
“Jing Se, do you want to be with him?”
Jing Se’s face turned bright red, and she tried to hide behind the other ladies, but they playfully grabbed her, not letting her escape.
This was how matchmaking worked in this world – direct and straightforward. Xu Lian had already adapted to the customs and learned to navigate through them. He looked at Jing Se seriously and asked, “How many times have I looked at you just now?
Jing Se obviously hadn’t expected such a question. Her face turned even redder as she thought for a moment and replied, “About five or six times.”
Xu Lian nodded. “Then you must have looked at me at least five or six times, if not more. How else would you know that I was looking at you if you weren’t looking at me?”
Jing Se was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, she broke free from the ladies’ grasp and ran to hide at the back.
Ying Ming and Jing Que exchanged meaningful glances, understanding that Xu Lian had taken a liking to Jing Se.
Ying Ming smiled and brought over a few cups of wine, handing one to Xu Lian and Jing Que and keeping one for himself. He raised his cup to Xu Lian and said, “It’s easier with my and Jing Que’s other sisters and cousins. If you fancy any of them, you can just take them with you. But Jing Se is different.”
Xu Lian raised his cup in response and downed the wine in one go. “Has Jing Se already been promised to someone?”
Ying Ming shook his head. “No, she hasn’t. If she had been promised to someone, she wouldn’t be at this gathering.”
Xu Lian thought about it and realized that it made sense. If she were already promised, there would be no reason for her to attend a matchmaking event. “Since she hasn’t been promised to anyone else, why can’t I pursue her?”
Ying Ming explained, “It’s not that you can’t. It’s just that Jing Se is still young and innocent, not as worldly as her other sisters.
With the other sisters, no matter who you choose, the two ducal households can rest assured that they won’t be taken advantage of if they go with you.
But Jing Se might not know how to protect herself.
You’re too mysterious. So far, the two Ducal Houses haven’t been able to uncover your background. You’re like a genius who appeared out of nowhere. Without knowing your background, we can’t feel comfortable letting Jing Se go with you.”
Alright… Xu Lian understood. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “I can’t reveal my origin for now, but by the time the royal son-in-law selection is over, you’ll know.”
Ying Ming was confused. “Why do we have to wait until the selection is over to find out?”
“Don’t ask. You’ll know eventually.”
Xu Lian couldn’t explain. His relationship with Li Xiya, if revealed, would not only embarrass the royal family of the Yin Dynasty, but also enrage all the geniuses participating in the selection.
If it became known that the princess had already been married once, what would the geniuses think of the selection? It would make them feel like they were being made fools of.
This would undoubtedly cause widespread anger, and even the Yin Dynasty royal family wouldn’t be able to withstand the backlash. In the end, the royal family would have no choice but to take out their frustration on him.
Therefore, until he became the royal son-in-law, it was best not to reveal his identity, lest someone with ulterior motives uncover his background and learn about his relationship with Li Xiya.
If his relationship with Li Xiya were exposed before he became the royal son-in-law, it would become a scandal for the Yin Dynasty royal family. But if he became the royal son-in-law first, it would become a romantic tale…
A legend.
A beautiful story.
Such was the nature of the human heart.
Losers should remain silent, for anything they say will be seen as wrong.
Winners, on the other hand, can say anything and it will be regarded as wisdom.
“Alright.”
Ying Ming gave him a deep look, but didn’t push any further.
Jing Que, who was less talkative, simply drank his wine.
“The heir of the Prince of Jinnan has arrived!
The heir of Zhenbei has arrived!
The eldest son of the Grand Tutor has arrived!
The Prime Minister’s eldest son has arrived!”
A series of announcements came from the entrance of the mansion.
As the hosts of the meeting, Ying Ming and Jing Que naturally went out to greet the newcomers.
With no one to accompany him, Xu Lian felt a bit bored. Under the amused gazes of the noble ladies, he went to the back to find Jing Se.
When Jing Se saw him approaching, she instinctively tried to hide, her innocent maiden’s heart on full display.
Xu Lian followed her step by step, wherever she went.
Jing Se’s eyes begged him to stop.
But Xu Lian remained unmoved, persistently following her, using this primitive method to assert his claim.
This simple yet effective gesture made Jing Se’s flustered heart realize his intentions. Gradually, her panic subsided and she stopped trying to avoid him.
Xu Lian brought some food over and placed it in front of Jing Se, sitting down beside her. He leaned in and whispered sweet nothings to her, things like “You’re so beautiful” and “Out of all the ladies here, I noticed you right away.”
“These must be the Four Heroes of the Capital.”
While talking to Jing Se, Xu Lian noticed that Ying Ming and Jing Que were leading four young men into the gathering. Each of them exuded an aura of high level cultivation, handsome and dignified, with an otherworldly presence.
Xu Lian had been in the capital for more than ten days. Apart from the days spent in the arena, he had been touring the city with the three women and had gained some understanding of the capital. He knew that among the younger generation in the capital, there were four high-level geniuses who had reached the Grandmaster realm, known as the Four Heroes of the Capital.
The Four Heroes had been placed directly into the elimination round, bypassing the preliminary and initial rounds.
“Chieftain of the Barbarian Tribe, Fu Ye, has arrived!”
The announcements continued at the entrance.
As more and more geniuses arrived, Ying Ming and Jing Que could no longer accompany each one for a while and had to remain at the entrance to greet them.
A young man dressed in animal skins and bark swaggered in, carrying a massive wolf-toothed bone club on his shoulder.
Xu Lian’s eyes narrowed. This attire was similar to what he had seen at the Thirteen Clans’ wedding ceremony. Did the barbarian tribes still maintain their primitive hunting lifestyle?
“The young sect master of the Ghost Soul Sect, Nian, has arrived!”
The announcements at the entrance continued without a break.
Another figure caught Xu Lian’s attention. He hadn’t expected to see the young sect master of the Ghost Soul Sect here. What a strange name – Nian?
At a glance, Xu Lian felt a wave of uneasiness. The young man had a pale, almost ghostly complexion, and most disturbingly, small heads like peeled lychees grew from the gaps in his hair. Each of these tiny heads emitted eerie cries. It was unbearable to look at, and Xu Lian quickly averted his gaze.
Jing Se also frowned, obviously uncomfortable.
Xu Lian pointed at himself, signaling Jing Se to look at him instead.
Jing Se, though shy, did not refuse and glanced at him occasionally.
“The twin stars of Falling Star Palace, Jun Han and Jun Yan, have arrived!”
Some geniuses were inconspicuous in appearance, easy to overlook, while others were impossible to ignore. The Twin Stars of Falling Star Palace were the latter. They looked exactly alike, but one exuded a bone-chilling cold, making it impossible for anyone to stand near him, while the other radiated scorching heat, equally unapproachable. They were impossible to miss.
“Young Master of the Purple Flood Dragon King of Yunmeng Marsh has arrived!”
“Young Master of the Black Crocodile King of Yunmeng Marsh has arrived!”
“Young Master of the Green Python, King of Yunmeng Marsh, has arrived!”
More conspicuous geniuses arrived. Although they had assumed human forms, they still retained distinct beastly features, clearly indicating their origins as demonic geniuses.
Ying Ming and Jing Que spent over an hour at the entrance greeting guests before finally returning to mingle with the geniuses and engage in lively conversation. Ying Ming did most of the talking, while Jing Que remained relatively quiet.
The geniuses formed small groups and got to know each other. Although they all had their pride, they understood the importance of relationships. Competition was secondary; friendship came first.
Of course, there were always a few who disrupted the harmonious atmosphere by deliberately stirring up trouble. “Has that Xu Lian, who was foolishly elevated to the status of a young generation deity by ignorant commoners, already arrived?”
The speaker was none other than Fu Ye, the young chief of the barbarian tribe. He carried his wolf-toothed bone club on one shoulder and held a large jar of wine in the other, drinking heartily and exuding a rough and wild aura.
His words silenced the room, and the geniuses exchanged uneasy glances.