Urban Martial Saint

"No matter what, I have to give those guests who came earlier an explanation." Shen Tianjun looked at Qingyi and said, "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet; don't run around. Rest here for now, and I'll handle the matters over there first."

Qingyi nodded. She has always been simple-minded, always thinking that if she didn't want to marry, the matter could be easily resolved. She didn't realize what kind of outcome it would represent if the Shen Family suddenly decided to cancel the marriage arrangements.

Shen Tianjun called the Old Madame Shen to the next room and whispered, "What do you think we should do about Qingyi's matter?"

"Fateful entanglement!" the Old Madame Shen sighed and said, "No matter what, if Qingyi doesn't want to marry, we can't force her. Let's leave it at that. If she and Ye Qing are truly destined, they will end up together eventually. If there's no destiny between them, we can't force her to marry someone else. Despite Qingyi's simplicity, her personality is very determined. Forcing her into marriage might bring her no good at all."

Shen Tianjun was silent for a while, shook his head slowly, and said, "We still have to proceed with the marriage arrangements!"

"Why?" The Old Madame Shen looked at Shen Tianjun, surprised, and said, "Qingyi has become like this, and you still want to proceed with the marriage arrangements? Is it just for a family alliance to preserve our Shen Family? Tianjun, to sacrifice Qingyi's happiness for this family, can you really be that ruthless?"

"You don't understand!" Shen Tianjun said in a deep voice, "Do you know how many eyes are watching our Shen Family now?"

"So what!" the Old Madame Shen said in a deep voice, "If Qingyi doesn't want to marry, then she won't. Is there anyone who can make it difficult for us?"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Shen Tianjun said, "I'm talking about do you know how many are watching Qingyi now? With what happened today, although we all know nothing happened between Ye Qing and Qingyi, will others think the same way?"

The Old Madame Shen impatiently said, "We don't need to care about what others think!"

"Yes, we don't need to care about others' opinions, but what about Qingyi?" Shen Tianjun said, "Qingyi is still young. Now so many eyes are watching her, and so many want to know if anything happened between her and Ye Qing. At this time, if we suddenly announce not to proceed with the marriage arrangements, what do you think others will think of this matter?"

"This..." The Old Madame Shen was at a loss for words. Yes, if they suddenly cancel the marriage arrangements now, people will surely believe something happened between Ye Qing and Qingyi, and they will think Qingyi has been dishonored.

"The Shen Family can withstand such slander, but what about Qingyi? She is a girl, and she is still so young with a long road ahead. Should she carry such a stigma for the rest of her life?" Shen Tianjun said.

"Then... then what do you think we should do now?" the Old Madame Shen asked anxiously.

Shen Tianjun said, "Now there are only two paths: First, we continue the marriage arrangements. This will dispel people's doubts and make them believe nothing happened between Qingyi and Ye Qing."

"What about the second path?" The Old Madame Shen didn't even consider the first path because Qingyi really doesn't want the marriage arrangements, and they don't want to make things difficult for her.

Shen Tianjun said, "The second path is to have Ye Qing marry Qingyi. This way, no matter how outsiders perceive this matter, in the end, Qingyi will be with Ye Qing, and she won't have to bear any negative reputation."

"This... How could this be possible?" the Old Madame Shen said, "Ye Qing is very responsible. He's already betrothed to Zi Yu, which can't be changed. Moreover, he didn't do anything to Qingyi; he even saved her. He doesn't need to take responsibility for Qingyi, so how can we let him marry her?"

Shen Tianjun shrugged and said, "The problem is that neither path seems workable. Are we just supposed to do nothing then?"

The Old Madame Shen furrowed her brows. She hadn't thought as deeply as Shen Tianjun. Now, after hearing his analysis, she suddenly realized this matter wasn't as simple as she imagined.

"Isn't there any other way?" the Old Madame Shen asked softly.

Shen Tianjun thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps, we can choose a compromise."

"Compromise? How do we compromise?" The Old Madame Shen immediately asked.

"Let's put it this way, we'll choose the first path and proceed with the marriage arrangements. This will show people that nothing happened between Qingyi and Ye Qing. However..." Shen Tianjun paused and said, "We'll also invite Ye Qing to participate in the marriage arrangement!"

"Ah?" The Old Madame Shen widened her eyes, staring at Shen Tianjun in disbelief, "Having Ye Qing participate, what is this for? Why am I becoming more confused? We proceed with the marriage arrangements and want Ye Qing to participate, isn't this making things even more complicated?"

"Not necessarily." Shen Tianjun shook his head and said, "If Ye Qing eventually wins the marriage, then Qingyi won't have to marry anyone else!"

"But Ye Qing can't marry Qingyi!" The Old Madame Shen said, "If he marries Qingyi, what about Zi Yu?"

"That's the key issue." Shen Tianjun said, "We can tell Ye Qing in advance that he participates in the marriage, but after he stands out, we will break off the engagement. This way, he doesn't have to marry Qingyi, and he won't betray Zi Yu!"

Upon hearing this, the Old Madame Shen was momentarily stunned, and only after a while did she regain her composure, "This... This idea is good, but... won't this make Qingyi sad?"

"We'll explain to her first. No matter what, the marriage arrangement must proceed, and she can't be married off to someone else." At this point, Shen Tianjun sighed helplessly and said, "I never thought Qingyi would have such deep feelings for Ye Qing. If I'd known, I wouldn't have arranged for her marriage. Now look where it got us, alas!"

The Old Madame Shen gently patted Shen Tianjun's shoulder and said, "You did all this for the Shen Family. Honestly, I never imagined Qingyi's feelings for Ye Qing would grow so deep. Alas, it's our fault. If we had separated them in time, we wouldn't be facing this now?"

Shen Tianjun shook his head with resignation and said, "Since that's the case, then let's settle on this. You go and talk to Qingyi and Ye Qing about this, and I'll go upfront to announce the marriage arrangements."

"Wait a moment." The Old Madame Shen quickly stopped Shen Tianjun and said, "Your plan is good, but can you be sure Ye Qing can really stand out among these people? These are all people brought by elders, and how can Ye Qing, coming alone, compare with them?"

Shen Tianjun said, "Rest assured, I will try to manage the situation. This is the Shen Family Manor, and the tests are all set by me. It's not difficult to ensure Ye Qing stands out."

"That's good!" The Old Madame Shen nodded repeatedly and said, "You must manage it well, or if there are any mistakes, it will be troublesome."

Shen Tianjun solemnly nodded. He was considering it himself. How to make Ye Qing stand out was indeed not an easy task, especially since Ye Qing was coming alone without elders to assist him. That meant he had to contend with the younger generation and figures like Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan, truly a challenging task.

Even though Shen Tianjun could help him secretly, that assistance couldn't be too apparent. Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan were both very astute characters. If anything appeared overt, they would certainly notice, making things complicated.

After sorting everything out, Shen Tianjun immediately made his way to the front of the hall, where everyone was waiting for him. Before he entered, everyone in the hall was whispering, mostly certain that something must have happened between Ye Qing and Qingyi.

Helian Tiehua sat calmly, not participating in the discussions. Prince Nalan, sitting across from him, also remained silent, but both wore unusual expressions, internally speculating about what had occurred in the cave.

Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan, being in their positions today, relied not only on immense strength but also on nearly demonic wisdom. They quickly discerned that One-Eyed Ding Lianshun's actions were intended to disrupt the Shen Family's marriage arrangements. So Ding Lianshun likely did more than strip and throw Ye Qing and Qingyi in the cave; there might be other means involved, which left both men not overly hopeful about the situation.

Seeing Shen Tianjun arrive, everyone stopped their discussions and looked toward him, waiting for news about Qingyi's condition.

Helian Tiehua sat calmly, refraining from joining the discussions. Prince Nalan, who sat opposite him, also did not partake in the discussion, though both were pondering what exactly happened in the Cave.

Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan reached their current positions not just through sheer force, but also through their near-demonic intelligence. They noticed quickly that One-Eyed Ding Lianshun's actions seemed designed to disrupt the Shen Family's marriage arrangements. Hence, they didn't place much hope in this situation, suspecting that there must be some manipulation involved.

Once Shen Tianjun arrived, everyone immediately stopped talking and looked towards him, eager to learn about Qingyi's situation.

Helian Tiehua sat calmly, not participating in any discussions. Prince Nalan, who was sitting across from him, also remained silent; both were inwardly speculating about what really happened in the Cave.

Helian Tiehua and Prince Nalan have achieved their current status not only through extraordinary martial prowess but also with almost supernatural intelligence. Both quickly realized that One-Eyed Ding Lianshun's actions were deliberately intended to disrupt the Shen family's marriage proceedings. Therefore, Ding Lianshun would likely not stop at just leaving Ye Qing and Qingyi in the Cave; they had little hope for this situation being resolved favorably.

When Shen Tianjun arrived, everyone paused their discussions and turned their attention to him, awaiting news on Qingyi's condition.

Shen Tianjun spoke loudly with a slight smile as he looked around at the crowd, "My apologies for keeping you all waiting. There were a few minor matters that needed handling in the back. Ye Qing is, after all, considered one of our own, so I had to settle him down first."

Seeing Shen Tianjun's expression, along with his words, everyone was taken aback with surprise. Could it be true that nothing happened between Ye Qing and Qingyi? How was that possible?

"The marriage arrangements will proceed as scheduled tomorrow!" Shen Tianjun announced loudly. "I hope everyone can rest early, as tomorrow we will begin the first stage of the marriage arrangements. I hope everyone gives it their best!"

"Shen, before the marriage proceedings, shouldn't we be made clear about..." Huang Yidao suddenly spoke up, "Exactly what happened between Miss Shen and Ye Qing?"