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As the head of the Liu family, Liu Yuliang felt his precious daughter was becoming difficult to handle as she grew older.

In the past, when Ruoning insisted on marrying Yino, Yuliang thought she was just being childish. He assumed once she visited the He family and saw what a spoiled young master Yino really was, she'd come to her senses.

But unexpectedly...

After returning from her visit to the He mansion, Ruoning became even more determined! She claimed she'd already agreed to marry Yino and even insisted he was now incredibly powerful. According to her, no one below the Nascent Soul stage could last two moves against him.

Yuliang listened with a worried expression on his face.

He actually knew some inside information. Yino was like a ticking time bomb. If the He family dared to release the restrictions on his bloodline, then it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had no rivals among his peers. But this involved confidential matters, and Liu Yuliang didn't dare speak carelessly. He wasn't even sure about Yino's current situation or what Ruoning had actually seen at the He mansion.

Moreover, setting all that aside, the two young masters from the Lin family had just arrived as guests, hoping to discuss marriage arrangements. Now these distinguished visitors had overheard Ruoning making this scene.

Compared to Yuliang's difficult position, her mother Li Shauna's feelings were much simpler. She was furious with her daughter's words, believing Ruoning had been brainwashed by some evil technique. Ever since playing with Yino as a child years ago, this stubborn girl had returned from Luo City obsessed with marrying him when they grew up.

And now, Yino was famously known in Luo City for his useless constitution and wastrel behavior, yet somehow Ruoning described him as an exceptionally talented cultivator unmatched at his level!

She might have gotten away with saying such things in private, but Li Shauna had already told Ruoning that the Lin family's young masters had come for matchmaking. Ruoning deliberately saying such things was clearly meant to humiliate their guests.

There was nothing to be done. Shauna was extremely angry and reached over to tap her husband's arm.

"Look at your daughter! Didn't you say one trip to the He mansion would make her see reality?" she complained. "Now she's back and worships that Yino even more!"

Shauna folded her arms across her chest. Knowing she couldn't reason with her stubborn daughter, she could only direct her frustration at Yuliang.

Yuliang's lips twitched, but he had nothing to say.

Had he known things would turn out this way, he never would have taken young Ruoning to play at the He mansion years ago. He definitely wouldn't have drunkenly arranged a childhood engagement with that old schemer He Chensheng!

Yuliang was suffering. That old fox He had been too cunning.

Ten years ago, He Chensheng must have already known about the issues with Yino's bloodline but didn't tell Yuliang. When Yuliang first visited the He family and saw the articulate young boy who came to pay his respects and ask for red packets—a child whose intelligence and social skills far exceeded his peers—Yuliang immediately recognized Yino's talent. He calculated that the boy would certainly have a promising future in the He family and decided it would be good for Ruoning to establish a childhood friendship with him.

At the time, while drinking and arranging the marriage contract, Yuliang thought he was getting a bargain. After all, both families were of equal status, and marrying his daughter to such a talented young man would be incredibly advantageous.

But a few years later, Yuliang realized he'd been tricked!

Damn it! Where did the He family find this little nuclear bomb?

The Great Dragon Dynasty was currently ruled by true dragons, yet old fox He Chensheng had picked up a mysterious phoenix bloodline from the Western Region!

How could he not be talented? This was definitely a phoenix bloodline, and at its most powerful, it might even match a true dragon. When Ruoning said Yino could defeat Nascent Soul cultivators across realm boundaries, it wasn't entirely impossible in theory.

But the key issue was that Yuliang couldn't figure out what was happening with the He family now.

If He Chensheng dared to release the bloodline restrictions and let Yino cultivate according to phoenix standards, that would be basically equivalent to open rebellion. If news of a phoenix bloodline got out, it would alarm the Dragon Emperor within days.

Currently, Yuliang held a high position, but he hadn't heard such major news.

So Yuliang deduced that He Chensheng probably didn't have the courage to be so reckless.

But if the He family was following the rules and sealing Yino's bloodline, why had Ruoning come back with a new appreciation for him?

Analyzing this, Yuliang clicked his tongue.

He first glared at his flustered wife: "Come on, why are you so anxious? Ruoning just returned home from far away. Can't we sit down and discuss things properly?"

After scolding his wife, Yuliang turned to look at the teal-haired girl standing at the doorway.

His daughter was truly fierce. After this trip to Luo City, she'd returned in tattered clothes—you'd think she'd been fighting on the battlefields of the Western Region.

When Ruoning was discovered to be destiny-blessed ten years ago, Yuliang had heard that such destined daughters were the hardest to raise.

Now it seemed... that wasn't wrong. As adorable as his precious daughter had been as a child, she'd grown equally stubborn. Yuliang felt like he was raising a little ancestor. Whenever Ruoning argued with her mother, she'd run away from home without a word. The Liu family had become famous throughout Jiangnan for posting notices searching for their daughter, and each time they brought Ruoning back, they had to coax her gently.

"Ruoning..." Yuliang had many thoughts but asked his question gently. After all, as head of the household, he couldn't lose face in front of guests like his wife had. Everything should be handled reasonably.

"You say Yino is very powerful now. What makes you say that?"

"Yino is amazing! When he was in the secret realm—" Ruoning folded her arms with a proud snort.

She was about to share what she'd witnessed, but halfway through, she seemed to remember something. Her expression froze awkwardly, like someone constipated.

Indeed, what could Ruoning say?

She couldn't very well tell everyone that Yino was amazing because in the Azure Forest he acted even more depraved than cult members, somehow corrupting the Full Moon Sect's Holy Maiden, the Pleasure Demoness, and even a nine-tailed fox into obedient pets!

Could she really say that?

After thinking it through, Ruoning found herself in a difficult position. She wanted everyone to know how powerful and handsome Yino was, but she couldn't come up with a decent example since everything Yino did was absolutely outrageous.

"Anyway, Yino is super powerful. He recently accomplished something great by saving the Azure Forest. I'm sure in a while you'll hear about his achievements through the Immortal Alliance!"

After much deliberation, Ruoning cautiously held back most details.

But even mentioning the Immortal Alliance, Ruoning suddenly realized another problem: the secret of the Azure Forest had been classified by the elders back at the ancient palace.

Normally, accomplishments were announced by the Immortal Alliance the day after they occurred.

Yet now, with no word from the Immortal Alliance about the Azure Forest incident, it was clear that both the Wuji Sect and the Immortal Alliance preferred to keep the truth hidden.

Without news of great achievements, how could she convince anyone?

"Hehe, Miss Ruoning," one of the Lin family's young masters spoke up.

"If you're focused on cultivation and not interested in marriage talks right now, I can understand that. We could just get to know each other as friends first."

"But bringing up a famous waste from Luo City to awkwardly brag about is truly pointless."

"According to what you're saying, if this He fellow really accomplished something great in the Western Region, the Immortal Alliance's daily report would at least mention it, even if it wasn't the headline..."

"But has anyone here heard of anything major happening in the Western Region's secret realm recently?"

Seated in the guest position, the Lin family's young master smiled faintly with disdain and helplessly shrugged his shoulders.

At the same time, Liu Ruoxin sighed and seemed embarrassed by her foolish sister's nonsense, covering her face with her hand.

"Ruoning, after all these years, are you still childishly hoping for that useless guy from the He family?" she asked.

"Even if you really want to marry him, the Liu family wouldn't mind taking in a son-in-law. But since he'd be marrying into our family anyway, what's wrong with getting to know other outstanding young men from Jiangnan?"

At the end, Ruoxin gave a cold laugh, seeming both mocking and helpless.

With this remark, the two young masters from the Lin family couldn't help but snicker, though out of final courtesy, they didn't laugh aloud, only curling their lips in silent amusement.

Suddenly, Ruoning felt completely isolated. Her fists trembled with anger, but she couldn't say any convincing evidence. Besides, she'd promised Yino she'd return to Jiangnan and behave while cultivating. How could she now call him all the way here to duel with the Lin family people over such a trivial matter?

That would be too ridiculous...

"Whatever, believe what you want. In a couple of years, Yino will become more and more famous in the Western Region!"

Remembering Yino's warnings, Ruoning suddenly dropped her proud attitude and turned to leave, not bothering to argue further.

But just then, she heard undisguised laughter from the Lin family's young master behind her:

"Puhaha—!"

He seemed to have spat out the tea he'd just drunk.

Ruoning turned back to see the elegantly dressed young man leaning back with his legs crossed: "Incredible! Simply incredible!"

"To think that the famous Liu family of Jiangnan and their once-in-a-century destined daughter is just this kind of childish, ridiculous little girl."

"Had I known the Liu family produced such goods, this young master wouldn't have wasted time traveling all the way from the capital."

The young man smiled coldly, his expression full of malice. It wasn't just mockery toward Ruoning but a direct insult to her parents right in front of them.

He snorted coldly and stood up, bowing toward Liu Ruoxin on the opposite side:

"Brother, sister-in-law, please continue your conversation."

"Since the Liu family is so disinterested, I will take my leave now."

With these words, he departed.

But just as Lin Ze stepped over the threshold, a terrifying icy sword intent suddenly attacked him from behind—

Clang!