Chapter Five: A Twist of Fate

When Che Hongshi heard these words, it was as though a thunderbolt had struck from a clear sky. His hand, resting on the table, trembled violently, and with a loud clatter, the teacup toppled over, spilling half a cup of tea across his hand. Yet he seemed entirely oblivious to it. The statement from this so-called Ye Gucheng was so unexpected, his smiling countenance hiding words that shook the very ground.

He shook his head vigorously to steady his mind, then turned to scrutinize Ye Gucheng, wondering if the man was jesting. After a long moment, he found Ye Gucheng merely nodding slightly, his expression earnest, showing not a hint of jest.

Che Hongshi’s complexion shifted, his mind racing: the mighty Ye family wished to forge a marriage alliance with the Che family—what did this mean? Could it be they discovered that his clan was one of the ancient top ten cultivator families? Yet even so, the Che family had fallen so far; would they still look favorably upon them? Perhaps they had learned of the ancestral artifact and sought to seize it through marriage? Only such treasures could tempt such superpowers. But he shook his head repeatedly—not right, not right. Even if they knew of the artifact, with their strength, they had countless ways to acquire it, and would hardly risk their daughter’s honor for such a scheme.

His face flickered between doubt and hope, until a joyful thought struck him: could it be that Ye Ming’s talent had attracted them? Perhaps they recognized Ye Ming as a rare genius in cultivation, a prodigy unseen in a century.

The more he pondered, the more convinced he became. Surely they had secretly assessed Ye Ming’s aptitude and found him exceptional, destined for brilliance. Their eagerness to nurture talent led them to offer their daughter to his family. After all, marrying off a daughter was no trivial matter; without thorough investigation, they would never make such a decision.

Yet Che Hongshi did not know that, with the Ye family patriarch’s discerning eye, he had witnessed countless prodigies. For those of their stature, what mattered most was true strength; until a genius matured, he counted for little, no more than a subject of casual praise. After all, among billions, only a handful of prodigies ever truly fulfilled their promise—otherwise, the world would have produced many more peerless masters. The Ye patriarch would never value a person solely for their talent. But Che Hongshi’s thoughts did not reach so far.

Believing he had guessed the Ye patriarch’s intent, Che Hongshi began calculating in his heart: “Although Ye Ming is talented, without the support and cultivation of a powerful family, even a prodigy like him faces great difficulties. With the backing of the Ye family, his path forward will surely be smoother.”

With this thought, Che Hongshi smiled with restrained pride and bowed slightly to Ye Gucheng. “Since your esteemed patriarch has given such instructions, how could a junior dare disobey? Truly, this is an elevation for our Che family.”

At that moment, Ye Hongyu, who had entered in silence, suddenly interjected, “Senior Ye, may I ask, our Che family has two children—which one has your esteemed patriarch chosen?”

Ye Gucheng was surprised by her question, thinking, “The patriarch instructed a marriage alliance but did not specify which child. I hadn’t realized the Che family had two children. The patriarch is always inscrutable, and gave no details when I departed. How am I to decide… Best to meet both and see which is more outstanding before making a judgment.”

Though he thought this, his face betrayed nothing. He laughed heartily: “Our patriarch is wise and far-sighted; he already has a clear idea of his choice. As I am here to arrange the engagement, it would be proper to meet both of your sons. May I…”

Che Hongshi, hearing this, thought it was merely a formality, a simple meeting with no further meaning. He apologized, “My eldest, Ye Ming, often trains outside. The last time he returned was two months ago, and I am not sure of his whereabouts. As for my younger son, Wu You—”

He glanced at Ye Hongyu, then continued, “He has long been sent away to study elsewhere and is not by my side.”

Ye Hongyu knew Wu You was still at home. Hearing her husband lie in public, she immediately understood his intent: he was ashamed of Wu You’s dullness and feared embarrassment before others, so he claimed Wu You was absent. She sighed inwardly and paid it no more mind.

Ye Gucheng, learning both brothers were absent, felt disappointed that his plan had fallen through. He frowned slightly, “May I ask, Che City Lord, what do you think of your eldest son’s talent?”

Che Hongshi felt a surge of pride, believing his guess confirmed: they truly valued Ye Ming’s talent. Now, how should he respond to this pointed question?

His brows arched, preparing to lavish praise on his eldest son’s extraordinary gifts and remarkable performance since childhood. But then a thought struck him: these people must have thoroughly investigated both his sons before proposing the alliance. Excessive boasting might appear self-important and make the Ye family look down on him.

Thus, Che Hongshi merely smiled modestly and replied, “My eldest, Che Ye Ming, has talent that is passable. Though his cultivation falls somewhat short of my expectations, it is still satisfactory.”

Ye Gucheng found this amusing. It seemed Ye Ming’s talent was average, and Che Hongshi, for the sake of pride, claimed it was passable and his cultivation was acceptable. He smiled, shaking his head, “Che City Lord is too modest… And what of your younger son?”

Che Hongshi, hearing Ye Gucheng say he was too modest, felt secretly delighted, convinced the Ye family was well aware of Ye Ming’s abilities.

He grew even more reserved, smiling with pride, intending to offer further modest words. Suddenly, Ye Gucheng inquired about Wu You. Che Hongshi’s face froze—surely they knew Wu You was a simpleton, yet they asked anyway. Was it to embarrass him? Maybe they resented being denied entry to the city earlier, or wanted to see his reaction… Hmph, if they want to mock him, he won’t give them the satisfaction.

Resolving to stay composed, Che Hongshi replied, “My younger son, Wu You, is kind-hearted and honest, generous and gentle in nature, and diligent in his cultivation, never slackening for a moment. He is truly a child of rare character.”

Ye Gucheng was secretly pleased—he had finally found what the patriarch sought. He often heard the patriarch sigh that cultivation requires heart as much as skill; clearly, the patriarch valued Wu You’s character. That must be why his daughter was to be wed to this child. Yet he regretted not meeting Wu You himself to witness the patriarch’s discernment.

He glanced meaningfully at Ye Hongyu, asking, “Miss Ye, what do you think?”

Ye Hongyu was momentarily startled—“Miss Ye,” it had been so long since anyone called her that. She sighed inwardly, supposing it was a slip of the tongue. Hearing Ye Gucheng ask her opinion of Wu You, she replied with a loving smile, “Wu You is indeed a fine child.”

With both Ye Hongyu and Che Hongshi confirming Wu You’s qualities, Ye Gucheng hesitated no longer. From his breast, he withdrew two marriage contracts made of unknown material, shimmering with mysterious light, clearly not ordinary objects.

He carefully asked for Wu You’s birthdate and other important details, inscribing them on the contracts as he spoke. When finished, he handed one contract respectfully to Che Hongshi and tucked the other away.

Che Hongshi took the contract in a daze, feeling as if lost in a thick fog. He looked closely; on the left side was the name Ye Li, with her details listed below—she was the Ye family princess. He barely glanced at it before seeing, on the right, the name Che Wu You, along with the information Ye Gucheng had just requested.

Before he could finish reading, he looked up in shock at Ye Gucheng, unable to understand why Wu You had been chosen, not Ye Ming. His lips trembled, wanting to ask what had happened—how could the wise patriarch select Wu You?

Ye Gucheng saw Che Hongshi’s shocked gaze and asked, “Does the City Lord have any objections?”

Che Hongshi was jolted back to himself and quickly nodded, “Yes, yes, how could your esteemed patriarch be so confused—oh, no, no, none at all.” He had meant to challenge the “wise decision,” but seeing Ye Gucheng’s face darken, he realized his slip and hurriedly closed his mouth. Yet his mind was in chaos—had he misjudged Wu You? Was the boy actually a hidden prodigy, chosen by the Ye family?

Ye Gucheng cast a cold glance at Che Hongshi, recalling the patriarch’s instructions before departure. He secretly sent a message to the Che couple: “Don’t be too pleased yet. Our patriarch instructed that if your son does not break through to the Foundation Establishment stage by the age of thirty, this marriage contract will be void. A useless child is unworthy of our princess.”

With that, he ignored their astonished faces and left the Che family with his entourage.

Meanwhile, Wu You had spent some time practicing sword techniques in the training hall, but felt restless. He frowned, muttering, “Could it be that Big Brother brought something fun back for me?”

Putting down his sword, he left the hall and found Xiao Mei, who told him that his brother had not returned. The two wandered the city for a while, and seeing that it was late, headed home. On the way, they encountered a group of extraordinary people, each riding a strange and majestic mount. Wu You stopped, watching them with envy.

This group was none other than Ye Gucheng and his party, slowly riding through Guhe City after leaving the Che residence. Ye Guying was in a foul mood and grumbled to Ye Gucheng, “Brother, I can’t understand what the patriarch is thinking. The dignified princess of the Ye family marrying into a minor family like the Che’s? No matter how I look, the Che family is nothing special.”

Ye Gucheng’s face darkened and he barked, “Fool! Who are you to question the patriarch’s wise decisions?”

Ye Guying rarely saw his brother so angry and quickly apologized. Still disgruntled, he noticed a dazed little boy across the street staring wide-eyed at his mount, drooling with longing. This sight soured Ye Guying’s mood further—what kind of ignorant people lived in Guhe City that even a simpleton dared covet his mount, a mount he himself had taken by force.

Ye Guying sneered at the boy, “Stupid child, you fancy my mount, do you? But you’re a born fool—a waste. This ‘Eastern Lightning’ is far beyond your imagination.”

Wu You, though slow-witted, could never stand being called a fool, waste, or idiot. Yet Ye Guying had just called him all three. If he had used other insults, Wu You might have ignored them, but these were the words he hated most.

A stubborn fire rose within Wu You. Though he sensed the man’s dangerous aura, he still retorted hotly, “Old fool, you think you’re so great? You’re just an old waste. When Grandpa makes it big, I’ll get an even bigger one.”

Usually, Wu You spoke little and was always gentle, but somehow these words burst out fierce and unyielding, giving the burly man no face and caring nothing for the consequences.