C11 Discuss Marriage!

While Xu Ming was deeply engrossed in his practice of the Eight Extremes Fist, a sense of displeasure grew among the four maids who began whispering among themselves.

Despite being the son of the family patriarch, no one in the family—from the direct descendants to the lowest servants—had ever really acknowledged Xu Ming as a young master over the past dozen years. As a result, the maids felt emboldened to openly gossip about their master.

"This visit from the distinguished guest is a golden opportunity for the young talents of our family. The eldest young master certainly won't miss out."

"Indeed, I've heard the leader this time is an elder from the Extreme Martial Sect, a Martial King level powerhouse!"

"Absolutely. If one of our family disciples catches the eye of this elder, they could be admitted into the Extreme Martial Sect and their fortunes would skyrocket!"

The maids' eyes sparkled with longing as they spoke, "I can hardly wait. Later, we'll do our best to get close to the reception hall. You never know, we might just get lucky!"

"What luck could you possibly have? Do you think the geniuses from the Extreme Martial Sect have been charmed by you?"

"So what if they have been charmed by me? Being close to these dashing young men, even in a minor role, would mean endless luxury."

As time ticked away, the maids became increasingly bold in their chatter, completely oblivious to the fact that the 'good-for-nothing' they were discussing had already risen to his feet, his brows flickering with the glint of lightning, his eyes shooting beams of intense light over a foot long.

"Perhaps I'll break through to the Martial Disciple Stage in the next couple of days, much sooner than I anticipated."

Xu Ming straightened his clothes, paid no mind to the amorous maids, and strode briskly out of the courtyard.

In the back of his mind, Xu Ming couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding as he overheard the maids' conversation about the Extreme Martial Sect.

"Fourth Young Master! Fourth Young Master! You haven't changed your clothes yet!"

By the time the maids snapped out of their gossip, Xu Ming was already out of sight, leaving behind only his retreating figure that had vanished in the turn of a moment.

The expressions of the maids shifted dramatically. Attending to their master was their responsibility, a task directly assigned by the Patriarch himself. They were supposed to ensure that the Fourth Young Master was dressed in new attire. Now that he had left for the reception hall, if the Patriarch noticed the Fourth Young Master's unchanged clothes, the maids knew they wouldn't be spared his displeasure.

The Xu family estate was vast. Xu Ming walked for quite some time before he finally reached the reception hall. By the time he arrived, the entrance was crowded with people craning their necks and standing on tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse inside, while a buzz of conversation flowed around them.

Upon Xu Ming's arrival, the crowd barely gave him a second glance, parting to let him through the doorway. He moved easily past them, disregarding their whispers and entered the reception hall.

"Greetings, Patriarch, greetings, Elders," Xu Ming said, bowing respectfully first to the dignified middle-aged man seated in the place of honor, who appeared to be no more than in his mid-thirties, and then to the other elders, before surveying the room.

He recognized some of the faces, could name others, but he wasn't particularly interested in them. The man in the main seat was none other than Patriarch Xu Sheng, and beside him sat an elderly figure who was unmistakably the Martial King from the Extreme Martial Sect.

Two young women and a young man stood next to the elder. Xu Ming knew the women well; they were Qiuya and Huo Siyan. The young man, in his twenties and strikingly handsome, drew admiring glances from Qiuya and Siyan. However, he seemed oblivious to their infatuated stares, his demeanor proud and aloof.

"Why has the Extreme Martial Sect come?" Xu Ming pondered internally. The Xu family might be a dominant force in Four-direction City, but in comparison to the Extreme Martial Sect, they were insignificant. The Xu family had little to no dealings with the Sect, so what could have prompted them to send a Martial King-ranked elder to their doorstep?

"Could it be because of Huo Siyan?"

Huo Siyan, Xu Ming's fiancée, was someone the Extreme Martial Sect was bound to protect. It made perfect sense for them to assign a Martial King to ensure her safety.

With this in mind, Xu Ming found himself at ease.

Upon entering the living room, Xu Ming caught the attention of those present. An elder from the Extreme Martial Sect gave him a brief, indifferent glance before quickly losing interest. Huo Siyan, his fiancée, also spared him only a fleeting look, her focus clearly captured by another young man.

The family elders and direct descendants viewed Xu Ming's arrival with scornful expressions, wondering to themselves, "Why has this failure shown up?"

Xu Sheng, seated at the head of the table, frowned upon noticing Xu Ming. He spoke with detachment, "Since you're here, just take any available seat."

"Elder Han, with a distinguished guest visiting us today, we must ensure the Xu family extends a warm welcome."

The mood in the living room was somewhat off. Xu Ming, with his keen perception, noticed that aside from the few Xu family members at the head of the table and the disciples and elders of the Extreme Martial Sect, the rest of the Xu family seemed to have lost their former interest in him, barely giving him a second glance.

"Xu Ming, who allowed you to come here?"

Before Xu Ming could even find a seat, the third elder, Xu Le, seated not far from the Patriarch, barked a reprimand, cutting off the conversation at the head of the table.

At the third elder's outburst, all eyes in the living room turned to Xu Ming.

"Do you have an objection, third elder? Xu Ming is a disciple of the Xu family, summoned here by me. Moreover, with the arrival of our esteemed guest, who happens to be my future daughter-in-law, is it not appropriate for her fiancé to be present?" Xu Sheng retorted.

Regardless of how disappointing or incompetent Xu Ming might be, he was still Xu Sheng's son. It was one thing for Xu Sheng to look down on him, but quite another to allow such insolence from others in his presence.

Watching Xu Ming stand alone on the stage, subjected to countless scornful stares, Xu Sheng internally chastised himself for not showing enough care for Xu Ming on a regular basis. A pang of heartache flickered in the depths of his eyes, though he masked it skillfully. His eyes, fierce as a tiger's, bore into the third elder with evident displeasure.

"Hmm," the third elder sneered, casting a derisive glance at Xu Sheng and Elder Han from the Extreme Martial Sect, his smile insincere. "You may not be aware, but this young master here is the Xu family's most underachieving disciple. Since birth, his bloodline has been a mere Grade Three, and despite consuming numerous pills to enhance it, there's been no improvement. His cultivation level is stuck at Martial Dao Grade Two. As per our family's rules, any member who fails to reach Martial Dao Grade Seven by the age of sixteen is assigned to work within the family's enterprises."

He paused before continuing, "This young master is Xu Ming, betrothed to the daughter of the Huo family. It's not a matter of disrespect; the family rules clearly state that those who do not meet the family's standards are not permitted to stand here."

These were the family's rules, and the third elder wasn't making empty claims.

Xu Sheng, seated at the head of the table, felt his pupils constrict, his grip on his teacup tightening until his knuckles whitened. The third elder, Xu Le, was leveraging the family rules to exert pressure on him, highlighting his errors and stripping him of his dignity.

Elder Han from the Extreme Martial Sect shook his head, turning his attention to Huo Siyan standing behind him. She slightly furrowed her brow and gave a subtle nod, her gaze returning to the striking figure before her.

Oblivious to the undercurrents, the third elder pressed on, "Patriarch, you're knowingly flouting the rules. How can you expect to command respect when you show such blatant favoritism?"

"Indeed, a failure like him has no right to be here," another voice chimed in.

"This disgrace has brought shame to our family once again," added another.

Amidst the third elder's probing, the Xu family disciples in the parlor began to murmur among themselves. Their looks towards Xu Ming were a mix of pity, dissatisfaction, and scorn, but above all, resentment simmered in their eyes.

"If I were Xu Ming, having consumed so many Bloodline Pills, I'd have achieved a God Grade Bloodline by now."

"Patriarch Xu," Elder Han's voice cut through the buzz of the hall, which promptly fell silent. He glanced at Xu Ming and said, "As an outsider, it's not my place to meddle in the Xu family's affairs. My presence here is due to a pressing matter, and for that, I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused."

The Xu family disciples in the hall were all ears, their gazes fixed on Elder Han.

The third elder, Xu Le, sported a cold smirk on his face but said nothing.

The rest of the Xu family's elders and stewards looked on with confusion, not understanding the situation.

Only Xu Sheng, the Patriarch Xu, felt a heaviness in his heart as he spoke with gravity, "Elder Han, please speak your mind."

"Patriarch Xu, as you are well aware, Huo Siyan, the niece of the Huo family, possesses a God Level Grade Nine Bloodline, an exceptional talent rarely seen. She has been taken under the wing of the Extreme Martial Sect Master as his personal disciple and has been nurtured with great care. She has now reached the Martial Disciple Grade Six. The techniques practiced within the Extreme Martial Sect are unique, particularly those of the Sect Master, which necessitate a severance of ties."

Elder Han from the Extreme Martial Sect hesitated, struggling to continue.

The seasoned members of the family, having heard this, understood the implications and looked at Xu Sheng with a mix of schadenfreude and sympathy.

The expressions of the family disciples in the hall were quite a sight to behold. "Looks like this failure is about to be cast aside!"

"Indeed, how could such a failure be a match for a girl of such celestial talent?"

Some family disciples had long been irked by him. What merits did Xu Ming possess to aspire to the hand of the Huo family's precious daughter?

The Huo family's daughter was a prodigy, her brilliance overshadowing even the Xu family's own talented members. Moreover, she was a beauty without equal, and it was commonly thought among the family disciples that such a rare bloom was wasted on someone they considered unworthy.

Jealousy and resentment had clouded the minds of the family disciples.

Xu Ming stood in the center of the hall, his solitary figure becoming a subject of mockery.

As he cast a cold glance over the family disciples, Xu Ming felt a pang of sorrow for the family.

The family's honor was at stake, not just his own, as outsiders came to challenge and humiliate them, yet here they were, still embroiled in petty infighting.

Xu Sheng's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Elder Han, his grip on the teacup unknowingly tightening.