C4 Fiancee!

Xu Ming was acutely aware that many who visited the Xu Family Inner Court on official business were granted entry without issue. Yet, here he was, being turned away for the third time!

"What's the problem? Are you dissatisfied with something?" he challenged.

The guard scoffed and gave Xu Ming a dismissive look. "Aren't you aware that Outer Sect Disciples are forbidden from entering the inner court? Even though you're the Patriarch's son, you're nothing but trash, and trash would only defile the sanctity of the Xu Family Inner Court."

Defile the inner court?

Xu Ming nearly let his fist fly into the guard's face but instead took a deep breath to quell the rage boiling within him. "Xu Chuang, you'll live to regret those words when the year-end test comes," he vowed.

Without waiting for Xu Chuang's response, Xu Ming turned on his heel and strode away, not sparing a backward glance.

"Hmph, regret? You think you, a mere trash, could make me regret anything?" Xu Chuang's face twisted with fury, his snort one of utter contempt. "Started training at six and only reached Martial Dao Grade Two by sixteen. You think someone with a mere Grade Two bloodline could make me regret my words?"

"Xu Chuang, it's unwise to underestimate the young. Remember the prodigy from the Lee family," another guard cautioned in a low voice.

"That prodigy had a renowned mentor, which gave him the chance to turn his fate around. Do you really think Xu Ming can make me regret anything at the year-end test? If that ever happens, I'll kneel and call him 'grandfather' three times..."

Xu Chuang's disdain was palpable, but the other guard sighed, watching Xu Ming's retreating figure with a hint of pity. "The Fourth Young Master is actually a decent person. It's just unfortunate that fate hasn't been kind to him, with such an ordinary bloodline..."

"I've said I would return..." Xu Ming, gazing at the distant grand estate, clenched his fists. "When the time comes, I'll make all of you regret the humiliation you've inflicted on me and my mother—I'll repay it twofold..."

With one last lingering look at the Xu Family Inner Court, Xu Ming's heart seethed with boundless humiliation and anger, fueled by the deep-seated hatred ingrained in his very bones.

Turning around, Xu Ming briskly made his way toward the southeast of Four-direction City, murmuring to himself, "The marketplace, I've been looking forward to this for so long..."

The marketplace was the bustling hub of commerce in Four-direction City, where all the trading within the city's jurisdiction took place. It boasted an array of goods so diverse and peculiar that one could find anything imaginable.

For three long months, Xu Ming had yearned for one thing above all else: the Spirit Beast Inner Core.

On the Martial God Continent, wild beasts that awakened their spiritual wisdom began to cultivate just like humans. Before advancing to Martial Disciples, they were indistinguishable from ordinary beasts, save for their cultivation abilities. Once a wild beast formed an Inner Core, it would ascend to the status of a Rank One Spirit Beast.

A Rank One Spirit Beast was on par with a human at the Martial Disciple Stage, having condensed its Inner Core. And this Inner Core was precisely what Xu Ming sought on his journey.

In the forests, hunting ordinary beasts no longer met Xu Ming's needs for genetic enhancement and bloodline advancement. Facing a Rank One Spirit Beast, Xu Ming could only expect a harsh beating.

The marketplace was teeming with Spirit Beast Inner Cores. Mercenary Groups across the continent would often band together to hunt Spirit Beasts in the forests, harvesting Inner Cores to sell for profit.

"I've been saving for half a year; that should be enough, right?" Xu Ming patted his meager collection of gold and silver coins, though doubt gnawed at him.

"Hmm?" A sound of surprise reached his ears, and Xu Ming turned to see two familiar faces entering his field of vision.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively hastened his steps toward the marketplace. "Why did I run into these two ladies?"

Alas, before Xu Ming could advance further, a furious voice thundered, "Xu Ming, stop right there! Take one more step, and I'll break your legs..."

"It's over..." Xu Ming lamented internally, "I'm about to be humiliated again..."

"Oh... It's Lee Qiuya and Huo Siyan. What a coincidence..." With no other option, Xu Ming halted in his tracks, resigning himself to his fate. "If it's a blessing, it's not a misfortune, and if it's a misfortune, it can't be avoided. If I must lose face, then so be it..."

Observing the two statuesque young women, each as stunning as celestial beings, Xu Ming found himself devoid of any desire to admire their beauty. As they approached, a thought struck him, and he deliberately inquired, "Miss Huo, hadn't you joined the Extreme Martial Sect? What brings you back here? I heard you were taken in as an Inner Sect Disciple by the Extreme Martial Sect Master and have been in secluded cultivation..."

"You still remember me?"

Huo Siyan's gaze shifted awkwardly as she uttered softly.

Xu Ming gave a wry smile. How could he forget?

She was his betrothed, after all...

Huo Siyan and Lee Qiuya, the two ladies before him, shared a fate not unlike his own... rather, their statuses were quite similar. They were both daughters of concubines within their respective families. Furthermore, their mothers were best friends with his own mother, once known as the Three Golden Flowers of the Four-direction City's Biyun Pavilion. The Patriarchs of the Lee, Huo, and Xu families were captivated by them, and following a wager among the second-generation heirs, they each spent a fortune to bring the Biyun Pavilion's beauties into their homes.

Back then, after entering their wealthy families, the mothers of Xu Ming and Huo Siyan became pregnant. They made a pact that if they both had girls or boys, the children would become sworn siblings. If they had one of each, the children would be betrothed.

At the time, the two women were doted upon by the young men of their families. With the Patriarchs as witnesses, they sealed this agreement...

Lee Qiuya, on the other hand, was born two years later. By then, it had been discovered that Xu Ming possessed merely a Grade Two bloodline, which caused the Lee family to look down upon him. The Huo family, too, had considered breaking off the engagement multiple times but never broached the subject out of respect for the longstanding family friendship.

Over a decade later, both daughters from the Huo and Lee families demonstrated exceptional talent. Huo Siyan was particularly favored by the Extreme Martial Sect Master and was taken into the sect, recently becoming a closed-door disciple. Lee Qiuya had also advanced to the Martial Disciple Stage just a year prior.

In the past, Biyun's Pavilion boasted three golden flowers, each with their own children, yet Xu Ming was the only one who fell short. His Bloodline Grade was low, and his strength had plateaued at Martial Dao Grade Two for over a decade without any sign of progress.

Initially, the three would converse, perhaps due to their mothers' friendships. Later, they wouldn't even acknowledge each other in passing. Encounters often led to scornful remarks from onlookers, with Lee Zhen bearing the brunt of the criticism, while the two young ladies were held in high esteem by all of Four-direction City.

This was precisely why Xu Ming, before his rebirth, would avoid the two women at all costs.

Unexpectedly, after more than half a year, the very women who had previously ignored him now stopped him in his tracks.

"There's something odd about this... I must be cautious..."

Lee Qiuya seemed indifferent, but Huo Siyan was a different story. Exceptionally gifted, she had become the Sect Master's Disciple of the only sect within the Purple Cloud Empire, and was rumored to be the heir apparent. In contrast, Xu Ming, viewed as worthless by everyone, had considered calling off his engagement more than once before his rebirth.

Now, facing them was truly uncomfortable.

"If there's nothing further, ladies, I'll be on my way..." Reborn, Xu Ming no longer felt the sting of inferiority. Yet, their recent encounter had already drawn a crowd, with many eyes upon them and whispers in the air.

"Farewell..."

With a modest bow, Xu Ming turned and left.

Had he been acknowledged by his family and recognized by Four-direction City after passing the test, he might not have felt such pressure.

Times change, as do status and sentiments. Lee Zhen had no desire to entangle his life with the two women any longer.