Great Zhou Kingdom
Beiyuan County
Yangui City, Chen Family Estate
"Patriarch Chen, for our Liu Family to grace you with a visit today is already a tremendous honor for you."
"I advise you to know your place. Do you truly believe you're still the Chen Family of old?"
These words from the Liu Family made every member of the Chen Family seethe with rage.
A tiger stranded on the plains is bullied by dogs!
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The Chen Family was not originally from the Great Zhou Kingdom; they had migrated here in the past.
The Chen Family was once the undisputed number one family in the Great Zhou Kingdom. And the Liu Family? They were merely vassals of the Chen Family!
With the Chen Family's backing, the Liu Family rose swiftly. For this reason, the Liu Family even established a rule!
The daughter of each generation's Liu Family Patriarch must marry into the Chen Family.
The Liu Family did this to show their loyalty, but they never imagined that the Chen Family would one day fall from grace.
They could still be considered the number one family in Beiyuan County, but in the last hundred years, they had been reduced to holing up in Yangui City.
When the Chen Family was still the top family in Beiyuan County, the Liu Family still had some dealings with them. But the moment the Liu Family successfully became one of the three great families of the Great Zhou Kingdom, they severed all ties.
No one in the Chen Family had ever expected the Liu Family to come visiting, so their arrival was a complete surprise.
They had planned to give them a warm reception, but the Liu Family's attitude was simply outrageous.
"Liu Chengfeng, our two families have had no contact for a hundred years."
"You didn't have to make a special trip here. Could it be that you came just to humiliate my Chen Family?"
"As for the rule your Liu Family established back then, you were free to do as you pleased with it."
"Why come here to be so overbearing?"
The Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Zhengyuan, did not choose to swallow his anger and remain silent, despite the vast disparity in their current status!
Liu Chengfeng was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the Chen Family, having fallen so low, to still have some fight in them.
However, this fire, backed by no strength, was nothing but a joke in Liu Chengfeng's eyes!
"Hmph, our Young Mistress is now highly regarded by the Shangqing Sect and is deeply in love with the Fifth Prince of the Great Zhou's royal family. You people..."
"Clan Uncle."
Before Liu Chengfeng could finish, a young woman beside him spoke up and stopped him.
"Allow me."
Liu Mengyan was the daughter of the current Liu Family Patriarch. According to the Liu Family's old rule, she was the one who should have married into the Chen Family.
However, in the eyes of the Chen Family, this rule had long been null and void, as the Liu Family had ceased all contact with them long ago.
That's why their visit felt so baffling to the Chen Family.
It was clear that Liu Mengyan held a high position in the Liu Family. With just a word from her, her Clan Uncle, Liu Chengfeng, stepped aside and fell silent.
Liu Mengyan looked at Chen Zhengyuan, smiled faintly, and said, "Patriarch Chen, our Liu Family once received many favors from the Chen Family."
"Of course, when the Chen Family first began to decline, our Liu Family did not choose to stand by and do nothing."
"Although our statuses are now vastly different, my Liu Family is not one to forget old ties."
"Some of the rules established back then are no longer appropriate."
"That is why I have come to visit in person this time."
"I hope we can bring this matter to a definitive close. What do you think?"
"Rest assured, the Liu Family is not stingy."
"Here are ten thousand low-grade spirit stones and five Essence Condensation Pills, as compensation for your Chen Family."
Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones? And five Essence Condensation Pills?
In the past, the Chen Family might have looked down on such things, but the current Chen Family was desperately lacking in resources.
They were tempted, but not a single person showed it. After all... the price for these items was the humiliation of their Chen Family!
"Hahaha!"
"The Liu Family is truly generous with its offers!"
"However, my Chen Family never accepts handouts given in contempt!"
"We appreciate the sentiment, Miss Liu."
Chen Zhengyuan refused outright, without a hint of hesitation.
This Liu Mengyan appeared very amicable, but her eyes were filled with arrogance, and she never truly looked at any member of the Chen Family.
In her eyes, her mere presence was a great honor for the Chen Family. The fact that she was offering compensation should have made them eternally grateful.
However, Chen Zhengyuan's refusal made Liu Mengyan's brow furrow in displeasure.
"What? Your Chen Family refuses?"
"Could it be that you still hope to cling to my Liu Family? Do you still delude yourselves into thinking I would marry into your Chen Family?" Liu Mengyan's tone was filled with mockery and anger.
"Cling to your Liu Family?"
"Miss Liu, you are overthinking things."
"Do you really think I don't know the purpose of your visit?"
"Few people today know of the past relationship between the Chen and Liu families, but they are not entirely forgotten."
"You and the Fifth Prince are in love, so naturally, you intend to marry into the royal family."
"You simply want to erase anything that could be used against you before you marry into royalty."
"If not for that, would you have come to my Chen Family today?"
Chen Zhengyuan was no fool. From their conversation, he had already understood their true purpose.
A stain. The rule the Liu Family established back then to curry favor with the Chen Family would become a stain on Liu Mengyan's reputation.
"Chen Zhengyuan, I advise you to think this through carefully."
"If our Liu Family weren't considering our past relationship, a family with your current strength would find it difficult to withstand the wrath of my Liu Family and the Fifth Prince!"
Liu Chengfeng also hadn't expected the Chen Family to be so difficult. This was a matter where they could get compensation just by nodding their heads. What were they so stubborn about?
Could they really still want to latch onto the Liu Family? Have they not considered the consequences of doing so?
"Hahaha!"
"The sons of the Chen Family do not fear death!"
"What you want, isn't it that contract your family personally delivered to mine all those years ago?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of both Liu Chengfeng and Liu Mengyan flickered. They looked toward the speaker and saw that in his hand was the very contract the Liu Family had delivered to the Chen Family back then.
"Who are you?" Liu Mengyan asked, looking at the young man.
"The son of the Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Yunxuan!" Chen Yunxuan said coldly.
The young master of this generation of the Chen Family?
He seemed to have an extraordinary bearing and handsome features. It was just a pity that his cultivation was somewhat lacking, far inferior to the Fifth Prince of the Great Zhou Kingdom.
"According to the old rule, you would be the one I am to marry?" Liu Mengyan said with a frown.
"Young Mistress Liu certainly has a sense of humor."
"Since when was a woman from your Liu Family worthy of marrying the Young Patriarch of our Chen Family?"
"Aren't you thinking a little too highly of yourself?" Chen Yunxuan said bluntly.
"You!"
"Insolent!"
Chen Yunxuan's words made Liu Mengyan's face turn ashen, and Liu Chengfeng erupted in fury.
But there was nothing wrong with what Chen Yunxuan had said. Although the Liu women who married into the Chen Family in the past were all wed to direct descendants, none had ever married a Young Patriarch.
Unfortunately, the truth is often what hurts the most.
Humiliation! This was a humiliation for the Liu Family!
"Hmph, all your Chen Family can do now is engage in petty verbal sparring."
"Give me the contract. As for our Liu Family's compensation, take it or leave it, I don't care."
"From this day forward, our two families will have nothing to do with each other," Liu Mengyan said coldly.
"My Chen Family will not accept the compensation, but I can give you the contract."
"However..."
"Your Liu Family has broken its faith. Since you are the Young Mistress of the Liu Family, then you will be the one to apologize to my Chen Family!"
Liu Mengyan was very satisfied with the first sentence, but as the second one was spoken, her expression changed drastically.
Make her apologize to the Chen Family?
"Arrogant!"
"Does your Chen Family have the right?"
"Do you have the nerve?"
"It seems to me you're tired of living!"
Proofreader: Peter Pan