269: Chapter 269 The Game Between Two Sects

Ye Tianhao was slightly stunned by his father's sudden punch.

He then gave a helpless smile: "Father, so you know?"

Ye Xuan sat down helplessly and said, "You brat, why are you suddenly marrying a female Disciple from the Frost Moon Sect? Could it be that the Qingyun Sect ordered you to do so?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Tianhao instinctively glanced outside before saying, "Father, why not? Our Family is currently dependent on the Sect. If someone from our clan can form a marriage alliance with the Sect, it would be a good thing. It's beneficial for both me and the Family."

"That may be so, but it's too sudden. Your grandfather is still in secluded cultivation. For such a major event, I really..."

Ye Xuan sighed as he reached this point.

"Father, there's no need to worry about this; I have my reasons. Furthermore, that direct female Disciple from the Frost Moon Sect is named Yue Xi. She is the Personal Disciple of the Frost Moon Sect Master. Her Aptitude, appearance, and cultivation are all top-tier among her peers."

"She didn't choose a husband at random; among the many Disciples of the Qingyun Sect, she personally selected me."

"The Qingyun Sect and the Frost Moon Sect already intended to join forces to counter the Lingxiao Sect and the Ganglei Sect. This marriage is a tacitly understood move in the alliance between the two Sects."

Ye Xuan understood. Currently, Ye Tianhao had the best Aptitude in the Qingyun Sect. Pairing him with a woman from the Frost Moon Sect was a match made in heaven and could also strengthen the relationship between the two Sects. How could that be bad?

It was just that the Ye Family knew very little about the Frost Moon Sect, and he feared that this Direct Disciple might look down on Ye Tianhao.

"But this is your lifelong matter after all..." Ye Xuan couldn't help but say.

Ye Tianhao shook his head slightly, a steady smile playing on his lips. "On the path of cultivation, romantic feelings are secondary. Since it is an order from the Sect, I will naturally obey. Besides, that woman is said to be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator as well, with talent no weaker than mine. It can be considered a good match."

Hearing this, Ye Xuan didn't say much more and only nodded. "Very well, since you have a plan, I won't say more. When will you marry that woman? But let me say this upfront: no member of our Ye Family shall ever marry into the woman's Family!"

Hearing this, Ye Tianhao's eyes darkened slightly. The faint aura of Foundation Establishment radiating from him stabilized a bit, and his tone was extremely certain: "Father, rest assured, marrying into her Family is absolutely impossible."

"Although the Frost Moon Sect is a great Sect, they understand the rules of marriage alliances. This marriage is an alliance between two Sects. I am a Core Disciple of the Qingyun Sect's inner Sect and the legal son of the Ye Family. It will only be Yue Xi entering the gates of our Ye Family; there is no reason for me to humble myself by entering the Frost Moon Sect."

Ye Xuan's tense expression softened slightly, his fingertips rubbing the wood grain on the edge of the table, yet he still couldn't hide his worry.

"It's not that I don't trust you, but the world of cultivation is treacherous. The Frost Moon Sect is far away in West Ridge, and their way of doing things has always been cold and harsh."

"Since Yue Xi is a Personal Disciple of the Sect Master, she must have a proud and arrogant temperament. Although you are doing this for the Family and the Sect, if you are mistreated, the Ye Family may be weak, but we will never let you bear it alone."

He paused, lowering his voice, his eyes full of an Elder's concern. "Before your grandfather went into seclusion, he reminded us that what the Ye Family guards is our integrity. Even if we attach ourselves to a Sect or form marriage alliances, we must not lose the Ye Family's dignity."

"If the Frost Moon Sect dares to manipulate you or slight the Ye Family, even if it means offending both Sects, I will risk my entire cultivation to seek justice for you."

Ye Tianhao felt a warmth in his heart. He took half a step forward to support his father's arm, the steady smile on his lips fading slightly to be replaced by a touch of filial affection. "Father, you worry too much. This marriage may seem like I'm passively accepting it, but in reality, I have my own calculations."

Ye Xuan looked up, his gaze sharp as he looked at his son. "Oh? You have other plans? Could there be some other hidden story behind this marriage?"

Ye Tianhao glanced at the closed door before speaking in a low voice, his tone turning a bit colder. "The Lingxiao Sect and the Ganglei Sect have been frequently encroaching on the Qingyun Sect's peripheral resources lately, and the momentum of their alliance is growing stronger."

"The Qingyun Sect cannot stand alone; only by bringing in the Frost Moon Sect can they maintain a balance of power."

"As for romantic feelings..." He gave a light scoff, a trace of indifference flashing in his eyes.

"Cultivation is inherently an act of defying the heavens; love and affection are merely burdens. Yue Xi and I are nothing more than allies who take what we need from each other."

"She uses me to stabilize the relationship between the two Sects and accumulate Sect seniority, while I use her to board the great ship of the Frost Moon Sect and seek cultivation opportunities. That's all."

After the father and son finished their conversation, Ye Tianhao saw off his somewhat worried father. Then, Yun Jian entered the room and smiled, "Tian Hao, how did the discussion go?"

Ye Tianhao simply nodded and said, "Everything will proceed according to the Sect's arrangements."

—

The Li Family.

"Family Head! The Ye Family's eldest son, Ye Tianhao, is going to form a marriage alliance with the Frost Moon Sect!"

Patriarch Li Xiuhe, who was playing chess with his eldest son Li Jinzhao, dropped the black piece in his hand, and a look of surprise finally appeared on his face.

"How could a rural Family like the Ye Family have such good fortune?!" Li Jinzhao was incredibly surprised.

This prompted Patriarch Li Xiuhe to strike Li Jinzhao's head with his fan. "What nonsense! The Ye Family has been lying low for years, hiding deeper than anyone. That old fox Ye Jing plans every step; they deserve this good fortune!"

Li Jinzhao clutched his forehead where he had been struck, looking indignant, but he didn't dare to argue and could only sit down resentfully.

"Dad! It's only been a few years, and the Ye Family has reached this point. Won't our Li Family be overtaken by them? How are our Li Family's children any worse than theirs? Why hasn't the Lingxiao Sect arranged a marriage alliance between their Sect Disciples and our Li Family?"

"You brat! Do you think you're not stupid enough already?" Patriarch Li Xiuhe felt concerned about his eldest son's intelligence.

"The Frost Moon Sect is willing to marry off a daughter not because of Ye Tianhao, but because of the Qingyun Sect's power. They want to use the Ye Family as a chess piece to intervene in the Tiangong Market's territory and counter the Lingxiao Sect."

Li Jinzhao's eyes flashed with impatience. "But our Family just reached a secret alliance with the Ye Family, and now the Ye Family can rely on the great tree of the Frost Moon Sect. If the Ye Family rises rapidly using that influence, will our Li Family..."

Having said that, he suddenly stood up. "Then Dad, should we make preparations in advance? Let's just leak the news to the Lingxiao Sect that the Ye Family can control beasts. We'll pull the rug out from under them and leave them with nothing."

"Idiot!"

Patriarch Li Xiuhe slammed his hand onto the stone table, making the chess pieces on the board tremble. He glared at his son, his tone sharp with disappointment.

"Pulling the rug out now would be like destroying our own Great Wall. The Lingxiao Sect would just reap the benefits, destroying the Ye Family first and then swallowing the Li Family. We would be left with no place to be buried!"

Speaking of this, he said fortunately, "Luckily, when I sent people to assassinate Ye Jing before, I discovered that he, at the Perfection of Qi Refinement, actually killed the Early Stage Foundation Establishment Elder I sent. People who can kill enemies across cultivation realms are not to be trifled with. So, I discussed cooperation with the Ye Family first."

"Otherwise, if we really listened to the Lingxiao Sect and opposed the Ye Family, we wouldn't even know how the Li Family died."

The chess pieces shaken off the stone table rolled all over the ground, black and white pieces interlacing on the bluestone slabs, much like the current situation of surging undercurrents in the Tiangong Market.

Li Jinzhao stiffened at his father's angry shout. His recently straightened back slumped instantly, and the hand clutching his forehead dropped to his side. Most of the impatience on his face faded, leaving only a bit of lingering fear.

"Dad, I... I was just confused by my own haste..."

He muttered, his eyes dodging, not daring to look directly into Patriarch Li Xiuhe's cold eyes.

"Our Li Family has been rooted in the Tiangong Market for a hundred years; when have we ever suffered such frustration? Seeing the Ye Family climb from a rural small clan to a point where they can form connections with Sects makes my heart feel stifled."

Patriarch Li Xiuhe took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his chest. His knuckles rubbed the patterns on the edge of the stone table, his eyes swirling with calculation and wariness.

He bent down to pick up a fallen black piece, his fingertips turning white from the force of his grip. He said in a deep voice, "Haste? The more it is a time like this, the less we can afford to be hasty."

"The Ye Family may seem glorious now, but they are actually walking on the edge of a blade. The Frost Moon Sect, the Qingyun Sect—which one of them treats them with sincerity? They are all just using each other as chess pieces."