24: Family happiness

Inside the Chen Family Hall, silence reigned.

Zheng Youguang's expression froze on his face.

Like a fool, he stared blankly at his eldest daughter, Zheng Ruoyu's hand, pressed against the Spiritual Root Testing Stone.

At this moment, a faint yellow glow stubbornly emanated from it.

Although dim, although weak, it was indeed the light of a Spiritual Root!

How could this be?

He had personally taken Ruoyu to be tested more than once, and each time the result was blocked Meridians, meaning she was fated to be a Mortal. Because of this, he had often sighed, feeling he had let down his sensible eldest daughter.

But today, what was going on?

Zheng Ruoyu herself was stunned. She looked at her hand, feeling the faint warmth emanating from her palm, her mind a blank.

From a young age, she knew she was a Mortal, and her greatest wish was to see her sister, who possessed an immortal Opportunity, find a good home, so she wouldn't end up like herself, eventually turning into a mound of yellow earth.

But now, this stone told her she wasn't.

"Yellow Grade Low-Rank... Spiritual Root?"

Sun Xiaoyue was the first to break the silence. She walked to the Spiritual Root Testing Stone, examined it carefully, her voice full of surprise.

Bu Yifan and Zhao Linger also gathered around, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Sister... you..."

Zheng Ruoyan, standing beside her, grabbed her sister's arm, her eyes filled with excitement and joy.

Chen Xu ignored everyone's shock. His Divine Sense, like invisible fine threads, quietly probed into Zheng Ruoyu's body.

With the enhancement of the Spirit Manifestation Art.

He could "see" things that ordinary people couldn't perceive.

Zheng Ruoyu's Meridians were indeed blocked in many places, and the circulation of Spiritual Qi was sluggish.

But deep within her Dantian, a faint source of Spiritual Root was enveloped by a cold, Yin energy, like a seed sealed in ice.

If not for the external Spiritual Qi stimulation from the Spiritual Root Testing Stone today, it might never have manifested in her lifetime.

Interesting.

This didn't seem to be innate; rather, it was something done to her later in life.

In the corner, Chen Qingqing, who had been silent, slowly turned her wheelchair.

Her ancient, unperturbed eyes also fell upon Zheng Ruoyu!

"Is your name Zheng Ruoyu?"

Chen Xu finally spoke, his voice calm.

Zheng Ruoyu trembled all over, snapping out of her shock. She quickly bowed and saluted: "Yes... Junior Zheng Ruoyu."

"Your Spiritual Root is somewhat special."

Chen Xu said lightly, "I can help you resolve the hidden danger in your body, allowing you to cultivate like a normal Cultivator."

At these words, the Zheng Family father and two daughters were once again astonished beyond measure.

Zheng Youguang reacted the quickest. He suddenly came to his senses, realizing this was a heaven-sent Opportunity. He plopped down on his knees again, kowtowing repeatedly to Chen Xu, so excited he was incoherent: "Senior! You... are you serious? Your great kindness, my Zheng Family will never forget! Never forget!"

Chen Xu ignored him, turning his gaze to Bu Yifan.

Bu Yifan, intelligent and perceptive, immediately understood her husband's meaning.

She walked in front of Zheng Youguang and said gently, "Chen Family Head, please stand up and speak first."

She paused, glanced at the two sisters standing side by side, each with their own unique beauty, and a gentle smile appeared on her face: "Our Chen Family is not an unreasonable Family."

"Both of your daughters have decent Aptitude. If they are willing, our Chen Family will take both sisters in, how about that?"

Take both sisters in?

Zheng Youguang's brain completely crashed. The happiness came too suddenly, leaving him unable to think for a moment.

He had originally only intended to use his younger daughter's yellow grade High Grade Spiritual Root to secure a future for his Family.

He never expected that even his eldest daughter, whom he had always believed had no immortal Opportunity, not only tested for a Spiritual Root.

She also caught the eye of a Senior master, who was willing to take her in as well.

This was not a marriage proposal; this was simply a heaven-sent Opportunity!

And two dropped at once, both landing on his Zheng Family's head!

"Willing! Willing! Of course they are willing!"

Zheng Youguang snapped back to reality, afraid the Chen Family would change their mind. He quickly agreed on behalf of his daughters, then turned to urge his two still-stunned daughters: "Ruoyu, Ruoyan, hurry and thank Senior and Madam!"

A flicker of complexity crossed Zheng Ruoyan's face.

But seeing the reborn radiance in her sister's eyes beside her, her own trace of unwillingness and resistance vanished into thin air.

She pulled her sister, and together they bowed deeply to Chen Xu, Bu Yifan, and the others.

"Thank you, Senior, thank you, Madam."

The matter was thus settled.

After sending off the ecstatic Zheng Youguang, Chen Xu looked at the two sisters who remained.

He instructed the butler to take them to settle down first.

Once only their own Family members remained in the hall, Sun Xiaoyue leaned close to Chen Xu and asked curiously, "Husband, what exactly is going on with that Zheng Ruoyu's Spiritual Root?"

"She was likely afflicted with some kind of cold, Yin Restriction in her childhood, which sealed her Spiritual Root and blocked her Meridians."

Chen Xu explained, "The method wasn't particularly clever, but for a Mortal, it was undetectable. Without external intervention, she would indeed have been fated to be a Mortal in this life."

"Who could be so malicious?"

Zhao Linger said indignantly.

Chen Xu shook his head: "That's unknown. But for me, removing this Restriction is merely a trivial matter."

He possessed the Spirit Manifestation Art, had powerful Divine Sense, and a Foundation Establishment Fourth-level cultivation, so dispelling that bit of cold, Yin energy was indeed not difficult.

Moreover, he had a faint feeling that once the sealed Spiritual Root source was unbound.

Its true grade might be more than just Yellow Grade Low-Rank.

"Since the Zheng Family matter is settled, what about the other families...?"

Bu Yifan took out the previously shortlisted roster again.

Chen Xu glanced at it, pointed to one of the paintings, and said, "Let's go with this Wang Family one."

The young woman in the painting was precisely the somewhat timid Wang Yuyan.

Sun Xiaoyue was a little puzzled: "Husband, isn't that Zhang Family girl more clever?"

"Our Chen Family doesn't need too many clever wives."

Chen Xu smiled: "A gentle temperament is good."

His Family was now large and prosperous; what his backyard needed was stability, not vying for attention.

Someone with Wang Yuyan's temperament would integrate into this Family more easily.

Bu Yifan nodded in agreement: "Then this concubine will send someone to the Wang Family tomorrow to respond."

... The next day, at the Wang Family.

When the Chen Family's butler arrived with generous gifts and politely conveyed the Chen Family's intentions.

Wang Family Head Wang Chengye was so excited he almost fainted on the spot.

He tremblingly saw off the Chen Family butler, then immediately rushed into his daughter's boudoir in the back.

"Yuyan! Yuyan! Wonderful news! The Chen Family... the Chen Family has taken a liking to you!"

Inside the boudoir, Wang Yuyan was staring blankly at a pot of orchids.

Hearing her father's words, her small face instantly turned pale.

"Father... I... I don't want to marry."

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, tinged with a sob.

She had heard that the Chen Family Head was very old and had many wives and concubines.

This time, he was even taking several concubines at once.

Although she was the daughter of a Cultivation Family, she also fantasized about finding a Dao Companion with whom she was deeply in love, not being sent like merchandise to be a concubine for an old man.

"Nonsense!"

Wang Chengye's face darkened: "Is this a heaven-sent Opportunity that you can be willful about? To be able to marry into the Chen Family is a blessing you've cultivated over several lifetimes!"

Just as the father and daughter were arguing, a woman with a calmer, gentler demeanor walked in.

It was Wang Yuyan's elder sister, Wang Shihan.

"Father, don't force little sister."

Wang Shihan advised.

"What do you know!"

Wang Chengye's beard bristled with anger.

Just then, a servant came to report that Madam Bu of the Chen Family had personally come to visit.

Wang Chengye was greatly alarmed. He quickly straightened his clothes and personally went to the door to greet her.

Bu Yifan's arrival brought great honor to the Wang Family.

She didn't put on any airs, but simply gently expressed that she wanted to chat with Young Miss Wang alone.

Inside the boudoir, Bu Yifan held Wang Yuyan's hand, softly and gently chatting about everyday matters, without mentioning the marriage once. She only spoke of some interesting anecdotes about the Chen Family, and how Chen Xu usually guided his children and treated his Family.

Wang Yuyan's initial nervousness and resistance.

But under Bu Yifan's gentle and nurturing demeanor, it gradually dissipated.

She found that this Madam Chen was completely different from the harsh main wives she had imagined.

Towards the end of their conversation, Bu Yifan finally smiled and said, "If you are unwilling, our Chen Family will never force you. It's just that my husband said he greatly appreciates your temperament, and he thinks you are like this pot of orchids, quiet and elegant."

After saying that, she stood up and took her leave.

That night, Wang Yuyan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The next morning, with red eyes, she found her father.

"Father, I... I am willing to meet Senior Chen."

Wang Chengye was overjoyed and immediately arranged the meeting.

When Wang Yuyan first saw the legendary Chen Family Head in the main hall.

She was completely stunned.

The man before her was not the bloated, old man she had imagined at all.

He wore a simple blue robe, had a handsome face, and a calm demeanor.

His eyes were as deep as the starry sky.

Just sitting there calmly, he exuded a steady presence that put people at ease.

Especially when he looked over and smiled gently at her.

Wang Yuyan's heart inexplicably skipped a beat.