29: The allure of a gentle embrace may be tempting, but it can also be a graveyard for heroes.

A giant Spirit Beast skin map was spread across the black jade long table in the Council Hall of Purple Heaven Palace.

Su Jingyuan pressed one hand on several red circles in the northern part of the map, while his other hand slammed hard against the edge of the table.

"Bang!"

The dull thud echoed within the empty hall.

"This is going too far!"

This Su Clan Chief, who had just led his Family to annex the Myriad Spirits Sect and was currently at the height of his fame, was now flushed with rage, veins bulging on his neck.

"Those bastards from the Lingxiao Sword Sect are nothing but bandits!"

"We were the ones who conquered the Myriad Spirits Sect! The Old Ancestor was the one who acted! We were the ones who killed them!"

"And the result? That 'Sect Master Lingxiao' of theirs brought two Saints and forcibly carved away two-thirds of the resource points!"

"Especially that 'Scarlet Flame Essence Gold Mine'—it's a necessity for our Su Family to forge battle armor. They just stick a flag in it and claim it's theirs? By what right?!"

Inside the hall, dozens of Su Family Elders were also filled with righteous indignation, their eyes spewing fire.

"Exactly! If the Old Ancestor weren't still in seclusion, we would have fought them long ago!"

"Clan Chief, just give the word, and I'll take three thousand death soldiers to seize the mine back right now!"

The crowd was agitated, their Killing Intent surging.

The Su Family had just destroyed a top-tier power and was at its most confident; they couldn't stand being bullied like this.

"Everyone, shut up."

A cold voice, like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguished the heat in the hall.

Grand Elder Su Tieyan, who had been sitting in the corner silently wiping his longsword, slowly raised his head.

His chilling gaze swept across the crowd.

"Seize it back?"

"With what?"

"The Lingxiao Sword Sect has three Saints, and even the weakest is at the Third Heaven of the Saint Realm."

"That 'Taibai Sword Saint' is a peerless expert at the Sixth Heaven of the Saint Realm, only one step away from entering the Late Stage of the Saint Realm."

"Although the Old Ancestor possesses peerless Divine Might, he has just gone through a great battle, and... is busy continuing the Family line. If we go to all-out war with the Lingxiao Sword Sect now, what are our chances of winning?"

Su Tieyan's words were like a needle, accurately puncturing everyone's inflated egos.

Su Jingyuan opened his mouth but could only sigh dejectedly in the end, slumping back into his chair.

"Elder Tieyan is right."

"We got carried away."

The Su Family's foundation is, after all, too shallow.

Aside from the Old Ancestor, who serves as their pillar of strength, while their mid-level combat power has made great strides, they are still more than a notch below an established overlord like the Lingxiao Sword Sect, which has a Legacy spanning tens of thousands of years.

"Endure."

Su Jingyuan gritted his teeth, squeezing out a single word.

"First, fully digest the one-third we've swallowed."

"As for those small and medium powers in the Northern Wilderness, if they dare to reach out, beat them to death! Vent all the frustration we've taken from the Lingxiao Sword Sect onto them!"

"As for the Lingxiao Sword Sect..."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.

"We'll keep a record of this debt for now. Once the Old Ancestor is free, we'll settle the score with them once and for all!"

The Elders nodded one after another. Though they felt stifled, they knew this was the most prudent approach for now.

The atmosphere lightened slightly.

Su Jingyuan took a sip of tea to moisten his parched throat, his expression becoming somewhat odd.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

He glanced at Su Tieyan, then at the surrounding Elders, and lowered his voice.

"Regarding the Yunlan Dynasty, that old fox Bai Canglin has been making indirect inquiries with me these past few days."

"He said... he wants to marry Bai Lingxi into our Family."

"Not as a concubine, but as a political marriage."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

The Elders' eyes lit up one by one, incredibly bright.

"Bai Lingxi? That Supreme Yin Sacred Body?"

"This is a good thing! A wonderful thing!"

An Elder in charge of the Family Legacy was so excited his beard was shaking.

"The Supreme Yin Sacred Body! That's a legendary divine body Aptitude! If she can unite with the Old Ancestor, how high would the talent of their offspring be?"

"And if Bai Lingxi can grow up smoothly, she would be a female Saint!"

"By then, our Su Family would have two or even three Saints. Why would we fear that damn Lingxiao Sword Sect?!"

"Agree! We must agree!"

Everyone was talking at once, wishing they could carry Bai Lingxi into the Old Ancestor's room right this instant.

Meanwhile.

In the luxurious palace on the back mountain of the Su Family, which was shrouded in layers of Formations.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

The two thick, carved nanmu doors were kicked open from the inside.

Immediately after.

A slender figure 'flew' out from inside the door in a slightly disheveled state, performing a graceful mid-air flip before landing steadily.

Su Xuanchen straightened his somewhat messy lapels and looked at the door panels still trembling from the impact, a playful curl appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Tsk."

"Angry already?"

"That wasn't your attitude when you were calling me 'good brother' just now."

Inside the room.

It was a complete mess.

The red gauze curtains were torn to shreds, and broken clothes and several squashed pillows were scattered across the floor.

The thick scent of musk in the air had not yet dissipated, mixed with a certain suggestive atmosphere that was enough to make any normal man's blood boil.

On the wedding bed.

Gu Lingshuang was wrapped in a brocade quilt, huddling in the corner of the bed.

Her originally smooth black hair was now as messy as a bird's nest, with a few strands stuck to her flushed cheeks by sweat.

Her exposed shoulder and collarbone were covered in red marks, like plum blossoms blooming in the snow, a startling sight.

She gripped the corner of the quilt tightly, her beautiful eyes misty as she glared fiercely at the man outside the door.

If looks could kill, Su Xuanchen would have already been cut into a thousand pieces by her.

"Get out!"

Gu Lingshuang squeezed out a single word from her throat.

Her voice was as raspy as if she had swallowed sand, completely lacking the cold majesty of the Empress she once was; instead, it carried a hint of coquettishness and weakness from being bullied severely.

Three days.

A full three days and nights!

This bastard was simply an untiring beast!

As the dignified Myriad Tribulations Empress, she thought her heart was as firm as a rock after her Rebirth.

In the end, he had used all sorts of extremely shameful positions to tear her pride to pieces!

By now, she felt like her waist no longer belonged to her, and even moving a finger was a struggle.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving, I'm leaving."

Su Xuanchen stood at the door, looking triumphant and completely oblivious to the fact that he was being kicked out.

He stretched, his bones letting out a series of cracks. He felt refreshed, and his cultivation even seemed to have improved slightly.

"Wife, have a good rest first."

Su Xuanchen waved to the woman inside who had wrapped herself up like a zongzi, his tone so gentle it could practically drip water.

"I'm going to handle some Family matters. I'll come back tonight to 'heal' you."

"Get out!!!"

A jade pillow flew out of the room with a whistling sound, slamming hard against the doorframe.

Su Xuanchen laughed loudly and turned to leave.

The land of tenderness is sweet, but it's also a hero's grave.

These three days of indulgence, while incredibly pleasurable, had indeed delayed many important matters.

The Su Family's expansion, the allocation of resources, and that reckless Lingxiao Sword Sect.

They all required him, the head of the Family, to make the decisions.

Su Xuanchen retracted the smile on his face, his gaze turning calm.

He walked with his hands behind his back. With one step, his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.

The next second.

His figure appeared out of thin air on the main seat of the Council Hall.

The Elders, who were still whispering among themselves, suddenly felt an Aura as vast as the sea envelop the entire hall.

Everyone shuddered and looked up in unison.

When they saw the Old Ancestor sitting on high, looking radiant and full of spirit, a fanatical light instantly erupted in their eyes.

"Greetings, Old Ancestor!"

"Congratulations, Old Ancestor! Our heartiest congratulations!"

These old fellows were all smiling meaningfully, the suggestiveness in their eyes clear to anyone who understood.

Su Xuanchen waved his hand and gave them a frustrated glare.

"Enough, stop with the winking and nodding."

"Let's talk business."

His fingers lightly tapped the armrest, making a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound.

"I overheard a bit while I was outside."

"The Lingxiao Sword Sect took two-thirds of our resources?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned heavy.

Su Jingyuan stepped forward and nodded with a grim expression.

"Yes."

"Sect Master Lingxiao personally led the team, saying they were 'managing them on our behalf,' but in reality, it was a blatant robbery."

"Because we were wary of their strength, we... didn't dare to act for the time being."

By the end, the iron-blooded Clan Chief's voice trailed off, his face full of shame.

Su Xuanchen said nothing.

He just quietly tapped the armrest. The air in the hall seemed to freeze, becoming so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

After a long while.

"Managing on our behalf?"

Su Xuanchen let out a light chuckle.

That smile was bone-chillingly cold.

"Since they like managing things so much, let them."

"Pass down my order."

Su Xuanchen stood up abruptly, a domineering and peerless Aura exploding outward, making the hall hum and vibrate.

"Abandon all those resource points that were snatched away."

"Withdraw our people; leave no one behind."

The Elders were stunned, their faces filled with confusion and frustration.

"Old Ancestor, are we just... giving it to them?"

"This is too humiliating!"

Su Xuanchen glanced at them and gave a grim smile.

"Giving it?"

"Is it that easy to take what belongs to this seat?"

"That is their death money."

His gaze pierced through the hall, looking toward the distant east, where the Lingxiao Sword Sect was located.

"Let them eat for now; the fuller they get, the better."

"Once I've settled the matters at home, I will personally pay them a visit..."

"I'll make them spit out everything they've eaten, along with their intestines, with interest!"

Overbearing!

This is the Old Ancestor!

Upon hearing this, the Elders felt their blood boil, and their previous frustration vanished instantly.

"We respectfully obey the Old Ancestor's decree!"

Su Xuanchen nodded and sat back down.

"Also, I heard Bai Canglin wants to send his daughter over?"

Su Jingyuan's spirits immediately lifted, and he hurriedly said:

"Yes! Bai Lingxi possesses the Supreme Yin Sacred Body; her Aptitude is top-tier!"

"If she can form a marriage alliance with the Old Ancestor, for our Su Family..."

"Enough."

Su Xuanchen interrupted his long-winded speech.

The figure of the girl from the wedding feast—with her bare jade feet and a cold, moon-like Aura—appeared in his mind.

And the System's enticing 'Golden Fate' notification.

Supreme Yin Sacred Body.

She is indeed a top-quality cultivation vessel... no, a top-quality Dao Companion.

Besides, for the prosperity of the Family (for the System rewards), this kind of sacrifice was something he, Su Xuanchen, was duty-bound to make!

"Tell Bai Canglin."

Su Xuanchen leaned back in his chair, his tone lazy yet carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"The person—my Su Family wants her."

"Tell him to prepare a generous dowry."

"After all, the doors of my Su Family are not open to just anyone."

"Yes!"

Su Jingyuan was overjoyed and immediately took the order.

"Meeting adjourned."

Su Xuanchen flicked his sleeve, and his figure disappeared once more.

Compared to holding a meeting with these old men, it was more important to go back and 'smooth the fur' of his own bristling Empress.

After all.

Only by settling his inner court could he free up his hands to properly deal with that so-called Lingxiao Sword Sect!