41: Chapter 41 It is my wish, but I dare not ask.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

A dark-faced Elder pointed toward the Great Zhou delegation, seething with rage:

"A-Man is the Saintess of the Witch Clan, her status is so noble! How can she enter into marriage with a lackey of Great Zhou?"

"Absurd! This is absolutely ridiculous!"

Another Elder slammed the table, his beard bristling with anger:

"If the Saintess were to marry a mere Commander of Great Zhou, if this were to get out, would our Wu Clan have any face left?"

"Clan Chief, the matter of the Alliance was already questionable, and now you want to throw the Saintess into the mix? This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Several Elders who strongly opposed the Alliance were spitting in their agitation, the crowd seething with indignation.

The waves of opposition grew higher and higher, and the entire council hall fell into chaos.

On the side of the Great Zhou delegation, Li Hu was also quite shaken by this sudden talk of marriage.

But his eyes darted, and a sinister fire suddenly rose in his heart.

No wonder this guy surnamed Chen had been protecting the Wu Clan all along; so this was what he was waiting for!

Li Hu sneered and strode over to Chen Shanzhi's side, speaking in a sarcastic, snide tone:

"I was wondering, the Supervising Officer's body is not yet cold, and yet you, Commander Chen, are still helping these Wu Clan people at every turn."

"So that's what it was all about—you'd already set your sights on their Saintess, rushing to become in-laws here!"

Chen Shanzhi did not answer, but asked in a calm tone: "General Li, what is the main purpose of our visit to the Wu Clan this time?"

Li Hu snorted: "Does that even need asking? Naturally, it is to follow the imperial decree and negotiate an Alliance with the Wu Clan."

"Very good."

Chen Shanzhi stood up abruptly and closed in on Li Hu, the distance between them no more than half a foot.

"Then I will ask you again."

Chen Shanzhi looked down at him, his voice icy:

"If this marriage succeeds and the Wu Clan is completely tied to Great Zhou, has the purpose of our trip been achieved or not?"

"This..." Li Hu's eyes flickered.

"Look into my eyes! Answer me!" Chen Shanzhi suddenly roared, his voice like a thunderclap.

Li Hu was so shaken by this sudden Aura that his scalp went numb; he subconsciously took half a step back, opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Marriage has always been the most stable way to form an Alliance throughout the ages.

If the marriage succeeds, the Alliance will surely succeed.

"I... you..." Li Hu's face flushed red, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time, and he could only shut his mouth in frustration.

From the main seat, Miao Yunzhan watched the dissenting Elders jumping around below with cold eyes, saying nothing and letting them make a scene.

Just at this moment.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A hoarse yet resonant cough came from outside the council hall.

Immediately after, an elderly man leaning on a snake-headed cane walked in slowly, supported by two Wu Clan guards.

Upon hearing this cough, the few Elders who had been clamoring fell silent instantly, one after another making way and showing expressions of respect.

When Miao Yunzhan saw this person, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

Deep in his eyes, a trace of disgust flashed by, but it vanished in an instant.

He immediately put on a polite and respectful expression and walked quickly down the steps.

He reached out to support the old man's arm and said gently: "Grand Elder, why have you come in person?"

The person who arrived was none other than the Wu Clan's Grand Elder, Miao Cangming.

When Miao Yunzhan was still a child running around in split-crotch pants, Miao Cangming was already sitting in the Elder's seat.

This person had extremely high prestige within the Wu Clan.

He was also a thorough old diehard within the Wu Clan and the absolute leader of the faction opposing the Alliance.

Miao Cangming ignored Miao Yunzhan's support.

He coldly pulled his arm back and heavily struck his snake-headed cane against the bluestone floor.

He snorted coldly, putting on airs of an Elder relying on his seniority, and said slowly:

"If I hadn't come over, how would I have known that our Wu Clan's Clan Chief was actually going to commit such a shameless act of betraying his country for personal glory!"

Miao Cangming raised his cloudy old eyes to stare directly at Miao Yunzhan, every word piercing the heart:

"My Wu Clan is, after all, a great clan with a thousand-year Legacy."

"And now, you actually want to marry off our noble and pure Saintess to some bullshit Commander of Great Zhou?"

Miao Cangming's cane suddenly pointed at Miao Yunzhan, and he sternly questioned:

"Could it be that you, Miao Yunzhan, intend to package up the entire Wu Clan and sell it, just to trade for some official position in the Great Zhou court?"

Once these words were spoken, the entire hall fell into dead silence.

The faces of those Elders who had originally remained neutral or were inclined toward the Alliance could not help but change.

The Grand Elder had slapped on too big a label; whoever dared to speak up in support at this time would be a sinner of the Wu Clan throughout history.

Hearing Miao Cangming throw such accusations at him the moment he arrived, the bit of gentleness on Miao Yunzhan's face vanished without a trace.

"Grand Elder, watch your words."

Miao Yunzhan coldly dropped these four words.

He turned around directly and strode back to the main seat.

Boom!

The next moment, a terrifying Aura belonging to a Peak Martial Artist erupted from Miao Yunzhan's body like a bursting dam!

The air in the entire council hall seemed to freeze instantly.

Those Elders with slightly lower cultivation were even pressed until their chests felt stifled, and even breathing became difficult.

The entire hall was deathly silent.

Miao Yunzhan looked down at everyone:

"In all my life, I, Miao Yunzhan, have done nothing to be ashamed of before the ancestors of the Wu Clan!"

"The matter of the marriage was a decision made jointly by the Divine Shaman and me after deliberating all night."

"Now the Demon People are powerful, pressing us step by step. We of the Wu Clan are holed up in this Ten Thousand Poison Miasma, and our living space is shrinking day by day."

"If we don't form an Alliance, we can only wait for death!"

"Only by forming an Alliance with Great Zhou and borrowing the power of Great Zhou can we repel the Demon People and take back our lost territory! This is the only way for the Wu Clan to survive!"

"Heh."

A sneer sounded abruptly.

Although Miao Cangming was old, as the Grand Elder, his cultivation, while not at Miao Yunzhan's Realm, was also unfathomable.

He withstood Miao Yunzhan's pressure without changing his expression, though his hand gripping the cane turned slightly white, and he asked in return:

"Since the Clan Chief speaks so righteously, sparing nothing for the sake of the Alliance."

"Then this old man would like to ask."

"If we are to marry, why not seek out a Prince of Great Zhou?"

"Instead, you want to marry the Saintess off to this unknown Commander of Great Zhou? Is he worthy?"

Facing this aggressive questioning, Miao Yunzhan's expression did not change, and he explained calmly:

"The Great Zhou imperial family is arrogant, valuing the purity of their royal Bloodline more than their lives. They would absolutely not agree to a Prince marrying a woman from an outside clan as his wife."

"And this Commander Chen is a leader among the younger generation of Great Zhou, and is also an absolute confidant of the Third Prince."

"This time the Great Zhou delegation has come, and the one who can truly make the final decision on the Alliance is Commander Chen!"

Miao Yunzhan said loudly: "Rather than begging those high and mighty Princes, it is better to marry directly to Commander Chen who holds real power. This is the fastest and most secure method!"

After Miao Yunzhan finished speaking, he silently added a sentence in his heart: Besides, looking at that girl A-Man's beaming face, she probably already secretly gave her heart to this kid.

A trace of gloom flashed in Miao Cangming's eyes, and he wanted to argue further.

But Miao Yunzhan did not give him the chance at all, directly waving his hand to forcibly interrupt:

"Grand Elder, this matter has already been decided by the Divine Shaman and me; there is no need to say any more!"

"The Wu God Pavilion is an important place for our clan, and its guarding cannot be without the Grand Elder's presence for even a moment. If the Grand Elder has no other important matters, please move back to the Wu God Pavilion to guard it!"

This was directly issuing an order to evict the guest.

Miao Cangming's old face was livid with anger.

He knew that since Miao Yunzhan had brought up the Divine Shaman, the marriage was already a done deal.

"Good! What a willful Clan Chief!"

Miao Cangming snorted coldly, struck his cane heavily, and stormed off, flicking his sleeves.

Watching the Grand Elder leave in a huff, Miao Yunzhan withdrew his gaze.

He turned his head and looked at Chen Shanzhi sitting below, the sternness on his face instantly turning into a spring-like smile:

"Commander Chen. Regarding this marriage, what is your opinion? You have no objections, right?"

Chen Shanzhi sat in his chair, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

This old fox. He's already stood up to the Grand Elder in front of so many people; would I dare say I have any objections at this point?

But having said that. This matter wasn't without its benefits for him.

Originally, he was still calculating how to naturally have more contact with that girl Tang Xiaowu in this Secret Realm, to properly grind up some favorability.

Unexpectedly, just as he was thinking of sleeping, someone handed him a pillow. Miao Yunzhan had directly shoved this excellent opportunity into his mouth.

Chen Shanzhi slowly raised his head, his gaze meeting Tang Xiaowu, who was standing beside Miao Yunzhan.

At this moment, Tang Xiaowu was almost going crazy with anxiety. Her pair of watery, large eyes were staring fixedly at Chen Shanzhi.

Her eyelids were blinking frantically, as if having a cramp, desperately trying to signal him.

The meaning in those eyes could not have been more obvious: "Refuse him! Quickly refuse him! We agreed we were just cooperating!"

Looking at her flustered and cute appearance, Chen Shanzhi chuckled inwardly.

He very naturally raised his eyebrows at Tang Xiaowu. He returned a look that was extremely firm, telling her to "rest assured."

Seeing this look from Chen Shanzhi, the heart that Tang Xiaowu had been holding in her throat finally fell back down.

Phew, that's good. Although this guy is usually unreliable, he is still dependable at critical moments.

Just as Tang Xiaowu was preparing to watch how Chen Shanzhi would righteously decline.

She saw Chen Shanzhi suddenly stand up. He flung open his robes, pressed one fist against his chest, with a solemn expression, and bowed deeply toward Miao Yunzhan.

His voice was loud and resonant: "Thank you for your kindness, Clan Chief!"

"Lady A-Man is breathtakingly beautiful; to be able to form this good relationship is truly a great honor for me in this life!"

"It is my wish, but I dare not presume to ask!"