506: Chapter 506 If you agree, everything is fine; if you don't, please leave.

The Grand Elder standing to the side heard Sect Leader Shen actually setting her sights on Leng Ningshuang, and his expression changed instantly.

He secretly cursed, thinking to himself, 'This woman, surely she wouldn't use this to threaten us, would she?'

The Grand Elder hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands and saying, "Sect Leader Shen, this matter is of great importance, I ask that you reconsider. Leng Ningshuang is the head Disciple of our Hehuan Sect; her marriage must be decided by Sect Leader Xiao. We…"

Sect Leader Shen interrupted him, her voice still calm but with a hint of unquestionable authority: "Isn't Xiao Nianyin gone? She is currently somewhere unknown, her life and death uncertain. You Hehuan Sect don't even have a place to stay right now, so what is there to discuss regarding marriage?"

The Grand Elder was choked up, unable to speak. His face flushed red, his lips trembling; he wanted to refute her, but could find no reason to do so. Because what Sect Leader Shen said was the truth. Xiao Nianyin was gone, her life and death uncertain. The Hehuan Sect didn't even have a place to stay. What qualifications did they have to negotiate terms?

Sect Leader Shen looked at Shen Ao and continued to ask with a smile, "Ao'er, just tell me, are you willing? Do you know why they came to our Tianyan Sect today? This is your only chance. If you are willing, Mother will speak for you, and there will definitely be a chance."

Shen Ao's face turned even redder. He lowered his head, not daring to look at Leng Ningshuang or Sect Leader Shen, his hands clutching his hem, his knuckles turning white. His breathing was rapid, his chest heaving, as if he were undergoing an intense internal struggle.

Of course he was willing. He was willing even in his dreams. From the moment he first saw Leng Ningshuang, he knew that in this life, he would marry no one but her. He had pursued her for several years, and she had rejected him countless times, yet he had never given up. He thought he would never have a chance in this life, but unexpectedly, the chance was right before his eyes.

However, he did not want to take advantage of someone in distress. Leng Ningshuang had only come to the Tianyan Sect because she was forced to; if he used this opportunity to force her to marry him, how would he be any different from those villains who loot a burning house? Although he, Shen Ao, was no gentleman, he did not want to do such despicable things.

"Mother…" He looked up at Sect Leader Shen, his eyes full of struggle and pain, "I… I…"

"What 'I'?" Sect Leader Shen's tone grew somewhat impatient, "Just tell me, are you willing or not?"

Shen Ao gritted his teeth and finally spoke: "Everything shall be as Mother decides." After saying this, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Leng Ningshuang again. His shoulders trembled slightly, as if bearing some immense pressure. His hands gripped even tighter, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

Leng Ningshuang's expression changed slightly, but she did not speak. She stood there, her hands hanging at her sides, clutching the hem of her clothes. Her heart was currently churning with raging waves. She had long expected this day to come, but she had not expected it to come so quickly, and at such an inopportune time.

Sect Leader Shen nodded in satisfaction, looked at the Grand Elder, and smiled: "Fellow Daoist, the matter you seek is a very dangerous one for my Tianyan Sect. Although I have a deep friendship with Xiao Nianyin, that is, after all, a private matter. The matter you seek involves major affairs between our two sects. If things go wrong, not only will your Hehuan Sect face a mortal crisis, but my Tianyan Sect will also face a great disaster because of it. After all, I am a Sect Master; I cannot act based on emotion."

She paused, her voice becoming gentler, but a flash of shrewdness crossed her eyes: "However, if your sect's Leng Ningshuang marries into my Tianyan Sect, then our two sects will be linked by marriage and will be allies. Our Tianyan Sect will have reason to protect you. Fellow Daoist, don't you agree?"

The Grand Elder's expression changed completely. His face went from red to white, then from white to pale, as if someone had poured a basin of cold water over his head. He naturally knew what abacus Sect Leader Shen was playing with. She was trying to loot a burning house, using the condition of sheltering the Hehuan Sect to force Leng Ningshuang to marry Shen Ao.

Leng Ningshuang was the head Disciple of the Hehuan Sect and the most outstanding Disciple of the younger generation of the Hehuan Sect. If she married into the Tianyan Sect, it would not only bring a Genius Disciple to the Tianyan Sect but also tie the Tianyan Sect and the Hehuan Sect together; when the Hehuan Sect was rebuilt in the future, the Tianyan Sect would also be able to get a share. This was a deal that could only result in profit.

But the Grand Elder could not agree. Leng Ningshuang was the head Disciple of the Hehuan Sect; her marriage was not something he could decide. Moreover, whether Leng Ningshuang was willing or not was still an unknown. He opened his mouth, wanting to refuse, but seeing Sect Leader Shen's smiling eyes, he swallowed his words back down.

"Sect Leader Shen," the Grand Elder said, steeling himself, "This matter is of great importance, please allow us to discuss it…"

Sect Leader Shen waved her hand, interrupting him: "There is nothing to discuss. I will give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn to consider. If you agree, I will immediately arrange the wedding, and you will bow and marry tonight. As long as Leng Ningshuang and my Disciple enter the bridal chamber, I will immediately arrange a place for your Hehuan Sect to stay, and I guarantee that within the territory of my Tianyan Sect, no one will be able to bully you. If you do not agree—"

She paused, her voice turning icy, like wind blowing from an ice cellar: "Then please leave. My Tianyan Sect does not support idlers."

The Grand Elder's face was livid, but he dared not lash out. This was the Tianyan Sect's territory, and Sect Leader Shen's Cultivation was much higher than his; if he dared to make a move, he wouldn't even know how he died. He could only endure it, swallowing all his anger and unwillingness into his stomach.

He looked at Leng Ningshuang, his eyes full of helplessness and heartache. Leng Ningshuang stood there, with no expression on her face. Her eyes were looking forward, but her gaze was unfocused, and she did not know where she was looking. Her lips were slightly pursed, her chin slightly raised, as if she were desperately holding something back. In Leng Ningshuang's heart, raging waves were currently churning.