Chapter 23: Past Grudges and Firm Determination

Huaming Hall.

When Su Yi arrived, only the old lady was sitting there.

She had white hair and despite being eighty years old, she appeared spirited and exuded the imposing aura of one who had long held a position of power.

"Young Master San, apart from you and me, there is no one else here. You don't need to pay your respects," the old lady said, pointing to a seat on the side of the hall. Her expression was cold. "Sit."

Young Master San!

This title made Su Yi's eyes flicker with a hint of confusion.

In this lifetime, he was a legitimate child of the Su family in the city of Yujing. He was the third in line, with an elder brother and sister above him and a younger brother below him.

However, because he was a illegitimate child and his mother, Lady Ye Yu, had died early, he had been neglected since childhood. His status was even lower than that of a steward in the Su family.

"Why did the old lady summon me?" Su Yi shook his head inwardly and casually sat down, appearing relaxed.

Among the entire Su family, only he knew that the old lady, Lian Wenbi, had once been a servant of the Su family in Yujing City. She had served Su Hongli, the patriarch of the Su family, for thirty years.

And Su Hongli was the father of Su Yi in this lifetime!

"What is it?" Su Yi asked indifferently, casually taking a seat. In the entire Su family, only he knew that Lian Wenbi had been a maid of the Su family in Yujing City for thirty years, serving by the side of Su Hongli, the patriarch of the Su family.

"What is it?" The old lady's gaze turned cold. "Have you forgotten everything that happened at the birthday banquet just now, Young Master San?"

"Others may think that Fu Shan, Nie Beihu, and Huang Yunchong came for the sake of Lingzhao, that little girl, but I don't!"

"Now, I'm only asking you, Young Master San, do you have anything to explain to me?"

Her words were forceful and her tone was severe!

In the past, Su Yi might have been intimidated by the imposing aura emanating from the old lady.

But now, how could he be frightened by an old lady?

However, Su Yi also had something to ask the old lady, so he didn't mind these things. He replied lightly, "If my speculation is correct, they did come for the sake of my reputation."

Slap!

The old lady clearly became angry. She slapped the armrest of the chair, her face turning dark and terrifying as she sternly said, "Young Master San, do you still remember the message your father asked me to convey to you when you married into the Wen family a year ago?"

Without waiting for Su Yi to speak, she emphasized each word, "If you dare to act in the name of the Su family, you will be punished!"

"If you dare to set foot in Yujing City, you will be punished!"

The atmosphere suddenly became extremely oppressive.

These words filled with killing intent and ruthlessness were indeed spoken by Su Yi's father, Su Hongli.

Because of this, in the year that Su Yi married into the Wen family, not only the people of Guangling City, but even the Wen family themselves, only Lian Wenbi, the old lady, knew his true identity.

"Does the old lady think that I used the title of Young Master San of the Su family to invite Fu Shan and the others to the banquet?" Su Yi couldn't help but laugh.

Lian Wenbi furrowed her brows tightly, her expression growing colder. "Isn't that the case?"

"Whether it is or not, you can go and ask Fu Shan and the others. With the power you currently possess, it shouldn't be difficult to find out. And what I can tell you is that I, Su Yi, will not act in the name of the Su family now, nor will I ever in the future!"

His tone was casual, but his eyes remained indifferent, with a hint of disdain lurking in the depths of his pupils.

As the prestigious Sword Master Xuanjun, why would he need to rely on such a false reputation?

Lian Wenbi was visibly taken aback and couldn't help but take another look at Su Yi. She felt an indescribable sense of unfamiliarity.

It was as if the Young Master San she was familiar with had suddenly become someone else.

After a moment of silence, she finally said, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly myself!"

Su Yi smiled and didn't explain further.

"Although I'm currently unaware of why Fu Shan, Nie Beihu, and the others value you so much, I must say that in the eyes of the Su family in Yujing City, characters like Fu Shan are insignificant ants on the ground. The Su family doesn't even need to act themselves. With just a word, they will have nowhere to bury their dead bodies!"

Lian Wenbi's expression turned cold, and when she mentioned the Su family in Yujing City, a trace of arrogance unconsciously emerged in her tone.

"Therefore, I advise you to behave yourself. Otherwise, those who are related to you might all suffer because of you!"

Su Yi recalled the situation in the Su family in Yujing City and had to admit that Lian Wenbi's words were not an exaggeration.

Yujing City was the imperial capital of Da Zhou.

The Su family ranks among the top four prestigious families in the capital city of Yujing.

In comparison, Guangling City is merely one of the nineteen cities in Yunhe County. Figures like Fu Shan and Nie Beihu are truly insignificant in front of the Su family.

The difference is like heaven and earth!

Unfortunately, Lady Wen is unaware that Su Yi has no intention of relying on anyone's help.

Not to mention Fu Shan, even the Su family in Yujing City is nothing more than a small force in his eyes, with no significant difference from the secular world.

"Fu Shan is indeed far inferior to the Su family, but today, the Wen family needs to rely on Fu Shan to save face at the banquet."

Su Yi calmly said, "Lady Wen, it seems that it will be difficult for you to receive any further help from the Su family in Yujing City."

These few words seemed to strike a chord in Lady Wen's heart, and her face suddenly turned ugly.

Seeing this, Su Yi remained silent.

The former Lady Wen was nothing more than a maid in the Su family.

Moreover, she had not served the Su family for many years, so how could the Su family still care about her?

Taking a deep breath, Lady Wen sneered and said, "I didn't expect that after being married into the Wen family for just a year, Third Young Master would become so capable with his words."

Su Yi sensed a trace of anger and embarrassment but smiled indifferently, "Lady Wen, people change. I came this time because I have something to consult with you."

Lady Wen frowned and asked, "Is it related to the Su family?"

Su Yi nodded, "Yes, I want to know whose idea it was for me to marry into the Wen family."

After a moment of silence, Lady Wen said, "It was a suggestion from the Second Mistress, and your father made the decision."

"Yu Qingzhi?"

A cold light flickered in Su Yi's eyes.

The "Second Mistress" referred to by Lady Wen was Yu Qingzhi, the fourth wife married by his father, Su Hongli.

"That's right."

Lady Wen nodded, unsurprised that Su Yi would directly address the person by name.

Back in the Su family, it was well known that the person whom the Second Mistress, Yu Qingzhi, looked down upon the most was Su Yi, this illegitimate son!

"With her character, why didn't she kill me to silence me when she learned that I had lost my cultivation? She should be well aware of the deep hatred I held for her. Not killing me would ultimately be a hidden danger," Su Yi was somewhat puzzled.

Lady Wen couldn't help but sneer, her gaze towards Su Yi filled with pity. "Third Young Master, your mother died early, and even your father regarded you as a wretched child and never cared about you. On top of losing your cultivation, you're no different from a cripple. Are you even worthy of being called a 'hidden danger'?"

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Nevertheless, you still carry the blood of the Su family in your veins. If the Second Mistress were to kill you, it would surely provoke your father's discontent and rejection. That would be a loss outweighing the gain. The Second Mistress, being as exceptionally clever as she is, would never commit such a foolish act."

Su Yi fell into silence.

Speaking of it, his fate as an illegitimate son of the Su family was truly miserable.

At the age of four, his mother, Lady Ye Yufei, fell seriously ill and eventually passed away.

Since then, his situation had become extremely difficult.

His father, Su Hongli, despised him and showed no concern whatsoever.

Even the entire Su family avoided getting close to him, leaving him deeply isolated.

As he grew older and became exposed to more things, he began to suspect that his father, Su Hongli, was the culprit behind the death of his mother, Lady Ye Yufei.

This caused him immense pain and resentment.

Eventually, four years ago, he chose to go to the Qinghe Sword Manor for training, hoping to become stronger by embarking on the path of martial arts.

But just three years later, due to the awakening of his memories from his past life, he lost his cultivation. As a result of the Su family's arrangements, he became a son-in-law of the Wen family...

"The first seventeen years of my life were indeed quite suffocating," Su Yi sighed inwardly.

He had examined his own memories and discovered that in this life, his deep hatred for his father, Su Hongli, and the Second Mistress, Yu Qingzhi, had already become an obsession in his heart.

"This obsession must be resolved by the present me."

Su Yi's eyes regained their calmness.

Obsessions must be dispelled, as they will surely affect the path to enlightenment in the future!

"Oh, by the way, I just heard about a sensational event that recently shook the city of Jade Capital," Lady Wen suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with a playful expression. "Your younger brother, Su Bonan, although only sixteen years old, has already reached the 'Harmonizing Gang' stage of the Gathering Qi realm. He is regarded as one of the 'Eight Exceptional Youths of Jade Capital.'"

"The Great Zhou Imperial Family has agreed that if your younger brother enters the Nurturing Furnace realm and becomes a Martial Grandmaster before the age of eighteen, he will be sent to the number one holy land in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the 'Hidden Dragon Sword Sect,' for further cultivation!"

Su Yi was taken aback, and the image of a handsome young man dressed in jade robes appeared in his mind.

Su Bonan.

The son of the Second Mistress, Yu Qingzhi, and the youngest son of Su Hongli. He was considered the most talented prodigy in martial arts among the legitimate heirs of the Su family!

Although Yu Qingzhi was Su Hongli's fourth wife, she was a legal wife, which made Su Bonan a legitimate son. In comparison, Su Yi's mother, Lady Ye Yufei, was a concubine, making Su Yi an illegitimate son.

In any case, during their time in the Su family, Su Yi, as an illegitimate son, was never on the same level as Su Bonan in any aspect, despite being his elder brother.

"Becoming a Martial Grandmaster at the age of eighteen? Is that considered an exceptional talent?" Su Yi couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

He knew very well that Lady Wen was deliberately using this matter to provoke him.

However, she was destined to be unaware that in his eyes, Martial Grandmasters at the age of eighteen were abundant in the vast Nine Provinces of the Great Wilderness. They were not a rarity and held no significance.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave," Su Yi decided to leave, having made up his mind about certain matters. He had no intention of lingering any longer.

"Just a moment," Lady Wen called out to him. "Third Young Master, before you go, allow this old woman to show you something."

As she spoke, she took out a silver jade token from her sleeve and held it up for Su Yi to see. "Do you know what this is, Third Young Master?"

This jade token was about three inches in size, entirely silver in color, resembling jade but not quite, emitting a faint radiance.

Su Yi's gaze was immediately drawn to it.