Chapter 23

Flower Tea Hall.

When Su Yi arrived, only Grand Dowager Wen was sitting there alone.

Her hair was white, and though she was eighty years old, she was still spirited, exuding an aura of authority from her long-standing position of power.

"Third Young Master, since there's no one else here besides you and me, there's no need to perform the formalities," Grand Dowager Wen said, pointing to a chair on the side of the hall with a cold expression. "Sit."

Third Young Master!

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

In this life, he was a third-born illegitimate son of the Su family in Jade Capital, with an elder brother, an elder sister, and a younger brother.

However, due to his illegitimate status and the early death of his mother, Ye Yufei, he had been neglected since childhood, his position not even as high as a steward in the Su family.

"What does the Grand Dowager want with me?"

Su Yi shook his head inwardly, sitting down casually, his demeanor relaxed.

In the entire Su family, only he knew that Grand Dowager Wen Liang Wenbi had been a maid in the Su family of Jade Capital when she was young, serving the Su family patriarch, Su Hongli, for thirty years.

And Su Hongli was Su Yi's father in this life!

"What for?"

The Grand Dowager's eyes were cold. "Do you, Third Young Master, forget what happened at the birthday banquet just now?"

"Others might think that Fu Shan, Nie Beihu, and Huang Yunchong came for Lingzhao, but I won't!"

"Now, I only ask, Third Young Master, do you have anything to explain?"

Her words were sharp and her tone stern!

If it were the old Su Yi, he might have been intimidated by the Grand Dowager's aura.

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

However, Su Yi had something to ask the Grand Dowager, so he didn't take offense, and said calmly:

"If my guess is correct, they indeed came for my sake."

Slap!

The Grand Dowager clearly became angry, slapping the armrest of her chair, her face dark and terrifying. She said sternly:

"Third Young Master, do you remember what your father asked me to tell you when you married into the Wen family a year ago?"

Without waiting for Su Yi to speak, she said, emphasizing each word: "Anyone who acts in the name of the Su family will be executed!"

"Anyone who steps into Jade Capital will be executed!"

The atmosphere suddenly became oppressively heavy.

These ruthless and cold words were indeed spoken by Su Yi's father, Su Hongli.

That's why, during the year Su Yi had been married into the Wen family, not only the people of Guangling City, but even the Wen family itself, only Grand Dowager Wen knew his true identity.

"Grand Dowager, do you think I used the name of the Su family's Third Young Master to bring Fu Shan and the others to the banquet?"

Su Yi couldn't help but laugh.

The Grand Dowager's brows furrowed, her expression growing even colder. "Isn't that the case?"

"Whether it is or not, you can ask Fu Shan and the others. With the power you now possess, it shouldn't be difficult to find out."

Su Yi spoke casually. "What I can tell you is that I, Su Yi, will not act in the name of the Su family now, nor will I in the future!"

His eyes were calm, but deep within them, a hint of disdain flickered.

As the venerable Xuanjun Sword Master, why would he need to rely on such a hollow title?

The Grand Dowager was clearly taken aback, re-evaluating Su Yi, a sense of unfamiliarity rising in her heart.

It was as if the Third Young Master she knew had suddenly become someone else.

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

Su Yi smiled, not bothering to explain further.

"Although I don't yet understand why Fu Shan and Nie Beihu value you so much, I must say that in the eyes of the Su family of Jade Capital, people like Fu Shan are like tiny ants on the ground. The Su family doesn't need to lift a finger; just a word, and they will be left with no place to bury their bodies!"

The Grand Dowager's expression was cold, and when she mentioned the Su family of Jade Capital, a hint of pride crept into her tone.

"So, I advise you to be more obedient. Otherwise, those close to you will suffer because of you!"

Recalling the situation of the Su family in Jade Capital, Su Yi had to admit that the Grand Dowager's words were not exaggerated.

Jade Capital was the capital of the Great Zhou Empire.

The Su family was one of the four top families in Jade Capital!

In comparison, Guangling City was just one of the nineteen cities in Yunhe Prefecture. People like Fu Shan and Nie Beihu were insignificant in front of the Su family.

The difference was like that between heaven and earth!

Unfortunately, the Grand Dowager didn't know that Su Yi had no intention of relying on anyone's power!

Not to mention Fu Shan, even the Su family of Jade Capital was just a minor force in the secular world to him, not much different from others.

"Fu Shan is indeed far inferior to the Su family, but at today's birthday banquet, the Wen family needed Fu Shan to support the occasion."

Su Yi said calmly, "Grand Dowager, it seems that you will find it difficult to get help from the Su family of Jade Capital now."

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the old lady, her face turning sour.

Seeing this, Su Yi said no more.

The Grand Dowager had ultimately been just a maid in the Su family.

Moreover, she had long since left the Su family's service. How could the Su family still remember a maid like her?

Taking a deep breath, the Grand Dowager said with a mocking tone, "I didn't expect that in just one year of being married into the Wen family, Third Young Master's mouth has become so sharp."

Su Yi detected a hint of anger and embarrassment in her voice and said with a smile, "Grand Dowager, people do change. I also have something to ask you."

The Grand Dowager's brows furrowed. "Is it related to the Su family?"

Su Yi nodded. "Yes, I want to know who suggested that I marry into the Wen family."

The Grand Dowager was silent for a moment. "It was the suggestion of the Young Mistress, and your father made the decision."

"Yao Qingzhi?"

A cold light flashed in Su Yi's eyes.

The "Young Mistress" the Grand Dowager referred to was his father Su Hongli's fourth wife, named Yao Qingzhi.

"Yes."

The Grand Dowager nodded, not surprised by Su Yi's direct use of her name.

In the Su family, everyone knew that the Young Mistress Yao Qingzhi despised Su Yi, the illegitimate son, the most!

"Given her character, why didn't she kill me to silence me after learning that I had lost my cultivation? She should have known that I harbored deep hatred for her, and not killing me would be a hidden danger."

Su Yi was puzzled.

The Grand Dowager couldn't help but sneer, her eyes filled with pity as she looked at Su Yi. "Third Young Master, your mother died early, and even your father treated you as a bastard, never caring for you. After losing your cultivation, you were no different from a cripple. How could you be considered a hidden danger?"

Pausing, she continued, "But no matter what, you still have Su family blood in your veins. If the Young Mistress had killed you, it would have displeased your father and caused a rift. That would have been counterproductive. A person as intelligent as the Young Mistress would never do such a foolish thing."

Su Yi fell silent.

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

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

From then on, his situation became extremely difficult.

His father, Su Hongli, never cared for him, ignoring him completely.

As a result, no one in the entire Su family dared to get close to him, leaving him isolated.

As he grew older and encountered more things, he began to suspect that his father, Su Hongli, was the one who had killed his mother, Ye Yufei!

This filled him with pain and anger.

In the end, four years ago, he chose to go to the Qinghe Sword Mansion to cultivate, hoping to become strong through the path of martial arts.

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

"The first seventeen years of my life were indeed very oppressive," Su Yi mused.

When he reviewed his memories, he found that his hatred for his father, Su Hongli, and the Young Mistress, Yao Qingzhi, had become a deep-seated obsession.

"This obsession must be resolved by the me of now."

Su Yi's eyes became calm again.

If the obsession wasn't resolved, it would affect his future path to enlightenment!

"By the way, I just heard about a major event in Jade Capital recently."

The Grand Dowager suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with amusement. "Your younger brother, Su Bojun, though only sixteen, is already a Qi Gathering 'Ganghua' stage expert and is considered one of the 'Eight Talents of Jade Capital.'"

"The Great Zhou Imperial Family has promised that if your brother reaches the Furnace Cultivation stage and becomes a Martial Arts Master before he turns eighteen, they will send him to the 'Qianlong Sword Sect,' the top holy land of the Great Zhou Empire, for cultivation!"

Su Yi was taken aback, the image of a handsome young man in a jade robe appearing in his mind.

Su Bojun.

The son of the Young Mistress Yao Qingzhi, the youngest son of Su Hongli, and considered the most talented martial arts genius among the Su family's legitimate descendants!

Although Yao Qingzhi was Su Hongli's fourth wife, she was the main wife, so Su Bojun was a legitimate son.

In contrast, Su Yi's mother, Ye Yufei, was a concubine, making Su Yi an illegitimate son.

In the Su family, no matter which aspect, Su Yi, the illegitimate son, could not be compared to Su Bojun, despite being his elder brother.

"Becoming a Martial Arts Master at eighteen? Is that considered a genius?"

Su Yi inwardly laughed.

He knew that the Grand Dowager was deliberately trying to provoke him with this news.

But she couldn't have imagined that, in his eyes, a Martial Arts Master at eighteen was common in the Great Wasteland, not something to be impressed by.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Su Yi stood up, deciding to leave.

He had confirmed some things and didn't intend to stay any longer.

"Hold on."

The Grand Dowager stopped him. "Third Young Master, before you leave, I have something to show you."

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

The jade talisman was about three inches long, silver in color, not quite jade, and emitted a faint glow.

Su Yi's eyes were immediately drawn to it.

---

PS: Cough, cough, the number of favorites is about to break 3,000. If it does, I'll add more updates at 6 PM tonight!