Chapter 41

"Damn it!"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Mu's fiery temper flared up immediately. He turned and bellowed at Nangong Xu, releasing the full might of a Xiantian Wuzong. His blue robe fluttered in the wind, and Nangong Xu fell to his knees with a thud.

"Old Senior, calm down!"

Although the aura was not directed at him, Chen Xiaoli still felt an inexplicable fear and hurried to dissuade him.

Nangong Mu was suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow, and the aura around him gradually dissipated. The heavy pressure lifted from Nangong Xu, who immediately relaxed, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and panted heavily.

"Old Senior, before Uncle Sangu passed away, he asked me to tell you that after so many years, he no longer harbors any hatred. He hopes that if you have the time, you can visit his grave and offer a stick of incense to reminisce about old times!" Chen Xiaoli also breathed a sigh of relief.

"My brother Chen, how could you leave like this!"

A mighty Wuzong realm expert, at this moment, collapsed into a chair and burst into tears, his voice filled with sorrow, truly touching the heart and bringing tears to the eyes of those who heard it.

Chen Xiaoli himself did not know what Chen Yunhe had asked him to convey, but Nangong Mu understood. There was a small entanglement between him and Chen Yunhe. They were originally close friends, but their relationship was strained for years due to a woman. When they were in their fifties, they agreed to a duel. Chen Yunhe had an old injury and was no match for Nangong Mu, who accidentally blinded him. Chen Yunhe then withdrew in disgrace and disappeared.

Nangong Mu felt deeply indebted to Chen Yunhe and had never stopped searching for him. Three years ago, Chen Xiaoli's appearance gave him hope. Through Chen Xiaoli, he traced Chen Yunhe's seclusion place. However, fearing that Chen Yunhe still harbored resentment and not wanting to disturb his seclusion, Nangong Mu did not visit. Instead, he sent people to report on Chen Yunhe's condition regularly.

Chen Xiaoli's sudden visit today, admitting to being Chen Yunhe's successor, brought great joy to Nangong Mu when he heard the news in the inner courtyard. But as soon as he came out, he heard that Chen Yunhe had passed away, which was too much for him to bear.

"Life and death are natural, Old Senior, please take care of yourself!" Chen Xiaoli consoled, taking out a jade from his pocket. "Do you remember this item, Old Senior?"

Tears welled up in Nangong Mu's eyes as he looked at the jade pendant in Chen Xiaoli's hand. It was a palm-sized white jade carved into the shape of a phoenix, with the head of the phoenix tied with a red string. The jade pendant shimmered with a lustrous light, clearly not an ordinary item.

Seeing the jade pendant, Nangong Mu's expression froze. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, "This is the Phoenix Pendant, divided into two parts, a family heirloom of the Nangong family. The one in your hand is the female part, which I gave to Brother Chen many years ago!"

Hearing this, Chen Xiaoli's lips curved into a faint smile. "Before Uncle Sangu passed away, he said that Old Senior gave this jade pendant as a token. Uncle Sangu, or his descendants, can use this jade pendant to ask the Nangong family for one favor!"

"That's right!" Nangong Mu nodded slightly, calming himself down and looking at Chen Xiaoli in surprise. "Xiaoli, have you encountered some unsolvable trouble? Speak up, and I will stand up for you."

Chen Xiaoli smiled and raised the female part of the pendant. "Not at all, not at all, Old Senior. I think it's time for the Phoenix Pendants to be reunited. Today, I am here to propose a marriage!"

"Propose a marriage?"

Nangong Mu's mind was momentarily blank, and Nangong Xu, standing respectfully beside him, also looked surprised. He had heard Chen Xiaoli say he had something to ask, and that it required Nangong Mu's presence, but he never expected it to be a marriage proposal. He almost couldn't believe his ears.

"That's right, propose a marriage!" Chen Xiaoli smiled but remained silent.

Nangong Mu thought for a moment and said hesitantly, "Xiaoli, I have two sons and one daughter. Both of my sons are already in their fifties and have long been married. You are young and full of vigor, why would you need to do this?"

Chen Xiaoli, who had refused to recognize his relatives before, suddenly came to the door and now proposed a marriage. This was completely out of character for him.

Chen Xiaoli, feeling somewhat amused and frustrated, said, "Old Senior, you misunderstand. I didn't mean that..."

Before he could finish, Nangong Mu was taken aback again. "That's true. Although you are Brother Chen's disciple in reality, you are not in name. You call Brother Chen 'Uncle,' so if you were to marry into my son's generation, it would mess up the family hierarchy."

At this point, Nangong Xu, looking somewhat embarrassed, said, "Father, my second brother has one son and one daughter, but they are already married. I have one son and three daughters, but my son Chen is only fifteen and not of age yet."

Nangong Mu's face twitched, looking somewhat awkward. He looked up at Chen Xiaoli and immediately decided, "It's settled. Let Chen marry Xiaoli..."

"Old Senior!" Chen Xiaoli, who was nearly thirty, couldn't bear the idea of marrying a fifteen-year-old boy, quickly interrupted. "Old Senior, you all misunderstood. I didn't come here to propose a marriage for myself!"

"Huh, then what?" Nangong Mu's face was full of confusion.

Chen Xiaoli quickly explained, "I heard that the head of the Nangong family has a young daughter named Zixuan, who is as beautiful as a flower and has already gained fame in the capital at the age of twenty. I have a younger brother named Chen Dasheng, who is also twenty-two. I am here to propose a marriage for my brother. I hope Old Senior will grant my request!"

"Ah?"

Nangong Mu had not yet reacted, but Nangong Xu's mouth dropped open. Nangong Zixuan was his youngest daughter, who was exactly twenty and still unmarried. He had already investigated Chen Xiaoli's brother, who was just an ordinary student. Considering that Nangong Zixuan was also a Wushi realm expert, how could she marry an ordinary person?

If Chen Xiaoli were to marry into the Nangong family, he would wholeheartedly agree, as Chen Xiaoli was an eighth-level Wushi. The Nangong family's strength would significantly increase with her addition. However, marrying his daughter to an ordinary person was a different matter.

Turning to Nangong Mu, he saw that Nangong Mu also looked hesitant, clearly having similar thoughts. Nangong Xu quickly said, "Father, times have changed. Marriages should be based on mutual consent. I think we should ask Zixuan's opinion."

Nangong Mu turned to Chen Xiaoli, wanting to hear his opinion.

Chen Xiaoli's smile suddenly faded. When he proposed a marriage for himself, Nangong Mu didn't think twice before offering his underage grandson. Now, when he proposed a marriage for his brother, the difference in attitude was too great.

Was this a sign of looking down on his brother? Chen Xiaoli was a proud person, and Chen Dasheng was his sore spot. She could tolerate others looking down on her, but she could not tolerate others looking down on her brother.

Saying they would ask Nangong Zixuan's opinion was clearly a polite rejection. After all, how many women would be willing to marry someone they had never met, especially a girl from a prestigious family like the Nangong family?

She had thought that with Chen Yunhe's face and the jade pendant, she could secure a good match for Chen Dasheng, but she never expected such a result.

Chen Xiaoli took a deep breath and said, "If that's the case, I won't force the issue. Old Senior, consider that I never came today. I will return the female part of the pendant and leave, as I have some matters to attend to."

With that, Chen Xiaoli placed the female part of the pendant on a small table beside him and turned to leave.

Nangong Mu, not expecting Chen Xiaoli to be so stubborn, panicked and quickly blocked his path. "What's the rush, girl? Sit down and listen to what I have to say!"

"Is there anything else you need, Old Senior?" Chen Xiaoli asked.

Nangong Mu stroked his beard and smiled. "Sit down, and we can discuss this further!"

Chen Xiaoli replied, "I came today only to propose a marriage. If it's about anything else, I won't stay!"

Nangong Xu, watching from the side, shook his head. No one dared to show such disrespect to a Xiantian Wuzong, except Chen Xiaoli.

Nangong Mu, however, was not bothered. He already felt indebted to Chen Yunhe, and now Chen Yunhe's successor had come with the jade pendant, and he had rejected him. He couldn't do such a thing.

Pulling Chen Xiaoli back to his seat, Nangong Mu said, "I have no objections to this marriage..."

"Father!" Nangong Xu interrupted, looking anxious. He couldn't let his daughter marry into a difficult situation.

"Let me finish!" Nangong Mu waved his hand and said to Chen Xiaoli, "We can tentatively agree to this marriage. In a few days, I will take Zixuan with you to Sichuan to pay respects to Brother Chen. We can then meet the young man and see if he is suitable. What do you think?"

Nangong Xu breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought Nangong Mu would agree to the marriage, but now he didn't believe his daughter would be interested in an ordinary college student.

"Thank you, Old Senior!" Chen Xiaoli's lips curved into a smile. With Nangong Mu's words, she had no reason to refuse.

Nangong Mu smiled and said, "Put the jade pendant away. You are as stubborn as Brother Chen! You don't need to keep calling me 'Old Senior.' Since you call Brother Chen 'Uncle,' you can call me 'Uncle' as well!"

"Yes, I thank Uncle for your kindness on behalf of my brother!" Chen Xiaoli's goal was achieved, and although it wasn't final, she was pleased, as she had fulfilled her promise to Chen Dasheng.

Chen Xiaoli added, "Uncle, rest assured. Zixuan marrying Dasheng will not disgrace her, because my brother is now a Houtian Wushi!"

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