Chapter 474: Find Someone Else

Marriage!

After a thoughtful pause, Ye Guan turned to the Great Daoist Brush Master. He nonchalantly shrugged and remarked, "I never agreed to his terms, and he didn't promise an alliance either. He just wanted to check you out. Seems like he's impressed with you. Well, blame it on your excessive brilliance!"

Ye Guan's face was filled with frustration.

As if I'd believe your nonsense.

The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled, knowing that it was futile to further persuade Ye Guan.

Ye Guan shifted his gaze to Ye Jun and was about to speak when Ye Jun beat him to the chase, saying, "Young Master Ye, I understand your aversion to marriage alliances, but I need justification to aid the True Universe and the Guanxuan Universe.

"The Time Reversers aren't actively targeting us, so if I aid you, I'll definitely face opposition. However, everything will change with a marriage alliance, especially if it's going to bring us a ton of profits."

Ye Guan remained contemplative.

Ye Jun stared into Ye Guan's eyes and said, "Take your time. However, time is of the essence, so you should decide as soon as possible."

Ye Guan glanced at the Great Daoist Brush Master.

The Great Daoist Brush Master shrugged and said, "The ball's in your court."

Ye Guan finally responded, "Who's the bride?"

Ye Jun answered, "My daughter."

Ye Guan said, "Mind if I meet her before sealing the deal?"

Ye Jun's gaze changed slightly as he nodded. "Certainly."

Then, Ye Jun turned around and called out, "Summon Princess Nanfeng here.”

A mysterious figure bowed and walked out of the hall.

Soon, a young woman entered the hall.

Ye Guan turned around and saw a young woman in her twenties. She was in a black gown that added an air of maturity to her young demeanor. Her movements were graceful, but she exuded an air of aloofness worthy of her status.

Ye Nanfeng acknowledged Ye Jun with a bow and went silent. She didn't even glance at Ye Guan. Ye Jun stared alternatingly between the two before saying, "Sort this out yourselves."

Ye Jun then stood up and left

The Great Daoist Brush Master walked up to Ye Guan. "I know you're not comfortable, but—"

"Hurry up and leave," Ye Guan interrupted, "We're going to talk privately."

The Great Daoist Brush Master's expression stiffened, and he stared at Ye Guan with a frown.

Did I overestimate him? I think this bastard only wants to marry those who are beautiful enough while he ignores the rest who can't meet his standards.

The Great Daoist Brush Master shook his head and cursed inwardly before turning around to leave.

Soon, Ye Guan and Ye Nanfeng were the only ones in the hall.

There was silence in the air between them, which made the atmosphere feel tense.

Ye Guan found Ye Nanfeng to be quite beautiful. Ye Guan approached her carefully, while Ye Nanfeng still didn't want to meet Ye Guan's gaze.

"Lady Nanfeng," Ye Guan said, "I can see that you don't like the idea of getting married to me, and I understand. If you can't say no to Senior Ye Jun, I'll go and speak to him."

Ye Guan turned around and walked away.

"No need!" Ye Nanfeng exclaimed, "There's no need for you to say anything."

Ye Guan turned around to stare at Ye Nanfeng.

Ye Nanfeng calmly explained. "They know you possess three formidable bloodlines, and every single one of them is stronger than our bloodline. They're not going to let the chance to enhance our bloodline slip away."

"What I'm trying to say is that if you don't want to get married, we can simply find someone else," Ye Guan said.

Ye Nanfeng was surprised.

Ye Guan smiled and explained, "Truth be told, I'm also not exactly thrilled about this marriage. The idea of two strangers being forced together doesn't sit well with me.

"However, you're right. The Eternal Night Empire wants my help to enhance your bloodline. If I decline, the Eternal Night Empire might even stand on the Time Reversers' side, much less help us."

"I heard that you're a swordsman. Is it true?" Ye Nanfeng asked.

Ye Guan nodded.

Ye Nanfeng's voice was tinged with sarcasm as she said, "A swordsman's moral integrity is crucial to their Dao. Are you not afraid of hurting your Dao by agreeing to this marriage, even though you're not exactly willing to do it?"

Ye Guan locked eyes with her and said, "I can sense that your resistance to the idea of getting married to me is beyond mere reluctance, Princess Nanfeng. I assume you can't resist your father, so you're being rude to me..."

Ye Guan shook his head and chuckled. Then, he walked away.

Ye Nanfeng frowned. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to look for someone else," replied Ye Guan.

Ye Nanfeng's expression shifted, and she hurriedly exclaimed, "Wait!"

Ye Guan didn't stop.

Ye Nanfeng panicked and cried out, "Young Master Ye! I already told my father that I agree to this marriage..."

Ye Guan finally stopped, and he turned around to look at Ye Nanfeng.

"You agree? Well, I don't," said Ye Guan before walking away.

Ye Nanfeng froze, but she immediately came to her senses and rushed toward Ye Guan, catching up to him in the proverbial blink of an eye. Taking a deep breath, Ye Nanfeng composed herself and said, "I apologize for my attitude, Young Master Ye!"

"Why apologize?" Ye Guan stared at Ye Nanfeng and said, "I appreciate your defiance."

With that, Ye Guan sidestepped and continued walking away.

Frustrated, Ye Nanfeng clenched her fists and exclaimed, "What more do you want from me?!"

Ye Guan faced Ye Nanfeng once more and smirked, "Do you really think that I'm desperate to get married to you? Who do you think is more desperate here?"

Ye Nanfeng stared at Ye Guan and said, "The Eternal Night Clan's status is the highest among every other clan in the Eternal Night Empire. If we end up getting married, your status in your clan will shoot through the roof."

Ye Guan frowned. "So you're saying that I stand to gain a ton if I were to get married into your Eternal Night Clan? Are you implying that's the reason I'm here for a marriage alliance?"

"Isn't that the case?" Ye Nanfeng asked.

Ye Guan shook his head and chided, "You're such a na?ve woman."

The word "na?ve" was a word Ye Guan had learned from Blue Planet, and he finally managed to use it.

Ye Nanfeng's face flushed red; Ye Guan's remark had infuriated her. She couldn't understand the word "na?ve," but Ye Guan's expression made it clear that it wasn't a compliment.

Ye Guan shrugged and stared calmly at Ye Nanfeng. "Personally, I'm not one to flaunt my family's status, but let me be frank, Miss Nanfeng—no family, clan, sect, or organization has ever managed to rival the might of my Yang Family. This holds true even throughout the vast expanse."

Ye Guan turned around and left.

Left standing by herself, Ye Nanfeng's expression was of extreme displeasure, but her expression changed greatly upon realizing that Ye Guan was about to leave. Ye Nanfeng hurriedly chased after him.

Ye Nanfeng couldn't allow Ye Guan to leave just like that, as her father had told her that she would become the next empress as long as she married Ye Guan. The marriage would also elevate the Ye Family's bloodline through her. In other words, her destiny would change; she would no longer be a pawn of her relatives.

Most importantly, she would have the backing of her husband’s powerful family.

Ye Nanfeng's sharp remarks and cold attitude earlier were the result of her displeasure upon finding herself thrust into an arranged marriage.

However, she didn't expect Ye Guan to be so unyielding and sensitive.

Ye Nanfeng walked up to Ye Guan, but she found herself unable to move even an inch upon getting immobilized by a powerful sword intent. Ye Nanfeng's expression changed drastically, but the sword intent disappeared moments later, as Ye Guan had already stepped out of the hall.

Ye Jun sighed upon seeing Ye Guan's dark expression. The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at Ye Nanfeng rushing out of the hall, but he didn't say anything.

Ye Guan grinned. "Senior, we should look for someone else."

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Ye Jun looked at Ye Guan and asked, "You sure about that?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Ye Jun glanced at Ye Nanfeng before saying, "She's the most beautiful of my daughters. She's also the most talented, and her King Dao Bloodline is pures—”

"Let's look for someone else!" Ye Guan interrupted.

Ye Jun went silent and sighed. "Fine."

Ye Nanfeng's face instantly turned pale. "Father..."

Ye Jun waved his hand. "You may leave."

A glance was enough for Ye Jun to deduce what had transpired inside the hall, and his eyes filled with disappointment as he stared at Ye Nanfeng.

Ye Jun had talked to her about this before Ye Guan's arrival, so he was truly disappointed that Ye Nanfeng had still ended up being so reckless.

Ye Jun was the Emperor of the Eternal Night Empire, but he had to be respectful to Ye Guan, so how could Ye Nanfeng afford to disrespect Ye Guan? The Great Daoist Brush Master was also a peak supreme elite that the Eternal Night Empire couldn't afford to offend, but he was actually standing on Ye Guan's side.

To make matters worse, Ye Guan had the True God's backing as well. Ye Jun's probing also allowed him to reach the conclusion that Ye Guan's identity was far more complex than it appeared.

Once Ye Nanfeng was married to Ye Guan, her position in the Eternal Night Empire would solidify. No one would be able to challenge her authority by then. Once Ye Guan's three bloodlines enhanced her bloodline, she'd inevitably become a terrifying powerhouse.

Unfortunately, Ye Nanfeng had failed to meet every single one of Ye Jun's expectations. Ye Nanfeng wanted to say something, but Ye Jun gestured for her to leave once again and even exclaimed, "Stand down!"

Ye Nanfeng went beyond pallid. Ye Jun's remark meant that she no longer had any chance of becoming the empress. Ye Nanfeng felt like she was at the summit just a few moments ago, but she plummeted to the bottom in the blink of an eye.

Ye Jun ignored Ye Nanfeng and calmly said, "Bring Ye Nanqing here."

Ye Nanqing?!

Ye Nanfeng glanced at her father in shock. She wasn't shocked that her sister had been summoned to replace her; rather, she was shocked that her father had readily agreed to Ye Guan's request.

Ye Nanfeng realized something horrifying just then.

Soon, a young woman appeared, and she had a striking resemblance to Ye Nanfeng; the only difference was that Ye Nanfeng exuded a cold, frigid air, while Ye Nanqing exuded an amiable, approachable air, which was accentuated by her light ink-colored long dress.

Ye Nanqing's cultivation base was low; she was just a paltry Time Immortal Realm.

In addition, her cultivation base seemed unstable as well, which meant she had definitely raised her cultivation base using external means.

Ye Nanfeng was a Great Sovereign, so Ye Nanqing's cultivation base was definitely inferior to the former.

Ye Nanqing bowed respectfully to Ye Jun and greeted, "Father!"

Ye Jun nodded slightly. "Go and have a talk with Young Master Ye."

Ye Nanqing was a bit surprised to hear that. She turned her gaze to Ye Guan and bowed gracefully. "Young Master Ye!"

Ye Guan smiled. "Lady Nanqing, let's talk inside the hall!"

Ye Guan turned around and walked away.

Ye Nanqing hesitated briefly, but she still followed him into the hall.

Upon arriving inside the hall, Ye Guan immediately looked at Ye Nanqing and asked, "Do you know why your father asked you to come here?"

Ye Nanqing nodded slightly.

Ye Guan asked, "What do you think?"

"I think you should choose my sister, Ye Nanfeng, Young Master Ye," Ye Nanqing replied with a smile. "Her talent is exceptional, and my father has always considered her his heir."

"What if I choose you?" Ye Guan asked.

Ye Nanqing was silent for quite a while before saying, "Young Master Ye, forgive me for my blunt words, but I dislike arranged marriages. Unfortunately, I know that I can't refuse this arrangement. My father is just going to marry me away someday in exchange for profits."

"You didn't answer my question." Ye Guan pointed out.

"Marry me, and I'll fulfill my duties as your wife," Ye Nanqing replied, observing Ye Guan's expression. The implication was that they could get married, and Ye Nanqing would still fulfill her duties as a wife, even though she had no feelings for Ye Guan.

"I understand what you're trying to say, Lady Nanqing. How about this? We can announce our marriage to the public, but there's no need for us to behave like real couples. I'll enhance your family's bloodline, and I'll help you become the Empress of the Eternal Night Empire. Once the dust has settled, we can part ways and announce our divorce to the public.

"You'll be emancipated by then!" Ye Guan suggested.

Ye Nanqing froze and stared at Ye Guan in disbelief.