"Before Ziyun's recent breakthrough, her talent wasn't high. Reaching Black Gold one or two-star in her lifetime would likely have been her limit. Normally, Black Gold one-star or two-star Demon Spirit Masters are considered quite impressive for ordinary people. But for a City Lord, it's far too little. With that level of cultivation, sitting on the City Lord's throne would only leave her perpetually exhausted."
Hearing
"Moreover, as the City Lord, I know full well the suffering that comes with the role. Though I possess supreme authority, I couldn't even take care of my own wife and children, which led to Ziyun's mother dying of illness. I can't absolve myself of that guilt. I owe Ziyun a great deal," Ye Zong sighed with emotion. "Even though I've always pushed Ziyun to cultivate, it was only so she'd have the means to protect herself when facing Demon Beasts. I'd honestly rather she lived an ordinary, unremarkable life."
"As the eldest legitimate daughter of the Wind Snow Family, do you really think Ziyun can be the ordinary, unremarkable person you wish her to be?" Nie Li said bluntly, holding nothing back. "You could push
Ye Zong opened his mouth, but what could he say? Hadn't he thought of all this himself? Still, he had to do whatever little he could.
"Ye Han's talent is exceptional. If he can cultivate to Black Gold five-star, no one would dare say a word!" Ye Zong said. "But since things have already escalated to this point, there's no helping it. And with the talent and cultivation Ziyun has displayed recently, forget Black Gold five-star — reaching the Legendary realm is entirely possible!"
*Legendary realm? You're severely underestimating your own daughter,* Nie Li thought with a faint smile, but said nothing.
Ye Zong looked at Nie Li. "On this matter, I should thank you. If not for you, Ziyun's cultivation would never have broken through to Silver five-star in such a short time." Despite the friction between them, Ye Zong's tone was genuinely sincere.
"Of course," Nie Li replied with a proud grin. "Old Ye, just leave your daughter to me — you can rest easy!"
The moment the words left Nie Li's mouth, Ye Zong's face darkened again. The guy had found another way to take advantage of the conversation! *Leave my daughter to you? That's only if Ziyun agrees to it!*
Ye Zong's mindset had shifted slightly over time. After spending so long around Nie Li, he'd come to realize that while the boy's methods were a bit flashy, he wasn't as reckless as he seemed. Beneath that brash exterior lay a mind of considerable depth. And if Ziyun stayed by Nie Li's side, at least she wouldn't have to worry about being taken advantage of. With Nie Li's temperament, anyone who provoked him would be in for a world of hurt.
"Nie Li, let me make myself clear," Ye Zong said with a snort. "If Ziyun agrees to be with you, I have no objections. But if she doesn't, and you dare bully her — don't blame me for getting rough!"
Hearing this, Nie Li's eyes lit up. His future father-in-law was softening! That was significant progress. After all, Ye Zong's previous answer had been: *Over my dead body!* As for Ziyun herself — well, that would have to develop slowly. Feelings couldn't be rushed.
Ye Zong's expression suddenly grew somber as a thought struck him. "Nie Li, do you realize that what you did tonight may well have tipped them off? The Sacred Family can absolutely read from our attitude that we've grown wary of them."
In truth, Ye Zong had been positioning people to keep watch on the Sacred Family for quite some time. What Nie Li had done tonight was essentially announcing to the Sacred Family that they were being watched.
"Do you have something in mind?" Ye Zong looked at Nie Li, who didn't strike him as the type to act rashly.
"Even though you've had people watching the Sacred Family, an old fox like
"Since you've already done what you've done, does the Wind Snow Family have any other choice?" Ye Zong said gloomily. What Nie Li proposed wasn't a bad approach. He did need to pressure the Sacred Family, to see whether their intentions truly bordered on rebellion. After all, the Alchemist Association had already made their position clear — the Wind Snow Family couldn't sit idle entirely.
"The Sacred Family controls the western wall. We need to be careful they don't leverage the Demon Beasts' power, so the construction of the Myriad Demon Spirit Array needs to accelerate," Nie Li said. Before the Wind Snow Family's complete break with the Sacred Family, he needed to cultivate to the Gold rank as quickly as possible. That way, even facing the Sacred Family's experts, he'd have the strength to fight. He had to warn Ye Zong about this — in his previous life, the Sacred Family had let the Demon Beasts into the City of Radiance, leading to its destruction.
"Leverage the Demon Beasts' power?" A cold light flashed through Ye Zong's eyes. Using the Demon Beasts as a weapon was playing with fire. If the Sacred Family ever released them into the city, the Wind Snow Family would have no choice but to strike ruthlessly and root them out completely.
Ye Zong would absolutely not allow anyone to threaten the safety of the entire City of Radiance.
"The Sacred Family has deep roots in the City of Radiance, and the vast majority of its residents haven't seen their true face. If the Sacred Family decides to rebel, the consequences would be catastrophic. We must prepare for the worst," Nie Li said after a moment's thought. "Also, before the Sacred Family receives support from the Dark Guild, we need to eliminate all threats as quickly as possible. Otherwise, with forces coordinating from both inside and out, the City of Radiance will be in grave danger."
Ye Zong nodded. After Nie Li had forced the confrontation at tonight's banquet, Ye Zong had already formulated an entire plan. None of this was news to him.
"Nie Li, if the Wind Snow Family truly goes to war with the Sacred Family, there's something I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"Take Ziyun and keep her away from the fighting," Ye Zong said. He understood that if a civil war truly erupted in the City of Radiance, the Sacred Family would not simply stand by and accept their fate — they would strike back with everything they had. And Ziyun was Ye Zong's greatest vulnerability.
Nie Li had said something right, after all. Though Ye Zong was selfless and treated Ye Han as his own, there was still a difference between one's own flesh and blood and someone else's.