Chapter 2: The Unwanted Son-in-law, Su Yi

"Look, that's Su Yi!"

"Just a year ago, he was the Sword Master of the Qinghe Sword Sect's Outer Sect, gaining fame and recognition. But due to an incident, he lost his cultivation and became the son-in-law of the Wen family. It's pitiful."

"It's such a shame for Wen Lingzhao, such a great beauty and widely acknowledged as the number one beauty in our Guangling City, to marry such a waste. Sigh!"

...

It was dismissal time.

As figures emerged from the Songyun Sword Mansion, both men and women couldn't help but show a hint of surprise when they caught sight of Su Yi in the distance. Discussions and whispers filled the air.

Su Yi's lips curved with a touch of helplessness, finding it somewhat amusing.

It had been a long time since he had experienced this kind of "treatment."

Recalling his past life, the land of the Nine Provinces in the Great Wilderness, countless charming figures competed for supremacy.

The Six Great Dao Sects stood tall, overlooking the mortal realm.

The Three Demon Sects dominated, bringing chaos to the world.

There were gods and buddhas from various realms, commanding the winds and clouds, unfurling the curtain of a great era, with the rivers and mountains stained in blood like a painting.

However, in the face of the unchallenged ruler of the Great Wilderness, who had suppressed the entire Nine Provinces for a hundred and eighty thousand years, only Su Wanjun stood alone!

Even the existence of the 'Imperial Realm,' standing at the pinnacle of the Qingming, had to lower their eyebrows and respectfully address him as "Your Majesty."

"If those old guys from my past life were to see this scene, they would probably burst into laughter..."

Su Yi shook his head inwardly.

At this moment, he stood tall and slender, with a clear and refined face. Wearing a green robe, he stood with hands behind his back, exuding an air of tranquility and leisure.

"However, they are right about one thing. I am indeed not what I used to be..."

Su Yi's eyes narrowed slightly as he fell into contemplation.

This body of his originally belonged to a neglected illegitimate son of the Su family in the imperial capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

At the age of five, his mother, Lady Ye Yu, fell seriously ill and passed away, leaving this world.

At the age of fourteen, he entered the Qinghe Sword Sect in the Yunhe County to cultivate.

In just two years, at the age of sixteen, he rose to become the top disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect's Outer Sect, earning the reputation of "Outer Sect Sword Master."

However, due to an incident, he lost his cultivation.

Not long after, under the arrangements of the Su family's power in the imperial capital, he became the son-in-law of one of the three major clans in the Guangling City, the Wen family.

"But regardless of the past or the present, who knows that the current me is no longer the me of before..."

Unusual emotions surged in Su Yi's heart, and an indescribable light flickered deep within his eyes.

Clang!

As if sensing Su Yi's thoughts, a pure and cold sword resonance echoed in his mind and then fell silent.

It was a mysterious immortal sword.

Its name was "Nine Hells"!

This sword was imprisoned by nine layers of "Divine Chains."

A year ago, on the night before the "Sword Trial" in the Qinghe Sword Sect,

When Su Yi's cultivation broke through to the "Gathering Qi" realm, a phantom of the "Nine Hells Sword" quietly appeared in his mind.

But in exchange, he lost all his cultivation.

This was the true reason why Su Yi lost his cultivation in the first place.

During the year he entered the Wen family, Su Yi spent his days and nights trying to comprehend the Nine Hells Sword in his mind, attempting to unlock its secrets.

And just three days ago, during another attempt to communicate with the Nine Hells Sword, Su Yi unexpectedly broke the first seal on the sword.

With this, he awakened the memories belonging to the previous life of "Su Wanjun."

"Seventeen years in a dream, only now do I realize who I am. It's like a dream in the Southern Pavilion, so indescribable!"

Su Yi muttered to himself.

Currently, he was only seventeen years old, in the prime of his youth, filled with youthful vigor, like the rising sun, full of hope.

"The current situation may be difficult and oppressive, but with the experiences and means from my previous life, changing everything is not a big problem at all."

Su Yi stood with his hands behind his back, and as his gaze shifted, occasionally, he exuded a profound and worldly aura that didn't match his age. It was a kind of indifference left behind after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

"No rush. The purpose of my reincarnation this time is to break through the cultivation barriers encountered in my previous life and achieve the supreme path of the sword."

"Now, the world is still intact, and my youth is still ahead of me. Sooner or later, I will return to the Great Wilderness of the Nine Provinces and settle the debts from my previous life with those evildoers!"

Images from his previous life quietly surfaced in Su Yi's mind.

There was the Battle Emperor Vimoksha, the Queen Qingtang, the Golden-winged Roc, the Feather Transmutation Sword Court, and the Six Great Dao Sects...

Hmm?

Suddenly, Su Yi became aware and raised his eyes to look towards the gate of the Songyun Sword Mansion.

It was dismissal time, and numerous young boys and girls walked out, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere, exuding the youthful energy that belonged to young people.

But at this moment, the previously bustling atmosphere fell silent.

At the entrance of the Songyun Sword Mansion, the crowd parted quietly, making way for a young girl.

The young girl appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with shiny and smooth black hair flowing down. Her features were delicate and charming, with a beauty that was captivating. Her skin was as white as condensed fat, a perfect beauty in the making.

She wore a loose and elegant blue dress, exuding a pure aura. Her petite and graceful figure was enveloped in a hazy and dreamlike glow under the setting sun.

She seemed like a fairy descending to the mortal world!

Many young boys nearby were captivated by her beauty.

Most of them were around fifteen years old, at the age of admiration and youthful infatuation. They couldn't conceal the adoration and fervor in their eyes.

Some boys with thin skin had already lowered their heads, feeling ashamed and unworthy to meet her gaze.

The girls, on the other hand, displayed various expressions—some were jealous, some envious, and some melancholic.

Among them, there were also beautiful and charming girls, but when compared to the girl in the blue dress, they seemed slightly inferior.

Just like fireflies compared to the bright moon, they couldn't compete for brilliance.

In the serene atmosphere, the girl in the blue dress walked with a leisurely pace. Her facial features were exquisite and fair, with a pair of deep and translucent eyes.

However, her expression was cold, as if she were an isolated iceberg, making people afraid to approach.

Wen Lingxue.

Having just entered the Songyun Sword Mansion a year ago, she had already become the "peerless genius" in the eyes of all the instructors. She was recognized as the icy beauty.

Even the Lord of the Songyun Sword Mansion, Xie Jiawei, had exclaimed that she possessed elegance, purity, and was worthy of being a brilliant pearl in the Songyun Sword Mansion.

In Su Yi's eyes, this girl who would attract attention wherever she went was Wen Lingzhao's younger sister.

And she was also his... sister-in-law.

"The little girl is becoming more and more ethereal."

A smile appeared at the corner of Su Yi's mouth.

Throughout the year he had entered the Wen family, almost everyone looked down on him, treated him with disdain, and mocked and ridiculed him in every possible way.

Only Wen Lingxue truly treated him as a "brother-in-law" and often stood up for him.

"Brother-in-law, why are you here?"

When Wen Lingxue caught sight of Su Yi's figure from afar, a hint of surprise and utmost joy flickered in her deep and gem-like eyes.

Soon, a sincere smile curved up her rosy lips.

This smile, like the sudden appearance of bright sunshine, melted the icy demeanor.

Many boys were momentarily entranced, their hearts pounding heavily.

"So beautiful..."

Some people couldn't help but murmur.

"She... she actually smiled..."

Some people's gazes became trance-like.

"You might not believe it if I say it, but in this entire year, it's the first time I've seen a smile on the face of our Songyun Sword Mansion's number one beauty!"

Some people sighed.

This statement garnered many agreements. In their impression, Wen Lingxue lived up to her name—exquisite and unparalleled in appearance, yet her temperament seemed as icy and solitary as snow.

Although they were all classmates, hardly anyone had seen her smile at anyone before!

"Ah, if only I were as beautiful as her, then I wouldn't have been chasing after Senior Xiao for all these years without catching up."

A girl's expression became complicated.

Even though they were girls themselves, they couldn't help but admit that Wen Lingxue's presence, both in terms of temperament and appearance, placed absolute pressure on them as her female classmates.

At the Songyun Academy, unless necessary, no girl was willing to associate with Wen Lingxue, as it would only further highlight her astonishing beauty.

Under the various gazes, Wen Lingxue changed her previous leisurely pace and quickly ran up to Su Yi!

The pupils of the boys contracted, as if suddenly awakening.

"Just now... did Wen Lingxue really smile at that loser?"

They seemed incredulous, looking at each other in surprise.

As far as they knew, although Su Yi was Wen Lingxue's brother-in-law, he was still an in-law who had married into the family!

His status was embarrassing. Not only did the important figures in the Wen family look down on him, even the maidservants and servants dared to mock and ridicule him.

This was widely known throughout Guangling City.

But Wen Lingxue's attitude towards Su Yi appeared to be exceptionally affectionate, and her surprise at his arrival was entirely different.

Anyone with eyes could see that Wen Lingxue was very happy at this moment.

It was abnormal!

Too abnormal!

The boys couldn't believe their own eyes for a moment.

Looking at the bright and beautiful smile of the girl in front of them, Su Yi smiled and said, "So this is how you look when you're at the academy."

This was his first time coming to pick up Wen Lingxue after school.

It was also the first time he had seen Wen Lingxue's cold and solitary demeanor.

In Su Yi's impression, throughout the year of being a son-in-law in the Wen family, Wen Lingxue had always been bright, lively, and playful, completely unrelated to the word "iceberg."

"If I don't have a cold face at the academy, I don't know how many annoying guys would continue to pester me. It would be so annoying."

Wen Lingxue pursed her lips and smiled. Her voice was crisp and sweet, like the clear and pure sound of a spring.

Su Yi suddenly realized.

Indeed, from his perspective in his previous life, Wen Lingxue could be considered a first-class beauty. As she grew older, she would undoubtedly become even more beautiful.

With such unparalleled beauty, there would inevitably be no shortage of admirers around her.

At this moment, Wen Lingxue glanced at the stunned and astonished eyes of her classmates. Suddenly, she felt a little guilty and annoyed, pouting her lips and muttering to herself, "Oh no, just because I'm too happy, my icy demeanor that I've worked so hard to maintain throughout the year is ruined..."

Immediately, the girl chuckled, waved her hand with a carefree attitude, and said, "Forget it, who cares about them? I'm happy, and that's all that matters."

She affectionately linked her arm with Su Yi's, her eyes filled with smiles, and happily said, "Brother-in-law, let's go home."

"Okay."

Su Yi nodded with a smile, and the girl left with him.

Until their figures disappeared from sight, there was silence near the Songyun Sword Mansion.

"Can someone tell me why Miss Lingxue would be so intimate with such a loser?"

An elegant young man asked through gritted teeth.

Everyone looked at each other, unable to understand it themselves.

"He's a son-in-law who is ridiculed by everyone in Guangling City, a worthless waste of cultivation, and yet he married someone as beautiful as Wen Lingzhuo. And now, he even dares to lay his hands on her sister? How despicable!"

Many young men felt indignation, and their hearts were filled with jealousy and hatred towards Su Yi.

At this moment, even the girls couldn't understand and found it strange.

Wen Lingxue, who was so proud and cold, not only possessed extraordinary talent in cultivation but also had the highest level of cultivation among the current disciples of the Songyun Sword Mansion.

Why would she...

How could she have any interest in Su Yi?

Even though Su Yi was her brother-in-law, according to rumors, her sister Wen Lingzhuo detested and rejected this guy the most!

"Brother-in-law, you've always disliked going out. Why did you suddenly come to pick me up today?"

On the way back to the Wen family, Wen Lingxue blinked her bright eyes and curiously asked.

The girl's graceful and clear appearance exuded a vibrant and lively youthful aura.

"Your sister has come back."

Su Yi casually replied, feeling inexplicably mixed emotions in his heart.

Wen Lingxue's beautiful eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Sister... she's finally willing to come back?"

A year ago, on the night of her marriage to Su Yi, Wen Lingzhuo suddenly left without saying a word and went to the Qinghe Sword Mansion in Yunhe County to cultivate.

Everyone believed that this was Wen Lingzhuo expressing her dissatisfaction with her marriage and harboring resentment in her heart.

Even Wen Lingxue herself knew that her sister Wen Lingzhuo strongly rejected and disliked this marriage, and she had never accepted Su Yi in her heart.

But now,