Chapter 802: Yu Guannan's Striking Contrast
"I have spoken. Who agrees, and who objects?"
The voice was clear and cold, ringing through the hall with an inviolable majesty. Hearing it alone, one might conjure the image of a seasoned executive, a person whose authority was so ingrained it required no display of anger to be felt. Position molds temperament, and nourishment refines the body; only those who have wielded power for years could command others with such effortless gravity.
But when one's eyes followed the sound, they found its source to be a young woman dressed in snow-white mourning clothes. Her features were exquisite, her beauty deep, creating a stark and arresting contrast with the sheer dominance in her voice.
However, aside from Shen Anyu, who was appreciating this entirely different facet of Yu Guannan's beauty with considerable interest, every other person in the room—Yu Mengyi, Chen Hai, and all the rest—lowered their heads, not daring to meet her stern, authoritative, and aggressive gaze.
Chen Hai, in particular—the very same young man who had earlier fantasized about clinging to Yu Guannan's long, honey-toned legs and marrying into the Yu Clan—now kept his head bowed so low his chin nearly touched his chest, his face a mask of pale terror. He could feel Yu Guannan's gaze sweep over him, pausing for a fraction of a second, but in that moment, it flashed with a killing intent so sharp it felt like a physical blade. Had he not lowered his head, he was certain she would have crippled him on the spot to make an example.
'So this is how Nannan is in front of you? She's not like this with me. If you've got the guts to keep this up, just wait until you see the video I sent you...' The thought surfaced in Shen Anyu's mind, unbidden, and he couldn't suppress a knowing, private smile.
He had no interest in the people before him, nor did he feel any need to flaunt his power. Since his woman, Yu Guannan, was handling the situation so capably, he saw no reason to interfere.
Ultimately, they were just a swarm of ants he could scatter with a single breath. Would a dragon soaring through the heavens bother to look down at the insects crawling on the earth? This was not an exaggeration; it was a simple statement of fact. At Shen Anyu's current level of cultivation, even someone like Yu Mengyi, who stood at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, could be extinguished with a mere exhalation.
It could be said that given the thin concentration of spiritual energy in the Secular World, Shen Anyu was already pushing the limits of what was possible. Anyone stronger would have to be an enemy from beyond this world, or perhaps some ridiculously favored Child of Destiny.
Yu Guannan's gaze swept over everyone present—mostly remnants of the Yu Clan's collateral branches and a few families who had been close allies. If they refused to obey, she wouldn't hesitate to make an example of them. She refused to let Shen Anyu look down on her, to think she was useless.
Yu Guannan was no naive, sweet girl. She was the legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family, one who understood the nature of power and possessed a mind for deep-seated strategy. From her perspective, Shen Anyu was her man, no matter how one looked at it. Therefore, she had to secure her position as the main wife, assist her husband, and raise their children. In helping Shen Anyu achieve greatness, she would achieve her own.
And the Yu Clan was the perfect dowry. Everything she now controlled would one day be inherited by her, Shen Anyu, and their future children. If these distant relatives from collateral branches, who were barely even kin, dared to utter a single word of dissent, they shouldn't blame her for being ruthless.
"Since no one objects, everything will proceed according to my instructions," she declared into the heavy silence. "If there is any further dissent, or if anyone attempts to pull strings behind the scenes, do not blame me for showing no mercy."
Time ticked by. The side hall of the Yu Clan Manor was so quiet that even the sounds of breathing and heartbeats seemed to have ceased. After a long, tense pause, Yu Guannan's final words hung in the air.
At last, many of the people present let out a collective, shaky sigh of relief. They wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads and quickly offered their compliance.
"Everything will be as the Young Miss arranges."
"Nannan, we will listen to you from now on."
"..."
Yu Guannan's expression remained stern. "In public, from this day forward, you will address me as Patriarch."
"Yes, Patriarch!" everyone chorused, their response swift and unified.
Yu Mengyi sighed inwardly. He wasn't the only one in the room who had been harboring ulterior motives. But it was clear that Yu Guannan was not a woman who could be easily manipulated. It was one thing when she was weak and alone, but now, with the backing of Shen Anyu, the Young Lord of Yanxia's Shen Clan, what could any of them possibly do?
When the Yu Clan was at its peak, they wouldn't have feared the Shen Clan. But now, with their main lineage all but destroyed, they struggled to even contend with local magnates, let alone a behemoth like the Shen Clan.
"Patriarch, the Yu Clan's vengeance must be exacted!" Yu Mengyi spoke up, his tone grave, now that the matter of leadership was settled. "The Young Master of the Tianshi Sect, Zhang Zhiyun, killed so many of our people! This blood debt is irreconcilable!"
His words were a spark in a powder keg.
"Yes, Patriarch! If we do not avenge this, we can never rest!"
"Zhang Zhiyun must die! No matter the cost, our Yu Clan cannot let him go!"
"The Tianshi Sect must pay the price for this!"
The members of the Yu Clan's collateral branches were suddenly filled with righteous indignation, their faces contorted with hatred. Many of their eyes turned red with unshed tears. The ones slaughtered and drained of their lifeblood by Zhang Zhiyun were not just from the main lineage; many from the collateral branches had also lost their closest relatives.
So many had died, plunging the Yu Clan into a crisis of survival. If this debt was not repaid in blood, any ambitious power could see them as easy prey. This was also the greatest test for Yu Guannan as the newly appointed Patriarch. If she could not deliver vengeance, how could she ever command their respect?
"Zhang Zhiyun is already dead."
Yu Guannan's sudden statement stunned the entire room. The righteous fury vanished, replaced by sheer, dumbfounded silence.
Zhang Zhiyun was dead? That quickly? He was a top-tier powerhouse, a monster suspected of being at the Heavenly Human realm!
"Patriarch, is Zhang Zhiyun... truly dead?" Yu Mengyi asked, his voice laced with utter disbelief. He had personally inspected the aftermath of the battle at the Yu Clan estate. He suspected Zhang Zhiyun was no ordinary Heavenly Human, but perhaps a being on the level of Zhang Tianen or the Sect Master of the Tianshi Sect, Zhang Tianjiu—an existence beyond Celestial Master Peak.
An entity that powerful had just… died?
"I saw it with my own eyes." As Yu Guannan spoke, she instinctively glanced at Shen Anyu, who stood calmly beside her. The chill in her beautiful eyes melted, replaced by a soft warmth. "It was thanks to Brother Shen. He took action and personally slew Zhang Zhiyun, avenging the blood feud of our Yu Clan."
Yu Guannan then gave a brief account of the events: how Zhang Zhiyun had cultivated a demonic technique, how he had laid waste to the Tianshi Sect, how he was subsequently surrounded by the Special Department, and how, in the end, he was slain by a single strike from Shen Anyu.
Though her narration was simple, Yu Mengyi and the others listened with widening eyes, their expressions shifting from shock to utter horror as they stared at Shen Anyu.
Was this man even mortal? Zhang Zhiyun, a monster that tens of thousands of agents from the Special Department couldn't handle; Zhang Zhiyun, a being whom even the most advanced laser weaponry couldn't harm in the slightest... had been killed by Shen Anyu?
Yu Guannan had not provided many details, but the few words she spoke painted a terrifying picture of Shen Anyu's incredible power.
Chen Hai listened, dumbstruck. A ghostly pallor washed over his face, and he began to sweat profusely as his gaze flickered toward Shen Anyu. He had originally dismissed Shen Anyu as just a pretty boy. Then he learned he was the Young Lord of Yanxia's Shen Clan. That was one shock, but to discover he was also a young Heavenly Human giant, a peerless master who dominated the current era?
He had actually dared to harbor wicked intentions toward Yu Guannan. He wasn't just courting disaster; he was practically begging for annihilation.
While terror seized him, Chen Hai also felt an overwhelming wave of relief, the feeling of having narrowly survived a catastrophe. Thankfully, he hadn't acted on his foolish thoughts. If he had, he would be a dead man.
Shen Anyu paid no attention to Chen Hai or the others; he trusted Yu Guannan to handle these minor affairs. At that moment, however, his brow furrowed slightly. His Divine Sense had just detected a presence of unmatched power entering the Yu Clan Manor.
Who was this powerful expert? And what was their purpose here?
Shen Anyu focused his senses, carefully probing the aura. He found that the person was not there to cause trouble. Instead, they had gone directly to the main ancestral hall to pay their respects and offer incense.
'A relative or friend of the Yu Clan?'A flicker of doubt crossed Shen Anyu's eyes.'Does the Yu Clan have such a connection?'
That aura was, at the very least, above the Land Immortal realm. Although the person was actively restraining their power, Shen Anyu's Divine Rank Perception could still sense the latent danger coiled within them.
The Yu Clan shouldn't have relatives at this level. Land Immortals were not common cabbages that grew on trees. Unless… it was related to the Yu Clan's ancestors?
Shen Anyu's expression grew thoughtful, his mind already working through the possibilities.
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
🌐 Read on our site: Search for Elysian Reads on Google or Check the link in my Webnovel Profile bio!
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): Search AkarinTL on Patreon
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]