Chapter 801: I Have Spoken. Who Agrees, and Who Objects?
At this very moment, the main hall of the Yu Family Manor was a place of solemn dignity, its vast space now filled with rows upon rows of memorial urns and portraits.
The Yu Family Head, First Young Master Yu Guanying, Second Young Master Yu Guanxiong… countless faces, their appearances and voices still hauntingly vivid in memory, now reduced to silent images and cold ashes. From the main hall, the continuous sound of weeping and mourning drifted into the side hall, a constant, sorrowful undercurrent.
"Alas, that my Yu family has suffered such a great calamity. That Zhang Zhiyun is truly despicable, he deserves a thousand deaths…" A sturdy, silver-haired elder, seated at the head of the side hall, sighed again and again.
He was the patriarch of one of the Yu family's branch lineages. By generation, he was Yu Guannan's grand-uncle, though the relation was so distant it was almost beyond the five degrees of kinship. Within the clan, he was ranked fifth and known as Fifth Elder, Yu Mengyi.
The Yu family, an aristocratic clan with a thousand-year history, had countless descendants, a thriving tree of talented individuals. Ordinarily, it would never have been Yu Mengyi, a mere martial artist, who would take center stage. But with the main and branch lineages almost completely slaughtered by Zhang Zhiyun, he had been thrust into the spotlight.
He did possess some strength; not only was he at the peak of the Martial Dao Grandmaster level, but several of his sons and grandsons were also promising and quite powerful.
The vast wealth of the Yu family was a prize no one could ignore. Initially, Yu Mengyi was only tempted and had not considered making a move, content to simply help Yu Guannan manage the funeral. But several of his sons and grandsons had been whispering in his ear, stoking the flames of his ambition. They argued that Yu Guannan was a woman who would eventually marry out, and the Yu family's assets would simply become part of her dowry.
It would be far better, they insisted, for the assets to remain in their hands, to continue the Yu family's legacy.
From Yu Mengyi's perspective, their words held a certain logic. A married daughter was like water thrown from the door. If the Yu family's fortune was taken by Yu Guannan as a dowry, how could he possibly face the Yu family ancestors in the afterlife?
However, he also felt a sense of awkwardness about seizing the position of Family Head from Yu Guannan, as she was the last remaining direct descendant of the main lineage.
Just as Yu Mengyi was caught in this dilemma, his junior disciple, Chen Hai, proactively made a suggestion. He proposed they find a live-in son-in-law for the Eldest Young Miss—and even volunteered himself for the role.
"Master, it's best to keep such a prize within the family. As long as I become the live-in son-in-law and stay with the Eldest Young Miss, the Yu family's assets won't fall into outsiders' hands. And you, Master, will have a legitimate reason to help the Eldest Young Miss manage the family fortune. It's the perfect solution."
A rather handsome young man seated below him spoke, struggling to suppress the fervent ambition gleaming in his eyes.
Nearby, several of Yu Mengyi's grandsons watched, their faces etched with envy and jealousy. If they could become the Eldest Young Miss's live-in son-in-law, it would be a fortune in both love and wealth. Not only would they win a proud and beautiful daughter of heaven like Yu Guannan, but they would also have a chance to inherit the entire Yu family fortune.
Unfortunately, they were blood relatives, so such a golden opportunity would never fall to them.
Yu Mengyi stroked his beard, his voice booming as he declared, "I will try to persuade Yu Guannan. It would be best if…"
"Fifth Elder, what is it you wish to persuade me about?"
Just then, a cool, crisp voice suddenly echoed through the side hall.
Chen Hai's head snapped toward the sound. The fervor in his eyes flared, and for a moment, he could only stare, dumbstruck.
Dressed in a pure white mourning gown, Yu Guannan looked even more achingly beautiful. Her sorrow lent her an alluring fragility that stirred a primal urge in any man to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
But Chen Hai's expression quickly darkened. He saw the handsome young man standing beside Yu Guannan, and he saw how his dream woman, the Eldest Young Miss of the Yu family, was actively holding that man's arm.
'Who is this person?'Chen Hai's mind raced.'Is he also here to compete for the position of live-in son-in-law?'
Instantly, his gaze toward Shen Anyu turned hostile.
Yu Mengyi glanced at Shen Anyu, his own expression tinged with confusion. He set the question aside for the moment and turned to Yu Guannan with a chuckle.
"Guannan, there's no problem with you becoming the head of a great family like ours. But if you marry out in the future, wouldn't our fortune benefit outsiders? So, Fifth Elder thinks it's best for you to find a live-in son-in-law to continue the Yu family's legacy."
Hearing this, Chen Hai puffed out his chest, trying to appear as imposing as possible, his posture screaming, 'Choose me, choose me.'
Yu Guannan didn't even spare him a glance, but Shen Anyu's eyes lingered on Chen Hai for a few extra seconds.
'Is this guy a Child of Destiny?'he mused.'He doesn't quite look the part.'
The words "live-in son-in-law" had put Shen Anyu on alert. Could it be that the Child of Destiny associated with Yu Guannan wasn't some Jiangbei Master Chen, but a character from a live-in son-in-law trope?
However, without the system prompting him for a destiny value plunder, he couldn't be sure.
Shen Anyu's Divine Sense swept over Chen Hai. A Martial Arts Grandmaster around thirty years old. Decent, but hardly qualified to be a Child of Destiny.
'He's probably just a minor villain,' Shen Anyu concluded.
"Fifth Elder, you're confused!" At that moment, Yu Guannan looked at Yu Mengyi with a dignified expression. The submissive demeanor she wore in front of Shen Anyu was gone, replaced by the sharp authority of a matriarch as she directly reprimanded him.
"I'm confused?" Hearing Yu Guannan rebuke him in front of a crowd of juniors and outsiders, Yu Mengyi's face fell. He felt a sting of humiliation.
"Yes, you are confused!" Yu Guannan, however, showed no courtesy and pressed on. "Do you think the Yu family is still the flourishing and prosperous power it once was? No. You are gravely mistaken!"
"Right now, the Yu family's situation is precarious. We are on the verge of collapse, and we could fall at any moment!"
What?
Hearing Yu Guannan's dire words, Yu Mengyi's expression shifted. He leaned forward, hastily pressing, "Although our Yu family has suffered heavy losses, it shouldn't be on the verge of immediate collapse, should it?"
Yu Guannan let out a soft sigh. "How much wealth and how many resources does our family control?"
"The Yu Group alone, on the surface, commands trillions in funds. That's not to mention what's hidden beneath, the countless listed companies, shops, properties, and mines we secretly control."
"Then there are the rare resources, things that are difficult to buy with money, resources beneficial for martial arts and cultivation."
"The Yu family currently lacks a qualified leader. How many forces are out there, sharpening their knives, wanting to carve up and devour this juicy piece of meat that is our family?"
"You're not thinking about how to deal with this crisis, but are instead preoccupied with finding a live-in son-in-law to keep the family assets from 'flowing out.' What is that, if not confusion?"
Yu Mengyi listened, his expression sour, but he offered no rebuttal. He sighed, deflated, and asked, "Guannan, you have a plan then. What should we do now? Which family should we form an alliance with? The Yang family of Jiangnan? Or the Cai or Kong families from the south?"
The reality of the situation had sobered him. What good would finding a live-in son-in-law do now? Only by attracting powerful allies could they survive. That meant marrying into one of the other powerful aristocratic families and noble clans to preserve the Yu family's foundation. And they couldn't be too strong, or they would swallow the Yu family whole.
Chen Hai was filled with a bitter unwillingness, but he knew that without Yu Mengyi's support, he had no hope of catching Yu Guannan's eye. He wanted to step forward, to say something to show he could help share her burdens, but the words caught in his throat when Yu Guannan's cold gaze swept over him.
How could a mere Grandmaster like him ever be worthy?
'However,'his resentful thoughts turned,'is that pretty boy next to the Eldest Young Miss worthy?'
Chen Hai glared at Shen Anyu with displeasure. The man's aura was unremarkable; he didn't seem to possess any strength. Besides an absurdly handsome face, what could he possibly do to help the Yu family?
Yu Mengyi's gaze also fell on Shen Anyu's face. He turned back to Yu Guannan and asked, "Guannan, is this the person you've chosen? May I ask which family he belongs to?"
"The Shen family. Shen Anyu." Before Yu Guannan could introduce him, Shen Anyu smiled and revealed his own identity.
"The Shen family?" Yu Mengyi was stunned, staring at Shen Anyu in astonishment. The Shen family and the Yu family were sworn enemies! How could she be with someone from the Shen family? Wouldn't the Yu family become a mere vassal to them?
"Yes," Yu Guannan said calmly. "Brother Shen is the Shen Family's Young Master, and he is my future man. Our bloodline will be the future heir of the Yu family."
Her beautiful eyes swept across the hall, her voice ringing with cold, indisputable authority.
"I have spoken. Who agrees? Who objects?"
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