Radiant Sunlight Hall.
Yang Xiu took a long breath.
"First layer of Martial Master!"
Ten months ago, he'd received the Taichu Sword Talisman, and Lin Xinglan officially took him as her disciple. From then on, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
In just ten months, he'd gone from late-stage Xiantian to the peak of Xiantian.
And today, he finally broke through and became a Martial Master.
"Yang Cheng, how will you compete with me now?"
A rush of pride filled Yang Xiu's chest.
A three-year-old Martial Master—forget the Great Zhou—even across the entire Wasteland Realm, that was probably unheard of. No one before, no one after.
He was confident he could completely crush Yang Cheng.
All the humiliation of the past three years—starting today, he was going to repay it all.
When someone's fate turned for the better, good things just kept coming.
Yang Xiu left his room and saw his mother beaming in the main hall.
"Xiu'er, you've finished your seclusion?" said Noble Consort Zhuang. "Perfect timing. Get ready—we'll be receiving important guests soon."
"Important guests?" Yang Xiu looked puzzled.
"A year ago, your mother and the Zhuang clan started secretly negotiating with the Wei clan. Last year, both sides agreed to strengthen ties through marriage," she said with a smile. "Today, I received word that Madam Pei, the head lady of the Wei clan, has entered Fengtian City with Wei Roujia, the pearl of the Wei family. If all goes as expected, she's here to talk about the marriage. When they arrive, you need to leave a good impression on Madam Pei and Roujia."
Yang Xiu's heart stirred slightly.
He wasn't an ordinary child.
Lin Xinglan had unlocked his wisdom at age one.
By last year, his intelligence was already equal to a seven- or eight-year-old.
Now that he was nearly three, he was mentally on par with a teenager.
So, he knew exactly what a marriage with the Wei clan meant.
The Wei clan was one of the Guanzhong noble families.
And the six great clans of Guanzhong had stood strong for thousands of years and always acted as one.
If he married into the Wei clan, he would gain the backing of all Guanzhong's powers in both military and political spheres.
There was also something his mother didn't know—after the Ancient Desolation Tower trial, he'd reconnected with Lu Jingshu.
For the past ten months, they'd secretly kept in touch through messenger pigeons. During that time, she told him a lot about Wei Roujia.
Wei Roujia was his future wife—his empress.
According to Lu Jingshu, Wei Roujia was calm, kind, and highly capable.
She managed the inner palace impeccably and secured massive support from Guanzhong's noble families in both money and military power.
Yang Xiu immediately straightened up and said, "Mother, I understand."
Meeting his future empress? Of course he wouldn't refuse.
Just then, a palace maid rushed in, looking nervous and strange.
"Your Ladyship… Madam Pei and Miss Wei have already entered the palace."
Noble Consort Zhuang's eyes lit up with joy. "Quick, Xiu'er, come with me to greet them."
But the maid blurted, "Your Ladyship, they've gone to Splendid Radiance Hall."
Noble Consort Zhuang's expression froze. "What did you say?"
"They went to Splendid Radiance Hall," the maid repeated.
"Impossible!"
Noble Consort Zhuang lost composure. "Why would they go to Splendid Radiance Hall? Did they get lost?"
Afraid she'd erupt, the maid quickly dropped to her knees.
But even so, Noble Consort Zhuang kicked her over in fury.
"Guards, follow me to Splendid Radiance Hall!"
Her face was twisted with rage.
Splendid Radiance Hall.
"Our Wei clan has a close relationship with Jade Zither Pavilion. Miss Lu from the pavilion said His Highness is also quite talented in music," said Madam Pei with genuine praise. "His Highness truly is gifted in both arts and martial cultivation. I wonder how Her Majesty managed to raise such an outstanding young prince."
Yun Liyue smiled, "I didn't teach him much—he's just naturally eager to learn. But your Roujia, despite being so young, has wonderful poise and charm. I think it's you who deserves the praise."
The two women kept complimenting each other's children, filling the hall with warmth and harmony.
"Roujia, His Highness has great skill in music. Hurry and ask him to guide you a little," Madam Pei said.
"Yes, Mother," Wei Roujia answered sweetly.
The maid behind her was already carrying a zither—they had clearly come prepared.
Soon, Wei Roujia sat down and started playing.
Though she was still young, her zither skills were genuinely impressive.
Even more remarkable, the song she played was one everyone in Splendid Radiance Hall immediately recognized.
"Is that my son's Voyage Across the Vast Sea?" Yun Liyue asked, surprised.
Yang Cheng's Voyage Across the Vast Sea had gained some fame across the Wasteland Realm thanks to Lu Yun's promotion.
As his mother and the Empress of Great Zhou, of course she knew about it.
Not long ago, she'd even had Yang Cheng play it at the hall, and it had amazed everyone present.
For Wei Roujia to play that piece now clearly showed she had made an effort.
And Yun Liyue could tell—though Roujia's version wasn't quite as refined as Yang Cheng's, her skill level was high and she added her own unique touch.
"It is," Madam Pei said with a smile. "Roujia is a music lover. Ever since she got the score for Voyage Across the Vast Sea, she's been obsessed—practicing every day."
Yun Liyue's opinion of Wei Roujia rose even higher. Her gaze softened.
This was exactly what Madam Pei wanted, and her smile became even brighter.
Just then, Yang Xiu walked into Splendid Radiance Hall and saw the scene.
His future empress was playing music—for Yang Cheng to enjoy.
And the piece she was playing was Voyage Across the Vast Sea, composed by Yang Cheng. That was clearly meant to flatter him.
Yang Xiu's eyes turned red on the spot.
Noble Consort Zhuang's mood darkened too.
Madam Pei had really come to Splendid Radiance Hall. And now she was chatting and laughing with Yun Liyue?
What the hell was going on?
Madam Pei came to the capital—shouldn't she be here to discuss the marriage alliance and strengthen ties with her?
What Noble Consort Zhuang didn't expect was that before she could even speak, Yang Xiu couldn't hold back anymore.
"Madam Pei, why is Roujia playing the zither for the Crown Prince here?"
He stared at Madam Pei and questioned her.
Truthfully, he had grown much more composed than before.
But this scene hit him too hard. Even with self-restraint, he couldn't suppress his reaction.
Wei Roujia was supposed to be his future empress. Yet now she was trying to please someone else. It made him feel like he'd been humiliated.
As soon as he said this, everyone else in the hall frowned.
Madam Pei remained composed. "What do you mean by that, Sixth Prince? His Highness is highly skilled in music—what's wrong with Roujia playing for him?"
"She's just a child, and you're already pushing her to curry favor. Have you ever considered what she wants?"
Yang Xiu spoke with anger.
He felt distressed for his future empress.
It had to be Madam Pei forcing Wei Roujia to play for Yang Cheng—Roujia would never do that on her own.
Wei Roujia looked confused, not seeming to understand what was going on.
Her expression was like a lost little deer, which made Yang Xiu feel even more protective.
"Curry favor?"
Madam Pei's expression darkened slightly.
She'd actually had a decent opinion of Yang Xiu. The Zhuang clan had said many good things about him.
And according to rumors, Yang Xiu was indeed very gifted.
But she hadn't expected him to say something like that.
In a way, he'd hit close to home. She had indeed hoped Roujia's performance would impress the Crown Prince and Empress.
But being called out like this in public didn't make her admire Yang Xiu's cleverness. It just made her secretly angry and deeply annoyed by him.
'This child is so young and already so scheming. He sees people in such a dark light—utterly detestable.'
Madam Pei felt repulsed. Her gaze toward Yang Xiu turned cold.
She looked over at Yang Cheng.
Also intelligent and clever.
But Yang Cheng had a calm, aloof presence like a little immortal, making him genuinely likable.
In truth, Yang Cheng was just watching with interest.
Yang Xiu's reaction was… a bit too much.
'Could it be… he already knows Wei Roujia is supposed to be his future empress?'
That thought occurred to Yang Cheng.
And it made sense.
Lu Jingshu had inherited the Heaven's Secret legacy and could glimpse the future. Since she believed Yang Xiu was the Heaven's Mandate child, it made sense she'd share that information with him.
"Enough!"
A cold voice rang out from behind Madam Pei.
It came from a twelve-year-old boy—Wei Roujia's older brother, Wei Zhizhou.
Given Madam Pei's status, she shouldn't argue with a royal child. That was his job.
As her son and Roujia's brother, he stepped up.
As a noble heir, Wei Zhizhou had the proper awareness.
"Sixth Prince, you're of noble status, so I shouldn't speak out of turn."
He frowned. "But even if you're a prince, you have no right to slander my mother and sister without reason. My sister is devoted to the zither. She heard the Crown Prince excels in music and asked for his guidance. It's a refined and elegant matter. Why would you twist it into something so dirty?"
Yang Xiu grew more irritated by the scolding.
'Forget it. Lu Jingshu said Wei Zhizhou will be one of my key allies in the future. There's no point in arguing with him.'
So instead of answering him, he turned to Yang Cheng. "Crown Prince Brother, this all started because of you. Shouldn't you at least say something?"
Yang Cheng laughed lightly. This Yang Xiu really knew how to shift blame.
But he could understand why Yang Xiu was acting so out of control. That didn't mean others would see it the same way.
To everyone else, Wei Roujia playing music for Yang Cheng was nothing unusual.
They didn't understand why Yang Xiu was so worked up.
He just came off as petty and bitter.
"Sixth Prince, it was our Wei clan that came to visit Her Majesty and the Crown Prince today. It was also my mother's idea for Roujia to play for His Highness."
Wei Zhizhou said coldly, "So this has nothing to do with the Crown Prince. Don't vent your anger on the innocent."
In his mind, he already understood why Yang Xiu was acting like this.
The Wei clan had previously intended to ally with the Zhuang clan through marriage, arranging a match between Yang Xiu and Roujia.
Yang Xiu must've known about that, so seeing Wei Roujia here at Splendid Radiance Hall had clearly hit a nerve.
But from his perspective, while Yang Xiu was clever, he lacked real depth and was too naive.
Alliance between noble clans wasn't something so easily decided.
The Wei clan had stood for thousands of years. Every move had to be carefully weighed.
Unless a marriage was already finalized, the clan had every right to change its mind.
A year ago, they favored Yang Xiu.
After all, the Zhuang clan was stronger than the Yun clan.
But that changed when Yun Jinghuai swept through Great Yan.
With Yun Jinghuai, the Yun clan was now equal to the Zhuang clan.
Add to that, Yang Cheng was more talented than Yang Xiu.
Naturally, the Wei clan leaned toward Yang Cheng now.
Yang Xiu snapped, "Wei Zhizhou, I held back because of your future… because you're a Wei clan heir. But that doesn't mean you can provoke me again and again!"
Martial strength fuels confidence.
Now that he was a Martial Master, he naturally felt bolder. How could he stand being taunted like this?
"Heh, Sixth Prince, the only reason I speak to you politely is because you're a royal."
Wei Zhizhou said, "Without that title, ask yourself—what do you have that would make me care?"
"Fine. Very fine."
Yang Xiu decided it was time to make a statement.
He said coldly, "Wei Zhizhou, today I'll show you what it means when there's always someone stronger. Even without status, I, Yang Xiu, can crush you."
Everyone stared at Yang Xiu in disbelief. What was wrong with him?
Wei Zhizhou wasn't just anybody—he was a twelve-year-old Martial Master at the third layer.
Where did Yang Xiu get the confidence to say he'd crush him?