Ch. 24
Chapter 24. The Graduation Assessment? What Are You All Panicking For?
"What a disgrace to the family! What a disgrace to the family!"
Su Zhan pointed at Su Linyu, who was still excited even after being used, and shook his head in disappointment.
The moment Su Linyu saw that, she immediately lowered her head to hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Dad, don't be angry. Brother Yichen will see how good I am and agree to the marriage alliance with the Su family."
"Hmph! With his strength as a Second-Realm martial artist, he thinks he's worthy of marrying you?"
Su Zhan let out a cold snort and said sternly, "Linyu, let me tell you this. The Su family is already prepared to fall out with the Jiang family."
"Right now, all we need is a reason to dissolve your engagement with Jiang Yichen. Then I can find you someone better, someone a hundred times better than that useless Jiang Yichen."
The moment she heard that, Su Linyu's smile froze. Her delicate brows knitted together.
"No! I won't marry anyone except Brother Yichen. Even if Brother Yichen can't continue down the martial path, I would still like him all the same."
"You can't cancel the engagement between me and Brother Yichen!"
Supporting himself on his cane, Su Zhan rose to his feet. "You were born into a great family. A matter as important as marriage concerns the interests of the family. It is not up to you."
"I'm telling you this now. If Jiang Yichen cannot even reach the passing line in the graduation assessment three days from now, I will personally go to the Jiang family and dissolve your engagement."
"And then, the young master of the Zhou family is very interested in you, so you will marry into the Zhou family."
"Dad, no! I only like Brother Yichen!" Su Linyu panicked and clutched at her father's arm in pleading.
"You don't get a choice. Hmph!"
Su Zhan shook her off. Even when he saw Su Linyu fall to the floor, his heart did not soften in the slightest. "The young master of the Zhou family has SS-grade talent. He is the one who is truly suited to you."
"Not that useless Jiang Yichen. Think it over carefully yourself."
Leaning on his cane, Su Zhan walked out of the study.
Su Linyu sat on the floor, stroking the pure white wedding dress, her face full of anxiety.
Brother Yichen was only a Second-Realm martial artist. He had not even reached the Third Realm required to participate in the graduation assessment.
And yet her father also wanted Brother Yichen to pass the assessment. How could that possibly be done?
"No! I can't marry anyone other than Brother Yichen."
Su Linyu stood up, her eyes shifting as she began to think.
The most important task right now was to help Brother Yichen break through to the Third Realm and meet the standard to participate in the graduation assessment.
"Right, my brother has a bottle of top-grade spiritual spring water hidden away. It can cleanse the meridians and marrow and increase a person's potential. I'll steal it first and give it to Brother Yichen so he can break through to the Third Realm!"
A smile tugged at Su Linyu's lips. "Sorry, big brother."
...
At the Jiang family manor,
"Zhentian, I heard Su Zhan went to the graduation ceremony too. Xiao Chen didn't make a fool of himself, did he?"
Inside the room, Shen Qingyue wrapped her arms around Jiang Zhentian and asked.
"He didn't make a fool of himself, but that brat caused quite a commotion..."
Jiang Zhentian told his wife everything about Jiang Yichen's abnormal behavior at the graduation ceremony.
"What? Xiao Chen hit Lin Wan and gave that child Linyu a wedding? Is that really something Xiao Chen could do?" Shen Qingyue was utterly astonished.
Over the past four years, Xiao Chen had protected Lin Wan in every possible way. Even as his parents, they could not say a single word against her.
Last month, when Xiao Chen came home to ask her for money to train his team, she had only said one bad thing about Lin Wan, and Xiao Chen had exploded at his own mother on the spot.
How could Xiao Chen possibly slap Lin Wan in front of the entire school?
"If you don't believe me, look for yourself."
Jiang Zhentian opened his phone and played the video of Huazhong University's graduation ceremony in front of his wife.
When Shen Qingyue saw her son slap Lin Wan across the face, suspicion appeared on her own face.
Is this really my stubborn son?
"This... what exactly is going on?"
Jiang Zhentian shook his head. "I don't know either, but his sudden change of behavior did help me steady Su Zhan for the time being."
"It was the Zhou family that invited Su Zhan to the graduation ceremony. The Jiang family and the Su family only have a few projects in cooperation. Su Zhan has probably already made preparations to ally with the Zhou family."
Shen Qingyue frowned and shook her head. "We still can't afford to lose the Su family as an ally. Otherwise, the family will end up facing troubles both inside and out."
Within the family, schemes were constantly being used in the struggle for the position of heir.
Outside the family, the Zhou family was trying to win over the Su family and isolate the group's business interests.
"I know that. Su Zhan didn't find a chance this time, but the next graduation assessment will probably be dangerous." Jiang Zhentian sighed.
He knew his son's strength better than anyone. Wanting Jiang Yichen to produce results in the graduation assessment was harder than climbing to the heavens.
"Then what are you still standing around for? Tomorrow, you cancel everything and go teach Xiao Chen how to cultivate." Shen Qingyue sounded anxious.
"No, no. Just looking at that brat irritates me." Jiang Zhentian waved his hand. "I've already had Old Feng go retrieve the 'Jade Nectar' from the Kunlun Ruins. Getting him to the Third Realm shouldn't be a problem."
Shen Qingyue was startled. "Isn't that the divine treasure you were going to use to break past the limits of the Martial God?"
"Ah, I'll look for another one next time." Jiang Zhentian shook his head.
Shen Qingyue nodded slightly, but after thinking for a moment, she still said, "No, I'm still worried. If you won't teach Xiao Chen, then you still have to go take a look."
"I'm not going."
"If you don't go, then you're sleeping on the floor tonight." Shen Qingyue folded her arms across her chest.
Seeing that his wife was angry, Jiang Zhentian quickly wrapped his arms around her. "All right, all right, I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you."
"Qingyue, let's work hard tonight and hurry up and raise a new account."
The lights in the room went out.
But on the other side of the estate, the lights were still on.
"Father, Jiang Yichen's sudden change of character caused the plan I spent an entire year arranging to fail."
Dressed in a custom-tailored suit, Jiang Feng stood before his father, Jiang Dongnian, with his head lowered as he admitted his fault.
Jiang Dongnian held a teacup and took a sip, pondering his son's words.
"No. A person can't suddenly change his nature overnight. Jiang Yichen must have learned of your plan in advance. Deal with that boy from the Ye family cleanly. Don't let anyone catch hold of any evidence."
Jiang Feng nodded. Naturally, he did not believe that Jiang Yichen, who had loved Lin Wan for four years and acted as her devoted lapdog for four years, had suddenly stopped loving her and stopped fawning over her.
And the only one who knew his plan was Ye Chengyu. That bastard had to be the one who told Jiang Yichen.
"Don't worry, Father. Neither Ye Chengyu nor the entire Ye family will ever appear in the Huazhong Region again."
Jiang Dongnian gave a quiet grunt, set down his teacup, and said slowly, "Actually, Jiang Yichen did something foolish this time."
"What foolish thing?"
"He disbanded the Yanhuang Team." Jiang Dongnian analyzed calmly, "If you want to take the position of heir, you must surpass Jiang Yichen in the matter of building and training a team."
"Right now, this is an excellent opportunity. Since Jiang Yichen doesn't want Huaxia's number one team, you should take the Yanhuang Team for yourself."
"If you win first place in the Huaxia Team League three months from now, your position as the Jiang family's heir will be secure."
Jiang Feng's eyes instantly lit up. Of course. As long as he absorbed the Yanhuang Team, he could dominate the team league outright.
"Thank you for the guidance, Father. I understand now."
Jiang Dongnian nodded slightly. "There are still three days left before the graduation assessment. Prepare well and strive to break through to the Third Layer of the Fourth Realm and place in the top ten."
"When the family elders compare your results to that useless Jiang Yichen's, the senior members of the family will naturally advise Jiang Zhentian to revoke his status as heir."
"Understood, Father."
"Go back and get some sleep."
"Yes."
Jiang Feng walked out of his father's room, the corners of his lips slowly curving upward as Jiang Yichen's figure surfaced in his mind.
"Man, just wait for me to crush you with your strength as a mere Second-Realm martial artist."