Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

"Indeed. A young man who has yet to fully mature."

A smirk touched the corner of Chu Zhengnan's mouth.

"Why is the Nie Family making such a fuss and being so formal? How about this, Nie? Name your price. As long as it's within my power and authority, I will grant it."

'The price is to acquire Chen Sheng through a marriage alliance with my Chu Family.'

'If the Nie Family didn't take this seriously, why would they send someone of Nie Xiangjun's exceptional status here personally?'

'They've clearly seen through my intentions and are making a preemptive move to prevent any mishaps.'

Besides, Chen Sheng is no ordinary, developing young man.

He just entered the Profound Mastery realm, yet he can already kill experts at the mid-stage of Profound Mastery. A combat record like that already shows his incredible talent.

Once his cultivation advances further and he's polished his skills for a few more years, what kind of force will he become?

A Martial Dao prodigy like him, with a clean background and astonishing potential—no Noble Family could possibly remain unmoved.

The Chu Family, of course, was no exception.

Noble Families are different from sects.

Sects can recruit talented individuals from all over the world, but the core of a Noble Family must ultimately be based on its own bloodline.

But how can the geniuses of a single clan compare to all the heroes under heaven?

Therefore, if a Noble Family wishes to grow stronger and continue its legacy, absorbing outside talent for its own use becomes an inevitable choice.

One way is to recruit them as live-in sons-in-law, completely integrating them into the family's bloodline.

Another is to provide immense support, forging a deep bond of obligation, so that they will give back to the family after they rise to power.

This is also a key reason why major Noble Families often seek core marriage alliances with top-tier sects.

They need integration more than they need a simple alliance.

Besides, a mere marriage alliance wouldn't be enough to sway the decisions of the higher-ups on either side.

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't mind yielding to you, Chu."

Seeing that words couldn't move the other man, Nie Tiankun dropped his diplomatic posture, his expression turning solemn.

"But not this person. Ever since he first showed his talent in the Innate Realm, he has been on the Nie Family's radar. All the subsequent arrangements, the effort we've spent, and the support we've given in secret, have all been because my Nie Family recognized his potential long ago."

"Now the pearl has been wiped of its dust, and its brilliance is beginning to shine. The clan has already made its decision on this matter, and it absolutely cannot be changed."

Nie Tiankun's meaning was very clear.

The Nie Family had long since earmarked Chen Sheng; this wasn't some sudden whim.

He wasn't some object that could be traded for a few ordinary resources or favors. Not unless the Chu Family could offer a sky-high price that the entire Nie Family would find impossible to refuse.

Otherwise, the Nie Family would never yield.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze, with only the wisp of green smoke curling up from the incense burner continuing its silent ascent.

After a long moment, Chu Zhengnan slowly exhaled, a look of helplessness and compromise appearing on his face.

"Fine. Since the Nie Family is so insistent, it would be improper for me to steal what someone else fancies."

"However, Chen Sheng is, after all, an official under my Jingwu Bureau. Now that the Nie Family wishes to recruit him as a son-in-law, shouldn't you... show some appropriate sincerity to the Jingwu Bureau, and to me?"

Nie Tiankun sneered internally, but his expression remained perfectly calm.

"What do you mean by that, Director Chu?"

"In the future, within Yunzhou, there will be many matters where I may require the Nie Family's full support."

Chu Zhengnan's fingertips tapped a steady rhythm on the edge of the Go board.

"Of course, this is by no means a bad thing for the Nie Family. We can lend each other strength and each take what we need. And with this, the future path of the Nie Family's son-in-law within the official bureaucracy might just become a little smoother."

"What do you think, Nie?"

A man of Nie Tiankun's caliber, he instantly saw through the double-layered scheme behind Chu Zhengnan's words.

'This man had clearly prepared for both outcomes.'

'If he could successfully bring Chen Sheng into the Chu Family, that would be for the best.'

'If not, he would settle for second best: using Chen Sheng as a link to pull the Nie Family deeper into the Government Office's camp, turning them into an asset for implementing his strategies in Yunzhou.'

'No matter the outcome, he, Chu Zhengnan, would not be at a disadvantage.'

"The court... who is it planning to move against this time?"

Nie Tiankun's expression grew serious, his tone dropping a notch.

He didn't immediately agree or refuse, but instead went straight to the core of the matter.

The Nie Family had operated in Yunzhou for a thousand years. Their roots ran deep, and their influence spread far and wide, with arrangements in both the government and the Jianghu.

If what Chu Zhengnan was planning aligned with the Nie Family's interests, a deeper alliance wasn't out of the question.

"It's not a matter of who the court wants to move against."

Chu Zhengnan gave a faint smile, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

"But rather... who wants to move against the court!"

Nie Tiankun's brows furrowed slightly as he fell into deep thought. In an instant, his mind raced, and he understood the hidden meaning behind Chu Zhengnan's words.

'This was clearly a continuation of the previous Taiping Dao rebellion.'

Over a year ago, the Taiping Dao rebel army had swept through Yunzhou and Qing Province. They had crushed all resistance, throwing half of Yunzhou and half of Qing Province into chaos. In the end, the court was forced to concede many benefits.

Only then did the various top powers of Yunzhou and Qing Province take action, which was how the turmoil was swiftly quelled.

To say there weren't top-tier sects involved behind the scenes...

...was absolutely impossible.

After all, the court wasn't filled with fools. How could they not guess the intentions of the various powers?

For a moment, Nie Tiankun hesitated.

The Nie Family did indeed have deep connections with the Government Office. They had members in key positions in both the central court and the Yunzhou Government Office, but the Nie Family was by no means an agent of the court.

If they joined forces with the Government Office to target the other powers, while there would be considerable benefits for the Nie Family, it would also be extremely dangerous.

"I understand your concerns, Nie," Chu Zhengnan said, his tone shifting as he chuckled. "Rest assured, I will absolutely not put the Nie Family in a difficult position. I merely hope the Nie Family will lean towards the Government Office."

"Very well. The Nie Family will provide its full support."

Nie Tiankun pondered for a long time before nodding his assent.

'But if this truly touches upon the Nie Family's core interests or puts the family in crisis, we can reassess the situation then. After all, it's just a verbal agreement.'