Yun Huizhou and Lian Li exchanged a glance before Yun Huizhou finally said, “Very well, lead the way.”
Hearing Yun Huizhou agree, Su Jun visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing him like this, both Lian Li and Yun Huizhou felt a flicker of doubt. Even if the Su Mansion held them in high regard and wanted them to bolster their presence, there was no need to adopt such a humble posture.
What exactly had their Martial Uncle said or done to the Su family to make them treat them with such an attitude?
However, given the previous events and Su Jun’s current posture, it was difficult for the two of them to ask, lest they seemed to be putting on airs.
Still, Yun Huizhou had a general idea of the situation: the Su family was likely facing some trouble that their own Second-class Masters couldn’t handle.
The three arrived at the private room. Su Jun was indeed quite hospitable, as the fine food and wine of Huixiang Pavilion were served as if they cost nothing. Unfortunately, Lian Li’s constitution was not suited for alcohol, and he had never drunk before. Yun Huizhou, on the other hand, could drink, but he made it a point not to do so while away from home unless it was absolutely necessary.
If he truly had to drink, and in significant amounts, he would do as he had when Zhao Rong hosted the banquet—once he felt the alcohol going to his head, he would begin to expel the fumes from his system.
This time, however, Su Jun’s invitation was clearly not an occasion that demanded heavy drinking. So, after a single pot of wine was served, Yun Huizhou said, “Young Master Su, one pot is enough. Drinking while away from home can easily lead to trouble.”
Yun Huizhou was usually very direct; his relationship with Su Jun had not reached the point where he felt the need to weigh his words to spare the other man’s feelings.
Su Jun had no objection to this. He had originally ordered extra wine just as a precaution in case the other party was fond of drinking. Now that the other party was unwilling to drink more, he followed suit and canceled the remaining wine that had not yet been served. As the meal was nearly finished, the three of them slowed their pace.
Su Jun began introducing some of Fengyi City’s local specialties to them.
Yun Huizhou and Lian Li were in no hurry to leave, simply listening quietly and occasionally chiming in or asking a question or two.
Regarding Su Jun’s attitude, Lian Li had also caught on by now. He felt that the Su family’s letter to Drunken Dream Island requesting masters to oversee the event definitely involved other requests, rather than just checking whether the martial arts origins of the participants in the martial arts marriage competition were legitimate.
After all, the Su family possessed substantial wealth, and Miss Su’s reputation as one of the top three on the Beauty Rankings had spread far and wide. Even without having seen her in person, one could imagine how enticing her martial arts marriage competition would be to many young, single swordsmen. Furthermore, judging by the grand scale of the crowds in Fengyi City, the Su family had clearly spared no effort in promoting the event. With so many swordsmen present, if anyone with dubious backgrounds or crooked intentions appeared, someone would surely be able to see through them.
Therefore, the Su family definitely had other favors to ask. It was just unclear whether the East Island Lord or Master were aware of them. Regardless, he and Yun Huizhou had been kept in the dark until now. Lian Li lightly picked at his fingers under the table, waiting for Su Jun to continue.
As it turned out, before Su Jun could speak, Yun Huizhou was the first to point it out.
He asked Su Jun, “Young Master Su, I see that you have looked troubled this whole time. Have you encountered some difficulty?”
Su Jun’s expression management was actually quite good. Aside from the moment he looked anxious when Yun Huizhou first refused to stay at the Su Mansion, he had kept his composure throughout the meal.
However, both Yun Huizhou and Lian Li had deduced that the Su Mansion was likely facing some trouble, so they made up a casual excuse to ask Su Jun. Since Old Master Su could write directly to Drunken Dream Island, his relationship with the East Island Lord was clearly very good. Regardless of why the Su family’s gatekeeper had shut them out earlier, for the sake of the East Island Lord, they still had to inquire about the Su Mansion’s situation.
The two of them hadn’t really taken the incident with the gatekeeper to heart in the first place. Furthermore, Su Jun, the Eldest Young Master of the Su family, had personally come to apologize and humbled himself, so the slight annoyance they initially felt had vanished.
Hearing Yun Huizhou’s question, Su Jun was momentarily stunned, then he once again gave a bitter smile.
From just this brief encounter, Su Jun—who had long been helping manage his family’s business—realized that these two young swordsmen were the straightforward type who spoke their minds and disliked being indirect.
And so, the story of the Su family’s ordeal was told.
It turned out that seven years ago, when Miss Su was only ten years old, she had gone out for an excursion. On her way back, she encountered a wretched little beggar. The Su family maintained an upright reputation and had always been known for their benevolence and charity.
Miss Su took pity on the little beggar and brought him back to the Su Mansion, intending to find him a position within the household. Once the little beggar was in the mansion, Master Su discovered that his innate potential was quite good—even a notch better than Su Jun’s. Considering the decline of the imperial court and the collapse of order, the local authorities were no longer of any use. If he wanted to protect the Su family in the future, he would need a martial artist to safeguard the estate.
Thus, Master Su passed the family’s martial arts to the little beggar. However, he remained cautious and refrained from adopting him as a foster son. He merely intended to cultivate a capable subordinate for Su Jun and even gave him the name Su Shan. With two Second-class Masters to hold the fort, they would be able to safeguard the Su family in these turbulent times.
Su Shan was twelve when he entered the Su Mansion, making him two years older than Miss Su and two years younger than Su Jun.
The year before last, Miss Su turned fifteen. She was a striking beauty who had earned a spot on the Beauty Rankings, and she had reached the age where marriage negotiations could begin. Once the standard procedures were completed, she would be ready to marry by the age of sixteen or seventeen.
As Su Shan looked at the increasingly beautiful and charming Miss Su, he began to harbor certain designs.
He didn’t bother to ask Miss Su how she felt, nor did he make any attempt to court her. He even bypassed Su Jun and went straight to Old Master Su to propose marriage.
At first, Old Master Su was truly swayed by his words, believing that he and Miss Su were mutually in love, and he genuinely intended to marry his daughter off to him.
So he discussed the matter with Madam Su, and she also thought it was a good idea.
As it turned out, a few days later, when Madam Su brought the matter up with Miss Su, Miss Su finally revealed that she had no feelings for Su Shan. Moreover, Su Shan had never mentioned the matter to her from beginning to end, nor had he ever expressed his feelings to her.
Only then did Madam Su and Master Su realize they had been deceived by Su Shan.
Master Su was angry, but having raised him for so many years, he felt that Su Shan had merely suffered a momentary lapse in judgment. Nevertheless, his actions proved he was not a suitable husband. The Su family could no longer marry their daughter to him, yet they weren’t prepared to cast him out entirely. Thus, they decided to transfer him to another city to work under Su Jun, leaving him there to cool off for a few years. During that time, Su Jun would be his only point of contact.
As it turned out, just as Master Su was making his preparations, Su Shan learned of their plans. Though he appeared submissive on the surface, on a dark and windy night, he intended to harbor ill designs toward Miss Su and force her hand by creating an irreversible situation. That night, it just so happened that Su Jun had brought back a gift for Miss Su. She had lost track of time looking at the gift at Su Jun’s place, so when Su Shan went to her room, she had not yet left Su Jun’s courtyard.
