" What have you done?!! "
Yan Tianlong was now crouching beside the lake with both of his hands on his head. Yan Qingcheng looked oblivious to her father's sorrow.
" I don't understand, how can you be this selfish? We raised you and gave you everything we had. "
Her father's wail didn't melt her heart even a tiny bit, because he was hindering her freedom. She wanted to marry someone she loves, not a crazy psycho who leers at her all day and follows her like a dog.
" Father, he asked for the annulment, not me. I just didn't defend it. "
Yan Qingcheng, with a big smile, replied to her father. She felt free, and the air seemed very pure. She suddenly felt like she could break through her bottleneck now if she could cultivate.
" Southern District Lord is here, Patriarch Yan. "
Yan Tianlong's eyes brightened when he heard this news. His trembling hand went for the servant that just came; he needed someone to pick him up. When Yan Qingcheng tried to help him, she only saw her father's red eyes.
" Bring me to the District Lord in an instant. "
The Southern District Lord, who controlled trade and ports in this grand city — Yan Clan also came under his supervision — just under the ruling Shen Clan. His power was vast, and being Yan Clan's closest ally, Yan Tianlong felt Han Wei came at the perfect moment.
Tianlong took long strides toward the white castle. Qingcheng also tagged along with him. Her father loved her dearly, and seeing him in such distress also made her heart ache.
The empty grassland around the lake swayed with the wind, but Qingcheng could only spare a single glance at them. She walked behind her father and had to use Qi to maintain equal pacing; he was almost running desperately.
The Yan Great Hall today looked empty. The personnel who guarded the inner parts were nowhere to be seen. Qingcheng, although a bit shocked, saw Tianlong didn't even bother with such things — he directly entered the hall.
There was a man seated in the Patriarch's seat. He was wearing a red robe and had a smile on his face. Although he looked plain and simple with his loose long hair, the unshakable confidence would make people wary of him.
" Tianlong, my friend, I have a request. We found a warm Qi jade cave under the seabed. It is near Port Wangku. As usual, a powerful cultivator needs to make a dent in it, so if you request the Shen family, we can share the benefits among us. "
Tianlong usually reprimands the Southern District Lord for sitting in his seat casually, but today he doesn't have that courage, even though he understands this man in front of him doesn't know about that news yet.
'Sigh!'
Tianlong sighed; in an instant, he aged ten years. Seeing her father's defeated back, Qingcheng felt heavy in her heart. She was stepping inside the hall when the Southern District Lord made such a request, and this was not the first time, she could guess.
" Ah! I didn't see you there, Niece Qingcheng. "
Han Wei, seeing Qingcheng, stood up from the Patriarch's seat. He didn't want to offend the Shen family's future daughter-in-law. His smile was as fake as it could be; even in Qingcheng's eyes, who was an amateur in politics, she could clearly see the disrespect this man had for their family.
'This… why? We are one of the great families in the Southern District. He should respect us, but why does he look at us like this?'
Tianlong, who was blaming himself internally, also looked to his side. Qingcheng's face looked scared, and her doubtful expression made his heart ache. But there were very few things he could do right now. He was a Stage 4 Soul Transformation cultivator, while Han Wei was a Peak Spirit Severing cultivator.
" Ahaha, you jest, District Lord. How can we mere Yan take advantage of the mighty Shen Clan? "
" Patriarch Yan, are you implying I take advantage of the City Lord's family? "
Tianlong tried to play it cool, but his joke backfired instantly. He understood how far he was from politics; this was the first time in a while he tried to use words to convince someone.
" F… Father… "
Qingcheng's trembling voice made the situation even more desperate. She couldn't handle the seeping killing intent from Han Wei. As a Fifth Stage Golden Core Formation cultivator, she had to take a step back.
" Han Wei!! Don't forget who we are!! "
" I didn't, haha. I don't see any Shen Family guards around. "
Tianlong protected his daughter, but he saw Han Wei slowly walking down the platform, tugging a smile that looked dangerous. Then Tianlong stood firm in front of his daughter in a defensive stance.
" Calm down, I am not going to murder you. Ask for the Shen family by tomorrow; otherwise, things will be bad for you. I came here to warn you , you do know you've got too many racecourses under your family. "
" No one will come today. As a friend, I came to warn you — but see that our friendship lasts. "
After patting Tianlong on the shoulder, Han Wei left. His slow walk was heavy, and with each step, Tianlong felt like he was hearing hundreds of echoes in his ear.
————————————————————————————
" Hahaha, brat!! I always thought your brain was dead or eaten by maggots! "
" How can our talented grandson make another family leech off us? "
Shen Yuan looked horrified, seated beside the old monster Shen Long. He was getting constantly beaten on his shoulder in the name of 'I am proud of you, Pat.' Shen Long was so happy that he was laughing uncontrollably.
The huge carriage felt small for Shen Yuan. As an introvert, this Shen Long, who was constantly talking, felt like a nightmare. He was even chewing something like peanuts, throwing it in his mouth whenever he wanted.
" Listen here, grandson. I knew you would one day annul this marriage. So when you see my brother — I mean your own grandfather — don't tell him I scared you. He'll beat the crap out of me, hehe. "
'Where is that mighty image? Why are you so talkative? And what the hell are you eating?'
Tons of questions popped into Shen Yuan's mind, but all he could do was bear the shoulder pats and smile lightly like an idiot.
'System.'
A glowing panel appeared in front of him as soon as he uttered these words in his mind. It was like a map in a huge sandbox game but very beautiful. He could see chibi people inside — not many, but some were crying, and some were waving money at him. He had to slide the curtains to take a peek outside to confirm it was a live interactive map.
[Level 1 Dramatic Heavenly Map System]
[Current Range: 10 Kilometers Radius]
[Use the Map 10 times to update the range]
'Novel or a game, how should I play it?'