Chapter 244: I’m Not Going, I Also Won’t Go

Chapter 244: I’m Not Going, I Also Won’t Go

The grand celebration of the Lin Family was something Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin, both from distinguished families, were well aware of—it was the day the Lin Family gathered to celebrate.

Noble lords and ladies from all over would attend, making it a grand social event disguised as a harmonious gathering, but in reality, it was fraught with silent battles and rivalries.

The Lin Family held substantial power in Puhan, with troops stationed in border areas, the Central Plains, and even the Southern Tribes.

However, the Lin Family, despite its numerous talents and great influence, was not united. They proclaimed to be one big family, yet all had their own agendas, with their powers restraining and balancing each other.

Thus, while the court didn’t openly suppress the Lin Family, they weren’t above interference; they kept an eye on which factions were gaining strength, ready to act upon developments.

The family celebration, though it appeared festive, was actually filled with strife. Naturally, in previous years, Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin had no interest in attending.

But this year was different. Both were thinking about the possibility of one day becoming part of the Lin Family, making the celebration feel extraordinarily significant, much like their own family festivities.

Moreover, the typical arrangement of noble marriages was always a hot topic; to solidify their relationship, members from powerful families would unite their offspring through marriage.

Many young heirs and daughters of the Lin Family had found their match this way, but Lin Nuo had been excluded, primarily due to his low status.

After all, his mother was a concubine, and she was of minor noble rank—just getting into the Lin Family was a miracle. Hence, Lin Nuo naturally found himself looking up among his peers in the family.

Growing up in the prestigious Lin Family, his position was indeed awkward.

Even if a well-regarded noble sought to propose to the Lin Family, they wouldn’t consider Lin Nuo; he couldn’t even hold his head high upon entering.

For lesser nobles wanting to climb the ranks by marrying into the Lin Family, they were met with refusal; it wasn’t something that could be achieved simply by wishing to.

So, Lin Nuo had never received a marriage proposal, and in his previous life, he thought of himself as a rare flower that no one appreciated.

Now he felt, if no one proposed, even better; those pesky women would just mess with his villainous plans.

Previously, Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin found it pitiful to seek matches purely based on status; they saw it as a tool for the interests of noble families.

However, their mindset shifted subtly, and they began to feel that marrying within a comparable status wasn’t that terrible.

After all, exceptional people should be matched with exceptional people; many young nobles had superior conditions, higher education, and broader horizons, making the ratio of talent among nobles significantly higher than that of commoners.

They believed their ideal partners should be towering figures, heroic and grand.

For instance, Lin Nuo, Lin Nuo, and Lin Nuo.

Marriages of equal rank seemed good, and alliances with the Lin Family had countless benefits without any drawbacks.

Of course, that marriage partner could only be Lin Nuo. If it were other Lin Family youngsters, they’d still have the same reservations about such unions.

With the Lin Family celebration coming up, both Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin had their plans; they just needed to inform their families to attend as representatives.

However, each was secretly calculating their interests—there was no way they would openly admit it!

Qin Shili coolly replied, “Not interested; it’s just a feast of fish and meat. The Qin Family will send representatives.”

At this moment, Liu Shuqin smiled and responded, “Hm, I need to focus on my cultivation techniques lately, so I won’t be going. The Liu Family will send other representatives to attend the banquet.”

Han Fairy said, “That’s fine; that occasion really isn’t suitable for cultivators like you. I was just curious since you’re noble young ladies and might take the chance to attend.”

“We won’t be going. By the way, when is Junior Martial Brother coming back from Zifeng Valley?” Qin Shili asked.

“I’m not sure; he may have gone directly to the banquet and won’t be returning to Tianling Mountain for now. Shili, do you have something in mind?” Han Fairy replied.

“Not much, just wanted to ask about the details of his rescue mission in Zifeng Valley for self-improvement,” Qin Shili responded.

Han Fairy was quite surprised; after all, Qin Shili usually held a proud demeanor, didn’t think much of her peers, and was all too confident—let alone considering self-improvement.

Now here she was, directly saying she wanted to learn from Lin Nuo—this was truly unexpected.

Perhaps Lin Nuo’s brilliance had caught her eye and was altering her perspective.

Han Fairy replied, “However, I don’t think you’ll learn much. After all, Lin Nuo has always been reluctant to reveal his actions and thoughts after achieving accomplishments, making the nitty-gritty details even harder to come by. The letter from Zifeng Valley did mention his unique moves and the general process, but I hope it inspires your future endeavors.”

“Junior Martial Brother tends to be low-key and unpretentious, making it indeed difficult to extract details from him.”

Liu Shuqin interjected, “From the letter from Zifeng Valley, it seems they only described the general methodology of Junior Martial Brother, from start to finish, but they overlooked much of the process—I suppose they didn’t know, only the superficial outcome: he defeated the Blood Dragon’s Soul and saved Zifeng Valley.”

“They misinterpreted the letter; what it said was that he acted only after sensing something amiss. Personally, I think he must have anticipated this and deliberately went to Zifeng Valley,” Qin Shili added.

“Such a possibility cannot be ruled out; it wouldn’t be surprising if Junior Martial Brother had foreseen it.”

Surprisingly, Liu Shuqin and Qin Shili agreed, thinking that Lin Nuo had calculated everything to such an extent.

Han Fairy found this ludicrous and retorted, “Shuqin, Shili, are you two being too optimistic? There’s no reason or indication that Lin Nuo could foresee the turmoil caused by the Blood Dragon’s Soul, especially since he’s never been to Zifeng Valley.”

Qin Shili: “If there were indications, it wouldn’t be his doing.”

Liu Shuqin: “Exactly; we need to gauge Junior Martial Brother’s thoughts carefully.”

Han Fairy: “…”

Why do these two seem to understand Lin Nuo so well?

Am I the only Master being left out in the cold?

As the conversation ended, Qin Shili and Liu Shuqin walked out of the gathering hall.

“Shili, are you truly not going?”

“Going where?”

“To the Lin Family celebration; the Qin Family is a noble one, and you represent the family. You’ve attended many events like this.”

“Not going; it’s meaningless.”

Qin Shili coldly rejected,

“And you, Liu Family’s eldest daughter?”

“I just said, I need to focus on my cultivation and can’t get distracted. The celebration takes too long, so I won’t be going.” Liu Shuqin said with a light smile.

Qin Shili shot a cold glance at her senior sister, waved her hand, and replied, “Then I wish you success in your cultivation.”

…

“Ha-Choo! What the heck?”

Lin Nuo rubbed his nose, having been sneezing way too much lately; it must be due to the chilly environment of the Immortal Valley.

“Master, what’s wrong? Caught a cold?”

“Nothing, just a normal thing. By the way, have you packed your bundles?”

“Packed and ready! We can set off now~!”

Su Kexin and Ruo’er chimed in unison.