Beastmaster of the Ages

Suishen Zhao and Fen Nu went to the Ascension Colosseum when they heard that Suishen Yao was going there. Suishen Zhao had also heard of Yumo Xue’s breakthrough and triumph over Qitian Jian. When he arrived, he immediately stopped Tianming as he watched his sister go ahead with Eminent Jiguang. ”Brother, does my sister already know about Yumo Xue’s breakthrough?”

”She does,” Tianming said.

”And she’s still going to issue a challenge?”

”She worked hard for a year and broke through as well.”

”Oh?” Suishen Zhao didn’t seem too excited about the news, but grit his teeth instead. ”She was just a few days too late. Fate truly toys with us all.”

”Do you think that your sister can’t defeat Yumo Xue even though she also broke through?” Tianming asked.

”Based on experience and cultivation style, it seems to be the case. But I guess we’ll have to see how she benefited from the breakthrough. All I can do as her brother is cheer for her.”

”Let’s cheer together, then!” Tianming didn’t know what to say, either. He had helped however he could. Yumo Xue’s breakthrough was out of his expectations as well. However, he would never forget the grudge over the starblood he had ingested.

”Brother, are the recent rumors true?” Suishen Zhao asked.

”What rumors?”

”Rumors about you and my sister.”

”What?”

”Everyone says you want to be my brother-in-law!”

Tianming hadn’t heard a word of it, as he had been busy helping Suishen Yao out.

”What? You don’t want to admit it? Everyone’s already filled in every detail about you two’s relationship,” Suishen Zhao said.

Tianming shook his head, a little dazed. ”I think Eminent Jiguang was the one who spread the news. How could your sister fall for someone as minor as me? The eminent’s spreading those rumors to earn your sister some sympathy so that if she gets first place in the Fortuna Ranking she’ll have more sway in refusing to marry Suishen Yue.”

”Is that so?”

”Don’t worry, Brother. I won’t take advantage of you.”

”No, that isn’t it!” Suishen Zhao fell into deep thought and looked at his sister. ”Let me be honest with you.”

”Huh?”

Suishen Zhao earnestly looked at Tianming. ”If my sister has to marry someone, I’d rather it be you than Brother Yue. I used to think that Brother Yue was a respectable person, but lately I feel like he’s been hiding something after spending time with him.”

”Me?” Tianming didn’t know how to react. He patted Suishen Zhao on the back and said, ”Don’t worry. If your sister can defeat Yumo Xue and regain her freedom, she probably won’t stick to me anymore. She’ll be able to do whatever she wants.”

”What if she loses?”

”Umm... is there a way that she can run away from Myriadpath Valley?”

”No. My sister’s myriadpath ring has been controlled from the very beginning. My dad’s been planning to marry her off since long ago.”

Tianming fell silent. If Suishen Yao couldn’t change her own fate, she would be forced to marry Suishen Yue. In the event that she chose to do something rash like commit suicide, well... Eminent Ranxing was probably already prepared for such an eventuality. He must have some way of controlling her to make sure she didn’t deviate from his path even a tiny bit. Her only option was to win in the Ascension Colosseum.

”Let’s watch her fight, then.” Tianming sympathized with her, but he was neither capable nor in the right to meddle with the business of the elites. If it wasn’t for Eminent Jiguang’s rumors, he would have been a completely uninvolved third party.

”Sigh, my poor sister!” Suishen Zhao lamented.

After a while, Suishen Shuang and her brother, Suishen Yuan, also arrived.

”Is Yaoyao going to go for first place?” Suishen Yuan asked Tianming.

”Even you know about it? Who told you?” Tianming asked, furrowing his brows.

”Suishen Yue. He was the one that spread the news. Every reverend and eminent knows it now,” Suishen Yuan said.

”What is he planning? Is he trying to get as many people as possible to see my sister despair?” Suishen Zhao huffed with anger.

”Little Zhao, you’ve finally learned what he’s truly like, eh? I knew it long ago! He’s nothing but a fake poser!” Suishen Yuan said, feeling vindicated.

Everyone fell silent. Suishen Shuang’s eyes were faintly red as she ran toward Suishen Yao, leaving Suishen Yuan with Tianming.

”I heard that Yaoyao even chewed out Eminent Jinying and told her to fuck off,” Suishen Yuan said.

Tianming nodded. ”What else?”

”Well, she complained to Eminent Ranxing about it. I heard he was really angry.”

”He won’t stop my sister from issuing challenges, will he?” Suishen Zhao nervously asked.

”Probably not. He promised her this as a way out himself, after all,” Suishen Yuan said.

Suishen Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

”Your dad’s truly a wonder,” Tianming couldn’t help but say.

”You!” Suishen Zhao struggled for a moment, then sighed, ”I would’ve chewed you out if you’d said that before, but now not even I know how to describe him.”

”Yaoyao’s the one who’s suffering in the end,” Suishen Yuan said, patting Tianming on the shoulder. ”Even after you obtained the legacies of two Suishen Steles, Eminent Ranxing didn’t change his mind. I don’t get it either.”

”They say we’ll become a laughingstock if we change the groom all of a sudden after announcing the engagement,” Suishen Zhao said.

Tianming’s recent achievements had caused many people’s attitude toward him to change. But still, most eminents didn’t think Suishen Yao’s marriage was something that could be called off. Even Eminent Jiguang’s rumors about Tianming and Suishen Yao’s love wouldn’t change the minds of the House Suishen elders in the least.

With word of Suishen Yao’s attempt to rise to the top of the Fortuna Ranking spreading so fast, it was clear that there was an intentional attempt to spread it. Someone was so confident that Yumo Xue would win that they worked extra hard to make a big deal out of it to completely dash all of Suishen Yao’s hopes.

”Isn’t Brother Yue worried about how bad he’ll look by doing something like this?” Suishen Zhao asked, furrowing his brows.

”The rumors already make him seem like someone who’s getting in the way of true love, so why would he care? I already told you that at least I’m someone who genuinely likes Yaoyao, but that crook never loved your sister. He only cares about power and status!” Suishen Yuan said.

”Fine.”