Chapter 96: The Heavenly Three Sects and the Earthly Three Sects!
"What are you looking at?!"
Just as Zhou Chen was staring blankly at Ye Yin Zhu, Ye Lingling at his side spoke with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.
"Ah, nothing. I was just a little surprised at how young your mother looks."
Zhou Chen smiled, covering up his momentary lapse, then bowed respectfully to Ye Yin Zhu and said, "Zhou Chen greets Mother-in-law."
As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Lingling's face instantly flushed red. Fortunately, she was wearing a veil, so it was not too obvious.
Ye Yin Zhu also looked at Zhou Chen with a strange expression.
Although her meeting with Zhou Chen this time was indeed to discuss her daughter's marriage, this boy was far too familiar. He had taken advantage of the situation and directly called her Mother-in-law.
Should he not have first addressed her as Aunt out of courtesy?
However, since Zhou Chen had already said it, Ye Yin Zhu did not correct him. Instead, she went along with it and said with a smile, "Good son-in-law, since the two of you are mutually devoted, you should prepare over the next few days and directly marry Lingling."
Zhou Chen: "???"
Ye Yin Zhu's words left Zhou Chen completely stunned. Was he not here today to meet first and discuss an engagement?
How did it suddenly turn into getting married directly?
Seeing Zhou Chen's bewildered expression, Ye Yin Zhu secretly laughed to herself.
Calling me Mother-in-law right away—if I do not teach you a little lesson, you will not know who the elder is.
At this moment, Ye Lingling was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.
Seeing that both of them were somewhat at a loss, Ye Yin Zhu cleared her throat. With a smile in her eyes, she said, "Alright, that was just a joke. You are both still young, so let us settle the engagement for now. When Zhou Chen turns twenty and comes of age, you can officially marry Lingling."
At this point, Ye Yin Zhu looked at Zhou Chen and asked for his opinion. "What do you think?"
"I will follow Mother-in-law's decision in all things."
Hearing that it could be delayed for a few more years, Zhou Chen immediately agreed.
"Alright, Zhou Chen. Since the marriage matter is settled, let us talk about something else. I happen to have a few things I want to ask you."
Ye Yin Zhu smiled, then looked at Ye Lingling at the side and said gently, "Lingling, you may go now. I want to speak with Zhou Chen alone."
"Mm, alright."
Ye Lingling nodded and gave Zhou Chen a reassuring look before turning around and leaving the small lakeside area.
After Ye Lingling's figure disappeared from their sight, Ye Yin Zhu's expression immediately turned serious.
She looked at Zhou Chen and asked solemnly, "I heard from Tang Hao that you were once hunted down by the Spirit Hall?"
"Uh…"
Hearing this, Zhou Chen froze for a moment.
That old man Tang Hao really could not keep his mouth shut. Why did he say everything?
However, since Ye Yin Zhu already knew, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Thus, Zhou Chen nodded calmly, met Ye Yin Zhu's gaze, and admitted, "Yes, that is correct. May I ask what guidance you have?"
"I have no guidance. I just want to tell you that we share a common enemy, and that enemy is the Spirit Hall."
Staring at Zhou Chen, Ye Yin Zhu said slowly, "Actually, my Ye family's ancestral home is not in the Heaven Dou Empire, but in a small principality north of the Star Luo Empire. The reason we came to Heaven Dou City and formed an alliance with the Heaven Dou royal family was truly out of necessity."
"You were also hunted down by the Spirit Hall?" Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow and guessed.
"That is correct."
Ye Yin Zhu nodded, a trace of hatred flashing in her eyes. "My mother, the previous Undying Douluo, died at the hands of the Spirit Hall."
"Because of your martial soul?"
"Yes."
Ye Yin Zhu slowly turned her back, revealing her graceful silhouette. "Because the Nine-Hearted Begonia martial soul of our Ye family possesses healing abilities that are far too heaven-defying, it is known as an undying body."
"Such a powerful martial soul made the Angel Clan of the Qian family, the rulers of the Spirit Hall, deeply wary. They carried out a pursuit of our family that lasted several hundred years."
"Twenty-three years ago, my mother was found and killed by a Titled Douluo of the Spirit Hall. Most of the retainers who protected my Ye family abandoned me out of fear of the Spirit Hall's power and left. Only a small number of elder retainers fought to the death to protect me and help me escape."
"After that, I went through many twists and turns and fled to the Heaven Dou Empire, yet I was still discovered by experts of the Spirit Hall. They dispatched more than ten Soul Sages and Soul Douluo to hunt me down. Along the way, the elder retainers protecting me were almost entirely killed or wounded, and the bloodline of the Nine-Hearted Begonia nearly became extinct."
"Then who saved you? It could not have been the Clear Sky Douluo, could it?"
Hearing Zhou Chen's question, Ye Yin Zhu shook her head and said, "It was the Poison Douluo, Senior Dugu Bo."
"That old poisoner saved you?"
Zhou Chen was genuinely surprised.
"That is right. Senior Dugu Bo, because his body suffered backlash from the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison, had sought my mother's treatment many times. Remembering my mother's kindness, he stood up when I fell into despair."
"And then, Senior Dugu Bo… was also hunted down by the Spirit Hall."
"Two elders of the Spirit Hall, the Chrysanthemum Douluo and the Ghost Douluo, tracked us all the way and severely wounded Senior Dugu Bo near Heaven Dou City."
"However, a battle between Titled Douluo was an extremely grand spectacle, visible both inside and outside Heaven Dou City. Just as Senior Dugu Bo was gravely injured and on the brink of death, Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire arrived with tens of thousands of troops, along with dozens of Soul Sages and Soul Douluo belonging to the royal family."
"The prince used the military power of the Heaven Dou Empire to forcibly drive back the Chrysanthemum Douluo and the Ghost Douluo, rescuing us."
"After that, Senior Dugu Bo, in gratitude for Prince Xue Xing's life-saving grace, took on the position of guest elder of the Heaven Dou royal family. As for me, I was granted the title of Begonia Marquis by Emperor Xue Ye and remained in Heaven Dou City under royal protection."
"So that is how it was…"
Zhou Chen murmured softly.
In the original story, it was only mentioned that Xue Xing had a life-saving favor toward Dugu Bo, but it never explained why a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo had encountered such mortal danger.
So it turned out he had been hunted down by the Spirit Hall.
And the reason for that pursuit was actually Ye Yin Zhu of the Nine-Hearted Begonia.
This perfectly matched the original plot.
At this moment, after finishing her account, Ye Yin Zhu continued, "Families like ours, the Undying Nine-Hearted Begonia Ye family, that have been hunted by the Spirit Hall for generations, are not few in number."
"Among them, the two most famous are the Sword Soul Seven Kill Sword Chen family and the Blazing Flame Nine Heavens Rainbow Phoenix Ma family."
"Some have grouped the three of our families together and referred to us as the Earthly Three Sects. Meanwhile, the original Upper Three Sects—the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—are collectively known as the Heavenly Three Sects."
"The Heavenly Three Sects are prosperous, with large family forces, while we of the Earthly Three Sects are single-line inheritances with sparse numbers."
"The only thing we may have in common is that our martial souls are equally powerful and pose the same level of threat to the Spirit Hall."
End of Chapter.
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