Phoenix Top and Dragon Bottom Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Unexpected Connection

Feng Xuan Yang raised his voice, crossed his arms, and appeared as if he was waiting for Long Qinghan to say something.

Ignoring Feng Xuan Yang’s disdain, Long Qinghan calmly said, “I’ve heard that the upcoming wedding at the Xiang Manor will have a special event. Anyone, even the last person to enter the wedding hall, will receive a generous gift. So, I dare to guess that perhaps those five Gu boys (children) wanted to obtain that reward. They sneaked into Xiang Mei Mountain Villa at night with the intention of stealing. Unexpectedly, they came across Qianshuang and abducted her, intending to use her as leverage. As for… the inappropriate incident, it might have been the desire of the two disciples of the Gu boys, Zhuge Fengtong and Xue Li, who were captivated by Qianshuang’s beauty.”

Xiang Zong’s face turned dark, but he still couldn’t believe it. He hurriedly spoke, “How is that possible! Where Qianshuang is located is a secluded place, guarded by several people, watertight…” Suddenly, a cold snort came from Feng Xuan Yang’s nose, interrupting Xiang Zong’s words.

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Upon hearing this, Xiang Zong let out a shallow sigh of relief and gratefully glanced at Long Qinghan. Feng Xuan Yang keenly observed Xiang Zong’s gratitude and sneered disdainfully.

“However…” Long Qinghan whispered again, causing Xiang Zong’s heart to tighten once more. “Although Xiang Zong had good intentions, it has drawn the attention of the thieves towards the location where Qianshuang is. Just imagine, guarded by a few people in a secluded corner. Wouldn’t it make people mistakenly think that it is where treasures are kept?”

Seeing that Long Qinghan didn’t expose the truth, Xiang Zong felt a great sense of relief. But he also recalled the corroded lock he discovered earlier in the morning. Could it really be the work of the Gu children?

The possibility of this matter weighed heavily on his heart. While his doubts about the incident were not completely eliminated, he believed them to a certain extent. He held Qianshuang tightly and gently patted her back.

“Xiang Zong, in that case, my subordinate, Xueying, has saved Shuang’ai’s life. You should show some gratitude,” Feng Xuan Yang said, crossing his arms and leisurely looking at Xiang Zong.

Xiang Zong’s face turned extremely ugly. He had long been aware of the relationship between Blood Shadow and Qianshuang, but despite Qianshuang’s gentle nature, she had a fiery temperament. He had tried several times to force her to stay away from Blood Shadow, but to no avail. He even asked Qianshuang to meet various martial artists in the hope of changing her mind and loving someone else, but her stubbornness remained unchanged. Helpless, he had confined Qianshuang to the backyard, but he never expected her to mysteriously disappear last night, leading to the situation today. Initially, he thought Blood Shadow had abducted her and they had eloped, but now it seemed that the truthfulness of this idea was still questionable.

After thinking for a moment, Xiang Zong didn’t want to owe any favors to Blood Shadow. With many people present, he couldn’t act out of anger, so he reluctantly lowered his head and said, swallowing his pride, “Thank you, Blood Protector.”

Upon hearing this, Blood Shadow approached and respectfully clasped his hands, saying, “It was just a small effort.”

Xiang Zong clenched his lips and muttered in his heart, no longer paying attention to Blood Shadow. Instead, he turned to his father-in-law, Tao Su, and explained, “Yesterday, thieves broke into the estate, and due to my negligence, Shuang’er was abducted. I sent people to search early this morning, but I never expected… sigh, I may have missed the auspicious moment and disrupted everyone’s goodwill in attending the wedding. Therefore, I have arranged for someone to stand in for Qianshuang and get married. When Shuang’er returns, I will apologize.”

“Nonsense!” Tao Su was a hot-tempered man who spoke frankly and didn’t care about Xiang Zong’s expression. He waved his sleeve impatiently and said sternly, “According to what you said, if your daughter doesn’t return, my precious son will end up marrying a woman of unknown origin. Hmph!”

Although Wanfeng Escort Agency had gained a certain status in the martial arts world through Tao Su’s years of hard work, it was still inferior to major sects like Tianjian Sect and Xiang Meishan Manor. Many people considered this marriage alliance with Xiang Zong as reaching beyond their status, and even Xiang Zong’s words hinted at their disdain for Wanfeng Escort Agency.

Therefore, upon hearing that Xiang Zong intended to find a substitute, Tao Su was naturally furious. Moreover… he glanced at the person nestled in Xiang Zong’s arms. Although he loved his son, letting him marry his beloved Qianshuang in her current condition, there was no guarantee that she hadn’t been violated by others.

Inadvertently, he caught a glimpse of Tao Su’s disdainful gaze towards Qianshuang, and Xiang Zong’s face turned black. Earlier, he had seen Tao Huai’s deep affection for Qianshuang, his honesty, and had agreed to this marriage alliance. But if they were talking about social status, it was indeed Tao Huai who was reaching higher. However, he didn’t expect Tao Su to bring up the matter of the genuine and fake bride, thus tarnishing his own reputation.

Now, the atmosphere in the wedding hall became awkward. Xiang Zong felt embarrassed about the situation with Xiang Qianshuang. He forced a smile, his face darkened, and he apologized to Tao Su, “Now that Qianshuang has returned, Father-in-law, please reconsider this marriage…”

At that moment, three voices suddenly spoke at the same time.

“Hmph!”

“Xiang Zong, I…”

“Dad, I won’t marry.”

The atmosphere in the wedding hall suddenly turned eerie, and all eyes were fixed on Xiang Qianshuang, while Feng Xuan Yang wore an amused expression, staring at Tao Huai who had said, “Xiang Zong, I…”

Xiang Zong’s face turned ashen. One voice was from his own daughter, and the other two were from Tao Su and Tao Huai. He could understand Tao Su’s displeasure, but Tao Huai…

With these thoughts in mind, Xiang Zong glared at Tao Huai and then shifted his gaze back to Xiang Qianshuang.

Xiang Qianshuang emerged from Xiang Zong’s embrace, gently rubbed her teary eyes, and whispered, “Dad, I… my innocence… I…” She trembled, turned her head slightly, and sobbed, “I’m no longer worthy of anyone…”

These words exploded in Xiang Zong’s ears like a thunderbolt. He took a few steps back in shock, his eyes widened, and he slammed his hand on the incense table , angrily questioning Feng Xuan Yang, “Didn’t you say that my daughter’s innocence was intact?! Why?!”

Seeing Xiang Zong directing his anger at him, Feng Xuan Yang didn’t mind at all. He smirked and said, “It was intact, but it’s nearly gone now.” His words implied that everything except the final step had happened.

Xiang Zong’s eyes widened in an instant. He sat down heavily, his mind in turmoil, while tears streamed down Xiang Qianshuang’s face. Inside the wedding hall, the guests began to whisper among themselves.

Although people in the martial arts world don’t pay much attention to etiquette, this matter of purity was of great concern.

Xiang Zong patted Xiang Qianshuang’s hand and looked at his father-in-law with a hint of worry. However, Tao Su wore a displeased expression, while Tao Huai remained silent, observing without speaking. This lack of response only made Xiang Zong feel more disheartened.

For a moment, he couldn’t find any way to ease the awkward situation.

At that moment, Feng Xuan Yang timely spoke up, “Hmph, Xiang Zong, in my opinion, it might be better to betroth Shuang ai to Blood Shadow. Blood Shadow is not young anymore, and it’s time for him to take a wife. Since he has seen Ling Ai’s body… hmm, Xiang Zong, why not take a step back and let Blood Shadow marry Shuang Ai? After all, we are all people of the evil path, and I don’t mind this matter of purity.” Feng Xuan Yang’s words carried implications. First, he hinted that Blood Shadow had indeed seen Xiang Qianshuang’s body and was willing to marry her, which would save face for Xiang Zong. If Xiang Zong refused to let Xiang Qianshuang marry, he would be the one at a disadvantage. Second, Feng Xuan Yang’s words shifted to mocking the righteous path for placing too much importance on purity.

As expected, as soon as the words were spoken, both Xiang Zong and Tao’s expressions turned dark. Xiang Zong felt something was off about the whole situation, but he couldn’t find any loopholes. Moreover, his daughter’s appearance didn’t seem like she was pretending. If she had truly suffered humiliation and her purity was at stake, she wouldn’t be crying like this.

“Dad, I won’t marry anyone.” Xiang Qianshuang, crying even harder upon hearing the words, felt guilty about marrying Blood Shadow with her damaged purity, considering the humiliation she had endured.

Xiang Zong hesitated. He really didn’t want to marry his daughter off to Blood Shadow. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have opposed their relationship so strongly in the first place. He turned his head, hoping for Tao Huai’s support, but suddenly, Feng Xuan Yang flashed to his side and whispered in his ear, “If you don’t agree, you won’t be able to save face. I’m helping you here. Unless you want Tao Huai to publicly refuse.”

Upon seeing Tao Huai’s indifferent demeanor, Xiang Zong felt a pang of realization. It seemed that Tao Huai was merely spectating and had no intention of marrying the real Xiang Qianshuang. Xiang Zong was trembling with anger, and as he withdrew his gaze, he suddenly locked eyes with Feng Xuan Yang. In that instant, he saw something that left him speechless, his eyes widened, his teeth chattering, and he was unable to utter a word.

Feng Xuan Yang smirked, an evil smile curling on his lips. He then leaned down and whispered something in Xiang Zong’s ear, his voice so low that even Long Qinghan, who was standing nearby with exceptional martial arts skills, couldn’t hear it. Long Qinghan could only see Xiang Zong’s face contorting in a terrifying and grotesque manner.

Long Qinghan furrowed his brow slightly and decided to intervene, “Master Feng, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to force others?”

Feng Xuan Yang was taken aback by his words. He turned around, glanced at Long Qinghan with a cryptic expression, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “I’m just looking out for Miss Xiang’s best interests. Blood Shadow, if I want you to marry Miss Xiang, are you willing?”

“Understood, I’ll comply.”

In just a few short sentences, the conversation carried an implied sense of non-negotiability. Even Xiang Zong, a seasoned veteran of the martial arts world, didn’t know how to handle the situation. Everyone else was willing to proceed with the marriage, and if he refused, it would be a public humiliation for him. Even if he used the excuse of differing paths to reject the proposal, they had already saved Xiang Qianshuang. If he refused now, it would be seen as ingratitude. In the martial arts world, face was highly valued, so he couldn’t refuse. He had no choice but to comply.

Xiang Zong clenched his fist tightly and slowly regained his composure from the shock he experienced earlier. He fixed his gaze on Feng Xuan Yang, a mixture of fear and resentment in his eyes. Then, he slowly averted his gaze and said, “If Blood Protector doesn’t mind, I will swallow my pride and give my daughter in marriage.”

He turned his head and feigned remorse, saying, “Tao… Xianzhe, this matter, ah…”

“Lord Xiang,” Tao Huai became courteous towards Xiang Zong, realizing he no longer needed to marry Xiang Qianshuang. He cupped his hands and pulled the woman beside him, who was disguised as the bride. He said, “If Lord Xiang doesn’t mind, could you give this woman to me in marriage? I will treat her well.”

Xiang Zong was taken aback by these words, suddenly understanding why Tao Huai no longer wished to marry Xiang Qianshuang. It was all because of fate. He sighed deeply and nodded, “Alright, I will accept her as my adopted daughter. Tao Xianzhe, you will still be my good son-in-law.”

“Thank you, Lord Xiang, uh no, father,” Tao Huai took the hand of the woman beside him and they both expressed their gratitude to Xiang Zong.

The farce of a wedding ended with the immediate union of two couples.

Xiang Zong loved his daughter dearly and was reluctant to let her marry someone far away. With no other choice, he requested that Xiang Qianshuang stay at the villa for a few more days. After a period of ten days, she would be sent off to marry Blood Guardian.

After the wedding banquet, Feng Xuan Yang silently departed. At the same time, someone followed in his footsteps, leaving with him.

Xiang Meishan Villa was situated near the foot of the mountain. Feng Xuan Yang leisurely chose a desolate and uninhabited path, his hands clasped behind his back as he descended slowly. The person who was tailing him silently followed the same path.

The person took a few steps before abruptly stopping. His eyes darted around before he nervously tiptoed and ran towards the darkness.

The person following him was taken aback but quickly picked up the pace and followed closely behind.

The two of them ran together, neither gaining an advantage over the other. The pursuer couldn’t catch up from behind, and the one ahead couldn’t shake off the pursuer. It wasn’t until they reached halfway up the mountain that Feng Xuan Yang finally came to a halt.

“Why are you following me?” he asked.

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