Sensing Cai Tong’s unusual mood, the Wu Family Head froze, then hurriedly tried to explain.
The Wu Family’s current position in Raging Flame City was just too awkward. Zheng Yunan’s marriage to Cai Renfei was necessary if they were to turn things back around.
Although he’d already made an agreement with the current head of the Cai Family, given Cai Tong’s transcendent status, he could determine the fate of their wedding alliance with a single word. Everything was already in place. All they needed to do now was seal the deal. He absolutely couldn’t let Wu Di’s existence ruin their family’s future.
“Elder Cai, there’s no need to worry about that. He and Yunan were childhood playmates, but they definitely don’t have feelings for each other. I swear it on my own life.” Family Head Wu was visibly anxious.
Cai Tong looked at him, a faint smile in his turbid eyes. “Wenguang, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but from what I saw just now, their relations.h.i.+p didn’t seem as simple as ‘childhood playmates.’”
“Wenguang” was the Wu Family Head’s given name. When he heard Elder Cai’s words, he felt troubled.
Wu Di was his son. Although Wu Di’s status was a scandalous open-secret, and although the Li Family had pressured him into sending his son all the way to Black Ox Town, Wu Di was no accident. Wu Wenguang’s marriage to the daughter of the Li Family was an arranged political marriage. They had no particular feelings for each other. Conversely, Wu Wenguang and Wu Di’s mother had loved each other from a young age despite the vast difference in status.
Although Wu Wenguang couldn’t be there when she pa.s.sed away, he’d always kept an eye on their child, Wu Di, from afar. Although he couldn’t grant his son glory or splendor, he’d at least guaranteed his safety despite the whirlpool raging around him.
Now that Elder Cai was displeased with Wu Di, he had to make a choice between his family’s future and his beloved’s only son.
Wu Wenguang paused for a while, unable to make up his mind. Finally, he smiled appeasingly and tried to change the subject. “Elder Cai, how about we watch the grand compet.i.tion first?”
Cai Tong was an old monster who’d lived for hundreds of years. If he couldn’t see through Wu Wenguang’s intentions, he would have lived all those years in vain. However, he didn’t insist. He simply nodded, and let the matter pa.s.s.
He trusted that if Wu Wenguang had to choose between the entire clan and a single clansman, he’d make the right choice.
Throughout this, Wei Jie was silent, but he carefully took note of their every word. Ye Zichen had entrusted him to look after his apprentice. He’d only come to this compet.i.tion in the first place to ensure Wu Di’s safety.
When he realized that Cai Tong was displeased with Wu Di, Wei Jie’s expression instantly turned grave.
They’d already offended the Axe Gang. If they offended the Cai Family too….
Despite the various families’ and factions’ various thoughts, the Wu Family’s Grand Compet.i.tion proceeded methodically. With the spirit stone, the compet.i.tion was far faster and more convenient than they’d ever imagined. Although the members of the younger generation they’d tested so far weren’t bad, they’d yet to encounter any particularly dazzling talents.
Of those tested so far, the strongest was the side branch member, Wu Hai.
“Early-stage Entering Immortality.”
Reaching immortality before hitting thirty meant he had high-level talent, but if you looked at the Mortal Great District as a whole, and or the Profound Great District, this level of strength didn’t count for much.
“Wu Qiang.”
When the elder called Wu Qiang’s name, Wu Qiang, who’d been itching with antic.i.p.ation, walked up to the stele. He was totally relaxed.
After pressing his palm to the spirit stele, it lit up.
“Mid-stage entering immortality.”
When he heard the elder announce his strength, Wu Qiang basked in his popularity, clearly satisfied, then returned to his former location. He even glanced meaningfully at Wu Hai a few times.
“Despicable.” Wu Hai clenched his fists. In terms of raw spiritual energy, he naturally couldn’t compete with the family head’s son, who’d been raised on a steady diet of cultivation-boosting pills.
“Even Brother Hai lost! I’m afraid we’re only here to make the prince look good by comparison, said another Wu Family disciple. There were still a dozen or so left who’d yet to take the test, but none of them exceeded mid-state entering immortality.
“Alright, the spirit stele’s results are now clear. Wu Qiang……” The elder by the spirit stele was just about to announce Wu Qiang’s victory when a calm voice rose up from the crowd.
“What about me, Elder?”
The surrounding Wu Family disciples glanced over. When they saw the new arrival, all of them were dumbfounded.
“Isn’t that Wu Di? When did he get here? Why didn’t I notice him?”
“He was with Zheng Yunan earlier. You must not have noticed him. But why is he saying he wants to partic.i.p.ate now? Prince Wu Qiang’s victory is already settled. Unless he’s stronger that mid-stage entering immortality?”
“This is a battle between heirs of a n.o.ble house. Don’t forget, Wu Di is the clan head’s son too,” said someone among the crowd. However, after hearing this, most of them laughed. A battle between heirs of a n.o.ble house? Wu Di wasn’t qualified!
The elder frowned in displeasure. In truth, he stood with the Li Family. He naturally had no kind words to spare for Wu Di. In truth, Wu Di’s name was on the list of partic.i.p.ants, but the elder had intentionally skipped it.
He never would have guessed the boy would take the initiative to speak up!
The elder looked at Wu Di and said, “Your name?”
“This junior is called Wu Di,” said Wu Di politely. He bowed to the elder, who nodded back calmly.
“Do you think you can surpa.s.s mid-stage entering immortality?” snorted the elder.
“I dare not make any promises, but since this is the clan’s grand compet.i.tion, I’d best at least partic.i.p.ate. At the very least, I’ll see where I stand amongst the Wu Family’s younger generation!”
Wu Di’s reply was neither humble nor haughty. His att.i.tude stunned many members of the younger generation. Perhaps they didn’t have enough of an impression of Wu DI, but to their knowledge, Wu Di was a cowardly, solitary youth. He’d never conversed with any of them.
Now he’d replied so self-a.s.suredly despite the elder’s overwhelming pressure. This was no small feat!
“That youth’s not bad,” Wei Jie seized the perfect moment to compliment Wu Di. After all, Wu Di was someone Ye Zichen wanted to protect. Wei Jie knew Cai Tong had ill intentions for him, so he naturally couldn’t just keep silent.
At a time like this, openly complimenting Wu DI was like slapping Cai Tong’s face.
As expected, when the old man heard Wei Jie’s words, his expression soured. However, he said nothing.
“Alright. Come here and try it.” The elder took a step away from the spirit stele. Wu Di took a deep breath, gathered all of his spiritual power into his arm, and pressed his hand to the stone.
“Do you think he can do it?”
What happens if Wu Di really surpa.s.sed Wu Qiang?
“Hmph, I’ll be happy so long as he takes down that imperious young master.”
The younger generation of the Wu Family enthusiastically discussed the matter.
At the same time, Wu Hai and his cohort frowned. “Brother Hai, what do you think?”
“Who knows?” chuckled Wu Hai. “But I’d actually be happy to see him surpa.s.s mid-stage entering immortality.”
It was no exaggeration to say that the family had determined this grand compet.i.tion’s champion behind closed doors. If Wu Di could ruin their clans, it would undoubtedly be an exciting twist.