Chương 15: My Wife’s Jealous?!

The week passed in the blink of an eye. It was finally the day of the highly anticipated Su Clan Screening. The morning air was crisp and carried the faint scent of burning sandalwood. When Xiao Xuan arrived at the grand open training grounds of the Su Clan estate, the sheer scale of the event left him briefly stunned.

Thousands of clan members, from martial warriors and house-servants to inner circle elites, along with a large crowd of commoners from the district, had already assembled, forming a vast, disciplined sea of people. Banners bearing the Su Clan's crest fluttered proudly in the wind. On the right side of the courtyard, a raised platform had been constructed from polished white stone. This was the designated seating for the core members.

The main family members and the clan elders sat in strict order of their rank and position. Xiao Xuan walked up the steps under the scrutinizing gaze of hundreds of members. He ignored them, making his way to his designated seat right beside his wife, Su Luoyang. She sat with perfect posture, her beautiful face a mask of icy calm. Beside her sat Su Luoyao, who offered Xiao Xuan a quick, hidden smile before returning to her proper, dignified posture.

A suffocating pressure rolled over the courtyard, silencing the murmurs of the crowd. From the main estate, Clan Leader Su Zhongtian and his wife, Matriarch Liang Shufen, descended from the carpeted steps toward the center high platform. Su Zhongtian wore majestic robes of deep azure, his Qi Huang (Qi Emperor) aura passively radiating an invisible, mountainous weight. Second Elder Su Jiang stepped forward, his raspy voice amplified by Qi so that it echoed like thunder across the grounds.

"Respect to the Clan Leader! Respect to the Matriarch! May the Su Clan's martial foundation remain as unyielding as the heavens!"

"We greet the Clan Leader and Matriarch!" The thousands of assembled members roared in unison, bowing deeply. Su Zhongtian waved a hand casually, though his eyes remained sharp as a hawk's.

"Rise. Today is a day of assessment, not formalities. Let us see the future of our family." He and Liang Shufen took their seats on the grand, golden chairs at the center.

"Open the gates!" Second Elder Su Jiang announced.

"Welcome our esteemed guests!" The heavy iron gates of the courtyard swung open. The crowd held their breath as the first figure walked through. It was an elderly man dressed in plain, unadorned gray robes, yet a strange intoxicating fragrance of medicinal herbs trailed behind him.

"It's the Divine Alchemist, Tan Gengxin! Heavens, I've never seen him in person!"

"To think the Su Clan managed to invite him…" Tan Gengxin walked up to the center platform and clasped his hands loosely.

"Patriarch Su. Matriarch. I trust your internal energies are flowing smoothly. It is a pleasure to witness the vitality of your noble house."

"Elder Tan honors us with his presence," Su Zhongtian replied politely, though his eyes briefly flicked toward the First Elder's faction.

"Please, take your seat of honor." As Tan Gengxin walked toward the VIP seating on the left platform, he passed by the right side where Xiao Xuan was seated. For a fraction of a second, he turned his head, his eyes locking onto Xiao Xuan with a look of bewildered curiosity.

"Welcoming Madam Tang Zefei of the Tang Auction House!" the Second Elder announced. The crowd erupted into louder murmurs.

"The Tang House! She controls half the wealth in the Xianghai district!"

"She is so gorgeous!"

"Look at her guards, they are all Qi Shi (Qi Master) and Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster) experts!" Tang Zefei walked with mesmerizing grace, her luxurious crimson robes trailing behind her. She bowed elegantly before the Patriarch.

"Patriarch Su, Matriarch. The Tang House wishes the Su Clan boundless prosperity and a bountiful harvest of talent today."

"Madam Tang's presence brings fortune to our humble grounds," Su Zhongtian nodded deeply. As Tang Zefei turned to take her seat, her eyes met Xiao Xuan's. She didn't say a word, but she offered him a very subtle, highly respectful nod. Xiao Xuan replied with a gentle, polite smile. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. His body shivered from a sudden, biting cold radiating from the seat next to him. Oh? My wife's jealous?! Hehe…

"Welcome the Leader of the Bao Clan, Bao Kun, and the First Miss of the Bao Clan, Bao Ling'er!" A massive, bearded man with a terrifying martial aura strode in, followed by a graceful young woman, perhaps a couple of years older than Su Luoyang. She moved with an elegant, gentle demeanor, her warm eyes sparkling with kindness as she bowed gracefully to the hosts. Instead of a weapon, she carried a delicately carved bamboo flute at her waist.

"Heavens, the Bao Clan's First Miss is as beautiful as a spring dawn!"

"She's so gentle and refined, so different from her father's brutish aura!"

"Brother Su!" Bao Kun laughed heartily, his voice vibrating the porcelain teacups on the tables.

"It's been too long! I brought my daughter so she could see how she measures up against your legendary First Miss! Let's hope your youths don't disappoint!"

"Brother Bao's competitive spirit is as vibrant as ever," Su Zhongtian replied.

"We shall see."

"Welcome the Leader of the Gu Clan, Gu Wentian!" The temperature in the courtyard seemed to drop. The Gu Clan leader, a tall, slender man with eyes like a viper, walked in with calculated steps. The clan members' murmurs turned into tense whispers.

"The Gu Clan? I thought they were at odds with us over the weapons trade."

"This is a show of force. The Gu Leader wants to see if we are growing weak."

"Patriarch Su," Gu Wentian smiled, revealing a thin, dangerous expression.

"I trust the Su Clan's foundation is as sturdy as its reputation. Though, I hear you have taken in some… interesting new additions to the main bloodline." His eyes slid mockingly toward Xiao Xuan.

"Our foundation is perfectly fine, Clan Leader Gu," Su Zhongtian replied, his majestic voice instantly cutting off the man's veiled insult.

"Please, take your seat so we may begin." Gu Wentian chuckled darkly and led his entourage to the left platform. The VIPs settled into their carved wooden chairs. Across the aisle, Bao Kun leaned over to Gu Wentian.

"Brother Gu, your son isn't here today. Did he run into a bad batch of Qi?" Gu Wentian's smile tightened.

"He is resting at home, merely a minor fatigue, Brother Bao." Tang Zefei sipped her tea, her sharp eyes observing the political crossfire with quiet amusement, while the Divine Alchemist ignored them all. Bang. A deafening, metallic reverberation silenced the chatter. At the edge of the courtyard, two muscular guards had swung a heavy wooden log into a large bronze gong hanging from a stone archway.

In the very center of the training ground stood a large, imposing artifact made of smooth, obsidian-like stone, intricately carved with flowing runic lines. Standing behind Xiao Xuan, Wei Tu leaned down and whispered softly.

"Young Master, that is the Cultivation Testing Monument. It is a high-quality and precise Qi-sensing device. It can detect the exact stage of cultivation within a rank. The clan spent a fortune to acquire it."

"How does it work?" Xiao Xuan asked, observing the glowing runes.

"One must simply place their hand flat on the center of the stone," Wei Tu explained quietly.

"The inner array measures the density and purity of the Qi within. The crystals along the side will light up, and the color will indicate the specific rank of their cultivation. And the number of glowing crystals represents the stage. It cannot be fooled." On the courtyard floor, the Second Elder stepped forward, unrolling a golden scroll.

"Let the screening begin! We shall start with the younger generation to witness the sprouting seeds of our great clan!" He raised his voice.

"First to appear: Su Yan, eleven years old!" A small, slightly nervous boy with determined eyes jogged out from the ranks of the young warriors. He approached the towering black stone, took a deep breath, and placed his small palm against the cold surface while gritting his teeth. For a second, nothing happened. Then, the base of the stone lit up with a warm, earthy glow. Three distinct crystal nodes along the side flared to life, emitting a yellow hue.

"Su Yan!" A middle-aged martial instructor standing beside the monument looked at the glowing crystals and announced loudly, "Qi Tu (Qi Disciple) Rank, 3rd Stage!" On the right platform, an older, stern-faced branch elder stroked his beard and nodded approvingly.

"Good progress indeed. To reach the third stage of Qi Tu (Qi Disciple) in just one year of active training… You have done well." The thousands of members and commoners on the ground erupted into loud cheers. Relief washed over Su Yan's face. He turned around, bowed deeply to Clan Leader Su Zhongtian, then to the elders, and finally to the VIP guests on the left platform, before scurrying back to his place in the ranks.

"Next! Su Chen, twelve years old!" the announcer called. Another youth rushed forward. The cycle continued, one by one. Xiao Xuan sat back in his chair, his mind working rapidly as he watched the proceedings with total seriousness. Wei Tu dutifully explained the true weight of this event.

"The Su Clan has a legacy of publicly organizing this screening, inviting commoners and rival powerhouses alike. No other clan in the Eastern Continent performs their internal screening publicly and on such a grand, expensive scale."

"Getting recognized here allows the younger generation to gain external leverage. A good score doesn't just mean more clan resources; it means a VIP guest like Miss Tang might offer them a lucrative guard contract, or a rival clan might propose a political marriage." Xiao Xuan nodded slowly.

"This provides great motivation to the younger generation of the clan to practice their cultivation thoroughly. Even though we are called one of the three great pillars of Xianghai district, our martial prowess has always surpassed the other two clans." Xiao Xuan felt a twinge of pride. However, his eyes drifted toward the First Elder, Su Zhongyong. The old man was sitting calmly, sipping his tea, looking too relaxed.

"Next!" the announcer yelled, his voice carrying an extra layer of weight.

"Su Ming!" The crowd instantly went crazy. A tall, remarkably handsome young man with a fierce, confident gaze strode out from the ranks. He wore standard martial robes, but the sheer density of the Qi rolling off his body made the surrounding air ripple. Wei Tu explained quietly, "Su Ming. At the age of twenty-five, he became the youngest commander of one of the clan's elite martial units." He hesitated for a second before adding, "He… also heavily admired the First Miss before her marriage…"

"If only the First Miss had married him instead of that useless mortal. Look at him, a true martial genius! And then look at our 'Young Master' up there, who doesn't even have a sliver of Qi." The crowd began murmuring.

"Quiet, do you want to die?! The Matriarch is right there!" Xiao Xuan rested his chin on his knuckles as he watched the handsome prodigy approach the stone.