Chương 6: I Have the Best In-Laws in the World!

Silence settled over the main hall. Only the bitter scent of cooling tea lingered in the air. After Liang Shufen's outburst, Xiao Xuan sat quietly at the far end of the long wooden table, preparing himself for the worst. Su Zhongtian folded his hands and leveled a heavy gaze at his new son-in-law.

"Since you are now part of the head family," Su Zhongtian began, his deep voice echoing in the hall, "you cannot simply sit idle. You are a representative of the Su Clan. Therefore, starting today, you will be thoroughly tutored." Xiao Xuan braced himself. Here it comes. Go chop wood in the Demonic Beast Forest. Go mine spirit stones in the cursed caves.

"You will learn commerce," Su Zhongtian stated calmly.

"Clan politics. Business management and regional trade laws. If you are to be a decent man worthy of Su Luoyang and our family, you must establish yourself in our commercial sector." Xiao Xuan blinked. Wait. What? Commerce? Trade? Liang Shufen sneered from beside her husband, her sharp eyes fixed on him.

"Do not think this is a vacation, boy. You will behave, you will study diligently, and you will improve yourself. If you ever embarrass us, I will personally break your legs." Further down the table, Su Luoyang sat silently, yet her usually impassive face betrayed a hint of surprise. She had missed her parents' hopeful conversation the previous night regarding Xiao Xuan eventually becoming a worthy husband. She had not expected them to so readily accept him.

"Your cultivation talent is poor," Su Zhongtian continued.

"Normally, you should have still been able to cultivate at a basic level. However, our physicians have concluded that your meridians are exceptionally fragile. The path of martial arts is not just difficult for you, it will kill you." The Patriarch sighed.

"Therefore, you must not offend people. You must avoid fights at all costs. But… a man does not need a sword to be useful. You can still become a learned man and help govern this house." Are you kidding me?! Xiao Xuan screamed internally, tears of joy threatening to spill from his eyes. They aren't brainless villains! I have the best in-laws in the world!

"Don't worry, Father!" Xiao Xuan declared with a bright smile.

"Even the heavens couldn't do anything to me with that purple lightning! I promise I can handle some ledgers and account books!" Su Zhongtian's eyebrow twitched. Liang Shufen stared at him. Even Su Luoyang's cold composure cracked as she looked at him.

"Pfft—!" A melodic giggle broke the tension. Su Luoyao, who was sitting near her sister, was grinning ear to ear.

"Don't worry, Father!" Su Luoyao chimed in cheerfully, her eyes shining with amusement.

"I'll make sure to teach my brother-in-law everything I know! I'll protect him!" Su Luoyang slowly turned her head toward her younger sister. Why was her sister taking so much interest in him all of a sudden?

"Luoyao," Su Luoyang warned.

"You are forbidden from bullying him."

"I wasn't going to!" Su Luoyao protested, puffing out her cheeks.

"I want to help him!" Before the sisters could bicker further, Xiao Xuan flashed a smile across the table.

"Do not worry, my darling wife," Xiao Xuan interjected.

"She is a good sister and won't bully me." Darling wife?! Su Zhongtian and Liang Shufen both snapped their heads toward their eldest daughter. Feeling her parents' eyes on her, Su Luoyang's composure shattered. She swiftly averted her gaze and stared at her plate. Having received no explanation for this bizarre new family dynamic, Su Zhongtian awkwardly coughed to clear the air.

"Let us bring forth the matter at hand. Su Shi!" The heavy wooden doors creaked open. An elderly head butler walked in, the soft thud-thud of his cloth shoes echoing on the stone floor. Trailing behind him was a young boy right around Xiao Xuan's age.

"This is Wei Tu," Su Zhongtian explained.

"His martial talent is lacking, but he is clever, and of a simple, kind nature. He won't pose a threat to you. He will serve as your personal assistant. He will help you learn the ways of the house, assist with your studies, and manage your daily affairs." Xiao Xuan looked at the boy. Wei Tu offered a hesitant bow. Bingo, Xiao Xuan thought, his eyes lighting up. My very own Watson. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Before Xiao Xuan could express his gratitude, Liang Shufen slammed her teacup down.

"Do not let this go to your head, Xiao Xuan," his mother-in-law warned.

"Do not get arrogant. We are only providing you with an assistant and an education because you are a son-in-law of the main branch. If outsiders see you being treated like a dog, they will think this marriage is a sham, which will jeopardize the clan's image." She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing.

"As long as you behave, keep your head down, and handle your responsibilities sincerely… you will be treated with the basic respect of this household. Do we have an understanding?" Xiao Xuan looked at his mother-in-law, his distant but observant wife, his loyal sister-in-law, and his very own personal assistant. He hadn't found his golden finger or a cheat system yet, but against all odds, the board was set. He offered a respectful bow.

"Understood, Mother. I won't let the Su Clan down." Liang Shufen frowned. She hadn't expected him to address her as 'Mother' with such sincerity. Su Zhongtian quickly intercepted the lingering awkwardness. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the butler and Wei Tu, and sent young Luoyao out. Once the heavy doors clicked shut, only the four of them remained.

"Look," Su Zhongtian began, his voice turning serious.

"You are now a member of the Su Clan, and you must protect our clan's interests. But most importantly, you are Su Luoyang's chosen husband and a member of our direct family. So, you need to know a few things…" He paused. Xiao Xuan glanced at his wife, who was already looking back at him calmly.

"There are troubles from outsiders and from inside the clan as well." Su Zhongtian continued quietly.

"You must be careful with whomever you interact with. No one outside the Su Clan must ever know the true nature of your marriage. Even within these walls, only a few elders know the truth. Others will try to trouble you to test your boundaries. You must remain patient." The Patriarch let out a long breath.

"You have done us a great service by agreeing to marry Su Luoyang in this special arrangement. I will leave your marital affairs to both of you. I know this situation is unfair to you as a man… but if you build yourself up, you will still be able to live a comfortable life here." Su Luoyang remained as cold as a glacier. Xiao Xuan took a deep breath. As a fake husband, he might never have the luxury of true intimacy, nor the right to bear children. But Xiao Xuan wasn't going to accept a loveless fate so easily.

"I love Su Luoyang regardless of how she feels about me," Xiao Xuan stated firmly, meeting his wife's gaze.

"I will do whatever I can to support her." Su Zhongtian's eyes softened, satisfied with the young man's answer. Liang Shufen remained skeptical, but if this boy genuinely wanted what was best for her daughter, she could tentatively accept his presence. Su Luoyang, however, remained unreadable. With the matter settled, Su Zhongtian rose from his seat, and Liang Shufen silently followed him out of the hall. Only Su Luoyang and Xiao Xuan were left at the table.

"I appreciate your sincerity," Su Luoyang began, her voice a chilling breeze.

"But do not stay under the delusion that I will ever come to accept you as a hus—""I understand, Su Luoyang," Xiao Xuan interrupted calmly. He stood up with a polite smile, easily cutting off her rejection.

"I'll take my leave first." He turned on his heel and strode out, leaving Su Luoyang sitting in silence, staring at his retreating back. … Outside the dining hall, both Wei Tu and Xinyue were waiting for their respective masters. As Xiao Xuan walked out into the open courtyard, Wei Tu quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in a deep bow.

"Young Master Xiao Xuan."

"Ah, Wei Tu! Glad to have you," Xiao Xuan said cheerfully. He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice into a whisper while sneaking a meaningful glance directly at Xinyue.

"But before we get started, tell me something… are you going to do something to hurt me?" Xinyue flinched, though she forced her expression to remain neutral.

"O-Oh no! No, never, sir!" Wei Tu stammered, shaking his head so fast it was a blur. This kid is timid, Xiao Xuan thought, amused.

"Haha! It was just a joke, Wei Tu. Relax and follow me." As Xiao Xuan began walking, Wei Tu nervously wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and hurried after his strange new master. Xinyue was left frozen by the doors. Her heart was pounding. Did this trash somehow figure out I had secretly manipulated Second Miss into targeting him?! She had clearly stepped out of her bounds and could be punished severely. …

"Where are we going, sir?" Wei Tu asked, scurrying to keep pace.

"We are taking a walk to the city," Xiao Xuan replied.

"If we are heading into the city, we should take a carriage, sir," Wei Tu suggested.

"That won't be necessary. I want to see the whole place for myself, so we'll walk," Xiao Xuan declared.

"But the city borders are very far, sir! If we walk, we won't reach the inner markets until late afternoon," Wei Tu explained. Xiao Xuan paused. Right. Cultivation world. Supercontinents. He had severely underestimated the geographical scale of this place.

"Ah. A carriage it is, then." They navigated through the sprawling estate until they reached the clan's primary carriage grounds. Xiao Xuan's eyes widened. There were dozens of carriages parked in neat rows, from luxurious, gold-trimmed pavilions on wheels to simple wooden carts. Wei Tu walked right past two of the most extravagant, beast-drawn carriages and stopped at a sleek wooden carriage adorned with the clan's secondary crest.

"This is the tier of carriage you are permitted to use, sir," Wei Tu explained, pointing back at the ones they had skipped.

"The grandest one belongs exclusively to the Clan Leader and his wife. The second belongs to the Clan Leader's younger brother, Su Zhongyong, who heads the branch family." Wei Tu patted the polished wood of the carriage before them.

"These are used by the Second Miss and the high-ranking elders. Given your status as a direct son-in-law, you are authorized to use this tier as well." Xiao Xuan nodded. Not bad at all.

"What about my wife?" he asked.

"The First Miss uses a specialized carriage kept directly outside her personal chambers, for easy access when she manages the clan's external affairs," Wei Tu replied.

"Understood," Xiao Xuan said.

"Let's get going, then."

"Please wait inside the carriage, sir. I will go procure a driver," Wei Tu said, quickly bowing before jogging off toward the stables. Xiao Xuan looked at his sleek new ride and reached for the wooden door handle. He was just about to step inside when a sharp voice barked from across the courtyard.

"Stop right there!" Xiao Xuan turned around. A figure dashed across the courtyard at an unnatural speed before skidding to a halt a few feet away, revealing a young man with a furious scowl.

"You are not allowed to use this carriage, you uncultivated trash," the young man spat coldly. Xiao Xuan slowly let go of the door handle and let out a long sigh. Tough luck. He had translated enough of these stories to know exactly what came next.