Chương 7: There’s Always Drama!

Blinking innocently against the morning glare, Xiao Xuan asked, "Who are you?" The man puffed out his chest, his heavy armor clinking like a walking chandelier.

"I am Li Tiebin, in charge of guarding the carriage grounds!" Xiao Xuan crossed his arms loosely.

"Right. Nice to meet you, Guard Li. So, why exactly can't I use this carriage?" The guard let out a harsh, mocking laugh that echoed across the stone courtyard.

"This carriage is meant for important members of the Su Clan! A live-in, trash son-in-law like yourself doesn't have the qualifications to use it!"

"Um… and where exactly is this rule written?" Xiao Xuan asked, his tone curious, treating the heavily armed guard like an unhelpful bank teller.

"It is common sense!" Li Tiebin sneered, his thick fingers gripping the hilt of his broadsword.

"What are you saying?!" A furious voice echoed from the side of the courtyard. Wei Tu jogged into the grounds, trailing just behind an older driver who was holding the reins of the horses. Wei Tu's face was flushed red with anger as he pointed a finger at the guard.

"Young Master Xuan's status as the son-in-law is on par with the Su Clan elders and the Second Miss!" Wei Tu shouted, stepping firmly between Xiao Xuan and the towering guard.

"He can use this carriage as he pleases! Step aside!" A few lower-ranked servants passing by slowed their pace, their eyes darting toward the commotion. Whispers immediately broke out like wildfire. Li Tiebin's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"A dog barking at a tiger," the guard scoffed. He took a heavy step forward. Without even bothering to draw his weapon, Li Tiebin flared his martial aura. An invisible pressure rolled off his body, directed at Wei Tu. Xiao Xuan, standing right behind his servant, caught the brunt of the ambient pressure. I… can't breathe. It felt as if he had walked headfirst into a concrete wall. He stumbled backward. His legs instantly gave out, and he hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Young Master!" Wei Tu gasped. The pressure had pushed him back as well, but it had not hurt him. The anger drained from the servant's face as he spun around, dropping to his knees to support Xiao Xuan's trembling shoulders. Li Tiebin smirked, crossing his arms in satisfaction. He hadn't even targeted Xiao Xuan directly, yet the trash had collapsed like a wet paper bag. Xiao Xuan took a ragged breath, gritting his teeth until the sharp pain in his chest subsided into a dull, pulsing ache. He looked up.

The guard was standing tall, looking down at him with undisguised contempt. Surrounding them, the whispers of the gathering servants grew bolder.

"Look at him… he can't even handle a carriage guard." Xiao Xuan's mind raced. He couldn't fight this man. Staying here to argue was a losing battle that would only end in more physical injury. The guard could simply claim it was an accident. Furthermore, he knew a lowly guard would not have the guts to do something so brazen in public unless someone powerful was backing him. Is it one of the elders my father-in-law warned about? Or is it Xinyue again? This was no situation to be prideful.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Xuan lowered his eyes, putting on a terrified expression. He grabbed Wei Tu's sleeve and tugged on it nervously, making his hands tremble.

"Forget it, Wei Tu," Xiao Xuan muttered.

"We don't need the carriage… let's just walk." Wei Tu stared at him in disbelief.

"But Young Master—""I said, let's walk," Xiao Xuan interrupted. He let Wei Tu help him to his feet, keeping his head ducked down as he hurriedly dusted off his robes. Without so much as looking back at Li Tiebin, Xiao Xuan turned and scurried toward the estate gates. Behind them, Li Tiebin threw his head back and let out a booming laugh.

"Have a safe walk, Young Master! Try not to trip on the dirt! A gentle breeze might break your bones!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The courtyard erupted into giggles. The servants immediately dispersed, eager to spread the juicy news of the son-in-law's humiliating, cowardly retreat to every corner of the Su estate. Once they were a few streets away from the gates of the Su Clan, the silence between the two was finally broken.

"Young Master, why did you let him do that?" Wei Tu asked, his voice thick with frustration.

"He is just a guard! If we reported this to Butler Su Shi or the Clan Leader, he would be severely punished! Now the whole clan will think you are a coward!"

"Let them think what they want," Xiao Xuan replied with quiet confidence. Wei Tu blinked. He looked over, realizing that the flustered expression from the courtyard had vanished from Xiao Xuan's face. It was replaced by a calm, calculating gaze. A verbal victory in the courtyard meant nothing if he didn't have the actual strength to back it up. Tattling to his father-in-law would only cement his status as a useless son-in-law.

If he wanted to solidify his place in this world and shut up such pests for good, he didn't need a carriage. He needed capital. He needed strength. I can't sit around waiting for a cheat code to magically download into my brain anymore, Xiao Xuan thought grimly, rubbing his aching chest.

"Besides," Xiao Xuan added lightly, looking up at the sprawling, vibrant streets ahead of them.

"Walking gives us a much better view of the market. This is what I wanted in the first place. You are the one who suggested we use the carriage, remember?" Xiao Xuan bumped Wei Tu's shoulder with a teasing smirk. Wei Tu froze in his tracks and eyes widened in horror.

"I am extremely sorry, Young Master! It was my mistake! I should be punished with a hundred whips—no, a thousand whips—" Wei Tu's voice trembled, breaking down with guilt. He dropped to his knees and repeatedly kowtowed. He honestly believed he had caused his master's public humiliation and physical pain. Such an offense was punishable by death. Xiao Xuan sighed. He is easily flustered. But he is loyal. He gently patted the panicking servant on the shoulder and got him back up.

"Relax, Wei Tu. I'm just messing with you. Nobody is getting whipped." He offered a faint, reassuring smile before gesturing down the bustling avenue. The air was thick with the scent of roasting spirit-beast meat and fragrant medicinal herbs. Cultivators with swords on their backs haggled with merchants selling glowing produce.

"Come on. They say that if people talk to each other while walking, the distance doesn't become a burden. And right now, I need you to talk. Tell me everything I need to know about the Su Clan and the Xianghai District." Xiao Xuan paused, adopting a sheepish look.

"As you know… I didn't have the money to go to school, so I had to drop out early. I'm not exactly up to date on the origins of the district. It would be helpful if you started from the beginning." Wei Tu felt a sudden pang of pity for his master. The poor orphan hadn't even received a basic education. Right then and there, he silently vowed to be the best aide for his new master.

"Of course, Young Master!" Wei Tu puffed out his chest, stepping proudly into the role of a tour guide.

"We are currently in the Xianghai District, a major trade hub of the Eastern Continent. The Qi Planet has five continents: Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western, and Central." Simple enough, Xiao Xuan noted mentally.

"And the Su Clan?"

"The Su Clan is one of the three founding pillars of this district, alongside the Bao Clan and the Gu Clan," Wei Tu explained as they navigated the crowded street.

"We specialize in the salt and arms trade. The Bao Clan handles spices and garments, while the Gu Clan are our main rivals—they also deal in arms and operate as a mercenary powerhouse."

"So, what's the drama?" Xiao Xuan asked, casually dodging a merchant pushing a hovering cart of glowing blue cabbages.

"There's always drama!"

"You are very perceptive, Young Master. The relationship between us and the Gu Clan is terrible right now. For years, our clan's weapons were of much higher quality because they were forged using the waters of our secret Spirit Creek. But recently, there are whispers within the clan that the creek was damaged. The Gu Clan is using our drop in weapon quality to aggressively expand its business and choke us out of the market." Xiao Xuan nodded. A heavily guarded clan secret doesn't just 'get damaged' on its own.

That explains why my wife and in-laws are so stressed out.

"So what's the Matriarch's story?"

"Matriarch Shufen originally belongs to the Liang Clan, native to the Northern Continent. She and the Clan Leader met at the Glorious Sun Academy. It is the single most prestigious institution across all five continents, located in the Central Continent."

"An elite academy romance, huh?" Xiao Xuan chuckled.

"I understand the family history now. But let's get to the most important part. Cultivation. Tell me everything about the different ranks." Wei Tu looked a bit surprised that his master was this ignorant of such common knowledge, but he happily obliged.

"Cultivation is divided into ten great ranks, Young Master, with nine stages in each rank." As Wei Tu enthusiastically broke down the power scaling of the world, Xiao Xuan listened with rapt attention. … While Xiao Xuan was blending into the vibrant streets of the Xianghai District to learn the rules of his new reality, a storm was already brewing back at the Su Manor. Inside the Council Hall, the incense burned heavily in bronze cauldrons, but it did nothing to ease the political tension.

"Explain yourself!" Su Zhongtian's voice echoed off the high wooden rafters, his fist slamming down on the armrest of his throne.

"Who gave you the audacity to attack my son-in-law?!" Kneeling in the center of the hall, Li Tiebin kept his head bowed. He looked remarkably different from the arrogant brute in the courtyard. Right now, he played the role of a terrified victim to perfection.

"This lowly one begs for his life, Clan Leader! It was a grave misunderstanding!" Li Tiebin pleaded, his voice trembling.

"I merely informed them they couldn't use the main carriage without proper authority. But the Young Master's servant, Wei Tu, became instantly hostile. He lunged at me! I only flared my aura to protect myself and de-escalate the situation. How could I have known the Young Master's constitution was so… frail that the mere ambient pressure would cause him to collapse?"

"Preposterous!" Liang Shufen glared, rising from her seat beside her husband.

"Wei Tu is a timid boy. He does not have the spine to raise his voice, let alone his fists, against an armored cultivator! Do you take us for fools?"

"Perhaps not on his own initiative," a slow, raspy voice echoed from the right side of the hall. Second Elder Su Jiang strode forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He cast a sideways glance at the kneeling guard before looking up at the Patriarch.

"Commoners elevated beyond their rank often let arrogance cloud their judgment," Su Jiang suggested.

"When denied a luxury they feel entitled to, they tend to lash out. It is possible Xiao Xuan ordered the servant to attack on his behalf." Su Zhongtian and Liang Shufen fell silent, their expressions darkening. They had no proof to counter the claim, and Su Jiang was twisting the narrative.