156: My first visit to the Shen family and my first meeting with Li Xiu

After hearing Shen Yueyao's somewhat wistful narration on the flying boat, Lu Yi understood everything.

"So that's how it is..."

Lu Yi's brain spun rapidly, and he quickly constructed the complete logic of the situation:

That Li Xiu had met Shen Yueyao at a Shen Family gathering when they were young. Now, even though his Meridians were completely severed and he had become an abandoned son of his Family, he still insisted on the marriage alliance.

This was likely not just to rely on the Shen Family to make a comeback; more importantly, perhaps it was because... Shen Yueyao was his "white moonlight" from childhood.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Lu Yi sighed in his heart and couldn't help but shake his head:

"What a touching pure love story. If this were in another book, it would definitely be the script of a 'fallen young master and resilient concubine-born daughter' finding salvation in each other. It's a pity, though... you met me."

Just then.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Outside the cabin door came Nanny Gui's knocking:

"Young Miss, we have arrived at the Shen Family. The Family Head, the Elders, and the guests from the Li Family have been waiting in the main hall for a long time."

As soon as her voice fell, before Shen Yueyao could recover from the nervousness of being near her hometown.

"Whoosh!"

Lu Yi, who was beside her, sprang up from his chair as if his butt had springs attached.

He quickly adjusted his clothes and patted away non-existent dust.

A strangely excited, even impatient smile hung on his face, his enthusiasm even higher than Shen Yueyao, the person actually involved:

"We're here? Finally here! Let's go, let's go!"

Lu Yi grabbed Shen Yueyao's hand and urged:

"Hurry and take me to meet my... uh, your Family members! I can't wait to have a good 'exchange' with that Young Lord Li!"

Shen Yueyao was dragged along, stumbling. Looking at Lu Yi, who was more anxious than she was, she felt her scalp tingle.

This guy... why does it feel like he's going to rob the place?

"Lu Yi! Slow down!"

At the cabin door, Shen Yueyao gripped Lu Yi's sleeve tightly and stopped.

She raised her head, her eyes extremely earnest, even carrying a hint of pleading as she warned:

"Lu Yi! Listen to me! The Shen Family is not like the Primordial Holy Land; there are many old fogeys. When we enter the main hall later, it will surely be filled with powerhouses. You must be careful and know your limits! Don't speak recklessly! And definitely don't start trouble! Okay?"

Facing Shen Yueyao's worry, Lu Yi wore an innocent expression that said, "Don't you know me yet?"

He patted his chest and vowed:

"Rest assured, I have always been low-key and reserved. I am the most polite person; respecting the old and loving the young is my traditional virtue. As long as they don't provoke me, I will absolutely be a quiet, handsome man."

Shen Yueyao looked at his sincere face, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.

"I don't believe a word of it!"

She wailed in her heart:

"The more you say that, the more I feel like something big is going to happen today!"

"Creak—"

As the cabin door opened.

Following behind the expressionless Nanny Gui, Lu Yi's feet finally stepped onto the land of the East Divine Continent.

Just as he stepped outside the flying boat's barrier.

"Hiss—"

Lu Yi took a deep breath of air, and his whole body jolted violently.

Every pore on his body seemed to explode open at this instant!

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi contained in the air here was dense to the extreme, even mixed with some unknown power.

There was no need for him to deliberately operate his Cultivation Technique.

That Spiritual Qi was like it had found a vent; it actively, crazily, and greedily drilled into his body!

"So this is the Upper Realm..."

Lu Yi marveled inwardly:

"No wonder any random lackey who comes down from the Upper Realm can act domineering in the Lower Realm. Cultivating in this kind of environment, even a pig, as long as it lives long enough, could become a spirit."

Under Nanny Gui's guidance, the two passed through the Shen Family's incredibly luxurious corridors, which were filled with the radiance of Formations everywhere.

Finally, they arrived at the main guest hall of the Shen Family, which was extremely magnificent, resembling a palace hall.

Before even entering, one could feel the clamor of voices inside.

To Lu Yi's surprise, this was not the private Family banquet with only a few core figures present that he had imagined.

At this moment, the guest hall was surrounded by people inside and out!

Not only were there the Shen Family's high-level Elders and core deacons, but there were also many collateral descendants who seemed to be there specifically to watch the excitement.

Inside the hall, whispers were constant, and various gazes intertwined.

"Have you heard? That concubine-born daughter has returned."

"Hmph, she's so lucky to be able to marry into the Li Family."

"What good luck? Isn't she still marrying that useless person from the Li Family? It's a pity for such a pretty face."

Lu Yi ignored the noisy sounds and various gazes around him.

As soon as he stepped over the threshold of the hall, his gaze directly skipped over the Shen Family Elders, who were all "background props" in his eyes, and instantly locked onto the slightly lonely figure in the very center of the guest hall.

That was a thin and frail-looking youth.

However, his back was straight as a ramrod, like a spear that would rather break than bend!

Standing in this Shen Family hall, which was filled with snobs, mockery, and malice.

He was like a winter plum standing proudly in the wind and snow, possessing an unyielding backbone of his own!

"That's right!"

Lu Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart was instantly filled with wild joy:

"This temperament! This standing posture, which is down-and-out but still upright! This is, damn it, the standard protagonist image!"

As if sensing the movement at the door.

Li Xiu, who had been facing away from the door, slowly turned around.

When he saw Shen Yueyao walking towards him.

At that instant, his eyes, which had been somewhat dim and full of caution, instantly lit up.

The little girl in his memory who always hid in the corner and was timid and submissive.

Had now grown into someone so breathtakingly beautiful, like a Nine Heavens Goddess descending to earth.

"Yueyao..."

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to call out that name.

A smile began to bloom on his face.

However, the next second, his smile froze on his face.

His gaze followed past Shen Yueyao and met a pair of eyes as deep as an abyss, carrying an undisguised, playful smile.

Lu Yi did not show him contempt, mockery, or disdain like the surrounding Shen Family members.

On the contrary, Lu Yi was staring at him intensely with that kind of "affectionate," focused, and greedy gaze a hunter has when seeing top-tier prey.

It was as if he were sizing up a piece of peerless, delicious meat.

"..."

At the very moment their gazes met in the air.

Li Xiu felt a chill rush up his back, and the hairs on his body stood on end instantly!

That feeling...

Was not at all jealousy or provocation from a rival in love.

It was a terrifying sense of crisis... as if he were about to be swallowed whole, skin, bones, and even his Soul, by the other party!

It was an instinctive warning of a creature encountering its natural predator!

Li Xiu's face turned even paler.

He screamed in his heart, filled with suspicion and uncertainty:

"Who... is this person?! Why is his gaze when looking at me... so strange?"