Chapter617:TheHolyMaiden.

"UncleSu,there’snoneedtobesopolite.Sincethepatriarchisalreadyinseclusion,Iwon’tdisturbhim.Iwillvisithimanotherday."LiuRuoxibowedandtookherleave.

"I’llseeyouoff,"saidSuJingting.TheSufamilymembersdidn’tdaretoslackoff.

"UncleSu,pleasestay."

LiuRuoxismiled,hesitatedforamoment,andthendecidedtospeak.ShecurvedherlipsandlightlyaskedSuJingting,"UncleSu,doyouhaveanynewsaboutSuYi?"

"SuYi..."

SuJingtinglookedsurprised,andtheSufamilyelderspresentalsolookedpuzzled.

"DoesMissLiunotknowthatSuYihasalreadymetwithanaccidentonthewaytoSacredMountain?"oneoftheSufamilyelderssaid.

"Isthatso..."

LiuRuoxi’sexpressionremainedunchanged,butashadowpassedthroughhercleareyes,addingatouchofemotionthatwasdeepandunfathomable.

"UncleSu,pleaseacceptmycondolences."Afteramomentofsilence,LiuRuoxibowedandleft.

SuJingtingandtheotherSufamilymembersescortedLiuRuoxiallthewaytotheentrance.ThebeautifulstewardandotherattendantsfromSacredMountain,whohadjustarrived,werewaitingoutsidethegate.ItseemedthattheyhadencounteredLiuRuoxiattheentrance.

"UncleSu,pleasegoback."LiuRuoxibidherfarewellandmountedherhorsebeforeleaving.

Themiddle-agedbeautifulwomanfromSacredMountainlookedatSuJingtingandtheotherswithadispleasedexpression.Hereyeswereindifferent,andshethenfollowedLiuRuoxiassheleft.

"Master,itseemsthatourSufamilyhasoffendedSacredMountain."

AstheywatchedthepeoplefromSacredMountainleave,severalSufamilymembershadaworriedexpression.TheywerefullyawarethatoffendingabehemothlikeSacredMountainwassomethingthesmallSufamilycouldn’tafford.

"AlthoughSacredMountainismighty,ourSufamilymaybesmall,butwehaveourownprideandresources.Wedon’tneedtorelyonSacredMountainforanything.Let’snotmentionthismatteragaininthefuture.Ifthepatriarchwasnotinseclusion,hewouldhavehandleditthesameway!"

SuJingting’sexpressiongrewserious,radiatingasilentauthority.

Theelderlyrelativesdidn’tdaretosayanythingmore.Eventhoughthepatriarchwasnotpresent,hisinfluencestillloomedlarge,andtheywerewellawareofhistemperament.

AlthoughSuYihasalreadyperishedandtheengagementisnowmeaningless,theattitudeofSacredMountaintowardstheSufamilytoday,leavingbehindtheelixirandtreatingitasafinaldecision,undoubtedlybringsgreathumiliationtotheSufamily.

IfthingswerereversedandtheSufamilywasaprominentfigurewhileSacredMountainwasjustasmallentity,howcouldSacredMountaindaretoadoptsuchanattitudetowardstheSufamilytoday?

(TranslatedbyGravityTales棣冩Г)

"However,SuWeiisstillinSacredMountain.IfweoffendSacredMountain,SuWeimighthaveadifficulttimethere.WhatifsomeonetroublesSuYi?Howcanwehandlethat?"

SomeoldpeopleworrythatSuWeiisthefutureandhopeoftheSufamily.Ifthisdelayshisfuture,itwillalsohaveanimpactontheentireSufamily.

"WehaveonlydonewhattheSufamilyshoulddo.Let’sjustletnaturetakeitscourse,"SuJingtingspoke,holdingthebottleofmedicineinhishandanddeepinthought.

"Master,whatdoyouthinkaboutLiuRuoxicoming?Coulditbethatshereallyknowsnothingaboutthismatter?"

SomemembersoftheSufamilyarepuzzled.ItseemsthatLiuRuoxiandthestewardfromSacredMountainhavecompletelydifferentattitudes.Isitintentionalordoesshetrulynotknow?Itleavestheseoldpeopleperplexed.

"It’sbeenafewyearssinceIlastsawLiuRuoxi.Thisgirlhasgrownup.ShetrulydeservestobeadisciplevaluedbySacredMountain.LiuZongyuanhasagooddaughter,"SuJingtingremarked.

SuJingtingsighedwithregret.Sucharemarkablegirl,aphoenixthatrosefromthesmallManCity.It’sapitythatSuYididn’thavegoodluckwiththatpieceofnews.Otherwise,withthecommitmentandpromisemadebytheoldmasterandtheLiufamily,itwouldhavebeenablessingfortheSufamily.

"It’sapitythattheGoldenThunderHeavenPillisalmostattheyellow-gradelevel."

"Thatisaprecioustreasure.Ifconsumed,itcouldlikelyenhancecultivationimmediately."

SomerelativesoftheSufamilykeptmurmuringaboutthereturnedGoldenThunderHeavenPill,aStar-gradehigh-levelelixirtheyhadneverseenintheirlifetime.SuchaprecioustreasureispotentiallyworthseveralSufamilies,yetitwasreturned.

SuJingtingremainedsilent.TheGoldenThunderHeavenPillwasindeedaprecioustreasure,andinthepast,hemighthavebeenreluctanttopartwithit.

However,atthismoment,SuJingting’sheartwasmuchcalmer.Hewasn’ttoomoved,asthecultivationresourcesbroughtbytheexpertsfromtheDivineSwordSchoolwerefarmorevaluablethanthisGoldenThunderHeavenPill.

"Boom..."

TheLiufamily’smountsdashedaway,kickingupdustintheirwake.

"StewardWang,afterall,thisisManCity.PleaseinformmenexttimeweheadtotheSufamily."

Onthemount,LiuRuoximaintainedherdelicateappearanceandunchangedexpressionasshespoketothemiddle-agedbeauty.However,themeaningbehindherwordswasimplied,carryingahintofsharpness.

"theHolyMaiden,thisistheintentionoftheSaintSovereign.WithSuYialreadydeceased,theengagementcannolongerholdanyweight.IftheSufamilyfailstoshowproperrespectandinsistsonholdingontothismatter,then..."

Themiddle-agedbeautyspoke,hereyesrevealingahintofcoldness.

"I’vesaiditbefore,nexttimeyouwanttogototheSufamily,letmeknowinadvance.Idon’twanttorepeatmyself.AsfortheHolyLord,Iwillexplainitmyselfwhenthetimecomes!"

AfaintwaveofemotionflickeredinLiuRuoxi’seyesasshelookedatthemiddle-agedbeauty,exudingasenseofmajestyinexplicably.

"Yes,theHolyMaiden!"

Themiddle-agedbeauty’sgazeshiftedslightly,seeminglywaryofsomething,andnodded.

BeyondManCity,themountainsstretchedendlessly,onetoweringpeakafteranother,undulatingwithinterconnectedforests,ancienttreesreachingthesky,shroudingtheheavensandcoveringthesun.Twistingvineswoundaroundthemountains,entwiningthetrees,resemblingvigorousdragons.

"Roarrrr..."

Anotherdaypassed,andafternightfall,roarsofbeastsechoedfromoutsideManCity,causingthetremblingmountainsandshakingtheentirecity,sendingshiversdownpeople’sspines.

"Whatreallyhappened?"

Onthecitytower,thepowerhousesofthefivemajorfamiliesofManCitygathered,allwearingsolemnexpressions.

"Therearemanydemonbeasts,anditseemsliketheyaregettingcloser!"

TheheadoftheMofamily,MoLai,furrowedhisbrowswithnarrowedeyes.Hisslightlychubbyfigurewaswrappedinarobethatseemedabittight,makinghimlookyoungerthanhisforties.

"IfthosedemonbeastarmiesattackManCity,theconsequenceswouldbeunimaginable!"

HeYikuan,theheadoftheHefamily,spoke.Withabroadandbigface,hisgazefixedonthedistance,hisexpressionextremelygrave.

"IfthesedemonbeastarmiesattackManCity,theconsequenceswouldbemuchmoreseverethanwhentheImmortalityGateattackedManCity."

SongMing,theheadoftheSongfamily,spoke.HevividlyrememberedthesceneofriversofbloodwhentheImmortalityGateattackedManCity.Hehadalmostlosthislifeinthatbloodybattle.

Everyone’sexpressionbecameextremelygrave.ItwascleartoeveryonethatifalargenumberofdemonbeastsweretotrulyattackManCity,withthecity’scurrentstrength,itwouldbeimpossibletostopthem.ItwouldbeacatastrophefortheentirecityofManCity.