Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1429 - 1422: Dangyang Wu

Chapter 1429: Chapter 1422: Dangyang Wu

"Is it a command or a request?" Yichuan Ying asked emotionlessly.

"Of course... of course, it’s a request," said the handsome young man with reluctance.

"Then please lead the way." Hearing his response, Yichuan Ying turned her head to glance at Cheng Ziang, and sighed in relief.

"Wait, they can’t go in!" The handsome young man was still looking for trouble, pointing at Cheng Ziang and his companions.

"They are here to protect me at Father’s behest; if they can’t enter, then I won’t risk going alone. Isn’t that just common sense?" Yichuan Ying declared confidently.

"Don’t you trust the Dangyang Family’s ability to protect you?" The handsome young man asked, his face turning unpleasant.

"Of course not, judging by your attitude towards me," Yichuan Ying replied bluntly.

"Fine, fine." Faced with Yichuan Ying’s response, the handsome young man once again put on a forced smile, nodded, and allowed Cheng Ziang and the others to accompany them.

He then led the horse, guiding everyone across the drawbridge and slowly towards the city. Perhaps having his spirit dampened by the earlier confrontation, the handsome young man behaved much better during the rest of the journey, no longer troubling Yichuan Ying.

Through this encounter, Cheng Ziang also realized that Yichuan Ying’s sense of inferiority was not solely a personal issue but significantly due also to society’s fanaticism towards cultivation and prejudice against people like her.

It could be said that had Cheng Ziang not taught Yichuan Ying some verbal tactics before, she would likely have been reduced to tears by that rude individual.

As a feudal society, there also existed gender discrimination, albeit overshadowed by the discrimination towards cultivation. Powerful female cultivators, despite their gender, could still enjoy treatment commensurate with their cultivation abilities.

Being a woman unable to cultivate, Yichuan Ying would have to confront the twin peaks of discrimination against both her gender and her inability to cultivate. This was precisely why the handsome young man had been so discourteous to Yichuan Ying.

On the way, Yichuan Ying breathed a sigh of relief, then turned her head with a pleading look towards Cheng Ziang, subconsciously slowing her pace to move closer to them. Cheng Ziang smiled at her and whispered, "Try to get some information from him first. We’ll remember the grudge on your behalf, and we will surely avenge you. Don’t worry."

"Mhm." Seeing Cheng Ziang’s confident expression, Yichuan Ying seemed to be inspired, nodded vigorously, and then distanced herself from them, quickening her pace towards the handsome young man.

"What should I call you, Young Lord?" Yichuan Ying suddenly asked.

"What’s it to you?" replied the handsome young man without turning back.

"I have announced my own name, and your lack of reciprocity seems somewhat unfair," said Yichuan Ying.

"You think you’re worthy of talking about fairness?" The handsome young man grabbed every opportunity to mock Yichuan Ying, a sign of deep-seated prejudice.

"Are all members of the Dangyang Family so rude and arrogant? Then I believe I know how I should deal with your father next," Yichuan Ying countered calmly.

"Be polite in front of my father," the handsome young man seemed a bit anxious upon hearing her words, so he turned around and rebuked her sharply.

"That’s conditional on you being polite to me first," Yichuan Ying countered sharply.

The handsome young man was left speechless by her retort, silent for a while before snorting and turning away to spit out three words gruffly: "Dangyang Ling!"

"Your name is Dangyang Ling?" Yichuan Ying asked.

"I don’t want to repeat myself, it’s rude!" The handsome young man said uncompromisingly.

"Alright, Dangyang Ling, how should I address your father?" Yichuan Ying nodded, then looked back at Cheng Ziang for a cue before continuing her inquiry.

"You don’t even know my father’s name?" Dangyang Ling turned back around, asking with an incredulous expression.

"Please forgive my ignorance," Yichuan Ying said, her expression unchanged.

"Hmph," Dangyang Ling snorted, then turned his head. After a moment of silence, he uttered a name, "Wu!"

He only spoke his father’s given name, not daring to call out his father’s full name, because doing so was taboo in Kyushu. Neither Dangyang Ling nor Yichuan Ying dared to directly address their elders by name; if necessary, they would use the family name, followed by the elder’s given name.

For example, Yichuan Ying would refer to her father as Yichuan Hong. Similarly, Dangyang Ling could refer to his father as Dangyang Wu, essentially meaning "someone from a certain family." Though it felt like an exercise in futility, these were their rules.

"Dangyang Wu, Yichuan Hong, those are the Patriarchs of the two prestigious aristocratic families," Cheng Ziang muttered to himself as he followed behind.

After an exchange that revealed their disconnect, the two fell silent again. Yichuan Ying couldn’t be bothered to provoke him further, so she remained quiet.

Thus, the group led their horses through the streets of the green countryside, arriving at the city’s mansion. It had to be said, the Demon Clan city in the south was extraordinarily large; even walking took them over half an hour to go from the city gates to the Mansion.

At the entrance of the Dangyang Mansion stood an elderly man. Hands clasped behind his back, he stared intently at Yichuan Ying and her party. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was probably Dangyang Wu, the Patriarch of the Dangyang Family.

Compared to Yichuan Hong, Dangyang Wu looked relatively younger. Although his temples had started to gray, he appeared healthy and robust, seemingly still in his prime years.

The mansion was surrounded by house guards, all elite members of the Dangyang Family, and without exception, they were all cultivators. If Cheng Ziang and his group were to have a conflict here, probably only Liseya could save them.

Dangyang Ling handed over his horse to a groom, then approached Dangyang Wu and respectfully said, "Father, the guests have arrived."

"Welcome to the green countryside, Miss Yichuan. It is truly an honor for me," Dangyang Wu said, displaying much more finesse than Dangyang Ling’s arrogance; at least no discrimination against Yichuan Ying could be discerned from his speech.

"That’s too kind of you, Superior Lord Dangyang," Yichuan Ying replied, also handing her horse over to a groom and then stepping forward to bow with respect.

"My son is wild. Has he not offended the Miss?" Dangyang Wu inquired with concern.

"It’s nothing serious, just a quarrel between young people," Yichuan Ying smiled, deliberately glancing at Dangyang Ling. Although he was angry, he didn’t dare to make a sound.

"That’s good to hear. I hope Miss Yichuan will not hold it against my son," Dangyang Wu said with polite manners, yet he had no intention of making Dangyang Ling apologize. His words were just a formality.

"I’ve come to seek sanctuary with the Superior Lord out of necessity. Please do not blame me for imposing uninvited," Yichuan Ying said, moving past the pleasantries to the main topic.

This was when Cheng Ziang and the others felt the most nervous. They had persuaded Yichuan Ying, but since you never know what lies within a person’s heart, they could not be sure if she was truly convinced or merely playing along in order to lead them into a trap.

"You’ve encountered robbers on the road?" Dangyang Wu asked.

"Yes," Yichuan Ying nodded.

"Then, these family retainers escorted you to safety?" Dangyang Wu narrowed his eyes, his suspicious gaze sweeping over Cheng Ziang and his companions.

"No," Yichuan Ying gently shook her head, once again glancing at Cheng Ziang, then answered, "When they learned I was the young lady of the Yichuan Clan, they let me go but forbade me from using that road again, so I had to take a detour to seek temporary refuge in the green countryside."

Yichuan Ying lived up to expectations. She did not betray Cheng Ziang and company at this critical juncture but firmly aligned herself with them, beginning to denigrate the Yichuan Clan.

"They released you because they knew you were from the Yichuan Clan?" Indeed, as soon as he heard Yichuan Ying’s words, the once smiling Dangyang Wu’s expression darkened, and he asked sternly.

"Yes, what’s wrong? Surely they wouldn’t dare to abduct someone from one of the three great aristocratic families," Yichuan Ying asked, feigning ignorance.

"No, no, it’s nothing," Dangyang Wu took a deep breath to calm his inner fury and waved his hand, dissembling, "Please rest at my residence, and I will immediately send for your father to come and take you home. Please don’t worry."

"Thank you for your trouble, Superior Lord," Yichuan Ying said with joy.