What drew the most attention was a longsword.
It floated quietly at the very top of the pile of treasures.
There were no complex carvings on the blade, yet wisps of bone-chilling cold air seeped from it.
A thin layer of white frost even covered the ground beneath it.
Just looking at it made one feel as if their very soul was about to be frozen.
Beside it sat a palm-sized jade bottle.
Inside the bottle was a handful of emerald green liquid that seemed to have condensed all the life force in the world.
The liquid emitted a soft glow.
Just having the light shine on them made the guests feel comfortable and refreshed, as if all their past fatigue had been swept away.
In addition to those, there were countless magic scrolls emitting terrifying fluctuations of Magic, each one containing heart-pounding energy.
There were also several Giant Dragon scales (which had naturally shed from Little Green), each one sturdier than the most expensive shield.
The “betrothal gifts” sent by the Third Prince could not even be considered trash in front of this pile of divine objects.
They were like fireflies beneath the sun, instantly losing all their luster.
The courtyard was dead silent.
A needle could be heard dropping.
The guests who had been shouting the loudest earlier now had their mouths agape.
Their eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets, and their throats made hoarse, rattling sounds, as if they were being strangled.
An expression of disbelief appeared on Su Changhai’s face.
“This… this… this is impossible…” His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
Within the crowd, the president of the Mercenary Guild—who had previously been as steady as a mountain and was known for his vast experience—suddenly bolted upright from his seat.
He rushed toward the pile of treasures in a few steps but came to a sudden halt three meters away.
He did not dare to get any closer, as if the items were sacred offerings.
He stared fixedly at the floating icy longsword.
His lips trembled, and his voice cracked from extreme shock, becoming sharp and ear-piercing.
“Frostfall Fang!”
“The… the legendary weapon forged from the tooth of an ancient Frost Giant Dragon… the Frostfall Fang!”
The mention of that name was like a thunderclap dropped into the silent courtyard.
However, that was not the end.
The president’s gaze suddenly shifted to the jade bottle.
His breathing instantly became heavy, and a heat more fervent than when he saw the artifact exploded in his eyes—a mix of greed and fanaticism.
“And that… heavens!”
“That is the Morning Dew of the Spring of Life!”
“A single drop… can bring a withered tree back to life in spring, and can even regrow severed limbs!”
The entire place broke into an uproar.
Chu Tian ignored the shock of the crowd.
He turned around and looked directly at Su Changhai.
The curve of his lips was cold, devoid of any warmth.
“Family Head Su Changhai.”
His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly in everyone’s ears within the silent courtyard.
“You repeatedly claimed this was for the glory of the family and for the future of Hidden Dragon Town, but you simply wanted to trade Niannian’s happiness for your own future.”
He stepped forward slowly.
Each step seemed to land on the rhythm of everyone’s heartbeat, and the invisible pressure made the air feel thick.
“As for the Third Prince’s so-called sincerity… is his sincerity to have Niannian marry a man who refuses to even show his face and only sends a servant with a pile of scrap metal?”
His words slammed heavily into Su Changhai’s heart.
Scrap metal!
Those two words caused the guests’ breathing to hitch.
To call the Royal Family’s heavy gifts “scrap metal.”
How arrogant!
But looking at the pile of treasures in the center of the courtyard—emitting a divine glow and light that seemed to pulse with life—and then looking at the dull gold and silver jewelry beside them, no one could utter a word of disagreement.
“Su Nian is now a Hero who repelled the demon tide and a Saintess revered by thousands,” Chu Tian continued.
“Her marriage should naturally be decided by her and her parents. Since when is it the place of an uncle who rarely stays in touch to come here and dictate her life?”
He paused, his gaze finally settling back on Su Changhai.
His eyes were as cold as if he were looking at a dead object.
Originally, he had thought about being polite when visiting the Su Family of Hidden Dragon Town because he needed to obtain information about the energy-gathering magic circle from them.
But now, it seemed there was no need to be polite.
He would find the information himself!
With that, he directly took the two supreme treasures—items capable of driving the entire Continent into a frenzy—and personally delivered them to Su Nian’s parents.
“These… and these, are not betrothal gifts. They are meeting gifts I prepared for you, Aunt and Uncle.”
His posture was humble and his tone sincere, as if he truly were just an ordinary young man who had fallen for a beloved girl and had come to pay his respects to his future in-laws.
Su Zhentian’s hands were trembling.
It was not out of fear, but because of an uncontrollable excitement originating from the depths of his soul.
He was a swordsman.
Even though he was plagued by injuries and his strength had plummeted, the pride in his bones had never been extinguished.
Trembling, he reached out and touched the Frostfall Fang.
Upon contact, a bone-chilling cold followed his arm and instantly surged into his limbs and bones.
The Spring of Life’s power further washed through the old injuries that had accumulated in his body for years, repairing damage that had long been deemed irreversible.
He could clearly feel his long-dried and exhausted source of power being refilled.
Power!
The power he had not felt in years was waking up inside him, roaring!
“Good…”
His throat moved, and the voice he produced was incredibly raspy.
“A good sword!”
In the past, Su Zhentian had been the strongest member of the Su Family and a strong contender for the position of Family Head.
However, due to a family mission, he had been heavily injured.
Not only did his strength fail to progress, but it also regressed significantly.
It was only then that he had quietly distanced himself from the Su Family under the weight of life and the family’s cold shoulder.
Liu Yue looked at her husband’s state, then at the bottle of Morning Dew of the Spring of Life emitting a soft glow of life.
She was so moved that she covered her mouth with her hand, unable to speak a full sentence.
Su Zhentian suddenly raised his head.
He gripped the divine sword tightly in his hand, and his dull eyes now erupted with an unprecedented, burning brilliance.
He looked at Chu Tian, the young man who had brought him rebirth and hope.
His voice was no longer submissive; it was full of vigor, like a thunderclap exploding throughout the courtyard.
“I, as her father, agree to my daughter’s marriage!”
Standing to the side, Su Nian watched this absurd, ridiculous, yet incredibly satisfying scene with mixed emotions.
Seeing her father regain his former glory and the hope burning in her mother’s eyes, the heavy stone in her heart—placed there by her family’s plight—finally fell to the ground.
‘Speaking of this Horned Demon Bastard…’
‘He’s a Horned Demon, yet he uses the name Chu Tian, and his acting is far too good.’
‘That humble, polite, and deeply affectionate appearance is practically flawless. He even fooled my parents.’
‘He even got my parents to agree to let me marry him.’
‘Hmph!’
But it was all fake.
This was merely a temporary identity they were playing to complete the mission of obtaining the energy-gathering magic circle.
She could hardly tell them that she had been defeated and captured by this guy, and that he was now her Master, could she?
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