248 Self-recommending Heart as Hard as Iron

e warm jade in her hand - an exquisite dragon son statue carved from top-grade white jade. Even though it was made from tender white jade, one could still feel the arrogance and ferocity of the dragon...248. Self-recommendation, but the gentleman's heart is as hard as iron.

Murong Miss arrived, and Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao naturally could no longer stay. However, neither of them left. Mo Xiuyao casually picked up their used teacups and pulled Ye Li through a secret door. Xu Qingchen chose this inn for lodging naturally had its reasons; it was originally a covert outpost set up by the Ding Prince's Manor in An City. As the fourth largest city in Western Ling, the Ding Prince's Manor would naturally not ignore such matters. Behind the secret door was a small chamber with no elaborate furnishings as outside; there was only one table, several chairs, and a bamboo bed. After they had just settled down, sounds of Murong Miss requesting an audience and Xu Qingchen opening the door were heard from outside.

Xu Qingchen looked at the splendidly dressed woman standing in front of him, smiling indifferently: "Miss Murong, may I know what you wish to discuss" The beautiful eyes exposed by Murong's veil stared blankly at Xu Qingchen. She saw that the elegant and refined man who was smiling stood at the doorway with no intention of inviting her inside; she couldn't help but bite her lip as she asked, "Mr. Qingchen, are you not going to invite me in"

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly: "It's getting late. If Miss Murong comes now... it might damage your reputation. I suggest you return." With that, Xu Qingchen took a step back, clearly intending to close the door again. Fearing this, Murong Miss reached out and grabbed Xu Qingchen’s sleeve, "Mr. Qingchen..." Xu Qingchen looked at her in surprise; he didn't expect Murong Miss to also have some martial arts background. Although Xu Qingchen himself did not understand martial arts, among his acquaintances were many experts. Thus, with Xu Qingchen's discerning eyes, he could judge that this Murong Miss had considerable prowess, ranking fairly well among women.

"Why is Miss Murong here" Xu Qingchen pulled back his sleeve and asked indifferently while lowering his gaze.

"Mr. Qingchen... I... Mingyan wants to have a private talk with you. Please bear with me," said Murong Miss, looking up at Xu Qingchen earnestly.

Xu Qingchen pondered for a moment and finally stepped aside to let her in. Upon seeing this retreat from Xu Qingchen, Murong Miss breathed a sigh of relief and entered his room.

Inside the room, Xu Qingchen's arrangements were particularly tranquil and refined, quite different from the luxurious richness of the Murong family. Looking back at the elegantly dressed Xu Qingchen in white robes, Murong Miss suddenly felt embarrassed.

Originally, she had been very confident; as the most beautiful woman in An City and the only heir of the Murong family, she could wear the finest jewels, most splendid clothes, and enjoy exquisite dishes. However, upon seeing this man before her, she suddenly felt ashamed of her lavish attire, as if the precious ornaments and magnificent clothing that everyone once envied had instantly become vulgar.

She even began to regret following the maid's advice to dress so grandly to meet Xu Qingchen; would he find her vulgar Yes, the Xu family was a scholarly clan renowned for its refined tastes. Thinking of this, Murong Miss wished she could immediately return and severely punish the maid who had given her such ideas.

"Miss Murong, please sit down," said Xu Qingchen as he sat down and poured a cup of tea on his opposite side's position.

Murong Miss thanked him and picked up the teacup to take a sip. However, she couldn't help but frown. Since childhood, everything had been the best and most exquisite; even imperial princesses might not be as luxurious in material possessions. The tea that Xu Qingchen poured for her was far from good quality, and it wasn’t freshly brewed either. If anyone else served her such tea, she would definitely refuse to drink it. But seeing Xu Qingchen drinking his tea without any hint of discomfort, she could only silently endure.

Seeing the lady opposite him frowning and enduring, a cold smile flickered across Xu Qingchen's eyes. Of course, he knew what she was enduring for and why she had to endure it. Tea tasting was naturally an elegant matter, which the Xu family excelled at more than anyone else. He well knew that the tea in this inn wasn't good; however, as a refined scholar caught up in worldly affairs, when pressed by official duties, having a drink of tea would be enough already. Who would care about whether the tea leaves were good or if the water was suitable

"Miss Murong, what do you wish to say" Xu Qingchen asked directly.

Miss Mu clearly had never encountered a man who was so impolite to her before. This wasn't because Xu Qingchen was rude; in fact, Xu Qingchen was more courteous than most men she knew. However, his every word and action conveyed his indifference towards her.

Slightly aggrieved, Miss Mu bit the corner of her lip and lifted her hand to remove the veil covering her face, revealing a beautiful countenance. Once again, however, Miss Mu was disappointed as Xu Qingchen's gaze remained unchanged when he looked at her. It seemed that whether the woman before him had a covered face or an exquisite appearance made no difference to him whatsoever. After staring at Xu Qingchen for a long time and confirming his indifference towards her looks, she lowered her eyes, concealing her frustration and defeat in them, and said, "My humble name is Mingyan, Mu Mingyan greets Mr. Qingchen."

The room was silent, but inside Mu Mingyan felt aggrieved. She had only seen the refined appearance and elegant manners of Mr. Qingchen and forgotten that he dared to challenge her great-grandfather and the Mu family right from his first meeting with them. How could such a person be someone easy to persuade After waiting for a long time without Xu Qingchen speaking, Mu Mingyan looked at the cold-hearted man before her in a somewhat aggrieved manner and gritted her teeth as she said, "Mr. Qingchen... Are you willing to marry into the Mu family"

Upon hearing these words, not only were the guards protecting Xu Qingchen in hiding almost shocked off their feet, even Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li who were watching from a hidden room were taken aback. Ye Li's pretty face turned serious as she said coldly, "Mu Mingyan is really very bold!" Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement, saying, "She truly has some nerve!" The Mu family dared to poach their talent; did they want to court death

However, Xu Qingchen remained calm and composed, asking indifferently, "What does Miss Mu mean by this"

Mu Mingyan's beautiful face showed a hint of bitter smile as she looked at Xu Qingchen blankly and said, "Mr. Qingchen also heard what my grandfather had to say; they would choose someone from the top ten martial artists as my husband."

Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes and replied, "I am not well-versed in martial arts skills, let alone the top ten martial artists; I wouldn't even be able to defeat a third-rate one. Miss Mu has probably come here by mistake." Mu Mingyan shook her head and said, "No, Mr. Qingchen is different. You are renowned across the land for your intelligence and wisdom. If you agree to marry into our family, my grandfather would give up his position as the number one martial artist in the world."

Seeing Xu Qingchen's indifferent expression, Mu Mingyan hesitated and said doubtfully, "Sir... You don't want to"

"I am not worthy of Miss Mu." Xu Qingchen humbly declined, effectively rejecting Mu Mingyan's proposal.

Mu Mingyan's expression changed slightly as she asked, "Why If you marry me, the entire Mu family will be yours. Isn't owning an entire clan better than serving Duke Ding in Li city for Mr. Qingchen Or... Am I not beautiful enough to match Mr. Qingchen"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and said with a smile as he looked at Mu Mingyan, "Miss Mu, marriage is about緣分 (fate). We do not have this kind of fate between us; please don't force it upon yourself. With your talent and beauty, there are many talented young men in the world who would be happy to marry Miss Mu."

A girl of her age was asking a man if he wanted to marry her personally, only to receive such an answer, causing tears to glisten in Mu Mingyan's eyes. With some reluctance, she looked at Xu Qingchen and said, "Does Mr. Qingchen already have someone special No... I've never heard of any lady being close to Mr. Qingchen, not even Princess Anxi from Nanzhao who has long been married. I don't believe there's a woman in the world more suitable for Mr. Qingchen than me."

Mr. Qingchen leisurely sipped his slightly cool tea and looked at the tear-streaked woman opposite him calmly, saying, "Sometimes, whether marriage is appropriate or not doesn't matter; perhaps one day I will meet someone suitable. She may not be exceptionally talented nor extraordinarily beautiful, she might have an ordinary background. Miss Mu, measuring by suitability indeed has no meaning. I believe you don't have anything else to say now, so please leave."

Being rejected in such a direct and unfeeling manner by Xu Qingchen left Mu Mingyan's radiant face full of embarrassment. The beautiful eyes staring at Xu Qingchen also showed some resentment as she gritted her teeth and said, "I was not alone when I came here; if I say we have something going on between us, which do you think people will believe more - your words or mine"

Xu Qingchen looked at Mu Mingyan helplessly and shook his head, saying, "If Miss Mu were just an ordinary girl, people would naturally believe you more. But... now everyone in the city probably believes me more."

In the eyes of others, Mu Mingyan was a real "gold mountain." Who would believe that someone who had already obtained a gold mountain still wanted to push it away Moreover, even if he and Mu Mingyan were really involved in something, there would be plenty of people willing to believe they were innocent. A single woman was insignificant compared to the entire Mu Clan. Mu Mingyan paused for a moment before quickly understanding Xu Qingchen's meaning.

When her threats failed, Mu Mingyan blushed and pouted, saying sullenly, "I must make you marry me!" Xu Qingchen smiled but said nothing; his calm eyes clearly conveyed that he would never marry her.

In the end, Mu Mingyan left with tears in her eyes. Xu Qingchen simply smiled faintly, closed the door and sat down to pour himself a cup of tea.

"Brother, what does Mu Mingyan mean" Ye Li pushed open the door and walked over to sit beside Xu Qingchen, asking softly.

Mos Yao followed her out and said with a teasing tone, "Do you really need to ask Naturally, it's because Lady Mu was smitten by the handsome appearance of Brother Qingchen. Among the top ten martial artists, apart from Prince Zhen Nan and Ling Tiehan... even Ren Qining doesn't have any impressive figures. When Lady Mu is truly infatuated with someone young and talented, she naturally wants to choose a husband who meets her standards."

Ye Li frowned and snorted lightly, "She thinks that she can make Brother marry her Who does she think she is" If Brother really agrees out of a momentary lapse in judgment, he'll be broken-legged by his maternal grandfather and uncle when he returns. It would be one thing if the head of the Xu family were to enter the marriage with a merchant's family, but choosing such an arrogant woman...

Xu Qingchen smiled from the side and poured her a cup of iced tea, saying with a smile, "Liyi, Brother isn't planning on marrying right now. Furthermore, this is just Mu Mingyan's wild imagination. How could Mu Xiong or Clan Head Mu agree to it According to me... Lord Ling might have more chances."

The Mu family certainly wouldn’t marry their daughter into the Western Capital Imperial Family; thus, there were very limited choices available for her potential suitors. If they wanted to oppose Prince Zhen Nan, Lady Mu would only be able to choose among Mo Jingqi, Ling Tiehan, and Mos Yao. But since Mos Yao had not appeared at all, the final choice would come down between Mo Jingqi and Ling Tiehan. Xu Qingchen believed that Ling Tiehan was more likely, as the Hell King Pavilion itself was within Western Capital territory, making this a powerful alliance for both parties. Moreover, Ling Tiehan was also in conflict with Prince Zhen Nan, but the Hell King Pavilion had been steadily existing all these years without issue, indicating that Prince Zhen Nan held Ling Tiehan in high regard.

Mos Yao frowned and pondered before saying, "Not necessarily; if Brother Qingchen truly agrees to enter into a marriage with the Mu family, Mu Xiong might give up on Ling Tiehan." While an alliance between the Mu family and Hell King Pavilion would indeed be advantageous, in the future, the head of the clan wouldn’t be from the Mu family. However, if the incomparably intelligent Brother Qingchen were to enter into a marriage with them, it would make a huge difference. They could rely on the Xu family's relationship with the Ding Prince's王府to restrain the Western Capital Imperial Family and have both Brother Qingchen’s unparalleled strategies and Mu Xiong’s peerless martial arts as their support. Prince Zhen Nan wouldn’t dare to act rashly against the Mu family.

“Therefore... Brother Qingchen, you must be very careful this time.” Mos Yao earnestly advised; losing a clever person like Brother Qingchen would indeed cause him much trouble.

Xu Qingchen considered Mos Yao’s words and nodded with a smile after a moment: "Thank you for the reminder." He had already thought of countermeasures, so Mos Yao didn’t say anything more. Holding Ye Li’s hand, he stood up and said, “Brother can調配the manpower himself as needed. We’ll stay in An City, and everything should be handled with caution.” Xu Qingchen nodded calmly and watched them leave.

After seeing off Mos Yao and Ye Li, Xu Qingchen frowned and thought about what might happen the next day. A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips under the candlelight. There were many things he could compromise on, but... He hoped that Mu Clan would be reasonable as well.

"Brother Qingchen." An undercover guard stood at the door and reported.

Xu Qingchen sat up straight and asked sideways, "What’s the matter"

The guard walked in and presented a letter with both hands. "This is news from White Tiger just now," he said respectfully as Xu Qingchen took the letter. The guard then stepped back out politely.

Opening the wax seal, there was a sheet of paper marked with a white tiger symbol. Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow at it. Ren Qining... He looked unremarkable, but seemed to be intriguing after all. It was only because he had foolishly tried to probe Mos Yao and Liyi’s intentions. Sealing the letter again, he summoned another guard to deliver it to Prince Ding and his wife. Xu Qingchen shook his head and turned back into his room.

When Ye Li and Mos Yao returned to their inn, she was still smiling in anger. Seeing her perturbed expression, Mos Yao couldn't help but smile: "Liyi, why would your brother be interested in such a woman If you’re this upset, I might get jealous." Ye Li shot him an annoyed look; Mos Yao then embraced her with a smile and said, "Isn’t that so This is Brother’s own matter. If you worry too much about it, won't I be the one feeling jealous

Lei Li leaned against Mo Xiuyao and asked with some worry and hesitation, "Am I really meddling too much" Actually, Miss Meng wasn’t as bad as she thought. She just wanted her big brother to have a more perfect woman. However, as Big Brother had said, whether someone was suitable or not couldn’t be determined solely based on their external conditions.

Seeing Lei Li’s indecisive and anxious expression, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but kiss her face several times before muttering to himself with a smile, "Ah Li, you’re just worried too much, so you’re feeling conflicted. What kind of person is Brother Xu If he truly likes someone, even if you don’t like them, how can you stop him Since he said that, naturally, it means that he doesn’t think much of Miss Meng Mingyan. Your eyesight isn’t wrong; this Miss Meng Mingyan just isn’t suitable for Brother Xu." At such a time, Mo Xiuyao didn’t mind praising Xu Qingchen.

Lei Li felt somewhat reassured and inwardly reminded herself to refrain from giving her opinions on whom Big Brother should marry in the future. People often tend to be self-centered and think that something is good or bad based on their own standards. As long as Big Brother thought it was suitable, others didn’t need to say anything.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Lady."

A shadow quietly appeared in the outer room and stood respectfully with his hands clasped together.

Mo Xiuyao frowned unhappily. "What is it"

"Young Master Qingchen instructed me to deliver a letter."

"Bring it in." Mo Xiuyao leaned on the bamboo bed, lazily saying.

The person outside hesitated for a moment before entering. The inner room’s windows were half-opened, and the Lord was lying idly on Lady’s body on the bamboo bed by the window. Just as he thought about it, a sharp cold light shot toward him, making him shiver involuntarily. He quickly presented the letter and said crisply, "I take my leave."

Seeing that he knew his place, Mo Xiuyao hummed noncommittally. The person who delivered the message left like a gust of wind.

Mo Xiuyao half-lay on the bamboo bed and slowly opened the letter with his head resting on Lei Li’s leg. Soon, he chuckled softly. Lei Li was puzzled, "What is it" Mo Xiuyao handed her the letter with a smile and said, "I told you that for such an extravagant display by the Meng family, they would have to bring out some powerful figures. This year’s martial arts conference has been too ordinary. It looks like there will be interesting things tomorrow."

Lei Li looked at the letter in confusion, her delicate eyebrows furrowing gradually, "Even our people can’t find Ren Qining’s identity… Such a person…" Mo Xiuyao said with an excuse, "Such a person either hasn’t appeared on the scene or is from a mysterious force that has been hidden for a long time. Haha... It’s intriguing. For Ren Qining to suddenly appear now, it can’t be just for the title of one of the top ten martial artists, right Looks like your big brother’s plan to unite others against Meng Xiong might not work out."

"Do you have any ideas"

"Ideas Isn’t this something that should be handled by your big brother My dear, we are just insignificant passersby. No need to worry."

To all readers… Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Wishing everyone a happy and harmonious family reunion.amily moving against them but Mo Jingli."Ye Li was moved and looked at Mo Xiuyao, "The wealth of the Feng family Mo Jingli controls the wealthiest part of Greater Chu; he shouldn’t be short on money a...