Chapter 1541: Tit For Tat

When they arrived at the entrance of the Situ Mansion, Yi Feng didn't say a word and barged in with Cang Sheng in tow.

The guards of the Situ Mansion were about to step forward to stop them.

But they found themselves blocked by an invisible barrier, completely unable to get close to Cang Sheng and Yi Feng.

Everyone was shocked.

In just a moment.

Yi Feng and Cang Sheng had already entered the main hall of the Situ Mansion.

The hall was decorated in a simple yet elegant style.

The tables and chairs were all made of rosewood, and on both sides of the hall hung ink paintings of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.

The hall was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, and the greenery and flowers were arranged in a pleasing manner, creating a serene atmosphere.

Sitting upright in the seat of honor was the head of the Situ family—Situ Taili.

He stared intently at the newcomers and asked in a condescending tone, "Who are you? What business do you have barging into my Situ family?!"

Yi Feng, dressed in pristine white robes, stood proudly in the center of the hall with his hands behind his back.

"I am Cang Sheng's family. I've come to propose marriage on his behalf to Miss Situ Qingyi."

Yi Feng's tone was indifferent, and he coldly regarded the self-important Situ Taili.

When Cang Sheng heard Yi Feng's words, a wave of emotion surged within him.

It had been a long time since he had felt the support of someone standing up for him.

Tears welled up in his eyes, a mix of gratitude and frustration, but he forced himself to hold them back.

He simply looked at Situ Taili with a mix of resentment and anxiety, feeling torn.

Cang Sheng resented Situ Taili for humiliating him, trampling on him, and even having him beaten.

But at the same time, he wanted Situ Taili's approval, to agree to let his daughter, Situ Qingyi, marry him.

This was a contradictory feeling, but it was the most genuine state many sons-in-law experienced when first meeting their future father-in-law.

He didn't know what Yi Feng would do.

He was afraid that Yi Feng might go too far and provoke the Situ family's retaliation.

He was even more afraid that Situ Taili would hold a grudge against him.

If that happened, it would be nearly impossible for him to be with Qingyi.

This was a dilemma.

But for now, Cang Sheng could only wait and see how things unfolded.

Situ Taili looked at Yi Feng and sneered, "Proposing marriage? What kind of betrothal gifts do you have that you dare barge into my Situ family to propose? Can you even afford to propose? Is this boy worthy of my daughter?!"

Situ Taili cared deeply for his beloved daughter.

As a parent, he couldn't bear to see his daughter marry a poor, orphaned boy like Cang Sheng.

Poverty breeds misery in marriage.

At his age, having experienced so much in life, Situ Taili understood this principle very well.

Although the Situ family could easily support Cang Sheng and Situ Qingyi.

Situ Taili didn't want a useless son-in-law.

He believed that Situ Qingyi was simply caught up in the throes of young love, blinded by infatuation.

He didn't blame his daughter, as she was still young and easily swayed by sweet words.

But while Cang Sheng might have fooled his daughter, he couldn't fool Situ Taili.

Situ Taili would never stand by and watch his daughter throw herself into the fire that was Cang Sheng.

His son-in-law had to be someone with real ability, someone capable of protecting his daughter.

At that moment.

Situ Qingyi, dressed in a yellow gauze dress, rushed in upon hearing the news.

She glanced at Yi Feng and Cang Sheng standing in the hall and ran forward, pleading with her father not to harm them.

At this point.

Situ Taili was even more astonished.

He noticed that the guards seemed to be blocked outside the hall, unable to enter.

Yet his daughter had run in without any hindrance.

He raised his hand to signal Situ Qingyi to remain silent, his expression grave as he looked at Yi Feng.

Yi Feng's face remained expressionless.

He wasn't the least bit affected by Situ Taili's harsh words.

He calmly took out ten pills from his spatial ring.

With a wave of his sleeve, the pills landed on the table beside Situ Taili.

Yi Feng asked coldly, "Are these ten pills enough?"

Situ Taili looked at the pills and was dumbfounded.

He had never heard of, let alone seen, such pills before.

With his level of cultivation, he could tell from the quality of the pills and their rich medicinal aroma that these were ten top-grade pills.

As a member of a merchant family, Situ Taili knew full well how precious such pills were.

He had never expected the visitor to be so extravagant.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Ten pills aren't enough?"

Seeing that Situ Taili remained silent, Yi Feng's expression turned cold, and he casually tossed out ten weapons.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

These high-grade weapons were thrown in front of Situ Taili as if they were scrap metal.

Situ Taili's heart trembled, and his pupils contracted sharply. These weapons were terrifying.

Just the aura emanating from them was enough to make Situ Taili's heart race.

Someone who could produce such weapons and pills was clearly no ordinary person.

It was obvious that this man in white was not someone the Situ family could afford to provoke.

Situ Qingyi's beautiful eyes widened in shock.

She hadn't expected that Yi Feng, who had accompanied them on their journey, would have such means.

Yi Feng could see that the head of the Situ family was thoroughly shocked by the pills and weapons.

But he didn't stop there.

"Since the head of the Situ family remains silent, it seems what I've offered isn't enough."

With that, Yi Feng casually tossed out ten high-grade cultivation manuals.

"Is this enough now? Do I have the right to propose? If it's still not enough, that's fine. I have more betrothal gifts to offer!"

After saying this, Yi Feng took out a large pile of treasures.

He displayed them one by one, throwing them to the ground, causing a series of clattering sounds in the hall.

The treasures fell like a continuous barrage of heavenly thunder, leaving Situ Taili and everyone outside the hall utterly stunned.

Situ Qingyi was dumbfounded, and even Cang Sheng was left speechless.

They had never expected Yi Feng to be so extravagant.

Although Cang Sheng knew Yi Feng was powerful, he realized now that he had underestimated him.

Yi Feng looked at Situ Taili's stunned expression and said coldly, "Don't use your arrogance and shallow understanding to judge others."

"What is your puny Situ family worth? If we're talking about compatibility and matching status, your entire Situ family combined isn't worthy of a single finger of Cang Sheng's!"

Cang Sheng's eyes filled with tears.

He knew exactly what kind of person he was, but he never expected Yi Feng to stand up for him so fiercely.

Under Yi Feng's influence, he couldn't help but straighten his back with newfound confidence.

Situ Taili, however, was flushed with embarrassment.

He could clearly see that Yi Feng was a person of great influence.

This was undoubtedly a slap in the face, using these treasures to humiliate him, the head of the Situ family.

This wasn't a marriage proposal—it was a direct insult to him.

"Esteemed friend, if you are truly here to propose marriage, you shouldn't use your power to intimidate us, nor should you belittle our Situ family like this!"

Yi Feng remained unmoved.

"It's not me who's using power to intimidate—it's your Situ family. I'm simply giving you a taste of your own medicine. Moreover, I'm not belittling your Situ family. I'm merely stating facts."

Cang Sheng, standing to the side, was extremely nervous.

He had never seen the lofty Situ Taili look so discomfited.

But at the same time, he was deeply moved that Yi Feng had come to the Situ family without hesitation to stand up for him after seeing him wronged.

Situ Taili, however, was livid.

He felt the frustration in his chest growing heavier.

As the head of the family, the blow he had received today was greater than anything he had experienced before.

His expression was icy as he said in a deep voice, "The items you've presented are indeed tempting, but I must ask you to take them back."

Situ Taili glanced at his beautiful daughter beside him.

He spoke frankly, "To me, these items are nothing more than material possessions. Although our Situ family may not be worthy in your eyes, we have enough wealth to ensure Qingyi lives a comfortable life."

"As a father, it is my duty to ensure my daughter's happiness. Qingyi must marry someone who can take care of and protect her. Compared to these material things, what I value more is the character and strength of the person she marries."

Situ Taili scrutinized Cang Sheng.

"I don't mean to look down on this young man, but when it comes to Qingyi's lifelong happiness, Cang Sheng must at least prove that he is worthy of her trust."

Yi Feng's expression remained unchanged, but he couldn't help but respect Situ Taili a little more.

The treasures Yi Feng had thrown out were enough to buy several Situ families.

Yet this man hadn't agreed to the marriage proposal because of them.

This showed that he genuinely cared about his daughter's future.

As a father, Situ Taili was indeed quite commendable.

"How do you want Cang Sheng to prove himself?" Yi Feng asked calmly.

Situ Taili looked outside the hall and said leisurely, "To protect Qingyi, he must at least rank among the top ten of our Situ family's younger generation."

Yi Feng turned to Cang Sheng and asked, "Do you have the confidence?"

Cang Sheng clenched his fists and nodded firmly.

"Good!"

Yi Feng looked at Situ Taili.

"Then let's head straight to the arena!"

Situ Qingyi clasped her hands together, her face filled with worry.

Cang Sheng was already injured, and now he had to face the top ten of the family's younger generation. This was too unfair to him.

"Father, Cang Sheng is already injured, and the top ten geniuses of our family are all older than him. How can he possibly win? Why must you make things so difficult for him?!"

Situ Taili looked at his daughter and said earnestly, "Qingyi, marriage is no trivial matter. If he can truly prove himself, it will show that he can protect you. Only then can I agree to this marriage and entrust you to him. Otherwise, you must let go of this idea."

Situ Qingyi wanted to argue further, but Cang Sheng interrupted her.

"Qingyi, your father is right. I must prove that I can protect you. Believe in me!"

"But..." Situ Qingyi still wanted to speak, but Cang Sheng simply gave her a bright, determined smile.

Situ Qingyi sighed deeply. She knew that no matter how much she argued, it would be futile.

The only way she could be with Cang Sheng was if he defeated his opponents.

Fortunately, her father had just said that if Cang Sheng proved himself, he would agree to the marriage.

Situ Qingyi could only silently pray that Cang Sheng would emerge victorious.