"And who is this Nie Li anyway? Isn't he the guy who shamelessly chased the City Lord's daughter, who got beaten up in some alleyway by Shen Yue and his men? No wonder you like him. You always have a soft spot for pathetic guys, huh? Am I right, Lanruo?"
A chorus of gasps could be heard as the air around the two quarreling girls grew increasingly tense.
Hong Loulan's merciless words were enough to wipe the smirk from Huyan Lanruo's face.
Her chest heaved with anger. Nie Li was someone who had faced death just to protect her. How could she allow this annoying girl to insult him like that?
Shu Mao watched from the side, helplessly sighing as her two friends began throwing insults at each other's crushes.
Not far from them, the house masters of the various families let out chuckles as they watched the commotion with amusement. It was always good to see that the younger generation was full of vigor.
"It surprises me that Brother Xiong's daughter is chasing Nie Li. I don't get why Nie Li was so adamant about pursuing Yun'er if he has someone like Lanruo eyeing him," Ye Yurou whispered in surprise. Nie Li was someone she had become very familiar with during his time staying at the City Lord's Mansion.
She had heard many rumors about him being quite vocal about wanting to court her daughter, to the point that he kept calling her husband "father-in-law."
While Ye Yurou did not particularly hate Nie Li, as he seemed to be a talented and righteous young man, she certainly was not a fan of him trying to court her only daughter.
When it came to choosing a suitable partner for Ye Ziyun, Ye Yurou was far more inclined toward the idea of her daughter becoming one of Xue Hui's wives.
She was admittedly biased, and she knew it very well. But she couldn't help it. Xue Hui was someone who had saved both her life and Ye Zeyang's. Not only that, he was an extraordinary prodigy with godlike mastery of medicine, inscriptions, and alchemy.
So how could anyone blame her for favoring Xue Hui over Nie Li as Ye Ziyun's husband? As a mother, she only wanted what she believed was best for her daughter.
"I have no idea either. Brother Xiong never mentioned any of this. Nie Li is quite public with his actions, so it was no surprise that he ended up attracting some attention," Ye Zong answered in amazement. He couldn't hide the smirk on his face at the sight of his friend's troubled expression.
As the two beauties threw jabs at each other, it didn't take long before some bystanders began wondering who they were arguing over.
"Who are these Nie Li and Xue Hui guys? Why are both of my goddesses fighting over these nobodies?" one noble youth asked disdainfully, his tone filled with bitterness.
He felt extremely jealous. The idea of some unknown loser gaining the favor of both Huyan Lanruo and Hong Loulan angered him to no end.
"Nobodies? Where the heck have you been these past few weeks? How have you never heard of those two guys until now?" exclaimed the person standing next to him, looking at the first guy as though he were an idiot.
"Nie Li is the one who exposed the Sacred Family's Scarlet Sunburst inscription pattern as plagiarized work. He also made a bet with Shen Xiu and ended up driving her from her teaching position at the Holy Orchid Institute. Not only that, his latest accomplishment was defeating the Abyss Demon," another person chimed in, listing some of Nie Li's feats.
"Oh, and don't get me started on Young Master Xue Hui. Rumor has it that he's already a Legend-rank expert and single-handedly defeated the Abyss Two-Headed King Constrictor and the leader of the intruders. Can you believe that? Someone who's only thirteen or fourteen years old has already reached Legend Rank. What kind of monstrous talent is that?" another person interjected, her voice laced with reverence.
As the commotion continued, Nie Li, together with Ye Ziyun, passed through the entrance of the banquet hall, looking quite impressed by the party.
The sight of them attracted the attention of many. A cacophony of whispers could be heard as people followed the two with their gazes.
"Is that Nie Li? He doesn't look that strong."
"Look how simple his clothes are."
"Why is Goddess Ziyun following that guy? Are the two of them a thing?"
Nie Li ignored the murmurs around him as he and Ye Ziyun approached Ye Zing's table, flashing the man a playful grin.
"Father-in-law, this is quite a lavish party you have here. The entire city is celebrating."
The way he addressed Ye Zong caught the attention of quite a number of people. They turned toward them with bewildered expressions.
Heat rushed to Ye Ziyun's cheeks as a flurry of emotions crossed her delicate face before settling into annoyance. She reached over and pinched Nie Li's side, making him wince in pain.
"Nie Li, stop spouting nonsense. Who gave you permission to address my father like that? We're not even dating, so stop assuming things," Ye Ziyun said irritably.
'Nie Li is too annoying. How can he embarrass me like this in front of so many people?' Ye Ziyun complained inwardly, feeling indignant at Nie Li's shamelessness.
Clearing his throat, Ye Zong gave Nie Li a reprimanding look.
"Nie Li, joking around like that, especially in front of so many guests, might cause people to spread baseless rumors, harming my daughter's reputation. Please be more tactful when making jokes."
Although Ye Zong carried himself in a composed manner, he was actually itching to give Nie Li a beating. At a time like this, Nie Li had actually chosen to be brazen before everyone's presence.
"Who said I'm joking? But I get what you mean, so I'll stop addressing you as father-in-law for now," Nie Li said casually.
Which causes a vein pop on Ye Zong's forehead.
Ignoring Ye Zong's sharp glare, Nie Li walked over to Ye Zeyang and gave the boy a knowing grin before taking an item out of his interspatial ring.
"Little bro, since this is our first meeting, let me give you something that will help you become a powerful Demon Spiritualist just like your grandfather, Ye Mo."
Ye Zeyang's eyes shone with excitement upon hearing Nie Li's words. He had heard many stories about his grandfather's incredible feats from his mother and elder sister, so it was no surprise that he idolized Ye Mo and wanted to become just like him.
Nie Li chuckled at the anticipation on the younger boy's face, he handed a piece of parchment to Ye Zeyang, confusing not only.the boy but also both his parents.
"What is written there is a cultivation technique specifically suited to your physique. Practice it, and you will surely reach Legend Rank within ten years."
Thanks to Ancestor Founder Ye Yan, Nie Li had been able to determine the boy's soul force talent.
Although the cultivation technique he gave Ye Zeyang was not as mysterious or powerful as the ones he had given his companions and Ye Ziyun, it was more than enough to allow the boy to cultivate up to Legend Rank.
After taking a quick glance, both mother and son showed expressions of disbelief. Just reading the contents of the parchment was enough for them to sense how extraordinary the cultivation technique was.
Quickly storing the parchment in her interspatial ring, Ye Yurou urged her son to thank Nie Li. She knew how precious the cultivation technique was and was genuinely grateful for his generosity.
"Go on, Yang'er. Thank Nie Li."
"Ah... um... Zeyang thanks Senior for his precious gift."
"Nah, enough of that 'Senior' thing. We're brothers-in-law here, so just call me Elder Brother from now on."
Ye Zong, who had been watching from the side, nearly choked on his drink upon hearing Nie Li's remark.
Ye Yurou's brows twitched, and her smile faltered slightly. Nie Li was far too shameless to coax her son into calling him brother-in-law. Doing so right in front of them was incredibly bold.
Before Ye Zeyang could respond, Ye Ziyun delivered another pinch to Nie Li's side, making him yelp in pain.
"Ignore what he just said, Zeyang. Your thanks are enough. Nie Li is just making a fool of himself again, so don't take his words too seriously, oh! And don't grow up to be like this guy, okay?" Ye Ziyun said hurriedly, her face red as she pulled Nie Li away from her family's table and toward the center of the banquet hall.
Huyan Lanruo, who had watched the entire interaction, lit up upon seeing that she could finally approach him.
Without wasting any time, she turned on her heel and walked toward Nie Li and Ye Ziyun, leaving Hong Loulan speechless. She was both incredulous and a little insulted that Huyan Lanruo had simply turned her back on her without another word.
"Nie Li, you came! I really missed you so much!" Huyan Lanruo greeted as she stepped into Nie Li's personal space.
"What is there to miss? Didn't I already tell you I'm not interested? Can you stop being so persistent?"
Nie Li responded in annoyance. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as a shiver ran down his spine.
He really didn't want to deal with Huyan Lanruo. He found her antics exhausting.
To him, Huyan Lanruo was someone who loved playing around. He believed the only reason she kept making advances toward him was because she found chasing him amusing, and nothing more.
For Nie Li, there was only Ye Ziyun in his heart, the woman with whom he had shared life-and-death struggles in his previous life.
Because of that, he viewed someone like Huyan Lanruo as merely a passing presence in his life, someone who had never truly captured his heart.
At that moment, another group of people walked into the banquet hall.
This time, the chatter completely faded. The hall fell silent as everyone stared in amazement at the group making their entrance.
Nie Li also looked over, and his gaze immediately landed on one person.
"Xue Hui," he muttered under his breath as he watched Xue Hui walk in with his family.
End of Chapter 102
.
.
.
.
If you like my story, and want to support me, you can read advance chapter to my patreon.com/AxelDeAxist