Stepping out of the small pavilion, Shen Xian decided to take a stroll through the city, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Ye Mingyuan wouldn’t dare act recklessly right now, and as for his second brother… with the Ye Family’s experts standing guard, he lacked the power to act even if he had the will. This was the perfect time to relax.

Clad in a moon-white robe embroidered with flowing cloud patterns, Shen Xian walked leisurely out of Plum Garden, the dragon-patterned jade pendant at his waist swaying gently with every step.

The guard assigned by the Matriarch, Ye Shun, was already waiting outside the gate. Seeing his master emerge, he immediately stepped forward.

“Does the Young Master wish to go out? This subordinate has prepared the cloud-patterned carriage.”

Ye Shun’s face was resolute. His hair was bound with a dark green jade hairpin, and the standard-issue saber at his waist was polished to a shine. His words and actions were full of respect.

“I’ll walk,” Shen Xian said.

Taking a carriage would be too ostentatious and would cause him to miss many interesting sights.

“Understood!” Ye Shun stepped aside to lead the way, maintaining a respectful distance from Shen Xian—close enough to provide a warning at any moment, yet far enough not to intrude.

As someone from the Matriarch’s side, this guard was clearly cut from a different cloth.

Thousand Leaf City was divided into inner and outer cities, separated by the core district where the Ye Family resided.

The inner city was a gathering place for numerous cultivators, with shops lining the streets in bustling prosperity. The outer city, primarily inhabited by ordinary citizens, seemed much quieter by comparison.

Strolling along the inner city streets, Shen Xian observed the flourishing spectacle of this massive cultivator city with great interest. He occasionally stopped to admire the trinkets sold by roadside vendors, his demeanor relaxed and contented—a stark contrast to the cultivators hurrying past him.

The path of cultivation emphasized diligence and rigorous training.

Since ancient times, it was said that one could not have both fish and bear’s paws; to seek the Great Dao, one usually had to first discard external distractions. Therefore, most cultivators practiced every second they could spare. Only those who felt their immortal path was hopeless would turn to pursue worldly pleasures—just like the Shen Xian of the past.

But now, with the assistance of the Marriage Blessing System, he could steadily improve even while taking a leisurely stroll. Naturally, his state of mind differed greatly from other cultivators.

Of course, there were exceptions in the cultivation world as well. Scions from great clans and families, relying on abundant resources, often only needed to put in one-third of an ordinary person’s effort to achieve faster progress.

This world had always been one where the strong remained strong, and the weak remained weak.

Just then, a clamor reached his ears.

Shen Xian stopped and looked ahead. Before him stood an ancient pavilion adorned with intricate relief carvings. Its doors were wide open, and on its plaque were three powerful characters: Spirit Beast Pavilion. It seemed quite extraordinary.

“Young Master, this is the most popular spirit beast gambling den in the city,” Ye Shun introduced from beside him. As he spoke, he retrieved a warm jade token from his sleeve. “This is a private room voucher they reserve for the Ye Family. If you are interested…”

Spirit beast gambling?

A flicker of interest passed through Shen Xian’s eyes.

Back home, he had heard of this thrilling pastime. But at that time, his cultivation was too lowly to dare venture into such a place where all sorts of people mingled.

But times were different now.

“Let’s take a look,” he said, striding toward the entrance with Ye Shun following closely behind.

Upon entering the ancient pavilion, a black iron cage measuring three zhang square in the center of the main hall immediately caught his eye. Inside, two fierce spirit beasts were locked in intense combat.

The surrounding area was packed with watching cultivators. They clutched betting tokens tightly in their hands, their faces flushed red as they shouted themselves hoarse cheering.

On the circular viewing platform on the second floor, dozens of private rooms had their beaded curtains half-drawn. Through them, one could vaguely see guests clad in fine silks leaning against the railings to watch the fight.

Ye Shun handled matters with experience; he didn’t flaunt the Ye Family token ostentatiously. Instead, he quietly approached the counter and let the manager catch a glimpse of just a corner of it.

The manager understood immediately and led them upstairs without delay.

“Private Room Bing on the second floor has the best view. The window lattice is carved with a soundproofing array,” Ye Shun said from behind in a voice only Shen Xian could hear. “However, Young Master should be aware—when we came upstairs just now, someone in Room Wu kept staring this way. They seem rather interested in you.”

Shen Xian’s heart stirred slightly.

Was he being targeted again?

But he paid it no mind. With a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Ye Family secretly protecting him, no one could pose a real threat anyway.

Upon reaching the second floor, they found their private room clean and neatly arranged. A jade slip placed nearby contained information on all available spirit beasts; it only required a wisp of spiritual energy to access. In addition, there were two jade tokens for placing bets.

“Young Master Shen,” Ye Shun respectfully explained, “The spirit beasts here are matched randomly. Alternatively, you can provide or select your own spirit beast for gambling matches. If you win, you can claim one-third of the total wager pool as profit.”

He seemed quite familiar with this place indeed.

Shen Xian gave a slight nod. Leaning against the window frame and idly playing with a jade token in his hand, he didn’t place any bets yet—he intended to observe first. If something caught his fancy later on, perhaps he’d give it a try. It was just for fun, after all.

Suddenly, the beaded curtain at the entrance was lifted aside!

Ye Shun instantly went on alert, moving as if to block the intruder, but he forcibly stopped himself upon seeing who stood there.

A youth dressed in rich brocade robes strode inside. Behind him followed two attendants whose presence felt coldly sinister.

“What fine taste Third Young Master Shen has.”

After entering, the youth sat directly upon the nearby soft cushions. Crossing his right leg over his left knee and folding his arms across his chest, he looked toward Shen Xian with a smile.

Shen Xian frowned slightly.

This person must be the guy Ye Shun mentioned earlier—the one who had been staring. But personally… he didn’t recognize him at all.

“And you are?” he asked.

“Zhou Xuanyuan. I wonder if Qingxian has mentioned me?” The youth lifted his chin, smiling confidently.

Shen Xian glanced toward Ye Shun.

Ye Shun immediately transmitted a voice message: “Young Master, this person is the son of the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce president. Years ago… he pursued the Fifth Miss.”

The Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce was the largest chamber of commerce within the Southern Region—arguably the largest across the entire continent, barring the Northern Region itself. Its industries were as numerous as the stars, and its internal ranks were filled with strong experts.

Rumor had it that a peak Deity Transformation Realm cultivator sat guarding their headquarters. Such an existence was already considered the strongest among the three regions. To advance further required going to the Northern Region, where spiritual energy was more abundant.

Its overall strength was something neither the Shen nor the Ye Families could hope to match.

However… within this city itself? The Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce was merely a small branch office. Its strength here didn’t surpass the Ye Family’s local power base. Still, its branch president was able to sit on equal footing with the clan patriarchs.

Understanding dawned within his heart. Shen Xian replied calmly, “No.”

Zhou Xuanyuan’s smile froze momentarily before he quickly recovered, laughing lightly. “Ah, yes, indeed. Matters between her and myself are perhaps not suitable for telling you about anyway…”

From start to finish, he kept watching Shen Xian, carefully observing the changes in his expression.

Unfortunately for him, Shen Xian’s expression remained perfectly normal throughout. Mainly because Shen Xian simply didn’t believe Ye Qingxian would ever show interest in someone like this.

In the eyes of that Female Emperor, there was probably no man in the world capable of sparking her interest.

“So then? If Mister Zhou has nothing else, please leave now,” Shen Xian stated flatly, without hesitation.

This was his private room, after all. The other party had barged in without a word—not throwing a fit immediately already counted as having a good temper. As for being the son of some chamber of commerce president? Shen Xian couldn’t care less.

“Why so distant, Third Young Master Shen?” Zhou Xuanyuan held the betting jade token in his hand, his fingers moving fluidly to flip it around effortlessly. He showed absolutely no intention of leaving, continuing to sit there casually.

He chuckled lightly, adding, “I never thought Third Young Master Shen would show interest in spirit beast gambling matches. I just wonder whether your discerning eye for judging beasts… is as ‘unique’ as your cultivation talent?”

He deliberately paused, emphasizing the word unique to make his intentions perfectly clear.

A long time ago, this son of the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce president had shown interest in Ye Qingxian, pursuing her relentlessly to win her favor. But just as Shen Xian thought, given her personality, it was impossible for her to show interest in someone like him.

Later, Zhou Xuanyuan heard about her marriage to Shen Xing and knew he had lost all hope. After all, the other party possessed an Innate Dao Body and was a future Immortal Venerable, plus the eldest legitimate son of the Shen Family—he simply couldn’t compete.

Yet, who could have expected the outcome? Ye Qingxian suffered qi deviation during cultivation, losing her entire cultivation base. A sliver of hope appeared for Zhou Xuanyuan.

He thought surely she would agree to marry him this time, and he launched a fierce pursuit once more.

Yet who could have guessed the result? She still married into the Shen Family. Moreover… she married trash!

Zhou Xuanyuan naturally felt stifled, angry, and deeply resentful. Now, encountering this Shen Family trash, he naturally wanted to target him to vent some frustration.

“No need for Mister Zhou to concern himself,” Shen Xian replied, his voice turning slightly colder.

He just wanted to stroll around a little bit. Why did blind fools always come knocking on his door to bother him?

So annoying.

Zhou Xuanyuan, however, was unmoved. His deep, shadowed eyes fixed on the other man as he offered a faint smile.

“Since Third Young Master Shen enjoys spirit beast wagers… why don’t we have a match of our own?”