Soon after, the two arrived at an exquisite side courtyard. The main courtyard had been demolished by Qin Guan the previous night, so Nan Yunqi and his family had moved here.

At that moment, the family of three was enjoying breakfast. They were stunned when they saw Qin Guan leading Nan Rou inside.

Yang Hongmei, in particular, pointed at Qin Guan, her mouth agape, momentarily at a loss for words. After searching for him all night, this good-for-nothing had the audacity to show up at their door?

"Good morning, Uncle, Auntie. Why didn't you call us for breakfast?" Qin Guan greeted them with a wide grin.

Nan Rou quickly stepped in front of Qin Guan. "Greetings, Father, Mother!"

Yang Hongmei completely ignored Nan Rou and pointed at Qin Guan. "You worthless scum! Guards!"

At her words, four guards rushed in.

"Stand down!" Nan Yunqi suddenly barked at them.

The guards hesitated for a moment before retreating.

"My lord, what are you doing?" Yang Hongmei demanded angrily of Nan Yunqi. "This good-for-nothing killed Hu Liu! Why aren't you having him seized?"

Before Nan Yunqi could speak, Qin Guan snorted. "A dog that dares to bite its master—shouldn't it be put down?"

"What do you mean by that?" Nan Yunqi asked with a frown.

Qin Guan looked at him. "In this freezing weather, that Hu Liu deliberately withheld charcoal from Nan Rou, nearly letting her freeze to death. He also insulted her. Uncle, do you think he didn't deserve to die?"

Nan Yunqi's expression darkened upon hearing this. He glanced at Yang Hongmei. He had known about some of her actions, but he never imagined she would go so far.

"You good-for-nothing, what nonsense are you spouting?" Yang Hongmei retorted, her expression unchanging. "When has Hu Liu ever shorted Rou'er on supplies? Hasn't she always been given the very best of everything?"

Just then, Nan Rou spoke up. Her voice was soft, but it held a hint of reproach. "I don't mind having more or less, but Mother, please stop calling Brother Guan a good-for-nothing."

"She's rebelling! My lord, look at this fine daughter you've raised! Now she dares to talk back to me! Such disrespect for her elders!"

Yang Hongmei was stunned. Nan Rou, who was usually as timid as a quail, was actually being sarcastic with her. A vicious glint flashed in her eyes. *The little bitch must have a death wish!*

"Mother, that's enough," Nan Qiao, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected. "In two days, it will be my sister and Qin Guan's wedding. We should be blessing them and focusing on the preparations."

As long as Qin Guan agreed to be with Nan Rou and left her alone, Nan Qiao didn't care.

"Qiao'er is right," Nan Yunqi nodded. "We'll all be one family soon, and a family should live in harmony."

The Nan Family still relied on the support of Yang Hongmei's family, so honestly, his hands were tied in many matters. He could only turn a blind eye.

At these words, Yang Hongmei bit back her retort and suppressed her anger. She understood Nan Qiao's point perfectly. Hu Liu's life was nothing compared to her daughter's reputation. As for this grievance, there would be plenty of opportunities to settle the score after the wedding.

"Go fetch two more sets of bowls and chopsticks!"

Nan Yunqi called to a maid at the door. He then turned to Nan Rou with a smile. "Rou'er, your complexion is much better today. You have some color in your cheeks."

At his words, Nan Rou's face lit up. "Father, I haven't had a chance to tell you! Brother Guan cured my cold poison. I'm completely healed now!"

"What?!"

Nan Yunqi shot to his feet. He rushed to Nan Rou's side and placed his fingers on her wrist to check her pulse. A moment later, his expression shifted from shock to elation. "Haha! It's truly gone! That dreadful cold poison is completely gone!"

"Young Hero Qin, please accept my deepest gratitude!"

With his eyes welling up, Nan Yunqi gave Qin Guan a deep, formal bow.

Nan Rou had lost her mother when she was young, and he, as a father, felt he had failed her miserably, his heart filled with guilt. Seeing his daughter finally healthy, he was grateful to Qin Guan from the bottom of his soul.

Nearby, Yang Hongmei and Nan Qiao were also stunned to learn that Qin Guan had cured Nan Rou's cold poison.

How could this good-for-nothing cure a cold poison that so many powerful experts could not?

"A father-in-law bowing to his son-in-law? I'm not worthy of such an honor!" Qin Guan joked as he helped Nan Yunqi up.

Hearing this, Nan Yunqi's expression soured. He quickly straightened up, puffing out his chest.

Nan Rou covered her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle.

"Hmph. Pathetic."

Yang Hongmei snorted and stood to leave. She would rather die than eat at the same table as those two.

"Father, I'm going to cultivate," Nan Qiao said, also taking her leave.

After the mother and daughter had gone, Nan Yunqi couldn't help but sigh. "Rou'er, your father has wronged you all these years."

"Father, you don't have to feel that way. I understand," Nan Rou said softly. She knew her stepmother used the Nan Family's reliance on the Yang Family's support to keep her father under her thumb.

"Let's not dwell on that. Come, sit and eat," Nan Yunqi said with a smile.

The three sat down, and Nan Yunqi turned to Qin Guan. "Did you really kill Hu Liu?"

"I did." Qin Guan nodded.

"You're a martial artist?" Nan Yunqi asked. He'd heard from a servant yesterday that Qin Guan was a 2nd Realm Warrior.

"I am." Qin Guan nodded again.

"To reach the 2nd Realm at such a young age is quite an achievement," Nan Yunqi said admiringly.

Martial artists are born without a Dantian and cannot cultivate by gathering spiritual energy; they can only advance their realm through arduous training.

From Nan Yunqi's perspective, reaching the 2nd Realm was already a remarkable feat for Qin Guan.

"There's nothing wrong with being a martial artist. At least you're grounded and hardworking. I don't expect great things from you; I only ask that you treat Rou'er well from now on."

Nan Yunqi glanced at Nan Rou before patting Qin Guan's shoulder.

"Do your best here in the Nan Family, and I will try to secure some cultivation resources for you. Strive to break through to become a 3rd Realm Warrior in your lifetime. It is incredibly difficult, but a young man must work hard and never give up easily."

Qin Guan just smiled and said nothing. For him, an 8th Realm Warrior, taking even a single small step forward was harder than ascending to the heavens. The Nan Family's entire fortune wouldn't be enough to fund that one small step.

Just then, Nan Rou spoke up worriedly. "Father, Brother Guan killed Hu Liu. When Yang Ao comes out of his seclusion, he will surely come looking for trouble. Could you..."

This was the fear that had been nagging at her, and the real reason she had forced herself to come here.

"Don't worry, I will handle it personally," Nan Yunqi said with a wave of his hand, though the thought of Yang Ao's temper gave him a headache.

Nan Rou instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

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Seeing how much Nan Rou cared for him, Qin Guan felt a warm glow inside. *I really picked the best wife!*

With this in mind, Qin Guan turned to Nan Yunqi. "Nan Rou's house was demolished, so now she has to sleep in the woodshed. Perhaps you could resolve this matter as well?"

"What?!"

Nan Yunqi exclaimed, though he immediately understood. It must have been Yang Hongmei. That woman had grown increasingly disrespectful over the past two years.

"Jia Quan!" he bellowed, summoning a middle-aged guard.

"Prepare the eastern side courtyard for the Young Miss. You are to handle this personally!"

"Yes, my lord!" Jia Quan replied and promptly departed.

After Jia Quan left, Nan Yunqi took out a Storage Bag and discreetly passed it to Nan Rou. He whispered, "There are a hundred thousand gold coins in here. Take him into town today, buy him some decent clothes, and then purchase some betrothal gifts. You're getting married in two days; it wouldn't be proper to go without them."

"Alright." Nan Rou quickly took the Storage Bag.

Qin Guan smiled to himself. *This cheap father-in-law of mine finally did something right.*

"Oh, right. You two should be careful for the time being. Last night, the Nan Family was attacked by a powerful expert. All the buildings in the main courtyard collapsed. This person's strength is no less than my own. You must be extra cautious at night."

As he spoke, Nan Yunqi's expression grew incredibly grim. He still had no leads on the attacker, and the mystery left him unable to eat or sleep in peace.

Hearing this, Nan Rou's delicate brows knitted together as she stole a glance at Qin Guan.

Qin Guan, however, just took a large gulp of his rice porridge, pairing it with a bite of pickled vegetables.

"I have other matters to attend to, you two finish your meal." With that, Nan Yunqi rose and left.

"Brother Guan," Nan Rou asked after he was gone, "you said you saw people sparring last night. Is it possible they weren't sparring, but demolishing the house?"

Hearing this, Qin Guan nearly spat out his mouthful of food. *This girl is just too innocent!*

"I don't know. It was pitch-black, so I couldn't see clearly." Qin Guan shook his head, quickly changing the subject. "Hurry and eat before your food gets cold."

...

That afternoon, Qin Guan and Nan Rou moved into the small eastern courtyard. It wasn't large and was somewhat secluded, but it was very quiet.

Qin Guan stood in the yard, kicking at pebbles and glancing occasionally toward one of the rooms. He was waiting for Nan Rou, who had insisted on dressing up so she wouldn't embarrass him on their outing.

Before long, Nan Rou emerged from her room.

She was tall and slender, her posture as elegant as a stalk of jade bamboo. She wore a pale yellow dress that accentuated her snow-white skin. With her eyes curved in a gentle smile, she walked toward him, her skirt fluttering in the breeze. An aura of tender grace washed over him, as if a peerless beauty from an ancient painting had come to life. Her beauty was utterly mesmerizing.

Qin Guan was so captivated that for a moment, it felt as if time itself had stopped.

Seeing Qin Guan's dazed expression, Nan Rou felt a flicker of pride, but she still asked for his opinion. "Brother Guan, do I look alright?"

"You look beautiful," Qin Guan nodded.

Reassured by his answer, Nan Rou broke into a radiant smile. "Then let's go!"

Soon, they arrived in the bustling heart of Luyun City.

Along the way, the stunningly beautiful Nan Rou drew frequent, furtive glances from passersby. But when they saw the shabbily dressed Qin Guan beside her, they would shake their heads with a mixture of envy and contempt.

Nan Rou led Qin Guan to a fabric shop, intending to buy some material to make him new clothes herself.

Qin Guan picked out several fabrics in simple, plain colors. Nan Rou made a mental note, realizing he didn't care for gaudy colors.

After leaving the fabric shop and buying a few trinkets, they made their way to Tianbao Pavilion.

Located in Luyun City's most upscale district, the items in Tianbao Pavilion easily cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, of gold coins.

They had only been in Tianbao Pavilion for a short while, but they had already spent fifty thousand gold coins. Finally, Qin Guan led Nan Rou to the Spiritual Material section, planning to buy ingredients for a nourishing tonic for her.

Seeing Qin Guan with such an eye-catching beauty, the shopkeeper from the day before asked with a grin, "And who might this young lady be?"

"My fiancée," Qin Guan replied.

Nan Rou gave the shopkeeper a polite nod.

"You lucky dog! Not only fortunate, but lucky in love too!"

The shopkeeper gave Qin Guan a thumbs-up. The kid didn't look like much, but he had to admit, he had a way with things.

"That's right," Qin Guan grinned. "My luck has always been pretty good."

He quickly selected a few Spiritual Materials.

"That'll be sixteen thousand eight hundred. I'll knock off the eight hundred, so let's call it an even sixteen thousand," the shopkeeper said with a wide smile.

Knowing the tonic was for her, Nan Rou hesitated to take out the Storage Bag. Sixteen thousand gold coins for a single prescription was an incredible extravagance.

"This young lady's purchase is on the house!" Just as Nan Rou was about to pay, a voice called out.

A young man in white robes approached at a leisurely pace. He had Sword-like Eyebrows and Starry Eyes, a face as handsome as polished jade, and a faint smile played on his thin lips beneath a high-bridged nose. He was flanked by two guards in fine silks.

"Yes, Young Master!" The shopkeeper bowed his head respectfully upon seeing the young man.

This was the Young Master, Chen Shaojie, son of the owner of Tianbao Pavilion. He was a wealthy young lord who did as he pleased in Luyun City—an absolute member of the upper echelon.

"I am Chen Shaojie, and I find myself utterly captivated by your beauty. Might I have the honor of your friendship?"

"That won't be necessary."

Seeing the ill intent in his eyes, a frightened Nan Rou quickly moved closer to Qin Guan's side.

Noticing this, Chen Shaojie glanced at Qin Guan and asked with a smirk, "And who is he to you, miss?"

Nan Rou replied angrily, "He is my fiancé! Please conduct yourself with some dignity!"

Hearing this, Chen Shaojie produced a Storage Bag and tossed it at Qin Guan's feet.

"This is enough money to last you the rest of your life. Give your fiancée to me."

Qin Guan just smiled faintly. He looked at Chen Shaojie and said:

"Are the women in your family for sale? Name your price. I'll buy your mother, your sisters, all of them. I've got a few dozen gold coins right here. You think that's enough?"

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