The Son-in-Law of Heaven’s Proud Daughter

Yan Yun was momentarily stunned.

However, catching a glimpse of an unusual emotion in her mother’s eyes, she forcibly composed herself.

Initially, marrying Jiang Yao, the heaven-blessed prodigy of the Jiang family, should have been cause for celebration.

Yet, her mother’s gaze and expression conveyed a profound sadness, indicating she felt no joy whatsoever, only deep worry.

Despite her current child’s body, her soul belonged to a man nearing forty, old enough to be Su Muyu’s father.

Thus, discerning emotions from subtle cues was well within her capabilities.

“Mother, something isn’t right,” Yan Yun stated, settling back into her seat.

Watching Yan Yun’s remarkable emotional control, Su Muyu often felt, truthfully, that her child behaved more like an adult than a child.

“Ah! You truly are my child,” Su Muyu sighed.

“It seems you’ve already sensed the problem, so I won’t waste any more time.”

“This marriage is real, but it’s not a cause for celebration for you,” Su Muyu revealed, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

“The Jiang family made a deal with your father: you are to become a live-in son-in-law (TL Note: A man who marries into his wife’s family, often taking their surname and having his children take their surname, traditionally viewed as a loss of face), marrying into their household.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Yun’s expression stiffened once more.

Her mind raced, piecing together the implications.

Soon, a flicker of understanding crossed her face, and she chuckled.

“Haha,” she scoffed.

“I knew the family harbored no good intentions; indeed, they’d sell their own child if there was profit to be made.”

The moment she heard about becoming a live-in son-in-law, she immediately understood the situation.

The matter of Jiang Yao, the Jiang family’s heaven-blessed prodigy, was common knowledge throughout Jiang Kingdom.

Given that Jiang Yao was the only outstanding heir of her generation in the Jiang family, they would naturally be unwilling for her to marry out.

Therefore, finding a live-in son-in-law was the most ideal solution, allowing them to both deter those coveting Jiang Yao and ensure her talented bloodline remained within the Jiang family.

Had she been the head of the Jiang family, she likely would have made the same decision.

The Yan family, being a long-standing allied clan, had no reason to object.

With Jiang Yao’s existence, the Jiang family was destined for a brilliant future, and Yan Yun was merely an ordinary person.

Sacrificing an ordinary individual to strengthen ties between the two families—what was there to lose?

As for why they chose an ordinary person like her instead of someone else, that was even easier to deduce.

The Jiang family undoubtedly required someone easily controlled.

Choosing someone with exceptional talent would risk them becoming uncontrollable, and individuals with cultivation aptitude were, for the Yan family, the very hope of their clan, meaning the family would certainly not agree to such a sacrifice.

After all, the Yan family was a prominent clan, and the grander the family, the more they valued their reputation.

However, marrying off an ordinary descendant wouldn’t draw much criticism; instead, people would simply consider it Yan Yun’s good fortune.

Such was the harsh reality of this world: one either possessed power, or status and authority.

Possessing neither meant being at the mercy of others.

Observing Yan Yun’s bitter smile, Su Muyu was instantly reminded of her own past struggles.

She slowly rose, walking over to Yan Yun, and gently embraced Yan Yun’s head, comforting her.

“Yun’er, if there were any other choice, your mother would fight with all her might for you,” she murmured.

“But your father is right; you were born unable to cultivate, leaving you with no standing in the Yan family.

However, if you go to the Jiang family, relying on Jiang Yao’s reputation, even if you are merely a figurehead, your future days will be far more comfortable than they would be here in the Yan family.”

“Of course, your mother knows that for a man, this matter is a great humiliation,” Su Muyu continued.

“But you must understand, having hope is always better than having none.

In the Yan family, you have no hope, but in the Jiang family, things might be different.”

Yan Yun understood her mother’s meaning perfectly.

However, having lived two lives, and despite now being a woman, her inherent male identity made it incredibly difficult for her to accept such a profound humiliation.

In her previous life, if the woman was capable and the man was not, becoming a live-in son-in-law might have been acceptable.

But in this world, becoming a live-in son-in-law was far from simple; she feared she would become the laughingstock of the entire Jiang Kingdom.

She desperately wanted to resist, to find an opportunity to escape.

Yet, she couldn’t be so selfish.

If she ran away, what would happen to her mother?

Her mother would undoubtedly face severe repercussions from the Yan family because of this incident.

Having now mastered a cultivation method, she knew that with enough time, she could defy fate and change her destiny.

Therefore, this humiliation, whether she accepted it or not, had to be endured.

However, another problem loomed: she was no longer a man.

If this were discovered, how could she possibly explain it?

“Ah! I understand, Mother,” Yan Yun sighed, nodding.

“You don’t need to say more; I accept.”

Seeing Yan Yun agree, Su Muyu’s heart ached for her child.

“I’m sorry,” Su Muyu said, her expression growing sorrowful.

“Your mother is useless; I couldn’t control my own fate, nor can I control yours.”

Yan Yun quickly suppressed her turbulent emotions.

“Mother, don’t be sad,” Yan Yun declared, rising to her feet with a determined smile.

“I believe there’s always a way out; I, your child, may yet rise again in the future.

When that day comes, I’ll make sure those in the Yan family who once looked down on us, mother and child, will be far beneath my reach.”

Su Muyu froze, taken aback by her child’s sudden pronouncement.

She didn’t know where Yan Yun’s confidence stemmed from, but seeing the strong, calm resolve in Yan Yun’s eyes, her heart was suddenly filled with hope.

“Good,” she affirmed.

“Your mother believes in you; that day will surely come.”

Yan Yun nodded.

However, as they spoke, Su Muyu suddenly cupped Yan Yun’s small face in her hands, scrutinizing her with a puzzled expression.

“Eh? Mother, what are you doing?” Yan Yun asked, perplexed.

Su Muyu stared at Yan Yun’s face, examining it from left to right.

“Hmm, I haven’t had a good look at you in a while,” she mused.

“How is it that you seem to be growing more and more like me, and not at all like your father?”

Yan Yun’s body stiffened upon hearing this, and she quickly removed her mother’s hands.

“Isn’t it good to look like you?” she retorted.

“I certainly don’t want to resemble that old man.”

Su Muyu didn’t seem particularly bothered by the question.

“You’re right,” she agreed.

“If you looked too much like him, I wouldn’t find it pleasing either.”

****

Since Yan Yun had agreed, Su Muyu naturally conveyed the news to Yan Long.

Yan Long immediately reached an agreement with the Jiang family.

They decided to first sign a marriage contract to finalize the arrangement and silence any gossip.

Three years later, Yan Yun and Jiang Yao would officially marry.

News of the engagement between the Jiang and Yan families swiftly spread throughout the entire Jiang Kingdom.

Consequently, those factions that had long coveted Jiang Yao could only abandon their ambitions.

****

Meanwhile, atop a mountain peak suspended within a sea of clouds.

A maiden, clad in flowing white robes and possessing an ethereal, fairy-like aura, sat wistfully by the cliff edge, letting the mountain breeze caress her face.

The girl appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old; though young, she already possessed a beauty capable of captivating nations.

It was impossible to imagine the extent of her allure once she fully matured.

She was none other than Jiang Yao, the Jiang family’s heaven-blessed prodigy.

“Alas! Twelve years have passed in a blink,” Jiang Yao murmured to herself.

As she gazed at the surging sea of clouds before her, her eyes were filled with longing, as if she were deeply missing someone.

Just then, a youth in his teens suddenly descended from the sky, landing outside a nearby pavilion.

“Junior Sister, I hear you’re getting engaged to someone. What’s going on?” the youth demanded the moment he landed.

Jiang Yao glanced at the newcomer, immediately rolling her eyes before answering listlessly.

“Oh, it’s Senior Brother Lin.

So, news of what’s happening in my family reached you so quickly, did it?”

This handsome youth was named Lin Mo, six years Jiang Yao’s senior, and considered the most outstanding disciple of Cloud Blossom Sect (TL Note: A common term for a cultivation sect or school), second only to Jiang Yao herself.

As the saying goes, a golden boy deserves a jade girl.

Lin Mo had always believed that once Jiang Yao matured, he would be the one most suited for her.

Yet, he never expected the Jiang family to suddenly orchestrate such a turn of events.

“Your family arranged an engagement for you, why didn’t you refuse?” Lin Mo pressed anxiously.

Jiang Yao didn’t even spare him a glance, her eyes fixed on the sea of clouds.

“Why should I refuse?” she countered.

“I don’t seem to have any reason to, do I?

If I rejected this marriage, Senior Brother, would you be willing to become a live-in son-in-law in my Jiang family?”

This question nearly choked Lin Mo.

How could a heaven-blessed prodigy like him possibly become a live-in son-in-law for another family?

Nevertheless, he suspected this was merely a ploy by Jiang Yao and the Jiang family to deceive others.

“Junior Sister, why go to such lengths?” he pleaded.

“You are a cultivator; even if you need a dao companion, it should be another cultivator.

Why would your family find you a mere mortal?”

But Jiang Yao’s next sentence once again left him speechless.

“Mortals have a higher chance of continuing the family line,” she explained.

“My family only has one elder brother, and his aptitude isn’t great.

The family’s actions are understandable, and I can accept them.”

Having heard enough, Lin Mo was utterly infuriated, primarily by Jiang Yao’s excessively casual attitude.

“You? You’ll surely regret this, hmph!” he fumed.

Trembling with rage, Lin Mo let out a cold snort before turning and flying away.

Jiang Yao, meanwhile, remained utterly dismissive.

‘Lunatic,’ she thought.

‘A toad wishing to feast on swan meat.’