Meeting At The Swan Pavilion
662 Words
The Swan Pavilion is the most luxurious place in Cloud City. Built in the middle of an artificial lake filled with lotus flowers, this place is usually filled with the cheerful laughter of the noble families who live in this city and the clinking sound of wine glasses.
But today, the upper floor of the pavilion is silent, filled with suffocating tension.
Shen Long climbed the wooden stairs alone. His steps were calm, steady, and heavy. There was no hesitation on his face, even though he knew he was walking into the tiger's den.
In the main hall, three people were already waiting.
Sitting in the main chair was Fu Yang, Sun Zhi's father and head of the Fu family. Next to him sat an old man with a white beard and sharp, eagle-like eyes. The Grand Elder of the Fu family, Fu Ming.
And in the corner of the room stood Fu Sun Zhi. Her face was pale and her eyes were red as if she had been crying. When she saw Shen Long enter, she was about to run over, but her grandfather's sharp rebuke stopped her.
"Stay where you are, Sun Zhi! Don't embarrass your family any further!"
Sun Zhi bit her lip, looking at Shen Long with an apologetic gaze. Shen Long gave her a slight smile, a small gesture to calm her down, before turning to the two powerful men in front of him.
"Sit down!" Fu Yang commanded coldly, pointing to a hard wooden chair in front of them.
Shen Long sat upright. His back was straight. He did not bow his head, nor did he tremble.
"You called me here to sign this, didn't you?" Shen Long pointed to the scroll of paper on the table. It was a document terminating their engagement.
Fu Yang nodded. "It's good that you're aware of yourself. Shen Long, I'll be honest with you. We like you as a person. But the cultivation world is about power. Sun Zhi has been accepted as a core disciple of the Jade Dragon Sword Sect. His future is bright. As for you...", he didn't continue, letting the contemptuous silence hang in the air.
"As for me, I am trash that tarnishes his life story," Shen Long continued calmly.
"Exactly...!" interrupted Grand Elder Fu Ming harshly. He threw a heavy bag onto the table. The clinking of precious metals rang out clearly. "Here are 500 gold coins. Enough to buy farmland and live comfortably until you're old. Sign the papers, take the money, and never see Sun Zhi again."
Shen Long stared at the bag of gold, then looked at Fu Ming.
"Is your daughter's dignity only worth 500 gold coins in your eyes?"
Fu Ming narrowed his eyes, "Young Man, don't be insolent. We are giving you face because of your grandfather's past relationship. Don't force us to use harsh measures!"
"Father! Grandfather! Stop!" Sun Zhi finally couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward. "I won't let you buy him! If you force Shen Long, I will strike my own name from the family tree!"
"Insolent!" Fu Ming snapped. He flicked his sleeve.
BAMM....
An invisible pressure, the spiritual pressure of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, exploded in the room.
The target was not Sun Zhi, but Shen Long.
Fu Ming wanted to force Shen Long to his knees. For a weak cultivator at the third level of the Chi Gathering realm like Shen Long, this pressure should have felt like a mountain falling on his shoulders. His bones should have shattered, and he should have been crawling on the floor begging for mercy.
"Kneel! And realize your position, trash!" Fu Ming shouted.
The wooden chair Shen Long was sitting on shattered into pieces under the pressure.
However, ...... Shen Long did not fall.
He stood.
His knees bent slightly to bear the weight, the veins in his neck bulged, and cold sweat ran down his temples. But he did not kneel.
- Writer
