"When she touched the testing stone, a never-before-seen miracle happened," Lin Meiying continued, swelling with pride.
"The testing stone shattered into a million pieces, unleashing a seven-colored pillar of light that shot into the sky. It was a spectacle that the entire kingdom had never seen before."
"The royal oracle named it as a divine omen, a sign from the heavens themselves, visible across the entire capital."
"The royal oracle named it as a divine omen, a sign from the heavens themselves. In fact, the event was so momentous that His Majesty, King Xuan, personally came to our estate to offer his congratulations. He called her the 'Hope of the Kingdom' and even took her in as her goddaughter."
"Because of that, she was immediately accepted into the most prestigious institution in the entire country, the Sky Dragon Sect. Not as an outer disciple, not even as an inner disciple, but as the personal disciple of the revered Grand Elder Jing."
"At this rate, even sainthood isn't out of reach for my Lin'er. That would make her the strongest person in the Kingdom of Xuan."
After finishing her grand speech, Lin Meiying looked down her nose at Lei Feng, her expression one of utter contempt.
"So you see, my daughter is a celestial being who walks among mortals. Now, tell me, a boy with no family, no backing, and no cultivation. What makes you think you are worthy of her?"
Lei Feng listened to her story without showing any emotion. When she finished, he simply shrugged.
"She is my wife. Of course, she is destined for greatness. As for the reason as to why I am worthy of her…."
"…is that there's no better man than me," he said, as if it were obvious. "Now that I've chosen her, she'll be my wife. No one can stop it."
"Insolence!" Lin Meiying shrieked, her composure finally breaking. Qi flared around her as she raised a hand to strike him down.
But before she could act, Shui Jian shot out an arm and grabbed her wrist, holding her back.
"Meiying, stop!" he said, trying to hold his wife back. "Remember Father's words before he entered seclusion!"
The mention of "Father's words" was like a bucket of cold water. Lin Meiying's flaring Qi subsided, but her eyes still burned with fury and unwillingness.
Shui Mei'er, on the other hand, felt like something was off. However, she refrained from saying anything.
Lin Meiying paced around the room restlessly. She refused to accept this. Could it be that she had no way to deal with this street urchin who wanted to claim his daughter?
She quickly began to think, and soon a sly look appeared in her eyes.
She could not attack him or capture him, but that did not mean that she could not test him to see if he was worthy.
Surely her father-in-law would not have a problem with that, right?
"Fine, boy," she said, looking at Lei Feng once again before continuing. "Do you at least accept that Shui Lin is great?"
"Of course. She is my wife. No matter what, she is great. But why are you asking?" Lei Feng was confused at the simplicity of the question.
"Then you have to prove you're worthy to stand by her side," Lin Meiying said, her smile widening. "You won't be unwilling to do that, right?"
"Sure. I can do anything in this world. What do you want me to do?" Lei Feng asked eagerly.
"Nothing much. You just have to earn 10,000 royal coins before you can even speak of this matter again."
She looked at him with a triumphant smirk. "Bring that amount to our doorstep, and only then will we definitely wed you to Shui Lin'er. I will personally send her to your bridal chamber."
"What? 10,000 royal coins?"
Nearby, Shui Jian and Shui Mei'er stared in shock, their mouths forming perfect O's.
In the Kingdom of Xuan, the currency system was clear.
One hundred silver coins equaled one gold coin, and one hundred gold coins made a single, rarely seen royal coin.
Royal coins were not for commoners; they were the currency of nobles and powerful cultivation sects, used for transactions that were too high.
To put it into perspective, the entire net worth of the Shui family, a powerhouse in the capital city, was estimated to be around 100,000 royal coins. This was a fortune built over generations of hard work, through countless businesses and investments.
To ask a single, penniless young man to earn ten thousand royal coins was not a test; it was a complete rejection.
"Yes, 10,000 royal coins. Not a coin less," Lin Meiying reiterated again. "If not, you can forget about getting close to my daughter."
Shui Jian and Shui Mei'er were shocked by the condition proposed by Lin Meiying. They turned towards Lei Feng, expecting him to be shocked and possibly angry at the condition.
But Lei Feng was not shocked. His eyes were shining with excitement, as if he had just been offered a wonderful gift.
He saw this not as an obstacle, but as the final, simple task he needed to complete to finally make his beautiful wife his.
"Deal!" he said at once, almost afraid that Lin Meiying would retract the condition. "When do I need to get it by?"
Shui Mei'er gasped. "Wait! Are you insane?" she blurted out, stepping forward. "Do you have any idea how much money that is? You're agreeing just like that?"
Lei Feng turned to her, his grin widening. "Of course. The sooner I get this done, the sooner your sister officially becomes my wife. It's simple. Isn't it just money?"
Lin Meiying, seeing his eagerness and sheer ignorance, seized the opportunity to lock him into the wager.
"Let's be clear," she said as she pointed a finger at Lei Feng, "There is no time limit. But if you fail, or if you give up, you will never speak of this marriage contract again. You will disappear from our lives and never show your face again."
"At that time, you should not shamelessly try to enforce the contract. You have to be a man of your word."
"Of course. This is but given," Lei Feng said, waving a confident hand. "You just make sure you don't go back on your word when I return with the money. I don't like it when people break their promises."
"Then be off. We won't see you out."
With the terms set, Lei Feng turned around and walked towards the hall's exit.