The noble man and woman immediately glared at Chen Jiuyang with displeasure, their faces showing disdain. "Is it him?"
Ji Lengyue's mother replied, "That's right. He is the person my daughter fancies, so the matter of returning to the Ji family that we discussed with you before is now void."
"Ji Bohou, Ji Feiyao, the two of you may leave."
The Ji family? Chen Jiuyang frowned. Ji Lengyue's mother exuded a noble aura of prestigious birth, but he hadn't expected her to be from a prominent family. However, he knew nothing about the Ji family; what kind of clan were they? The man and woman appeared extraordinary, with noble bearing, likely difficult to deal with.
Ji Bohou said coldly, "Ji Fanglin, what do you take our Ji family for? Do you think you can come and go as you please?"
"When you and your husband fled the family, your husband, Ji Cunshan, joined the Six Doors to escape the family's control. For years, the Ji family turned a blind eye and paid no attention to your lives in Fengcheng."
"A while ago, your daughter resigned from the Six Doors, and her life was threatened. You voluntarily offered to return to the Ji family. Now we've come to take her back, and you refuse. Are you mocking our Ji family?"
Ji Lengyue's mother, Ji Fanglin, retorted coldly, "I thought the Ji family would kindly save my daughter and me. Who knew you intended to give my daughter away as a concubine? How could I repeat the same mistake?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jiuyang's gaze turned sharp. It seemed that after Ji Lengyue resigned from the Six Doors recently, her mother, considering Ji Lengyue's personality and the many people she had offended, wanted to ensure her daughter's future safety.
"There's no need to say more. My daughter and I will not return to the Ji family. Moreover, my daughter already has someone she fancies and is about to get engaged. You should give up on this idea."
Ji Feiyao sneered, "There's no free lunch in this world. Protecting your daughter's life naturally comes at a price."
"Now that your daughter has also resigned from the Six Doors, and you two are just ordinary people, how dare you oppose the Ji family?"
Ji Lengyue's mother, Ji Fanglin, stated, "This is the Six Doors family residential area. Do you dare to make a move here?"
Ji Bohou and Ji Feiyao exchanged glances and sneered, "We dare not make a move against you, but someone else does."
As their voices fell, an old woman with a full head of silver hair, leaning on a cane, walked into the room. Upon seeing her, Ji Lengyue and Ji Fanglin's expressions changed, and they exclaimed in unison, "Grandmother (Mom)!"
"You still remember to call me." The silver-haired old woman exuded immense authority. She was well-maintained, and her brows carried an air of supreme power. She snorted, "I thought you no longer recognized me!"
"We wouldn't dare." Ji Lengyue and Ji Fanglin, after all, came from a prominent family. In terms of etiquette, they dared not openly defy elder blood relatives.
"If these two cannot persuade you to return home, I wonder if this old woman can persuade you two to come back," the old Mrs. Ji said coldly.
Ji Lengyue and her mother's faces immediately turned grim, their eyes showing hesitation, unsure how to answer.
Old Mrs. Ji spoke, "Ji Fanglin, you took my son away from the Ji family back then. As a result, he lost his life within ten years of joining the Six Doors. Now you want my granddaughter to lose her life too, leaving my lineage without descendants?"
Ji Lengyue's mother, Ji Fanglin, looked extremely displeased. This statement struck a painful chord.
Just as the two were at a loss for words, Chen Jiuyang, who had been sitting aside, spoke, "We appreciate the old lady's kindness. I will handle the troubles Lengyue has encountered. To put it mildly, no one in Feng Province dares to harm them in the slightest."
The three members of the Ji family who had just arrived had treated Chen Jiuyang as if he were air. Now that Chen Jiuyang spoke, and with such arrogant confidence, their gazes shifted to regard him properly. Old Mrs. Ji sized up Chen Jiuyang and said faintly, "Such a bold tone. Which family's descendant are you?"
Chen Jiuyang replied, "The Chen family."
Old Mrs. Ji and the other two immediately frowned. "The Chen family? Is there a rising Chen family in Feng Province in recent years?"
"Replying to the old lady, we haven't heard of any Chen family in Feng Province in recent years."
"Old lady, this kid is Ji Lengyue's boyfriend. He definitely doesn't want Ji Lengyue to return to the Ji family."
Hearing their words, old Mrs. Ji's expression turned cold, and she sneered, "What Chen family? I've never heard of it. Are you trying to deceive me?"
"Lengyue, many men outside lie and deceive people. Your father was deceived by your mother into leaving the Ji family back then. Otherwise, you would have enjoyed a life of luxury from childhood and wouldn't have to live in such dire straits."
Ji Lengyue raised an eyebrow, indignant. "Grandmother, I'm not bad at judging men. My man is Chen Jiuyang, the renowned Marquis Xuanyang of the Feng Province martial arts world."
As Ji Lengyue finished speaking, Ji Bohou and Ji Feiyao immediately let out derisive laughter and chided her. "You don't believe me when I say you're naive. The enfeoffment of marquises in Longguo is generally based on provincial affairs. Where would Feng Province have a renowned Marquis Xuanyang? The man you chose must be lying to you."
"Exactly. What kind of Marquis Xuanyang are you talking about? I've never heard of such a person in Feng Province."
"Which Earth Realm Grandmaster who can be enfeoffed as a marquis is not famous? They must have made great contributions in Feng Province to be granted such a title. Ji Lengyue, the man you chose looks about your age. Can he be a marquis? If you want to deceive people, at least be professional."
"Ji Lengyue, trying to fool the old lady like this is a bit too much."
A label was placed upon Ji Lengyue, making her grit her teeth. "I'm telling the truth."
"Enough," old Mrs. Ji waved her hand and said coldly, "I don't care if it's true or false. In three days, at our Ji family's annual grand ceremony, you must return to the Ji family with your mother. That day also happens to be the tenth anniversary of your father's death. You haven't paid respects at the Ji family graves for all these years to avoid us."
"I'll give you one last chance. If you don't return to the Ji family this year, don't blame me for being impolite. Without the protection of the Six Doors, what are you two mother and daughter worth?"
With that, old Mrs. Ji turned and left with the young man and woman, leaving behind a frustrated Ji Lengyue and her mother.
Chen Jiuyang's expression remained calm. He comforted them, "Lengyue, Auntie, since the family wants you to return, just go and see. I am dating Lengyue now, and I will accompany you to the Ji family to broaden our horizons and see how extraordinary this Ji family is."
Ji Lengyue and her mother naturally knew Chen Jiuyang's background. With Chen Jiuyang's words, they were no longer afraid of the Ji family's difficulties.
The visit from the Ji family's old lady had soured their mood. Ji Lengyue took the initiative to suggest taking Chen Jiuyang out for a walk. As they left the house, Chen Jiuyang heard the sound of Ji Lengyue's mother weeping.