At the Yan Clan's main entrance were a few figures, most of them being humble servants and those of some status in the clan wishing to greet and see the Ya Clan's heiress. When Yan Zaizen arrived, he noticed a few important figures from his clan at the entrance hall. There was his father, his mother, his uncle, his aunt, and his little sister. They were all standing at the forefront of the group with calm and anticipatory gazes.
When he arrived beside them, despite being the last one there, no one among them admonished him for it. They likely were unwilling to lower his mood or highlight his flaws. Instead, his sister had a slight smile of innocence, his mother gave him a smile filled with warmth and excitement, his father held his hand behind his back and within it was a card that said: 'you can do this,' and his uncle and aunt just looked forward.
Yan Zaizen looked towards this aunt and uncle of his. Since his birth and talent test, they had always treated him calmly and respectfully but with no love. However, whenever he looked towards them, he felt a boundless love for them that was incredibly contradictory to his experiences.
He could remember oftenly having opposing views with them and their often sly condescending words, but regardless of anything they did, his feelings and thoughts towards them never changed.
"Yan Clan!" A middle-aged man with a surging pressure spoke. However, not the least bit of respect was in his tone or gaze. Instead, Yan Zaizen could see some contempt in his gaze. He couldn't see through his cultivation base, but it reminded him of Uncle Grey, a Qi Unification expert, but it may be higher.
Yan Zaizen's father frowned slightly. This man had shouted twice, both times they were already here waiting for them. He understood the first time as an announcement, but the second time was needless. He stepped forward, "Greetings, Ya Clan. Allow my Yan Clan to formally welcome you." His tone was respectful but contained no essence of subservience.
The middle-aged man, named Ya Jinai, an elder of the Yan Clan, snorted coldly in response, obviously antagonistic towards the Yan Clan.
Yan Zaizen looked passed this middle-aged man and spotted a single person standing behind him with a grand attire and a soft smile. His eyes traced the people present, stopping momentarily on Yan Zaizen before sneering slightly and moving on, settling on the Yan Clan Leader, Yan Zaizen's father.
"May I ask when Ya Qinqan will arrive? If she's not already here." Yan Zaizen's father questioned. He thought the carriage holding Ya Qinqan would arrive, but only Ya Jinai and this unknown young man had arrived.
"She will not be coming." Ya Jinai coldly stated.
His words caused a miniature uproar to erupt. Even Yan Linzen furrowed her brows and looked displeased.
"What do you mean by this?" Yan Zaizen's father questioned, but his tone was far more aggressive with no respectfulness behind it.
"Hmph! Know your place." Ya Jinai grew angered, releasing his aura causing the servants and even Yan Zaizen to feel like a block of cement was placed on their chest. Yan Zaizen was startled by this situation, but even more so by Ya Jinai's cultivation base as his dantian contained an origin core!
Clearing his throat, the young man dressed in grand attire walked up and smiled softly. The eyes of everyone drew towards him like he was the dazzling north star in the sky. "I am an Envoy of the Stars Fallen Empire under Imperial Order. Ya Qinqan has established an relationship with the Third Prince, one of mutual appreciation, thus all other agreements will be severed from henceforth."
"..." Everyone grew silent, even the heartbeats of everyone seemed to grow silent.
"What does that mean?" Yan Zaizen broke this silence, not understanding what the young man said. He was truly confused. What did Ya Qinqan's relationship with the third prince have to do with their engagement?
The servants couldn't help but softly shake their heads. Many thinking about how this poor child was just humiliated and turned into a cuckold without even realizing it. Not a single one of them thought it was shock, but true stupidity.
This young master of theirs had never been known for his intelligence or talent, but known for being slow and weak. He was the poster boy of 'born with a gold spoon, but an empty book'.
Yan Linzen looked towards Yan Zaizen, her gaze constantly flickering. There were many complex emotions, but the most prevalent was anger. Despite being ten years old, even she realized the situation. It wasn't just her, but even Yan Zaizen's parents were feeling a surging tidal wave of rage. This was humiliation of the highest, even if it comes from the Emperor!
The young man couldn't care less about their anger, but instead turned towards Yan Linzen. This young girl was born with an exceptional talent and unique physique, and his job wasn't just to declare the cancellation of Ya Qinqan's arranged marriage.
"I also have two other matters to attend to," when he said this, suddenly pattering sounds of footsteps resounded outside. The Yan Clan could barely react before a literal army appeared at their entrance, dressed in the uniform synonymous with the royal family's army, and auras radiating battle intent.
Yan Zaizen's father was startled, his eyes wide with shock and surprise. While the rejection was always a possibility, but the army outside was a complete blindside. In truth, he anticipated them to reject the marriage and hoped to use this to fuel and harden Yan Zaizen's personality for the cruelties of life. With that, he could be firmly suited to be the true heir after grueling effort to rid himself of his disabilities and shortcomings.
Yet…
"What is the meaning of all this?!" A sudden thundering voice exploded outwards. This voice caused even the army to shiver, but the Yan Clan's main family to smile in relief. As for Yan Zaizen, he was still trying to understand what was happening and why.
An old man appeared in the sky, hands behind his back, and his eyes cold and questioning. His aura proved he was a top-tier expert, possessing peak-Origin Core cultivation. In Meteorite City, this was the absolute pinnacle, but in the Stars Fallen Empire, this was only a relatively powerful person.
Despite this, there weren't many at his realm let alone at his stage of development.
"Hmph! Did you not hear, deaf bat." An even more powerful voice exploded and a man in white imperial robes and a blade at his waist. This blade was a machete. Despite it being sheathed, the sharpness it emitted was painful for all to even glance at.
This man had a cultivation at the initial-True Essence Realm, with the true-essence roiling across his body. The pressure he outputted was so powerful that the Yan Clan's patriarch immediately grimaced and landed on the ground despite his efforts.
"The Imperial Executioner!" The Yan Clan's patriarch roared through clenched teeth.
"Continue," the Imperial Executioner coldly said to the Envoy. The Envoy calmly smiled and nodded before pulling out two documents. "His majesty has officiated an arranged marriage he believes to be of the utmost suited for the empire's agenda for growth and greatness," he turned his gaze towards Yan Linzen, this only ten year old girl, "Yan Linzen and the Fourth Prince."
One of the documents he had in his hand was an Imperial Marriage Order. With this, the matter could be said to be set in stone.
"What?!" Everyone was shocked, including Yan Linzen and Yan Zaizen. They were truly taken aback by their actions, but more so even the order of their actions and show of force. Firstly, they humiliate the heir of the clan, bring a literal army to their doorstep, then snatch their talented jewel! Wasn't this the same as making enemies with the Yan Clan to death?
However, the next order immediately caused everyone to be filled with despair and realization.
"The last order is an Order of Arrest, Seize, and Investigate." The young man softly said.
"!!!"
"Impossible! Why?!"
"What have we done to deserve this?!"
The members of the Yan Clan was in disbelief and threw out a fierce bout of questioning. An Order of A.S.I is as its name suggests, and albeit the reasons for such an order to be issued varied, it was nearly a condemnation from the beginning. That was because of the 'Seize' portion of the order leading to all assets, lands, and wealth to be taken immediately. This included servants. Oftentimes, the investigation may 'clear' the clan, but the 'seize' would continue until the empire decided appropriate.
"The Yan Clan is under the suspicion of conspiracy against the crown. Until the investigation ends, we'll be enforcing the order." Those words caused the entire army's aura to surge, as if expecting resistance and displaying the readiness to snuff it all.
"No one is to resist!" The patriarch shouted, a tinge of helplessness emerging in his tone and expression. He knew that Yan Linzen's physique might be exposed one day, but to think it would be so soon…
To the upper-echelon only, Yan Linzen was born with an Absolute Yin Physique. This physique attributed to her exceptional talent and intelligence, but it was a double-edged sword. She was the perfect dual-cultivation partner, or better to say...the best furnace.
Any male cultivator would only see profound benefits, but she would slowly waste away...their actions were essentially to gain material to blackmail Yan Linzen to willingly give her Absolute Yin. After all, while an Absolute Yin Physique is perfect, it has its own mechanisms for protection as the heavens are often fair.
Any man who were to take her unwillingly can only offer their own life in exchange, as Yin would dominate Yang and their souls would turn into a Yin Spirit.
The others were unwilling, but what could they do?
"What is happening?" Yan Zaizen still felt confused. However, this confusion wasn't brought about by his stupidity, but his vision.
A young woman appeared before him. She was absolutely beautiful. If perfection could be personified into a figure, this woman was it. However, Yan Zaizen couldn't see her face, couldn't see her expressions, but only her cyan robes and amber-gold eyes. She was like a spirit of his greatest dreams.
"I…" At a lost for words, he realized that he didn't feel any pressure from auras. Looking around, he realized everyone, everything, were frozen in time. Except the woman whose robes fluttered about without wind.
"Who are you." A soft, feminine voice filled with a imperialist tone resounded. It wasn't a question, but more a statement. Yan Zaizen was startled, looking at this young woman who faded soon after.
"Brother Zai…"
He turned his head to observe the frozen Yan Linzen, her eyes filled with rage, fear, also helplessness and despair. She understood the situation fully. This was the first time in his life that he saw his sister with this look. It brought about an odd feeling in his heart.
Clink!
At that moment, it was like a gate restricting his intelligence was opened. However, his eyes held an absence of conscious.
Then, everything resumed.
"Good. Do it." Seeing the clan with no intention to resist, the Envoy spoke. The Imperial Executioner used his overwhelming true-essence to lock everyone down. In minutes, all members, including Yan Zaizen, was restrained and grouped together. Yan Linzen was taken. She didn't say a single word of resistance, only looked at absent-minded Yan Zaizen at the last minute.
A tear fell from the corner of her eye.
"So that's what this is." Yan Zaizen's eyes grew sharp.