Shen Yanzhou was engrossed in reading when the door to his room suddenly swung open.
A middle-aged man stepped inside. He had a broad, sturdy build, thick eyebrows, and a strong jaw that gave him a naturally stern appearance. A few strands of white hair had begun to appear at his temples, while his long black hair was neatly tied beneath a simple crown. He wore a dark robe that complemented his imposing figure, and his steady footsteps carried the quiet authority of someone accustomed to commanding respect.
He was Shen Hongyuan, the patriarch of the Shen Family—and Shen Yanzhou's father.
The moment Shen Hongyuan entered the room, his gaze fell upon the book in his son's hands.
He stopped.
For several seconds, he simply stared at Yanzhou as though he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"Father?"
Yanzhou lifted his head.
Shen Hongyuan glanced at the book again before looking back at his son.
"Uh... you're reading?"
"Yes." Yanzhou raised the book slightly. "This cultivation manual is actually quite interesting."
Shen Hongyuan's eyebrows rose.
"You're actually reading a cultivation manual?"
The disbelief in his voice was so obvious that Yanzhou couldn't help twitching his mouth.
"What's that supposed to mean? Father, why do you always look down on your own son?"
"Because you give me plenty of reasons to."
Shen Hongyuan folded his arms.
"Do you even remember the last time you seriously read a book?"
Yanzhou's expression stiffened.
"Of course I remember! The last time I read a book was..."
He paused.
His eyes shifted toward the ceiling as he desperately tried to recall the answer.
Unable to come up with an answer, Shen Yanzhou quickly changed the topic, "Father, what kind of Seed did you awaken?"
Shen Hongyuan stared at him.
"I'm asking you a question. Why are you asking me one instead?"
"Because my question is more important! The Seed Awakening Ceremony is only three days away, and I'm reading about all the different Seed grades. I suddenly realized that I don't even know what kind of Seed you have!"
Shen Hongyuan's expression turned incredulous.
This shameless brat had actually changed the subject right in front of him.
"You're unbelievable. Can't you answer your father's question before asking your own?"
"Father, the ceremony is in three days! How can I not be curious?"
Shen Hongyuan rubbed his forehead, wondering how he had ended up with such a troublesome son.
"Hmph. At least you know when the ceremony is."
He walked farther into the room, pulled a chair toward the bed, and sat down beside Yanzhou.
"Your father awakened a Wood Seed."
"A Wood Seed?"
Yanzhou blinked.
"That's it? Isn't that a little low?"
Smack!
Shen Hongyuan brought his hand down on his son's head.
"Ow! Father! I'm still injured, and you're hitting me again! Are you trying to murder your own son?"
Shen Hongyuan glared at him.
"Listen carefully for once in your life."
Yanzhou rubbed his head, muttering under his breath as he reluctantly straightened up.
"If awakening a Seed were that easy, how many people do you think would possess a Jade Seed by now?" Shen Hongyuan asked.
Yanzhou opened his mouth, but his father raised a hand to stop him.
"Let me finish."
Shen Hongyuan's expression grew serious.
"The Seed Awakening Ceremony isn't simply a matter of standing inside a formation and waiting for your Seed to awaken. During the ceremony, spiritual energy will be directed into your body to stimulate your Seed. That energy will pass through several successive stages, and each stage will place a greater burden on you than the last."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The pain isn't something you can simply ignore. As the energy advances, your body must endure the strain. The pain from the previous stages won't disappear when the next stage begins, either. Everything accumulates. The further you go, the more your body must withstand."
Yanzhou's expression gradually changed.
"So the higher the Seed grade..."
"The more difficult it becomes to endure the awakening process," Shen Hongyuan finished.
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"That's why I told you to train. A strong body gives you a better chance of enduring the pain and completing more stages. If your body is too weak, you might not be able to endure the process long enough to reach a higher grade."
He looked at his son sternly.
"But don't misunderstand me. Physical strength alone doesn't guarantee anything. You still have to endure the awakening yourself. No one can take that burden away from you."
Shen Hongyuan fell silent for a moment before his expression softened.
"Even with a body as strong as mine, I only managed to awaken a Wood Seed. So if you end up awakening an Ash Seed, don't be discouraged. Your father will continue to support you."
He gave Yanzhou a firm look.
"The path of cultivation is long. Your Seed grade may give you certain advantages, but it doesn't determine everything you'll accomplish. What matters is how you cultivate and how far you can go."
Yanzhou stared at his father for a moment.
Then his mouth twitched.
"Father, why are you being so pessimistic? Can't you have a little faith in your own son?"
"Faith?"
Shen Hongyuan shook his head.
"You'd be lucky to awaken an Ash Seed."
"Father! You're going too far!"
"Enough. Listen to me."
Shen Hongyuan's voice became serious again.
"Train hard. There's something else I intended to tell you."
Yanzhou finally stopped complaining.
"Actually, several months ago, the Lu Family approached the Chang Family with a marriage proposal for Shiyue."
"The Lu Family?"
Yanzhou's eyebrows drew together.
"Yes. They wanted Shiyue to marry their young master. However, despite the pressure from her family, she still insists on honoring her engagement to you."
Shen Hongyuan watched his son's expression carefully.
"Do you understand what that means? Shiyue has been facing pressure from her own family, yet she hasn't agreed to marry someone else."
Yanzhou fell silent.
After a moment, he looked at his father.
"Father, why are you only telling me this now?"
"If I'd told you earlier, what would you have done?" Shen Hongyuan replied bluntly. "Would you even have cared?" Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Yanzhou opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Back then, you were too busy enjoying yourself at brothels to pay attention to your own engagement. You barely gave Shiyue a second thought. Do you honestly expect me to believe you would have done anything about the situation?"
Yanzhou lowered his head.
For once, he had no excuse.
A sense of guilt settled over him.
If only he had known earlier how much Shiyue had been sacrificing to preserve their engagement.
If only he had understood sooner what kind of woman she was.
She was beautiful enough to make men lose their composure with a single glance, yet she had continued to stand by him despite the pressure from her own family.
And what had he been doing?
Wasting his days chasing women and indulging in pleasure.
He had been a complete fool.
He couldn't even protect the woman who was supposed to become his wife.
After a moment, Yanzhou raised his head again.
"Father, if the Lu Family already knows that Shiyue and I are engaged, why do they still want her?"
"Because an engagement doesn't mean everyone will simply give up," Shen Hongyuan replied.
He sighed.
"Son, there are many things you still don't understand. But let me ask you something. With a woman as beautiful as Shiyue, do you really think the Shen Family is the only one interested in her?"
Yanzhou frowned.
"How many families could there possibly be?"
"More than you think. Several powerful families would be delighted to have a woman like her marry one of their young masters. Her beauty alone makes her desirable."
Shen Hongyuan paused before continuing.
"And the young master of the Lu Family has already awakened a Gold Seed."
Yanzhou's eyes widened.
"A Gold Seed?"
He knew exactly what that meant.
Among the seven Seed grades, Gold Seed ranked second only to Jade Seed. It was an exceptionally high grade, one that could provide substantial advantages in cultivation.
No wonder the Lu Family's young master was so highly regarded.
"That's not all," Shen Hongyuan continued. "He's already approaching the Master realm."
Yanzhou's expression changed again.
The Master realm!
Although he had yet to begin cultivating, he had already read enough to understand the significance of that realm.
"Once he reaches the Master realm, who in this entire prefecture do you think will be able to oppose him?"
Shen Hongyuan's voice grew heavier.
"Do you understand what a Master is capable of? Someone at that realm can destroy an entire clan with ease. If the young master of the Lu Family reaches that point, our Shen Family may have no choice but to..."
He stopped speaking.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
Yanzhou clenched his fists.
For the first time, the distance between himself and the powerful young master of the Lu Family felt painfully real.
But he refused to give up.
"Father, you don't need to worry! I... I will awaken a Jade Seed!"
Shen Hongyuan could only shake his head.