"Go ahead and compete for the deacon position yourselves."

"Huh?!"

Her reply took everyone present by surprise. Even Yi Yunyan, who was always at odds with Yi Yunya, subconsciously blurted out, "You’re not participating in the assessment? You’re giving up?"

Upstairs, the Vice Tower Lord, Yi Qing, who had been watching with a leisurely air, suddenly froze.

"Yun Ya, are you sure about this? If you don’t participate in the assessment, you will have completely failed the Shattering Jade trial!"

By speaking, Yi Qing wanted to make Yi Yunya understand the gravity of the situation.

But she quickly discovered something. Even after she had spelled out the consequences of not participating, Yi Yunya’s face showed no trace of fear, regret, worry, or any other negative emotion.

Instead, her expression was perfectly composed.

"Failing the Shattering Jade trial just for not participating in the assessment? Heh, I don’t think so. Besides, there’s no such strict rule here in the Golden Jade Tower."

Her words stunned everyone, and the quicker-witted among them seemed to have realized something.

GASP...

"No way..."

And just as their eyes darted about while they speculated wildly, Yi Yunya was already walking toward the True Intent Area inside the Golden Jade Tower. Halfway there, she seemed to remember something and turned back to her ’brothers and sisters.’ "Oh, right," she said, "there’s one more thing I have to warn you about."

"In a little while, my Senior Brother will be coming to the Golden Jade Tower to view the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map."

"I don’t want to see any of you trying to test, probe, or provoke Senior Brother Zhong Ming."

"That would displease him."

At this, Yi Yunya’s gaze sharpened. She swept her eyes over the Yi Family members in the tower, one by one.

As her gaze passed over them, she said icily, "Engrave this into your minds: before my Senior Brother, you are the inferiors."

"And as such, you have no right to test him!"

Yi Yunya’s fierce expression only softened slightly when her eyes met Yi Qing’s.

"The Yi Family isn’t the only merchant guild in the Golden Jade Tower. We face immense competitive pressure here."

"I have exhausted my Heart Power to recruit a powerful ally for the family."

"But if your foolishness or your inability to recognize your own standing leads you to displease him, I will report the matter to the family’s council of elders."

Having delivered her stern warning, Yi Yunya’s figure finally vanished completely.

But though she was gone, the Yi Family members she left behind erupted.

Yi Yunhai: "Such arrogance! Does Yun Ya really think the Zhong Ming she’s recruited is anywhere near the level of a Celestial Level guest?!"

Yi Shan: "She’s being far too arrogant. She’s not even treating the family rules with any respect."

Yi Yunyan: "Inferiors... unqualified... Heh, she clearly thinks nothing of us!"

...

Yi Yunya’s brazen attitude left the junior members of the Yi Family feeling anxious, worried, or simply astonished, and they broke into a flurry of nonstop discussion.

Upstairs, Yi Yunya’s words had also thoroughly piqued Yi Qing’s curiosity about Zhong Ming.

’This posture... Yun Ya wants the Yi Family to be the one actively trying to win Zhong Ming over.’

There was a world of difference in the importance the Yi Family would place on Zhong Ming depending on how he joined. If he took the initiative to join them, that would be one thing. But if the Yi Family had to exhaust every means to win him over... that was another matter entirely.

The more they invested, the more they would value him.

Realizing this, Yi Qing shook her head and chuckled softly.

"A daughter’s loyalties always lie elsewhere, it seems." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She wasn’t particularly angry as she said it, though.

When dealing with an ordinary prodigy, the family’s interests came first. The family provided its backing, ensuring the prodigy wouldn’t dare to take them lightly.

But with a supreme prodigy, that prodigy’s interests took top priority. Securing one’s position as the primary partner was the most important thing. This was the lesson the Yi Family taught its children who were being prepared for marriage alliances.

Watching Yi Yunya’s departing figure, Yi Qing’s gaze deepened as she murmured, "Yun Ya, your methods aren’t wrong. But this all hinges on one thing: that the Zhong Ming you value so highly truly possesses talent so extraordinary it would make the family elders sit up and take notice."

’But does he truly have it?’

Yi Qing wasn’t the only one who was curious. The other members of the Yi Family were just as anxious to know.

And so, as noon approached, Yi Yunya went to the entrance of the Golden Jade Tower to welcome Zhong Ming. The rest of the Yi Family hurried out as well, each finding their own way to watch the entrance.

And so, under the watchful gaze of so many, Zhong Ming arrived. He was led to the Golden Jade Tower by Yi Yunya’s handmaiden, Orchid.