“ nǐ shén me nǐ ， bù dǒng jiù bú yào zài zhè lǐ luàn shuō ， nǐ guō léng zi shǎ tóu shǎ nǎo de ， nán dào hái néng xiǎng chū shén me hǎo zhǔ yì me ？” wú zhǎng lǎo bù xiè de shuō 。
“你什么你，不懂就不要在这里乱说，你郭楞子傻头傻脑的，难道还能想出什么好主意么？”吴长老不屑的说。
"Shut up, you. If you don't understand, don't blabber here. Your Guolengzi is as dumb as a rock; how could he come up with any good ideas?"
“ bù cuò ， wǒ guō mǒu shì biàn bù guò nǐ ， dàn wǒ duì xiǎo jiě de zhōng xīn ， tiān rì kě biǎo ， bù xiàng nǐ ， shì shì dōu wèi zì jǐ kǎo lǜ ， lǎo dǎo zhǔ shī gǔ wèi hán ， jiù xiǎng qù zhǎo xīn zhǔ zi ， bù cuò ， nǐ shuō de shì zài lǐ ， jiù suàn liǎng rén bān pèi yòu rú hé ， nà wàn shòu zūn zhě tān huā hào sè ， tīng shuō jī qiè yǒu shàng bǎi zhī duō ， shèn zhì hái lǔ le bù shǎo nǚ xiū shì dàng zuò dǐng lú ， rú cǐ lǎo bù xiū de jiā huo ， ràng dà xiǎo jiě xià jià ， qǐ bù shì jiāng tā wǎng huǒ kēng lǐ tuī ma ？”
“不错，我郭某是辩不过你，但我对小姐的忠心，天日可表，不像你，事事都为自己考虑，老岛主尸骨未寒，就想去找新主子，不错，你说的是在理，就算两人般配又如何，那万兽尊者贪huā好色，听说姬妾有上百之多，甚至还掳了不少女修士当作鼎炉，如此老不羞的家伙，让大小姐下嫁，岂不是将她往火坑里推吗？”
Wu Elder sneered. "That's right. I can't argue with your Guo, but my loyalty to the miss is clear under heaven and earth. Unlike you, who always thinks of yourself first. You want to find a new master before the old island lord's remains are cold? That makes sense. Even if they're well-matched, what does it matter? That Master Beast of Ten Thousand Beasts is greedy for women; he has hundreds of concubines and even abducted female cultivators as cauldrons. Pushing such an old lecher to marry theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) would be like pushing her into a fiery pit."
“ yū fǔ ！”
“迂腐！”
"Ridiculous!"
miàn duì guō rú de zhì wèn ， wú zhǎng lǎo què lù chū bù xiè zhī sè 。
面对郭儒的质问，吴长老却露出不屑之色。
Facing Guo Ru's challenge, Wu Elder showed disdain.
“ shǐ zhàng fū sān qī sì qiè zài zhèng cháng bù guò ， gèng hé kuàng yī dǎo zhī zhǔ 。”
“矢丈夫三妻四妾再正常不过，更何况一岛之主。”
"A man with three or four wives is perfectly normal, especially for the lord of an island."
“ shù bǎi jī qiè suàn shén me ， wǒ suǒ zhī dào nà xiē yī fāng háo qiáng zhī zhōng ， bù shǎo rén yōng yǒu de shì qiè gèng duō ， nán rén me ， shēn wèi xiū xiān zhě ， duō qǔ jǐ gè lǎo pó ， yǒu shén me hào qí guài de 。”
“数百姬妾算什么，我所知道那些一方豪强之中，不少人拥有的侍妾更多，男人么，身为修仙者，多娶几个老婆，有什么好奇怪的。”
"What about hundreds of concubines? Many strongmen in the region have more than I do. Men are men; as cultivators, it’s not strange to take on multiple wives."
“ zhì yú dǐng lú ， zài zuò de xiōng dì zhī zhōng ， lèi sì de shì qíng wèi bì méi yǒu gàn guò ， shuāng xiū běn lái jiù yǒu lì yú jiāng píng jǐng tū pò ， zhè yǔ dà xiǎo jiě xià jià yǒu shén me guān xì le ， wàn shòu zūn zhě jiù suàn zài kuáng wàng shí bèi ， yě huì zhèng ér bā jīng de jiāng qí dàng zuò dào lǚ ， shì qiè yǔ dǐng lú ， yǔ zá jiā xiǎo jiě yì diǎn guān xì yě wú 。
“至于鼎炉，在座的兄弟之中，类似的事情未必没有干过，双修本来就有利于将瓶颈突破，这与大小姐下嫁有什么关系了，万兽尊者就算再狂妄十倍，也会正儿八经的将其当作道侣，侍妾与鼎炉，与咱家小姐一点关系也无。
"As for cauldrons, none of us here haven't done similar things. Dual cultivation can help break through barriers. This has nothing to do with theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth)'s marriage. Even if Master Beast is ten times more arrogant, he would treat her like a partner and not just as a concubine or cauldron."
guō rú dà nù ， dàn lèng shì xiǎng bú dào yán yǔ fǎn bó ， xiū xiān jiè běn lái jiù shì ruò ròu qiáng shí de ， wàn shòu zūn zhě de zuò fǎ ， yě shí zài méi yǒu shén me bù tuǒ ， zuì duō wéi rén suǒ bù chǐ bà le 。
郭儒大怒，但愣是想不到言语反驳，修仙界本来就是弱肉强食的，万兽尊者的做法，也实在没有什么不妥，最多为人所不齿罢了。
Guo Ru was furious but couldn’t find words to refute him. In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applied, and Master Beast’s actions were not entirely unreasonable; they just weren't well-liked.
“ hǎo ， jiù suàn nǐ shuō de yǒu lǐ ， duì fāng qǔ le xiǎo jiě yǐ hòu ， nán dào huì jiāng wǒ men hóng yè dǎo fàng guò ， lǎo dǎo zhǔ xīn xīn kǔ kǔ chuàng xià lái de jī yè ， nán dào jiù zhè yàng ràng duì fāng tūn bìng le 。”
“好，就算你说的有理，对方娶了小姐以后，难道会将我们红叶岛放过，老岛主辛辛苦苦创下来的基业，难道就这样让对方吞并了。”
"Even if you're right, after marrying theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), won't he leave us alone? The hard work our old lord put into building this foundation will be for naught."
“ suǒ yǐ wǒ shuō nǐ guō léng zi shì gè chǔn huò ， lǎo fū dān jīng jié lǜ ” xiǎng chū zhè shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu de hé qīn zhī cè ， zuì zhōng de mù dì jiù shì xiǎng yào bǎo quán lǎo dǎo zhǔ jī yè de 。” wú zhǎng lǎo kāng kǎi jī áng de shuō 。
“所以我说你郭楞子是个蠢货，老夫殚精竭虑”想出这顺水推舟的和亲之策，最终的目的就是想要保全老岛主基业的。”吴长老慷慨激昂的说。
"That's why I say you Guolengzi are a fool. I've exhausted all my efforts to come up with this strategy of arranged marriage," Wu Elder said passionately.
guō rú bù kě sī yì de dèng dà le shuāng mù ” duì fāng de huà suī rán tiān yī wú fèng ， ràng tā zhǎo bú dào yán cí fǎn bó ， dàn nèi xīn shēn chù ， duì wú zhǎng lǎo de yòng yì ， tā què shì qīng qīng chǔ chǔ ” biǎo miàn shàng shuō de dōu zài lǐ ， qí shí què shì zài wèi zì jǐ kào kǎo lǜ 。
郭儒不可思议的瞪大了双目”对方的话虽然天衣无缝，让他找不到言辞反驳，但内心深处，对吴长老的用意，他却是清清楚楚”表面上说的都在理，其实却是在为自己靠考虑。
Guo Ru stared in disbelief at Wu Elder. Although the other’s argument was flawless, he understood Wu’s true intentions—while it seemed reasonable on the surface, it was all about self-interest.
dāng chū xiǎo jiě jì chéng dà wèi zhī shí ， tā jiù pǒ wèi bù qíng yuàn de yàng zi ， ruò bú shì yǒu ān zhǎng lǎo dà lì zhī chí ， xiǎo jiě néng bù néng chéng wéi dǎo zhǔ hái shì liǎng shuō zhī shì 。
当初小姐继承大位之时，他就颇为不情愿的样子，若不是有安长老大力支持，小姐能不能成为岛主还是两说之事。
Initially reluctant when theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) took over, Guo Ru owed much to An Elder's support. Now, why was he silent?
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， tā yòu xiàng ān shū wàng qù 。
想到这里，他又像安叔望去。
Guo Ru's gaze fell on An Elder. He saw him with his eyes closed, looking calm and composed.
ān zhǎng lǎo kě yǐ shuō shì gēn suí lǎo dǎo zhǔ shí jiān zuì jiǔ de lǎo chén zi 。
安长老可以说是跟随老岛主时间最久的老臣子。
The more surprised he became, but now wasn't the time to ask questions. First, refute Wu’s twisted logic.
yě shì yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū shì ， ér qiě shí lì sì hū hái wěn yā wú zi míng yī chóu de yàng zi 。
也是元婴后期的大修士，而且实力似乎还稳压吴子明一筹的样子。
"You say luring a wolf into our den and pushing theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) into a fiery pit is for protecting the old lord's foundation? Wu Ziming, fairness lies in people's hearts; no matter how eloquent you are, you can’t easily confuse right from wrong."
wú zi míng duì tā yí xiàng jì dàn yǐ jí 。
吴子明对他一向忌惮以极。
"Guolengzi, your stupidity doesn't mean others share it. This strategy took me much effort to come up with."
ér ān zhǎng lǎo yě yí xiàng jiāng xiǎo jiě dàng chéng zì jǐ de zhí nǚ ， zěn me zhè cì què bù shēng bù yǔ ？
而安长老也一向将小姐当成自己的侄女，怎么这次却不声不语？
"That’s true. Your analysis had some merit. Master Beast proposing marriage was just trying to capture both the江山 (empire, realm, or more literally, river mountains)and thebeautiful woman. But I have my own plan. If he wants to marry her, we can leverage this by setting conditions."
xīn zhōng yí huò ” guō rú de mù guāng yǐ jīng luò zài ān zhǎng lǎo liǎn shàng le ， què jiàn tā shuāng mù jǐn bì ， yī fù lǎo shén zài zài de yàng zi 。
心中疑惑”郭儒的目光已经落在安长老脸上了，却见他双目紧闭，一副老神在在的样子。
"Exploit"
chà yì zhī xīn yuè nóng ， dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què bù hǎo kāi kǒu xiāng xún shén me ， xiān jiāng wú zi míng de wāi lǐ fǎn bó 。
诧异之心越浓，但此时此刻，却不好开口相询什么，先将吴子明的歪理反驳。
"That's right. I analyzed it earlier; even without Master Beast, other forces wouldn't leave us alone. Once she marries him, we can use his name to intimidate others," Wu Ziming said.
“ nǐ shuō ， yǐn láng rù shì ， jiāng xiǎo jiě tuī rù huǒ kēng zhī zhōng ” zěn me hái chéng le bǎo quán lǎo dǎo zhǔ jī yè le ， wú zi míng ， gōng dào zì zài rén xīn ， jiù suàn nǐ zài néng shuō ， yě bù kě néng jiāng zhè hēi bái gěi qīng yì hùn xiáo le 。”
“你说，引狼入室，将小姐推入火坑之中”怎么还成了保全老岛主基业了，吴子明，公道自在人心，就算你再能说，也不可能将这黑白给轻易混淆了。”
"What kind of strategy is that? TheMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) will still fall into Master Beast’s hands."
“ guō léng zi ， nǐ chǔn bèn rú zhū ， bù dài biǎo bié rén yǔ nǐ yī yàng méi nǎo zi de ” zhè tiáo jì cè ， shì wú mǒu hǎo bù róng yì cái xiǎng chū lái de 。”
“郭楞子，你蠢笨如猪，不代表别人与你一样没脑子的”这条计策，是吴某好不容易才想出来的。”
Hmph, don’t worry, old man hasn't finished yet. This is just the first step. If he wants to marry her, we can set a condition: any future son born by theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) must bear our island's surname. That way, the Guolengzi lineage will continue. Think about it; even with Master Beast’s many concubines, their status and power cannot compare to ours. Mother is more important than daughter. With the support of theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) and us old officials, future masters won't struggle for the position. Once Master Beast falls, our young master would be well-prepared. He carries the surname of the old lord; not only will the Guolengzi island fall into our hands, but so will other assets of Master Beast."
“ bù cuò ， nǐ gāng gāng de fēn xī ， yě yǒu jǐ fēn dào lǐ ， nà wàn shòu zūn zhě tí qīn ” wú wài hū shì dǎ dī jiāng shān měi rén yì qǐ lǎn rù huái zhōng de zhǔ yì ， dàn tā yǒu tā de zhāng liáng jì ， wǒ yǒu wǒ de guò qiáng tī ， duì fāng jì rán xiǎng yào jiāng xiǎo jiě qǔ guò qù ， wǒ men yě kě yǐ tōng guò tí tiáo jiàn lái jiè shì 。”
“不错，你刚刚的分析，也有几分道理，那万兽尊者提亲”无外乎是打的江山美人一起揽入怀中的主意，但他有他的张良计，我有我的过墙梯，对方既然想要将小姐娶过去，我们也可以通过提条件来借势。”
"Brothers, do I seem to have spared no effort in considering the interests of the Guolengzi island? Unlike that Guolengzi, relying on brute force is like throwing a rock at a stone. Don’t you see the disparity in strength; even a thumb from Master Beast could crush you like an ant."
“ jiè qī ”
“借欺”
"Correct, if this plan is executed carefully, our Guolengzi island will not only survive but also gain significant power," Wu Elder said.
“ bù cuò ” wú mǒu gāng gāng yǐ jīng fēn xī le ， jí biàn méi yǒu wàn shòu zūn zhě ， qí tā shì lì ， yě bú huì jiāng hóng yè dǎo fàng guò ， ér xiǎo jiě yí dàn jià guò qù ， jiù kě yǐ jiè wàn shòu zūn zhě de míng tóu ， jiāng qí tā shì lì zhèn shè ，“…”
“不错”吴某刚刚已经分析了，即便没有万兽尊者，其他势力，也不会将红叶岛放过，而小姐一旦嫁过去，就可以借万兽尊者的名头，将其他势力震慑，“…”
"Mm, I agree. This strategy does make sense. It's the only way to resolve the current crisis."
“ zhè suàn shén me jì cè ， hóng yè dǎo hái bú shì luò rù le wàn shòu de shǒu zhōng 。”
“这算什么计策，红叶岛还不是落入了万兽的手中。”
The murmurs of agreement spread among the elders and supporters. Even those neutral elders found this plan feasible. After all, facing such a disparity in strength, they had no chance against Master Beast Island. Wu Elder’s proposal offered hope.
hēng ， nǐ huāng shén me ， lǎo fū hái méi yǒu shuō wán ， zhè jǐn jǐn shì dì yī bù ， duì fāng bú shì xiǎng qǔ xiǎo jiě me ， nà wǒ men yě kě yǐ tí yí gè tiáo jiàn ， yǐ hòu xiǎo jiě suǒ shēng de zhǎng zǐ ， yào jì chéng lǎo dǎo zhǔ de xìng shì ， rú cǐ yī lái ， hóng yè yī mài jiù chuán le xià qù ， gè wèi xiǎng a ， nà wàn shòu zūn zhě suǒ qǔ de jī qiè suī duō ， dàn nà xiē nǚ zǐ de shēn fèn shí lì ， rú hé néng yǔ wǒ men jiā xiǎo jiě xiāng bǐ ， suǒ wèi mǔ píng zi guì ， yǐ hòu de shào yé kào zhe xiǎo jiě ， hái yǒu wǒ men zhè bān lǎo chén de zhī chí ， hái pà qiǎng bú dào shǎo zhǔ de wèi zi ， yí dàn wàn shòu zūn zhě yǔn luò ， nà shí hòu xiǎo shào yé yě gāi yǔ yì fēng mǎn le ， tā yòu shì lǎo dǎo zhǔ de xìng shì ， nà shí hòu bù zhǐ hóng yè dǎo ， lián wàn shòu zūn zhě qí tā de jī yè ， yě luò rù wǒ men de shǒu lǐ 。”
哼，你慌什么，老夫还没有说完，这仅仅是第一步，对方不是想娶小姐么，那我们也可以提一个条件，以后小姐所生的长子，要继承老岛主的姓氏，如此一来，红叶一脉就传了下去，各位想啊，那万兽尊者所取的姬妾虽多，但那些女子的身份实力，如何能与我们家小姐相比，所谓母凭子贵，以后的少爷靠着小姐，还有我们这般老臣的支持，还怕抢不到少主的位子，一旦万兽尊者陨落，那时候小少爷也该羽翼丰满了，他又是老岛主的姓氏，那时候不止红叶岛，连万兽尊者其他的基业，也落入我们的手里。”
"You... you..."
“ zhū wèi xiōng dì ， nǐ men shuō ， wú mǒu shì bú shì dān jīng jié lǜ ， zài wèi wǒ hóng yè dǎo kǎo lǜ ， nǎ xiàng nà guō léng zi ， píng xuè qì zhī yǒng ， gēn běn jiù shì ná jī dàn yǔ shí tou yìng pèng ， yě bù kàn kàn shí lì duì bǐ ， rén jiā wàn shòu zūn zhě ， shēn chū yī mǔ zhǐ tou ， jiù néng xiàng niē chòu chóng bān de niē sǐ nǐ 。”
“诸位兄弟，你们说，吴某是不是殚精竭虑，在为我红叶岛考虑，哪像那郭楞子，凭血气之勇，根本就是拿鸡蛋与石头硬碰，也不看看实力对比，人家万兽尊者，伸出一拇指头，就能像捏臭虫般的捏死你。”
Guo Ru was both shocked and angry but couldn’t find words to refute him. He wasn't naturally eloquent, and Wu's argument seemed reasonable on the surface. Despite this, he knew it was wrong and beads of sweat formed on his forehead in desperation.
“ wú zhǎng lǎo cǐ yán bù cuò ， cǐ jì ruò néng xiǎo xīn cāo zuò ， wǒ hóng yè dǎo bù jǐn néng gòu dù guò wēi jī ， shí lì hái néng dà zēng wú yí 。”
“吴长老此言不错，此计若能小心操作，我红叶岛不仅能够度过危机，实力还能大增无疑。”
Wu Elder’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Such a foolish man didn’t deserve to fight against him; he was simply reckless. He glanced disdainfully at Guo Ru before turning to bow deeply.
“ ń ， wǒ yě jué de yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， chú le cǐ jì ， hái zhēn méi yǒu bàn fǎ jiě chú yǎn qián de wēi jī 。”
“嗯，我也觉得言之有理，除了此计，还真没有办法解除眼前的危机。”
"Subordinate understands that the plan is unfair to theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), but our old lord worked hard to build this foundation. Subordinate can't bear to see it destroyed. If you follow my advice, although there will be temporary hardships, your future is bright."
cǐ qǐ bǐ fú de yì lùn shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， wú zhǎng lǎo de hú péng gǒu yǒu zàn qiě bù tí ， biàn shì nà xiē zhōng lì de zhǎng lǎo ， yě jué de cǐ jì shì kě xíng dì 。
此起彼伏的议论声传入耳朵，吴长老的狐朋狗友暂且不提，便是那些中立的长老，也觉得此计是可行地。
Before his words finished, he signaled a bald man beside him.
bì jìng qiáng ruò xuán shū ， zhēn yǔ wàn shòu dǎo yìng pèng tā men shì yī fēn shèng suàn yě wú 。
毕竟强弱悬殊，真与万兽岛硬碰他们是一分胜算也无。
This was Iron胆 (gallbladder, also can mean courage or daring in certain contexts)Elder, an advanced-stageYuan Yin (a term from Chinese mythology and cultivation literature, often referring to a spiritual embryo) cultivator and one of Wu Elder's closest allies. With the leader’s nod, he stepped forward and began to speak passionately: "Miss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), if you want to achieve great things, you must endure some hardships. In fact, Master Beast isn’t a bad match for you; he could be a good husband."
"I..."
"Shut up, you. If you don't understand, don't blabber here. Your Guolengzi is as dumb as a rock; how could he come up with any good ideas?"
Wu Elder sneered. "That's right. I can't argue with your Guo, but my loyalty to the miss is clear under heaven and earth. Unlike you, who always thinks of yourself first. You want to find a new master before the old island lord's remains are cold? That makes sense. Even if they're well-matched, what does it matter? That Master Beast of Ten Thousand Beasts is greedy for women; he has hundreds of concubines and even abducted female cultivators as cauldrons. Pushing such an old lecher to marry theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) would be like pushing her into a fiery pit."
"Ridiculous!"
Facing Guo Ru's challenge, Wu Elder showed disdain.
"A man with three or four wives is perfectly normal, especially for the lord of an island."
"What about hundreds of concubines? Many strongmen in the region have more than I do. Men are men; as cultivators, it’s not strange to take on multiple wives."
"As for cauldrons, none of us here haven't done similar things. Dual cultivation can help break through barriers. This has nothing to do with theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth)'s marriage. Even if Master Beast is ten times more arrogant, he would treat her like a partner and not just as a concubine or cauldron."
"You..."
Guo Ru was furious but couldn’t find words to refute him. In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applied, and Master Beast’s actions were not entirely unreasonable; they just weren't well-liked.
"Even if you're right, after marrying theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), won't he leave us alone? The hard work our old lord put into building this foundation will be for naught."
"That's why I say you Guolengzi are a fool. I've exhausted all my efforts to come up with this strategy of arranged marriage," Wu Elder said passionately.
Guo Ru stared in disbelief at Wu Elder. Although the other’s argument was flawless, he understood Wu’s true intentions—while it seemed reasonable on the surface, it was all about self-interest.
Initially reluctant when theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) took over, Guo Ru owed much to An Elder's support. Now, why was he silent?
Guo Ru's gaze fell on An Elder. He saw him with his eyes closed, looking calm and composed.
The more surprised he became, but now wasn't the time to ask questions. First, refute Wu’s twisted logic.
"You say luring a wolf into our den and pushing theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) into a fiery pit is for protecting the old lord's foundation? Wu Ziming, fairness lies in people's hearts; no matter how eloquent you are, you can’t easily confuse right from wrong."
"Guolengzi, your stupidity doesn't mean others share it. This strategy took me much effort to come up with."
"That’s true. Your analysis had some merit. Master Beast proposing marriage was just trying to capture both the江山 (empire, realm, or more literally, river mountains)and thebeautiful woman. But I have my own plan. If he wants to marry her, we can leverage this by setting conditions."
"Exploit"
"That's right. I analyzed it earlier; even without Master Beast, other forces wouldn't leave us alone. Once she marries him, we can use his name to intimidate others," Wu Ziming said.
"What kind of strategy is that? TheMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) will still fall into Master Beast’s hands."
Hmph, don’t worry, old man hasn't finished yet. This is just the first step. If he wants to marry her, we can set a condition: any future son born by theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) must bear our island's surname. That way, the Guolengzi lineage will continue. Think about it; even with Master Beast’s many concubines, their status and power cannot compare to ours. Mother is more important than daughter. With the support of theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth) and us old officials, future masters won't struggle for the position. Once Master Beast falls, our young master would be well-prepared. He carries the surname of the old lord; not only will the Guolengzi island fall into our hands, but so will other assets of Master Beast."
"Brothers, do I seem to have spared no effort in considering the interests of the Guolengzi island? Unlike that Guolengzi, relying on brute force is like throwing a rock at a stone. Don’t you see the disparity in strength; even a thumb from Master Beast could crush you like an ant."
"Correct, if this plan is executed carefully, our Guolengzi island will not only survive but also gain significant power," Wu Elder said.
"Mm, I agree. This strategy does make sense. It's the only way to resolve the current crisis."
The murmurs of agreement spread among the elders and supporters. Even those neutral elders found this plan feasible. After all, facing such a disparity in strength, they had no chance against Master Beast Island. Wu Elder’s proposal offered hope.
"You... you..."
Guo Ru was both shocked and angry but couldn’t find words to refute him. He wasn't naturally eloquent, and Wu's argument seemed reasonable on the surface. Despite this, he knew it was wrong and beads of sweat formed on his forehead in desperation.
Wu Elder’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Such a foolish man didn’t deserve to fight against him; he was simply reckless. He glanced disdainfully at Guo Ru before turning to bow deeply.
"Subordinate understands that the plan is unfair to theMiss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), but our old lord worked hard to build this foundation. Subordinate can't bear to see it destroyed. If you follow my advice, although there will be temporary hardships, your future is bright."
Before his words finished, he signaled a bald man beside him.
This was Iron胆 (gallbladder, also can mean courage or daring in certain contexts)Elder, an advanced-stageYuan Yin (a term from Chinese mythology and cultivation literature, often referring to a spiritual embryo) cultivator and one of Wu Elder's closest allies. With the leader’s nod, he stepped forward and began to speak passionately: "Miss (referring to a young lady of noble birth), if you want to achieve great things, you must endure some hardships. In fact, Master Beast isn’t a bad match for you; he could be a good husband."