the rise of the useless son-in-law of a wealthy family

appearance

"Don't take too long! And watch your behavior!"

The annual cultivators' event was always the center of attention in the modern world still adorned with ancient traditions. Held in a grand building with a main hall as large as a sports field, the event was filled with prominent families, each bringing their successors. This year, the Xia family attended with a mix of pride and anxiety.

Xia Lengyi, in her elegant dark blue gown, walked through the crowd with her family. The guests gazed at her in admiration, but soon whispers started to spread.

"There she is, Miss Xia Lengyi..."

"What a pity, she married someone with no abilities."

"Did she really bring her husband here? How embarrassing!"

Xia Lengyi sighed, hearing the taunts that unintentionally reached her ears. Su Jian still hadn't appeared, and this only added to her frustration. Sitting with her family in the front row, she repeatedly checked her phone, hoping for news from her husband.

"Why hasn't he come yet?" she murmured with worry. After some time, Su Jian had excused himself to the restroom, but he still hadn't returned.

"Lengyi, don't think too much about it. Actually, it's better if he doesn't come back. His presence will only embarrass our family," said one of the Xia relatives with a cynical tone.

However, not long after, Su Jian appeared and walked toward them. The previously bustling hall suddenly fell silent. All heads turned toward Su Jian.

"He’s here..." whispered one of the guests.

Xia Lengyi immediately stood up, a mix of relief and anger swelling within her. Su Jian approached, giving a small smile that made Lengyi’s blood rush to her head.

"Where have you been?" she whispered tersely.

"Traffic," Su Jian replied casually, though it was clearly not a satisfying excuse.

"You mean you were in a line? Where exactly did you go to the bathroom!?" Lengyi retorted sharply.

Su Jian just chuckled softly at the careless answer he gave.

Before Lengyi could respond, a young cultivator—a tall man with an arrogant face—stood in the middle of the hall and spoke loudly.

"Ah, finally the legendary husband of Miss Xia has arrived! How are you, Su Jian? What’s it like living in the shadow of the Xia family?"

A small laugh echoed among the guests. Xia Lengyi clenched her fists, her face reddening with suppressed anger. However, Su Jian only stared at the young man with a blank expression.

The arrogant young man stepped closer, his smile sarcastic. "How about we make this event more interesting? We know that at every gathering, there’s a sparring duel to test the abilities of the younger generation. How about you join? Show us... if you’re really worthy of standing by Miss Xia."

A wave of laughter spread through the hall. Xia Lengyi immediately stood up, her voice trembling with anger.

"Enough! Don’t insult Su Jian! Don’t you understand that insulting him also insults me!?"

But before the situation could escalate, Su Jian’s soft voice broke the silence.

"Alright, I’ll fight."

"What!? Su Jian, are you tired of living!?" Lengyi said, not believing what Su Jian had just said.

Everyone knew that Su Jian had no cultivation ability, nor did he have a spiritual root or meridians. How could he agree to such a challenge?

However, the hall suddenly became quiet. All eyes were on Su Jian, as if they believed he had gone mad. Xia Lengyi stared at him, her eyes wide. "What did you just say?! Stop joking!"

But Su Jian remained calm. He looked at the arrogant young man and said, "You want to see my ability? Go ahead."

The room erupted in cheers. Everyone was eager to see what would happen. Some were certain this would turn into an embarrassing display for Su Jian. They imagined he would fall with a single strike and further disgrace the Xia family.

A small arena was quickly set up in the middle of the hall. The guests gathered around it, full of anticipation. Xia Lengyi walked up to Su Jian, pulling his arm firmly.

"Are you crazy? You don’t have to do this! You can’t cultivate!" she whispered harshly.

Su Jian looked at her, and for the first time, there was something in his eyes that silenced Lengyi—a confidence she had never seen before.

"Trust me, Miss Xia," Su Jian said briefly.

His opponent, the arrogant young man, stood across from him. Dressed in clothes bearing the symbols of his large family, he grinned smugly. "I’ll make you regret accepting this challenge."

"Try me," Su Jian replied calmly.

The duel began.

The young man attacked immediately, using fast movements accompanied by spiritual energy. Everyone expected Su Jian to fall right away. But something unexpected happened.

Su Jian moved to the side nimbly, dodging the attack despite his seemingly awkward steps. His opponent stumbled forward, losing his balance. The spectators were stunned.

"What was that? Was it luck?" whispered one of the guests.

The young man attacked again, this time more seriously. He threw a series of quick punches and kicks. However, despite Su Jian's seemingly untrained movements, he managed to dodge the attacks in a way that was almost impossible to believe.

Sweat started to cover the opponent’s face. Frustration was clearly visible.

"Stop dodging and fight me!" he yelled.

Su Jian, who had been dodging, finally raised his hand. The movement was simple—a push forward with his hand. But somehow, his opponent was suddenly thrown backward and fell hard to the ground.

The hall fell completely silent. All eyes were on Su Jian. Even Xia Lengyi stared at him in shock that was hard to hide.

"This is impossible..." someone murmured among the crowd.

The arrogant young man struggled to get up, his face flushed with humiliation. But before he could attack again, the voice of an elder stopped him.

"Enough! The fight is over."

The elder looked at Su Jian with a meaningful gaze. "Who is this young man, really?" he whispered quietly.

Su Jian walked out of the arena, returning to the spot where Xia Lengyi was standing. She was still staring at him in astonishment.

"What did you just do?" she asked softly.

Su Jian only smiled faintly. "I was just lucky."

That answer only made Lengyi more confused, but there was something different in the way she looked at her husband now. For the first time, Su Jian didn’t seem like a burden—he seemed like someone with a big secret.