As Ren Butong expected, this matter couldn’t possibly be concealed.

Before night fell, news about Ren Family’s eldest daughter, Ren Ning, eloping with a man had already spread across the Ling’an territory, which spans hundreds of thousands of miles.

Upon hearing this news, reactions varied from different quarters.

Some showed schadenfreude, some sarcastic ridicule, and some sighed with emotion.

But more eyes turned towards the Great General Mansion of Ling’an.

Because everyone knew that previously, under the strong promotion of Ren Butong, the General’s Mansion had already agreed to the marriage with the Ren Family.

The Ren Family’s daughter, Ren Ning, was to marry the General’s eldest son.

Many forces were closely watching this marriage.

Because if it succeeded, it would mean the Ren Family would align with the General’s Mansion, thus elevating itself from a third-rate prestigious family to a higher status.

But now, at this critical moment, such an incident occurred, wasn’t this blatantly slapping the Great General in the face!

Therefore, many people sneered inwardly, watching silently to see how the Great General would respond.

What was surprising was that the Ling’an Great General Mansion, known for its resolute and swift actions, remained unusually silent this time and did not express any opinion on the matter.

This left many who secretly hoped for the Ren Family’s misfortune somewhat disappointed.

What’s going on?

Why has the General’s Mansion, which usually acts assertively, become so forbearing and restrained this time?

Just as many were secretly puzzled, another message from the Ren Family offered an answer.

The Ren Family decided to expel Ren Ning, cancel all her inheritance rights, and have the second daughter, Ren Xing, replace her sister and marry into the General’s Mansion.

Upon hearing this, there was an uproar from all sides.

In a small academy, a group of scholars was intensely discussing this matter.

"What? They actually offered their second daughter? But I remember this second miss of the Ren Family isn’t even of age yet!" an astonished scholar in a blue robe exclaimed.

"Do you think someone like Ren Butong cares about that? To him, the most important thing now is how to quell the Great General Mansion’s anger. At this point, he’d give up even his wife without a second thought!" a black-faced scholar beside sneered.

"That’s why I say Ren Butong is ruthless, sacrificing the happiness of both his daughters to secure a marriage alliance with the General’s Mansion!" another scholar sighed and fanned himself.

"For someone like that, family bonds are nothing more than bargaining chips, it’s not surprising at all!" the black-faced scholar said.

"It’s just a pity for those two beautiful women — one is forced to leave the prestigious family, and the other is about to jump into the fire pit," the blue-robed scholar lamented.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room went silent.

Obviously, everyone living in this region understood how powerful the Great General was and also knew how lawless the eldest son of the General’s Mansion could be.

At this moment, a hearty laugh came from outside the house.

"I just entered the courtyard and heard Old Yao speaking so fondly of beauty. It seems the title of the romantic talent of Fangwai City is truly well-deserved!"

Hearing this voice, the scholars in the room stood up, appearing excited.

"It’s Brother Zhuo!"

"Brother Zhuo has returned!"

At the same time, they saw the door open, and a young man, dressed in a moon-white gentleman’s robe, stride confidently into the room.

His arrival lit up the entire room.

Especially his natural and graceful demeanor, which made many feel an affinity towards him.

"Brother Zhuo, you’ve finally come out of seclusion!" the black-faced scholar said joyfully.

"Yes, Brother Zhuo, I went to your house just yesterday, and your mother said you have been in your study in closed-door cultivation for months, seeing no one! Your dedication to learning puts us to shame!" the blue-robed scholar remarked.

The young man laughed heartily, "I just had some insights while reading, so I went into seclusion for a few months to contemplate and comprehend them. Thank you all for your concern!"

These scholars were all students of the official academy in Fangwai City.

Fangwai City, though not large, was in the territory governed by the Great General, and was known for its literary culture and being a place rich in talent.

Now a brief introduction to how these academies came about.

Just as Xue An revealed the background of that performer in the theater, this world is a unique dual composition.

The so-called duality refers to the coexistence of evil beings and the Human Clan in this world.

The Human Clan’s world, unlike The Multiverse or Sky Beyond the Skies, has various cultivation methods. Besides having a different hierarchy from The Multiverse, everything else is basically the same.

The world of evil beings is different.

According to the lore of this world, these evil beings first appeared before people in the form of Deity and ruled the world for countless ages in this manner.

For some reason, this rule eventually collapsed, which also led to infighting among these evil beings.

Even so, these evil beings still exert strong influence over this world. Though they usually remain beneath the surface, no one dares to ignore their existence.

The origin of these academies is closely related to the collapse of the rule of these evil beings.

At least, their emergence coincided with a historic turning point, quickly gaining prominence and becoming a formidable force in this world.

Today, the influence of these academies and scholars has reached a peak, demanding respect from even the most powerful individuals.

In this context, many powers have started to establish their own official academies, hoping to expand their influence through them.

This Fangwai Academy is one of countless such academies.

This young man is one of the outstanding young talents in Fangwai City, named Zhuo Benzheng.

With a scholarly family background and exceptional talent, he has gradually become the leading figure among Fangwai Academy’s students.

At this moment, after a round of greetings, Zhuo Benzheng’s expression turned solemn.

"Everyone, do you know the main reason I emerged from seclusion this time?"

Everyone was silent for a moment, except for the fan-wielding scholar, who gently spoke, "Is it for the poetry society gathering?"

"Indeed, Brother Fan knows me well. Yes, I’ve come out this time for the poetry society gathering!"

Poetry society gathering!

Upon hearing these four words, all the scholars present showed a yearning expression.

Because for every scholar, this gathering represents a brilliant and grand stage.

If one has the opportunity to participate and produce well-received poetry, they will instantly become famous worldwide.

This is all because the poetry society gathering is an event noted by all the great forces and the entire world.