The Sect Leader clutched his chest, barely managing to stay upright, and looked up to see the faint blush on Yu Ce’s ears. Everything in front of him turned black once more.
This kid is really out of his mind!
“Explain this to me,” he said, taking a deep breath to calm himself and avoid losing his composure. His voice was heavy as he asked, “When did this happen, and why is it Shen Tanqi?”
Yu Ce knelt on the ground, appearing to recall the event, and said softly, “That day, I was with Ah Qi…”
“Don’t call him that,” the Sect Leader’s skin crawled, his teeth clenched as he snapped, “It’s Shen Tanqi!”
Yu Ce pressed his lips together, gently refusing, “No.”
The Sect Leader was so furious he almost choked. He pointed at Yu Ce and said, “Do you even know who Shen Tanqi is?”
The Shen family of Shuoxia City was known for their hatred of daemons, practically wishing to turn all daemons into slaves. And Yu Ce had the audacity to have a child with the Shen family’s young master—the eldest son, who was the old man’s most cherished one, Shen Tanqi.
At these words, Yu Ce lifted his head slightly and murmured, “Disciple knows. The reason for going to Shuoxia is to propose to the Shen family.”
“Propose?” The Sect Leader’s voice rose sharply.
It was obvious that if Yu Ce truly went to Shuoxia, the old man from the Shen family would probably beat him half to death with his jade cane. Even if Yu Ce had the cultivation of a Golden Immortal, he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on his future father-in-law. Wouldn’t that just be asking to get beaten to death?
Yu Ce looked towards the setting sun. The day was ending, and Ah Qi and the kids must be getting impatient. He couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He bowed once more and said, “Don’t worry, Sect Leader. Ah Qi and I will figure things out with the Shen family. Ah Qi is waiting for me at the foot of the mountain right now. On the day of the wedding, I hope you can come to Shuoxia and join us for a drink.”
A drink? What’s there to drink? I’m already full of frustration.
The Sect Leader couldn’t understand what kind of enchantment Shen Tanqi had cast on Yu Ce to make him so willingly join the Shen family.
Realizing something crucial, the Sect Leader’s voice faltered: “Wait, are you planning to marry into the Shen family, or…?”
Yu Ce glanced at him and calmly replied, “I’m bringing him home with me.”
The Sect Leader sucked in another breath sharply.
Could this be Yu Ce’s scheme? Was he planning to make the Shen family stop opposing daemons by marrying Shen Tanqi?
But could such a tactic really work? The eldest son of the Shen family, Shen Tanqi, didn’t seem like someone who would easily accept such a position.
Outside the silk curtains, Yu Ce slowly stood up, smoothing out the creases in his clothes, and said with a light laugh, “We don’t plan to live with the Shen family. Naturally, I’m not joining them. Besides, Ah Qi and I are in love. There’s no need for you to worry, Sect Leader.”
The Sect Leader’s face showed disbelief. He waved to a nearby disciple and ordered, “He hasn’t left yet, right? Go and get Shen Tanqi.”
Yu Ce frowned slightly and said, “If you’re calling him, please don’t make it difficult for him.”
“Are you protecting him now? Shen Tanqi is under the Shen family’s protection. How could I bully him?” The Sect Leader thought Yu Ce had truly forgotten how Shen Tanqi had once made things difficult for him. He couldn’t be bothered to explain further and sent the young disciple off to fetch Shen Tanqi, “Bring him here, and don’t forget to bring that child as well.”
Yu Ce looked at him helplessly and addressed the hesitant disciple, “Since the Sect Leader insists, please bring all three children. They’re young and can’t handle the cold, so make sure they’re wrapped up warmly.”
“How many?” The leader’s grip on the armrest of his chair tightened, his disbelief evident.
Yu Ce smiled and said, “Three.”
The leader closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He was starting to feel that no matter what happened in the future, he would no longer be surprised.
But when Shen Tanqi walked in, holding a child and emerging from behind the screen, the Sect Leader was still taken aback.
The last time he saw Shen Tanqi was after the incident of Chen Gui in Shuoxia City. He had heard that Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce had dealt with Chen Gui together and had initially thought Shen Tanqi was trying to steal Yu Ce’s credit. So, he had casually handed over two of his self-made Spirit Recovery Pills, believing that Shen Tanqi would likely hoard them before they reached Yu Ce’s hands.
At that time, he had only seen Shen Tanqi through a silk curtain and hadn’t paid close attention. But today, seeing him up close, the Sect Leader was struck by how the proud and arrogant eldest son of the Shen family seemed to have changed.
Was it because he was holding a child?
The Sect Leader’s eyes darkened as he signaled to the disciple holding the fan beside him.
The crimson silk curtain was gently pulled aside by the disciples on either side, allowing the Sect Leader to scrutinize Shen Tanqi’s expression closely.
Shen Tanqi was puzzled as to why the Sect Leader had called him. He bowed and greeted, “Disciple greets the Sect Leader. The two children were asleep in the carriage, so I only brought my youngest son, Shen Mian.” As he spoke, he glanced discreetly at Yu Ce.
He was about to make a gesture to ask Yu Ce why the Sect Leader had summoned him when the Sect Leader spoke up, “Let them sleep. We still need to meet eventually. It’s not urgent. Yu Ce mentioned that you plan to return to Shuoxia City to get married?”
Shen Tanqi looked up in surprise, not expecting the Sect Leader to take an interest in such personal matters. He explained, somewhat puzzled, “Sect Leader, we’re not returning to get married. Yu Ce is going to the Shen family to propose marriage.”
Marriage would have to wait until after Sandan’s health had improved, so their current plan was just to return to the Shen family and settle the proposal with the family head.
“Hmm.” Hearing this from Shen Tanqi sounded even more astonishing than if it had come from Yu Ce himself.
The Sect Leader cleared his throat and tentatively asked, “Do you truly want to marry Yu Ce…?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say the words about getting married.
Shen Tanqi looked up at the Sect Leader, his black eyes reflecting the light from outside, shimmering like water. He smiled and said, “I’m willing.”
The Sect Leader was momentarily stunned. His mind flickered through countless old folk tales he used to read out of boredom. Could it be that Shen Tanqi had been moved by Yu Ce’s sincerity and was starting to become kind and gentle? There was a saying about how love could even make demons do things, wasn’t there?
Wait, that might not be quite right.
But Shen Tanqi didn’t look like he was pretending. The Sect Leader found it hard to believe that Shen Tanqi could fool his seasoned eyes.
After a moment of contemplation, the room of the Rongyun Pavilion fell silent as a still pond.
“Well, then,” the Sect Leader sighed. There wasn’t much more to say if these two were in love. He just hoped that Yu Ce and Shen Tanqi wouldn’t end up like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, torn apart by the Shen family. He rubbed his temples and said softly to the disciple beside him, “Chong Wen, bring the writing materials.”
Chong Wen responded, retrieving the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone from the bookshelf and laying them out neatly on the small table before the Sect Leader.
After grinding the ink, the Sect Leader picked up the brush and began to write slowly, “Marriage is not something you two can decide on your own. Traditionally, it has always been a matter of parental consent and matchmaker’s arrangement. Moreover, the Shen family places great importance on family status. Since Yu Ce’s parents are no longer around, and he has been my disciple since the age of fifteen, I’ll act as his guardian in this matter.”
Hearing this, Yu Ce was momentarily stunned. Having grown up in Hidden Dragon Valley and later joined Rongyun Sect, he was not well-versed in common customs and had overlooked this point.
He hadn’t anticipated that the Sect Leader had summoned Ah Qi to write a letter to act as a stand-in for his parents, handling their marriage arrangement.
Once the Sect Leader finished writing, he lifted the brush from the paper. With a flick of his wrist, the ink dried instantly. He then looked slowly at Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce, his lips moving silently for a moment before he said, “Chong Wen, bring my treasure box.”
Chong Wen gasped in shock, “Sect Leader, that treasure box…?”
“Stop with the nonsense, just give it to him.”
Chong Wen pressed his lips together, still shaken. He bent down and carefully retrieved a tightly wrapped silver treasure box from the deepest part of the bookshelf. With considerable effort, he carried it with both hands and cautiously placed it in front of Yu Ce.
Yu Ce took the box, puzzled, and gently unlocked the clasp. A blinding golden light burst forth from inside, nearly making Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce squint in the dazzle.
“What is this…?” Yu Ce asked, surprised, as he looked at the Sect Leader.
The Sect Leader cleared his throat awkwardly and said with a stern expression, “It’s the betrothal gift. Take it and don’t let anyone look down on you.”
Inside the box were various rare treasures the Sect Leader had meticulously accumulated over the years: precious swords, ancient books, pills, and herbs. Though the box was small, it was filled with everything one could imagine.
The Sect Leader, who was notoriously frugal during the grand sect competition and reluctant to spend extra money on disciples, gave all his savings as a betrothal gift to Yu Ce.
Managing the large Rongyun Sect required constant expenses, so he had to be careful with his money. But this small treasure trove was something he had accumulated himself over many years. It was his own personal collection.
After all, he was also nearing the end of his life. If this gift could be of use to Yu Ce, it was worth it.
Yu Ce held the treasure box, his eyes lowered, feeling a wave of emotions. At such a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.
Throughout his life, he had encountered many who had shown him kindness, but he had rarely been able to repay them.
After a long pause, he knelt gracefully on the ground and addressed the Sect Leader with deep respect, “Disciple Yu Ce thanks the Sect Leader for your guidance and kindness.”
When he was fifteen, if he hadn’t come to Rongyun Sect, he might still be drifting aimlessly somewhere. It was the Sect Leader who had taken him in and given him a place to call home.
That year, the Sect Leader took him out to fight demons. When he saw the corpses scattered across the mountains where the demons had slaughtered a city, he had shed two streams of blood tears.
He said, “I came too late.”
Yu Ce watched the Rongyun Sect Leader, already one of the three major sect heads, kneel on the ground and bow three times in reverence for the innocent lives lost.
He was extremely shocked, having never before seen anyone so deeply pained by the death of others.
Standing amidst the bloodied mountains, the Sect Leader had told him quietly, “This is your first lesson. Once you join the Rongyun Sect, you must not only seek immortality. The higher your cultivation, the more you must take on the responsibility of saving all living beings, dedicating your life to eliminating demons and upholding justice.
Otherwise, even if you have the greatest talent, you should leave the Rongyun Sect and stop seeking immortality.”
He was the first person in the world to tell Yu Ce these words, and because of this, Yu Ce had spent the rest of his life striving to rid the world of demons and uphold justice.
To Yu Ce, the Sect Leader was not just a mentor but also a family member.
After receiving the treasure box and expressing their gratitude, Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce took their leave.
Outside the Rongyun Pavilion, the two stood and spoke softly.
“I didn’t expect the Sect Leader to be so generous,” Shen Tanqi remarked. Even at the Shen family, he had never seen so many treasures all at once.
The old Sect Leader, not only had he raised Yu Ce so well, but he also continuously thought about him. He truly was a kind and good person.
Shen Tanqi smiled and said, “You mustn’t let him down. We have to make sure the proposal succeeds.”
Yu Ce, still feeling a storm of emotions, gently traced the edge of the treasure box with his fingertips. He replied with a firm resolve, “Yes, I will.”
In the past, he never imagined staying in Rongyun Sect for the long term; he preferred traveling and hunting demons. But starting today, Yu Ce wanted to try staying here, at least long enough to fulfill the Sect Leader’s wish of making the Rongyun Sect the grandest sect, benefiting the world.
He would make sure to do that.
After they left,
In Rongyun Pavilion,
“Sect Leader, please don’t be upset…”
“Don’t talk nonsense! Giving away so much money is like slicing off a piece of my flesh! And that brat didn’t even try to refuse it. It’s my money!”
“…” Well, you didn’t have to give it away then!
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
