Chapter 76

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Chapter 76

When Ji Yang said this, he seemed to be in a state of having nothing at all.

He was originally just a Daoist of the Path of Emotionless, born in Moonfire Valley, a place where life was tight.

If you were to ask what he could offer as betrothal gifts, it likely wouldn’t be much.

Gong Wu had been betrothed several times before; whether it was Bao Pu Mansion or the Hu Clan at Rainbow Ridge, the betrothal gifts amounted to thousands of carts and countless red boxes.

At this moment, Ji Yang abruptly proposed to her, not even having prepared a bracelet.

But those details seemed unimportant now.

He spoke of a thousand times, and whether it was his sentiment or his promise, it left her in a daze.

“Okay.” She feared he would change his mind but didn’t want him to feel wronged. “But your Cultivation, your immortal aura… those…”

“My heart is full, but I may need to choose a different path later,” Ji Yang said as he turned to gaze at the endless Immortal Ascension steps. “You go back first. I will return to find you in three days.”

“I won’t,” Gong Wu insisted. “You either ascend now or return home with me.”

After so many twists and turns, she didn’t want to wait even one more day.

She was filled with the anticipation of either losing him or gaining him, but she firmly rejected any sudden changes.

“Who’s in a hurry to get married?” Senior brother chuckled as he tucked her stray hair behind her ear.

“Go back, trust me just this once.”

“Will you promise to return on time?”

“I promise.”

His voice always had a charm that made people unable to help but believe him.

When Ji Yang’s fingertip brushed against Gong Wu, she felt a bit dazed and surprisingly agreed.

She returned alone to Moonfire Valley.

Everyone thought Ji Yang had ascended and gathered to cheer her up. Seeing Gong Wu in a daze and swaying slightly, they began to chatter.

“Little Wu, don’t be sad! You’ll have another companion in the Immortal Realm, and if you take on a divine role in the future, someone will be there to support you. That’s a good thing!”

“Our Little Wu is just beautiful; you were like a little sparrow back then, but now you’ve transformed into a phoenix.”

“Junior Sister, your aura is extraordinary… When will I ever ascend? I’m so envious.”

Gong Wu stood there for a few seconds and said, “Senior brother proposed to me.”

Tu Xuixin: “…?”

Kan Jixuan: “…??”

Yan Fangji: “…???”

“He said to wait for him for three days, and then he would marry me,” Gong Wu said in confusion. “I didn’t originally agree, but he sweet-talked me a bit, and I came back.”

Kan Jixuan suddenly exploded, “How can it be so hasty! I’m not ready for anything! What is this child thinking, rushing without even preparing the red silk for the carriages from the Demon Realm! I’m going back to arrange for a ghost qilin to bring the betrothal gifts over!!”

Before she finished speaking, the elder had disappeared, leaving the other masters fuming.

“How can it be so hasty!” Yan Fangji thumped the table. “If you’re going to propose, you should at least ask me, the father!”

“And you should ask me, the Master!” Tu Xuixin held his head in his hands. “You two are both disciples of Tianhua Palace; will we go out from Tianhua Palace and return to Tianhua Palace?! What about the marriage?”

Yan Fangji scolded, “I haven’t agreed to let Little Wu marry him! Don’t be ridiculous!”

Gong Wu hesitated, “He was so gentle back then that I agreed.”

“…I’ve always liked him,” she said softly.

Yan Fangji and Tu Xuixin exchanged glances, both feeling frustrated that they couldn’t turn the steel into something better.

“Set some conditions! He should promise not to take concubines and adhere to the three obediences and four virtues!”

“Did anyone tell him who will wash the dishes, who will transcribe scriptures, who will sweep the yard, and who will feed the leopard?”

“Daughter, you are just too straightforward. A man must be kept in check, and how can we agree to a marriage proposal right away? We must be a bit more reserved!”

Gong Wu felt a bit guilty from the lecture. She had some questions for Elder Kan, but now she couldn’t find her, as she had gone to the Demon Realm. She turned to her two elders and asked, “I want to know… My senior brother is on the Path of Emotionless; how can he marry me?”

Tu Xuixin was stunned. “Well…”

Indeed, Ji Yang had severed the seven feelings and had asked the matchmaker to cut the red thread. If he were to abandon all his cultivation, he would become a useless person. How could he marry Gong Wu?

“And he said he would be gone for three days. What could he possibly be doing?” Gong Wu hesitated. “In the mortal realm, getting married usually involves preparing a house, carriages, and so on. Is my senior brother going to buy those?”

The answer soon surfaced.

Ji Yang was skillfully gathering a dowry.

Now that he was already a half-immortal with great success in his cultivation, even without ascending, his abilities far surpassed those of most cultivators.

Although he had the assets from his Sword Immortal father’s family and the throne of the Demon Realm given by Kan Jixuan, he didn’t take those into account.

The fastest way for cultivators to earn money was to take on jobs.

On the first day, he accepted a request from the Bai family in Jiangnan.

They offered ten thousand taels of gold as a reward for him to clear the demonic forces around the Zhuang Gong Tomb and retrieve their ancestral blood spirit pearl.

It was said that that night, it snowed a scarlet downpour, clearing the miasma in Songyun County and even stopping the nighttime cries of the Child.

On the second day, he took on a commission from the Satin Red Workshop.

They offered several businesses such as weaving and tie-dyeing in exchange for him to venture into the illusion and rescue someone.

If anything went wrong, it could lead to losing one’s soul.

Yet Ji Yang succeeded.

On the third day, he received a decree from the royal palace.

The emperor commanded him to perform a ritual to pray for rain in the drought-stricken lands.

He wrote the edict to appeal to the heavens and, after receiving divine approval, captured several dragon spirits to bring forth rain.

The drought was relieved, the people wept with joy, countless crops flourished, and drank their fill of the sweet dew.

The emperor was extremely pleased and rewarded him with a hundred acres of good land, a second-rank title, and the title of Lingyuan Duke.

On the fourth day, he returned with a thousand times the betrothal gifts to propose.

The people of Moonfire Valley were already all ears, eagerly awaiting the news from outside, while the little black phoenix fluttered around like a messenger pigeon, tirelessly spreading the word. Everyone was munching on snacks, waiting to see the joyful union of the senior brother and junior sister.

When Ji Yang returned on clouds, Gong Wu waited at the valley gate and saw him return safe and sound.

Rarely did he walk so briskly, his long sleeves billowing like wind. When he saw her, he almost reached out to embrace her, but his Path of Emotionless heart warned him sharply.

So he could only stand at a moderate distance and chuckle softly.

“It’s good that you believed me.”

Gong Wu’s eyes were red as she said, “You really don’t need to make so many promises.”

“If I am to give up my cultivation, I must consider you,” Ji Yang replied softly. “Starting over will likely be slower than others. I hope you can be patient with me in the future.”

Gong Wu rushed over and threw herself into his arms, tears falling like rain.

Tu Xuixin coughed sharply from behind. “You’re not married yet! Show some restraint! Disciple, have some dignity!”

Ji Yang’s entire body ached from the piercing of his Dao heart, yet he would rather endure the pain and let her hold him. He only smiled softly when Gong Wu finally released him.

He took her hand, first bowing to his master, then to the valley master, and finally knelt before Yan Fangji, his voice steady as he asked for Gong Wu’s hand in marriage.

Yan Fangji, though reluctant to part with his daughter, asked despite knowing her feelings, “What do you think, Little Wu?”

Gong Wu answered truthfully, “I feel like I’m dreaming.”

Yan Fangji: “…”

Tu Xuixin: “…Have some restraint!!!”

Gong Wu truly felt as though she were in a dream.

She had secretly harbored feelings for him, burying them deep within her heart, never daring to speak them aloud. And now, out of nowhere, he was asking her to be his wife.

He wanted to marry her, to grow old together, and to walk the path to immortality side by side.

It all felt like a dream.

Ji Yang simply watched her with a gentle smile.

Yan Fangji frowned and pressed, “If you make this decision, you’ll be giving up decades of hard-earned cultivation. Are you truly certain?”

Ji Yang replied, “Cultivation is like searching for a single grain in a vast ocean, but there is only one Little Wu.”

“If anyone else were to come and ask for her hand, I would lose my mind.”

His words were too blunt.

So blunt that Master Cheng choked on his tea, and Tu Xuixin held his head in his hands, sighing deeply for his two love-struck disciples.

Fine, fine, very well. You two are a match made in heaven; I’ll just handle the red envelope.

It wasn’t until Yan Fangji gave his reluctant approval, and Tu Xuixin followed suit, that the two sincerely bowed to the valley master and rode off on the black phoenix and Flower Orange.

Though Gong Wu was still preoccupied with thoughts of the marriage, she had a guess as to where they were headed.

“Are you going to find that strange large bell beneath the Arahant pine?”

She had nearly forgotten about it.

“Yes.”

Since he was prepared to abandon all his cultivation, he might as well seize the opportunity to do something meaningful.

They arrived at the foot of Yin Mountain, where the towering Arahant pine stood like a giant Buddha, guarding the large bell beneath it.

The bell, upon seeing them, spoke without surprise, “Will you give me your entire cultivation?”

Ji Yang answered simply, “Yes.”

The bell: “…?”

The bell had waited for centuries, never truly expecting to encounter someone foolish enough to offer up their entire cultivation.

“Say that again??”

Ji Yang: “Okay.”

The bell said, “No, little brother, let me tell you. I carry a curse. If I take your cultivation, I really will take it. Think carefully because this kind of thing should not be agreed to lightly!”

Ji Yang: “Do you want it or not?”

“Yes, yes, yes!!” The bell became excited. “Then just wait!”

Suddenly, radiant light filled the air, sharp sounds of things being resolved rang out like gold and jade clashing.

Ji Yang felt his Path of Emotionless crumble inch by inch, the sharp sounds seeming to roar in protest deep within his Spiritual Sea.

Go away, Ji Yang silently thought.

He wanted to love her.

He had many things to do.

But most importantly, he needed to reclaim earthly desires and treat the person he should have loved long ago with care.

As the radiant light and mist dispersed, a white-haired man stood before them, seemingly the same bell as before.

Ji Yang sternly used his sleeve to cover Gong Wu’s eyes.

“Wait a moment, wait a moment.” The white-haired man clumsily changed into elegant robes, turning around with satisfaction. “Aren’t these styles quite beautiful?”

Ji Yang remained expressionless, not lowering his hand.

“Tie your collar.”

Gong Wu: “Huh?”

The white-haired man had to obediently adjust his robe’s cuffs and hem properly before saying, “I was the deputy master of Extreme Joy, but because I was too entangled in romantic troubles, I was banished here by the Master in a fit of anger, with such an outrageous condition set.”

“I didn’t expect someone to truly offer me their entire cultivation. I thought there would be a beautiful lady as a match, but it turned out to be a man.”

Ji Yang showed no interest, taking Gong Wu and preparing to leave.

The immortal aura around him suddenly diminished to almost nothing, and Gong Wu looked on silently, feeling heartache.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” the white-haired man shouted. “I already said! If you give me your entire cultivation, I’ll give you a big treasure!”

Ji Yang replied, “Not interested.”

“You two should take an interest!!” The white-haired man yelled, “Try to learn about the seducer!!”