Chapter 406 - 404: Flirtatious Banter

"You—!" Lan Yunzhu was speechless with rage. Her lovely eyes glared at Li Qiye; she really wanted to teach this little brat a lesson.

Li Qiye, completely unperturbed, smiled at Lan Yunzhu. "What do you plan to do about this marriage contract? It seems your Qianli River is in quite a hurry to dissolve it."

"Hmph. What’s the rush, old man? I’m a perfectly eligible young lady, and even I’m not anxious. What are you so worked up about?" Lan Yunzhu retorted irritably.

With a deadpan expression, Li Qiye spread his hands. "How could I not be anxious? I suddenly and inexplicably gained a wife. That’s a terrible development for me. I’m the one getting the short end of the stick here; you’ll have to compensate me for my losses."

"You little brat, don’t you dare play the victim after getting such a good deal!" Lan Yunzhu trembled with anger, wishing she could strangle this detestable pest. She was the successor of the Qianli River, a Princess who presided over a million miles of rivers and was the Heavenly Pride Girl of Nanyao Yun! Countless men had come to her door seeking her hand in marriage. But now, listening to this little brat, you’d think she was some old spinster no one wanted, and that marrying her was a great misfortune.

How could Lan Yunzhu not be furious? Countless geniuses would kill for a glance from her, yet this little brat actually had the audacity to scorn her. It was infuriating!

Li Qiye spoke with leisurely arrogance, "Old hag, who said I was playing the victim? I said I’ve found trouble. Because of this marriage contract, your Qianli River has come looking for me time and again. I’ve suffered immense physical and psychological trauma. You’ll have to compensate me handsomely for my losses."

Even Lu Baiqiu, standing off to the side, was rendered speechless. In Nanyao Yun, Lan Yunzhu was a famous beauty. With her dual saint talent and unparalleled aptitude, not to mention her status as the successor of the Qianli River, countless young prodigies from Nanyao Yun and even the entire Ghost Sacred Realm wished to marry her. For any of them, marrying Lan Yunzhu would be a blessing earned over three lifetimes.

But from the way Li Qiye spoke, marrying Lan Yunzhu was a disastrous loss for him, as if he were suffering a great injustice. In Lu Baiqiu’s eyes, if this wasn’t someone profiting while feigning injury, then what was?

"Pfft! If you don’t want to marry me, then forget it! It’s not like I’m desperate to marry you," Lan Yunzhu said, fuming with frustration.

Li Qiye took out the Jade Pendant that belonged to Lan Yunzhu, dangling it in his hand with a carefree air. "Not getting married is fine," he said with a grin. "But this is your engagement token. You should probably redeem it. Now, what will you offer me in exchange?"

Watching this scene, Lu Baiqiu didn’t know what to feel. So many young prodigies yearned to marry Lan Yunzhu, yet Li Qiye couldn’t care less. ’Just what kind of person is he?’ she wondered. Even the successor of an Emperor Immortal Gate wanted to marry Lan Yunzhu, but this nobody, Li Qiye, was completely unfazed.

An unparalleled beauty of Nanyao Yun, the successor of the Qianli River, a genius with dual saint talent—all of these titles seemed to mean nothing to Li Qiye, as if he paid them no mind at all.

Lan Yunzhu, who had been thoroughly incensed, suddenly had a gleam in her eye. A smile bloomed on her face, as beautiful and captivating as a field of flowers. Her demeanor relaxed, and with a hint of playfulness, she said, "Old man, are you really that eager to get rid of me? Perfect. In that case, I’m no longer in a hurry to dissolve the engagement. As for the token, you’d better hold onto it for now."

"Sigh. It can’t be helped. It’s a sin to be this handsome." Li Qiye put away the Jade Pendant and grinned. "It seems my dashing, supreme charm has completely captivated you and made you determined to marry me."

"BLEGH—" Lan Yunzhu pretended to gag. She shot Li Qiye a look and said, "Don’t be so narcissistic." Then, she mimicked Li Qiye’s expression, narrowing her eyes with a mischievous glint. "Old man, just wait until I’m your wife. I’ll be sure to sort you out properly. I’ll beat you until your face is swollen like a pig’s every single day. Trust me, I’m more than qualified to be a vicious wife."

Seeing the two of them, Lu Baiqiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who would have guessed that Lan Yunzhu, whom everyone saw as a proper lady, a Fairy, also had the side of a little Witch?

SMACK! Li Qiye slapped her on the backside and even gave it a squeeze. Lan Yunzhu yelped and jumped away, glaring at him. Seeing that Lu Baiqiu was present, her pretty face flushed beet-red. She roared, "You little brat, what are you doing?!"

Li Qiye smiled leisurely. "Can’t I touch my own wife’s butt? Since you’re so set on marrying me, what’s the problem with your husband flirting a little beforehand?"

Lu Baiqiu quickly looked away, pretending she saw nothing. In all of Nanyao Yun—no, in the entire Ghost Sacred Realm—the only person who would dare to take such liberties with Lan Yunzhu was probably Li Qiye.

Lan Yunzhu was a proper, unmarried maiden. No one would ever dare to harass her, let alone touch her rear! The act made her face burn, and she trembled with rage. When had she, a Heavenly Pride Girl, ever been so humiliated? But today, she had been completely and utterly outplayed by Li Qiye.

"Girl, you think you can keep me in line?" Li Qiye said with a laugh. "You’re still too green for that. You might just barely pass as a plain housewife who can cook my meals. But as for being a vicious wife? I’m afraid that’s not in the cards. No woman can ever suppress me."

Lan Yunzhu stormed out in a huff. "You little brat, you just wait! One day, I’ll make you pay for this!"

"Girl, where are you off to?" Li Qiye called out with a wide smile, watching her retreating figure.

From a distance, Lan Yunzhu’s faint voice drifted back, "To see the Elders. This is my marriage contract. I have my own plans and don’t need the sect to interfere." With that, she was gone.

After Lan Yunzhu left, Lu Baiqiu couldn’t help but say in a low voice, "Young Master, from what I can see, it seems Bamboo Fairy has taken a liking to you. You could marry her, you know."

Li Qiye glanced at Lu Baiqiu, smiled, and shook his head gently without saying a word.

However, not long after Lan Yunzhu left, an uninvited guest arrived. Or rather than a visit, he simply forced his way in.

It was an old man with white hair and a white beard. His Blood Qi was incredibly vigorous. Divine Rings unfolded around his body, as if opening up one world after another. Each Divine Ring was like a massive Star River. He looked like a towering Giant, and his mere presence made the air so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

The old man had a total of eighty-one Divine Rings around him. This meant he was a formidable Baosheng Venerable—and a Great Perfection Baosheng Venerable at that.

In the era after the Tough Dao Era, Saint Venerables were already rare, to say nothing of a powerful Baosheng Venerable. For a Great Perfection Baosheng Venerable like this to appear was certainly a cause for dread.

"You are Li Qiye?" The moment the old man entered, his aura was overbearing. He didn’t even deign to give Li Qiye a proper glance, as if in his eyes, Li Qiye was nothing more than an insignificant ant.

"Where did this fly come from, buzzing incessantly in my ear?" The old man was arrogant, but Li Qiye was even more so. Too lazy to even spare him a look, he waved his hand as if shooing a fly.

Li Qiye’s arrogant words gave Lu Baiqiu, who was standing beside him, a huge fright. She immediately tugged on his sleeve and whispered, "That’s Elder Lin, Eldest Brother Flame Dragon’s master."

Hearing Li Qiye’s words, the old man’s eyes turned fierce. A terrifying aura instantly filled the room. Lu Baiqiu’s Dao Practice was shallow, and the pressure suppressed her to the point of being unable to breathe.

"Stop posturing in my home. If you have business, state it. If you have to fart, let it rip. If you have nothing, then stop bothering me!" Li Qiye finally gave him a cold glance, his eyes filled with a frosty chill.

Elder Lin snorted coldly, his aura overwhelming. "Little brat, if you know what’s good for you, give up the marriage contract with Yunzhu immediately! A person should know their own limits. Yunzhu is the successor of our Qianli River. Someone like you is not worthy of her! Give up the marriage contract, and Qianli River will not treat you unfairly. Take what you’re owed and leave. Go as far as you can, and it would be best if you never return to Yao Yunlai!"

"Is that your personal opinion, or is it Qianli River’s?" Elder Lin’s sudden appearance and threatening demand made Li Qiye laugh.

There was a reason for Elder Lin’s sudden appearance. Flame Dragon was his apprentice, and within the Qianli River, he was the strongest advocate for Flame Dragon and Lan Yunzhu to become Dao partners. In his view, having the successor of Qianli River become partners with the head disciple of Qianli River was the best possible outcome. They were, one might say, a match made in heaven.

When Lan Yunzhu’s fiancé appeared out of nowhere, Elder Lin had been the first to object and the elder with the firmest stance against it. He had even suggested using forceful means to make Li Qiye renounce the contract.

This time, for the sake of his apprentice, Elder Lin had personally taken action, intending to use swift and decisive measures to resolve the matter and force Li Qiye to give up the marriage.

Elder Lin said coldly, "It makes no difference whose idea it is! You are not worthy of our Qianli River’s successor. Just obediently give up! Otherwise, you’re just asking for trouble."

"So, listening to Elder Lin, it sounds like there will be trouble if I don’t give up this marriage," Li Qiye said with a beaming smile.

Elder Lin’s eyes turned cold as he said icily, "The world is a dangerous place, and life is unpredictable. For a Cultivator traveling the world, no one can guarantee their safety. If one were to meet a vicious person, a moment of carelessness could mean the end of their life—an unexplained death!" As he spoke, a flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.

Hearing Elder Lin’s words, Lu Baiqiu couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. She understood that Elder Lin’s words were more than just a simple threat.