Chapter 407 - 405: The Marriage Contract Commotion

For a Baosheng Venerable, uttering such suggestive words was no mere empty threat. Anyone who heard such a veiled warning from a Baosheng Venerable would be scared out of their wits.

If a Baosheng Venerable wanted to kill a young disciple, it wouldn’t be difficult. This was especially true outside the sect; it would be all too easy for a Baosheng Venerable to personally dispose of a young cultivator.

As a Hall Master, Lu Baiqiu had seen her fair share of things. Hearing Elder Lin’s threat, she couldn’t help but feel a chill in her heart. If Elder Lin, a Baosheng Venerable, was truly determined to act, she feared that Li Qiye would be in grave danger.

"Threatening me?" Li Qiye, in contrast, was perfectly composed and unperturbed. He smiled leisurely and said, "Now that you’ve brought it up, I’d like to see who out there can actually kill me. Elder Lin, you may leave. I’m claiming this marriage contract, and that’s final. As for that good-for-nothing disciple of yours, Flame Dragon, he isn’t worthy of my woman. Him? A toad lusting after swan meat? Not a chance, not even in his next life."

"You—!" Elder Lin instantly flew into a rage. As an elder of the Qianli River, he was high and mighty. A Baosheng Venerable like him rarely bothered with worldly affairs. He had gone out of his way to stand up for his disciple, only to be rejected by some nameless junior who showed him absolutely no respect. How could this not infuriate him? Killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he unleashed a terrifying murderous aura.

Faced with Elder Lin’s terrifying murderous aura, Li Qiye remained as calm and unconcerned as ever. Lu Baiqiu’s expression, however, changed drastically. She knew that when a Baosheng Venerable turned hostile, the consequences were dire.

"Elder Lin is here, I see." Just as Elder Lin was radiating killing intent, a crisp voice rang out from the doorway. Lan Yunzhu was standing just outside.

Standing in the doorway, Lan Yunzhu asked, "I wonder what business brings the elder here?"

"Ah, Niece Lan." Upon seeing Lan Yunzhu, Elder Lin retracted his killing intent and forced a smile. "It’s nothing. I was just having a little chat with Young Master Li. Since you’ve returned, my dear niece, I won’t disturb you any longer." With that, he turned and left.

After Elder Lin left, Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but stare at Li Qiye. He simply shrugged and said, "It was nothing, just the same old tired threats. You know, being your fiancé isn’t easy. I’ve suffered both physical and emotional damage. You’ll have to compensate me for such a loss."

Lan Yunzhu shot him a glare, then said coldly and with displeasure, "Since when did my marriage contract become an outsider’s business to meddle in?" She was, of course, referring to Elder Lin.

"Heh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You’re the heir to the Qianli River. Do you really think the sect will let you marry an outsider?" Li Qiye laughed, then said leisurely, "I know you’re dying to marry me, but there are some things you just don’t have the final say in."

"Pah! Don’t flatter yourself. Who says I have to marry you?" Lan Yunzhu retorted. Then she added faintly, "My marriage is my decision to make, and mine alone!" As she spoke, her gaze sharpened, revealing an unyielding spirit.

"Can you handle the old geezers in your Qianli River sect?" Li Qiye asked with a smile. For an heir of the Qianli River like Lan Yunzhu, getting married was never going to be easy. Even though marriage was a personal matter, the Qianli River sect would absolutely interfere.

Lan Yunzhu glanced at Li Qiye. "Eldest Brother Flame Dragon and his faction have the elders’ support, but that doesn’t mean I’m powerless in the Qianli River sect! Don’t worry, Grandpa Yang will support us."

"Grandpa Yang?" Li Qiye narrowed his eyes, staring at Lan Yunzhu. "Someone from your Feihuai Village."

Lan Yunzhu nodded. "That’s right. Grandpa Yang is from our village’s oldest generation, and he’s now an Elder of the Qianli River. Unless an Elder Ancestor comes out of seclusion to interfere, Elder Lin and his faction won’t be able to control the outcome!"

In Feihuai Village, the men were surnamed Yang and the women were surnamed Lan. The village had produced more than just a genius like Lan Yunzhu; in fact, it had been the birthplace of many great figures. The Grandpa Yang she mentioned was one such person—an Elder of the Qianli River and the one who had guided her onto the path of cultivation.

"Heh, you’re just using me as a weapon, aren’t you, girl?" Li Qiye glanced at Lan Yunzhu. "Let’s be frank. You don’t want to marry Flame Dragon or some other senior brother, so you’re refusing to break this engagement. You’re using it to get out of your own predicament! Girl, this is an internal struggle within your Qianli River sect!"

Lan Yunzhu looked askance at Li Qiye. "What, are you scared? If you are, you can back out now. I won’t blame you. I can handle this myself."

Lan Yunzhu had made her wish under the Dream Tree in Feihuai Village. It wasn’t just a simple matter of her parents pressuring her to marry; she also intended to use the wish as an excuse to escape the forced marriage proposals from the Elders within the Qianli River sect. She had no personal desire to marry any of her martial brothers in the sect, including Eldest Brother Flame Dragon.

As fate would have it, Li Qiye had somehow obtained her Wish Jade Pendant, dragging him into the Qianli River sect’s internal conflict.

"Scared?" Li Qiye burst out laughing. He smiled leisurely and said, "The Qianli River sect alone isn’t enough to scare me. However, as the saying goes, every service has its price. Since you’re using me as your weapon, girl, shouldn’t you give me a little something in return? How about this... why don’t you warm my bed for me tonight?"

"Go die!" Flushing red with anger, Lan Yunzhu viciously kicked out at him, but Li Qiye dodged it with ease.

"Aren’t you supposed to be a lady? Don’t be so reckless, girl," Li Qiye said with a teasing smile as he reached out and gave her a light pat on the backside.

Lan Yunzhu trembled with rage, gritting her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to teach this Little Ghost a harsh lesson.

Lu Baiqiu, however, couldn’t help but smile. To her, they looked less like they were fighting and more like they were flirting, just like a pair of newlyweds.

While Lan Yunzhu and Li Qiye were bickering, the Qianli River sect convened a meeting. All the Elders were in attendance, and the meeting was personally presided over by the Sect Leader, Treasure Turtle Daoist.

"Regarding the marriage contract, how about we let Yunzhu decide for herself?" Treasure Turtle Daoist proposed at the meeting.

Treasure Turtle Daoist’s words were immediately met with opposition from many elders. One of them spoke up, "Senior Brother, how can we be so flippant about such a grave matter? This concerns not only Yunzhu’s future, but the very prosperity of our Qianli River sect."

"Sect Leader, how can a junior be allowed to decide this matter on her own?" The most adamant opponent was, of course, Flame Dragon’s master, Elder Lin.

Elder Lin said in a heavy voice, "This Li junior has an unknown background. He could be harboring sinister motives. If he has some ill intentions toward our Qianli River, wouldn’t we be letting a wolf into our home? Besides, the Qianli River is an Emperor Immortal Gate, and Yunzhu is set to inherit our Daoist Lineage. Given her status, she can’t be matched with just any random person."

"Brother Lin speaks the truth," another elder chimed in. "Senior Brother, we can’t take this lightly. If this Li fellow truly refuses to break the engagement, we should just use force. A nameless junior like him won’t be able to stir up any waves."

Treasure Turtle Daoist frowned at this suggestion. He shook his head and said, "Not only would Yunzhu disagree with such a course of action, but it is also unbecoming of our Qianli River sect. We are an Emperor Immortal Gate. We should not stoop to such despicable acts that would dishonor the name of our founding Emperor."

"Why don’t we let Yunzhu get to know him first? This is a fated match, after all. If Yunzhu decides he isn’t suitable, it won’t be too late to break the engagement then. But if she feels he is suitable, we old men have no reason to object. Bringing the young lad into the Qianli River sect might not be a bad thing. It could help sever Yunzhu’s worldly attachments and allow her to focus on her cultivation." Not all the elders were against the marriage; some were actually in favor of it.

"That approach is feasible," another elder agreed. "This marriage is destined by heaven. It might even be a good thing for Yunzhu. The path of the Great Dao is long; having a suitable Dao companion to walk it with her would be of great help to her future."

Although on the surface this was a simple marriage contract, it was, in fact, tied to a significant power struggle within the Qianli River sect. As the sect’s heir, Lan Yunzhu had the support of many elders. More importantly, she had a high-ranking Elder backing her from behind the scenes.

"This is utter nonsense!" Elder Lin’s attitude was unyielding. He said grimly, "How could a Little Ghost like that Li help Yunzhu with her future cultivation? Hmph, we’d be lucky if this Little Ghost doesn’t drag her down! What ability does a nameless junior have to aid her on her path? If we’re talking about finding someone who can help Yunzhu’s cultivation, the most suitable Dao companion would be one of the disciples from our sect’s younger generation."

"Someone like Flame Dragon would be the best candidate. Among the younger generation of the Qianli River, his talent is second only to Yunzhu’s. Moreover, he has been cultivating for longer than she has; he is experienced, mature, and promising," Elder Lin said. "When it comes to the most suitable Dao companion for Yunzhu, it must be a disciple of our own sect."

The fact that Elder Lin was still trying to push a match between Flame Dragon and Lan Yunzhu displeased some of the other elders. In fact, Elder Lin had formally proposed this marriage on behalf of his disciple before, but Lan Yunzhu had refused, and the Sect Leader, Treasure Turtle Daoist, had rejected the proposal.

Despite this, Elder Lin had not given up. Of course, Flame Dragon was even more determined, dead set on marrying Lan Yunzhu.

"Junior Brother Lin, do not bring up the matter of Flame Dragon again," Treasure Turtle Daoist said, shaking his head gently. "Let us return to discussing the marriage contract."

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