Chapter 408 - 406: The Qianli River Pact

"We can put the matter with Flame Dragon and Yunzhu aside for now," Elder Lin said. "However, that Little Ghost with the surname Li is absolutely unworthy of our Qianli River’s heir. Let’s just give him a little something to make him obediently give up this marriage contract! Hmph, a matter of this magnitude is not for a Little Ghost like him to decide."

"Let the young people decide their own affairs." Just as many of the Qianli River elders were arguing to a standstill, an ancient voice resounded in the room.

"Elder Yang." Hearing this voice, the elders present couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts, and their expressions grew solemn.

This was one of Qianli River’s Elders, who held an extremely high status and immense influence within the sect. If anyone at Qianli River had the right to interfere in Lan Yunzhu’s marriage, it was him. He was not only an Elder of Qianli River but also hailed from Feihuai Village. He was a close elder relative to Lan Yunzhu and her mentor.

"Elder Yang, Yunzhu is our Qianli River’s heir, after all..." Elder Lin couldn’t help but protest softly upon hearing Elder Yang’s words.

"Does being the heir of Qianli River mean she can’t decide her own marriage? If she can’t even control a matter of her own heart, how can she possibly vie for the Celestial Mandate and become an Immortal Emperor!" Although Elder Yang wasn’t physically present, his dignified voice inspired awe. He continued in a heavy tone, "Yunzhu is the heir of Qianli River, it’s true. But she is also one of my Feihuai Village people. Her marriage will not be sacrificed for the benefit of Qianli River!"

Clearly, Elder Yang was fiercely protective of his own; he was backing Lan Yunzhu.

"Brother Yang, one can’t quite say that." At this time, another voice sounded out. "Yunzhu is the heir of Qianli River. In the end, her marriage must be handled with some caution."

"Elder Wang?" Hearing this voice, the elders present exchanged glances. Another Elder had spoken up. Among them, the happiest had to be Elder Lin, for Elder Wang was his master.

"Since when does Junior Brother Wang have the right to meddle in my business?" Elder Yang’s voice rang out, still as imposing as before.

Elder Wang’s voice came out with a chuckle. "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. As an outsider, I would not presume to interfere in the affairs of your Feihuai Village, Elder Yang. However, Yunzhu is ultimately a disciple of the Qianli River. While it’s true the marriage contract was arranged by fate, as the fiancé of our heir, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the Qianli River to test him, would it? We can consider it vetting him for Yunzhu’s sake. If he finds he’s not capable, he might just back down on his own."

"Then let’s have a test, if this Young Master Li insists on going through with this marriage." At this point, Treasure Turtle True Master spoke, his words laying down the final decision. "Since Yunzhu’s marriage contract was fated by the heavens, we elders should not forcibly interfere. However, a test can be seen as us vetting him for Yunzhu’s sake."

Treasure Turtle True Master was the Sect Leader, after all. His words were final, and even the Elders could not openly oppose him.

"Very well, a test or two it is." In the end, even Elder Yang, Lan Yunzhu’s staunchest supporter, agreed to test Li Qiye.

"The Sect Leader wants to see you." After the matter of the marriage contract had been settled, Treasure Turtle Daoist summoned Li Qiye, and Lan Yunzhu was the one to deliver the message.

"You seem to be in a good mood. Has a decision been made about the marriage contract?" Li Qiye asked, looking at Lan Yunzhu with a beaming smile. "Are you that eager to be married off?"

Lan Yunzhu shot Li Qiye a sideways glance and said nonchalantly, "Married off? We’ll see after you pass the assessment. If you insist on this marriage contract, you must pass it."

"And what if I don’t insist?" Li Qiye asked with a grin.

Lan Yunzhu said, "For our Qianli River, it would be best if you gave up the marriage contract. The sect will compensate you. As long as your terms are reasonable, the sect will do its utmost to satisfy your requests."

"In that case, I might as well give it up," Li Qiye said, stroking his chin with a smile. "Trading a marriage for some treasures is much better than marrying some old hag!"

"You—" Lan Yunzhu was so furious she could have spat blood. She glared at Li Qiye and said angrily, "You little brat, am I only worth one or two treasures to you?!"

Li Qiye looked Lan Yunzhu up and down, then said with a laugh, "So, you’re saying you’re that desperate to marry me? Hmm, I’ll have to give it some thought. This is a matter of my lifelong happiness, you know. I’m not just some casual guy."

"Believe it or not, I’ll beat you to a pulp!" Lan Yunzhu said, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Her beautiful eyes glared at Li Qiye with pure hatred.

"Girl, you need to be gentler. If you want to marry me, you have to be gentle. I like gentle women," Li Qiye said with a smile. "If you were a little gentler, I’d consider marrying you. Sigh, even then, I’d be getting the short end of the stick. A major decision like this requires careful thought."

Lan Yunzhu trembled with rage. With great effort, she finally suppressed her anger. Taking a deep breath, she shot Li Qiye a contemptuous glance and said, "Could it be that you want to give up because you know you won’t pass the assessment? Of course, I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to be a spineless coward. It would only be a pity that the Dream Tree chose the wrong person—a total wimp."

"Girl, that kind of provocation is too childish for me." Li Qiye shook his head, then stroked his chin. "However... that bunch of old geezers from your Qianli River, acting so high and mighty... they really think I’m desperate to marry into your sect. You know what? I’m actually interested in teaching those old men of yours a lesson!"

"So you’re accepting the challenge," Lan Yunzhu said, a hint of joy in her voice upon hearing his words.

"What, are you really that eager to marry me?" Li Qiye asked, looking at her with a smile.

Lan Yunzhu’s face instantly flushed red. She shot Li Qiye a harsh glare and snapped, "Stop daydreaming! It won’t be too late to daydream after you’ve actually passed the assessment."

"Girl, you’re using me as your weapon," Li Qiye said, gently lifting her chin in a teasing manner. "And using me as your weapon comes with a price. How about you come warm my bed tonight? Let’s see if an old hag like you even knows how."

"Go to hell—" Enraged, Lan Yunzhu kicked out viciously, forgetting all about her ladylike demeanor. She wanted nothing more than to beat this little brat to a pulp!

Lan Yunzhu brought Li Qiye to meet Treasure Turtle Daoist, who received him inside the Treasure Hall.

"You must be Li Qiye." As the Sect Leader of the Qianli River, Treasure Turtle Daoist was surprisingly amiable and approachable, a stark contrast to the imperious Elder Lin and his faction.

After inviting Li Qiye to sit, Treasure Turtle Daoist began, "Your marriage contract with Yunzhu was originally a matter of heavenly fate. However, Yunzhu is the heir to our Qianli River. Even if a union is fated by the heavens, it cannot be handled carelessly."

"I understand. You mean for me to either give up or pass an assessment, correct?" Li Qiye didn’t bother beating around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Of course. Whether you give up or persist is your own choice; no one will force you," Treasure Turtle Daoist said. "The Qianli River will not compel you to renounce this marriage contract."

"Is that so?" Li Qiye smiled. "If I were to renounce this marriage contract, what benefits would the Qianli River be willing to offer me?"

Li Qiye’s words immediately earned him a glare from Lan Yunzhu, who stood beside him. They had already discussed this.

At this, Treasure Turtle Daoist lifted the lid from a Treasure Disc on the table. As the disc opened, it radiated a brilliant light, revealing three items resting inside.

"If you are willing to renounce the marriage, the Qianli River will not treat you unfairly. We will gift you a Thundering Sky Ship for your protection, a scroll of the Turtle Escape Technique to save yourself in times of danger, and a bottle of Thousand Carp Treasure Pills to aid your Body Tempering and marrow cleansing," Treasure Turtle Daoist said slowly. "Of course, this is just a token of our sincerity. In addition to these three items, if you agree to renounce the marriage, you can ask for three more things. As long as they are not Immortal Emperor Level items, the Qianli River will consider granting your requests."

’To make such a generous offer right away... even I’m surprised. It’s clear the Qianli River truly doesn’t want Lan Yunzhu marrying me. Of course, I can understand their reasoning. After all, why let a good thing go to an outsider? It was no simple feat for the Qianli River to raise an heir.’

"I can certainly feel the sincerity." Li Qiye glanced at Lan Yunzhu, who was glaring right back at him. Though she said nothing, her meaning was perfectly clear.

"And what if I choose the assessment?" Li Qiye asked with a smile, glancing at the items on the Treasure Disc.

Treasure Turtle Daoist looked at Li Qiye and finally nodded. "If you choose to persist, you must undergo three assessments. You must pass two of the three. If you fail to pass two, you will have failed."

"And what happens if I fail?" Li Qiye’s interest was now piqued, and he asked with a smile.

Treasure Turtle Daoist explained, "Although the Qianli River will not interfere with your marriage contract, Yunzhu is our heir, and we must still vet you for her sake. If you fail, you may choose to renounce the contract and leave freely. If you are unwilling to renounce it, then you must remain here. You would have to cultivate diligently until the day you finally succeed."

"Those terms are quite fair," Li Qiye said with a laugh. "This at least shows the magnanimity befitting the descendants of an Immortal Emperor. The Daoist Lineage of the Qianli Immortal Emperor has been passed down to your generation quite well."

’I don’t care at all if the Qianli River decides to play hardball. In fact, if they had, it would have been even better for me. I would have no reason to care about the sect’s future and could just take what I wanted from them directly.’

Of course, the reason the Qianli River was able to offer Li Qiye such generous terms was a result of Elder Yang backing Lan Yunzhu.

Compared to the other elders of the Qianli River, Elder Yang actually hoped this marriage would succeed. Of course, he had his own reasons for wanting to do so.