CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: THE ROAD IS NOW CLEAR

Stars and moon hung across the sky.

It was nearing summer, and the air was tinged with dry heat.

The endless expanse of serene green treetops stood silently, catching the showers of moon dew.

Suddenly, the usually placid sea of trees stirred with ripples.

The violent shaking of the earth was accompanied by deafening roars.

In the far distance, atop a continuous mountain range, two colossal figures appeared. They had vertical horns on their heads and blue-black skin, their necks adorned with strings of gigantic crimson-black Buddha Beads. They shouldered a palanquin made from Millennium Black Dragon Wood.

These giants, carrying the palanquin, leaped hundreds of meters at a time, speeding through the towering mountain ranges.

It wasn’t long before, at the end of the advancing horizon, a modest little county town appeared.

A gentle breeze stirred, and the white gauze on the palanquin was lifted slightly.

A pair of lips, red as blood, curved into a slow smile.

「...」

"Young Master, something’s happened!"

Bursting into the inner courtyard energetically, Sun Yueting’s rough voice carried through five courtyard walls into Song Tingye’s ears.

Cradling his Sanhua cat, Song Tingye was resting with his eyes closed.

"So flustered. Have you no decorum?"

Opening his eyes just a slit and gazing at Sun Yueting’s alarmed face, Song Tingye gently put down the cat in his arms, shook out his sleeves, and stood up.

"What’s gotten you into such a frenzy? Have Demons arrived?"

"Worse than that," Sun Yueting swallowed.

"Oh? What is it then?" A flicker of curiosity in his eyes, Song Tingye picked up his teacup and looked towards Sun Yueting.

"Elder Sister has arrived!"

CRASH—

The teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

The precious Qingyu Tea became a puddle, soaking the floor.

"You stall her! I’m leaving first."

Quickly regaining his composure, Song Tingye turned to leave.

If that fiend finds out I plan to marry her off, she’ll flay me alive!

"Leaving? Xiaoyezi, you don’t want to see your sister that badly?"

Before he could even step over the threshold of the main hall, a fair, slender, snow-white arm suddenly rested on Song Tingye’s shoulder.

As if struck by lightning, he froze on the spot.

Goosebumps erupted all over his skin. Song Tingye forced a stiff smile and turned his head:

"Sister."

"Good boy~"

Jia Yufei grabbed Song Tingye by the hair and, ignoring his muffled cries of pain, dragged her ’darling’ little brother back to his chair.

"Eldest Miss, you..." Witnessing Song Tingye’s miserable state, Sun Yueting hesitated to speak.

"Get out."

"Right away!"

In an instant, everyone standing inside and outside the house scattered as swiftly as possible.

The vast inner courtyard was left with only Song Tingye and Jia Yufei.

With her two fair, shapely, long legs crossed, Jia Yufei wore a soft, bright red silk top that emitted an enchanting fragrance.

She wore a pair of red embroidered shoes, and an anklet of carnelian red adorned one ankle.

Gently straightening Song Tingye’s disheveled hair, Jia Yufei smiled sweetly. Her eyes, shaped like crescent moons, and her two deep dimples gave her an air of tranquility and charm.

"I hear you’re planning to marry me off?"

"How did you know? Did you plant a spy in my midst?"

His expression turning cold, Song Tingye slapped Jia Yufei’s hand away, a hint of gloom in his eyes.

THUMP! A sharp flick landed on Song Tingye’s forehead. Jia Yufei wagged her finger.

"Don’t try to turn the tables on me. I’ve planted spies around all of you. What, you have a problem with that?"

Seeing that his plan was exposed and that any further excuses would only lead to more suffering, Song Tingye sat up straight and declared righteously,

"Elder Sister, don’t be absurd. Finding you a husband was a task personally assigned by Mother. Do you intend to defy her?"

"Well, well, well, my dear County Magistrate. You’ve only been in office a few days, and you’ve already developed quite an air of authority. Trying to use Mother to pressure me?"

Patting Song Tingye’s cheek, Jia Yufei’s smile didn’t fade, but her eyes held a chilling glint.

"Believe it or not, I could turn you into a girl right now and find you a husband as well."

Song Tingye instinctively clamped his legs together and shot up from his seat.

"Jia Yufei, stop this nonsense! The husband I’ve found for you is actually quite good. This man possesses exceptional talent. He cultivates True Cultivation Power that is both potent and overwhelming, granting him combat strength comparable to the Initiate Realm. With his Aptitude, if he were to marry into our family, I guarantee he will reach the Initiate Realm within three years. Moreover, this man has a laid-back Temperament. He’s uninterested in worldly matters and focuses solely on his cultivation. If you marry him, there will be few restrictions. You can both still live your own lives. Isn’t that wonderful?"

As Song Tingye listed the many merits of his chosen candidate, rattling them off like precious family heirlooms, Jia Yufei propped her chin with one hand, her fingers twirling a lock of her long hair.

"It seems I’ve misjudged you. My dear Xiaoyezi really does think of me."

Hearing the change in Jia Yufei’s tone, Song Tingye breathed a small sigh of relief.

I finally bluffed my way through.

Jia Yufei rose and walked over to Song Tingye, grabbed his arm, and started pulling him towards the door.

"You make him sound so remarkable, I’m actually quite curious now. Come on, take me to see this man. If he’s truly as you say, I might be willing to try getting along with him. But if you’re exaggerating... I might just end up with a new ’little sister’ then~"

"E-Elder Sister! He’s in closed-door cultivation right now; we really shouldn’t disturb him," Song Tingye paled, leaning back and resisting with all his might.

"It’s just a quick look, it won’t matter."

Dragging Song Tingye, who was literally plowing a furrow in the ground with his heels, Jia Yufei’s smile was as radiant as a blooming flower, as gentle and approachable as the girl next door.

「...」

Outside the gates of the Qi Family residence.

After their previous cooperation, Song Tingye had learned Qi Xiu’s exact address.

Now, standing before this unremarkable residence, Song Tingye vaguely regretted ever finding out where Qi Xiu lived.

"This is it?"

Surveying the mottled, ancient gate before them, Jia Yufei’s eyes sparkled with interest. Just as she was about to push it open, a burst of arguing voices suddenly erupted from within.

"No, no, no! Yang is the foundation of the body; to control Yang with Yin is to neglect the essentials for the trivial. Such cultivation will only lead one straight to becoming a Fierce Ghost!"

"I believe we should focus on Yang, using it to command all techniques and govern the core."

"Hmm, that does make some sense. But in that case, it might be better to abandon all Mana and purely cultivate Inner Qi, embarking on an extreme path. Perhaps there’s hope for a breakthrough that way."

"Too much rigidity leads to breaking. Excessive Yang energy is like a fiery furnace, scorching the soul. This so-called ’extreme’ path is more like boiling a frog in slowly warming water. In the long run, the soul will shrivel, leaving behind a powerful husk devoid of Consciousness. Absolutely not!"

Outside, listening to the increasingly intense, almost neurotic muttering, Jia Yufei turned to glance at Song Tingye, whose face had turned a shade of green.

"Exceptionally talented, Initiate Realm within three years, eh?"

CLANG! She kicked the gate open.

A disheveled man stood there, his long robe dragging on the ground, most of his face obscured by unkempt hair. He paced back and forth in a courtyard littered with discarded paper.

Hearing the door crash open and his train of thought interrupted, the man was visibly annoyed.

"Who let you in? Get out, get out!"

"Insolent!"

Being yelled at by a complete stranger, Jia Yufei’s expression turned icy. Her form blurred into a streak of light, and in an instant, she was before the man, raising her hand to strike.

"Don’t—" Song Tingye frowned, opening his mouth to intervene.

The slender, jade-like hand, wreathed in an azure glow, moved slightly.

A terrifying pressure bore down. The man’s long hair was whipped back, revealing a refined face, as the ground beneath his feet abruptly sank by tens of centimeters.

If this palm, carrying the force of a thousand jun, were to land, the man would undoubtedly die.

Lifting his head to face the deadly, jade-like hand, his murky and weary eyes, under this unprecedented pressure, suddenly flashed with a brilliant Spiritual Light.

The vast, chaotic mess of knowledge in his mind was like a tangled ball of yarn. And this spark of Spiritual Light was the very thread needed to unravel it!

In an instant, a purple qi surged from his dantian, while an azure stream flowed down from his third eye.

The two forces converged seamlessly at his chest.

His eyes suddenly blazed with an intense, focused light.

Qi Xiu’s body trembled slightly as he uttered three words:

"The path... is clear!"