After Accidentally Entering the Forbidden Land and Forming a Bond with the Grandmaster - Chapter 17

Coaxing my wife to marry me.

Chu Lanci was dazed for quite a while before he realized Xie Zhuo had arrived. He hurriedly turned around and happily called out, “Master!”

Xie Zhuo asked again, “Do you like it here?”

Chu Lanci nodded. “I like it. It is truly wonderful here.” It was so good that he felt a bit uneasy. “Master, is this really a place where an outer sect disciple can stay?”

“It is,” Xie Zhuo replied. As he spoke, he walked over to the pristine white rabbit hutch and looked down at it. “What do you feed them every day?”

Chu Lanci let out a startled sound. “Just the usual things, carrots and such.” Under Xie Zhuo’s gaze, even he felt the rabbits were being subjected to intense pressure. They were such weak and helpless little creatures.

Xie Zhuo took out some spirit beast fodder and placed it on the table. “Feed them this from now on. It will increase their spiritual energy and improve their defense.”

Chu Lanci saw this and accepted it with a smile. “Alright, Master.”

“After you enter the inner sect, there will be a formal apprenticeship ceremony. Wei Daoping will arrange it for you. Generally speaking, there should be no problems.”

Chu Lanci’s heart hammered in his chest. To say he was not excited would be a lie. Was it really this simple? Since the age of ten, he had come to Thousand Mountains every year to test his spiritual roots. Every year he was rejected, and every year he tried again. What was simple for others was as difficult as reaching the heavens for him. Everything boiled down to his lack of immortal fate.

Now, he had finally received the favor of the Heavens, and that Heaven was Xie Zhuo, his Master.

As he was thinking, Xie Zhuo asked again, “Do you still feel cold? Do you have any of those symptoms from the forbidden area?”

Chu Lanci shook his head. “No more.”

“Then it seems you have recovered.” As Xie Zhuo spoke, his fingertips idly tapped the scabbard of his sword in a slow, steady rhythm. He did not ask Chu Lanci to step forward, nor did he do anything extra. His attitude seemed both distant and intimate. “Are you not curious about what I have been doing since leaving the forbidden area?”

Since they were to be married, it was best for Lanci to know more about him.

Chu Lanci asked respectfully, “What has Master been doing?”

“Much like how you make flower lanterns every day, I have been killing people. The sects I wiped out only looked powerful, but their actual strength was mediocre. I defeated them, and their territories now belong to me.”

Over the past century, the foundation of Thousand Mountains had rotted. Many mountain peaks and ranges had been encroached upon by other sects. After becoming the Sect Leader, he naturally had to seize back the territory that belonged to Thousand Mountains. To do that, he first had to deal with the leaders of those sects.

During the seizures, casualties were inevitable. This was quite normal in the cultivation world. The disciples of the sects he defeated would surely unite to cause trouble for him and Thousand Mountains. He estimated it would happen in the coming days.

Among them was the Yuheng Sect. They would likely come as well because they were convinced he had killed or imprisoned their Sect Leader, his senior brother, Daoist title Xuan Tianjun, who was one of the people who had sent him into the forbidden area in the first place. Indeed, Yan Linfeng, known as Xuan Tianjun, was currently in his hands.

He wanted to know, now that he had done these evil things, how Chu Lanci viewed him.

Chu Lanci replied, “Master must have a reason for doing so.”

“Oh?” Xie Zhuo smiled. “What if I am simply that wicked?”

Chu Lanci remained silent for a moment. The night was as black as ink, so thick it seemed it would never dissolve. Xie Zhuo’s voice was low and slow, the end of his sentence trailing upward. “What is wrong? Are you afraid of me?”

Chu Lanci shook his head. “Master, I still believe you are a good person. You must have your reasons.”

He was actually quite good at judging character. He had stayed with Xie Zhuo for many days and had never seen him kill for sport. On the contrary, he was exceptionally kind to weak lives like himself.

Xie Zhuo burst into laughter, sounding like he was in a good mood. “Fine.” He paused, then called out, “So, you are going to marry me, right?”

Hearing this, Chu Lanci froze. “Marry?”

Xie Zhuo arched an eyebrow. “Is that not what you said? During that time you were drunk, did you forget?”

Chu Lanci’s mouth hung open slightly. “Did I say that?”

Xie Zhuo remained expressionless. “Yes, you said it. You said you wanted to marry me, and you said you had improper thoughts about me.”

Chu Lanci instinctively gripped his sleeves, unsure of how to react. He had originally thought Xie Zhuo took an interest in him and decided to take him as a disciple, which was why he was able to come to Thousand Mountains. Well, perhaps not an interest, but simply because Xie Zhuo was a very good person. Because of their shared time in the forbidden area, he brought him up the mountain.

He had never thought about actually giving Xie Zhuo a status. He could not afford to. Was it possible that these were his true thoughts while drunk? That he said it himself? He was indeed greedy and wanted to obtain things from his Master, but he never thought of using a marriage contract or a wedding to trade for them.

In other words, his wishes were very simple and small. For example, being Xie Zhuo’s subordinate would be enough. Or, having a small connection to Xie Zhuo, just like he had with Cui Jin, where there was work to do and he would be satisfied. Having more would be good, as it meant rising higher, but if there was nothing, that was fine too. He was self-sufficient and lacked nothing. His life was actually quite pleasant.

“That was because I recently had various dreams of being with you, so I did not intend to do anything to you, Master. You do not need to take it seriously. Besides, Master, you are so powerful, what could I possibly do to you?”

He felt like crying as he spoke. In truth, he was a bit muddled about what exactly had been said. Did he really say he wanted to marry him? So, not only did he have improper thoughts, but he even wanted to marry the man?

Xie Zhuo felt a bit helpless. Wei Daoping had been right. He pressed on relentlessly. “Unintentional? Can such words be unintentional?”

“Um,” Chu Lanci responded softly. “Can I take it back? Those things, Master can act as if they never happened.”

He felt he was taking advantage of his Master. His Master even helped him. No wonder things were so strange. It turned out he was the one who said it. How could Master be so kind? Whatever Lanci said, Master did.

Xie Zhuo said, “I have already made the arrangements, so let it be. I am also in need of a Dao companion.” He was becoming slightly frustrated.

Chu Lanci was stunned. Master was in need of a Dao companion?

“Master.”

“Yes, speak.” What else do you want? If it is an object, I will give it to you.

Chu Lanci looked pitiful. “No, it is not that. You do not have to be so casual about it. I hope you will reconsider. If you choose me just like this, would you not be at a disadvantage? After all, this is a major life event. I am nothing, but what about your reputation, Master? And I have very little family property and no silver to marry you. I cannot let you pay for everything yourself.”

Xie Zhuo was speechless. This person could be infuriatingly thick-headed. Do you have to force me to say that I am the one who chose you? “I will not be at a disadvantage. Rest assured.”

Chu Lanci insisted, “You should still think about it carefully. There are so many young talents in Thousand Mountains. Reconsider. Master, you really do not have to be this good to me.”

Xie Zhuo felt he could not maintain his composure in front of this person. He took a deep breath. “Then I have considered it, and I have still decided to marry you. What are your thoughts?”

Chu Lanci felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of his head with some joy. “What is there for me to think about? Right, Master, why do you need a Dao companion?”

Xie Zhuo saw Chu Lanci’s cautious face and was amused again. How can this person be so cute! He gave a slightly charming backward glance. “What do you think?”

Chu Lanci was speechless. Oh my, what a huge advantage I am getting!

Xie Zhuo thought for a moment and explained, “It is because I have just come out of the forbidden area. I need a Dao companion to form a contract and announce my return to the world.” Of course, this reason was not a reason at all. The real reason was that he wanted him, and that was all. “Why do you not think it over? Even if you are unwilling, I will not kick you off the mountain.”

Chu Lanci blinked, weighing the pros and cons. Well then, he would consider it a bit more. But no matter how he thought about it, he was the only one gaining an advantage. The massive benefits were laid out right in front of him. It was truly hard to refuse. After getting married, he might even get more benefits. Heavens, just thinking about it made him want to wake up laughing!

If Xie Zhuo did not look down on him, he had nothing to be picky about. He wanted to become a bit stronger, just a little bit. When he delivered food to the forbidden area, his monthly wage was only five hundred spirit stones. But in the inner sect, a regular disciple’s monthly stipend was thousands or even tens of thousands.

He was just an ordinary person. What he wanted was actually very simple. If things did not work out, he could just leave the mountain. Besides, he was already up here now. There was no turning back.

Seeing Chu Lanci lost in thought, Xie Zhuo became a bit anxious. I told him to consider it, and he actually is considering it.

“Master, I have decided. I am willing.”

Xie Zhuo felt a slight joy in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface. He said, “I promise you, if you want to separate in the future, it will just be a matter of one sentence. I will never stop you.”

He spoke very gently, not forcefully at all.

Chu Lanci nodded repeatedly. “Okay, I understand.”

Xie Zhuo said, “Come.” He beckoned to Chu Lanci.

Chu Lanci thought, is the business part starting already? Master said he needed a Dao companion. This must be a rehearsal before the world. He walked up to Xie Zhuo, stood on his tiptoes, and kissed Xie Zhuo on the cheek.

Fine.

Xie Zhuo looked at him with a deep, lingering gaze.

Chu Lanci panicked. “Master, what is it? Did you not ask me to kiss you?”

Xie Zhuo smiled and shook his head, placing a talisman on the middle of Chu Lanci’s back. “This is a Pseudo-Spiritual Talisman. It will help you pass the spiritual root test the day after tomorrow and enter the inner sect. I likely cannot attend the test, so be careful not to let the talisman show. After you pass, I will formally take you as my disciple. You will be under me from now on. Even if we have nothing to do with each other in the future, you will continue your studies at Thousand Mountains. As long as you are diligent, there will always be a day to stand out.”

Chu Lanci’s mind was a mess. Xie Zhuo had said a lot, but he had not heard a single word. He only knew that the man wanted to give him a talisman, not ask for a kiss. How embarrassing. His face turned bright red, and he hurriedly took the talisman. “Right, right, right. Thank you, Master.” After saying that, he tried to stick the talisman inside his clothes.

Xie Zhuo said, “Do not put it there. Put it in your storage bag.”

As he spoke, he saw the clear look in Chu Lanci’s eyes and realized he did not have one. He pulled a ring off his own hand. “Use mine for now.” He wanted to remind Chu Lanci not to show it off, as doing so would easily invite jealousy. The interpersonal relationships in Thousand Mountains were complex. One might be killed secretly one day. But then he thought that Chu Lanci was likely not that kind of person, so he let it go.

Chu Lanci took it, put it on his thumb, and looked up at Xie Zhuo again. Seeing him like this, Xie Zhuo felt that Chu Lanci was very much like a cute little cat that would only stare at people. If you touched it, it would let out a few soft cries. He was extremely cute.

“Come.”

This time, Chu Lanci became cautious. “Hmm? What else are you going to give me?”

Xie Zhuo could not help but laugh at Chu Lanci’s adorable expression. “Come and kiss me.”

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