After Accidentally Entering the Forbidden Land and Forming a Bond with the Grandmaster - Chapter 23

After Xie Zhuo sent Chu Lanci back to Qianshan, he returned to the Hall of the Myriad Immortals.

He sat cross-legged to regulate his breath. Extending his fingers, he traced the rim of the teacup on the table. In an instant, ripples surged across the surface of the water. As mist rose and swirled, a figure on the opposite side gradually solidified.

“On that day, your disciple will likely come looking for me. For your sake, I will leave his corpse intact,” Xie Zhuo remarked. He knew that the people of the Yuheng Sect had already gathered outside the gates of Qianshan. They would likely launch their attack on the day of the Covenant Ceremony.

He intended to let them lead the charge. Naturally, he planned to make an example of them to warn others. It was a move meant both to punish the instigators and to strike awe into the rest of the world.

The figure on the other side replied, “Junior Brother, please go easy on him. He was the first disciple I ever took!”

“That depends on my mood that day. However, considering how close your bond is and how loyal your disciple is to you, we shall see.”

“Fine, fine. By the way, regarding your Covenant day, we plan to crash the wedding chamber. Will you be at Chaoyu Peak or Medicine King Valley? I have already coordinated with Little Tao and the others. We are coming to join the fun, even if it kills us!”

Before the other man could finish, Xie Zhuo said, “No way,” and cut off the spiritual projection.

Afterward, he gazed quietly into the dark night. Remembering something unknown, a smile played on his lips as he shook his head.

After returning from Tingfeng Village, Chu Lanci adapted to all the etiquette required for the ceremony. He now waited only for the day itself. He thought to himself that once this period passed, he would begin to study his skills in earnest.

On the day before the Covenant, Deacon Ma came to visit him specifically to deliver a bowl of spring water.

Chu Lanci was surprised. “What is this?”

Deacon Ma explained, “This is a long-standing tradition of Qianshan. Every pair of disciples forming a covenant must use water from the Shuyu Spring to cleanse their hands. Doing so ensures the bond remains long-lasting.”

Chu Lanci looked at the crystal-clear spiritual spring water gathered in the ceramic bowl. Regardless of anything else, this was a kind gesture from Deacon Ma. He smiled and said, “Thank you, Deacon Ma.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” Deacon Ma replied. “If not for your word, I would have had to leave the Inner Sect of Qianshan. All my hard work would have gone to waste. I am but an ordinary, minor cultivator of Qianshan; I truly could not have endured such a blow.”

Chu Lanci felt a wave of emotion upon hearing this. These people worked desperately for opportunities that he had obtained with ease. He realized he had to cherish what he had.

“You did nothing wrong. Such things are common in our village. You looked down on me, and I looked down on you too. That is quite common.”

Deacon Ma sighed. “Qianshan has a strict hierarchy. It is not that I am a snob, but rather that tradition has always been this way. Everything depends on cultivation. Those in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm look down on those in the early stage. Those in the Core Formation Stage look down on those in the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Inner Sect looks down on the Outer Sect. In short, if you are even slightly behind, you face discrimination. Ultimately, it was my fault. I am sorry, Daoist Chu. Rest assured, on the day of your Covenant, I will guide you personally and ensure not a single mistake occurs.”

After speaking, Deacon Ma gave a deep bow before turning to leave. Once the man had gone, Chu Lanci placed the bowl on the table and rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought.

Discrimination.

If that were the case, would someone like him, who had no cultivation at all, not be discriminated against? Yet, everyone he met seemed quite kind. He decided not to worry about it. If there was discrimination, so be it. He would mind his own business; why care about others?

Furthermore, if people were difficult to get along with, he simply would not associate with them. It was a simple matter. Chu Lanci remained cheerful and began to memorize his Covenant vows.

Though he appeared relaxed, when the day of the Covenant arrived and he saw the mountain filled with guests and cultivators flying on swords through the air, he became quite nervous. Even though he knew this was largely for show, he still felt the pressure.

Wei Daoping, who was accompanying him, kept talking. “Do not be nervous. Rest assured, I know my Master is incredible. He is simply too outstanding. Today, you will surely be the center of everyone’s attention. They will be so jealous it will drive them mad. Do you know how powerful my Master is? He is a genius who ascended to the Great Transcendence Realm in less than a hundred years. Such a talent is rare even in ten thousand years. Even after a century of seclusion, he remains the undisputed number one in the world.”

Chu Lanci thought these words would make him more nervous, but upon further reflection, he felt relieved. This was not a real marriage; how powerful others were had nothing to do with him. Besides, he was quite talented himself; he even knew how to make flower lanterns.

As the future Daoist partner of the world’s strongest man, Chu Lanci was escorted by several cultivators as he slowly stepped into the center of the great hall. Crowds of people lined both sides, wearing clothes far more magnificent than those of ordinary mortals. In the past, these people were figures far beyond Chu Lanci’s reach. Now, they stood on either side, respectfully attending his ceremony.

Then there was Xie Zhuo. Chu Lanci looked ahead and saw a tall man standing at the top of the steps. His black, wide sleeves fell like the night, and the silver patterns embroidered into the fabric shimmered in the wind like a cascading galaxy. His peerlessly handsome face was as cold as the perennial snow on the peaks of Kunlun. However, Chu Lanci knew that his Master was not truly cold or bloodthirsty like the legends claimed; at least, Chu Lanci could not see it.

He still believed his Master was very kind. Others described him as powerful and formidable, but Chu Lanci’s adjectives for him were humble and gentle. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that his Master actually wanted to smile. Perhaps he refrained only because there were so many people present.

Since they were putting on a show, he would cooperate fully. Chu Lanci looked at Xie Zhuo and gave him a brilliant smile. It was a look that suggested he had eyes for no one else, the kind of smile that bloomed the moment he saw him. He looked so happy, as if he had married exactly the right person.

Everyone present was stunned by Chu Lanci’s smile. They had assumed this event was merely a personal performance by Xie Zhuo, a way for him to pick a mortal and announce his defiance to the world. None of them expected that these two might actually share feelings for one another.

Did Xie Zhuo not practice the Way of Heartlessness? Was he not world-renowned for his lack of emotion?

While Chu Lanci’s appearance was indeed exceptional, possessing both handsomeness and elegance, it was unlikely that he had enchanted Xie Zhuo with looks alone. In a cultivation world full of Face-Preserving Pills where everyone looked twenty or thirty years old, power was the ultimate standard. Furthermore, Xie Zhuo himself was of peerless beauty. A man like him could command a Nascent Soul cultivator with a single finger.

It was not just the guests who were stunned; even Xie Zhuo was caught off guard. He had not expected Chu Lanci to smile at him like that, a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze. It was as if Xie Zhuo were truly his beloved. Or perhaps, he truly was his beloved.

Because of that single smile, this elaborate show suddenly felt simple and pure. Xie Zhuo returned the gesture with a handsome smile of his own.

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