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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 4 (259): [Marriage Alliance]
(4th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Li Weiyi decided to seek the Immortality Pill and Millennial Essence Herbs from Zuoqiu Hongting.
He would also clear the air with her to prevent the elders of the Zuoqiu Clan from misunderstanding and causing unnecessary trouble.
Indeed, playing with emotions was a dangerous game.
He arrived at Zuoqiu Hongting's Cultivation Cave and knocked on the stone door, but there was no response.
As Li Weiyi was about to leave, he saw several figures approaching.
There were five people in total.
Zuoqiu Hongting, transformed to look like Li Weiyi, and Jiang Ning led the group.
Zhuang Yue followed closely behind Jiang Ning.
Trailing behind them were two identical middle-aged men with heavy yin energy.
They wore green official robes, were tall and slender, and their eyes held focused light.
The two men emitted two distinct Willpower Fields that enveloped the group, forming a purple-green Mist.
From a distance, Li Weiyi heard Zuoqiu Ting, using Li Weiyi's voice, say with a laugh, "Lord Jiang, you wouldn't believe it. When Shi Shishi, Qi Xiao, and I heard the news, we immediately rushed to the Changqing (Evergreen) Temple to catch them in the act, but we found nothing."
"Neither of them was there, only a single bed."
"And what a bed it was!"
....
Li Weiyi cleared his throat twice, watching Zuoqiu Ting, who had already walked within several yards, still gossiping with Jiang Ning.
He had already decided to let her go, but suddenly changed his mind.
"Brother Zuoqiu, isn't it a bit rude to talk about people behind their backs?"
Zuoqiu Ting seemed to have just noticed Li Weiyi's presence and chuckled: "Brother Weiyi, we were just about to look for you. Feather Immortal asked about you earlier, and our conversation drifted to the Changqing (Evergreen) Temple. I didn't say anything out of line. Do you dare claim that the bed in the Changqing (Evergreen) Temple doesn't bear the traces of you and Yang Qingxi?"
Jiang Ning, wearing a half-transparent veil and a pink-and-white ruqun, with a silk scarf draped over her arms and a phoenix-shaped hairpin adorning her hair, her brow adorned with a phoenix-shaped diadem, resembled a divine consort - exquisitely beautiful and utterly devoid of her usual heroic bearing and aloofness.
Zhuang Yue glared coldly at Li Weiyi.
Li Weiyi hadn't expected Zuoqiu Ting to be so treacherous, telling Jiang Ning everything.
He decided to employ a scorched-earth tactic: "Didn't we share a bed in Diligent Garden too? Does that prove anything?"
"Is that true?" Jiang Ning turned to Zuoqiu Ting.
Zuoqiu Ting feigned composure and smiled: "Absolutely! Absolutely! It proves nothing at all! Look at my big mouth - knowing you two are close friends, I shouldn't have brought up the Changqing (Evergreen) Temple. You two chat; I'll excuse myself..."
"There's nothing to avoid," Jiang Ning said calmly, turning to Li Weiyi, "My relationship with Li is, at most, a casual acquaintance. It's not as scandalous as rumors make it out to be. The Seven Strange Insects listen to me only because I subdued them for a time in Burial Immortal Town."
"Li Weiyi, I'm here for the Jingyu Sword. Name your price!"
Li Weiyi knew this wasn't the time for polite conversation. He replied coldly, "Three Millennial Essence Herbs."
"Give it to him," Jiang Ning instructed.
They were clearly prepared.
One of the two eunuch officials following Jiang Ning stepped forward with an imposing air, holding out a long, rectangular jade box. He placed it in Li Weiyi's hands.
"This two-thousand-year-old Seven-Star Silver Fire Begonia is more than sufficient to cover three Millennial Essence Herbs."
Li Weiyi retrieved the Jingyu Sword from his Boundary Pouch and, with equal lack of ceremony, returned it to the eunuch official.
His Dao Seed Realm Willpower Field pressed forward, but it had no effect. The eunuch official gripped the sword firmly, his voice sharp with a sneer: "Indeed, the Hidden Dragon of this era is quite capable."
After retrieving the Jingyu Sword, Jiang Ning said, "Though you saved me during the Shangyuan Festival, the moment you shouted the rebel slogan, we became sworn enemies. Li, fare well. Let's go!"
Li Weiyi replied to the four figures' retreating backs in a casual tone: "Feather Immortal, you're being too self-important! That night when the heretical cult's black-armored iron cavalry charged, I was saving Miss Qingxi, not you."
On the way down the mountain, Jiang Ning, who was leading the group, knew Li Weiyi was deliberately speaking for the two Eunuch Officials and the Zuoqiu Clan to hear. Still, she was infuriated. Her chest throbbed with pain, and the fist hidden in her sleeve clenched tighter and tighter.
Zhuang Yue had already drawn her sword, but Jiang Ning pressed it back into its sheath.
After the four figures had walked far ahead.
"Clatter!"
Zuoqiu Ting unfolded his folding fan and stood on tiptoe, watching the scene below with malicious glee: "I can't help but feel something's off between you two. Jiang Ning's attire today is quite unusual. Surely she didn't come to see this young master, did she? Yang Qingxi's days in the Imperial Court are probably going to be rough!"
Li Weiyi frowned: "Why did you transform into my appearance?"
"I heard Jiang Ning came to Taoli (Peach and Plum) Mountain specifically to see you. Since you seemed busy, I went in your place! To be honest, Feather Immortal's beauty truly surpasses all others. Her attire and makeup today were especially stunning."
Zuoqiu Ting observed Li Weiyi's gaze.
"Let's go inside the Cave Dwelling first. I need to talk to you about something important - something serious!" Li Weiyi said.
Zuoqiu Ting saw nothing in Li Weiyi's restrained expression, and a hint of disappointment flickered across his face. He activated the Formation on the Cave Dwelling's stone door and led him inside.
As they entered, Li Weiyi closed the door behind them.
He activated the Formation.
"Whoosh!"
Zuoqiu Ting lit a Bone Lamp, his gaze sharpening: "What are you doing?"
"Activating the Formation is better. It'll prevent those old fogeys from the Zuoqiu Clan from eavesdropping on our conversation," Li Weiyi replied, then proceeded to recount the Hidden Lord's words, pouring out his grievances.
He sighed: "It's so humiliating! I'm unmarried, she's unmarried - is it wrong to love someone?"
Zuoqiu Ting's Cultivation Cave was quite spacious, complete with an outer hall, inner hall, Martial training room, tables and chairs, and a Cold Jade Bed. A stream of Spiritual Qi Spring flowed through the inner hall's depths, suffusing the entire Cave Dwelling with a misty, ethereal glow.
"Li Weiyi, who truly occupies your heart? Jiang Ning? Zuoqiu Hong? Or perhaps you need to add Yang Qingxi to the list?" Zuoqiu Ting sat on a stone chair, poured a cup of spring water, and handed it to him.
Li Weiyi had never considered this before, but since his motive was revenge, he answered without hesitation: "Jiang Ning, Yang Qingxi, and I are completely innocent. But you, you're not being a true brother. Do you really think your sister will never marry? Having me as your brother-in-law is better than letting her end up with some outsider."
"Don't be delusional!" Zuoqiu Ting rolled his eyes.
"Fine, fine, fine. If that's the case, let's settle our accounts first."
Li Weiyi pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it onto the table.
Zuoqiu Ting picked it up, unfolded it, and repeatedly confirmed: "Do I really owe you this much?"
Li Weiyi held his crystal cup, took a sip of spring water, and said, "The Dao Lotus was the bet you lost when you bet I wouldn't get an invitation. The ten Millennial Essence Herbs were payment for ten catties of Immortal Soil."
"And what about the Immortality Pill, the Dragon Seed, and the two Dragon Bones?" Zuoqiu Ting asked.
Li Weiyi replied, "If I hadn't arrived in time for the final battle, could the Zuoqiu Clan have won? The price I'm charging is very reasonable, just enough for my own cultivation. The Little Seven deserve the most credit, but I didn't even ask for the Dragon Seed and Dragon Bones for them."
Zuoqiu Ting stood up and paced thoughtfully.
Suddenly, a sense of danger surged through him.
He was about to release his Spiritual Qi
when-
"Boom!"
Li Weiyi gently patted her back with his palm, then removed his hand and affixed a Body-Fixing Talisman to the spot. The talismanic runes flickered, emitting bright streaks of light that flowed across its surface.
Not only did the talisman immobilize her body, but it also suppressed the Spiritual Qi within her.
Li Weiyi slowly walked to face her, a smile on his lips: "Brother Zuoqiu truly trusts me as a brother to whom he can entrust his back. If you had shown the slightest vigilance, I never would have succeeded."
Zuoqiu Ting quickly regained her composure from her initial panic: "So this Body-Fixing Talisman was meant for me. What do you want?"
Her high cultivation allowed her to speak, preventing her from being completely immobilized.
Li Weiyi picked her up and gently laid her on the Cold Jade Bed nearby.
"I'll settle all the accounts on the list within three days."
Zuoqiu Ting felt deeply insecure, her voice icy: "This isn't fun. Take off the Body-Fixing Talisman at once."
"Now you know how unpleasant it is to be immobilized? How did you find it fun when you did it to others?" Li Weiyi countered.
Zuoqiu Ting replied, "Fine, I was wrong. How about this: if you truly want to see my sister, I can arrange it."
Li Weiyi's plan was simple: force Zuoqiu Hongting to admit her true identity. He pushed her to the inner side of the bed and sat down beside her.
"I treated you like a brother, yet you stabbed me in the back twice," he said.
Li Weiyi mimicked her earlier tone: "Shi Shishi, Qi Xiao, and I rushed to Changqing (Evergreen) Temple the moment we heard the news... What a massive bed!"
"Is it really okay for you to ruin my reputation like this? Answer me!"
Zuoqiu Ting quickly replied, "Brother Weiyi, if you care so much about your reputation with Jiang Ning, how can you claim you have nothing to hide?"
Li Weiyi fell silent, lost in thought.
He had asked himself the same question countless times.
His feelings for Jiang Ning were undeniably beyond mere friendship.
When he saw Qi Jin holding the Jingyu Sword, he had truly panicked, followed by an unprecedented surge of anger and worry.
After a long moment, Li Weiyi sighed: "She's Feather Immortal, hailed as the most beautiful woman of the younger generation. If I said I felt nothing for her, wouldn't that be hypocritical?"
Zuoqiu Ting snorted.
Li Weiyi looked at her. "Why are you humming? Don't you feel anything for her? Are you even a man?"
Zuoqiu Ting said, "I'm humming about certain people who claim to love my sister but are flirting with the Feather Immortal. Li Weiyi, you don't understand Jiang Ning at all. She's extremely complex. I've known her for a long time, but I've never been able to truly see through her."
"Look, what's wrong with you? Why do you always have to talk behind people's backs?" Li Weiyi said.
Zuoqiu Ting retorted, "Believe it or not! Hurry up and dispel the Body-Fixing Talisman. Name any condition, and I'll agree to it. You don't think I can't break free from this talisman, do you? I just didn't want to hurt you!"
Li Weiyi ignored her and lay down: "Let's sleep together tonight. I have a lot more to talk to you about."
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Should I help you take off your clothes?"
"I'm not sleeping. I need to heal and cultivate."
Zuoqiu Ting's heart rate visibly quickened, and her voice grew faster. Her eyes were filled with worry as she debated whether to tell Li Weiyi the truth.
"There's no need to rush. Let me help you take off your outer robe!"
Li Weiyi began to unbutton Zuoqiu Ting's clothes.
Zuoqiu Ting took a deep breath, her entire body tensed, her heart pounding like a drum.
She realized she could no longer hide the truth and was about to speak when-
"Boom!"
The stone door and Formation Art of the Cave Dwelling shattered under a single palm strike.
A gust of wind swept through the air.
Led by Zuoqiu Ling, a large group of elders from the Zuoqiu Clan stormed in at lightning speed.
Zuoqiu Ling's burly frame trembled with rage. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "What are the two of you doing? Get out! All of you, get out! No one is to speak of this day's events, or face the full force of Clan Law!"
Li Weiyi, still holding Zuoqiu Ting's belt, was stunned by the sudden intrusion. A thought flashed through his mind: "We're finished!"
Seeing the elders of the Zuoqiu Clan in such force, Li Weiyi knew this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment raid. They had clearly planned this meticulously.
He quickly jumped out of bed, ready to explain.
Zuoqiu Ling's face was grim.
With a sharp wave of his arm, a surge of Spiritual Qi erupted, shattering the Body-Fixing Talisman on Zuoqiu Ting's back and dispelling her Disguise Technique. Her true, breathtakingly beautiful face, as cold and jade-like as ever, was revealed.
Zuoqiu Ling coldly berated them, each word dripping with venom: "As the First Inheritor of the esteemed Zuoqiu Clan and a future Hidden Dragon, if today's events become public knowledge, it will not only ruin your reputation but also tarnish the reputation of the entire Zuoqiu Clan. Furthermore, this incident could create complications with the Calamity Crossing Temple. Both of you, clean yourselves up immediately. I'll be waiting for you in the Council Hall."
Without giving Li Weiyi a chance to feign ignorance, Zuoqiu Ling glared at him and turned to leave.
When Li Weiyi and Zuoqiu Hongting arrived at the Council Hall, Hidden Lord was already seated inside.
Zuoqiu Ling's face remained ashen: "The impact is too severe, the consequences too grave. The Calamity Crossing Temple places great importance on the Hidden Dragon's character. Too many people witnessed this today; there's no way to conceal it. We have only one option left!"
He turned to Hidden Lord.
Hidden Lord rose to his feet: "I'll speak with him alone."
After they were alone, Li Weiyi spoke first.
"Marriage is the only solution, isn't it?"
Hidden Lord nodded, sighing deeply: "For them, regardless of who the Calamity Crossing Temple chooses as the Hidden Dragon, that person must be from the Zuoqiu Clan. Even without today's incident, your engagement to Zuoqiu Hongting would have been a matter they deliberated over repeatedly. You simply gave them the perfect opportunity to force our hand!"
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END OF CHAPTER
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