Chapter 93 Marriage

A glint flashed in Si Yao's eyes, but when she heard Li Ye say "before the primordial spirit returns to its place," her eyes dimmed again.

A night breeze swept in, chilling her to the bone, instantly calming Si Yao down considerably.

She clenched her fists. "After my soul returns to its original form, whether I live or die, will you kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ye's still gentle expression suddenly froze.

"Do you think I'm going to kill you?"

The two made an agreement that day, but did not specify what would happen to Si Yao after Li Ye's primordial spirit returned to its place.

Although the secret technique of the ancient scroll states that after Li Ye suffered five episodes of aftereffects, his primordial spirit could successfully return to its place after five sessions of dual cultivation, and the life of the host would not be endangered.

But this doesn't mean that Li Ye won't kill Si Yao.

After all, there used to be a rumor in the cultivation world that any woman who tried to get close to Li Ye would not survive.

Moreover, there's Si Yao, who has already had intimate relations with him several times...

Could he kill Si Yao as soon as his soul returns to its original form in order to erase the "stain"?

Si Yao had no way of knowing these things.

"I won't kill you."

Finally, Si Yao heard Li Ye's reply.

Logically, the huge weight hanging over Si Yao's heart should have been lifted, but this answer did not seem to make Si Yao feel at ease.

She wanted to know even more, "And then we'll have nothing to do with each other anymore, right?"

Just like that day in Wuzhou, when the Fate Stone sensed Si Yao and Jiang Cifeng's past and future lives.

Si Yao and Li Ye had a big fight, but they didn't reach a conclusion at the time.

She even remembered that he spoke with a fiery tone, as if he couldn't wait for her to marry Jiang Cifeng.

Tonight, after Si Yao asked this question, Li Ye said very seriously, "Perhaps so. I have to go back to the Demon Realm."

He was going back to the Demon Realm to accomplish his great task.

Si Yao knew this too; she was just hoping for a possibility.

"Okay, I will help your spirit return to its rightful place as soon as possible."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Ke's voice came from the other side of the courtyard, "Are you two having a secret rendezvous here so late at night? What were you arguing about just now?"

Si Yao coughed and replied, "It's nothing, I'm going to sleep now."

She glanced at Li Ye, hesitated, then walked past him and into her room.

Outside the window, the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the air. Si Yao lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

With his eyes closed, the image that appeared in his mind was of Li Ye walking through mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the Demon Realm.

She was reminded of his bloodthirsty nature and inhumanity.

Although she knew he was Demon Lord Li Ye, after spending several years together, Si Yao always felt that the Li Ye beside her was very different from the bloodthirsty Asura in the picture.

Perhaps she never really got to know him properly.

Or perhaps, what is shown in the picture is the truest image of the Demon Lord.

"He destroyed your destiny stone because he was afraid you would see yourself die tragically at his hands in the future."

"He's lying to you. The Fate Stone wasn't infused with anyone else's divine consciousness."

Disturbed and confused, Si Yao's breathing became disordered, and a voice echoed in her mind, "If I were you, I would never allow his primordial spirit to return to its place."

The voice drifted over, piercing Si Yao's mind and causing her excruciating pain.

"Get out! Don't bother me, you vile devil, don't even think about bewitching me!"

Si Yao said viciously, "You just want to make Li Ye's soul disappear. Don't think I don't know your wicked scheme!"

She was puzzled; even though Li Ye had destroyed the Fate Stone, why was this voice still appearing in her mind?

She cursed loudly, and the sound didn't come again that night.

However, Si Yao did not calm down. Even though she deduced that the demon was trying to sow discord between her and Li Ye, when she recalled the illusion, especially when she thought about what would happen if Li Ye really stripped her of her primordial spirit, her shoulders still trembled involuntarily.

She didn't know when she fell asleep.

In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, she subconsciously called out Li Ye's name a few times.

In her dream, Li Ye gently embraced her.

They seemed to have never hugged like this before.

In the past, they only made love to each other because of that so-called promise.

But this was the first time I'd ever hugged someone like this.

Without any contract or ulterior motive, simply because of the affection and love between them.

Si Yao felt a warm glow in her heart, and she was very happy with this feeling.

She wished this dream could stay in this moment forever.

Unfortunately, the scene quickly shifted, and Si Yao saw Li Ye again, his eyes bloodshot with rage, and witnessed him killing her with his own hands.

She cried out and woke up to find her forehead and pillow covered in sweat.

She was too weak to get up, so she leaned against the headboard, lost in thought.

An hour later, dawn broke and the morning breeze blew, and Si Yao finally came to her senses.

Lan Yu, who was in charge of receiving Si Yao on Tianchen Island, waited outside the door early in the morning, only daring to knock when she heard noises inside.

"Elder Si Yao, our island lord requests your presence in the main hall. We hope you will come to the main hall as soon as possible."

After hearing Lan Yu's explanation, Si Yao replied that she understood.

Before long, she had tidied her clothes and makeup, opened the door, and with a "whoosh," flew into the blue sky, heading straight for the main hall of Tianchen Island.

Along the way, Si Yao didn't think much of it, guessing that the summons from Tianchen Island Master was probably about the five sects working together to subdue the demon.

I never imagined they were after her.

Upon reaching the main hall, Jiang Cifeng and Xiao Shengyuan, the master of Tianchen Island, stood in the very center of the hall.

Besides these two, the leaders and elders of other factions also came forward.

Upon seeing Si Yao, Xiao Shengyuan greeted her warmly, "Elder Si Yao, please come to Venerable Jiang's side."

Si Yao instantly sensed something was wrong.

And so, right before everyone's eyes, Jiang Cifeng actually proposed marriage to Si Yao.

With a casual wave of his hand, the carefully prepared betrothal gifts were presented to everyone.

"What? Did I hear that right?" Yu Ke was the most shocked among them.

"Very good, very good. I never expected that Venerable Jiang would be so fond of Elder Si Yao. Our Seven Stars Sect is the first to offer our congratulations and wishes the two of you a happy marriage and a journey of cultivating the Great Dao together."

After hearing the words of the Seven Stars Sect leader, the leaders and elders of the other sects finally realized what was going on.

"Everyone says that Venerable Apocalypse has not been close to women for thousands of years, but I never thought that he would eventually have someone he loves."

"Elder Si Yao is so lucky, her future husband is none other than Venerable Tianqi..."

A group of his peers offered their blessings, and Ye Guyan from Luanqin Valley smiled, but his eyes held a hint of coldness. "What does Venerable Tianqi mean by this? Is it just for the sake of a marriage alliance?"

Jiang Cifeng looked at Ye Guyan, but before he could speak, Xiao Shengyuan said, "What Venerable Ye means by that..."

"I just want to know if Si Yao can be truly loved if she marries him." Ye Guyan said, turning to Si Yao, "Little Si Yao, you should think this through. If it's just a marriage for some purpose, becoming his Daoist partner won't bring you true happiness."

Si Yao looked up and nodded to Ye Guyan, "Guyan, I know you're thinking of me, thank you."

"Elder Si Yao," Xiao Shengyuan's tone became respectful, "If you and Venerable Jiang become Daoist partners this time, the Hehuan Sect and the Fengjian Sect can rely on each other, the relationship between the two sects will be more solid, and it will be more conducive for our five sects to work together to fight against the Demon Realm army."

Si Yao pondered, while several people behind her whispered among themselves.

"It seems it's still an arranged marriage... I thought Jiang Cifeng really liked her."

"To further solidify the alliance among the five factions, Venerable Jiang actually sacrificed himself..."

"What are you all so sour about? Even if it's a marriage alliance, Venerable Jiang still chose Si Yao, which means he really liked her. Otherwise, why wouldn't he have chosen you?"

"You, you, you..."

"What do you mean, 'I'? You're clearly jealous!" Yu Ke's voice was loud. Si Yao never expected that her longtime rival would speak up for her at this moment.

Because of Jiang Cifeng's marriage proposal to Si Yao, even though the people sitting in the main hall were all high-ranking members of various sects, it still caused quite a stir. They all became like ordinary disciples, joining in the excitement.

Annoyed by the noise around her, Si Yao shouted, "Fine, I agree."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in an uproar.

Soon, the news spread throughout Tianchen Island.

Si Yao walked out of the main hall and leaped into the air.

A gentle breeze blew, and before long, Jiang Cifeng caught up.

"Are you really willing?"

He was somewhat unsure, so he came to ask again.

Si Yao nodded, "Whether it's for the sake of the five factions or for my own future, I agree to marry you this time."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Cifeng couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.

Si Yao added, "I only hope that you can keep your word. When you ascend to the Great Dao, we can separate."

The joy on Jiang Cifeng's face faded, and he returned to his icy expression.

"Okay, Jiang will keep his word."

That's settled then.

Si Yao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she followed the guidance of the Fate Stone and helped Jiang Cifeng successfully overcome his tribulation, she would not die as the Fate Stone had predicted.

Then she can continue her life.

Back at the Hehuan Sect's guest courtyard, Li Ye's room was very quiet, and Si Yao could sense that he was not there.

In the guest courtyard, she was somewhat lost in thought, unaware that Sect Leader Yan Yu, Su He, and the others had come to offer their congratulations.

Even Yu Ke said, "You're really lucky. I was planning to win over Jiang Cifeng, but since he's about to become your Daoist partner, I'll let you have him."

Si Yao shook her head and couldn't help but smile. "If you really like him, why don't you give it a try after I divorce him?"

Yu Ke's face fell. "You, Si Yao, are you trying to humiliate me?"

Si Yao continued with a smile, "To be honest, you really can wait."

"You—" Yu Ke was so angry that her face turned red, and she immediately hit Si Yao twice.

Amidst their playful banter, Yu Ke glanced towards the round archway of the guest courtyard and exclaimed, "Oh dear, Si Yao, your little sweetheart is here. I bet your heart is breaking this time."

Si Yao turned her head and saw that standing at the archway was none other than Xia Chongyun.

The others understood and tactfully retreated to a place where Si Yao couldn't see them.

Xia Chongyun then mustered up his courage and walked over.

He looked exhausted and called out in a hoarse voice, "Si Yao, congratulations..."

Si Yao didn't look at Xia Chongyun for long, but simply thanked him.

"Si Yao, you're going to marry someone else after all. Why...why..." Xia Chongyun's emotions surged, filled with resentment. "What a pity...why isn't it me?"

Si Yao said calmly, "Chongyun, we made things clear that night. I hope you will take your engagement with your junior sister Jiuxin seriously."

As if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over his head, Xia Chongyun's body trembled violently.

He lowered his head as low as he could, his fists clenched tightly, and stood there for an unknown amount of time.

When I looked up again, Si Yao was already gone.

She had left the guest quarters of the Hehuan Sect and arrived at the seaside of a secluded island.

She sat alone on the rocks from noon until late at night, and from late at night until dawn.

She stayed there for days and nights, never leaving.

"Where are you?"

A night breeze swept by, and the golden bells jingled, carrying Li Ye's voice.