Chapter 39

◎Going Down the Mountain to Get Married◎

"That wasn't a bite," Jiang Qiye explained, slightly out of breath, his eyes lingering, looking quite pleased with himself, but he didn't forget to feign a gentlemanly apology: "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself, Miss Pei, please forgive me."

"I won't forgive you!" Pei Xueyan raised her voice, furious. This damned hypocrite! "I'm going to tell your master—no, tell your great-grandmaster! And I'll tell my master that you're a complete lecher!"

Jiang Qiye had no way to refute it; it was indeed improper for men and women to kiss before marriage.

Especially since I've read so many books, and they've all gone to waste.

He felt a surge of satisfaction, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over her soft lips, reddened with anger. He said with a guilty expression, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have been so abrupt with you."

Pei Xueyan was very angry and wanted to slap him.

I think I'll pass. This man may look gentle and refined, but he's probably a vengeful and shameless person.

Hitting someone in the face is never a good thing.

Let him kiss her if he wants; it won't hurt her. Besides, Young Master Wei is a fake, and she's not really doing anything bad behind her fiancé's back.

Seeing her lower her eyes and remain silent, Jiang Qiye assumed she was still angry, so he sat closer to her and looked at her with deep affection: "If you are angry, you can hit me or scold me, just don't say anything about breaking up again. Since we have agreed to marry, I will treat you well for all eternity and never break my promise."

Pei Xueyan looked up at him: "Aren't you going to keep your word? You listen to your master so much, doing whatever he tells you to do. You know he doesn't like me. If he asks you to kill me in the future, will you do it?"

"Absolutely not!" he promised firmly without hesitation. "I am naturally grateful to my master for teaching me magic. But if he asks me to kill you, I will never agree and would rather die than submit."

His strong sense of righteousness and integrity made him utterly convincing.

Pei Xueyan stretched out her small hand, her fingertips slender: "Pinky promise!"

Jiang Qiye immediately reached out and hooked his fingers with hers.

"What if you break your promise?" Pei Xueyan thought seriously for a moment and said, "You will lose your sense of smell and never be able to eat delicious food again; you will never be able to advance in your cultivation; and you will never see me again in your entire life!"

She didn't say those harsh words like "may God punish you," but rather it was as if she had turned the things she cared about most into punishment for him.

Jiang Qiye smiled and readily agreed, "It's a deal!"

Once she had completely calmed down, Jiang Qiye got up and went out to prepare the medicine.

Yuanhua Mountain has the most medicinal herbs, and he quickly collected them all. He then used his internal energy to speed up the brewing process, and the medicine was ready in less than an hour.

Pei Xueyan was already dressed and sitting on the stone table in the courtyard, looking listless and lifeless.

Jiang Qiye walked over with the bowl of medicine, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and said softly, "Drink it quickly, and you'll feel better after you finish it."

Pei Xueyan brought trouble upon herself. She didn't want to drink it at all, she hated bitterness the most, and loved sweets.

So, she shook her head fiercely: "No, no! Why do I still need to drink medicine to cure my illness after you've already given me power? You clearly told me I wouldn't get sick for several years."

"It's my fault. I didn't know you were so frail."

"Then it's your fault! I'm even less willing to drink, I absolutely refuse!"

Seeing her childishness, Jiang Qiye smiled and said, "If you drink it, we'll go down the mountain."

What are we going down the mountain for?

"Go down the mountain to the peak next to us, get married, cultivate together, and I will teach you martial arts. We can live together for hundreds of years."

Pei Xueyan immediately became interested, her eyes lighting up as she asked, "Really? Okay, okay, I'll drink it right away."

As she spoke, she reached out and snatched the medicine bowl, pinched her nose, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. Even though it was so bitter that she frowned, she didn't spit it out.

He raised his hand and gently patted her head: "Good girl."

She snorted, "You're always good at coaxing me."

"I'll pamper you every day from now on. Lie down and rest for a while, and we'll leave at noon."

Pei Xueyan obediently lay back down on the bed.

The medicine really worked; she felt warm all over in no time and pulled back the blanket to cool down.

When she got up again, she felt much better and refreshed.

She threw away her sweaty clothes and rummaged through her bag to find a plain dress to change into. The dress was embroidered with floral patterns, which made her skin look even whiter. Her eyes regained their former charm and liveliness, and she no longer looked listless.

After changing her clothes, she skipped and hopped into the yard: "Brother, let's hurry down the mountain!"

The weather was exceptionally clear today, and the two walked down the mountain side by side.

Jiang Qiye brought some dry food. When Pei Xueyan was tired, she found a blue stone to sit on and rest, so he handed her food and water.

Pei Xueyan leaned on his shoulder and asked softly, "Master Jiang, where are we staying?"

"I want to buy a manor first, to use temporarily as a wedding venue," Jiang Qiye carefully planned. "I'll have some people spend some time cleaning it thoroughly, then go to Jiangnan to buy some wedding supplies, and hang lanterns and red silk on the gate. After that, we'll visit Master and Grandmaster at the Qingzong Sect, write invitations, and then go to Yishui Manor to inquire about your master's whereabouts. I've saved some money, which will be perfect for our future living expenses, and then..."

"Master Jiang," Pei Xueyan interrupted him, "how long will it take you to prepare like this?"

"At the fastest, three months."

"Three months? That's too long, no way!" Pei Xueyan quickly refused. She was scared, she regretted it, and she didn't want to get married anymore. She had spoken too quickly.

The worst part is that he actually wants to make the wedding a public spectacle, which is terrifying!

"How many days do you want?"

"Of course I can't wait a moment longer!" She said, holding Jiang Qiye's hand. "You said that after we get married, we'll be one, right?"

"Um."

"What's yours is mine, right?"

"right."

"Then could you teach me half of your kung fu? I feel much better these past few days, watch me use my divine skills."

As she spoke, Pei Xueyan stood up and launched herself towards the distant mountains and forests.

She was indeed clever; in just a few days, she mastered the qigong to perfection, and the tree trunks in the distance were instantly snapped in half by the airflow.

"How about that? Pretty impressive, huh!" She proudly raised her chin.

Jiang Qiye smiled and nodded in praise: "Yes, impressive."

Indeed, she is exceptionally intelligent.

She snuggled into his arms and said coquettishly, "Good brother, thank you for letting me experience what it's like to not be a cripple. Can you pass on your cultivation to me too? I know you're reluctant to marry me, and I'm the one who's been pestering you. Okay, let's become cultivation partners first, and after you pass on your cultivation to me, I'll practice for three to five years and succeed before we get married, okay?"

Jiang Qiye was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

He's not stupid, nor is he mentally unstable.

It was obvious that she had ulterior motives, but giving her cultivation was only right and not a deception.

She can ask for it directly.

So what if I lied?

There are many highly skilled cultivators in the world, so why did she specifically choose me?

Yes, going to him means I love him!

It's all because of their predestined relationship from past lives; even if she forgets everything, she can't sever this bond.

Jiang Qiye patiently explained, "Without the Melting Pill, even if I pass on more cultivation to you, you won't be able to unleash even a tenth of it. If it can't be digested in your body and becomes stagnant, I'm afraid you'll be in danger."

Pei Xueyan pouted angrily: "In the end, you still believe what Master Zijin said, not me."

"That was not the intention."

"Sigh..." She sighed softly, her tone tinged with grievance, "I've told you before, I hate practicing martial arts and I don't like getting up early. Now that I'm not fully recovered, I don't want to move at all. Brother, are you going to abandon me?"

He immediately denied it: "Absolutely not!"

“Brother, you have no idea how painful it is to fall from a great height! I often feel inferior when I'm with you, and I don't know how to love you. If you shared half of your cultivation with me, and we cultivated together, I would feel more at ease. Anyway, we've already kissed, so after we become Daoist partners, whether we're husband and wife or not isn't that important, is it?”

Jiang Qiye lowered his eyes, feeling somewhat sad. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable seeing her words that were inconsistent with her own and that made her look down on him, but he still nodded.

"good."

Unable to contain her excitement, Pei Xueyan quickly asked, "Alright, let's become Daoist partners now. How do you suggest we do it?"

Jiang Qiye said softly, "No, imparting internal energy cultivation requires... requires..."

He didn't ask what he needed.

"What do you need? Just tell me what you want to do, and I'll agree to anything."

"You need to take off all your clothes."

"Huh?" Pei Xueyan looked at him with disbelief, scrutinizing his face. "You're lying, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not lying to you."

"You're stuttering, so you're lying!"

"So, are you going to marry me or not?!" His voice suddenly rose, and he spoke with such seriousness and excitement for the first time. "Daoist partners are not necessarily husband and wife. Some just study cultivation methods together, and may not do anything else."

Pei Xueyan was startled by his reaction. This man was usually so refined and gentle, but his expression was so frightening.

"Of course I want to study the cultivation method with you!"

His gaze drifted into the distance, and he explained softly, "You have no cultivation, how can you study it? Naturally, you must be naked together to better transfer spiritual power."

Jiang Qiye turned to look at her: "It's okay if you don't want to. Don't worry about ruining your reputation or being seen by others. It's fine if you don't become a Daoist partner."

That stinky Taoist priest!

Pei Xueyan wasn't stupid; she could tell he was angry. She immediately smiled and leaned closer, "Good brother, you've already sucked my tongue! And you still say I don't want to? How about this, we'll get married first, find a matchmaker or fortune teller in the mortal realm to write a marriage certificate, and then we can focus on our cultivation. We can hold the wedding later, okay? I really don't want all that trouble, and I don't have many requirements. Think about it, what if your master, your master, and my master find out about this and strongly oppose it? Their martial arts are better than ours; they won't even have the chance to act first and ask for permission later."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiye's heart stirred.

He knew all too well that persuading their teachers, who were from opposing factions, to agree to the marriage was harder than climbing to heaven. What if the opposition was so fierce that the two of them would actually give up after being convinced?

I'm afraid that in the end it will all come to nothing and I'll get nothing at all.

I think it would be better to get married first.

Once the deed is done, even if the teachers and elders object, there's nothing they can do.

“Alright, let’s go down the mountain and get married soon.” Jiang Qiye’s tone was somewhat incredulous and dazed, as if he were talking to himself.

Pei Xueyan immediately hugged his waist and jumped up and down excitedly: "That's great, that's great!"

Jiang Qiye hugged her back: "Azheng, did you agree to marry someone so easily?"

"You're not just anyone. We've known each other for so long, what's there to worry about?"

Jiang Qiye raised an eyebrow and carefully observed her face. Just a moment ago, she really looked like the person they had seen after waking up from their dream.

Does she really not remember anything from the past?

Or is she simply that capricious, able to so easily fall in love with someone and agree to marry them?

When did I become so anxious and insecure?