"Elder Chang, you're really pushing me into a fire pit!" Ye Xingchen said with a troubled expression.
"What kind of talk is that?" the old man said, somewhat displeased. "How is asking you to marry my granddaughter considered pushing you into a fire pit? Is she really that unworthy of you?"
"No, that's not what I meant." Ye Xingchen shook his head: "Elder Chang, actually, even if you didn't say it, I could guess that Miss Liu is actually engaged, right?"
“That’s right, she is engaged.” Upon hearing this, Elder Chang’s expression became complicated.
But does that count as a marriage contract? In this region of three provinces, people believe in immortals, but to put it bluntly, these so-called immortals are all animals that have cultivated themselves into human form; they are not orthodox immortals.
Strictly speaking, they are demons. They have cultivated human form, possess magic, and are no less greedy, angry, or deluded than humans.
There are many immortals who have achieved enlightenment through cultivation, but in the three provinces, there are only a few of the five representative immortals. They eliminate dissidents and squeeze out their own kind, leaving them with no room to survive. They are afraid that one day a fellow immortal will surpass them in cultivation and take their place.
Therefore, this Liu Sanqing was also an absolute lecher.
Besides his lust for Liu Qingmei, there must be other reasons why he wants to marry her, but Ye Xingchen doesn't know them yet.
"But this marriage is neither her wish nor the wish of my Chang family. It is a marriage arranged for her by those so-called worthless elders of her Liu family." Old Chang clenched his fist, his expression becoming somewhat angry.
In order to consolidate their position, gain prestige and privileges in the local area, and incidentally acquire Liu Sanqing's magic, the Liu family was willing to sacrifice their granddaughter to achieve everything they wanted.
This was a situation that Elder Chang did not want to see and tried his best to prevent.
Over the years, he had been searching for a capable person to help Liu Qingmei, as a way of giving her mother, who was in heaven, some closure.
But after all, the other party is the famous Liu Sanqing, who holds an extremely high position among the immortals of the three provinces.
Fortunately, the young man in front of him gave him hope.
"Liu Sanqing is quite difficult to deal with," Ye Xingchen sighed, feigning difficulty.
He had dealt with similar creatures before and knew they were not easy to deal with.
Moreover, the Flower Python they had dealt with before was still a newly formed being, while Liu Sanqing from the three provinces had occupied the position of Liu Xian for over a hundred years, and his cultivation was unfathomable.
This guy really has some skills to make the Liu family one of the five major families in the three provinces.
Unsure of the opponent's strength, Ye Xingchen's move was still risky.
More importantly, the old man in front of him was a shrewd and cunning person. Ye Xingchen had to be extremely careful when talking to him about these things, otherwise he might fall into a trap that the old man had already set up.
"Haha, I know it is indeed difficult, but these things are nothing to you. You know Elder Zhou of Xuanyu Pavilion, right?"
"You mean Zhou Fuwen?" Ye Xingchen was taken aback. He had never revealed his identity before. How could this old man, who was always referred to as Dr. Yuan, have already found out? This is no simple matter.
Moreover, judging from his tone, he knows Zhou Fuwen. This old man has indeed done something to be able to establish himself in the three provinces for so many years.
"Haha, an old acquaintance." The old man laughed heartily. "It's just that we haven't seen each other for many years. I knew you were from Yanjing, so I called him last night to get in touch."
"Elder Zhou is my maternal grandfather's junior brother, and I am also a member of the Xuan Yu Pavilion." Seeing this, Ye Xingchen simply laid his cards on the table and stopped pretending; he was someone with connections.
"Hehe, you are indeed extraordinary." Old Chang nodded with a smile: "I also know about your abilities, and I know what you came to the Northeast for."
"So what?" Ye Xingchen gave a wry smile. Now that's it, the old man has a way of controlling him.
"So, kid, even if you're good, Zhou Fuwen and I are brothers who we can trust to entrust our backs to each other. By seniority, I'm your grandfather's generation." Old Chang said with some pride, "There are some things you have to compromise on."
"Fine, fine, you dare to say that you were plotting against me from the very beginning? People are so treacherous." Ye Xingchen was both amused and exasperated.
After awakening, his strength progressed steadily, and he was able to strategize and win battles from afar.
However, in terms of temperament, he still falls short compared to these shrewd old folks.
It turns out that the old man had already found out about his background beforehand, and the reason he put on this show today was to test just how strong he really was.
His relationship with Old Zhou was unusual; China, at times, is a society that values personal connections.
It's too complicated. Sometimes, even if it's out of consideration for personal relationships and face, Ye Xingchen has to grit his teeth and follow the old man's path.
"Haha, I guess that's not really the case." Old Chang laughed heartily. "According to seniority, I'm your elder, so it's fine to call you Xiao Ye."
“Yes, Elder Zhou is my maternal grandfather’s junior brother and has been kind to me.” Ye Xingchen nodded slightly. “I will be staying in these three provinces for a while, and the forces I encounter are quite powerful, so Elder Chang will have to lend a hand sometimes.”
"No problem." Old Master Chang nodded gently. "But you also know the problems our Chang family is facing right now."
"I understand." Ye Xingchen smiled and said, "Elder Chang's knot is in Miss Liu."
"Yes, I often say that Qingmei's mother only has one daughter, and the whole family spoils her rotten. It's a pity that she didn't know what got into her, but she fell in love with that scoundrel from the Liu family."
The elder gritted his teeth and said, "That kid's family is too close to Liu Sanqing, and they're acting all mysterious. I don't like that, but I couldn't resist her persistent pleading, so I agreed."
"After she married into the Liu family, she fell seriously ill and died after giving birth to Qingmei. Qingmei became a motherless child. However, one thing led to another. When she was six years old, she went to the ancestral hall with the Liu family to worship, where she was taken a liking to that monster Liu Sanqing. Thus began this tragic love affair."
"It's pitiful that Qingmei, such a young girl, has to dress like a young married woman, and she never dares to fall in love, or even have any contact with men outside her family."
The elder sighed, "A tragic fate, all of this is a tragic fate."
"I understand." Ye Xingchen nodded slightly: "Liu Sanqing cultivated into his true form a hundred years ago, defeated the previous immortal, and took his place."
"Over the years, he has been bound by a contract with the Liu family and has been receiving offerings from the Liu family, which has led to his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds."
"However, emperors take turns ruling. Liu Sanqing has occupied the top position among immortals for so many years, suppressing dissidents. It's time for him to step down," Ye Xingchen sneered.
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